Extra 5-3: If From school uniform to wedding dress (Part 3)

When Tao Sheng arrived at the Xiao residence, Xiao Ze’s sister, Xiao Yi, warmly greeted her, holding her arm.

“You haven’t been here for a while. The problem with the college entrance exam in China is that you barely have any free time. Last time, I suggested to Dad that you study abroad, but he said it was your choice. Our family has donated a lot to schools over the years. It’s time for them to give back, and it would be a shame if you didn’t go.”

Although Tao Sheng had always gotten along well with Xiao Yi, she was meticulous about her appearance and wouldn’t usually come out in the scorching sun just to greet her.

Tao Sheng smiled and asked, “I’m flattered that you personally came out to greet me. What’s the matter this time?”

Xiao Yi smiled and replied, “Nothing. It’s just that my third uncle’s cousin, Xiao Qing, made it to the finals of the National Youth Cello Performance Competition. She wants to perform a new piece to impress the judges. I asked a few teachers to help with the arrangement, but she wasn’t satisfied. Xiao Qing made it this far thanks to your music, so you should help her again. When she wins, she’ll definitely treat you to a meal.”

Tao Sheng and Xiao Qing were around the same age, shared similar personalities, and had always collaborated well on music.

Composing music wasn’t difficult for Tao Sheng. With inspiration, she could finish it after her evening self-study sessions without wasting time.

Since she had already decided to pursue a music degree, composing for Xiao Qing wouldn’t take up much time, and it would help her improve.

“No problem,” Tao Sheng said. “I’ll finish it as soon as possible and email it to you.”

As they spoke, Xiao Ze approached and said to Xiao Yi, “I invited Xiao Tao over, and you’re already chatting away with her.”

Xiao Yi wasn’t fazed and responded, “I reached out to Tao Sheng two weeks ago. What you’re saying doesn’t make sense.”

Xiao Ze, noticing his sister leading Tao Sheng inside, asked with a frown, “Where are you taking her?”

Xiao Yi held onto Tao Sheng’s arm, her black skirt brushing against Tao Sheng’s leg, her high heels clicking on the ground. “We’re going to see the birthday boy first, of course.”

Old Master Xiao smiled warmly when he saw his eldest son and youngest daughter with Tao Sheng.

“I already told Xiao Ze and the others that you’re busy studying for your exams. There’s no need to come over especially for my birthday.”

Tao Sheng handed the butler her carefully chosen birthday gift and said, “You’ve helped me a lot over the years. It’s only right for me to be here on your birthday.”

Old Master Xiao grinned and said, “For the party’s warm-up songs, I had them change the playlist to the ones you composed. Xiao Yi praised them several times, saying your songs sound very classy.”

Tao Sheng laughed and said, “Sister Xiao Yi is being too kind. Any music played at your birthday party would sound elegant.”

Her words weren’t flattery—people often follow the lead of the wealthy. With the Xiao family’s current status, any music they played would be considered high-end.

Old Master Xiao, in high spirits, continued chatting with Tao Sheng and the others.

Meanwhile, the butler kept coming in to report. Xiao Yi gave Tao Sheng a knowing look, and Tao Sheng stood up, saying, “A few days ago, I composed some songs in your favorite style. When you’re free, I’ll play them for you.”

It was Chairman Xiao’s birthday, and a long line of people was waiting outside the villa to present gifts. Though most guests didn’t need to be personally greeted by Old Master Xiao, some did.

Old Master Xiao laughed heartily, saying, “Alright, come again when you’re free, and I’ll take you to the reservoir. Xiao Ze has been there twice and says the fish are delicious.”

Tao Sheng smiled and said, “That’s great! I love eating fish. I’ll definitely join you next time when I have time.”

_

Xiao Yi’s college roommate came to visit from far away. Xiao Yi took her to his room. Meanwhile, Xiao Ze was happy to have Tao Sheng to himself and took her to his place to chat.

