With Ye Qing saying these words as if she was making a solemn vow, Madam Zhou didn’t say any more words. Since Madam Zhou thought that Ye Zhen was a good person, she naturally looked at Ye Qing with a more trusting eye by virtue of Ye Qing being Ye Zhen’s sister.

“I'll trouble you with this request then.”

“It’s my honor.”

Ye Qing was extremely excited. She arrogantly looked at Ye Zhen. She really wanted to tell her sister to open her eyes wide and see that no matter the occasion, she was the outstanding one of the two sisters!

However, under the gazes of the public, she had to keep her emotions under control. After calming down, she walked to the expensive piano on the stage with a smile fitting to the occasion.

She no longer remembered the last she had performed in public. In the last life, with the Ye’s decline and Ye Zhen’s successes, the sound of praises had gradually gone out of her reach. This made the extremely vain Ye Qing increasingly dejected. She felt that she had no choice but to restrain her talents and surrender to spending her efforts on the minutiae of life, something no one appreciated. She could only become a nobody.

That’s why when she was given another chance at life, she joined the entertainment circle. She wanted a life where she was showered with everyone’s praise and admiration. That feeling of being adored and worshiped, there was nothing more pleasurable in the world than that.

The shiny piano was spotless. Ye Qing sat down on the piano bench, straightened her back, and smiled at everyone in the venue.

Ye Qing could feel that everyone was staring at her. She smiled at them in acknowledgement, and then raised her hands and placed it on the black and white piano keys. Thinking of the piano score that she once knew very well, she took a deep breath. Before she started playing, she imagined the praise and enthusiastic applause that awaited her once she was done playing.

Ye Qing played the first few notes. The sublime music lingered in the hall, and everyone’s gazes were riveted on Ye Qing,

The prelude was slow. As Ye Qing played the song, the music flowed down her fingertips like water and danced to create a wonderful melody that silenced the hall.

Master Pianist Charlie was regarded as a musical genius not only because of his outstanding piano skills, but also because of his talented composing skills.

The first half of Serenade was melodious and timeless, depicting the tranquility of night. The score changed dramatically in the second half. It went from tempestuous to grief and anger and ended in sorrow. Many people speculated that Charlie had written this score after being abandoned by his lover.

A little bit later, when it was almost time to transition to the second half of the song, Ye Qing’s heart suddenly skipped a beat. There was growing sweat on her back.

Everything was going smoothly, but the closer she got to the turning point of the song, the more uneasy she felt.

She clearly knew this score very well and had the muscle memory to play it, but her fingers started to make mistakes. She was clearly thinking about how to play this song, but there was a delay between her thinking and execution. The consequence of delaying half a beat caused Ye Qing’s mental state to crumble. Flustered, she missed a note.

Impossible! She was very familiar with this score. How could she play it wrong?!

Calm down! She won’t misplay! She could do this!

Ye Qing was deeply worried, and her thoughts and actions were slowed by half a beat. Instinctively trying to compensate, she sped up the movement of her hands. The portion of the score that was supposed to depict grief and anger had become sorrowful, and the sorrowful portion had become stirred up with agitation. The rhythm of the song was ruined.

Sweat beaded on Ye Qing’s forehead. She stared at the piano keys. She wasn’t willing to accept that she had made such careless mistakes. Her back was stiff, and she sat there like a stone statue while she emotionlessly finished playing the rest of the score.

Most people here had more or less learned how to play the piano. In response to the second half of Ye Qing’s level of performance, they furrowed their brows. As Ye Qing was playing that portion, whispers rippled through the crowd.

A musician that was truly immersed in playing music would turn a deaf ear to all the sounds coming from below the stage. However, Ye Qing wasn’t wholeheartedly focused on playing. Hearing their whispers, she became even more uneasy. Without noticing it, she played the wrong note several times. By the time she noticed, it was too late. She had already pressed down on the wrong piano key again.

She had actually played the wrong note!

After learning how to play the piano for over ten years, she had actually played the wrong note!

Ye Qing was increasingly flustered and anxious. How could this be possible? How could this happen to her? Only amateurs would make this sort of mistake.

As she looked at the black and white piano keys, Ye Qing’s vision grew blurry. Those mocking voices were like a tidal wave. Seeing those disdainful and despising looks, she felt as if everyone was booing her off the stage and that she wasn’t worthy of playing the piano!

Once again, she had become an existence that everyone ignored. No matter where she was, her place was the corner where the shadows of the walls meet. She was only worthy of standing there and watching others elegantly and glamorously receiving cheer and applause.

No! I’m more talented than anyone else! Why? This wasn’t fair!

Why was it that other people got praise instead of me? On what basis did Lu Beichuan like someone other than me? Why was Ye Zhen more famous than me? To the point that others address me as Ye Zhen’s sister?

Everything should be mine!

On the verge of a nervous breakdown, Ye Qing suddenly raised her hands and smashed it down on the keys.

A sharp and harsh sound came from the piano, causing everyone to look over with unhappy expressions.

“What’s going on? Does she really know how to play the piano?”

“This is the worst performance I’ve ever heard. This is an insult to Master Pianist Charlie’s Serenade!”

On the stage, Ye Qing placed her trembling hands down on the piano keys. Her mind was blank, and she couldn’t hear anyone’s voice. Like a broken record, her mind replayed the incomparably ear-piercing sound when she had slammed her hands down on the piano keys.

