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Chapter 226: Proficient in Numerous Skills
“As long as you don’t mention that request again, I’m fine with whatever you want to say. But if you ask me again, we might as well be strangers.”
Huang Jie was angered. “Why are you so stubborn? I offered you a professor position at our Regal Classical Music Academy. This is a position that many long for even in their dreams. Why do you always refuse it?”
“I’ve already answered this question. So I’ll repeat it again, and this time is the last time. I really am not interested in music. I may play music occasionally when I’m the mood, but immersing myself in music for my entire life, is something that I can’t do. I have my own dreams. I hope you can respect this choice of mine.” Tang Xiu said.
"You…" Huang Jie was short of breath.
The woman beside her was astonished. Sizing up Tang Xiu, she pulled Huang Jie’s sleeves, “Sister-in-law, is he the musical genius you told me about?” And then said with a smile, “Hello Tang Xiu, I’m Zhu Xinmei, Huang Jie’s husband is my big brother. I’ve heard a lot about you since she talks about you all day every day recently. I didn’t expect to encounter you in Tianjin City as well.”
Tang Xiu nodded at her indifferently and then said, “Huang Jie, I’ve given you my answer. Anyways, I have to bid you farewell. Professor Hu, let’s go!”
Professor Hu looked at him with a strange expression, whereas Le Baiyi and Mu Wanying also stared at him with foolish expressions. Even in their dreams, they had never imagined that Tang Xiu would so blatantly refuse such a good offer of becoming a professor in the Regal Classical Music Academy. They all knew this famed institution, for it could be ranked in the first three music academies throughout the country. Numerous singers had graduated from there, many of whom were greatly famous.
To think he was offered a professor position! Could it be that his accomplishments in music were as equally high as his painting skill?
Bai Yu squinted her eyes and said with a smile, “Mr. Tang, Zhu Xinmei is our Lotus Blossom’s VIP. She’s also very knowledgeable in painting just like her brother. Since her sister-in-law is your friend, how about also inviting her to sit with you? Ah, please wait a bit. I also have something I need to talk to her.”
Tang Xiu frowned. He looked straight at her and asked, “Her Brother? She’s surnamed Zhu, and the guy before also has the same family name. Is she Zhu Xiang’s sister?”
Zhu Xinmei was surprised. “Tang Xiu, do you know my little brother?”
Tang Xiu rolled his eyes and averted his head.
Bai Yu hesitated for a moment, as she then told everything that happened before. In the end, she solemnly emphasized, “Xinmei, I know you. You have a good integrity and attitude, but your little brother’s character is kinda very difficult to deal with. That’s why I already announced that he’s forbidden from visiting our Lotus Blossom House again in the future.”
“What a damn prick! I knew that he’d cause trouble because of his attitude sooner or later. Manager Bai, Tang Xiu, I really must thank the both of you for what happened, giving him a lesson today. This will blow his arrogance greatly, saving him from future trouble. Don’t worry though. If he doesn’t send the “Sailboats and Pavilion” painting, I’ll make sure to break his legs when I go back home.”
Upon seeing Zhu Xinmei’s sincerity, Tang Xiu also earnestly nodded. But, he shook his head and sighed, “Doesn’t matter if something is good or bad, it takes all kinds to make the world. This remark is indeed justified! Please don’t thank me. As long as your little brother keeps his promise to send the painting, everything is fine!”
Zhu Xinmei nodded and looked at Huang Jie.
At this time, Huang Jie simply didn’t care about the problems between her broken brother-in-law and Tang Xiu. She was more concerned about Tang Xiu’s skill in painting since she was aware of her proud brother-in-law’s painting skill. She didn’t expect that Tang Xiu was even better than him.
“Tang Xiu, are you really proficient in drawing?”
Tang Xiu indifferently said, “I’m just ordinary, enough to abuse the mediocre! Well, we still have other matters to attend, so we’ll end it here.”
Having said that, he quickly gave Professor Hu a glance.
Professor Hu took the hint and smiled, “Both of you, we do have matters to attend to, so we can’t accompany you! If you want to chat with Tang Xiu alone, please choose some other day.”
Huang Jie was quite reluctant. However, she felt that it was no good to keep insisting because she knew that her brother-in-law had offended them.
Looking at their backs, Huang Jie said with a trace of resentment, “Xinmei, we really should teach Zhu Xiang some manners. If his disposition doesn’t change, he will no longer be able to take a foothold in society.”
As bitter as she was, Zhu Xinmei replied, “You think I don’t want to do that? I taught him many times already, but it didn’t work at all. Furthermore, his proudness and superciliousness are… Ugh. Alas, our family has done much all his wrongdoings; otherwise, he would have been notorious already.”
Pondering for a moment, Huang Jie slowly said, “How about, I tell your brother about today’s matter? Your little brother fears nobody. I believe he’ll change if your big brother acts.”
