Chapter 59: An Unexpected Audition

“Mo Qiu, look,” Bai Chen said, pointing to the text in the book, a hint of excitement coloring his voice. “It has tips on how to practice facial expression control.”

Mo Qiu glanced at it but remained silent, instead drawing closer to him, pressing herself even more tightly against his side.

“Mo Qiu, try following what the book says.”

Bai Chen handed the book to Mo Qiu, allowing her to read it thoroughly, then watched as she prepared to perform.

Mo Qiu was inwardly reluctant, but considering it was Bai Chen’s wish, she made a very unwilling attempt.

Bai Chen, who had been smiling moments before, found his expression abruptly freezing as he witnessed her earnest attempts.

“Stop, stop, stop! That’s enough, Mo Qiu, please stop!”

Bai Chen quickly intervened, his own breathing ragged.

“How was it?” the girl asked, lowering her hands.

“…It was good. You’ve improved. Keep up the good work next time.”

At that moment, Bai Chen felt nothing but relief, thankful he had stopped her in time; otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to sleep that night. Mo Qiu’s expression just now had been akin to someone violently disassembling a doll’s face with tools, forcibly reshaping it into a truly terrifying smile.

Such a task was simply too difficult for her.

Mo Qiu tugged at Bai Chen’s clothes again. “I need to use the restroom.”

“…Go ahead.”

‘Why tell me?’

Mo Qiu didn’t immediately turn, her soulless eyes still fixed on him. “I don’t know where the restroom is…”

“I know. It’s out the door, turn left, at the end of the corridor.”

Bai Chen quickly cut her off, a strained expression on his face.

“Do you want me to write it down for you?”

“No need.”

Only after Mo Qiu left the activity room did Bai Chen wipe the sweat from his brow. After spending time with her, he had become well-versed in what she might say.

‘If I hadn’t reacted quickly enough, she would likely have pestered me to accompany her to the restroom,’ he thought. ‘There are other people here, after all. Girls always value their reputation, and I wouldn’t want to hurt Mo Qiu’s feelings because of me.’

****

“Hey, your name is Bai Chen, right?”

Zhou Yue’s voice came from behind him, and Bai Chen turned to face her.

“President Luo and the others will be back soon,” Zhou Yue announced. “I’ll take you to them.”

At this, a smile graced her face, and her tone became much livelier, making Bai Chen feel a little unaccustomed to it.

“Mo Qiu…”

“It’s fine; we can talk as we walk. We’ll be back,” Zhou Yue interrupted him. “The performance is more important, isn’t it?”

“You’re right.”

Bai Chen felt it necessary to properly introduce himself to the president of the drama club and ask him to look after Mo Qiu. The performance, he realized, was less important to him than it was to Mo Qiu’s personal growth.

Meanwhile, inside the ladies’ restroom.

Mo Qiu stood before the sink, facing her reflection, and began pinching her facial muscles with her hands.

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t produce an expression that felt satisfactory.

Despite Bai Chen’s reassurances, Mo Qiu could tell that her performance hadn’t met his expectations.

‘He wants me to learn to control my expressions, surely because he prefers active, cheerful girls,’ she mused.

On the way here, Mo Qiu had seen many girls laughing, and compared to them, she felt like an unnoticed stone by the roadside.

‘Compared to everyone else, I already have an insurmountable disadvantage,’ she reflected. ‘I must strive even harder in other areas.’

Leaving the restroom, Mo Qiu’s mind still replayed the recent events.

The lunch break was halfway over, and the corridor was much less crowded. People displayed a myriad of emotions on their faces—joy, anger, sorrow, happiness. Mo Qiu’s gaze lingered on them for only a moment before shifting forward.

‘I had originally wanted Bai Chen to accompany me to the restroom, but he was quick to refuse,’ she thought.

‘Does he feel embarrassed to be seen with someone like me? Everyone else’s companions bring laughter, while I can only flatter him, unable to even manage a simple ‘smile.”

If she possessed the ability to change faces, Mo Qiu would surely equip herself with the most cheerful face in the world.

Returning to the activity room door, Mo Qiu saw it ajar. She reached for the doorknob, preparing to push it open.

A strange rustling sound from above her head immediately halted her movement. Mo Qiu looked up, her gaze fixed on the plastic green object that had come into view.

A cheap prank. Who would do this?

Mo Qiu immediately thought of a suspect but couldn’t be certain.

No one was inside the classroom; if Bai Chen were there, he definitely wouldn’t have stood by.

