Chapter 15

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Volume 2 + Chapter 15: The Duel Begins

Just as Ouyang Qianxue stepped out of the bath, he was preparing to change into the fresh clothes he had prepared in advance. However…

“Hmm? Why do I feel like someone’s touched my clothes? I distinctly remember folding my underwear neatly. Could it be…?” Suddenly, Ouyang Qianxue’s face turned pale.

“Could someone have come in here?” But he immediately dismissed this thought. After all, the advisor had said this bathhouse wasn’t open during the day—outsiders shouldn’t be able to enter.

“Was it Bai Yuxuan? Did that guy sneak in and do something to my underwear?” A vivid image suddenly appeared in Ouyang Qianxue’s mind. Bai Yuxuan, after confirming Ouyang Qianxue had entered the bath, sneaked into the changing room, picking up his underwear, pressing it against his face and taking deep breaths.

“No no no! That image is way too disturbing! As much as I dislike Bai Yuxuan, he’s definitely not that kind of pervert. Otherwise, when I was at his apartment before, he would have made moves on me. Besides, he’s always cold toward female classmates—he probably wouldn’t have those kinds of thoughts. I must be overthinking this.”

Thus reassured, Ouyang Qianxue changed clothes and exited the changing room—only to immediately run into Bai Yuxuan, as the two happened to emerge at exactly the same time.

“!” At this moment, Bai Yuxuan hadn’t yet tied up his hair after changing, leaving his black locks cascading down. To Ouyang Qianxue, he looked like a rather handsome girl. The stark contrast from his usual appearance left Ouyang Qianxue momentarily stunned.

“What are you looking at?” Bai Yuxuan asked coldly.

“Nothing. I just feel annoyed seeing you right after coming out,” Ouyang Qianxue retorted while petulantly drying his hair with a towel as he walked toward the exit. Distracted by Bai Yuxuan, he failed to notice a puddle of water on the floor—and stepped right into it.

“Ah!” His foot slipped, sending his body tilting backward. He was about to fall and hit the back of his head on the ground.

“Watch out!” In an instant, Bai Yuxuan rushed forward and caught Ouyang Qianxue from behind. At this moment, golden and black hair intertwined as two beautiful faces came so close they nearly touched, creating a scene as picturesque as a painting.

Looking at Ouyang Qianxue’s flustered expression, Bai Yuxuan suddenly found the girl in his arms incredibly adorable. Despite both being girls, she felt an inexplicable urge to kiss her.

“Th-thank you… Also, could you let go now?” Only when Ouyang Qianxue spoke did Bai Yuxuan snap back to reality. He immediately released his grip—causing the unprepared Ouyang Qianxue to fall flat on his butt.

“You could’ve warned me before letting go! That really hurt!” Ouyang Qianxue complained while rubbing his sore bottom.

“Hmph. If I hadn’t caught you just now, you would’ve cracked your skull open.”

“That’s true… Thanks. Though I never expected you’d actually save me.”

“Don’t misunderstand. I just didn’t want you getting seriously injured—that would ruin my enjoyment of defeating you and making you obey my commands.”

“You’re still spouting nonsense! When it comes to piano, I have absolute confidence. Just wait for my revenge—you’ll regret everything you’ve done to me!” With that, Ouyang Qianxue stormed out of the bathhouse angrily.

“This will probably be our final competition…” Watching Ouyang Qianxue’s retreating figure, Bai Yuxuan sighed softly.

She knew full well the gap between her piano skills and Ouyang Qianxue’s, leaving her almost no chance of victory. Once Ouyang Qianxue achieved “revenge,” their rivalry would end, and they would undoubtedly return to being complete strangers who ignored each other—just like before.

(So many people have already alienated me, and I’ve long grown accustomed to loneliness… So why am I so afraid? Afraid of being kept away from your side? It must be because you warmed me when my heart was at its coldest. Having remembered that warmth, I’ve become terrified of losing it…)

Thinking this, Bai Yuxuan brought the fingers that had just held Ouyang Qianxue to her nose, inhaling the faint fragrance lingering from contact with those golden locks.

—

When the two arrived at the music room after changing, the music advisor was already waiting.

“We’ll flip a coin to decide the performance order,” the advisor said, producing a coin.

“Heads,” Ouyang Qianxue declared eagerly, barely able to contain his anticipation for the showdown.

“Then I’ll take tails,” Bai Yuxuan responded.

The teacher tossed the coin and caught it—revealing tails.

“Bai Yuxuan will perform first.”

Thus, Bai Yuxuan took her seat at the piano and began playing.

Her selection was the third movement of Beethoven’s “Pathétique” Sonata—an allegro rondo in C minor. The beautiful melody carried an unstable, wavering emotion, as if caught in uncertain hesitation. The piece opened with cascading notes like pouring raindrops.

“I never expected Bai Yuxuan to be this skilled,” Ning Caiwei remarked in surprise as she watched his fluid performance from the sidelines.

“Indeed, Bai Yuxuan’s performance could be called flawless—every detail and technique executed perfectly,” the music teacher added.

“Then what about Qianxue…?” Ning Caiwei wore a worried expression.

“However…” The teacher’s tone suddenly shifted. 

“While the third movement of ‘Pathétique’ is Grade 10 difficulty, it’s not particularly challenging for professional performers. And Ouyang Qianxue is a player who achieved the highest score ever recorded in our city’s competition. Ning Caiwei, you’re only worried because you haven’t seen Ouyang play. Look how composed she appears.”

Indeed, despite Bai Yuxuan’s perfect performance, Ouyang Qianxue remained completely calm and collected.

“As expected of Qianxue. It seems her skills surpass Bai Yuxuan’s. And… it should be starting soon,” Ning Caiwei said with a sly smile, already imagining Bai Yuxuan’s agonized expression as the chili powder took effect.

Yet as the piece reached its conclusion, Bai Yuxuan never showed the slightest hint of the suffering Ning Caiwei had anticipated. Her performance remained flawless throughout, without any signs of distraction or discomfort.

“Why is he playing so calmly?!” Ning Caiwei exclaimed in disbelief.

“His willpower and endurance have reached that level? Is he even human?!”

Finally, Bai Yuxuan finished perfectly, bowed, and stepped aside to make way for Ouyang Qianxue.

“Heh, finally my turn,” Ouyang Qianxue said as he stepped forward. Having gauged Bai Yuxuan’s skill level, he now felt completely confident of victory.

“But why does my butt hurt more and more? And this burning sensation… Did I fall harder than I thought?”