Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Suddenly, the people standing in the backyard heard the beautiful sound of a Guqin.
The plinky-plunk sound was so melodious that it was just like crystal-clear mountain spring water flowing past the old and quiet mountain rocks.
Anyone who heard this music would get a refreshing feeling of walking in the quiet forest.
The young talents stopped talking and started to enjoy the beautiful music. Even Liu Chen, who was sitting up straight, also looked around with a faint smile.
When the music stopped, the young talents started to praise it unanimously.
“We are so lucky that we can enjoy our lady’s beautiful music! Even if we don’t see her this time, it has made our visit worthwhile!”
“This music, which could only be enjoyed by the deities, is so rare in this mortal world! What a perfect combination of instrument, music, and player!”
Su Yu sighed with embarrassment. Indeed, the music was very beautiful. However, it would be an exaggeration to describe it as heavenly music. Those young talents had praised it too much!
At the peak of a colorful mountain, a pretty maidservant smiled as she pressed the strings of a Guqin with her fingers. Then, she turned around looked at the beautiful woman behind her mischievously. “My lady,” the maidservant said, “most of those young talents believe that you played the Guqin just now. I guess they must be complimenting you!”
The beautiful woman behind her was leaning against a pavilion.
Her white dress fluttered in the breeze and outlined her hour-glass figure. The beauty of her youth was fully demonstrated by her slender waist and straight legs.
This extremely beautiful woman’s crystal-clear eyes were full of an amorous light.
Now, she was leaning against the handrail of the pavilion like a graceful fairy.
The woman in the white dress sighed as she looked at those young talents from afar. “All of them only dwell on a beautiful face, high position, and great wealth! How ridiculous and pathetic they are!”
“Where the needle goes, the thread follows! Yun’er, you will be responsible for the following tests. I’m tired!” The woman in the white dress closed her eyes.
Yun’er giggled as she covered her mouth with her hand. Then, she started to ponder deeply and rolled her eyes.
The young talents in the backyard stopped talking and became prim again when the sound of the Guqin stopped.
They knew the music of the Guqin was the signal that the test was starting.
There was no fixed program for the test. During similar tests performed by the Great Oriental Family before, a candidate might be kicked out by hidden judges because of any improper words or behavior.
So, nobody dared to make a racket before figuring out the rules of the test.
Su Yu looked around and found a lot of young talents were in this place. Then, he covered his face with a silvery mask, ensuring that nobody would pay any attention to him. This would allow him to avoid any unnecessary problems if he was recognized by someone here.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
A cute little girl walked up from outside the seal with a scroll in her hands. Seeing that, the young talents here couldn’t help but stand up and throw out their chests.
“The first test…” the little girl said in a mysterious way with a naughty smile. “Scale that mountain!”
She pointed at a mountain which was to one side of her.
Swish! Swish!
Hearing that, those young talents rushed towards that mountain after taking a quick look at it.
Scale that mountain? Su Yu also flew gracefully to the top of that mountain as he murmured in his heart suspiciously. What the hell was this test?
“Now, come down the mountain!” the pretty little girl said when all the young talents had reached the top.
“Since we have reached the top of the mountain, it is quite natural that she would ask us to go down the mountain.”
Most people rushed down that mountain for fear of lagging behind the others.
Su Yu walked down the mountain gracefully again.
When all of them reached the foot of that mountain, the little girl said with a smile, “Now, climb the mountain again!”
Again? People became hesitant. After a short while, they rushed up to avoid being kicked out.
Su Yu frowned slightly as he stood at the foot of the mountain. He was quite unhappy when he saw the people who were pushing and cursing each other on their way.
Are they going to treat these candidates like monkeys?
Su Yu closed his eyes as he stood there motionlessly.
“Come down the mountain!” the little girl said with a smile. As she did so, she couldn’t help but notice Su Yu with her big eyes.
Only this young man was ignoring her instruction.
“OK! Climb that mountain again!” the little girl turned around and said as she looked at the rest people disdainfully.
What? Climb that mountain again? Some young talents were quite angry because they were being teased by a maidservant before they could see Miss Dongfang.
However, they didn’t dare to disobey the instruction, even though they had already been annoyed.
At last, some proud young talents, who couldn’t stand it anymore, chose to stand at the foot of the mountain like Su Yu.
“This test is finished!” the little girl said with a smile. Then, she pointed at Su Yu and the rest of the young talents who had disobeyed her instructions. “What’s wrong with you? How dare you disobey my orders? Do you know the consequence of your disobedience?”
This maidservant, who was in charge of the test, was actually the examiner and had the right to kick out any candidate.
When the rest of the young talents saw the little girl’s unhappy expression, they couldn’t help but gloat as they secretly let out a sigh in their hearts. What a weird test!
Anyway, the trophy of this test was Miss Dongfang. So, they would obey all kinds of instructions no matter how strange they were. A little grievance was nothing when it gave them a chance of gaining both fame and a beautiful wife.
However, just as these people were waiting for the little girl’s declaration that Su Yu and those who had disobeyed her instructions were to be kicked out, the little girl said to Su Yu and those who were standing beside him with a lovely smile, “Congratulations! You have passed the first test! Now, you will take the second test! Please follow me!”
What? The people who had been planning to enjoy the show were dumbfounded on the spot.
Those who had disobeyed the instruction had passed the test while those who obeyed the instruction were kicked out!
“Young lady, why is that? Could you tell me the reason?” A young man, who was quite powerful, was not happy about being kicked out in the first round.
