He caught sight of a pair of fox-like eyes.
Clearly defined in black and white, they shimmered with a crystal clarity.
The corners of the girl's eyes curved ever so slightly, her pupils twinkled with a hint of a smile that, however, never reached deep into her eyes.
Yu Yao stood rooted to the spot, unable to collect himself for a moment.
Little Bai, the little white dog, remained perched on the chair, poking its head out from behind the screen.
Curiously, it licked its paw and let out a questioning woof.
Why was its human master wearing a mask?
Hmph.
It decided it didn't want to look at her anymore.
"Qingqing!" Yu Tang struggled again. "Make a call for me!"
Without needing to specify who, Si Fuqing knew exactly who Yu Tang was asking her to call.
Yu Xiheng.
Although Si Fuqing had only ever heard of the three great families of the Great Xia, no other notable families had ever crossed her ears.
Yet she understood that when many people lived under one roof, disputes were inevitable.
Yu Xiheng's whereabouts should not be revealed.
Si Fuqing didn't reach for her phone. She smiled politely instead. "Excuse me for a moment."
Yu Yao frowned, "You—"
Si Fuqing took a few steps forward and extended her hand.
Before Yu Yao could react, his hand suddenly lost its strength, involuntarily letting go.
In that fleeting moment, Yu Tang was pulled behind Si Fuqing.
"Hey, I'm saying—" Si Fuqing lifted her chin lazily, "What do you want by harassing my friend?"
Yu Yao's hand still tingled, his expression turning grave.
All he could remember was the girl flipping his hand along the ridge between his radius and ulna bones, seemingly pressing a acupuncture point, effortlessly forcing him to let go of Yu Tang.
A martial artist.
There were no families or powers related to martial arts in this city.
It was normal for him not to recognize the people around Yu Tang, who often traveled outside.
But this girl looked the same age as Yu Tang—what martial arts family had such capable disciple?
"I apologize; this is my sister," Yu Yao massaged his temples and sighed. "It was a misunderstanding."
"Really?" Si Fuqing glanced at Yu Tang's reddened wrist and smiled. "Abusing a girl doesn't seem like a misunderstanding. What's this all about?"
Yu Yao's expression changed momentarily, showing a flash of embarrassment.
His lips tightened, and his voice deepened, "I'm sorry."
Yu Tang was a bit surprised.
Due to family reasons, she indeed did not like staying in the Yu family, but she knew the temperaments of her siblings and relatives.
Her Uncle Nine was mysterious, to say the least.
Yu Yao had always been proud.
Because of a malicious kidnapping when he was younger, and having suffered from aphasia for a long period, he was extremely self-conscious.
This was the first time she had ever seen him apologize.
"Regardless, you left Sijiu without informing anyone," Yu Yao's tone softened. "At least let Uncle Five and Grandpa know, whether you decide to return or not. Don't make them worry."
"They'd be happy if I left," Yu Tang snorted, gripping Si Fuqing's arm and ignoring Yu Yao. "Qingqing, let's get takeout and eat it at home."
Si Fuqing nodded, scooping up the still-curious Little Bai and stuffing him into her bag, then left with Yu Tang.
Little Bai felt like he was being suffocated.
It was getting hard to breathe.
Yu Yao remained stunned in place, gradually coming back to his senses long after Si Fuqing had left.
Strange.
The girl had a peculiar familiarity about her that made him irresistibly drawn to her.
Yu Yao slipped his phone into his pocket and let out a heavy sigh.
He had to find Heavenly Doctor Ghosthand.
**
On the way,
"So annoying, so annoying!" Yu Tang was extremely frustrated. "I finally get out for a meal, and I still run into someone from the Yu family."
"Hmm?" Si Fuqing, stroking the head of a certain Pixiu-like dog, looked up. "Isn't your Uncle Nine also from the Yu family?"
"Uncle Nine is different from the others," Yu Tang shook her head. "How should I put it? He may be cold, but he knows how to take care of people."
"Being with Uncle Nine is stressful, though. One glance from him, and I feel like I'm bowing to the emperor during morning court. They should cast him in court dramas."
"Boss is indeed caring," Si Fuqing recalled. "Speaking of which, I think I've met your third brother."
"That's what I wanted to ask you!" Yu Tang suddenly remembered. "Isn't it said online that you entered the entertainment industry because of my third brother?"
She stammered, "So, you didn't recognize him?"
"How much truth can there be in online rumors?" Si Fuqing said indifferently. "Having met a perfect man like your Uncle Nine, why would I pursue anyone else?"
"True that," Yu Tang clenched her fist. "Qingqing, don't worry, I'll definitely help you win over Uncle Nine!"
Si Fuqing, who hadn't yet spoken the word "money", decided to not continue the conversation.
Little Bai let out a few whines and softly patted her shoulder with its paw.
Si Fuqing sneered, coldly, "No, don't even think about it!"
Her only valuable gold pendant had been eaten!
Damn dog!
Yu Tang was curious, "Qingqing, what did it say again?"
"It said it wants to roll in a mud puddle, which I forbade."
"Ah, we should have had a vet check its brain earlier."
Little Bai: "…"
Slandering its reputation.
Damnable human master.
**
Next day.
"Youth With You" training base.
Class-based training officially began.
Si Fuqing had a total of six trainees. Those who chose to leave could either audit classes under Lin Qingyan or practice on their own.
"Great, this eases things," Si Fuqing leisurely stretched her body, her fox-like eyes squinting. "Six people, just right for a group. Convenient for training."
In addition to individual battles in the later stages, there would also be competitions between groups.
After all, the debut lineup would form a boy group, and teamwork was extremely important.
"Te-Teacher Si…" A trainee raised his hand, voice weak. "I, I can't dance."
"No problem," Si Fuqing pointed at Xu Xiyun. "He never practiced either and initially danced like a gorilla. Now he's almost human."
Xu Xiyun: "…"
Don't say such things in front of so many people!
"You're here to debut and achieve your dreams," Si Fuqing looked up and smiled. "Even international artists, including singers, can dance."
"To be a successful boy group member, I require you to learn singing, dancing, and rap."
At these words, the trainees were stunned.
Even Xie Yu paused in his actions.
Xu Xiyun opened his mouth wide, "Te-Teacher Si can sing and rap too?"
Si Fuqing pondered, "I know a little."
The male trainees looked at each other, "Will there be enough time to learn all this?"
They were just trainees, far from debuting. Who would think about international stages?
"No worries," Si Fuqing was nonchalant. "I'll manage the schedule. Two months of training is enough."
Her phone rang at this moment.
Si Fuqing glanced at it and immediately dismissed the call.
Xie Yu, with his good eyesight, saw the name "Sister Feng."
He vaguely remembered that the manager of the Starry Girl Group had the surname Feng.
Xie Yu took a step back, politely asking, "Teacher Si, not taking the call?"
"No, never mind her," Si Fuqing put her phone back in her pocket, lifted her chin, and signaled, "Let's go to the dance room. I'll create individual training plans for you."
The six followed Si Fuqing into the dance room.
Xu Xiyun was puzzled when he entered, "Where are the sound equipment and instruments?"
He distinctly remembered several sound systems at that spot.
Although it was a dance room, it was also equipped with essential items like guitars, basses, and electronic keyboards.
Why had they all disappeared?
Xie Yu narrowed his eyes, took a long stride, and spoke indifferently, "I'll go ask."
He went to find the logistics staff.
"Oh, you're talking about the sound equipment and instruments in Dance Room 2?" The staff member didn't even lift his head, sounding indifferent. "Teacher Lin needed more in Dance Room 1, so they were moved there. You'll have to wait if you need them."