A Twisted Love Affair-Chapter 100: He’s acting a bit off now_1

One Zhou left, and now another named Zhou had arrived.

This event was officially hosted. Zhou Xiangqun was dispatched as an official representative to oversee the competition as a judge. For cultural and artistic exchanges, officials always valued the traditional crafts passed down from our ancestors.

Shen Jing entered the hotel room and sat down to take off her shoes.

Xing Fei settled her suitcase. "Let me tell you, if his elder brother wore a sharp suit, his aura would be something else. I’ve seen him on TV."

Resting her chin in her hand, Shen Jing pondered, "A Sun Yat-sen suit and an administrative jacket paired with a white shirt give off more of an old cadre vibe."

That kind of demeanor is utterly stern and righteous.

"He seems to be working next door, right?" Thinking this, Shen Jing turned, opened the door, and peeked out, just in time to see an assistant exiting room 6077.

Shen Jing pulled her head back in. "The Zhou Family is so mysterious. Exactly which Zhou family in Beijing are they?"

Xing Fei carefully folded clothes. "Why the panic? You managed to shut him up just a moment ago."

Shen Jing stuck out her tongue. "I was peeking."

Xing Fei chuckled lightly. Her mind was preoccupied, and unlike Shen Jing, she couldn’t just forget her worries after leaving the house. Watching the snow fall outside the window, her feelings grew complicated, and she forgot to answer Shen Jing.

Her phone rang.

Xing Fei picked it up.

Chen Yao had sent her a lot of cute sticker packs—either baby faces or little pictures meant to cheer someone up.

Xing Fei swiped them away without replying.

She had suggested breaking up, but Chen Yao refused and, instead, became even more persistent. She didn’t know what to do, and not wanting to spoil Shen Jing’s good mood, she turned to organize her luggage.

The Chen Family had approached her and investigated her background. While they hadn’t mistreated or scolded her, their condescending attitude was something she didn’t even want to recall; wealthy families always knew how to break one’s spirit.

Xing Fei showered, turned her phone off completely, and went to bed.

Shen Jing didn’t disturb her. She ran barefoot to the floor-to-ceiling window to watch the night scene. Unlike the dazzling lights of Shanghai, the long road opposite was lined with street lamps, with traffic flowing back and forth. Its brilliance spoke of a different kind of historical dignity and solemnity.

Shen Jing took a photo and posted it to her Moments with the caption: Safe.

For the next few days, neither of them contacted the other.

It didn’t matter what Shen Jing posted; Zhou Luchen didn’t check Moments, nor would he scroll through them just for her.

He wasn’t that kind of person.

The preliminary selection round was on the 8th. Shen Jing advanced smoothly, ranking second.

When she stepped offstage, she looked towards where Zhou Xiangqun was sitting and gave a gentle, subtle smile, questioning what he meant by giving her a score of 2.

He was even more extreme. The 2 points he gave Shen Jing were his highest score; he gave other contestants either 0 or 1.

Shen Jing suspected he couldn’t appreciate the music and was just there to criticize people. A score of 0 out of 10, given without a second thought—he was certainly strict.

Backstage, the participants had nicknamed Zhou Xiangqun "King Yama the Merciless," saying he was an implacable old fossil who didn’t understand the pipa.

Shen Jing wholeheartedly agreed.

Shen Jing went into the backstage dressing room to change. Just as she was about to push the door open to leave, she overheard several people talking in the adjacent changing room. If she hadn’t heard her own name, she wouldn’t have bothered to stop and listen.

"Did you hear? That Shen Jing got in through connections. She knows the supervising judge sent by the officials."

"That can’t be possible."

"Haven’t you seen the scandalous photos of her online? Rumor has it she’s being kept by some big shot in Shanghai. Who knows what connections she used to advance."

"I haven’t seen them. How come I can’t find them?"

"Those posts were taken down long ago, but you can check her social media accounts."

