Wielding the Thunders Across Two Worlds-Chapter 58: The Smart Xiao Ya

Yue Province Cultural Arts Center.

After seeing the two women into the audition waiting room, Gu Zhao and Zhang Hang waited outside, resuming their discussion about what car to buy.

While they waited, a steady stream of people flowed in and out. Some had just finished their auditions, while others were rushing to get to theirs. Most of them were women, all with exquisite makeup and striking looks.

The Yue Province National Orchestra, Dance Troupe, Vocal Troupe, Yue Opera Troupe, and Opera and Drama Troupe were all located here. Since auditions for many recent graduates were scheduled over these few days, the crowd included not just music majors but other art students as well.

Singers, dancers, instrumentalists, opera performers, and actors were all mingling. And Gu Zhao and Zhang Hang weren’t the only ones waiting outside; there were also the boyfriends, girlfriends, parents, and other family members of the applicants.

"No wonder all those old geezers love hanging around art academies looking for a good time. The artsy girls really are gorgeous," Zhang Hang remarked.

"They really are," Gu Zhao admitted with a nod.

"But a lot of it comes down to makeup. Its reputation as one of the dark arts is well-deserved," Zhang Hang continued.

"Yep," Gu Zhao agreed.

"Still, I bet most of them don’t look as good without makeup as your two," Zhang Hang concluded.

"You’re not wrong," Gu Zhao acknowledged with a nod.

Zhang Hang pointed at Gu Zhao, feigning shock. "Aha! So you admit they’re *your* girls!"

"Childish," Gu Zhao said, pushing Zhang Hang’s finger away.

Zhang Hang slung an arm around Gu Zhao’s shoulders. "My man, we’re brothers, let’s not be strangers. When the time comes, have those two introduce me to some of their friends. The happiness of the rest of my life is in your hands!"

...

A few moments later, Jiang Shishi emerged, a large bag on her back, while she and Xiao Ya worked together to carry a large instrument case. Several guys nearby offered to help, but the two politely turned them down.

"We’re done!" Jiang Shishi called out, jutting her chin toward Gu Zhao. "Come on, give us a hand!"

Gu Zhao and Zhang Hang went over and took the guzheng case from them. "How did it go?"

"I think it went well," Xiao Ya said with a gentle smile. "We used our own instruments, so the sound quality was great. The judges seemed pretty satisfied."

Jiang Shishi patted Gu Zhao’s arm. "Food! Let’s get some food. And this afternoon, you’re coming with us to look for an apartment."

Gu Zhao couldn’t help but ask, "Don’t you need to wait for the results?"

Jiang Shishi raised an eyebrow. "What, you don’t have faith in two honor students who’ve won scholarships from the Yandu Music Academy every single year?"

Gu Zhao quickly shook his head. "Wouldn’t dare! My humblest apologies!"

"That’s more like it," Jiang Shishi said breezily. "Besides, Yangcheng has a huge entertainment industry and isn’t as competitive as Yandu. Even if we don’t get into the national orchestra, finding a job here will be a piece of cake, right?"

"Exactly," Zhang Hang chimed in. "It’s super popular now to play modern music on traditional instruments. The effect is insane. A suona even made it into one of Alan Walker’s concerts."

At the mention of music and instruments, any trace of fatigue vanished from Jiang Shishi and Xiao Ya. They both perked up, each more energetic than the last.

"Yeah, that suona player with the doctorate! He played ’Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix’ at a concert in Vienna. He went a full minute without taking a breath and totally stunned all the other musicians. He got three rounds of applause mid-performance."

"And don’t forget the pipa and erhu. One is so crisp and bright, the other so delicate and resonant. They can absolutely hold their own against Western instruments."

Zhang Hang looked down at the guzheng case. "I’ve seen lots of people on short-form video apps playing the guzheng vertically. How on earth do they lift them?"

"Guzheng weights vary depending on the type and thickness of the wood used," Xiao Ya explained. "Most of the ones you see online that people can hold vertically are made of ordinary mahogany and weigh less than twenty-two pounds or so."

