2236-2240 2236 - The original kissing scene was only 10 seconds, but the uncut version showed it in all its glory. There are times when Zhuoling’s words could be heard, but fortunately the more personal words were whispered directly to Xiaoya’s ears and so escaped being recorded. It made the viewers very curious as Xiaoya turned red from hearing him after the kiss. ‘Ever since the CEO has been with Shi Xiaoya, I found that he has been a hot and saucy boy,’ said a comment. Shi Xiaoya tried to tease him over the comment but stumbled over the words when teased by him. Then she realized something, that intimate moment had been shown to hundreds of millions of people. “What they saw was nothing,” Zhuoling said as he took away the tablet and then pinned her on the bed. “We can watch the show any time, let me show you the difference with the real thing.” “But it’s still daytime!” she protested, to which he agreed: “Exactly. This way you can continue until the night and smooth out the time difference…” 2237 - The Zhuoling-Xiaoya segment was responsible for garnering triple the clicks over the TV broadcast. In the past, other video platforms and outlets declined to buy the rights to Survivor, scoffing at the high pricing. But the Donghua Station stuck to its guns and now this explosion of popularity vindicated its decision… After a day of rest, Lu Man went to the New York university, while Zhuoli and Zhuoling would be going to the Han Corp’s American office to work. At the university, Lu Man was greeted coldly. They still remembered how she had given Bobbert’s Special Forces Team a thorough thumping. They sneered, saying how she was being too casual/overconfident for coming so late to the exchange program competition. 2238 - They scoffed at her late arrival. Just because she had accomplished something trivial, she was treated as a trump card by the others? But Lu Man smiled, saying she never thought of herself as being able to win all by herself. The other person was pleased, only for Lu Man to continue: “I’m sorry, you misunderstood. I’m not saying I can’t do it alone, but I want to win as a team. This all about the team and everyone is responsible and indispensable.” The person was stunned but said the entire Chinese team was weak as a whole and should know its place. This exchange attracted the attention of other people and they sauntered over to see the fuss. They poured scornful, backhanded compliments when Lu Man was sarcastically introduced by the person (Joseph) as an ace-in-the-hole. 2239 - Lu Man smiled: “Well, at least your school thinks so. I'm so embarrassed. You guys think of me as the trump card, but I dare not.” The students were taken aback but they have to admit privately that Lu Man was indeed a looker. (Literally the rest of the chapter is exposition about her slimness and natural beauty. Lu Man’s reply is the only spoken speech in this chapter.) 2240 - Still, this attractive doll really has a thick skin to turn their words against them. Perhaps the warnings given by the traveling exchange students were right: Lu Man was insidious and cunning, don’t be fooled by her appearance! Surely she must have used dirty tricks to defeat Bobbert and the exchange team. “Lu Man!” familiar voices called out. Han Leilei and Zhang Xiaoying arrived, together with National Opera boys Guo Hai and Tan Ming Xiao. Seeing the relief on Han Leilei’s face gave the onlookers a pause, were the Chinese students really depending on Lu Man? Even Zhang Xiaoying who had a past with Lu Man had a friendly smile on her face. Introductions were made as Guo Hai had only seen her in passing in the Huayi Cup while Tan was a stranger. The four of them had come to receive her. Han Leilei asked about Zhuoli, and Lu Man said he had gone to work.
2241-2245 2241 - Lu Man asked Joseph if all the formalities were done. He contemptuously said they would get a student to show her the dorms and explain the rules, but Zhang Xiaoying declined and said they would do it for her. Thinking that they wanted to cry to Lu Man, Joseph smirked and agreed. So Lu Man followed the four Chinese students. Once away, Han Leilei expressed her relief. Lu Man asked what was wrong. She had just arrived and already greeted with nonsense by Joseph and the rest, were the Chinese students bullied all this while? Even Zhang Xiaoying was nearly emotional, but she held back, remembering that she and Lu Man were rivals. Little did she know that Lu Man had not considered her as one, because Zhang was not at her level in the first place… Han Leilei led the little group to the dorms, and the other students came out to greet her with equally relieved expressions. 2242 - Sun Mengying, another acquaintance from the National Opera asked if Lu Man was staying at the dorm, but she was not. The entire Han family were staying at the hotel, including Wang Juhuai whose residence was in Los Angeles. Once more Lu Man asked if her fellow students had been bullied. The students admitted that their performances were indeed poor and had their eyes opened. In fact, the New York students had to give them a handicap because they felt too bad. Still, the New York students took every opportunity to poke fun at the exchange students. Han Leilei said they were embarrassed but were still motivated to improve themselves, but felt the oppression to be abnormal. The Chinese suspected it was because the New York school had been defeated in China, and eventually Han Leilei was able to confirm it after overhearing the New York students. 2243 - The New York students were being sore losers, and had initially thought Lu Man would not come because she was afraid. The teachers were split, some were indeed helpful and understanding, others were subtle in their arrogance. Joseph was not even a teacher, that was why he was so blatant. Dongdian’s Sun Hezhou apologized to Lu Man, it was because he had impulsively defended her when the New York students accused her of cowardice/arrogance. That was why she was mocked as soon as she had arrived, that was why the four students had gone to greet Lu Man in case trouble happened. Throughout this chat, Zhang Xiaoying listened without saying anything. Because of her experiences here, she no longer felt hostile towards Lu Man, realizing that Lu Man had always fought back using her own strength and never using her background to win, never causing problems to her career. Endorsements being pulled was a common thing occurrence. Well, except for Lu Man, who would dare to do that to her? 2244 - Zhang Xiaoying had gone through such things, before and after knowing Lu Man, and she did not blame her for it. Besides, if Lu Man wanted it, she could have snatched it easily. Think what had happened to Lu Qi. Thus her ill feelings towards Lu Man had dissipated. Even Lu Man was surprised to hear Zhang Xiaoying had volunteered to pick her up, but understood how the situation could change people. Lu Man used to have a headache before coming here, when the various principals had her lead the team. She had less than friendly relations with some of the members, and feared that she would be unable to unite the team under her leadership. Since Zhang had taken this first step, Lu Man felt less burdened. “Thanks for picking me up,” she smiled at Zhang. Since she had already rested yesterday, Lu Man decided to go to class that very day. The male students were a little embarrassed, since they are depending on her to redeem their honour. 2245 - Han Leilei said the current narrative was how Shana and Howard only lost in China because of their own poor mental strength. This was all the more aggravating to the New York students, as it meant they were only defeated because of their own mistakes, and so Howard and the rest also received jeers and criticisms from them. Howard was mocked for boasting about avenging his uncle Bobbert, while Shana's ambition of shedding her idol starlet image was laughed at.
