Eldest Senior Sister Became a Sensation After Being Blacklisted Online - Chapter 9

Song Cheng tilted her head. “If I knew everything, what would be the point of you being here? Is making money here really that easy?”

Yang Qiong’s face flushed crimson, then paled to green, then back to crimson. Her outstretched finger stiffened. “I can’t teach you.”

Seeing Yang Qiong about to leave, Liu Zimang panicked. Teacher Yang had won the Golden Melody Award multiple times in her youth. If not for her friendship with Liu Zimang’s master and her willingness to do him a favor, a junior like Liu Zimang would never have been able to hire her.

Yet Song Cheng had managed to infuriate her within minutes.

Liu Zimang glared at Song Cheng and immediately stepped forward to try to salvage the situation.

But before she could move, Song Cheng stood up from her chair and turned to call after Yang Qiong’s retreating figure. “I may not know what you’re talking about, but that melody did come from my hands.”

When Yang Qiong paused, Song Cheng continued, “Learning from scratch to mastery in a week—isn’t that an accomplishment worth celebrating?”

If the beauty hadn’t kept mentioning losing money, Song Cheng wouldn’t have bothered trying to stop her.

By now, Liu Zimang had reached Yang Qiong’s side. “Teacher Yang, please reconsider,” she said, glancing sideways at Song Cheng. “You’ve heard her play. Her musical talent…”

Yang Qiong raised her hand, cutting off Liu Zimang’s unfinished sentence. She turned to Song Cheng. “Ten minutes. I’m giving you only ten minutes to familiarize yourself with the musical notation. If you can’t even manage that, you’ll only embarrass yourself on stage.”

Having lived for decades in the cultivation world, Song Cheng had grown accustomed to praise for her exceptional talent. Yet here, before this woman, she was being told she would embarrass herself?

Song Cheng remained silent, sitting in her chair and studying the notation, which resembled numbers. Her mind raced, desperately trying to recall any useful information from her original body’s memories.

Before she could find anything, Yang Qiong strode over and tossed a phone at her.

With a casual flick of her wrist, Song Cheng caught the phone. She was about to speak when her attention was drawn to a video on the screen titled “How to Quickly Identify Musical Notes.”

After watching it just once, she had a rough understanding of the 24 musical symbols.

When the video ended, she didn’t immediately watch it again. Instead, she tried to mentally apply the notes she had learned to familiar melodies.

Once she had a basic framework in her mind, she watched the video a second time, filling in any gaps in her knowledge.

Seeing Song Cheng so focused, Liu Zimang couldn’t help but stare in awe.

From her angle, she could see Song Cheng’s collagen-rich profile. Though her features weren’t particularly refined, their harmony was striking. The original casualness had been replaced by intense concentration, and combined with the unconscious aura of dominance she exuded, Song Cheng commanded attention even while simply sitting there.

“Cough, cough, cough…”

Hearing the sound, she immediately averted her gaze, catching Yu X’s teasing glance. She lowered her eyes self-consciously, her hands instinctively drawing closer to her sides, and she felt the urge to fidget with her thumbs.

“Let’s start!” Yu X declared, striding over to the full-length mirror.

Liu Zimang glanced at Song Cheng one last time before stepping forward, shedding her trench coat to reveal a form-fitting undershirt beneath.

Having deciphered the 24 musical notes, Song Cheng looked up to find Liu Zimang’s curvaceous figure before her. Her slender waist seemed so delicate, as if it could snap with a mere pinch.

Below her waist were slightly fleshy, cartoonishly long legs. Her fair skin, contrasted against black shorts, seemed to glow with an ethereal radiance, dazzlingly bright.

I want to leave a mark on her, the thought instantly flashed through Song Cheng’s mind.

Alas, before she could act on it, Yang Qiong’s voice interrupted her reverie: “Got it?”

Reluctantly tearing her gaze away, Song Cheng lifted her chin slightly, answering Yang Qiong with a gesture: How could something this simple stump me?

Yang Qiong snorted softly, snatched the phone from Song Cheng’s hand, found the sheet music for the song “狂” (Madness), and tossed the phone back to her. She then walked over to the music player. “Follow the sheet music and feel the rhythm,” she instructed, pressing play without waiting for a response.

As the melody filled the room, Liu Zimang began to move in sync with Yu X.

Song Cheng, with her exceptionally keen hearing, unconsciously glanced toward the sound of their rehearsal, her gaze following the rhythmic sway of Liu Zimang’s graceful figure.

Yang Qiong noticed Song Cheng’s subtle movements. Her lips pressed into an increasingly tight line, her expression darkening with each passing moment. As the final note faded, her voice cut through the air: “Hum it once.”

Liu Zimang froze, her pupils widening slightly at the command. Including the two times she had played the melody earlier, Song Cheng had only heard it three times.

Was it fair to ask Song Cheng to hum the tune under such circumstances?

She was about to protest when she caught Song Cheng’s composed demeanor and immediately abandoned the idea. Crossing her arms, she focused intently on Song Cheng.

Song Cheng had her own method for memorizing melodies. Glancing around and finding no flute, she rose and walked to the window. Reaching out, she plucked a leaf from a wind-tossed branch, wiped off the dust, and placed it to her lips.

A beautiful melody filled the dance studio. Soon, Yang Qiong and Liu Zimang realized that the tune differed from the written score. Compared to the score, Song Cheng’s version flowed with smoother transitions and gentler undulations.

