Backstage, the three of them hugged each other nervously.
The main thing was that Zeng Xiaotian was holding them, one on each side, and they were anxiously waiting for the judges' evaluations.
After waiting for about half a minute, the host announced: "Wen Tianxiang Band scored 95.67 points! Temporarily ranked first!"
Listening to the thunderous applause from the audience, Zeng Xiaotian burst into tears excitedly, "We are absolutely amazing! Absolutely amazing!"
Fortunately, he got a high score, otherwise he would have become the eternal sinner of Wen Tianxiang Band for losing his bass.
Ye Zhao was also very excited. She had never thought that one day she would be able to win applause by playing the erhu.
Only Brother Xiang, when he heard that he was temporarily ranked first, pulled up the corners of his mouth and smiled. Then he picked up the guitar with one hand and walked in front very coolly, with the BKing value maxed out.
Coming down from the backstage, Ye Zhao went to return the erhu to the master. In the corridor, she heard someone shouting, "Oh, I'm so scared! I'm so scared! There seems to be someone in that room! Someone is knocking on the door!"
Afterwards, everyone asked the staff to open the door. Who would have thought that the people locked in the room were Awen and Shouhou!
Also, among them is the missing bass.
The skinny monkey wanted to escape, but failed and was caught by Zeng Xiang, squatting in the corner pitifully.
Awen had a slight bump on his forehead. He said Shouhou covered his mouth with his hand to prevent him from speaking, and he hit his head on the table.
"What's going on?"
Ah Wen looked at the ceiling helplessly: "I heard our band's performance. The guitar was great! And the erhu was great too!"
"That's absolutely amazing!" Xiao Tian said, and then he comforted her softly, "We are currently ranked first. Your sweat also went into the medal. Don't be sad."
Zeng Xiang kicked the skinny guy squatting in the corner, "How do you want to explain?"
Xiaotian was full of confusion: "You stole the bass, Skinny Monkey? Why did you steal the bass? Are you looking for death?"
The skinny monkey explained anxiously: "It wasn't me! How dare I steal Brother Xiang's things!"
"You didn't steal it? Then how did this bass end up in your hands? How do you explain it?"
"It's really not me!"
Ah Wen said, "It's true that he didn't steal it. I got up late this morning and couldn't get a taxi, so I had to take the bus. But the bus was slow, so as soon as I got off the bus at the station, I ran all the way here. Unexpectedly, I met Zeng Xiaoling outside the theater. She was holding Ye Zhao's bass guitar. I asked her what was going on. I didn't expect Zeng Xiaoling to run away when she saw me!"
"Zeng Xiaoling?" Xiaotian remembered, "She came to give me the school badge. But I watched her leave, she didn't take it? Am I blind? And why did she do that?"
Ye Zhao understood. Zeng Xiaoling was really a modern Rong Mama who was devoted to her master. She probably thought that Ye Zhao couldn't go on stage without the bass. She cursed in her heart, "Idiot!"
Awen was a nerd who never paid attention to the gossip in the class, and he didn't understand it.
"I chased after her and snatched the bass back. Because time was very tight and I was in a hurry to get on stage, I didn't ask her the reason. Who knew that as soon as I entered the backstage, the skinny guy pushed me into that room."
Xiaotian looked at Shouhou: "Brother Monkey, what is your purpose? Did Zeng Xiaoling ask you to do this?"
The skinny monkey tried to get away with it with a playful smile: "No, I'm just having fun, I'm just teasing Awen!"
"Are you kidding me?"
"Who are you kidding?" Zeng Xiang pressed the skinny monkey with his backhand, "Speak properly!"
"Brother Xiang, Brother Xiang! Be gentle! I just saw Awen pounce on Zeng Xiaoling and I got angry. I locked him in the room on purpose to prevent him from going on stage." Shouhou and Awen are desk mates, but he knows that Bailu and Zeng Xiaoling both like the gentle Awen, which has made him dislike the other person for a long time.
Today, Skinny Monkey saw Awen rushing to Zeng Xiaoling to snatch the bass, which completely pissed him off, so he impulsively restrained Awen.
"But I regretted it immediately! Who knew the door to the back room was locked? No one cared about us even if we shouted."