2246-2250 2246 - Han Leilei said this led to resentment from Howard and he continued to deride the Chinese students. Shana actually accepted her defeat, a little dissatisfied but did not join in heckling them. Howard simply lumped the Chinese students together with Lu Man even though they were not related to the defeat in China. Han Leilei warned that Howard would be in the class today. Zhang Xiaoying noted the time and suggested lunch, and Lu man accepted. 2247 - The group went out to eat, and Lu Man listened to their grievances. Han Leilei was the de facto leader and gave her some study notes. By the time they returned, news of Lu Man’s arrival had spread in the campus among the art students. They encountered Shana with two other female students from the second team. Han Leilei quietly explained how the defeat in China had threatened Shana’s position in the top team. Shana greeted Lu Man amicably and she returned the favour. Shana said she had been waiting for Lu Man all these months. The last time, Lu Man had the home advantage and Shana admitted she had been mentally affected. This won’t happen again, she would definitely show Lu Man her true strength. 2248 - Lu Man said she looked forward to it. One of Shana’s friends (Christine) was less than complimentary, saying Lu Man was too overconfident. Lu Man raised and eyebrow and bluntly asked Han Leilei, “Was there a problem with my attitude?” Of course they shook their heads, even Shana had said nothing. Lu Man turned back to Christine and said it was her usual way of speech, if she had caused her to misunderstand, then she apologized: “But if you think I should be more humble towards Shana, then I think you are overthinking it. We are all students and in this school we are all equals. Shana said she would let me see her true strength, and I look forward to it. Is that unacceptable to you?” At this point, Shana interjected on Lu Man’s behalf: “Christine, I may not be friends with Lu Man, but we’re not enemies. I respect her as an opponent.” She truly respected Lu Man’s ability, and offered to lend a helping hand. Not everyone was biased against them, don’t take it against the entire school. Han Leilei and the others privately thought it was all because they only respected the strong. People like Joseph had yet to see it, that is why they were so rude. Since Shana had taken the initiative to be friendly, Lu Man thanked her. Once Shana had left, Guo Hai asked Lu Man for guidance. But Lu Man declined, saying there were teachers and they were more than qualified. 2249 - As she was still learning, it was not her place to teach. The disappointed Guo Hai and others felt a little better when she added: “But during our practice, we can have study discussions, and show how I usually rehearse. We can select a work and discuss about it, about the roles and the performances. We can point out each other’s deficiencies. But it might cause friction, and we must make sure any quarrel would end during practice so that it would not affect our personal relationships.” They agreed. But Lu Man was still skeptical. Too much quarreling would affect anyone. That afternoon, they set out for class, it would be about a piece from Shakespeare. The classroom was set up like a small theatre, complete with an auditorium and a stage. Han Leilei explained that the students would sit on the stage, draw lots for roles and pass out the script to be acted out in the next class. Those who mess up would forever be shunned and never be selected again. If you don’t get selected, you don’t get to be on stage and so you won’t get any guidance from the teacher. It’s a risk vs reward thing: get a prominent role and more chances to catch the eye of the teacher, but also more chances to fail. The local students were thus very driven to succeed, unlike the exchange students who would just pick up where they left when they go back to China. Lu Man nodded, this meant the students here were indeed forced to rise to the top. 2250 - Han Leilei concurred: any one of the local students can recite and act out Shakespeare. Others agreed that the difference in foundation compared to the Chinese students were quite understandable. After all, they have trouble even with their own Chinese classical works. The New York students simply put in much more effort from the start. Han Leilei and Zhang Xiaoying also commented that Lu Man would probably not be called up since it was her first class, but Sun Mengying said the professor was not very considerate. They became worried for Lu Man but she was not too concerned as she really wanted to learn. Besides, she did research on Shakespeare in the past.
2251-2255 2251 - Han Leilei said she actually admired the teaching in the school, as the students really put in effort. In the class, Lu Man saw a few familiar faces who had gone to China. Howard had actually kept tabs on Lu Man and had his friend Leo call him the moment she arrived, as he truly did not expect her to come due to the fearsome reputation of the class and professor. Howard immediately strode over to loom over Lu Man's desk to greet her sneeringly, saying he had waited for her to make her grand entrance. Lu Man looked up at him with a raised eyebrow. Others looking at the scene can't help but feel Howard looked like a younger brother about to throw a tantrum to an elder sister. 2252 - A few felt embarrassed for Howard for his blatant provocation. He should have defeated her first before making a scene. They overheard Lu Man saying: "Well, I just won and I had to rest. If you had won, you too could do the same grand entrance." The rest of the class were stunned. The Chinese students who knew of Lu Man were secretly happy to see her be so overbearing. Zhang Xiaoying herself felt a little cowed, and vowed never to cross her. Howard was especially provoked by the mention of the China defeat, and said this was his home court. "Then you'll just lose again, this time in a different place," Lu Man said calmly. Having been with Zhuoli, Howard was just like a young man that was not worth using all of her aura. 2253 - Just by sitting there, she exuded pressure. Howard lost his composure and pointed at her angrily, claiming that he had yet to show his true power. But Lu Man chuckled: "A loss is a loss. No matter what your true strength is, if you can't bring it out when it mattered, when you can only show it when nobody is there to see it, what is the use? Someone who did badly in the exam but said he had studied well, what's the point if you don't get a good grade?" Howard ground his teeth and said he won't be affected this time, even though he was very visibly unconvincing. "Sorry, I think you have no chance to prove it to me," Lu Man smile. Howard had to take a deep breath before saying he was not there to prove anything to her, and why would he had no chance? Lu Man reminded him that he was from the second tier team. This time, the Chinese team came to visit the first tier. "So sorry, you have no chance to compare with me," she said with great regret, "If you really want to, you can try to enter the first team. Otherwise, you won't even have the qualifications to compete against me again." Leo had to step in, otherwise Howard would have really lost control. 2254 - But Howard says there is still a chance within this class. "Okay, I'll wait and see, I hope you won't let me down," Lu Man said. Howard was furious and he spewed: "Don't be so proud when you only won by chance. You said I belonged to the second team, and it took you that much preparation and effort to beat us. You dare to take on the first team? I want you to go back crying!" Lu Man glanced at him indifferently, "Who are you to defeat me? What are your qualifications for you to yell at me? If you really dispute that outcome, why don't you watch the video of the event?" This time even Leo got annoyed with Howard, because he kept giving Lu Man opportunities to bring up the shameful defeat which cannot be denied. "Howard!" someone interrupted. It was Owen (Oren?) Heather, and Han Leilei whispered to Lu Man that he's the ace of the first team and a popular actor of an ongoing drama that was already in its third season. He had been in several box office movies and was in a hot movie that summer. Howard resentfully obeyed, but still accused Lu Man of being pretentious. Owen glared at him before apologizing to Lu Man and the other Chinese students. "It's nothing, already used to it," she said. Though Owen was polite, she felt it was a facade hiding his arrogance. Owen smiled, "It seems Howard's rudeness had happened too many times. A simple apology wouldn't seem sincere." Since he was being polite, Lu Man stood up. 2255 - Owen introduced himself and Lu Man reciprocated. Owen said he had watched her videos before and had looked forward to meeting her. Lu Man explained that she was delayed due to personal matters. Howard made a snide comment, saying she was so late that it was already nearing the actual competition, she was surely looking down on them. Owen gave him another look. Lu Man did not back down, saying Howard must have been truly affected and lost his confidence to accuse her of that. Owen stopped Howard from being baited and told Leo to take him away to prepare for class. Owen wrote down his number and gave it to Lu Man, saying she could call him for any questions. He actually wanted to sit with her but the surrounding seats were occupied and he left to sit with his friends. The other Chinese students commented that Owen seemed very polite and different from Howard. Really, a princely figure with substance. Guo Hai though thought he was putting on a show. Lu Man asked if Owen had been to the school before this.