"Why do you think Shen Jing advanced so smoothly? She just sings casually in teahouses. How can she compare to us, who’ve had professional training? I’ve been playing the pipa for over twenty years since I was a child, and I got 0 points, while she got 2!"

"I got 1 point."

"You’re from the Central Academy of Drama, so 1 point is what you deserve, right? The other judges gave us high scores; only Mr. Zhou is such an uncompromising official."

"Why don’t we report Shen Jing for using connections?"

"Do you even know who Zhou Xiangqun is? Your report would end up in his hands anyway."

Shen Jing turned off her phone and crossed her arms. They’re making up conspiracy theories over a mere 2 points? She had only met Zhou Xiangqun once since the competition began.

Shen Jing knocked on the partition and said bluntly, "I had no idea I was capable of using connections. When you report it, make sure the officials investigate thoroughly."

Her usually gentle tone startled the girls in the next room. Shen Jing had already recorded their conversation on her phone and even replayed it for them to hear through the partition.

The rustling of clothes came from the next room, followed by the sound of their door slamming twice, echoing, and then silence.

Shen Jing tidied up her coat hanging on the wall and left. They just ran off like that?

Xing Fei had naturally heard the commotion too. She came over to get Shen Jing and happened to see the three of them fleeing.

"If they can’t match your skills, they resort to conspiracy theories. Don’t mind them."

Shen Jing didn’t respond. She always maintained an air of nonchalance, a calm and unhurried demeanor; even if the sky were falling, she wouldn’t panic in the slightest.

"The one just now was Lu Yi, a student from the Conservatory of Music," Xing Fei said. She was third in the preliminaries, ranked just below Shen Jing.

Xing Fei warned, "Don’t stoop to their level. If she dares spread rumors during the competition, leave her to me. I’ll rip her mouth apart." As she said this, Xing Fei even made a tearing gesture with her hands.

Shen Jing chuckled at her antics, closing the dressing room door. "Never mind them. We’re here to compete."

"You’re still too naive."

Young or not, Shen Jing didn’t know. She swiped her phone open but had no new messages. A whole week had passed since she left Shanghai.

Zhou Luchen really hadn’t reached out to her.

That heartless man.

---

In the lounge at Yue Villa, on the 82nd floor.

An acrylic, high-end pool table stood there, with neatly arranged liquor cabinets lining the left wall.

Zhou Luchen leaned against the pool table, a cigarette dangling from his lips, slowly chalking his cue.

The moment Chen Yao entered, he tossed his phone down, his expression sour. "You go to Beijing and immediately block me? What kind of stunt is that? You’re making my heart race!"

Zhou Luchen didn’t say a word. He took a shot, a powerful stroke with a sharp arc, sinking two balls at once. He tossed the cue aside, as if suddenly losing interest. He took the cigarette from his lips, tapped off the ash, and took another deep drag, his mood visibly deflated.

Chen Yao picked up a cue. "Bored, are we? If you’re bored, how about investing in my project?"

Zhou Luchen’s sharp eyes swept over him. "Do you take me for your meal ticket?"

Chen Yao hopped onto the edge of the pool table, a playful smirk on his face. "Come on, we’re practically brothers who’ve shared everything. Do I need to sweet-talk you?"

He retorted coldly, "Don’t try to swindle me out of money or pull any other tricks."

Chen Yao’s eyelid twitched. He froze, momentarily stunned. He’d only made a joke because he saw Zhou Luchen wasn’t enjoying pool, but he seemed genuinely off now.

His foul mood was palpable.

Zhou Luchen glanced at his watch and then fiercely ground out his cigarette. Smoke still curled in the air, and in the dim, hazy light, he turned and strode out.

Once the smell of smoke cleared, Chen Yao snapped out of his daze and looked up at Zhou Luchen’s retreating back.

Master Zhou had been frequenting the Pleasure Quarters a lot lately, though he usually only stayed for about ten minutes each time.

"Where are you going?"

Zhou Luchen casually hooked his suit jacket over his shoulder with one long finger. "Home."