Stadium staff: "How would I know there was someone inside! You students are so ignorant!"
The incident became a big deal, and the organizer called in all the leaders of Yuxin Middle School. Ye Dingguo, Bai Yunlian and others heard that something had happened to Wen Tianxiang's band, and thought it was related to Ye Zhao, so they also came in.
There was a large circle of "audience" in the lounge. Such a shameful thing was actually done by a student of Yuxin Middle School? Director Liang was so angry that he asked someone to call Zeng Xiaoling to ask what happened.
Seeing so many people, including school leaders, Zeng Xiaoling knew she was in big trouble. Normally, she was extremely brave, but now her voice was trembling as she spoke.
She lowered her head and whispered in defense: "It was a little girl holding a bass and playing at the door. I asked her whose bass it was, and she said she didn't know, so I took it from her. After I took it from her, I met Awen."
Ah Wen immediately retorted: "Then why did you run away when you saw me?"
Zeng Xiaoling glanced at Ah Wen cautiously and said pitifully, "You came here in such a rage, who knows what you are going to do."
It would be best if we could put the blame on an unrelated little girl. Director Liang said, "Don't be nervous. You said you saw a little girl holding Bess. Was that little girl there? Can you identify her?"
"I don't remember what the kid looked like."
Today's performers and staff are all middle school students and adults, there are no children. If there are children, they must be the staff's own children. The venue staff was afraid of getting into trouble and immediately retorted: "There are no children backstage, it is impossible for a child to run in and steal the bass."
"I don't know."
Bai Lu, who came in with her mother, whispered to support her friend: "It's okay, Xiaoling, you just don't know. The principal and Director Liang will do justice for you."
Principal Jia looked at them and asked, "Whose bass is this?"
Ye Zhao and Zeng Xiang, who had been silent the whole time, looked at each other and then said, "We borrowed it from others. It's my performance instrument. If it's really lost in my hands, I have to pay for it, so I am the owner."
"The logic is clear and reasonable. Since the owner is here," Principal Jia turned around and asked the staff, "Have you called the police?"
"Not yet. The leader said it's best to wait until the game is over before dealing with it. Let's interrogate them first."
The argument and questioning were still going on here. Ye Zhao thought that Zeng Xiaoling would definitely continue to quibble and it would be impossible to get any results if they kept wasting time like this.
Someone moved beside him. Ye Zhao looked back and saw Gao Yueyue standing beside him. The two of them simply looked at each other, as if they understood what the other was thinking.
Gao Yueyue is a smart person. Ever since Li Ruixiang told her that Ye Zhao is the boss's daughter, her impression of Ye Zhao has completely changed.
Gao Yueyue quietly moved a few steps away from Ye Zhao, then raised her hand and said, "I saw it."
Everyone looked at Gao Yueyue. Gao Yueyue was the preliminary champion and both the contestants and staff knew her.
Ye Zhao couldn't help but lower his head and smile slightly. Gao Yueyue was a bit scary.
Director Liang asked: "What did you see?"
"I saw this girl take the bass," Gao Yueyue pointed at Zeng Xiaoling and said loudly, then pointed to the back door, "She went out through that door."
Zeng Xiaoling's panicked eyes flashed across her face, but Bai Lu was more thoughtful and she immediately found the loophole: "Just now they said they had been looking for the bass for a long time in the venue and couldn't find it. Why didn't you say you saw someone else take it away?"
As soon as Bai Lu finished speaking, she was pulled aside by her mother, telling her not to meddle in other people's business and to protect herself.
Gao Yueyue smiled and said, "I don't know. No one has ever asked me."
Ye Zhao helped Gao Yueyue fill in the gaps: "Was she performing on stage at that time?"
"should be."
The staff member couldn't remember it either, but that didn't stop him from chiming in and trying to distance himself from the incident, "Yes, yes, yes, she was performing at the time."
Gao Yueyue emphasized again: "If the police come, I can be a witness."
Ah Wen also said: "And me, if the police come, I can also testify."
If this is the case, the complete chain of evidence will be revealed.
Director Liang put his hands on his hips and sighed. The principal and the organizer were present. He felt so embarrassed. He advised: "Zeng Xiaoling, it's not too late for you to admit it now. If the police are really called later, it will be too late for you to admit it."