2256-2260 2256 - Han Leilei: "Yes..." and then she understood what Lu Man was hinting at. Owen had been in school but never stood up for the Chinese students when they were bullied. The other students realized that he only showed up when Lu Man had arrived, and so he had a hidden agenda. They had to be cautious around him. Sun Mengying thought privately: Was he interested in Lu Man? But she's married to Han Zhuoli, so there's no chance for Owen at all. At the American side, Owen was sitting with his friend Albert (Albertine?) and Helena. Helena had dated other people but still had openly pursued the uninterested Owen. They were even open-minded enough to be sexfriends, but Owen always thought Helena would one day cross the line emotionally. 2257 - He had made it very clear to Helena that they were only bed partners for 3 times and no more. For Owen, there were plenty of other women. Besides, it was Helena who approached him first and he had no qualms in accepting. Though Helena liked Owen, it was an open relationship where she could get with other men. In a way, it wasn't love between them, perhaps more towards obsession. The harder it was to get, the more one would want it. As a result, Owen sought out Lu Man. Why else would a young and wildly successful man like him ever approach the weaklings? Helena had seen it and asked what he was planning. Owen said it was just free polite words, they would not actually seek his help. Helena sneered, why would he give such words freely only when Lu Man had arrived? She jealously accused him of being infatuated with the young Chinese woman. 2258 - Owen was a little taken aback. He admitted he had a little, frivolous interest in her body, that was all. He had not tasted such a little woman before. He actually turned to glance at her, to which Helena reminded him that Lu Man was married to a substantial man. But Owen was dismissive. This was America and Han Corp were foreigners here. There was nothing to be afraid of. Owen was relishing the thought of stealing Lu Man, saying that there was nothing Zhuoli could do to retaliate against him. Anyways, he wanted to taste her a few times, not just because of her body but because of her pride. In the end, he will make her surrender her body and pin her beneath him. He will make her cry out for help. His friends Albert grinned in familiar understanding, while Helena sneered, not really believing someone who had Han Zhuoli would fall for Owen. 2259 - Owen might be the fantasy of many women, but even Helena knew he was not comparable to Han Zhuoli. She can't see Lu Man ever falling for the ploy. Albert snickered to Owen, saying if he can't have a share, at least let him in on the juicy details later. Lu Man felt an uncomfortable stare and glanced back to see it was Owen looking at her. She felt it was a predatory look and fortunately Professor Howell came in to conduct the class. Han Leilei had said he was one who would took care to recognize the students and teach those who are willing to learn. He immediately recognized Lu Man. Unlike some teachers who felt she had disrespected the school with her win, the professor recognized those who had merit and had looked forward to teach her. But unexpectedly, she did not come. 2260 - She only arrived one week before the actual competition. Professor Howell thought it mean she wasn't interested in learning and was too arrogant to focus on the event. His impression of her changed drastically. He acknowledged Lu Man when she introduced herself, and immediately went into teaching. The students would draw lots to pick their roles, he did not ask them whether they had memorized the script. Of course, he called out Lu Man first, much to the horror of Han Leilei and the rest. Han Leilei mustered her courage to speak up for her only to be shot down by the professor who stuck to his guns. "If you can't perform, please leave," he said. Lu Man said she can do it. She got a side character's role, which is actually more difficult even though it had more lines, because she had to remember the lines of the main characters in order to know her timing.
Thanks!! Oh please. Zhuoli will castrate (it may or may not be literally) this loser, and destroy any career he may have had, if he so much as touches Lu Man. This Helena chick really needs to grow up and get better taste in men. It would be great if she tells on him.
2261-2265 2261 - Howard picked out a major role. But really, even a supporting role in Howell's class can be more difficult due to the nuances. Shana whispered to Lu Man that she could still back out, because if she stumbled or made a mistake, she would be left out of the classes in the future. She added that that the professor valued merit and hard work above all and explained how he had looked forward to teach Lu Man, that was why his attitude now was cold and unfriendly. Not expecting this kind reminder, Lu Man smiled and thanked her. Shana thought maybe Lu Man had reason to be confident, unlike the Asian stereotype of being humble and low-key. 2262 - Shana found herself liking Lu Man, much to her own surprise. Howard sneered, asking when did they got so friendly. He disliked seeing the two women being so amicable. He scoffed at the idea of Lu Man going on stage at such short notice but she shot back: "You better mind your own business. Hope you can still be so arrogant after this. Don't let it be like the last time, where you talked so much and it ended up..." Howard sputtered but Lu Man was relentless: "I'm also curious about your performance. Don't lose face again. If I were you, I would be too embarrassed to show up again. How thick is the face to fail again and again after starting the provocations. I have to say, your mental fortitude is quite good. You have obviously lost, but still dared to laugh at others. I wonder if you can teach us that?" The nearby Chinese students enjoyed this immensely and Han Leilei chimed in as well. 2263 - Han Leilei sarcastically praised Howard, but luckily Owen again intervened before he blew up. Owen reminded him to calm down and not to be mentally affected again. Howard took a deep breath and suggested not waiting until the event to compete. "Stop, don't talk as if you are part of that," Lu Man said and once more Howard lost control. Somehow it ended up as a bet with Howard promising to be polite to the Chinese team if he lost, but if he won, he would have Lu Man kneel and slap herself. Lu Man sneered at this unbalanced bet and said Howard had to do the same if he lost. The Chinese students were aghast at the idea of Lu Man actually accepting the bet, but they can't stop her now. 2264 - Even the other Americans thought Howard was being too excessive, but Howard said he did not force her to accept. Shana said he was being ungentlemanly, Howard said Lu Man did not deserve his kindness. Lu Man was equally impatient, especially since he kept harping how one needs to be able to back one one's words. Why did he keep saying Lu Man was arrogant, when he's the one who kept finding trouble after he had lost? She repeated the terms of the bet and Howard immediately accepted. At this point, Prof. Howell came over. 2265 - Shana asked if the prof was going to intervene, but he said he wouldn't come between students unless it was too unreasonable. He knew it was Howard who started it, and he even offered to suggest an unbiased panel to judge. Lu Man said she trusted him to do it himself. Howard's impression of her got better, he liked how she was unafraid to keep going forward and brave in standing up for herself. Howell appreciated her trust and accepted before proceeding with the lecture and critique of past performances of the class.
2266-2270 2266 - Prof. Howell praised Shana with an A and criticized her partner Lucas (Luca?) for being unable to cooperate with her. And so on it went, even encouraging the exchange students to work harder. The lowest score they gotten was a B. A few questioned the As given to Han Leilei and Zhang Xiaoying, but the professor said progress and effort were also weighted. He had criticized them in the past and they had rectified their flaws accordingly. There is still a gap with Shana, but one day they will be able to catch up to her. Han Leilei and the others were motivated and glad. 2267 - Finally it was time for Howard and Lu Man. The moment Prof. Howell gave the edge to Lu Man, Howard protested. Howard's performance was too exaggerated and did not fit the scene. He tried to stand out too much and he even affected the main lead, stealing his thunder and disrupting the flow. Lu Man was the opposite, she worked with the rest of the cast. One of them, Scarlett; agreed and said it was enjoyable to work with Lu Man. They had never rehearsed and it was the first time they had talked, and yet there was tacit understanding and cooperation between them on stage. Scarlett even thanked Lu Man directly, at least in terms of team-play, Lu Man was better than she was. Lu Man returned the praise. Howard's partner Fred got a B+, while Howard himself got a failing grade. 2268 - Howard flushed with shame. He finally had an opportunity to face Lu Man and he blew it. The professor continued with his critique and gave Scarlett an A, saying there was room for improvement. Scarlett was pleased, grateful to have such a great partner in Lu Man that helped her get her personal best score. As for Lu Man, she had zero mistakes and had cooperated well with others. There were something lacking in her interpretation of Shakespeare but this could be remedied with effort and experience. Prof. Howell gave her an unheard-of A+ and looked forward to see her growth. The other students were stunned. An A+, when you said she still could improve? "Did you think A+ is a perfect score?" the professor returned. 2269 - "My full score is S," the professor informed them. An A merely meant there are still areas to improve on. The professor then assigned the content for the next lecture and left the class. The students stayed on, waiting to see the show between Howard and Lu Man. Howard tried to slink away but Lu Man gave him no chance. Five Chinese male students blocked him off, and since he had clearly lost, not even his friend Leo could help him. Losing once could be chalked up to luck, but not twice. Not only had he lost, he was now trying to worm his way out of the bet. Now everyone could see that Lu Man had not been arrogant, that she could back her words with actual strength. Besides, it was Howard who sought death first. Howard gritted his teeth and said he would do it at another time, but Lu Man said there was no need. Was she trying to show him mercy? Well, Howard certainly did not appreciate it. 2270 - Some of the Chinese students knew better than Howard. After all, Lu Man had never shied away from taking revenge. As expected, Lu Man said: "Don't need another time, do it now." A few of the Chinese students who had never encountered her before were taken aback. Wu Zilin wanted to ask her to spare Howard for the sake of peaceful reconciliation but Guo Hai and Tan Mingxiao signaled for them to show solidarity with Lu Man. The New York students had provoked them over and over before in the past, why should the winner be the one sacrificing for the sake of peace and harmony? She was the one who won and she was the one who had risked herself, it was her decision.