Zhu Xinmei shook her head. “No Sis, you can never tell big brother of this. Otherwise, he’ll surely break Xiang’s legs.”
“Then what should we do? Let him off that easily?” Huang Jie forced a smile and said.
Zhu Xinmei thought for a long time. After following an attendant and arriving at the box, only then did she speak, “We’ll look at the situation again! After today’s lesson, if he still doesn’t change, I’ll tell big brother about this matter!”
“Alright!” Huang Jie nodded and said.
Inside another box.
After everyone had taken their seats again, Bai Yu stayed for some small talk and then left. She wasn’t familiar with Tang Xiu after all. And even if she wanted to stay and befriend him, she was afraid that he would dislike it.
At this moment, there were only four people. Professor Hu, who kept his curiosity in check all the time, looked at Tang Xiu and asked, “Tang Xiu, aside from painting, do you really understand music?”
“Just a little!” Tang Xiu nodded.
A little?
Professor Hu, Le Baiyi, and Mu Wanying recalled Tang Xiu’s reply before, he also said “just a little”.
With such a godly skill in painting, can it really be called just “a little” skilled?
At the moment, the trio had already determined that Tang Xiu was really proficient in keeping his temperament. Otherwise, that woman a moment ago would’ve never asked Tang Xiu to become a professor in the Regal Classical Musical Academy.
Professor! Wanting to become one was not something that someone could easily achieve. Moreover, it was the famous Regal Classical Music Academy.
Professor Hu pondered for a moment before he asked, “Tang Xiu, we just learned that you’re from Star City and only a student who just attended the CET.”
Tang Xiu understood Professor Hu’s thoughts in a flash. “Please. You don’t need to beat around the bush. I’m just an ordinary person, nothing more, nothing less. But I do have a little business in my spare time after school. But, as for you, I feel you’re kinda strange.”
“Huh?” Professor Hu was confused. “What’s strange about me?”
Tang Xiu said faintly, “The first time I saw you, I felt a very strong death aura from you. You’re either working in a funeral parlor or a crematory, or you’re probably a grave robber. I can see that there’s a long scar on your left neck. If I’m not mistaken, you’ve encountered a zombie, yes?”
Bam…
Professor Hu suddenly stood up with an incredible light in his eyes as he stared at Tang Xiu. After taking deep breaths, he asked with a deep tone, “How did you know?”
At the side, Le Baiyi’s face also changed drastically.
“Sit down!” Tang Xiu waved his hand and said lightly.
Professor Hu was aware of losing his manners. He sat back in his seat but still stared at Tang Xiu, wanting to obtain the answer from him.
Tang Xiu said, “Nowadays, with this peaceful age, ordinary people rarely deal with corpses anymore. People who just died have only low quantities of death qi in their bodies, and even if living people do stay with them for 10-15 days, they would only become a little contaminated. You’re a living person, but you have death qi inside you. That means that you've been dealing with the bones of the dead for many years. And I think that scab on your neck must have been left behind by a zombie’s claw. Furthermore, the scar has been lacquered black, which is the result of the residual corpse poison.”
“Did you deduce from these?” Professor Hu asked.
“No.” Tang Xiu shook his head. “In fact, the first time I went to your shop, I’d already noticed that something was not right. Your place is painted black everywhere, which proves that you like to stay in gloomy and dark environments. I’m sure you were not like this before.”
Professor Hu’s face was solemn. “Indeed, I wasn’t like that before.”
“Do you wonder about it?” Tang Xiu said lightly.
“Why?” Professor Hu asked with a sank tone.
Tang Xiu pointed at his heart's position and lightly said, “Although I don’t know what method you used to eliminate part of that deadly corpse poison, however, some of it is still inside your body. At that time, although it didn’t claim your life, it has given you a hidden danger deep inside your body. Give me your hand and I’ll check the condition of your body.”
"You know medical skills?" Professor Hu hurriedly asked.
“I know a little!” Tang Xiu said faintly.
Again?
At the side, Le Baiyi and Mu Wanying looked at each other in dismay. At this moment, they looked at Tang Xiu as if he was an omnipotent God!
Was this also only knowing a little?
His line of slightly knowing something was definitely a deep attainment on that subject.
Le Baiyi said deeply, “Old Hu, let him check you!”
Professor Hu gave him his wrist.
Tang Xiu’s finger checked Professor Hu’s pulse. First was his left hand, and then the right one. A minute later, he took his hand back. Shaking his head, he said, “It looks like it’s more serious than I thought. Are you having nightmares and waking up every night recently? Having poor sleep quality and constantly sweating, as well as spitting out black viscous sputum after coughing for a while whenever you wake up?”
Aghast, Professor Hu was overwhelmed with shock as his pupils contracted fiercely. “That’s exactly my condition!”
“The corpse poison has invaded the arteries in your heart and is corroding it, slowly. As short as six months and as long as a year, your death’s time is imminent!”