Zeng Xiaoling poked her finger, her hand trembling slightly, and her voice was not as loud as before: "I took it, but I didn't take it from the lounge. The bass guitar had been thrown at the door a long time ago, and I picked it up..."
"gab!"
"Why did you do that?"
"I just thought it was funny and wanted to play a joke on them..."
Ye Zhao directly exposed: "You just don't want to see me perform on stage, right?"
Zeng Xiaoling lowered her head and said nothing.
Ye Zhao: "I'm sorry to disappoint you."
Xiaotian said, "You didn't expect it, did you? Our sister Xiao Zhao's erhu was amazing! The applause was so loud that I almost went deaf. If nothing goes wrong, we will be the champion today. If the bass hadn't been lost, we wouldn't have let Xiao Zhao play the erhu, which she is good at! Thank you for being the behind-the-scenes promoter and contributor."
Zeng Xiaoling was so angry that she wanted to roll her eyes but she didn't dare to. She could only endure it in pain.
Director Liang knew that Ye Zhao was a new transfer student. He had heard that some people would bully transfer students, but it would not be to this extent.
"What personal grudge do you have?"
Zeng Xiaoling glanced at Bai Lu, then quickly looked away, "There is no personal grudge, I just don't like her."
"Okay, let's call the police. How much is our bass worth?" Ye Zhao looked at Zeng Xiang.
Zeng Xiang leaned against the wall with his hands folded. He raised the price slightly: "Not expensive, about 2,000 yuan."
"Two thousand?" Everyone was surprised. Is this thing so expensive
"How many years of imprisonment is required for theft of items worth two thousand?"
No one spoke and no one knew, but it was definitely not a small number.
"A few years ago, something happened nearby. A bank employee embezzled 5,000 yuan from the bank. He was eventually sentenced to death and shot!" The person who said this was none other than the lovely old man, Principal Jia.
Zeng Xiaoling was so scared that she almost fell to her knees, crying bitterly, "I was just joking, I didn't steal."
Ye Zhao had to explain to the ignorant: "Do you know what stealing is? Taking this bass without permission and leaving its owner's sight is stealing. Do you understand?"
Bai Lu begged, "Can you please not call the police? Give Xiaoling a chance to mend her ways?"
Bai Yunlian hurriedly pulled her daughter back and said, "This is none of your business, don't say anything."
"Mom, Xiaoling is my best classmate." Bai Lu said with tears falling down her face.
Zeng Xiaoling burst into tears upon hearing this, and Bai Lu tried to comfort her: "I know you did this for me, it's all my fault, I shouldn't have told you..."
"I don't blame you, really. I myself can't bear to see that woman perform on the same stage with Ah Wen."
So that's how it is. Ye Zhao probably understood. Looking at Bai Lu and Zeng Xiaoling who were sympathizing with each other, she felt an inexplicable physical disgust rising in her heart.
Ye Zhao looked at Bai Lu and asked, "So, you were the one who instigated this?"
Bai Lu quickly retorted: "I didn't."
This question was not a big deal. Bai Yunlian almost jumped up, but in public, she thought she was a well-educated person, so she had to lower her voice: "What nonsense are you talking about!"
After saying that, she glanced at Ye Dingguo again. Ye Dingguo had said nothing from beginning to end, and it was unknown what his attitude was. Ye Zhao ignored the defeated Bai Yunlian, and she stared straight at Bai Lu, "You didn't? You didn't instigate? But you must have hinted it in your mind. You hinted to Zeng Xiaoling that you didn't want to see me on stage, right? You knew she was stupid and was willing to do anything for you. Why did you give her a psychological hint?"
Zeng Xiaoling seemed to understand, but also seemed not to understand, "What do you mean?"
It was unknown whether Bai Lu was afraid to face the dark side of her heart or whether she really didn't mean it. She almost collapsed and said, "I didn't. I said I didn't. I didn't. Ye Zhao, tell me, what can you do to let Xiao Ling go!"
Ye Zhao smiled helplessly, "It has already happened. What happens next is the police's business. Does it have anything to do with me? Do you need me to let it go?"