Thank you so much for all the summations! This is my first time posting in the forum. I just want to thank you for all your hard work. @rdawv
2271-2275 2271 - The Chinese students needed to make a statement that they were not to be bullied so easily. Wu Zilin was a little annoyed being argued down by the rest who disagreed with him. Lu Man saw the chattering but did not hear what it was about. She turned her attention towards Howard, and told him to keep to his word in front of the public. She bluntly stated she had gotten an A+ while he had failed and it was obvious to everyone who had lost the bet. Howard saw no help from his friends and kept quiet, but Lu Man did not relent: "I did not provoke you, you suggested this yourself. If I had lost, would you have let me go and tell me to forget it? You were quite blunt in bullying a woman. Now you have lost. Kneel." Oppressed by the silent indifference of the other students and facing the uncompromising Lu Man, the red-eyed Howard had no choice but grit his teeth and knelt on the ground. Everyone knew it was inevitable, but it was still shocking for them to see the proud and arrogant Howard brought down. Lu Man reminded him that the bet also entailed the loser not to show any more attitude towards the winner in the future. 2272 - "I'm the one who lost! I made a bet and I lost. I promise, I will never mock you or your classmates again!" Howard said unwillingly. "What else?" Lu Man asked, "Have you forgotten it so soon? You said besides kneeling, you also wanted the loser to slap himself. You pointed at me to do it, and then yourself that you would do it too." Her words left no room for other people to speak up for Howard. It was payback for his own arrogance. Guo Hai noticed that Wu Zilin was about to say something and he pulled him out of the class. Guo Hai felt it was strange, why was Wu so reactionary? Wu shrugged him off, "What are you doing?" "What am I doing? Are you asking me that?" Guo smiled angrily. "Lu Man is just too overbearing," Wu said. Guo Hai asked him if he really thought Howard would spare her if he had won. "Howard not letting go, that's his business. He is being too petty, that is who he is. But we are not," Wu Zilin said righteously. 2273 - He said they were representing their schools, and shouldn't let their personal anger affect the relationship between the Chinese and New York schools. Guo Hai was furious, saying you are representing yourself, you are not qualified to represent the school. There are four Chinese schools here, even if you can speak for Dongxi, it doesn't mean you can speak for the other three schools. When we were bullied, did their school think of us? If they really cared about friendship, we wouldn't be in this situation in the first place. We wouldn't have been embarrassed and counted on Lu Man to come and help us out. If we had begged off, we would be despised even more. We all know what they did. What's the use of pretending to be a good person? Wu Zilin, you're not about peace and harmony. You just want to cover your cowardice beautifully." Wu Zilin was ashen when his innermost thoughts were revealed. "If you're unhappy, we can talk about it later. Now we're all on the same side. We're not going to speak, so don't open your mouth," Guo warned. "What's the point of talking later!" Wu Zilin insisted. Guo Hai did not expect Wu Zilin to be so persistent. "I don't want to waste time with you now, I'm going back to see Howard slap himself," Guo said, "Even if you disagree, I won't let you speak. Just let Howard finish the bet smoothly." Fortunately for Guo, he returned in time just to see Howard slap himself. Without further prompting, he did it again. Once he was done, he shot to his feet and fled. There was nothing else in his mind but to escape. Lu Man did not stop him, he had done as he had promised. 2274 - Wu Zilin returned just as Howard was leaving. "Sorry, Lu Man is too much," he said softly. But Howard was not mollified, he glared at Wu with hatred. He retorted "(something along the lines of salt on top of wounds)" and ran off. From a distance, it looked like Wu Zilin had said something ugly to Howard. Someone said accusingly, "He had already lost, why did you still taunt him? Howard was wrong, he was too arrogant and gave you all a hard time. He lost and tried to wriggle out of it, and so we didn't help him. But he has already fulfilled the bet, and you still had the bad manners to mock him." Wu Zilin was stunned and tried to deny it. Guo Hai apologized for his teammate's inconsiderateness and gave Lu Man a look. She had seen how he had pulled Wu Zilin aside earlier and knew Wu was being a problem. "Sorry, this is not what we intended. I apologize for him," Lu Man said. Everyone could see that only Wu Zilin had come in contact with Howard at the end. Combined with the fact that Lu Man had actual strength and was able to work professionally with Scarlett earlier, the hostility from the New Yorkers calmed down. "Let's go," Lu Man said, before Wu Zilin caused more trouble. Tan Mingxiao agreed, and was on the alert with Guo Hai towards Wu Zilin in case he did something ridiculous. 2275 - As expected, the moment they were with Wu Zilin, he was going to defend himself. "I didn't say such things at all, why did you wrong me!" But the two men pulled him out to the corridor as he complained about being slandered. He railed against Guo, didn't you say I was too cowardly? And now you're stopping me from explaining myself? It was fast becoming ugly. Even his schoolmate Zhou Li was keeping quiet, but that did not mean Wu would let her off. "Zhou Li, are you really keeping quiet, letting these National Opera people bully me?" Zhou Li frowned and said if there really was a problem, they should discuss it slowly and not make trouble now. Those were very fair words but Wu could not help but feel that he was being targeted by everyone else. He could only resentfully follow them back to the dorms. "What the hell is going on?" Lu Man asked. Guo Hai snorted and Wu Zilin accused them of scapegoating him when he really did not taunt Howard earlier. He was especially aggrieved at Guo Hai. You called me a coward? Who's the coward now for hiding his own overbearingness? "So if that's not the case, what did you say to Howard?" Lu Man asked. Wu Zilin was very confident, saying though Howard had lost the bet, for Lu Man to insist on the penalty was a little excessive. "Yes, I know you are angry, we all are. But I still think it's too much. You could have shown mercy and spared him. But you wanted it do be done and now the school's relationship is in danger. So I thought you should have let bygones be bygones, shook his hand and made peace."
2276-2280 2276 - "But Guo Hai stopped me, otherwise I would have said something. There was a chance for everyone to reconcile, but he kept getting in my way and Howard was forced to slap himself," he said. Lu Man had a mocking smile, "So, you're going to apologize to Howard?" Wu Zilin was a little hesitant but said he would do it on her behalf. "Who do you think you are that you are qualified to apologize for me?" Lu Man chuckled. Wu: "There must be some people who can see reason in their hearts even if they don't dare to say it. We are here to learn, not to cause more trouble between the schools!" Tan Mingxiao raised his hand: "Nope, I agree with Lu Man. I don't disagree with her and there's nothing I don't dare to say." So did Sun Hezhou. And another said that even if Howard was spared, he was not one to appreciate it. Even mercy had to be something appreciated by the recipient. He would think it was because we dared not to do anything to him." Zhou Li added: "Howard is that sort of person. Even if Lu Man let him off, he would think it was an insult and provocation." Sun Mengying said: "We were all treated as a joke. Did you feel you were being generous? No, you just wanted to feel good. But the more you do it, the more the other would despise you." Wu Zilin was red and blue and unable to say anything. "Besides you, we all agree with Lu Man's approach, there is nothing for us to hide," Zhang Xiaoying said. "So now I'm the bad guy," Wu Zilin smiled cynically. Han Leilei took a deep breath, "Wu Zilin, before Lu Man came, how were we treated? Did you forget? All of us, including you, could not get them to shut up. You said we should consider the school friendship. Did you really think the New York school were ignorant of how the students treated us before Lu Man came? They didn't care, even if they could see we are representing our schools. It is because we lack the strength that we did not get respect. Lu Man only arrived today. One class and with her strength she was able gain respect and recognition from them and the professor. Other than Howard, everyone else was polite to Lu Man. No one thought she did a bad thing for letting Howard eat his words." 