Chapter 8: Being Deceived

Gu Lanyuan had already begun to doubt Tushan Wenrui’s intelligence.

With Tushan Wenrui’s intelligence, she would be helping someone count the money even after being sold by them.

Tushan Wenrui inquired, “Gu Lanyuan, do you know where Boundless Academy is? All my things were thrown away, and I don’t even have a map, so I have no idea where Boundless Academy is.”

“Boundless Academy is right here in our Great Liang State.”

Tushan Wenrui’s face immediately lit up with joy. “Really? That’s absolutely wonderful, what great luck! Can you tell me about Boundless Academy?”

Gu Lanyuan introduced, “Boundless Academy is a sect that does not belong to the Great Liang State. No matter which country the aspiring students are from, as long as they pass the test, they can all enroll. However, the test is extremely strict; saying only one in a hundred pass is an understatement.

I’ve heard the quality of teaching inside is quite good, but they won’t force you to learn anything. It’s all completely voluntary. If you want to learn, they will teach you. It’s quite free.”

Hearing Gu Lanyuan’s introduction, Tushan Wenrui breathed a sigh of relief.

Tushan Wenrui said softly, “That’s good. Let me tell you a secret: I was originally planning to go to Boundless Academy. If it were very strict, I would have slipped home and told my mother I wasn’t selected. Since it’s very free, then I’ll stay for a while. After all, this is still my first time going out, and I’d still like to have some fun.”

Gu Lanyuan rolled his eyes. This secret was better left unsaid.

Gu Lanyuan continued, “But I heard that Boundless Academy will only recruit students in one month. You can’t get into the academy if you go now.”

Tushan Wenrui froze. “Ah? Then what should I do?”

Gu Lanyuan shrugged. “Who knows? That’s your problem.”

Tushan Wenrui suddenly grabbed Gu Lanyuan’s arm and looked at Gu Lanyuan with a pitiful expression.

Gu Lanyuan’s heart skipped a beat. “Hey, what are you trying to do? I’ve already helped you enough today! I can only give you a six-word piece of advice, which will guarantee that this kind of thing won’t happen to you again.”

“What advice?”

“Disguise yourself well, don’t trust people.”

Tushan Wenrui tightened her grip on Gu Lanyuan’s arm. “But I have nothing left on me, and right now you’re the only person I know, and you’re the only one who’s been good to me. I’ll dance two dances for you, please help me one more time.”

Gu Lanyuan’s face was covered in black lines. “You’re really acting like an old acquaintance at a time like this, aren’t you? How about this, I’ll give you money, how’s that?”

Tushan Wenrui hurriedly said, “I dance super beautifully! My father, my mother, and my sister all said I dance super beautifully, they said I dance the peerless great beauty dance!”

Gu Lanyuan felt like he had provoked a big trouble.

“Then what do you want?”

Tushan Wenrui smiled very flatteringly: “Let me follow you for a while, just until Boundless Academy starts school.”

Gu Lanyuan refused flatly: “That’s not quite right, I’m not used to being followed by someone.”

Just kidding, he was an abstinent type handsome guy! How could he take her in just because Tushan Wenrui was pretty, and it’s not like he hadn’t seen dancing before.

“Please, I can dance for you every day! And I can be your bodyguard, benefactor~ Gu Lanyuan~ Xiao Yuan~ Xiao Yuanyuan~”

Gu Lanyuan shuddered violently, goosebumps breaking out all over his body, as he looked at Tushan Wenrui in disbelief: “Why are you calling me such disgusting names!”

Tushan Wenrui said in confusion, “Is it disgusting? But I feel very happy when my father calls me Little Rui Rui, and even if I’m angry, my mood immediately improves.”

Gu Lanyuan looked at Tushan Wenrui with a conflicted expression.

This Tushan Wenrui shouldn’t be mentally disabled; her family must have just protected her too well.

Gu Lanyuan let out a long sigh and said, “Forget it, you dance first, let me think about it.”

“Alright!”

Tushan Wenrui felt that Gu Lanyuan had already agreed, because when her family said they would think about it, it was equivalent to agreeing.

Gu Lanyuan said to the zither player over there, “Start playing the music.”

The zither player immediately perked up; she had been so bored that she was almost falling asleep.

Because the guests who came to the Moon-Grasping Tower were quite distinguished, they would sometimes discuss sensitive topics when they were in the mood, so they had long since learned the skill of letting one ear go in and the other ear go out.

The zither player asked, “What style of music would the two guests like to hear?”

Gu Lanyuan said to Tushan Wenrui, “You choose yourself.”

Tushan Wenrui immediately said, “Of course it has to be something cheerful!”

“Alright.”

The zither player’s hands stroked the zither strings, and she began to play cheerful music.

Tushan Wenrui stood up and stood in front of Gu Lanyuan, getting into position.

Seeing Tushan Wenrui’s posture, Gu Lanyuan’s eyelid suddenly twitched.

Because Tushan Wenrui stood straight up, her two feet together at attention, her arms perpendicular to the sides of her body, her head held high and chest out, no matter how you looked at it, it was not a posture for dancing.

“Heh!”

Tushan Wenrui suddenly gave a “heh,” which startled Gu Lanyuan and the zither player, causing the zither player to play several notes wrong.

Gu Lanyuan’s eyelid twitched faster, and he had a bad premonition in his heart.

“Ha!”

Tushan Wenrui shouted again, then took a step to the left with her left foot to shoulder-width, raised both arms horizontally to the sides with palms facing down, turned her head 90 degrees to the left, brought her right foot to her left foot and half-squatted, bent both arms in front of her chest with fists facing each other, then extended both arms up and to the sides, held her head high and chest out, looking forward and upward, and finally lowered her arms to return to the attention position.

Tushan Wenrui then repeated this movement several times.

Gu Lanyuan’s eyes widened in shock.

This, this, this… Isn’t this just stretching?!

This is a dance? He had read quite a lot of books, but don’t try to fool him like this!

Could this just be a warm-up exercise?

“Hey!”

Tushan Wenrui’s movements changed.

Tushan Wenrui stepped forward with her left foot into a bow stance, raised her arms in front of her chest, expanded her chest to the sides with clenched fists, turned her body 90° to the right, crossed her arms in front of her body with the left arm on top, bent her arms backward to expand her chest, then turned her body 90° to the left, crossed her arms in front of her body to the sides, raised them horizontally, and expanded her chest backward, finally withdrawing her left foot to a standing posture, raising her arms in front of her with fists facing each other, and returning them to her sides.

Gu Lanyuan was already dumbfounded.

This is fucking chest-expanding exercise!

Gu Lanyuan coughed: “Um, the warm-up exercises can end now, let’s just go straight to the dance.”

Tushan Wenrui replied confidently: “But, this is my dance, and it hasn’t ended yet, so you should just enjoy it properly!”

Tushan Wenrui then did leg-kicking exercises, as well as side-body exercises.

The zither player glanced strangely at Tushan Wenrui and Gu Lanyuan.

She had seen those guests with strange hobbies before, but it was still the first time she had seen someone like this who enjoyed a dance with no beauty at all, which couldn’t even be called a dance, this was clearly just a warm-up exercise!

Even for this warm-up exercise, Gu Lanyuan actually watched so intently, staring without blinking, it was truly a strange hobby.

However, Gu Lanyuan’s face was now ashen, and his eyes gradually lost their luster.

Gu Lanyuan felt like he had been a victim of a scam.

What happened to the promised dance?

Are you trying to fool people with a set of radio gymnastics?!