Chapter 169: 163 shakes the entire network, persona collapses [Update 2]

While the concert had not yet concluded, she couldn’t let more people see Ying Zijin.

Ying Luwei didn’t think twice, even if it would sabotage her own concert, it had to be stopped.

Seeing that the staff were also immersed in Ying Zijin’s piano music, she broke down and yelled, “I told you to cut off the sound!”

None of the staff paid her any attention.

It was a joke to them, this was Vera Hall’s music.

To be able to hear it was nothing short of a privilege.

Ying Luwei trembled with fury.

Due to her loss of control, her psyche took a serious hit, and her tears kept flowing.

Ying Luwei didn’t care about anything else, and frantically searched a toolbox for a pair of scissors.

She then quickly stepped forward and snipped the red and blue wires.

The staff finally reacted, shocked by her actions, and rushed to stop her, “Madam!”

“Get out of my way.” All of Ying Luwei’s pretenses were shredded, gone was her usual reserved grace and elegance.

She raised her hand and slapped the staff member across the face, “I told you to get out of my way!”

Ying Luwei continued to cut the wires, but suddenly, the sound of “click click” echoed behind her.

It was the sound of photographs being taken and videos being recorded.

Ying Luwei’s pupils constricted dramatically, and her complexion turned deathly pale.

What caused her inner defenses to completely collapse was the fact that despite cutting so many wires, the performance below wasn’t affected in the slightest.

“You old woman, what are you trying to do?” Jiang Ran stuffed his hands in his pockets and looked at her with a sneer, “Trying to sabotage the concert? Dream on.”

A lackey followed behind him, dutifully recording the scene.

“Come, help her up and take her to the Great Hall,” Jiang Ran clapped his hands and chuckled, “She doesn’t want to listen, but she’ll have to.”

**

Outside the Shanghai City Great Hall.

A black stretch Lincoln pulled up to a stop.

When the door opened, Jiang Moyuan got out.

There was a hint of a dark circle under his eyes, clearly from working overtime for several days straight.

The secretary listened to the enthusiastic applause from inside the hall and turned with a smile, “Third Master, it seems Miss Luwei’s performance is very successful.”

Jiang Moyuan nodded.

He admired Ying Luwei not just because their families had betrothed their children to each other.

But also because in all of Shanghai City, only Ying Luwei, the premier socialite, was truly a worthy match for him in every respect.

Especially the piano.

When he was tired from work, he would listen to Ying Luwei play the piano, which always relaxed his body and mind.

Fortunately, his work had finished early today, so he could still catch the concert.

The secretary accompanied Jiang Moyuan inside; hearing the subdued piano sounds, he exclaimed in admiration, “Third Master, Miss Luwei’s level has improved again.”

He had never heard such a delightful piece before.

Jiang Moyuan’s gaze shifted as well, and he quickened his pace.

The main entrance was closed, so he entered through a side door.

Just then, the last piano note spun and fell.

“Thud!”

It was as if it struck directly upon one’s heart, an indescribable and formidable Charm that lingered long after.

Jiang Moyuan’s gaze froze instantly, and his eyes widened abruptly.

He watched the figure in front of the golden piano, his heart squeezed tight as if grasped by a hand.

It was Ying Zijin!

The nearby secretary was also stunned, filled with disbelief, “Third Master, how could it be…”

His words were cut off by the applause that resounded once again.

“Clap clap clap.” Zhuo Lanhan also stood up, clapping and smiling, “Bravo, simply marvelous, I never thought that in my life I would be so fortunate as to hear these three world-class difficult pieces played anew.”

Perhaps “Sun and Moon” was nothing special, since several pianists had played it.

But the reemergence of “Holy War” and “Song of Jade Ice Cui” was enough to send shockwaves throughout the entire music world.

Having the chance to hear them live, she died with no regrets.

No wonder, even though Vera Hall only left behind three pieces, they were an indelible and prominent mark in the music history of O Continent.

Such a performance could be described as unmatched in the world.

Ying Zijin slowly rose to her feet and nodded, “Thank you.”

“Ying Zijin, is it?” Zhuo Lanhan’s eyes showed undisguised admiration, “To reach such top-tier piano skills at your age, I must say I feel rather ashamed of myself.”

She paused, then asked kindly, “Do you have an instructor?”

As Ying Luwei was forcefully brought in by Jiang Ran’s two underlings, she heard this sentence and suddenly had a bad feeling.

“Hmm—” Ying Zijin’s eyebrows rose slightly, “My aunt taught me.”

