Genius Club-Chapter 177 - 20 Tang Xin

"Sister Tang Xin, hello!"

Chu Anqing greeted Tang Xin with a beaming smile, taking her hand:

"I didn’t expect you to be Senior Lin Xian’s high school classmate, what a coincidence!"

Tang Xin smiled slightly, looking at Chu Anqing:

"So you’re the girl who dances ballet. Everyone was discussing you during the rehearsal this afternoon, you’re indeed both beautiful and cute!"

"Hehe, you’re flattering me, sister."

Just then, a staff member came over, signaling Lin Xian to leave backstage:

"Sir, we need to start preparing here, please return to the audience."

Lin Xian nodded and said goodbye to the two.

Tang Xin and Chu Anqing chatted happily, both being Lin Xian’s classmates somehow made their conversation more enjoyable.

Even though their connection with Lin Xian could only be described as a brief encounter, having him as a common topic made them chat with enthusiasm.

"Speaking of which... Sister Tang Xin, there’s something I want to ask you."

"What is it?"

"Ah, it’s kind of embarrassing, I’m a little shy to mention it, but I’m really curious."

"There’s nothing to be embarrassed about." Tang Xin, who also liked this cheerful girl, said with a laugh:

"Just say whatever you want to ask."

Chu Anqing seemed to gather her courage and nodded:

"Actually... I wanted to ask about your high school classmates."

With her right hand, she tied up her hair at the back of her head, revealing her fair neck.

She then smiled like the girl in that sketch drawing, her dimples faintly appearing, and looked at Tang Xin:

"Sister Tang Xin, was there a girl in your high school class who looked a lot like me?"

"Eh?"

Tang Xin never expected Chu Anqing to ask such a question...

After a half-second pause, she took another look at this lively and lovely girl in front of her.

Truth be told, her features were indeed exceptional, cuter than any other young girl she had seen before.

Moreover, there was an indescribable quality about her that felt pure, refreshing, and as comfortable as a spring breeze.

Looking at her lovely face, Tang Xin tried to remember any female classmate from her brief high school days and then compared them to those she had seen at class reunions...

"As far as I remember, I don’t think so."

"No, none?"

Chu Anqing’s face instantly turned red, her heart beating a little faster:

"Are you sure there wasn’t a girl who looked like me?"

"I’m pretty sure there wasn’t."

Tang Xin said with a smile to Chu Anqing:

"If we had a girl as beautiful as you in our class, I definitely would’ve remembered her."

"But, it’s been so long, and I didn’t stay long after school started since I transferred. Anyway... why would you ask such a strange question?"

"Oh... it’s nothing much! Just something Senior Lin Xian mentioned in passing!" Chu Anqing waved goodbye to Tang Xin:

"Well, Sister Tang Xin, I’ve got to go~ I need to prepare and do my hair and makeup~"

"Okay, bye."

Tang Xin waved goodbye to the cheerful girl.

She smiled and didn’t take the matter to heart.

…

After returning to the VIP seat, Lin Xian sat down as the audience gradually began to fill the area.

Soon, Zhao Yingjun, carrying her handbag, arrived and took the seat next to Lin Xian:

"Lin Xian, you got here really early."

"Ah, I came to say hello to my high school classmate, she’s performing today."

"Which performance?"

"In the symphony orchestra, she’s a violinist."

Zhao Yingjun nodded, glancing at the program in her hand:

"The ninth item, right before An Qing’s ballet."

"Yes..."

For a moment, Lin Xian wasn’t sure what else to say.

He felt as though anything he might say would be like acting guilty, so he decided it was better to say nothing and focus on the performances, letting silence convey everything.

Then the music festival officially began.

No doubt, being an official event, the quality of each performance was very high.

Even someone like Lin Xian, who wasn’t particularly interested in traditional music, could feel the enchantment of being there.

Tang Xin’s symphony orchestra played many pieces, covering a variety of styles.

Because of the large number of performers, even though Tang Xin was the principal violinist, she wasn’t particularly noticeable, and Lin Xian didn’t detect any special feeling.

In contrast...

Chu Anqing’s solo ballet performance was strikingly prominent.

The entire stage was hers except for a corner where a piano accompanied her, creating a world solely for Chu Anqing.

This time, without Lin Xian as a ’hindrance’ in a dance role, Chu Anqing went all out, showcasing her true dance talents.

Professional, graceful, and beautiful.

She received a thunderous applause from the entire audience.

Lin Xian also gave Chu Anqing generous applause for her perfect performance...

Indeed, just as he thought, Chu Anqing wasn’t someone who got her position through backdoor deals; she truly had the skills.

He guessed somewhere in the VIP section, Chu Shanhe was probably clapping his hands red with excitement, right?

After all, at any event involving Chu Anqing, how could Chu Shanhe be absent?

But the VIP section was indeed too large and mixed with various people, so Lin Xian couldn’t find that sturdy figure.

The rest of the performances were also good, maintaining high quality, and Lin Xian enjoyed them.

Meanwhile, backstage after the performance...

Chu Anqing went to the symphony orchestra’s resting area after stepping off stage to chat with Tang Xin. Perhaps because of their similar personalities, they quickly became friends.

Chu Anqing was very interested in Lin Xian’s high school days, and Tang Xin was curious about Lin Xian’s current situation... With Lin Xian as an unexpected link, their conversation was surprisingly enjoyable.

In the end.

