Chapter 55: Senior Jing Tian Comes to Call to Account

"What?"
"Are you cheating?"
Zhang Li looked at Liu Yifei in utter confusion.
"Right," Liu Yifei nodded earnestly. "I can feel it. When you first started practicing singing with me, your level was pretty much the same as mine."
"But now, your singing ability is clearly a whole level higher."
"If you aren't cheating, how else could your vocal skills improve so fast?"
Four weekends, totaling eight afternoons and evenings, she had practiced her vocals diligently against Zhang Li until she was almost ready to throw up, finally managing to elevate herself to the proficient tier.
Yet Zhang Li's singing skills had somehow jumped from the proficient tier straight to the mastery tier.
To be even more formidable than her—a literal cheater—he simply must have been cheating too, and on an even grander scale than hers.
One must admit, the wild imaginings born of Liu Yifei's full-blown resentment had accidentally hit the bullseye.
However, Zhang Li had no intention of admitting it. An expression of disapproval appeared on his face: "Elder Sister Xixi, are you jealous of my talent?"
"Jealous of you?" Liu Yifei raised her chin. "I am Liu Yifei!"
"Then why are you accusing me of cheating?" Zhang Li shook his head. "I rely entirely on raw talent."
"You said that when I first started practicing with you, my level was about the same as yours, and that's true."
"But that was only because your level back then wasn't up to par, and I only needed to display that much skill."
"If I had displayed my current level back then, are you certain you could have kept up with the rhythm?"
A towering skyscraper must be built from the ground up, and improvement naturally has to be taken step by step.
Liu Yifei naturally understood this logic, a look of skepticism lingering in her eyes: "Then how much of your true strength are you using right now?"
"Ten percent," Zhang Li shrugged. "I reached this level at the beginning of the year, purely because of my constant and diligent practice."
If it hadn't been for the times when Tang Yan, Yang Mi, and Liu Shishi occasionally dropped by the cast of *Chinese Paladin 3* to farm "vocal proficiency" with him, his singing skills might not have reached the "mastery" tier.
Singing skills encompassed pitch, musical ear, breathing techniques, vocalization techniques, articulation and enunciation techniques, breath control, and chest resonance in every aspect.
He had discovered it the moment his ability level upgraded last night—all his basic skills had also comprehensively improved.
"If we're talking about cheating, I think you're the one who's a bit absurd." Zhang Li stared at Liu Yifei suspiciously. "Although you've systematically studied music theory and singing, and your vocal cords are naturally gifted, I remember you used to be at the level of a KTV microphone hog, and recording a song required ten thousand audio tuners."
"How did studying with me for just four weekends significantly elevate you to the level of a professional singer? You could totally pass as a powerhouse vocalist now."
Liu Yifei felt her heart flutter wildly under Zhang Li's gaze. She tossed her long hair and put on a haughty front, saying, "This is your elder sister's true strength and talent."
"Of course, even though you only taught me on weekends, it doesn't mean I only studied on weekends."
"I'm so idle nowadays that I have nothing left but time, and I practice singing every day."
Hearing this, Zhang Li nodded in sudden realization: "So you've been practicing consecutively for a month. No wonder."
Liu Yifei breathed a sigh of relief inwardly.
Naturally, how could this silly younger brother ever imagine she had come into contact with supernatural forces?
Then she heard Zhang Li continue: "I thought you were truly endowed with freakish talent. You really gave me a scare."
A "benevolent" smile bloomed on Liu Yifei's face. She clenched her hands into fists, suddenly raised her foot, and stepped down hard on the top of Zhang Li's foot.

"Bang!"
Liu Yifei missed entirely.
"With skills like yours, you actually thought you could step on me?" Zhang Li looked smug.
Liu Yifei's smile grew even more radiant: "Prepare to die!"
The two of them immediately began chasing and playfully brawling.
Zhang Li was soon "outmaneuvered" and cornered into a dead end.
"Don't do anything reckless, or I swear I'll tell our mom to beat you up." Zhang Li crossed his arms over his chest.
"Hehehe." Liu Yifei raised a hand and deliberately let out a weird laugh: "Go ahead and call out! Even if you scream until your throat tears, no one is coming to save you."