Just as she was about to let go, a flash of inspiration struck her. Coincidentally, she then saw Bai Chen and his group approaching from a short distance away.

Mo Qiu pursed her lips, and the moment Bai Chen’s gaze fell upon her, she pushed the door open and stepped inside.

Engrossed in conversation with President Luo and Old Zhu, Bai Chen spotted the girl at the classroom door and eagerly moved to introduce her to everyone.

However, a basin of cold water, descending from above, not only drenched Mo Qiu but also extinguished all of his excitement.

“Mo Qiu!”

Bai Chen abandoned the others, rushing over to kick away the green basin. She was completely soaked, her hair clinging to her face, water dripping from her clothes, and her complexion even paler than usual.

“Hey, hey, what’s going on?”

“What happened?”

“Old Bai, are you alright?”

Bai Chen led Mo Qiu into the activity room, and the others followed. Upon seeing Mo Qiu’s miserable state, many rushed to get towels.

Mo Qiu sat, wrapped in the largest towel, surrounded by the group, appearing as fragile as a treasure held delicately in someone’s palm.

“Are you okay?” Bai Chen asked repeatedly.

“I’m fine.”

“That means you’re not fine.”

Bai Chen fetched another towel and gently wiped her face and hair. Then, he looked at the members of the drama club, his voice low and serious.

“Who did this?”

Sensing the anger in his eyes, everyone looked around at each other, shaking their heads. Even Old Zhu dared not step forward to comfort him.

“Tsk, it’s been a long time since something like this happened. Who’s so bored?”

President Luo, the head of the drama club, was a handsome and dashing young man. But at this moment, his attractive face was marred by a displeased expression.

“This used to happen before?” Bai Chen asked, taken aback.

“Yes, it did,” President Luo explained. “It’s about stage performances. On the surface, everyone talks about ‘friendship first,’ but in reality, the petty tricks never cease.”

Bai Chen fell silent, his hand, clutching the towel, trembled with suppressed force.

Just then, the activity room door opened again, and Zhou Yue entered, carrying a box of drinks. She stopped short at the sight.

“What happened? The atmosphere is so strange.”

She placed the drinks on the table, her gaze falling upon the drenched Mo Qiu, and couldn’t help but speak:

“How could you be so careless and get yourself into such a state?”

“Was it you?” Bai Chen glared at her.

“How could it possibly be me?” Zhou Yue scoffed. “Didn’t I just say I was going to buy you drinks? I went through all that trouble, and you still suspect me?”

Seeing that no one else spoke, Zhou Yue’s lips curved slightly, then relaxed.

“It’s truly terrible. We’re used to this kind of thing, but why involve an outsider?”

Zhou Yue walked over to President Luo.

“President Luo, perhaps we shouldn’t involve outsiders after all. If this happens once, it will happen again.”

“Say less, Zhou Yue,” President Luo said bitterly.

“No, that won’t do. Bai Chen is my brother, after all, he can’t come for nothing…” Old Zhu was about to speak up enthusiastically but was cut short by a glare from Zhou Yue.

Zhou Yue sighed, then said earnestly:

“President, we can’t let others suffer on our behalf, can we? The performance is indeed important, but look at her. How terrible her complexion is. It’s better to let them leave.”

“You’re hardly one to talk about being ‘bad,’ Zhou Yue,” President Luo retorted, a hint of impatience in his voice. “I know you’re upset about what happened with your family and losing the lead role. You’re the most volatile one here.”

“I’m volatile?”

Zhou Yue’s eyes widened.

“How am I volatile? Even at my most volatile, I’m a thousand times better than someone who has never acted before…”

As they argued, Mo Qiu also caught the key points.

“Acting? Performance?”

“Uh, Mo Qiu, let me explain…”

“I can act.”

“Huh?”

Not just Bai Chen, but everyone else stopped arguing and looked at her simultaneously.

“I have experience with acting.”

Mo Qiu stood up, her deep-set eyes drawing everyone’s gaze as if into the depths of the ocean.

She wasn’t lying; excellent acting skills are an indispensable asset in the underworld. It was through them that she managed to deceive everyone and escape death.

“…If you say so, would you mind giving us a demonstration?”

Mo Qiu nodded, then turned to Bai Chen. “Can you kneel?”

Bai Chen was bewildered but complied. Before he could fully react, Mo Qiu released the towel wrapped around her body and draped it over Bai Chen’s shoulders.

The girl’s face rapidly drew closer, and Bai Chen held his breath.

Her pale hands cupped his face, their touch chilling. Those lightless eyes, his favorite, were now inches away, seemingly poised to draw him into their depths.