A Twisted Love Affair-Chapter 102: Her heart was occupied by none other than Zhou Luchen_1

Chapter 102: Her heart was occupied by none other than Zhou Luchen_1

These were the rules.

There were many students. Suspending the competition for one person would undoubtedly prove they were very close.

To a greater extent, this was her chance to prove herself. She was quite strong-willed; it was baffling she hadn’t come to him for help.

They had fed mosquitoes together in Tong Village. Wasn’t that considered a bond?

All the pipas prepared for the competition were right-handed.

For a pipa player accustomed to plucking with their right hand and pressing strings with their left to suddenly switch to a left-hand technique was a monumental task, let alone whether Newton’s laws would even permit such a rapid adaptation.

However, the traditional teachings of their ancestors stipulated that a truly skilled pipa player must also be proficient with the left hand.

Zhou Xiangqun did have some interest in watching. If she succeeded, it wouldn’t be in vain that she had dug up two mu of radishes in Tong Village.

If she lost, well, she lost. The shame would be on her teacher’s wife.

He was very fair.

Zhou Xiangqun stepped down from the judge’s panel and took a seat at the very back.

Seeing Zhou Xiangqun retreat to the back row, the person in charge of the organizing committee quickly rose respectfully and asked in a low voice, "Mr. Zhou, will you not be scoring today?"

Zhou Xiangqun, clearly engrossed in leisurely sorting his notes, didn’t spare the organizer a glance. "You all can handle it," he said. "I’ll watch you score. I don’t understand the pipa."

He wouldn’t add to her troubles.

The person in charge of the organizing committee nodded. "Okay."

"I will be observing all of you." Zhou Xiangqun’s posture was like that of a cold, unfeeling King of Hell; no one should even think of pulling any tricks under his watch.

The organizers knew a contestant had been targeted and her hand injured. They had initially thought Zhou Xiangqun would order a halt to the competition, but after a long wait, he still decided to proceed according to the rules.

The contestants went on stage one after another, the judging panel filled with well-known senior artists from the industry.

Their purpose was to promote the culture of traditional Chinese music.

「Behind the red curtain of the dressing room.」

Xing Fei cornered Lu Yi, who had just come off stage.

Lu Yi glanced at the locked door then, facing the camera, removed her false eyelashes. She wasn’t afraid of Xing Fei and remained as composed as ever.

Xing Fei leaned against the door panel, arms crossed. "Your rating is quite high, isn’t it?"

Lu Yi’s lips curled. Yes, compared to the previous contestants, her rating was currently the highest.

It gave her the illusion that victory was already in her grasp.

What right did Shen Jing have to compete with them? They had practiced the pipa since childhood and graduated from the Advanced Music Academy.

At this thought, Lu Yi sneered. "In ancient times, people like you who sang in teahouses were all called courtesans—entertainers selling smiles, hardly respectable."

Lu Yi naturally looked down on Shen Jing, who came from singing in teahouses. Could she even be called a performer with such half-baked skills?

Xing Fei closed in on Lu Yi, bending down slightly to scrutinize her lips. "Why so smug from a little compliment?"

Seeing Lu Yi’s nonchalant attitude, Xing Fei reached out and lightly touched her lips. freēnovelkiss.com

Lu Yi quickly recoiled. "Are you insane?"

Xing Fei tilted her head. "Those look like freshly done pouty lips, don’t they? Quite tender and smooth."

Lu Yi shot Xing Fei a sideways glance. "If you have the money, you can get them done too."

Xing Fei scoffed.

Xing Fei had checked the surveillance room. Other than the staff member managing the instrument room, no one else had been near it. This meant there was no direct evidence implicating Lu Yi.

But Xing Fei was certain it was Lu Yi.

The day before yesterday, when going downstairs, she had seen Lu Yi receiving a delivery. It was Lu Yi who had bought steel strings.

"If it were a severe cut, she would never be able to touch the pipa again in her life." Xing Fei said slowly, "You’re truly vicious."

Lu Yi gathered her hair and took out loose powder to set her makeup. "What are you talking about?"

Xing Fei tapped the dressing table. "Why did you buy steel strings?"

Lu Yi smiled faintly. "To change the strings on my pipa, of course."

Xing Fei tilted her head. "Oh? Were your old ones broken?"

"Obviously." Lu Yi rolled her eyes.

Xing Fei said, "Director Cen inspected your pipa. Your pipa’s strings haven’t been replaced with steel ones. So, where did that new steel string you bought go? Whose pipa did you put it on?"