“What?” Zhuo Lanhan was astonished, her voice became heavy with anger, but not at Ying Zijin, “Ying Luwei’s skill level, do I not know? She is fit to teach you?”

Che Yu had known Zhuo Lanhan for many years, but this was the first time he had seen her so furious.

“Teacher Zhuo, the child did not lie.” He coughed, lowering his voice, “Just now, Ying Luwei indeed said she had been teaching this child piano for a year.”

[…Luwei did say she taught her, and it’s also written on Weibo.]

[I don’t usually go online, I just purely like Luwei and her piano, that’s why I came to her concert. I’m not aware of what happened before, but now I don’t want to like her anymore, it’s so disgusting.]

[But I’m dying of laughter, Ying Luwei, you say you taught her? Did your face get stretched during a facial? It’s so thick?]

[Where did all those brain-dead fans who said she couldn’t play as well as the actual musician go? Just asking—does your face hurt?]

Reminded by Che Yu, Zhuo Lanhan recalled the details.

Her expression turned even grimmer, “Interesting, very interesting. All these years, I’ve never heard that someone with such low skill level could teach someone at their peak.”

“Zhuo, don’t be so subtle.” Bart grabbed a microphone and spoke up, “Some people are so trash yet they have such high opinions of themselves, liking to give others advice, not realizing they are the real clowns.”

Ying Luwei’s face turned deathly pale, her body trembling non-stop.

She couldn’t bear this kind of humiliation.

Especially not under the watchful eyes of so many fans, and Zhong Manhua, and even Jiang Moyuan.

But this was a situation she brought upon herself. In her desire to trample Ying Zijin underfoot, she repeatedly emphasized to others that no matter how she taught, Ying Zijin could never learn.

Now, invisible slaps were fiercely landing on her face.

“Aren’t you supposed to play ‘Sun and Moon’?” Zhuo Lanhan sat down again, calm and composed. She looked at Ying Luwei with an undebatable tone, “Play now, let us all see how exactly you’ve been teaching others.”

Ying Luwei didn’t know how to play, how could she possibly perform?

Yet from behind, Jiang Ran kicked her, sneering, “Not moving yet?”

Ying Luwei didn’t know how she made it to the stage, but there she sat in front of her piano, fingers trembling as she placed them on the keys.

The notes came out disjointed from her hands, discordant, forming no melody.

With Ying Zijin’s previous performance as a contrast, the difference in skill level was immediately apparent.

“Stop playing, just stop.” Bart couldn’t bear to listen to ‘Sun and Moon’ being so insulted, “Playing it so horribly, and you still have the cheek where I have none.”

“Clang!”

A grating sound came from the piano; a key had broken.

Ying Luwei’s fingers recoiled; she couldn’t continue playing at all.

Many eyes pierced her like thorns, her face reddened again, her dress soaked with cold sweat.

Now, everyone knew the truth. Ying Luwei had deceived them all, using ‘Sun and Moon’ as a pretense.

“Very good, very good,” Zhuo Lanhan said with rage that turned to laughter, “Riding on the fame of Vera Hall to elevate your own status, I just have one question for you, do you deserve it?”

Ying Luwei’s lips quivered; she couldn’t utter a single word.

She had everything planned out so well.

But all of it couldn’t match up to Ying Zijin directly performing three of Vera Hall’s piano compositions.

Even now, Ying Luwei couldn’t believe it.

“Ying Luwei, you have insulted the piano,” Zhuo Lanhan said with a cold gaze, “Get off the stage.”

Ying Luwei’s head spun as she stumbled off the stage.

This time, she was utterly finished.

**

The number of people watching the live stream online was only a few hundred thousand, not many.

After all, Ying Luwei had almost no casual fans left, and most of her followers had already deserted her.

But that didn’t stop her from being pushed to the top of the trending searches.

And with the speed of a rocket, she quickly occupied the hot search list.

The concert was still not over at this time.

#YingLuwei, Public Persona Completely Collapsed#

#YingLuwei, Fans Collectively Unfollow and Criticize#

#ZhuoLanhanPubliclyCriticizesYingLuweiForInsultingThePiano#

#VeraHall, YingZijin#

[@TopNetScoopV: A new night brings fresh gossip to enjoy. A tip-off from a netizen states that today, a famous beauty and pianist from Hua Country held a piano concert, supposed to play ‘Sun and Moon’, but naturally, that didn’t happen.

What’s funny is, the pupil taught by this beauty managed to play it instead, and then she proceeded to do the following.]

Attached below was a video clip.

The video showed Ying Luwei holding a pair of scissors, frantically cutting the wires of the sound equipment and other devices.