"The more you scream, the more excited I get."
Zhang Li: "..."
If Liu Yifei's fans were to witness this scene, heaven knows how many layers of rose-colored filters would shatter.
"Mom!"
Zhang Li suddenly straightened his body, his expression turning stiff with a hint of awkwardness.
Seeing this, Liu Yifei trembled all over, her expression stiffening as she turned around: "Mom, we were just messing around... huh?"
There was absolutely no one behind her. She had been tricked by Zhang Li.
"You stinky younger brother!"
Catching a glimpse of Zhang Li's fleeing figure out of the corner of her eye, Liu Yifei immediately gave chase.
The two of them brawled all the way until they reached the entrance of the one-story house area, where Zhang Li was cornered once again.
"This time, you won't escape."
Liu Yifei walked up to Zhang Li, reached out to grab his collar, and pulled him toward herself.
Staring at each other at such close range, Liu Yifei's movements suddenly paused as she felt her heartbeat begin to accelerate.
This arranged child-husband she had raised with her own hands genuinely possessed extraordinary looks.
Thinking of the reward she had received from their previous kiss, her Adam's apple bobbed, and she prepared to go for it again.
This time, she would be the proactive one.
"Mom!"
Zhang Li looked past Liu Yifei's shoulder.
"Heh." Liu Yifei's gaze was playful: "Ah-Li, I never fall into the same pit twice. Be a good boy and surrender to your big sister."
"This joke has gone too far." Zhang Li's expression was stiff.
"You act so well, but you can't fool me." Liu Yifei reached out to stroke Zhang Li's cheek, preparing to take things a step further.
Right at that moment, a voice echoed from behind her: "Xixi, what are you doing?"
Liu Yifei's body stiffened: !
"Mom!"
Liu Yifei turned around mechanically, her smile stiff: "Why are you here?"
"Why can't I be here?" Liu Xiaoli's expression was serious. "If I hadn't come, I would never have known this is how you usually bully Ah-Li."
Liu Yifei opened her mouth, having no idea how to explain.
"You, come with me." Liu Xiaoli turned around with an imposing aura.
Liu Yifei glared fiercely at Zhang Li before obediently following along.
"Tsk, I told you so, but you wouldn't believe me." Zhang Li straightened his collar.
What was said after Liu Xiaoli took Liu Yifei away remained unknown to Zhang Li.
It was likely nothing more than a lecture about how they were both grown up now and a safe distance needed to be maintained between a man and a woman.
After finishing dinner, he didn't see Liu Yifei, so he drove directly back to school.
Late that night, Liu Yifei called him: "I hate you."
"What is it this time?" Zhang Li stopped typing on his keyboard, a smile on his face.
"I just hate you, that's all." Liu Yifei's face carried a sulky resentment.
She had obscurely hinted to Liu Xiaoli about her feelings for Zhang Li, only to be heavily lectured by her own mother.
Her mother said Zhang Li was still young, told her not to do anything out of line or lead him astray, and honestly, it made her want to go take a DNA test.
"Then how can I appease your hatred?" Zhang Li asked.
"When are you coming to record *Love for Generations* for me?" Liu Yifei asked instead of answering.
"Next Saturday. I'm pretty busy the next few days," Zhang Li replied.
"We'll talk about it then. Goodnight." Liu Yifei hung up directly.
Zhang Li glanced at the time, called Liu Shishi for a long chat on the phone, and after chatting casually with Yang Mi for a bit, he went to sleep.
At noon the next day, Zhang Li, having finished his classes, made a rare trip to the cafeteria for lunch.
His popularity in school was simply too high; everywhere he went, people stared and took pictures, which was why he rarely ate in the cafeteria.
"Junior, long time no see."
As he was waiting in line to buy food, a cool, crisp voice drifted from beside him.
"Senior Jing Tian, long time no see." Zhang Li turned around, sized up the striking beauty, and responded politely.
Jing Tian stepped forward, staring straight at Zhang Li with a hint of resentment in her eyes: "Junior, if senior doesn't seek you out, were you never planning to take the initiative to look for senior?"
Zhang Li: ?
We don't seem that close.
Even though you've contributed quite a few "+1"s to me!