It was Ouyang Qianxue’s turn next, but a burning pain suddenly flared in her butt.

"Just a fall shouldn’t be serious," she thought, plopping onto the piano bench.

The chili-dusted underwear pressed tight against her skin.

"Eeoww~!" Ouyang Qianxue yelped before she could stop herself.

"What’s wrong?" the Music Club advisor asked.

"Feeling unwell, Ouyang?"

"N-no," she stammered. How could she admit she’d fallen in the showers—carried in that embarrassing pose by Bai Yuxuan?

Gritting her teeth, Ouyang Qianxue began to play.

Her fingers danced across the keys the moment they touched the piano. The teacher’s eyes lit up.

"Liszt’s ‘Feux Follets’!" the teacher exclaimed excitedly.

"‘Feux Follets’?" Ning Caiwei, no piano expert, frowned.

"It’s the fifth of Liszt’s ‘Transcendental Études’," the teacher explained. "Its eerie harmonies and shifting double notes capture will-o’-the-wisps—playful yet rebellious, mocking yet free. Rachmaninoff called it the world’s hardest étude. Only masters dare perform it."

"Can Qianxue handle such a piece?"

"With anyone else, I’d doubt it. But Ouyang Qianxue? She won her first piano competition outright."

"Then I’m relieved," Ning Caiwei said.

Ouyang Qianxue nailed every rhythm and nuance in the first half, showcasing flawless technique.

*(Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!)* the teacher silently cheered.

Bai Yuxuan and Ning Caiwei were stunned. They’d heard of Ouyang’s skill, but seeing it firsthand revealed a terrifying depth.

"If Bai Yuxuan’s level was acing a high school math test," the teacher murmured to Ning Caiwei, "Ouyang Qianxue’s is breezing through a grad-level exam—zero mistakes so far."

"At this rate, Qianxue’s victory is inevitable. She’s amazing," Ning Caiwei grinned.

Then—a wrong note shattered the rhythm.

"What?" the teacher gasped. "Qianxue never makes such errors. Wait—her condition’s off!"

"Ning Caiwei, is Ouyang shaking?"

Ning Caiwei noticed it too: Ouyang’s body twitched, sweat beaded on her brow, and her face twisted in pain.

"Is she on her period?"

"No—her pain looks worse."

"What then? Chili powder in her underwear?" Ning Caiwei froze mid-joke.

*I put chili powder in that underwear... Bai Yuxuan was fine, but Qianxue’s suffering. Oh no—!* Her face paled.

"Bai Yuxuan!" Ning Caiwei snapped. "Does your butt hurt?"

"Are you brain-dead?" Bai Yuxuan shot back, staring like Ning had lost her mind.

"Crap! This is a disaster!" Ning Caiwei groaned.

"Ow!" The pain overwhelmed Ouyang Qianxue. Her playing faltered, rhythms collapsing.

"She can’t keep this up!" Ning Caiwei cried, watching helplessly.

"I declare Bai Yuxuan the winner," the teacher interrupted, ending the match.

"I... lost?" Ouyang Qianxue’s mind went blank—until the searing pain surged again.

"Oww~!"

"Qianxue, are you okay?" Ning Caiwei rushed over.

"Shall we get the nurse?" the teacher urged.

"No! Just... need rest in my dorm," Ouyang Qianxue refused. A clinic visit might expose her secret gender.

"Ning Caiwei, call Qian Wang for me," she pleaded, then bolted for the dorm.

"Qianxue!" Qian Wang burst in minutes later, followed by a doctor.

"He’s my aunt’s private physician. You know him—he treated you as a kid."

"Ouyang! Long time no see," the doctor greeted.

"Doc, Qianxue’s butt’s been agony since noon. Please check!" Qian Wang stepped out.

"Ouyang, what happened to your backside?" The doctor winced at her swollen, chili-powder-speckled skin.

"I... slipped in the showers."

"A slip? This is irritation from something spicy. See the chili residue?"

"What?!"

"Kids these days push limits, but this?" The doctor shook his head. "Your buttocks are swollen like volleyballs."

"No, you misunderstand!" Ouyang Qianxue insisted.

"Just be careful next time. I’ll prescribe ointment—apply daily. You’ll heal in three days." He left.