Zhao Ran was filled with admiration and excitement. After dialing the driver's number, he excitedly put his phone away.
"Why do Brother Li Yang and the others call you 'boss'? Are you involved in the underworld?" the girl asked, puzzled.
"Are you scared?" Li Yang asked with a smile.
"I'm not afraid. I'm not afraid of whatever Brother Li Yang does. You'll always be my Brother Li Yang, and you won't hurt me. Right?" The little girl pouted proudly and tugged at Li Yang's arm, acting coquettishly.
"Hahaha... Smart! Of course Brother Li Yang wouldn't hurt Xiao Ran. Never!" Li Yang laughed heartily.
The little girl snuggled into Li Yang's arms with a sweet smile.
The car quickly entered the gates of Jiangdong University. Li Yang called Gao Qingmei.
"Hey, we're at the school gate, where are you?" Li Yang and Zhao Ran got out of the car and sent the Audi back. After all, driving a car like that into the campus was a very flashy thing to do, and it would easily attract attention! Li Yang wouldn't do something so foolish. The saying "the nail that sticks out gets hammered down" really applies here.
"I was hungry, so I ate at a small stall inside the school gate. It's all your fault. I was busy for half a morning and a whole noon because of your request, and I didn't even get to eat!" Gao Qingmei complained, trying to take credit for her actions.
"So it's all settled?" Li Yang said happily. He pulled Zhao Ran toward the food stalls at the school gate. He knew where it was; there was a whole row of snacks, including spicy hot pot, skewers, and grilled sausages, which were very plentiful.
"Yes, Dean Guo agreed to meet her. But whether it will work out depends on your sister's qualifications!" Gao Qingmei emphasized the word "sister."
"Her qualifications are absolutely no problem. Which Teacher Guo are you talking about?" Li Yang's heart skipped a beat. Gao Qingmei would never take his demands lightly; she would definitely go all out. Could this Teacher Guo be the Guo Lan that Zhao Ran mentioned?
"Which other Teacher Guo could it be? Of course, it's Teacher Guo Lan! You asked, how could I dare to just give a perfunctory answer!" Gao Qingmei muttered while eating.
"What are you eating?" Li Yang was in a good mood.
"Let's eat grilled sausages!" Gao Qingmei muttered.
"Grilled sausage? I don't have enough sausages for you, and you still buy sausages outside." Li Yang grinned mischievously.
Gao Qingmei was stunned for a moment, then realized what was happening and screamed, "Li Yang, you're so bad!"
Li Yang and Zhao Ran had already arrived nearby. Hearing the scream, they hung up the phone and went over. Gao Qingmei stood up, her eyes wide, glaring angrily at Li Yang and Zhao Ran.
In fact, most of his attention was on Zhao Ran. She was indeed a beautiful young woman with a slender figure and delicate features. No wonder this guy was so interested in her.
Hmph, you big pervert!
"You haven't finished your sausage yet?" Li Yang looked at Gao Qingmei with a smile. Her lips were oily and moist. She was holding half a sausage in her hand, having eaten half of it and leaving the other half.
"I'm not eating it. It tastes awful!" Gao Qingmei felt nauseous whenever she saw the grilled sausage.
"Come on. I'll treat you to something to eat since you've been working so hard! Boss, three grilled sausages, please!" Li Yang said, pulling Zhao Ran over.
"Alright!" The boss happily started putting on the clothes.
"Sister, what's your name? My name is Zhao Ran. Thank you for helping me find a teacher!" Zhao Ran said gratefully to Gao Qingmei.
Gao Qingmei was about to launch a scathing attack on Li Yang's shameless behavior when she suddenly met Zhao Ran's big, bright eyes. She was a little overwhelmed and ruffled Zhao Ran's hair, saying, "Little sister, just call me Sister Gao. My name is Gao Qingmei. Don't thank me for helping you; just eat this sausage for me!"
"Okay! Sister Gao, you're so kind! I also really like grilled sausages!" Zhao Ran smiled sweetly and nodded in agreement.
Li Yang broke out in a cold sweat, glared at Gao Qingmei, and thought to himself, "He only knows how to bully little girls, he's so mean." But when the two locked eyes, Zhao Ran's lips curled up slightly. Despite her young age and past experiences, including losing her virginity today, how could she not know what Li Yang and Gao Qingmei were joking about?
"Sister Gao, is it... is it Teacher Guo Lan?" Zhao Ran asked excitedly.
"Yes. She agreed to meet you and assess your abilities. Are you confident?" Gao Qingmei also felt that she had been too cruel and shouldn't have deceived the young girl.
“Yes!” Zhao Ran nodded.
"Okay. Let's go then!" Gao Qingmei nodded and turned to lead the way. The three of them arrived at an apartment in the classroom dormitory.
Upon arriving at Dean Guo Lan's apartment, we found it simply yet tastefully decorated, filled with various musical instruments, followed by a wall of CDs, all original copies of classical music and Western classics.
Then there's a wall of books that's very eye-catching. They're all music-related books, and there are also many books on traditional Chinese culture. They all show signs of being turned over, and they're not just for show.
Then there's a wall covered with all sorts of trophies, certificates, and banners.
Guo Lan was a woman in her fifties with an elegant demeanor. She was very well-maintained and looked to be in her thirties or forties. She had fair skin, wore glasses, and sat on the sofa, looking at Li Yang and Zhao Ran.
"You're the girl Qingmei strongly recommended?" Guo Lan's voice was sweet and pleasant, her eyes gentle yet penetrating as she stared at Zhao Ran.
The young girl was a little nervous. She took a deep breath and nodded, saying, "Yes. My name is Zhao Ran. I like singing and hope to become Teacher Guo's apprentice!"
"Okay. Then do something with me. I'll play this song once, and then you can sing it for me a cappella, okay?" Guo Lan immediately put on a show of force.
Having to sing an unfamiliar song a cappella after hearing it once not only tests a person's super memory and musical sense, but also their musical foundation, especially their singing ability.
Gao Qingmei broke out in a cold sweat; she knew almost immediately that she couldn't do it. She looked at Li Yang and whispered, "Are you sure you can? I'm so nervous!"
"It's not you, why are you so nervous!" Li Yang said irritably.
"She's just nervous!" Gao Qingmei snorted.
"Hmm!" Zhao Ran nodded emphatically and stood up, following Guo Lan to the music player. Guo Lan played a traditional folk song, and as soon as the song started, not only did Gao Qingmei almost jump up, but Li Yang was also quite displeased.
Holy crap, isn't this blatantly embarrassing?
Because the song being played wasn't just any song, but "The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau," a song whose difficulty anyone who's heard it understands. The transitions between high and low notes, especially the final high note, are a nightmare for pop singers; only a powerful singer like Han Hong, who straddles the line between pop and traditional styles, could handle it.
The rest of the pop singers were completely clueless!
After the song finished playing, Guo Lan sat down nonchalantly and looked at Zhao Ran.
“You’ve heard this song before, right? Then sing it once!” Guo Lan said casually.
Li Yang felt an urge to get up and punch someone. "Damn it! If you don't want to take me as a disciple, just say so! I'm not even going to accept the apprenticeship!" Gao Qingmei felt a bitter taste in her mouth. Seeing Li Yang's unfriendly expression, she felt even more bitter inside. "Dean Guo, aren't you trying to ruin me? If you don't want to take me as a disciple, just say so! Why are you toying with me like this? Toying with me is one thing, but toying with Li Yang has serious consequences! This guy, in a fit of rage, can kill someone with one slap! He won't kill me, but I'm worried he might slap you. Can your old bones withstand that?"