Apocalypse Forecast

Chapter 540 460 New World_2

"No... It's just that, for some reason, I suddenly feel very happy." Huai Shi struggled to rub his eyes. "It's so good to see you, Teacher."

"Even if you say more nice things, I still won't let you run so wild in the future, you know?"

Ai Ting's expression turned serious. "Starting tomorrow, come to my place to prepare for the exam. You want to go to Vienna, don't you? First, you need to pass the upcoming professional proficiency exams."

"Okay."

This time, Huai Shi didn't resist his teacher's arrangements and nodded in agreement.

For some reason, he no longer felt any aversion or the meaningless pride that used to get in his way. Even Ai Qing's cold snorts from beside him seemed much cuter.

He lay in the back seat of the car, closing his eyes.

Suddenly, he felt that this kind of life wasn't too bad.

In the days that followed, Huai Shi settled down at Teacher Ai's house, feeling at ease.

Teacher Ai's husband, Mr. Yin, was a very well-mannered man and held no prejudice against Huai Shi staying in their home. Although he still maintained some distance, he didn't hesitate to offer help.

However, in Huai Shi's eyes, this 'uncle' seemed to have no strong opinions of his own, basically deferring to his wife's arrangements in everything.

The Huai and Yin families were friends for generations. Several years ago, when Huai Shi's family hadn't yet fallen into ruin, he had accompanied his grandfather to the funeral of the Yin family's patriarch.

Although the connection had weakened by Huai Shi's parents' generation, they still maintained a cordial relationship; otherwise, Huai Shi wouldn't have had the chance to meet Teacher Ai.

The only one who occasionally made him feel the harsh realities of society was probably his senior, Ai Qing.

As the daughter of a genius cellist, Ai Qing not only inherited her mother's musical talent but also showed signs of surpassing her. In every cello competition from childhood to adolescence, Huai Shi was always overshadowed by her, consistently placing second and never able to catch a break.

Later, she simply followed her mother's suggestion and switched to the piano. Now, after just over four years, the room at home designated for her trophies and certificates was already full.

"Little Qing possesses an extraordinary talent that ordinary people can't compare to. Even her teachers often feel frustrated," Teacher Ai would say, skillfully ruffling Huai Shi's hair when discussing these matters. "On the other hand, students like Little Shi, with just the right amount of talent, give teachers a real sense of achievement... How about you become my son instead? You're about the same age."

Here we go again.

Whenever this topic came up, Huai Shi could only offer a forced smile.

However, Teacher Ai was just teasing and didn't really mean to pressure Huai Shi. Instead, she changed the subject, bringing up a female classmate who had recently been spending a lot of time with Huai Shi at school.

"I heard from Little Qing that her name is Fu Yi?" she teased, poking Huai Shi's arm with her finger. "Her dad is the deputy director of the police bureau, you know. You'd better be careful not to get caught and hauled off."

"...That's not true!" Huai Shi's eyes widened. "There's nothing between us! We're innocent!"

"Last week, I saw you eating KFC with her."

"We were studying!"

"But you were playing on your phones. Little Qing saw everything," Teacher Ai whispered, then pinched his cheek hard. "Be careful not to become the kind of scumbag who plays with people's feelings... That's the only thing I ask of you."

Huai Shi didn't know how to explain they were just playing games to improve their rank. He felt that the more he tried to explain, the messier it would become, so he could only shut up in embarrassment and listen to his teacher criticize his complacent attitude towards life.

Then, he started preparing for the professional exam.

During the last school anniversary concert, an internationally renowned musician, who was among the invited alumni, watched Huai Shi's performance and was greatly impressed.

Upon learning that Huai Shi was a prized student of the famous cellist Ai Ting, although the musician decided against taking him on as a disciple, he was still willing to write a letter of recommendation for him to pursue further studies in Vienna.

He also suggested that Huai Shi obtain more certificates and build up his résumé beforehand. That way, his future teacher in Vienna could apply for a full scholarship and tuition reduction on his behalf, which would save a significant amount of money.

Most importantly, with their joint recommendation, Huai Shi would finally have a formal opportunity to debut in the classical music world.

During this period, he had been preparing intensively, aiming to obtain both the elementary and intermediate professional certificates simultaneously. Life was incredibly hectic, but he gradually found it fulfilling and joyful.

And as he prepared to go to Jinling for the exam, he received a phone call from Old Yang.

After so many years of hard work, Old Yang had finally saved enough money. He had even mortgaged his house to secure a large sum, preparing to take his wife to Rome for medical treatment.

The reported recovery rate was one hundred percent.

What wonderful news.

After ending the call, Huai Shi stood stunned in front of the examination venue for a long time.

It wasn't until Ai Qing, who was accompanying him to the exam, nudged him that he snapped out of it.

"What's wrong?" she asked. "Feeling unwell?"

"No, I just suddenly feel... that life is as wonderful as a dream," Huai Shi said with a soft laugh.

"Wait until after the exam when the results are out before you start wondering if it's a dream. It might turn out to be a nightmare, you know," Ai Qing shook her head. "Don't worry. If you're still doubting then, I'll be sure to snap you awake."

"Then I'll be counting on you."

Huai Shi picked up his cello case and walked into the examination room.

"Huai Shi, male, seventeen years old, student."

And so, he introduced himself.

He was now facing the final hurdle on his path to a happy life.