The music festival came to a successful conclusion.

The performers began to pack up, remove makeup, and change clothes after taking their bows. Having chatted all evening, Chu Anqing and Tang Xin naturally continued their chatter together.

On the audience side, people started to leave in an orderly fashion.

Lin Xian stretched languidly in his seat—

The concert really was too long, three and a half hours, and he felt exhausted from sitting for so long.

"Well, Lin Xian, I’m heading off first."

Zhao Yingjun bid farewell to Lin Xian at the theater entrance and walked towards the parking lot across the street.

Lin Xian had told Zhao Yingjun that after the performance, his classmates would gather for a bit, which was why he wouldn’t be taking Zhao Yingjun’s ride home.

One by one, the crowd gradually left the theater, crossed the street to the parking lot, and drove away.

Gao Yang also bid Lin Xian farewell after chatting with his colleagues and left.

Lin Xian stood at the entrance of the theater, watching the thinning stream of people, waiting for Tang Xin to change clothes and come out.

He didn’t know what Tang Xin was going to give him.

But considering...

Tang Xin expressed her feelings very directly and bluntly, so Lin Xian could roughly guess what it might be.

After another ten minutes or so, Tang Xin, wrapped in a coat, came out of the theater and jogged toward Lin Xian:

"Sorry, did you wait long?"

"No, not very long."

"Hehe, how was my performance? My violin skills are decent, right?" Tang Xin seemed very pleased with her performance today.

"Indeed, it was great." Lin Xian said with a smile:

"Speaking of which... what is it that you wanted to give me?"

Tang Xin glanced at her watch:

"Oh dear, why hasn’t it arrived yet? Zhou Duanyun is really too slow!"

"Zhou Duanyun?"

Lin Xian was surprised to hear this name.

Had these two planned something together?

Beep beep!

Across the street, a series of urgent car horn beeps sounded.

It was quite late already, and everyone had left. There was hardly any traffic or pedestrians, so the honks were very clear.

Both of them looked up to see across the street, right next to the sidewalk, a distinctive Rolls-Royce Phantom parked.

Zhou Duanyun got out of the car, smiling and waving at them.

"Hehe, we were just talking about him, and here he is."

Tang Xin turned back to Lin Xian, with a look of joy and excitement in her eyes:

"So, Lin Xian, wait here for me, okay? I’ll go get the thing!"

"Ah…"

Lin Xian was somewhat baffled, unsure of what was being plotted by these two and even more so, unaware of when they had grown so close.

But after all, they were classmates, and they had eaten together before, so it wasn’t that strange.

Tang Xin trotted off towards the street.

Behind her, there was also the patter of footsteps approaching.

Lin Xian turned his head and saw that it was Chu Anqing, who had changed her clothes, running towards him holding a red mobile phone.

Lin Xian recognized that phone case; it looked like Tang Xin’s phone.

"Senior Lin Xian, where is Sister Tang Xin?"

Chu Anqing walked straight up to Lin Xian:

"She rushed out after receiving a phone call just now and forgot her phone on the dressing table."

"She’s over there." Lin Xian pointed towards Tang Xin, who had just stepped into the street.

"Sister Tang Xin!" Chu Anqing called out while jogging towards her.

Suddenly—

Lin Xian caught sight of a taxi speeding towards them from the end of the road!

The taxi was still accelerating!

And hadn’t even turned on its lights!

He suddenly realized something!

"Come back!!"

But it was too late!

As Lin Xian shouted, Tang Xin had already made it to the middle of the road, stopped there, and turned back to look at Chu Anqing, who was jogging towards her—

Boom!!!!

Lin Xian, with all his might, lunged forward, grabbed Chu Anqing on the zebra crossing, and threw her back!

But amidst his powerless cries, Tang Xin’s bewildered gaze instantly turned into two streaks of meteors across the night sky as she was violently knocked into the air by the rushing taxi!

"Tang Xin!!"

Lin Xian and Chu Anqing, due to inertia, crashed directly onto the sidewalk, with droplets of blood from the air splashing on both their faces and clothes.

Chu Anqing, seeing a shocking streak of blood on her white clothes, rolled her eyes back and fainted…

Lin Xian felt as if the whole world had been muted, without any sound.

Until—

Thump.

Tang Xin, flung dozens of meters into the air, crashed heavily onto the cement road, just like Xu Yun on that New Year’s Eve night, and the blood that flowed formed a little stream, meandering down the slope of the road toward the sidewalk.

"Tang Xin!!!"

This 𝓬ontent is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.

Lin Xian suddenly got up and ran towards the distant Tang Xin.

His heart hurt unbearably as he desperately ran over and picked up Tang Xin, whose limbs were twisted!

Boom…

The taxi that caused the accident did not stop for even a moment and disappeared around the corner at the end of the road.

"Tang Xin…"

Lin Xian felt Tang Xin in his arms was like a disassembled doll, with no point where he could support her weight. Clinging onto the last bit of hope, he looked at Tang Xin’s pupils...

Just like on that New Year’s Eve night with Xu Yun, Tang Xin’s black pupils visibly relaxed and spread out, turning pitch black.

Slowly.

Tang Xin’s severed left hand, with its crooked palm, shakily lifted.

It brushed against Lin Xian’s cheek...

Thud.

The arm fell lifelessly, no longer stirring.

Leaving behind...

Two bloodstained finger marks...

on the side of Lin Xian’s face.