2277 - "Even Professor Howell didn't intervene, why should you?" Han Leilei asked, thinking that Wu Zilin was simply making something out of nothing. "You apologized to Howard just now, obviously he didn't appreciate it," Lu Man reminded him. "Isn't it because of you who offended him too much!" Lu Man: "I offended him, what has that got to do with you? Is there anything it it for you? You just don't want him to be embarrassed? I know, you said for the sake of the friendship between the schools. You heard it all, even if I showed him kindness, he won't appreciate it. The school doesn't care. Such an action would be meaningless and ridiculous. His classmates didn't plead for him, so why did you care? Why didn't you think about that? Did they think Howard had shamed the school? No, because in their opinion it's a personal matter between me and Howard. As long as it is a personal matter, there is nothing for you to worry about. The moment someone talks about it, the shame will spread. That is why Guo Hai stopped you. It seems you don't understand even though Guo Hai and everyone else has told you. Perhaps, you are not willing to understand. Ultimately, you are being laughed at by us, is this what you want? First, you are not qualified to do anything for my behalf. I beat Howard by myself, it is my right to do what I wished. It is not you who won, it is not your place to speak. Don't pretend to be a great person, do it once you can back it up. Second, if you want to pave your way to rise, let me tell you that Howard is not a good launchpad. Even if he doesn't look down on you, he himself is scrambling around for career opportunities and has no time to help you. If you want everyone else in the school to look at you well, you need to do it yourself and not by the hindlegs of others." Wu Zilin said though Lu Man had been exposed to such things, not everyone is like this. But Lu Man ignored him and said only through unity would there be a chance of victory over the superior New York team. Any hint of dissatisfaction and uncooperative mind would jeopardize it all. 2278 - So if you can give up your ideas and focus on the team, we can cooperate until the event is over, let this matter rest and we'll be done with it. If you think we're all against you, that we're all wrong and you're right, then you don't understand enough to be part of the team. If you can't be with us, we can only change another person. Wu Zilin exploded, did you think this is your home, say change and it will be changed? Those familiar with Lu Man knew about her tough attitude, those who only known her in passing were indeed shocked. This was not being domineering, this was about being decisive. It had only been a few minutes but Lu Man had already decided on such a course. Even Guo Hai and the rest privately thought it would be enough to exclude Wu Zilin, but who was to replace him at such short notice? Yet, they believe in her as she was someone who can back up her words. Still, as shocked as they were, they did not say anything. In the past, the event had little conflicts against New York, but that was because the Chinese sides were lacking. This year, it was more heated because Lu Man's Guodian had defeated them in China. 2279 - Besides, unity in the Chinese sides were poor. But due to Howard and the rest, the Chinese team this year were all in it together. Wu Zilin laugh sarcastically, he was from Dongxi, not Guodian and it was no to her to interfere in Dongxi's matters. It was a subtle jab accusing Lu Man having Guodian's principal under her thumb, and this made Han Leilei and Zhang Xiaoying angry. It was Zhang who spoke first, "I have a past with Lu Man, have you heard?" Han Leilei was worried, thinking she was up to no good. But Zhang said, "So you know my relationship with Lu Man was very bad, and I was very hostile to her. We too had a bet, nothing major as this. I have gone head-to-head with Lu Man directly. I did not know about her being with CEO Han, but the school knew. They didn't intervene back then, they didn't stand on her side. Like Lu Man said, no matter what was between her and Howard, between us and the New York students, or between me and Lu Man; these are all personal matters not realted to the school. They have never intefered. And Lu Man never went to the school to complain about our disagreements. It ended after the bet, and that was the end of it. She had not caused me any problems or sabotaged me. Otherwise, I won't be here talking to you, because if she really had, I won't have the opportunity. 2280 - Seeing Wu Zilin was unconvinced, she continued, "Did you think I am trying to curry favor with her? Just ask Guodian people, how open her relationship with CEO Han was, and how my relationship with her back then. If I wanted to curry favor, would I have waited until now?" Han Leilei could not help but laugh, since it was true that the CEO would be quick to take action. Zhang said Wu Zilin was nowhere to be seen when the team was being despised. Now that Lu Man had shut their mouths and demonstrated her strength, Zhang was willing to admit her own inferiority. Zhang was looking down on Wu Zilin because he was noisy despite being an empty can. Lu Man interjected: "Before I came, the four principals agreed to let me be the leader. I have every right to make decisions on my own. At first I didn't agree, because I thought the team was cobbled together out of elites out of every school and each would be unconvinced by the other. And I have always been quite popular." "Well, you're not ordinary, but is that bad? Being outstanding is good too," Zhang said dryly. Lu Man laughed, and said it was due to their experiences here that each of them were able to see things clearly. Otherwise, Zhang would have caused trouble for her. Zhang agreed with a sneer, "You know it well. You are always quite hated." The others were a little confused by this love-hate relationship. Not Wu Zilin though, he still thought Zhang was only pretending. Lu Man said she didn't really think she could weld the team together and had declined the leadership, she would just do her part and get out. Sun Hezhou laughed and admitted that having heard of Lu Man before, she really would have not listened to her if the situation was different. But now, she accepted Lu Man as the captain. So did Guo Hai and Xu Chuansheng said they had all waited for Lu Man to come and avenge them. She really did it, so who else could be the captain?
2281-2285 2281 - They certainly would not accept another person to be captain. When even his schoolmate Zhou Li showed support, Wu Zilin became angry and flustered. He said it would be not just about the Chinese side, but the New York school too would be affected by any sudden changes in students. But Lu Man said it was no trouble at all, since the New Yorkers wouldn't care. Lu Man said that his school surely would have told him about the importance of winning this year, especially after Howard's provocations in China. They were not told to die for victory, but Lu Man especially did not want to lose. Even if they lost, it must be done with grace and after making it difficult for the opposing team. This was for the development of the domestic industry, and it was impossible to suffer dissent. Wu Zilin denied that he was dissenting, claiming Lu Man was targeting him because he had different ideas than her. Lu Man gave him an ultimatum to be cooperative, and to put aside his complaints later and talk it all out with the principles when they return. If he doesn't agree, she can tell the principals in China now. 2282 - Wu Zilin felt drained, how did wanting to show goodwill to the New Yorkers end up like this? He still did not feel he had done anything wrong, and Lu Man was simply too arrogant. She had relied on Han Zhuoli all this time, and it was also because of him that the principals gave her any politeness. Unwillingly, he apologized in order to keep his place. Of course, Lu Man knew this, but she would waste no more time on this and suggested a rehearsal for the next day, as today's mood was disturbed. She was right and everyone knew it was because of Wei Zilin. 2283 - There was another problem of finding teachers to supervise them. Someone who could navigate through the cultural and teaching differences between the US and China. This year's situation was especially bad because of the lack of an amicable figure to do so. Few would be willing to help the Chinese, and those with ability would be busy with their schedules. The students began emailing potential candidates and soon got their replies. 2284 - Seeing their faces, Lu Man knew they had all been rejected. Wu Zilin 's face was a parody of gloating and frustration, and Lu Man really wanted to laugh. He complained that it was collateral damage from her feud with Howard. Han Leilei leapt to her defense: he depended on Lu Man when he was bullied, and now placed the blame squarely on her. Others were more direct: You just promised to be united with the team and you changed your tone in just half an hour? Why don't you come up with a solution instead of pointing fingers at Lu Man? Wu Zilin really could not understand why they were all still helping her. "If there is no Lu Man, based on what we achieved before, which teacher would be willing to guide us?" Zhang Xiaoying asked, and he was struck dumb. The other students were more blunt: maybe they should really replace him. There are plenty of Dongxi students who are as capable as him. 2285 - Xu Chuanseng directly said that Wu Zilin had an edge when he was chosen: his family was a major sponsor of his school. So why pretend? We never talked about it because we are not qualified to jeer at you. But here you are, making wind and rain to stir up trouble. Seeing the looks on their faces, Wu Zilin backtracked and said he only made a mistake. "You have made many mistakes," Guo Hai said sarcastically. Wu Zilin said they wanted unity, well, don't forget we all suffered together before Lu Man came; indirectly implying that the current situation came about because of her. The other students were rapidly running out of patience with him: because of him, Lu Man had to delay the rehearsal. And by the looks of things, he would cause more trouble when it does happen. They looked to Lu Man, but she changed the topic by asking Zhang Xiaoying who was supposed to inquire after Professor Howell. This shift in gears helped everyone to move on from Wei Zilin to the more pressing problem.
