Chapter 11: The Great… Vast and Obscure?

The acting department's acting class, once it starts, lasts the whole day.

In preparation for the performance report of the specialty course a month later, everyone practiced very seriously.

Except for a certain classmate surnamed Yang, her mood today is somewhat… swaying.

From time to time she pulls out her phone, then gently puts it down, her mind elsewhere.

Isn't it said that lovers are constantly thinking of each other, not wanting to be apart even for a moment?

What kind of boyfriend did I find? It's almost been a day, and not only have we not met, there hasn't even been a call or a text.

Could it be that he hasn't thought of me at all today?

Yang Tongxue refuses to believe it; could it be that Chen Ci has encountered something?

Yang Tongxue wanted to actively ask for the truth, but then she fell into deep hesitation.

Yesterday his 'sneak attack' on me hasn't been settled with Chen Ci yet.

Now she's been made to wait idly all day again, and Yang Tongxue can't swallow this anger.

Even if something important came up temporarily, a text notification would be fine.

Yang Tongxue now just wants to ask Chen Ci one question: does he even regard her as his girlfriend?

But what if Chen Ci met with an accident? His parents… pah pah pah, Yang Tongxue shuddered and immediately drove that terrible thought from her mind.

After a short while, she finally couldn't resist, and alone in the corner she picked up her phone……

"With poetic imagery and a smiling mood, I wait only for you……"

"Brother Ci, switching this part to violin still feels a bit monotonous."

"To showcase local flavor, why not try the sanxian and erhu?"

"But I don't know how to play them!"

"I'll figure something out……"

The phone rang for nearly a minute, then, with no response, it automatically hung up.

Yang Tongxue's brows knotted, her mouth twitched, and besides her original anger, a flood of grievance and sourness surged in her heart.

What's the meaning of this? Don't bully me like this.

You've been bullying me from the start; you were the one who confessed first, yet now that you've taken your advantage you ignore me—did you just use me and toss me aside?

Chen Ci, you're a jerk, the most hateful scoundrel under heaven!

Hearing a sob, Yang Tongxue quickly covered her nose, and with her other hand wiped away the crystal tears at the corner of her eye.

Fortunately the practice room is large enough; most students are each busy with their own things and didn't notice Yang Tongxue in the corner.

But most, not all—at least two people noticed her odd state.

Zhang Xiaofei had noticed from the start that Yang Tongxue's condition was off.

Zhang Xiaofei originally thought it was because she hadn't slept well last night, lacking energy, but it's almost been a full day.

And just now that move made her even more suspicious.

"Mi Mi, what's wrong with you? Are you okay?"

Zhang Xiaofei stepped forward to show concern, clearly she had been full of energy just last night.

"Huh?"

Yang Tongxue turned her face to see Zhang Xiaofei, her first reaction was to shake her head: "I'm fine, I just got a bit into the role earlier."

"Really?"

Zhang Xiaofei didn't quite believe her, but didn't press further, only saying: "Class is about to end; what should we eat tonight?"

Faced with this century‑old dilemma, Yang Tongxue couldn't help but be stunned.

Immediately after, her gaze at Zhang Xiaofei was both annoyed and amused: "Xiaofei……"

Zhang Xiaofei had noticed early on that Yang Tongxue hadn't eaten much at noon.

Now, hearing that, her hunger surged, and she couldn't spare any attention for anything else.

First fill her stomach, then she'll have the energy to deal with that jerk Chen Ci!

The dismissal bell rang on time, a crowd scattered like birds and beasts, and Yang Tongxue and Zhang Xiaofei linked arms and went to eat together.

After they left, only a few people remained in the practice room.

One person stared at their backs until they completely disappeared from view.

"Shanshan, you're not going to eat?"

Her roommate Zhang Xuan, considered the most beautiful in their dorm.

Of course, they're all the same age; the young women themselves would certainly not create such a ranking—it's outsiders who do it.

Yuan Shanshan turned and smiled: "Oh, I'm not eating tonight, I'm dieting……

……

At the same time, Chen Ci also ran into this century‑old dilemma.

"Brother Ci, I'm starving—what should we eat tonight?"

"Shi San, following Master Ci, how could we possibly shortchange you, kid?"

"Exactly, when has Master Ci ever shortchanged his brothers? I often say Master Ci is the most righteous person I've ever met in my life……

What a pair, singing in harmony—Chen Ci today can't even think of shedding a drop of blood.

Never mind, seeing how hard the three of them worked today—especially Pang Zi, who skipped his specialty class to help me—let's just bleed if we have to.

"All right, I'll treat; just pick whatever."

"Whoa~"

"Master Ci is so generous!"

Chen Ci ignored those two clueless ones, turned to look at the famished Shi San lying like a corpse, and said: "Shi San, hand over my phone."

"On the sofa?"

Shi San quickly found Chen Ci's phone; flipping it over, the screen was actually lit.

"Ci Ge, missed call, big…… mingming?"

Chen Ci first froze briefly, then his brows tightened instantly; he got up and snatched the phone.

Taking a close look at the screen, sure enough, Chen Ci felt a jolt in his heart—oh my, something happened.

He was too absorbed in playing music, forgetting his girlfriend on the first day.

Looking at the time again, a long time had passed; calling now would probably be too late.

What to do?

Chen Ci was also encountering this situation for the first time; he had never made such a low-level mistake before.

Fortunately, he was calm enough, considering various solutions and possible consequences.

Just as he was thinking seriously, Shi San's stomach growled twice: "Ci Ge, when are we leaving? I'm really about to starve..."

"Huh?"

Chen Ci snapped his head over, his gaze sharp, making Shi San slightly startled.

Chen Ci's gaze was like a blade; Shi San was momentarily speechless, even unconsciously holding his breath.

Just now, Chen Ci had thought of many solutions, but because this sudden incident was truly special, he wasn't very confident.

As the saying goes, for a serious illness use strong medicine.

Chen Ci decided to go big. As for how big, the inspiration came precisely from Shi San……

"Move all the gear onto the car and follow me."

Lao Zhao's expression was obviously a bit unnatural: "Ah, we're not just going to eat, why move the gear?"

Chen Ci glared at him fiercely: "Cut the chatter, get to work!"

Lao Zhao lowered his head with a bitter face: "Alright, you're the boss, you decide……"

In the evening, Chen Ci drove off, with the Broken Guitar Band behind him.

Each one was hungry and listless, eyes drooping as they leaned on the seats, about to fall asleep.

Chen Ci slapped the horn, startling the three: "Did you remember what I just said?"

Lao Zhao yawned and rubbed his eyes: "I won't forget, I said Master Ci, it's just a little girl—why all this fuss? With your skills, what more do you need?"

"I told you guys you wouldn't understand; she's different."

"Different?" Lao Zhao really didn't get it.

Shi San, on the other hand, caught a different tone from his words: "Ci Ge, you wouldn't be saying you found true love, would you?"

Chen Ci couldn't be bothered to explain, but Lao Zhao got energized, half-smiling, half-serious as he sat up: "Well, if that's the case, I, Zhao Yingjun, would risk my life for Master Ci. True love? Haha……"