"I know you hate me. You hate me for taking away the fatherly love that should belong to you. You tried every means to prevent me from taking the college entrance examination here. Fine, I'll leave. I'll go back to Wancheng to take the college entrance examination. Is that okay? As long as you let Xiaoling go."
It turns out that white lotus is hereditary.
Ye Zhao smiled silently, "You think too much. Father's love is not that important to me." After saying that, she looked at Ye Dingguo.
Ye Dingguo stood in the crowd. At first, he was calm, but something was wrong as time went on. In the end, he even brought Bai Lu into the conversation. To be honest, if it was in the past, he would have stood with Bai Lu without a second thought.
But what happened in the past month made him start to think whether he was wrong. Of course, he could not admit his mistake. Even in the current situation, he should have supported his daughter, but he did not support her. At most, he remained neutral.
Ridiculously neutral.
Ye Zhao continued: "I already know your true level, Bai Lu. You are excellent, but not to the extent that I am afraid of you. So now I don't care where you take the college entrance examination."
"Also, your household registration is in Wancheng, and you were supposed to go back to Wancheng to take the college entrance examination. Isn't it a bit ridiculous that you are exchanging something you don't have with me?"
To exchange something she didn't have? She became a ridiculous person? These words full of sarcasm hit Bai Lu's heart directly.
With a plop, Bai Lu fainted on the ground. No one knew whether she had heatstroke or was overly excited.
Bai Yunlian hugged her daughter and screamed in fear: "Xiaolu! Xiaolu! Help!"
The scene was chaotic for a while, Bai Lu fainted and was sent to the hospital.
Others don’t need to worry anymore because Principal Jia called the police himself.
Zeng Xiaoling and Shouhou both have to go to the police station.
Ye Dingguo did not go to the hospital with them. He stayed and called Ye Zhao to a lounge alone. He wanted to have a good talk with his daughter.
"What are you talking about? Are you feeling guilty and thinking that Bai Lu might be Zeng Xiaoling's accomplice?"
Ye Dingguo, whose thoughts were seen through, pointed to the door and said, "Close the door."
Ye Zhao closed the door and continued to sarcastically say, "Actually, it's okay if you are brave enough to admit that you have a bad vision."
"When did I have bad eyesight?"
A middle-aged man with a high opinion of himself who is willing to deceive himself even when his face is swollen from being hit!
"There are many cases where one's vision is not good, such as Bai Yunlian..."
Ye Dingguo paced back and forth, explaining habitually: "Your Aunt Bai is not as bad as you think. She just wants to scare you and make you go back to Wancheng."
"She framed your own daughter and almost sent her to labor camp. In your eyes, she is just not that bad? As expected! You two are the same kind of people. No wonder you like each other."
If this had happened half a month ago, Ye Dingguo would have exploded. He is no longer as sensitive to his daughter's "provocation" as before. He would subconsciously compromise first.
"Let's not talk about this issue. Okay, let's put this matter behind us."
Ye Zhao leaned against the long table, "So what do you want to say when you asked me to come in?"
"Can today's incident be resolved into a small matter?"
"Why?"
"Zeng Xiaoling's family is the local boss of Zengwuwei. Her father wants to open a factory in the village. There is no need to offend unnecessary people. Do you understand? This matter is not just as simple as involving Bai Lu." In Ye Dingguo's eyes, Irene Toy Factory is more important than anyone else.
"Does that have anything to do with me?"
"You?! Can you stop being so childish? Just think of this as something for yourself. Without the Irene Toy Factory, who will support you in college when you want to?"
Ye Zhao did not refute. She said she would earn money to go to college by herself. Even if she refuted Ye Dingguo now, Ye Dingguo would not believe it.
However, the fact that Zeng Xiaoling's father was the local tyrant in Zengwuwei did make Ye Zhao waver. She wanted to make a fortune in Zengwuwei, a prime location in the CBD, and she didn't want to offend the locals, especially the local tyrants, so as not to narrow her path in the future.
However, she couldn't just be a saint and let Zeng Xiaoling go without any benefit.
If she let him off too easily, Zeng Xiaoling would not only not appreciate her favor, but might even become more arrogant.
"I will consider Zeng Xiaoling's matter. You don't have to worry about it from now on. You should just worry about your Bai Lu."
Ye Dingguo looked at his daughter, still worried: "How are you going to deal with it?"