2286-2290 2286 - Unfortunately, the professor really was too busy with Broadway. Zhang Xiaoying smiled as she recalled: the professor was afraid of being understood and had actually shown his schedule to prove it, quite cute. The previous teachers who had helped out in the past too had their hands full. "Now what? We can't just blindly do it ourselves," Wu Zilin opened his mouth, causing everyone to roll their eyes. Han Leilei suggested for Lu Man to do it, after all, they had suggested it themselves previously. Much to their surprise, Wu Zilin agreed. "Don't look at me like this, I also want our rehearsals to go well and for us to achieve a good result," he said, "Did you really think I was deliberate earlier? I am just like you in wanting the team to do well. You wanted team unity, so why don't you believe me?" Though the others did not understand it, Lu Man knew he was trying to put her on the spot, so that they all would eat their words once they fail because they had followed her. Lu Man was not afraid of shouldering this responsibility. She had never shied away from such doubts. 2287 - In this case, it was not because she dared not to, but she wanted more. She said she will step up if needed, until then, she will find a way. When she picked up the phone, everyone assumed she was going to call Han Zhuoli for help. But she had called up Principal Liu, the headmaster of Guodian. Wu Zilin was a little relieved, thinking she had called up his principal to request a replacement for him. Could it be she wanted to ask for a Chinese teacher to be sent over? Lu Man switched over to speaker and greeted the principal, and explained the situation. The principal was furious and said he would talk over with the rest, and would do a video-conferencing with all the students in a while to discuss. 2288 - Zhang Xiaoying went to fetch a tripod to fix onto Lu Man's phone so that they all could join in. Once the four principals were online, Lu Man asked Han Leilei to detail what had happened. All four of them were furious, and Principal Zhang asked if Lu Man had given the Americans a lesson yet. The other three principals gave him a look, since he was thick-skinned to depend on her now after their past. They were satisfied when told about Howard's smackdown. Wu Zilin was astounded when the four principals actually applauded her, are they all crazy? The four principals heaped praises on Lu Man for standing up for the Chinese students. "Even if you are foreigners, you cannot let yourselves be bullied. You can excuse the talk but not be debased. It's shameful to deliberately flatter them," Principal Min of Dongdian said. Certainly, all four of them wouldn't have know about Wu Zilin before this and there was no time for Lu Man to have complained to them, she had been with all the students the entire time. Yet every word they spoke seemed to be targeting him, did Lu Man really tell them about him? Lu Man thanked the principals for their encouragement: "I can rest assured, I was afraid I had done something radical and undermined the friendship between the two sides." 2289 - Principal Liu brushed it aside, they would not be like this if the other party had been tactful. To gain their respect, they had to stand for themselves and she did the right thing. "I'm relieved. So now I have to talk about Wu Zilin's thing," Lu Man said with a smile. Principal Lu of his school knew it was trouble when she said Wu Zilin had publicly apologized to Howard after Lu Man had defeated him, and Howard had reacted badly about it. Wu Zilin started to panic but Lu Man continued, saying Wu was still blaming Lu Man for the situation and had accused the other students of being too afraid to speak up against her. Principal Liu was surprised when even Zhang Xiaoying spoke up for her, and it was obvious everyone was on Lu Man's side. Guo Hai said they had already told Wu Zilin was not entirely wrong but his actions had made it impossible for Lu Man to salvage. Tan Mingxiao added that even if he wanted to apologize, Wu Zilin should have done it privately. By doing it in public, he had disgraced everyone involved. He had acted just to try to paint himself in a different light. 2290 - Han Leilei said Lu Man won it all by herself. She came that day and immediately performed a scene from Shakespeare. Howard had aimed for this moment and still lost. So they can't understand why Wu Zilin had suddenly interjected himself into the matter. Wu Zilin said they had all ganged up on him just because of a little misunderstanding, when they were still depending on his school. His principal became annoyed with Wu Zilin, how dare he still be so provocative and ruinous when all the principals were watching? No wonder nobody wanted to cover for him. They had to compete well before talking about the school rivalries. Wu Zilin was aghast when even his principal was not going to defend him. "I just don't think the same as them, doesn't mean I'm wrong. When they brought it up, I stopped sticking to it and refocused on the team," he quickly said.
2291-2295 2291 - Han Leilei did not let Wu Zilin off: "He also blamed Lu Man when we couldn't find a teacher to guide us, saying that it was because she had won against Howard and made him fulfill the bet. In his view, Lu Man shouldn't have won, we should have been kept low. Lu Man had actually told him that we needed to be united and not act out arbitrarily. He promised to do so. That was two hours ago. But only half an hour after not finding a teacher, he was trying to pin it on Lu Man again. We are anxiously looking for a solution but he was more concerned with making Lu Man take responsibility, that he was right was more important than the team." Lu Man squeezed her shoulder to stop her to say it herself: "We hope to replace Wu Zilin. The time is a little tight, but it is better than to waste time splitting hairs with him." The others immediately chimed in their agreement, including Zhou Li. Principal Lu nodded and agreed to pick someone with a visa. Wu Zilin started to protest. 2292 - He said he really did want the team to win. Besides, he had been here for sometime, surely he had an edge over any newcomer. But the students looked at him cynically, he was nowhere as outstanding as he made himself out to be, and his stubbornness was a huge drawback. Principal Lu said the matter was settled and told him to return home. Wu Zilin threatened to complain to his father. The principal was indifferent: "The school is very grateful to your father for his sponsorship and support for the future of China's performing arts. But that doesn't mean it was in exchange for your opportunities. If he no longer supports the school because of this, then that would be regrettable. I thank him for his past contributions and hope there will be future co-opoeration." Wu Zilin did not expect the principal to be so blunt, and finally realized just how important this competition was to the various schools. They truly depended on Lu Man to gain a victory, and they were willing to sacrifice him to get it. 2293 - If Principal Lu had sided with Wu Zilin, he would have offended the three other schools as well as Han Zhuoli. If they had won with him, Wu Zilin would be just a minor irritation. But if they had lost, Wu Zilin would be blamed. So it was logical for him to go. The principal brushed aside his last objections, and immediately went to look for a replacement. The other principals were most satisfied with his decisiveness and gave parting words of encouragement to the other students. Wu Zilin slammed the door on his way out, no longer wishing to stay there. The principals told the students to ignore him and returned back to the subject of finding a teacher. Lu Man said she would look for one before asking them to send a teacher over, and so they trusted her with the matter. Meanwhile, Wu Zilin was calling his father to complain. Unexpectedly, his father told him to come back and not make any more trouble. "But we spent so much money on the school," Wu Zilin whined. 2294 - "The principal was right. He had indeed paid us back each time I had invested in the school. Every year, the school would have a place for you for its programs," the father said, "This year, I invested so that you get to go overseas. I invested so much for you, and you just wasted it." He proceeded to scold his son, saying he had indulged in him all this while. He warned that the family resources were not limitless. It was fine to splurge on him, but he failed and even managed to provoke Lu Man. Just come back and not to offend anyone else, otherwise don't even think about getting a single penny! Meanwhile, the other students were relieved now that Wu Zilin's situation was dealt with. Soon Principal Lu called back with a candidate replacement, Wang Yanglin. A handsome and capable actor who was also quite careful with his endorsements. The other students were surprised by his selection. 2295 - The principal said Wang Yanglin too was busy with his career but like Lu Man, would be able to make it just in time for the event and would be coming over the next day. This was overheard by Wu Zilin, and he knew his hopes had been extinguished. The other students were very heartened by the announcement, and the principal assured them that Wang Yanglin would be very cooperative. Any professional disagreements would be confined to just that. Now there was just the matter about finding the teacher. The students felt much more relaxed now, and Wu Zilin felt pricked seeing them so happy. Tan Mingxiao then asked if they should re-do the role assignments.