Xiao Ze had a wild past and wasn’t respected by his family. Even his father wasn’t impressed with him. But once, when Tao Sheng came to play the zither, Xiao Ze happened to visit his father. Surprisingly, Old Man Xiao was very kind to him and even taught him some business lessons.

These lessons helped Xiao Ze make good investments later, earning him respect in his family’s business. He started to think of Tao Sheng as his lucky charm. Tao Sheng, though young, had been through a lot, making her wise for her age. Xiao Ze often felt inspired by her mature way of talking.

The two became close friends despite the age gap. Xiao Ze never missed a chance to talk to her.

“What was that thing you wanted to tell me in the text?” Xiao Ze asked.

Tao Sheng explained how the Shen family had found her.

Xiao Ze was shocked. “You just went with the Shen family? How did they treat you?”

Tao Sheng didn’t know how to describe it, so she vaguely said, “It was okay.”

Xiao Ze quickly judged, “It must not be good.”

Tao Sheng was curious, “Why do you think so?”

Xiao Ze replied, “They just found you, their daughter, but they let you come here alone without a guardian. That doesn’t sound right.”

Tao Sheng smiled, “You’ve gotten even sharper after a few months, Mr. Xiao.”

Xiao Ze frowned, “This is a serious issue. If they start having other ideas about you, let me know. I’ll come right away.”

“Thanks,” Tao Sheng said sincerely. “I might need to borrow your help then.”

They continued talking about Tao Sheng’s life after the Shen family took her in. Xiao Ze didn’t like Shen Yu’s gloomy personality. He said, “Let’s not talk about bad things. Did you know a young guy under 18 recently invented a new filter chip for our company? I’ll introduce you to him one day.”

While they talked, Xiao Ze noticed Tao Sheng was deep in thought. “What’s on your mind?” he asked.

“Nothing,” Tao Sheng joked. “That guy sounds great. Almost as good as me.”

Just then, Xiao Ze’s assistant reported that Guan Muyun, the eldest son of the Guan family, had arrived with Chairman Guan to celebrate Old Man Xiao’s birthday and brought gifts. Xiao Ze sneered, “He’s not here for me, but for Xiao Xu. I don’t want to see him.”

After the assistant left, Xiao Ze complained about the Guan family. He said they pretended to be important, but their business was falling apart. They just kept sending gifts every year to maintain a relationship with his father.

Tao Sheng listened, thinking that although Xiao Ze might exaggerate, his grudge against the Guan family was real. Since she had heard about the Guan family’s influence in City D from Sang Fei, she decided it was best to stay away from them.

The next day, Xiao Yi knew his father loved hearing Tao Sheng play the zither. So, he arranged for her to perform at Old Man Xiao’s birthday party.

While Tao Sheng played, Xiao Ze chatted with Ji Yanming, a researcher who had helped his company succeed. “The girl playing the zither is my friend. You’re about the same age. I’ll introduce you after she finishes.”

As Tao Sheng’s smooth zither music filled the room, Ji Yanming noticed her and realized she looked familiar. It was the transfer student from Class 7. But today, she had her hair tied up and wore light makeup. Her bright eyes and graceful look caught the attention of many guests.

People began to whisper, “Who is this girl? She looks like a high school student. Is she related to the Xiao family?”

Some even said, “I heard that Chairman Xiao got better after listening to her zither playing when he was ill two years ago.”

Others doubted it, “Really? That sounds like an exaggeration.”

But one guest confirmed, “I saw her bringing a guqin ^[1]is a traditional Chinese instrument. to the VIP ward myself.”

As rumors spread, people started making wild guesses about Tao Sheng, with some even joking about how much it would cost to listen to her play. When Tao Sheng stepped down from the stage, she was surrounded by guests asking for her business card.

Tao Sheng was a high school sophomore, so she didn’t have business cards. Xiao Yi helped by leading her away, leaving Xiao Ze no chance to introduce Ji Yanming to Tao Sheng.