Promise With The Girl

At this moment, the bell rang for the end of class. The teacher gathered her things on the podium and said, "Alright, class is dismissed. Try to decide on our class's program today and submit it to me before the end of the school day."

Taking advantage of the fact that the students who had witnessed the earlier scene hadn't yet reacted, Chu Lian grabbed Cai Ya's hand and ran out of the classroom. The remaining students exchanged wry smiles, as if to say, "What are we going to do about this?"

"Let go of me, let go of me..." Cai Ya struggled as Chu Lian dragged her along, but she couldn't break free. She had no choice but to follow behind, shouting angrily as they ran.

Ignoring her protests, Chu Lian continued to pull her up the stairs. Only when they reached the rooftop and she locked the iron door behind them did she stop, bending over and panting slightly.

Cai Ya stood far away from her. Although she was also a bit tired, as a debut singer who had undergone extensive dance training, she had better stamina than Chu Lian, so she seemed to be in better shape.

"Chu Lian, I don't know why you did that, but I warn you, if you ever do something like that to me again, I won't be polite." With a few strands of hair sticking to her sweaty cheeks, Cai Ya said angrily to Chu Lian.

"Well, isn't it normal for girls to be a bit intimate? Besides, that was my first kiss. If anything, I'm the one at a loss here…" Chu Lian, though still slightly out of breath, had regained enough strength to speak, and she complained in dissatisfaction upon hearing Cai Ya's words.

"That was my first kiss too, you know! Don't think just because I'm in the entertainment industry, I'm an easy person. And our relationship isn't close enough for such indiscretions. What exactly do you mean by doing this to me?" Cai Ya tidied her disheveled hair, her tone filled with displeasure.

"Cough, cough, I don't know why I did that. It just happened suddenly. If I had to say why, it's probably because your expression made me want to bully you." Chu Lian resorted to feigned innocence, standing upright with her hands spread out, as if saying, "What can you do about it?"

"You, you're just shameless…" Cai Ya's brows furrowed, her tone tinged with disappointment. "I thought you would be a rare rival, but it turns out you're just an annoying person. It seems I was wrong."

"Oh…?" Chu Lian's casual demeanor disappeared upon hearing this. She lifted her head to meet Cai Ya's gaze directly, and said indifferently, "Don't you think you're being naive? I never said I wanted to be your rival. It's you who has always seen me as one…"

Without waiting for Cai Ya to respond, she continued, "The world is very big, and we are very small. If we have to find a rival and compete everywhere, what's the point?"

"Compared to you, my goals are clearer. I won't waste time on battling one person but instead will see everyone standing in front of me as an opponent I need to overcome. I don't fight against one person; I fight against the world…" Chu Lian's words were powerful and resonant. Although her voice was still young and she herself was a small figure, the aura she exuded instantly overwhelmed Cai Ya.

"You are a very talented singer with a good family background, a beautiful appearance, and a melodious voice. I can see that you are also very hardworking."

"I admit that with all these qualities, you are currently far beyond my reach. You must be aware of this, yet you still consider me your rival. While this is an honor for me, I don't want to accept it." As she spoke, she showed a clear smile, her beautiful eyes gazing at Cai Ya.

"Because I've seen your profile. Anyone who can write a bestselling book at the age of twelve is definitely not an ordinary person..." Cai Ya, feeling awkward, nonetheless voiced her thoughts, "Moreover, once you enter this school, background and family status, even appearance, are no longer important. What matters is personal ability and talent."

"Then you also know that before this, I was just someone who wrote books. How can I compare with you in performance arts? You say..." Chu Lian saw that Cai Ya was starting to be led by her words and knew it was time to add more fuel to the fire.

"I've watched your singing videos online. Although your vocal skills and other basics still need improvement, in terms of voice and talent, you are definitely not weaker than me. As long as you choose the right song, you can be on par with me. This is why I want to compete with you." Cai Ya hadn't intended to say this. She didn't want others to know she was paying attention to Chu Lian.

But Chu Lian had pushed the conversation to this point. If Cai Ya didn't explain her reason, she would indeed come across as bullying someone weaker. She wasn't such a person and didn't want to be seen as one. Even though Chu Lian wasn't weak in terms of talent and skills, she was indeed far behind in singing.

Chu Lian hadn't expected this to be Cai Ya's reason, but fortunately, it didn't interfere with her plans.

After thinking for a moment, she said, "I still say the same thing. I can agree to compete with you, and the performance will be singing. But..." She paused again, looking seriously at Cai Ya, and asked, "If I lose, what do you want me to do?"

Cai Ya answered without hesitation, "Become my exclusive pianist. I believe with your talent, learning piano now shouldn't be difficult, and your achievements would definitely be high. That's why I thought of this. I don't really like the pianists currently arranged for me; they can play, but there's no soul in it. But I believe you can do it, become the perfect pianist. At least for me..."

Chu Lian nodded, "I can agree to this request. Even if I win, as long as there's a need, I will also become your pianist. But this is all on the condition that you agree to my request."

Cai Ya was a bit stunned. What kind of request would make her willing to offer such a promise?

"You just need to agree that if you lose, you will become my assistant in the future. I won't make you do anything you don't want to, and it won't cause you much trouble. It will even greatly benefit your own development. You just need to listen to me..." Chu Lian paused, her tone becoming serious as she looked into Cai Ya's eyes and said earnestly, "Join me in exploring this world together. That's what I mean..."

She raised her head, looking at Cai Ya expectantly to see her reaction. To her surprise, Cai Ya turned away, hiding her expression from view, and said, "If you can get first place, and it's in singing, defeating me with an overwhelming advantage, then I might agree. Otherwise, I absolutely won't."

"Then wait and see. This Saturday, I'll make you accept it wholeheartedly..." Chu Lian received a response that wasn't quite a commitment, but she didn't mind. She knew how proud Cai Ya was. In her eyes, seeing her as a rival was already lowering her stance; there was no way she would agree to follow her outright.

But everything she just did to get this answer was already quite good.

As Ayase said, even if she spent her entire life, she could only restore 10% of the missing pieces of this world. The remaining 90% needed others to complete. Cai Ya was the first person she chose. She wanted Cai Ya to be the singer for the music she would create. Those songs suitable for her could be given to her to sing, while she only needed to sing the songs she liked.

Music was not intended to be her primary focus. After completing the main tasks, she had decided that even if she became an "all-round goddess," she would center her efforts on literary creation, while also developing in other fields like music, film, and even opera performance.

Thus, many musical or film works she envisioned couldn't be presented by her alone. Therefore, forming a team seemed the best approach. She believed that a team led by her, equipped with the system and the cultural essence of another world, would undoubtedly surpass any other team in terms of development and strength.

"I believe you will agree. I have the confidence and the capability..." Chu Lian's words echoed in her ears as she descended the stairs, causing Cai Ya to bite her lower lip gently and whisper, "Really? Let's see who is stronger. I don't believe I will lose to you in music..."

Two proud girls collided at this moment, igniting the spark of competition. This was their agreement and the choice that would determine their future fates.

Both had absolute confidence and did not think they were inferior to their peers.

Cai Ya's pride surpassed Chu Lian's; she believed that her musical attainments were superior to those of most people, regardless of their age and experience.

Chu Lian's confidence, however, was even more abundant. With the system and the inherent potential of her current body as her support, she did not believe she would lose to anyone.

Music was not just a language without borders but also a bridge to the soul...