2296-2300 2296 - Some might have thought he would feel snubbed, since Wang was too big for Wu Zilin's position and could bump Tan off his role. They were afraid that the atmosphere might turn nasty again. Luckily, Tan brought this up himself. Lu Man said they should re-do it after they find a teacher. Things settled, the groups dispersed to do their individual practice, while Han Leilei walked Lu Man out. Outside, they encountered Owen who was turning on his charm. Unfortunately, Lu Man had been with Han Zhuoli and the people of the 8 big families, and so she was immune. "Are you two going out?" he asked. Lu Man answered him as he was being polite. He suggested going together, and they agreed out of politeness. Along the way, they received a lot of attention from the other students on the campus. Owen apologized for causing Lu Man and Han Leilei discomfort by being so eye-catching. 2297 - Lu Man said it didn't matter. Han Leilei said Lu Man had gone through much more in China anyway. When asked, Lu Man said she was not staying on campus but with her husband and the in-laws at the hotel. Owen did not expect such a roadblock, that the husband was actually nearby. But... sneaking around would make it more exciting... He casually asked about their teacher situation, his friend having overheard a Chinese student talking about it. He volunteered to help, but Lu Man politely declined. Trying to keep the conversation alive, Owen asked if his pronunciation of her name was strange. Lu Man said it was understandable, and said she did not have an English name. “Can I call you Lu or Man?" he asked. This raised her hackles, as not even Zhuoli would call her 'Man'. "Sorry, our culture is different. It is inappropriate for you to call me this way," she said directly, "And I'm not used for others to call me that." 2298 - "Only my husband and family can call me that. It can cause misunderstandings especially with the opposite sex. To avoid it, you should stick to saying my full name. I can understand your pronunciation," she said, not giving him any openings. By now she was clear about Owen's intentions, and thought he was sick when her relationship with Zhuoli was so publicly known. Owen felt upset but kept up the politeness. At the campus entrance was Xiao Guo, Zhuoli's personal driver. The Han family had even brought along their drivers and personal aides for this trip. Now that it was safe, Han Leilei said goodbye. Owen gave Lu Man a glance, waiting for her to offer him a ride, only for her to bid him farewell. He watched as she got into the car and left. Xiao Guo said he was ordered to drive her to the company to meet Zhuoli. Lu Man thought there was still time and asked to be driven to Broadway Avenue to try her luck and call on Robert and Hayer, the two Broadway judges who had presided over the event in China. 2299 - While Xiao Guo looked for parking, Lu Man entered the theatre alone. She noticed the signage for 'Phantom of the Opera' that evening, and it included Robert. Luckily she managed to purchase two box tickets. She knew everyone else would be away: the elders had rented a RV to travel, while Zhuoling and Xiaoya and Juhuai and Qingwei certainly would have their own plans. Lu Man took out Robert's business card and asked if he was present. Lu Man explained that they had met in China during the competition. Seeing that she had his personal card, the staff said Robert was rehearsing and would take her in. He wanted to give Robert a surprise since Lu Man didn't call the private number listed on the card. The staff would not misunderstand her as Robert was gay and was an upright person who would not resort to the casting couch. 2300 - It was almost time for a break and so Lu Man decided to sit down in the theatre seats to wait. Just when the staff was about to leave, Hayer shouted for Lu Man. He immediately came over to greet her with a hug. Lu Man said she was in New York for the university competition, and was delayed due to her marriage. The staff who was still there was stunned because she looked very young despite being 24 years old. Hayer laughed. Lu Man said she was visiting but asked if they had time for her. Once Robert's rehearsal was over, Hayer called for him. He too was very excited and happy to see Lu Man and gave her a big hug. Lu Man said she even bought tickets for his play. Robert laughed loudly, saying now he had cause to be just as nervous as his debut now that she was going to watch him tonight.
2301-2305 2301 - After some pleasantries, Lu Man finally explained about asking them for recommendations for teachers for the Chinese students. Hayer and Robert immediately volunteered themselves. Hayer was already free while tonight would be Robert's last show of the week, and they would rearrange their schedules to do help her. Lu Man was extremely grateful and thanked them. 2302 - Lu Man then went to the US office of Han Corp. Assistant Zheng was already at the door to greet her, having flown over to the US to join Zhuoli. The American staff who did not know about Zhuoli's private life were surprised to see the assistant escorting her personally, and her youthful looks made them wonder about their boss's tastes. Lu Man entered Zhuoli's office just as he was packing up and ready to leave. She explained what had been arranged with Robert and Hayer, but Zhuoli was a little depressed, as yet again she had solved her problem without giving him a chance to do it for her. 2303 - "Nonsense, if it wasn't for you, would I dare to be so provocative and fearless? Without you, I would not dare to be so overbearing," Lu Man smiled and he felt better. She then said she had bought Broadway tickets. While taking them out, there was a piece of paper as well. It had a phone number with Owen's name. Zhuoli did not recognize the name and so Lu Man told him about the 'helpful' student at school. She was not going to throw it out in school, so she had put it in her bag and forgotten about it. Zhuoli was not pleased, realizing that since Owen had given his number directly to Lu Man but not her classmates, he must have ulterior motives. 2304 - If he truly had wanted to help, he wouldn't have waited for Lu Man. Zhuoli cussed out for the first time, shocking Lu Man who then broke into laughter. He seethed even as she caressed his arm. She soothed him, saying she didn't care for Owen at all even if he was interested. Shouldn't you be flattered to have such a charming wife? Lu Man gave him a kiss on the chin, saying she had forgotten how getting a phone number could be misconstrued. She must have gotten duller about such things since getting married. She told Zhuoli her honest thoughts about Owen who had chatted to her even though Han Leilei was also present. Zhuoli crumpled the paper and threw it away. Lu Man apologized, she must have been too complacent/too numbed after being with Zhuoli and didn't realize what others might be thinking about her. This comforted Zhuoli. Why was she so dense, why, of course it was because she had no thoughts about other men except him and him alone. After all, he was also a good husband. 2305 - Mollified, Zhuoli picked her up and spun her around before putting her on his desk. With his arms on her either side, he huskily asked what she wanted to eat. To Lu Man, his expression really was "I want to eat you tonight" but Lu Man suggested hot pot, as she was craving Chinese cuisine. Zhuoli laughed and agreed. Yan Beicheng actually had opened a Chongqing hot pot restaurant chain in China, and had expanded it overseas while keeping to the authentic taste, unlike other restaurants that adapted to the foreign markets. Business was not especially good for him, but Yan Beicheng had arrogantly said he could afford it. Thus Zhuoli and Lu Man went to his branch in New York. The spicy smell of the broth alone was enough to move her. "Shouldn't you thank me for this?" Zhuoli asked. "You are my husband, shouldn't you feed me?" she said and he thought she was right. Happy and contented, they enjoyed the dish.