The smile on Lu Yi’s face froze.

"Everyone here is a pipa professional. A quick test is all it takes to know if the strings have been changed, little sister." After speaking, Xing Fei gestured towards the door.

Hearing the sound of pipa strings from outside, Lu Yi suddenly tensed.

Didn’t Shen Jing inspect her pipa? Or had she already switched to a different one?

She had assumed...

"Do you concede now?" Xing Fei asked.

Lu Yi slammed her powder compact down. "Concede what? Who cares about competing on the same stage as Shen Jing?"

Xing Fei pressed her fingers together. "If you don’t care, why resort to such dirty tricks?"

Lu Yi, predictably, lost her temper. "Do you have any proof that I changed the strings?"

Xing Fei smiled.

She didn’t. But anyone capable of tampering with a pipa in the instrument room would surely have the connections to destroy any evidence.

However, the crime of defamation by spreading rumors was enough to get Lu Yi sent to the police station for some ’education.’

She couldn’t let the culprit get away with it so easily.

Xing Fei leaned back, quietly listening to the music from outside. "Can you tell from the tuning? She’s using her left hand, so the pitch is lower."

Lu Yi fell silent.

Who would have thought Shen Jing had actually learned the left-hand technique to coordinate with her right for plucking and pressing the strings.

Lu Yi was indeed not resigned and wanted to leave.

However, Xing Fei stubbornly blocked the door, preventing Lu Yi from leaving.

「Onstage, Shen Jing, dressed in a white qipao, her long hair neatly tied up.」

She played the famous piece "Wei River Sentiments." She was highly skilled and extremely composed, pressing the strings with her right hand while plucking and creating vibrato with her left.

She wasn’t just performing in teahouses to earn money; she was here with the determination to win this competition.

However, she seemed preoccupied, a fact Zhou Xiangqun didn’t fail to notice.

Her preoccupation could only be about Zhou Luchen; no one else occupied her thoughts.

Her artistic interpretation, the push-pull techniques, the expressive vibrato—all were imbued with such deep emotion.

Zhou Xiangqun propped his head on his hand, quietly savoring the melodies that filled the air. "No wonder the grandmothers always scold Achen for being such a philanderer," he mused aloud. "When a beauty plays a tune that so clearly conveys affection and charm, how could he not be utterly smitten?"

「Half an hour later.」

The competition ratings were announced.

Shen Jing won.

Using the left hand earned her bonus points. When a judge asked why she had switched to her left hand today,

she didn’t mention the sabotage.

She lowered her gaze modestly and replied softly, "I once knew an elderly woman. She had me practice until my right hand was injured, and then she taught me to use my left hand in coordination for plucking and vibrato. I just thought I’d try it today."

Listen to that. How adeptly she unnerves her rivals with such an understatement.

Zhou Xiangqun tugged at the corner of his mouth.

She was the champion of this official competition.

The first prize was 30,000 yuan.

Most beneficial, however, was the boost to her fame and, consequently, to the business of her Pingshu troupe and the teahouse.

Her little abacus was clicking away with plans, so loudly that Zhou Xiangqun could almost hear it from his seat.

With some new media platforms live-streaming the event, her distinctive face was already gaining considerable recognition online. This would be enough to boost her fame and allow her to earn a substantial amount from performance fees back at the teahouse.

Zhou Xiangqun summoned his assistant. "Have you investigated?"

"I have," the assistant leaned in. "It was contestant number 26, Lu Yi."

Zhou Xiangqun glanced at contestant number 26 on the stage, his brow furrowing slightly. "The one who came in second place?"

"Yes," the assistant continued. "The person in charge of the instrument room is Lu Yi’s senior from the same school. She transferred him tens of thousands of yuan to get him to swap Shen Jing’s steel strings. But we don’t have concrete evidence. They won’t admit it, claiming it was a debt repayment."

Zhou Xiangqun asked in a low voice, "And the surveillance footage?"

The assistant replied, "Someone copied it and took it."

Zhou Xiangqun slowly looked up. "Who else would have the authority to take it?"

The assistant stood with his hands clasped respectfully. "Your younger brother. He said that given your status, it’s best you don’t handle this personally, to avoid gossip and accusations of abusing your power for personal gain."

He borrowed the assistant’s phone and dialed Zhou Luchen’s number.

"The subscriber you have dialed is currently busy. Please try again later."