The little girl sneered at him. “My lady is looking for a husband, not a monkey who can only follow orders obediently!”
With a lovely smile, she continued, “Don’t worry. We won’t let you down since you have come here from afar. Later, you will have a chance to choose another girl from our family to be your wife!”
The lovely little girl led Su Yu and the rest of the young talents who had passed the first test into another yard, leaving those dumbfounded young men who were seized with remorse behind.
When they entered this yard, they found it was a Siheyuan.
There were nicely-decorated and aromatic rooms on all four sides of the courtyard. Apparently, they were boudoirs for the ladies.
Clap! Clap!
The little girl clapped her hands. Then, four girls walked out from their room.
All of them were well-dressed, slim, and quite beautiful.
These 4 four girls, who were rare beauties, even surprised Su Yu.
The other people with Su Yu were also impressed by the beauty of these girls. Maybe it was not difficult to find a pretty girl. Only a time-honored great family like the Great Oriental Family could provide four beautiful girls at the same time.
The four girls started to dance. Their beautiful performance provided the audiences with a visual feast.
Su Yu heartily enjoyed their dance and nodded his head from time to time approvingly.
The people beside him were quite nervous. Unlike Su Yu, they didn’t dare to express their thoughts and feelings. It was as if they were facing a formidable enemy.
And the second test hadn’t even started yet!
“OK, the second test will be… the evaluation of these girls!” the little girl said.
Evaluate these girls? People were confused by this test.
The first test focused on self-esteem. Does it mean the second test was being performed to check their mentality?
They were candidates who could become Miss Dongfang’s future husband. If they spoke highly of these girls, they would be considered frivolous and immature.
“They are good!” someone replied in an ambiguous way.
“Please give your detailed evaluation of their appearance and performance!” Apparently, the little girl was not satisfied with his ambiguous reply.
Instead, the man said, “My heart belongs to Miss Dongfang. These girls are just like female ghosts for me. Their appearance and performance didn’t impress me at all!”
“What about you?” The little girl started to ask the candidates one by one.
Most of them replied in a way similar to the first guy. They didn’t criticize the girls, but they didn’t compliment them either. In other words, most of them replied in a perfunctory way.
The little girl stood in front of Su Yu and asked, “So, give me your evaluation!”
Without thinking, Su Yu said frankly, “The four girls are extremely beautiful. Their dance is also extraordinarily graceful. I guess it is very difficult to find a combination of perfect dancers like them in this world!”
His words surprised the little girl a bit. Then, she moved on to ask the rest of the candidates.
Possibly, the rest of the candidates were influenced by Su Yu’s reply, and they also praised the girls honestly.
When all of them had finished the test, the little girl pointed at the first five candidates with a smile. “Congratulations…” she said.
Hearing this, those people put their hearts at ease because the little girl had chosen those who had passed the first test in the same way.
“You’ve been kicked out…” The little girl’s belated words shocked these people.
Before they had time to ask the reason, the little girl snorted, “You even don’t know how to appreciate beauty. If my lady marries any of you, she won’t be cherished, and her life will be full of grievances! You are unqualified! You can leave now!”
After the departure of these frustrated candidates, the little girl turned around and said with a smile, “Please stay here for a while. I will request further instructions from my lady!”
Then, the little girl left rapidly.
“Mr. Liu, I didn’t expect you to answer her question fluently. You must know the purpose of these tests. I guess you will be the final winner this time. So, please accept our congratulations in advance!” Zheng Kuan said as he looked warmly at Liu Chen who was standing beside him.
Wang Shuo, who was on the other side of Zheng Kuan, had a complaisant smile on his taciturn face. “I also believe Mr. Liu will pass the next test successfully!” he said.
The two of them had also managed to pass the second test.
Hearing their compliments, Liu Chen replied by folding his hands at them casually with an indistinct arrogant smile.
Liu Chen clearly understood that Zheng Kuan and Wang Shuo were trying to flatter him. He also knew that he had passed the second test because of Su Yu’s example.
The second test had checked the candidate’s mentality. The candidates needed to stay calm in front of beautiful girls. However, those who tried to flatter Miss Dongfang by depreciating those girls would also be kicked out.
Without Su Yu, all of them would have been kicked out because of their perfunctory replies.
Zheng Kuan and Wang Shuo were a little bit unhappy when they saw Liu Chen’s arrogant smile.
They didn’t expect Su Yu, who was a hillbilly, to pass the first test and set an example to them during the second test.
It seemed Su Yu sensed he was being looked at by someone. He looked to his side.
Zheng Kuan and Wang Shuo turned around and pretended that nothing happened. Wang Shuo even snorted to show his disdain.
“Old man, you wouldn’t be favored by Miss Dongfang even if you could stand in front of her. I suggest you leave now, and I will give additional compensation!” Liu Chen said as he walked over and looked at Su Yu.
The insinuation behind Liu Chen’s words was that Su Yu was his most threatening opponent. Zheng Kuan and Wang Shuo were not even worth mentioning.
Therefore, the two of them were quite unhappy to hear that.
The hillbilly despised by them was considered to be a threatening opponent by Liu Chen.
Su Yu looked up and said with a faint smile, “Thank you for your kindness, Mr. Liu. I know I will never be favored by Miss Dongfang. However, I hope that I can catch a glimpse of her, and then this trip will be worthwhile!”
Liu Chen, who didn’t take Su Yu’s words seriously, nodded his head indifferently. “I hope so!” he replied.
His words sound threatening!