Zhang Hang looked down. "So what about this one?"

’He could lift something under twenty-two pounds with one hand, but he was pretty sure carrying this guzheng was a struggle even with two.’

Xiao Ya looked a little sheepish. "This one’s made from Purple Sandalwood. It weighs about sixty-six pounds."

Gu Zhao asked instinctively, "Small-leafed Purple Sandalwood?"

Xiao Ya stuck her tongue out playfully. "I could never afford Small-leafed Purple Sandalwood. This is Rose Sandalwood. It’s not as precious, but the tone quality is actually very similar."

Gu Zhao asked, "So they *can* be made with Small-leafed Purple Sandalwood?"

"You can make any instrument with Small-leafed Purple Sandalwood," Jiang Shishi said with a laugh and a shrug. "For example, if a master craftsman made my pipa out of Small-leafed Purple Sandalwood, it could sell for over a million."

"Holy cow, that’s almost the price of a Yangwang U8," Zhang Hang said, looking at the guzheng case. "Wouldn’t a guzheng be even more expensive, then?"

Jiang Shishi stated the obvious. "Of course it would be. A guzheng is way heavier!"

The group left the arts center, returned to their hotel, and then went out for a meal. In the afternoon, they accompanied the two women as they explored the area. They found a two-bedroom apartment for rent in a decent residential complex, and just like that, the day was over.

...

"Hello? Mom?"

Back in the hotel, Xiao Ya answered a call from her mother, Su Lei, and couldn’t help but feel a pang of guilt.

’After all, she had lied to her mother and was even planning to stay in Yangcheng for good. This was the most rebellious thing Xiao Ya had ever done, not to mention that nothing had even started between her and Gu Zhao yet.’

But Su Lei’s voice was uncharacteristically gentle. "How are you and Shishi enjoying your trip?"

"It’s great. Is everything okay?" Xiao Ya asked.

"Are you still mad at me?" Hearing the flatness in Xiao Ya’s voice, Su Lei misunderstood. "You’re just too naive. I was just worried you’d get scammed, you know?"

Xiao Ya couldn’t help but retort, "But I saw it with my own eyes."

"Just because you see something with your own eyes doesn’t make it real," Su Lei said, lecturing out of habit, before immediately adding, "But, as it turns out, the person you met this time really wasn’t a fraud."

"Huh?" Xiao Ya was taken aback.

"And your grandfather’s recovery is, in fact, all thanks to that friend of yours," Su Lei said over the phone.

"How do you know?" Xiao Ya asked tentatively.

"Taoist Yi Guan brought Taoist Yi Hong to the house to see your grandfather. It was only then that I learned things like Taoist True Qi, Spirit Talismans, and Magical Artifacts actually exist." Su Lei still sounded a little incredulous.

Since he was friends with Xiao Yanhua and had seen the Taoist Spirit Talisman, Taoist Yi Hong gave them a brief overview of Taoist cultivation theory. He even let the two of them experience the feeling of Magical Power flowing through their bodies.

After experiencing it firsthand, Su Lei had no choice but to believe.

"Oh, so that’s what this is about!" Xiao Ya breathed a sigh of relief. ’I thought she had connections at the Yue Province National Orchestra and had found out I came here for an audition. I was worried she was trying to trick me into coming home.’

"If you really do like that young man, I won’t object to you two... seeing where things go."

Su Lei was no fool. Her family wasn’t short on money. While they weren’t part of the political or financial elite, they were a respected family of arts and letters, with Xiao Yanhua being a calligrapher and herself a musician. To her, the family’s health was what mattered most.

’An Enlightened Protective Talisman! That’s something countless rich and powerful people could only dream of getting. Even someone like Taoist Yi Hong rarely makes them, let alone gives one away so easily.’

’If everyone in our family could have one...’

Still, Su Lei couldn’t resist setting a condition. "Of course, that’s on the premise that he’s willing to move to Yandu to build his career."

Hearing Su Lei’s words, an idea sparked in Xiao Ya’s mind.

She wasn’t stupid either. She immediately seized the opportunity. "Mom..."