2306-2310 2306 - Unknown to them, they were being watched from another table by none other than Lin Jinshu and Wang Qianyun. Wang had known about Lu Man's trip to battle the American students, but she had not expected Zhuoli to accompany her. Wang had finally found a job with a film & tv production company. Not as grand as Mex, but still an influential one. Thus it was easy for her to keep tabs on Lu Man. Wang was insanely jealous, having noticed the couple the moment they had stepped in. Yet Zhuoli never even knew Wang was there. Lin asked if she was prepared, and Wang said she was preparing for the day of the event. And you? Lin Jinshu froze, but then swore she would make Xia Qingwei pay even if she could never get Wang Juhuai back. Their plans needed to for them both to succeed, and they quietly slipped out lest they be discovered and ruin everything. 2307 - Wang Qianyun had wanted to linger to look at Zhuoli more, but she was aware how dangerous the combination of Zhuoli and Lu Man was. They were so nervous while paying for the bill that they checked twice to see if they had been discovered. After the meal, Zhuoli and Lu Man drove to Broadway to catch Robert's Phantom of the Opera. Even while wearing a mask, Robert's performance was able to bring out the emotions and expressions. Lu Man understood the huge gap between them and the thunderous applause he garnered was well deserved. 2308 - Zhuoli then led Lu Man backstage where they were joined by Hayer to meet Robert. They followed Robert to a lively restaurant that served beer and fusion food. Robert then asked Lu Man to explain the situation and she briefed them about the lack of teachers and the weakness of the Chinese students. Lu Man did not want their reputations to be tarnished and so laid the facts bare. Robert understood and suggest an aptitude test to gauge the level of the students and then tailor their methods and the script accordingly. But this would be unfair for Lu Man, she was high enough level that a simplified script would not be enough for her. 2309 - Lu Man smiled, saying that this would be a team effort and not about herself. She was realistic enough not to expect victory as the chances were low. Robert and Hayer would be coming the next afternoon, just after Wang Yanglin’s arrival to replace Wu Zilin. This arrangement suited Lu Man just fine, there was no reason for Wu Zilin to benefit a single drop from her efforts. The next morning, Wang Yanglin arrived. Wang was taken aback when the Chinese student group welcomed him at the dorm, and he immediately made a good impression with his humble greeting. The American handling the transfer was again Joseph and he couldn’t resist making a snide remark: what’s the point of this transfer at this late juncture? Wang bluntly replied him and the other Chinese students was glad of his backbone. They could not help but contrast him with the so-called peace-loving Wu Zilin who was also there to handover his credentials and documents. 2310 - Wang Yanglin then said he would be attending a mega charity that night, and promised not to cause delays or be late for rehearsals. Wu Zilin praised Wang for keeping busy, while Lu Man had nothing. Having known about him from the principal, Wang knew just how much of an irritant Wu Zilin was. “She is also going,” Wang said, much to Lu Man’s own surprise. “Didn’t your agent tell you? I had specifically asked who would be going, they said Gao Zishan, Dong Qinrong would be. Maybe because it’s too sudden and you haven’t been told yet,” Wang said. On cue, Lu Man received a call from Hu Zhonghui to confirm it. Wu Zilin was again smacked, but he was still thick-faced enough to stick around for the group meal. Lu Man revealed that she had managed to invite Hayer and Roberts to visit. The students were excited, some of them had even seen their shows here.
2311-2315 2311 - They felt it was an impossible dream for the great actors to be visiting them and started to pinch each other. Guo Hai reminded everyone that it was Lu Man’s credit. Wu Zilin was full of regret, having accepted his withdrawal because he saw the hopelessness of the situation, only for Lu Man to bring out this trump card. Two great figures of the acting world would be teaching 10 Chinese students! Wu Zilin privately decided to remain. 2312 - The students were so excited that they decided to go to the school even though the visit was still some hours away. Seeing that Wu Zilin was lingering with them, Lu Man bluntly said he was no longer allowed at the dorm since he was out of the exchange group. He insisted he was only chatting with his classmates, was it not allowed? “I’ll tell you now that you won’t be allowed in the rehearsal later,” she said to end his dreams. A call from Robert interrupted anything Wu Zilin had wanted to say. Robert and Hayer had actually arrived. “You can stay and chat with your classmates, we’re going to rehearsal,” Lu Man told Wu Zilin. “I’ll go with you,” he blurted, only to be sneered by the rest. Wu Zilin promised that he just wanted to sit in and not actually participate, but Xu Chuansheng was merciless, reminding him about his attitude towards Lu Man all this while, that he was trying to take advantage of her efforts. “Don’t say something so unpleasant,” Wu Zilin groused. 2313 - “You said it was because of Lu Man, so why are you deciding it?” he said, before earnestly pleading to her directly. Surely there was no harm for him just to sit in for the lesson. He truly had not expected her to be so ruthless while everyone else were watching, and so he was stunned when she actually refused him: “No.” She repeated it again, saying there was no reason for letting him benefit from her invitation. Maybe they didn’t come because of you, he insisted. He was met with mockery: why don’t you try to invite them then? Wu Zilin continued to plead, saying that he was not targeting her, just that they had disagreed over some matters. Did she really want things to be this way? “Yes, I am very fond of revenge. I am very calculative and very vengeful, otherwise there would be Zhou Yuxing (the drug-addict idol) and Bai Shuangshuang (actress who slept around) still around.” 2314 - Her bluntness left Wu Zilin tongue-tied. He could only turn to the rest who had zero sympathies for him. He was especially sarcastic towards his schoolmate Zhou Li. “If you say it’s all because of Lu Man, would it be ok for her to exclude any of you? You’d be fine with that?” he said. Guo Hai and Tan Mingxiao reminded him that he was the one who had conflict with her, not them. She invited them on the team’s behalf, of which you are no longer part of. Had any of them be in Lu Man’s shoes, they wouldn’t have allowed him to sit in too. “Let’s go quickly. We have wasted time here, don’t let Robert and Hayer wait for us,” Lu Man said, and the group left Wu Zilin all alone in the dorm, stewing about her parting words. None of them felt anything for him. 2315 - Zhou Li sighed, wondering if he was regretting his actions. The other students did not believe he would. Sun Mengying said he probably thought they were all ganging up on him just to please Lu Man. Robert and Hayer had been low key but by the time they entered the school, news of their arrival had spread among the students. Someone asked them politely if they were conducting a lecture. They were stunned when Robert said he and Hayer were there for the Chinese team. Hearing this news, the American team was in disbelief.
2316-2320 2316 - Owen as well. He would have really helped if Lu Man had asked, of course he would have expected something in return: a kiss, or a date. He would have just given her an ordinary teacher just to fulfil his end of the deal. Still, he had expected her refusal yesterday, this was the woman who had snagged Han Zhuoli after all. Led by Owen, the American students went to the rehearsal room to see if the news was true. They encountered Lu Man and the Chinese students waiting outside of the building. Helena directly asked if the news was true and Lu man confirmed it. Helena was not someone who would begrudge others just because of her feelings for Owen, and her directness was a plus in Lu Man’s books. “Yes, because they had been in China as judges before, during the event which we won against your second tier team,” Lu Man said, “Robert kept me in mind and had made me promise to visit him if I ever was in New York.” Helena was a little taken aback by her frank admission, but Shana grinned and said Lu Man was just teasing her. 2317 - A little annoyed, Helena asked if Lu Man was bluffing. “No, I’m not. We really did beat your second tier team,” Lu Man smiled. Shana laughed, and Helena said she was asking about the rumours of Robert and Hayer coming to coach the Chinese team. “Why would I lie to you, it would be known sooner or later, why would we do such a shameful thing?” Lu Man said, and said they could just wait and see for themselves. Ten minutes later, they were still waiting, and some of the local students were beginning to doubt her. Not Owen though, he still smilingly said he believed in her. Everyone knew he had his motives, and Shana frowned with disgust. Helena on her part glanced at Lu Man to see her reaction. 2318 - Even the Chinese students who did not know about Owen’s advances yesterday were a little wary. Lu Man herself was a little disgusted. Luckily, the matter was pushed aside when a large crowd was seen to be approaching them. Lu Man was stunned to see so many people: Robert and Hayer had a large group of students surrounding them and their movement was slowed to a walking pace because of it. Robert apologized to Lu Man for letting her wait, not expecting to be so quickly recognized. As soon as he had spoke, the New York students knew Lu Man had been telling the truth earlier. The New York team was a little overawed but not convinced that having such great help would be enough to change the odds. 2319 - This news eventually reached the school management. The principal asked why the Chinese had to resort to outside help and had a headache when told that none of the teachers had stepped up to help. It was supposed to be an exchange program, why were the teachers making a mockery of it? Were they really that concerned about winning and losing? The principal was annoyed as the entire affair made them appear to be bad hosts. The gap was wide enough that they could be assured of victory, but such a small thing made them look like petty villains. Does this mean the school teachers would only teach the strong and ignore the weak students? Who would want to come to this school then? And the Chinese students too, why are they so troublesome this year? His secretary said they were actually quite docile… until Lu Man arrived. The Chinese were weak and they knew it and the teachers didn’t really care about the hostilities, only for Lu Man to come along. 2320 - Lu Man had won a bet against Howard, and she was also the one who was behind their defeat in China. The principal was peeved at the school’s pettiness in being unable to take a defeat in grace. The secretary went on to say that Howard had to kneel and slap himself due to the bet, and she was well known in China to have buried those who had crossed her. Even Robert and Hayer had come at her invitation. Really, the Chinese side must be full of grudges to send her over. The secretary asked what they should do about Robert and Hayer.