152: Chapter 152 Oh wow, your principles are pretty awesome!

"Oh, your principles are pretty badass."

The staff member let out a long sigh; this was the only way it could go for now.

They could only compensate the Flowered-Shirt Man afterwards.

Then he turned around, looked at Shen Qingxue, and put a professional smile back on his face.

"Teacher Shen, as you can see, the matter is resolved. You and Mr. Lu can prepare for the competition in peace."

Shen Qingxue stared at him for two seconds, then nodded slightly.

"Thank you, I appreciate it."

"You're welcome, you're welcome, it's only right."

The staff member waved his hands repeatedly, then turned and walked away quickly with a few youngsters, fearing that Shen Qingxue might go back on her word.

The hallway finally quieted down.

Lu Li leaned against the wall, with his hands in his pockets, tilting his head to look at Shen Qingxue.

Shen Qingxue stood next to him, her expression still cold, but the tips of her ears were slightly red.

The two of them fell silent for a few seconds.

Then Lu Li spoke up.

"That kick of yours just now..."

"Shut up."

Shen Qingxue interrupted him, her voice muffled.

"You kicked with great accuracy."

"I said shut up."

"You even knew to kick the front of the shin where there's the least flesh. Tricky spot, just the right amount of force—you must practice this often."

"Lu Li!"

Shen Qingxue finally couldn't help turning around, glaring at him, her earlobes so red they were almost bleeding.

"Want to try saying that again?"

Lu Li sensibly shut his mouth, but the arc at the corner of his mouth couldn't be suppressed no matter what.

My goodness, this is too interesting.

The hallway fell quiet again for a few seconds.

"Hey, let me ask you something. Why did you... come out just now?"

Lu Li spoke up suddenly, his voice much softer than before.

Shen Qingxue turned her head to glance at him, then looked away.

"Didn't you also stand up for me?"

"That's different."

"How is it different?"

Lu Li opened his mouth, wanting to say you are a contestant, I am just behind the scenes, your losses would be much greater if you got kicked out.

But when the words reached his lips, he felt that whatever he said wouldn't quite be right.

"Anyway... it's different."

He finally squeezed out that single sentence.

Shen Qingxue didn't reply, lowering her head to look at her own toes—though she actually had to bend over slightly to see them.

After a good while, Shen Qingxue's voice sounded again.

"Anyway, I didn't want to let you leave alone."

Lu Li froze for a moment and turned his head to look at her.

Shen Qingxue didn't look at him, her gaze still nailed to the floor, but the blush on her earlobes had spread all the way to her neck.

"You stood up for me, I can't let you bear the consequences alone."

Her voice was still calm, but every word was spoken only after careful consideration.

"This is... my principle."

Lu Li stared at her for several seconds, then withdrew his gaze, the corners of his mouth curving up slightly.

"Oh my, your principles are quite badass."

He paused, pushed himself up from the wall, and patted the white lime rubbed onto his back.

"Shall we head back now, then?"

Shen Qingxue nodded and turned to walk back.

Lu Li followed behind her, and the two walked into the waiting area one after the other.

The atmosphere in the waiting area had completely changed.

The way those contestants looked at Shen Qingxue and Lu Li was completely different from before.

But no one dared to speak ill of them anymore.

Because this fellow Lu Li really dared to throw punches.

Turning a blind eye, Shen Qingxue walked back to her seat, sat down, and took out her lyric book again.

Lu Li sat next to her, took out his phone, and casually scrolled through it.

"..."

After waiting for a while, Shen Qingxue went on stage on time for a stage rehearsal.

Lu Li stood behind the side wings, watching her walk onto the stage and stand under the spotlight.

It was just a simple walkthrough without singing, just to get familiar with the stage blocking and lighting coordination.

Yet Shen Qingxue standing there, even without doing anything, was already a sight.

Lu Li leaned against the pillar of the side wings, arms crossed, looking at the white figure in the center of the stage, the corners of his mouth unconsciously curling up slightly.

A few minutes later, the walkthrough ended.

Shen Qingxue circled back from the side wings and walked up to Lu Li.

"How was it?"

"What was how was it?"

"The stage lighting, the sound system, the blocking—were there any issues?"