"I've already called the police, so I'll definitely wait and see what the police say. If mediation is needed later, I'll mediate with her family, okay? As for how to mediate, that's my business."
"Okay, I'll have someone keep an eye on it at all times. If you can't handle it, I'll handle it."
Ye Zhao didn't want to waste any more time talking to him, so he kept silent.
Ye Dingguo added: "Don't involve Bai Lu in this. Dad just wants to return to his normal life."
This sentence made Ye Zhao angry again, "You think I disrupted your normal life? Why don't you think that, on the contrary, your so-called normal life is built on the basis of sacrificing the happiness of your own daughter?!"
Ye Zhao's long sentence confused Ye Dingguo, "Why are you so excited? Are you short of food or drink?"
Ye Zhao was angry about the original owner's experience, "Can't I be excited? I have enough food and drink, you think it is a blessing, right? Then why did you give birth to me?"
"Do you think I want to have a baby?" Ye Dingguo was also excited.
"Then take care of yourself! I know you don't love my mom, so take care of yourself! You gave birth to me and abandoned me in Wancheng. Should I thank you for not throwing me into the sea when I was just born?!"
Ye Zhao's words were like a sharp knife, stabbing Ye Dingguo in the heart. He waved his hand and had to compromise: "Okay, don't say any more."
"To give birth to a child but not to raise him is to be a thief. Zeng Xiaoling is a thief, and so are you!" Ye Zhao stabbed again.
After several arguments, Ye Dingguo knew that he could not win the argument with his daughter, so he raised his hands in surrender again, "Let's stop arguing, okay?"
Ye Zhao didn't want to quarrel, but if she got mad, she would just prick you with her thorns and would not stop until she hurt you. She was covered in thorns anyway.
Ye Dingguo tried to discuss with his daughter, "I watched Bai Lu grow up, and I believe in her character and personality. She has her own opinions, but at the same time she is a very well-behaved and kind child. I promised her and her mother before that I would help her solve the household registration problem. I want to tell you that I will transfer her household registration here. Don't mind. Just treat her as a relative sister, okay?"
"I've already expressed my opinion. I can't stop you from transferring Bai Lu's household registration, as long as it's not the same household registration book as mine. Anyway, she's no longer important to me now."
Ye Dingguo nodded, "As long as you don't object."
"I don't object just because I can't stop it. It doesn't mean I agree. Let me reiterate that I don't need a sister like her."
Ye Dingguo was once again speechless.
Before leaving, Ye Zhao turned around and asked her father: "Did my mother... flee to Hong Kong with a man called Gangchengzi?"
Ye Dingguo was stunned, his eyes showing shock and uneasiness, "Why are you still investigating your mother?!"
"Don't you want to find her and ask her to pay child support?"
"I don't want to and I don't need to. Don't check into your mother's affairs again."
Ye Zhao shrugged his shoulders and sneered silently as a reply.
Ye Dingguo looked at his daughter, as if he heard the voice in her heart. She refused and insisted on checking.
But he could do nothing about it. Ye Dingguo's mind kept echoing, "If you give birth but don't raise a child, you are a thief." He was a thief!
How did he become a thief in his daughter's eyes? Ye Dingguo slumped on the sofa, feeling a little breathless due to the pain in his heart.
Cheers and screams were heard outside. Ye Zhao opened the door and went out. Zeng Xiang was standing not far from the door. He was worried and kept guarding outside the door.
Ye Zhao asked him: "What's wrong?"
"We won the championship." Zeng Xiang said very calmly.
Xiaotian rushed over excitedly, "We beat Gao Yueyue to win the championship! Come on, come on stage to receive the award. Where's Awen? Awen, come on stage to receive the award!"
Awen was reluctant to go up at first, but Xiaotian and Ye Zhao dragged him up.
Ye Zhao had been on many podiums before, but this was her first time standing on the podium of a music competition. She felt dazed and it was very interesting.
On the podium, Mrs. Song personally presented them with awards. After the awards, Mrs. Song came over to hug her and said to her: "I like both songs you sang very much. They are amazing. You play the erhu very well! I will make a request to the team, and if there is any follow-up need, they will contact you."
Ye Zhao said confidently: "You will contact me."
(End of this chapter)