Though the performance carried a hint of rawness, there were no glaring flaws to criticize.

Even Yang Qiong, whose lips had been pressed tightly together, unconsciously relaxed her grip slightly.

Before Yang Qiong could speak, Song Cheng began a second rendition. This time, Liu Zimang moved along with the music.

Song Cheng subtly adjusted her position, her gaze following Liu Zimang’s every movement.

To the lively rhythm, Liu Zimang danced with light, graceful steps, her arms sweeping freely, her waist twisting fluidly. Suddenly, as the tempo quickened, her hips began to sway faster, radiating sensuality and allure.

Watching this, Song Cheng couldn’t help but recall a saying she’d once heard in the mortal realm: “To die beneath a peony’s petals is a ghost’s greatest pleasure.”

If this beauty were Liu Zimang, she thought, what would it matter if others mocked or scorned me?

Unaware of Song Cheng’s thoughts, Liu Zimang continued practicing the choreography she had discussed with Yu X.

As the music ended, she immediately stopped moving. Yu X stepped forward, saying, “There are two movements we need to adjust…”

Song Cheng only caught a few words before she saw Yu X’s hand reach toward Liu Zimang’s waist.

How could she allow someone to take liberties with Liu Zimang right in front of her? In a flash, Song Cheng moved behind Liu Zimang, wrapping her arm around the dancer’s slender waist and perfectly blocking Yu X’s hand.

The sudden movement startled Liu Zimang. Her fox-like eyes widened slightly, her delicate lips parted in surprise, and a hint of panic flickered across her face.

As she touched Song Cheng, reason gradually returned, and she realized she was in Song Cheng’s arms. Leaning forward slightly, she could have touched Song Cheng’s slightly pursed, rosy lips. Her breath, blocked by Song Cheng’s presence, mingled with Song Cheng’s own and rebounded, spraying back onto her face.

The damp, ticklish sensation spread through her entire body, making her stiffen. “What are you doing?”

Song Cheng remained perfectly serious, seemingly oblivious to anything inappropriate about their position. “Helping you avoid harassment.”

Yu X: “……”

Who exactly is harassing whom here?

Sensing Yu X’s gaze, Liu Zimang belatedly straightened up, turning her head away to hide her flustered expression from the others.

Whether it was Song Cheng’s overwhelming aura or something else, even after leaving Song Cheng’s embrace, Liu Zimang’s heart continued to race.

She subtly increased the distance between herself and Song Cheng, taking deep breaths in an attempt to regain her composure.

Yang Qiong, who had been standing motionless nearby, stared at Song Cheng for a moment before barking, “Continue!”

Song Cheng glanced down at her hand. The lingering softness of Liu Zimang’s waist seemed to still linger on her fingertips. She couldn’t help but steal another glance at Liu Zimang’s waist. What does she eat to grow up like this? How can her waist be so soft?

“Hurry up!” Yang Qiong urged again.

Still not done?

Song Cheng raised her hand high and brought it down with a forceful chop, releasing her pent-up frustration.

The motion sent Yang Qiong’s hair and long skirt billowing like a gust of wind, accompanied by an oppressive aura that made everyone tense.

Yu X, easily frightened, froze in place, too afraid to move.

Yang Qiong, though shaken, forced herself to remain calm and glanced out the window. Seeing only a few nearby leaves fluttering while the rest remained still, she realized the oppressive feeling had emanated from Song Cheng.

Narrowing her eyes, she straightened her back and strode toward Song Cheng. “You don’t want to learn.”

Let whoever wants to learn, learn.

Song Cheng’s retort was about to escape her lips when Liu Zimang’s voice cut in. “That’s not true.” She shot Song Cheng a warning glare, silently conveying: If you scare her away, you’ll pay the consequences.

Remembering her entire savings amounted to only thirty thousand yuan, Song Cheng grunted and swallowed her words.

“The more you resist, the more I’ll make you practice,” Yang Qiong declared stubbornly, settling into a nearby chair and crossing her legs. “You’re going home when you’ve mastered the melody.”

Hearing this, a thunderous roar exploded in Liu Zimang’s ears. How could she have forgotten? Master had once said that Teacher Yang, in her youth, had been not only a flirtatious woman but also a stubborn mule.

Song Cheng, accustomed to her carefree ways, cared little about advancing. Liu Zimang had finally discovered Song Cheng’s weakness—her love of money—and had temporarily gained leverage over her. Now…

Imagining the impending clash between the two, Liu Zimang reluctantly raised a hand to her forehead.

“If it were me, I could master it all in just one hour,” Yang Qiong declared provocatively, her contemptuous gaze igniting Song Cheng’s anger.

Their eyes locked, the air thick with tension. Just as Liu Zimang feared Song Cheng would lose her composure again, Song Cheng spoke: “Then watch closely as I crush your confidence into dust.” With that, she raised the leaf to her lips.

Before she could blow, Yang Qiong’s voice cut through the air again: “If you can blend the melody with genuine emotion within an hour, I’ll concede defeat.”

Song Cheng lowered the leaf, her eyes narrowing slightly. “You’re pushing your luck.”

“What? Can’t handle it?” Yang Qiong spread her hands. “You can always admit defeat.”

The words “admit defeat” had never existed in Song Cheng’s vocabulary.

Clenching her fist, she retorted, “Just you wait.”