Lu Li thought for a moment and shook his head.

"The lighting is fine, and the sound is fine too. As for the blocking... the spot you stood in was slightly to the left; I'm afraid it won't be good for framing later."

Shen Qingxue nodded slightly, noting this down in her mind.

"What else?"

"And also..."

Lu Li paused, then suddenly grinned.

"You looked too good standing there; I'm afraid the judges will be too busy looking at your face and forget to listen to the song."

Shen Qingxue glared at him exasperatedly.

"Flatterer! Be serious!"

"I am being serious."

Lu Li wore an innocent look.

"What I'm stating are just facts."

Shen Qingxue ignored him and turned to walk outside.

Lu Li smiled and followed her.

"..."

Evening.

By the time the two came out of the competition venue, the sky had completely darkened.

"Are you hungry?"

Lu Li had his hands in his pockets and glanced sideways at Shen Qingxue.

Shen Qingxue thought for a moment, then nodded.

"A bit."

"Then let's find a place to eat?"

"Okay."

Lu Li took out his phone and searched for nearby restaurants.

"There's a Hangzhou cuisine restaurant nearby with pretty good reviews. Want to try it?"

Shen Qingxue leaned over to take a look and nodded.

"Let's go with this one."

The two hailed a taxi and gave the address.

The restaurant was on an old street; the storefront wasn't big, but it had a uniquely charming world inside.

Wooden tables and chairs, warm yellow lighting, and a few ink paintings hanging on the wall—the overall atmosphere was very comfortable.

The two found a seat by the window and sat down.

The waiter handed over the menu. Lu Li flipped through it, then handed it to Shen Qingxue.

"You order, I'm not a picky eater."

Shen Qingxue took the menu, looked down for a few seconds, then looked up at the waiter.

"Are there any signature dishes you recommend?"

Hearing this, the waiter immediately perked up.

"Of course! Coming to our Hangzhou, you simply must try this West Lake Fish in Vinegar Gravy and Dongpo Pork! Everyone who has eaten them praises them endlessly."

Sitting opposite, when Lu Li heard the words "West Lake Fish in Vinegar Gravy", his expression instantly turned subtle.

This dish...

To be honest, he had actually eaten it before transmigrating, and it was indeed delicious.

Back then, it was so delicious that he was left completely speechless.

The first bite shocked him, the second bite made him refuse to believe it, the third bite made him doubt his existence, and then you could just throw the dish away along with the plate.

"What's wrong? You don't like fish?"

Shen Qingxue noticed Lu Li's expression, raised her head, and glanced at him.

"No, no, it's delicious, I love it."

Lu Li's mouth twitched, and he nodded bracingly.

Shen Qingxue gave him a suspicious look, didn't ask further, and turned to speak to the waiter.

"West Lake Fish in Vinegar Gravy, Dongpo Pork, add a stir-fried seasonal vegetable, and a seaweed and egg drop soup."

"Coming right up!"

The waiter noted down the dish names and turned away.

After waiting for a while, the dishes were gradually served.

The West Lake Fish in Vinegar Gravy was placed in the center of the table. The fish body was intact, drizzled with amber-colored vinegar sauce, and its presentation was indeed quite nice.

"Um... how about you try this fish?" Lu Li said nonchalantly.

Shen Qingxue immediately looked over suspiciously.

However, she didn't think much of it, picked up her chopsticks, picked up a piece of fish meat, and carefully put it into her mouth.

Lu Li watched her chew and swallow with a nervous expression.

Hm?

Something seemed a bit off.

An out-of-towner shouldn't have that expression when eating West Lake Fish in Vinegar Gravy. But the problem was, Shen Qingxue wasn't a local of Hangzhou either!

Could it be that because of the difference between the two worlds, this West Lake Fish in Vinegar Gravy had also changed?

"Mhm, it's quite delicious. You try some."

Shen Qingxue picked up a chopstick full of fish meat and nonchalantly placed it into Lu Li's bowl.

Lu Li gave her a surprised look, then tried tasting a bite...

The next second, his eyes widened instantly, and he spat it straight into the trash can beside him.

Holy crap...

It's still this flavor, it's simply dead awful! ! !