CHAPTER 570: 222 GENIUS AND MEDIOCRITY_3

"Hah..." Gao Yuyue let out a cold laugh.

"What a joke. An’an afraid of you? A loser who hasn’t even touched a piano competition medal shouldn’t spout nonsense here."

Behind Gao Yuyue, a girl bundled in a long black down coat stepped into the room.

She wore a mask on her face, with the hood of her coat pulled up over her head. At first glance, the only thing that truly caught everyone’s eye were her white Mary Jane shoes. Pearls dangled around her ankle, accentuating the delicate, slender lines of her legs, giving her an ethereal grace.

"Is... is she Shen You’an?"

Since the winter camp, this was the first time everyone had seen Shen You’an.

She seemed to have changed slightly over the past ten days, though no one could pinpoint exactly what had altered.

Ling Yue frowned at Shen You’an. Yet, as the planner and host of the event, she knew what mattered most at the moment.

She instructed an assistant, "Quick, take Shen You’an to prepare."

The next program was Shen You’an’s piano solo.

The assistant snapped to attention and quickly said to Shen You’an, "Come with me."

Without a word, Shen You’an followed the assistant out.

As she passed Ling Yue, Ling Yue called her, casting a sidelong glance at her.

"Shen You’an, it’s not too late to back out now."

The girl didn’t utter a single word and strode away.

Qin Xiangge stared at Shen You’an’s retreating figure, a cold smile curling on her lips.

She really came.

Well, it’s her own humiliation on the line.

Gao Yuyue folded her arms, smiling at Qin Xiangge. "You know why President Lan cut your program, right?"

Qin Xiangge snapped, "Isn’t it all because of Shen You’an?"

"Don’t pin that on An’an. Qin Xiangge, remember the Huazhao Cup piano competition not long ago? Mr. Pearl gave you the lowest score in the entire event. Surely you haven’t forgotten that already?"

Gasps of shock broke out backstage. Aspiring artists couldn’t be strangers to the name Pearl—an unparalleled genius pianist with the status of royalty, an international sensation with countless fans in Hua Country.

Qin Xiangge’s face turned pale. "How do you know?"

Gao Yuyue shrugged. "That wasn’t exactly a secret. I also know Mr. Pearl criticized you mercilessly, called you completely inept."

Humiliated again in public, Qin Xiangge’s face turned ashen.

Gao Yuyue pointed toward the audience. "President Lan went to great lengths to invite Mr. Pearl to tonight’s event. He’s sitting in the audience right now. And you intend to perform piano in front of Mr. Pearl? Isn’t that like slapping him in the face? President Lan pulled strings to bring in this esteemed guest, and you think she’d let you go up there and embarrass yourself? If you’re incompetent, don’t pin the blame on our An’an."

"Mr. Pearl is really here? Am I dreaming?"

"That’s the genius pianist Pearl..."

"Is it the blond handsome guy next to President Lan? Oh my god..."

A chorus of exclamations erupted backstage.

Qin Xiangge’s face went from pale to livid as Gao Yuyue ruthlessly laid bare her most embarrassing failures.

Ling Yue turned to Qin Xiangge in surprise. "Is this true?"

"Senior, don’t listen to her nonsense! If I’m no good, that doesn’t mean Shen You’an would be any better! She’ll just humiliate herself even worse. President Lan will definitely regret her decision tonight."

Gao Yuyue laughed until her stomach hurt. "Qin Xiangge, you really are a master of self-pity. With that pig brain of yours, think for a second—our An’an has an IQ of 180. She’s a bona fide genius. Do you think she’d choose to put herself on a stage for something she couldn’t handle, just to disgrace herself? Oh, right, you’ve never understood Shen You’an at all. That’s why you’ll always end up beneath her. A genius like her, what hope does a mere mediocrity like you have of comparing?"

With that parting comment, Gao Yuyue didn’t bother to look at her again and followed Shen You’an’s trail.

Qin Xiangge stood frozen, confused by Gao Yuyue’s words.

A sudden sense of foreboding took root in her chest.

At that moment, Wang Chiru’s voice came over the stage’s mic as he began his announcement. Rather than mention Shen You’an’s name, he introduced the composer of the musical poem, the renowned composer Ravel, and slowly unfolded the story of the Water Demon.

Ling Yue frowned. This part of the script wasn’t originally there—it must have been Wang Chiru’s improvisation.

No wonder he believed in Shen You’an—he had probably already communicated with her beforehand.

The audience stirred.

"Qin Xiangge’s piano solo is coming up."

Tonight saw students from first year, second, and third year gathered together. Qin Xiangge’s name was legendary at Lanya High School—who didn’t know the famed "piano princess," destined for the International Royal Art Academy?

In the first row of the audience...

Pearl raised an eyebrow. "Ravel’s ’Spectre of the Night’? Interesting."

The difficulty level is far from ordinary.

Lan Man was visibly anxious, her hands tightening slightly. She hoped Shen You’an wouldn’t make any mistakes.

Yu Ruohuan smiled faintly, glancing at Liu Runxi. "You seem nervous."

In response, the boy’s face grew even colder.

Yu Ruohuan’s gaze slid past the boy’s detached features, meeting Helian Yu’s eyes.

Simultaneously, the two exchanged secret smiles before turning back without a word.

Suddenly, the stage lights dimmed.

An ethereal female voice rang out powerfully.

"Listen, listen, it is I, the spirit of the water."

"The droplets I stir."

"Trickle along the window pane lit by faint moonlight."

"Flowing... softly."

The entire hall fell silent. Every person’s arm sprouted goosebumps.

A shiver ran down their spines.