“No… I…” Ye Qing looked at everyone in bewilderment and started to explain, “I didn’t mean it. I just…”

No matter how she explained, she only saw impatient looks. Panicking and shaking all over, Ye Qing stood up from the piano bench. At a loss, she helplessly looked around the crowd.

How did it turn out like this...

Madam Zhou’s expression was calm. She was extremely displeased, but as the host of the function, she had to stabilize the situation.

She quietly ordered a server to bring Ye Qing off the stage, and then she smiled at the crowd and said, “Sorry everyone for that little episode. The hotel’s piano seems to be joking with us. I’m very happy that everyone can attend my birthday party. Here’s my toast to everyone.”

Madam Zhou’s smile eased up the mood. Everyone tactically forgot what just happened. Smiling, the guests drank wine along with Madam Zhou.

Standing in front of the champagne tower, Ye Zhen was dumbstruck after witnessing Ye Qing’s performance. It took her a long time to recover from her surprise.

What was that? What happened to the famous scene in the novel? What a joke!

Moreover, hadn’t Ye Qing majored in piano? How could she play the score wrong and end her performance that way?

Ye Zhen couldn’t believe that this had happened.

Ye Zhen raised her head to look at Lu Beichuan, but he was gone. As she looked around the crowd in the hall for him, she heard a musical note from the piano.

While Ye Zhen had been questioning how Ye Qing could play so poorly, Lu Beichuan had gone up the stage, sat down in front of the piano, raised his hands, and played the first note of Serenade.

Just as Ye Zhen had expected, Lu Beichuan, who had grown up in a family like the Lu’s, had learned a wide range of skills in his childhood: piano, painting, calligraphy, Go, sailing, etc. However, it was as he had said, he only had a basic understanding in those areas and wasn’t proficient in them. In front of a real expert, the difference in skill level would be apparent.

The first musical notes were drawn-out and lingered in the hall. Ye Zhen’s gaze was riveted on Lu Beichuan. She had seen Lu Beichuan’s maverick side as well as his victorious side, but she had never seen such a gentlemanly and elegant side of him.

Seeing him sitting there, focused on playing the tranquil Serenade and displaying his talent, he couldn’t be more mesmerizing.

Such a man was actually her husband. Ye Zhen was dazzled.

He was Lu Corporation’s CEO, had over a hundred billion in assets, an impeccable face, talent that could be released at any time, and sufficient patience and respect. Countless people dreamed for a man like him. Even if there was only a contract between them and no real love, she had easily gotten him.

She smiled at Lu Beichuan and stared unwaveringly at him.

The ballroom was dimly lit, and the only beam of light was on the piano and Lu Beichuan. He was haloed in light and seemed as if he was painted in gold.

The music was constant. The piano keys jumped underneath Lu Beichuan’s slender fingers. Note after note of the beautiful music resonated throughout the ballroom. Unlike Ye Qing’s flustered playing that was devoid of substance, Lu Beichuan’s professional performance was calm and steady. His calm and focused performance was breathtaking. Everyone had tacitly quieted down to silently listen.

Sitting on the piano bench, Lu Beichuan looked through the crowd and locked eyes with Ye Zhen. His gaze was gentle and firm just like the melodious music he was playing.

The countless guests quietly listened. They heard the melodious first half of the score and then the second half, which Ye Qing had made fatal mistakes with. Lu Beichuan played that second half, unflustered.

His calm demeanor led Ye Zhen to deeply sink into the song. The performance lasted about ten minutes, but time passed by so quickly that Ye Zhen felt as if only three minutes had passed. When she heard the enthusiastic applause around her, she wished that he could continue playing.

Lu Beichuan stopped the motion of his fingers, looked around, and got off the stage. He walked over to Ye Zhen. She was looking up at him with her luminous and limpid eyes. Those eyes seemed to contain the stars, the sea, the world, and all living things, but they only saw him and only had room for him. It was the same for him; his eyes only had Ye Zhen.

Lu Beichuan’s Adam’s apple rolled, but he didn’t dare to do anything without permission. He wasn’t a hesitant person, but when facing Ye Zhen, he was constantly breaking all of his definitions.

“Ye Zhen, I…” The mood was truly very good. Emotions were running high and the lighting was gentle, easily stirring up feelings.

Before Lu Beichuan could finish speaking, he was interrupted by a smiling Madam Zhou. “Mr Lu, you’re truly a promising junior. You even have such profound artistic attainments in piano.”

Lu Beichuan’s eyes slightly moved. He stiffly looked away from Ye Zhen and looked at Madam Zhou with an extremely unnatural expression. Preoccupied with other thoughts, it was inevitable that his mood wasn’t good. “I don’t dare to accept such praise. I just learned a little bit when I was young and got a few pointers from friends when I was living abroad.”

Ye Zhen also instinctively looked away. Her face was slightly flushed. The redness extended to the tips of her ears.

Madam Zhou thought Lu Beichuan was just being humble.

She had seen too many people competing to show off in front of her. They would exaggerate their abilities as if there was concrete proof, but in reality, they only had a smattering of knowledge. The difficulty of playing Charlie’s Serenade had always been unanimous in the music industry. Only an accomplished person that had worked hard would be able to play Serenade so wonderfully.

Madam Zhou appreciatively looked at Lu Beichuan. A young man like him, who was candid and humble, was rare.

Someone whispered a few words in Madam Zhou’s ear, and her eyes lit up. She repeatedly told that person, “Quickly, invite him in!”

That person immediately left after getting that order.

Madam Zhou was smiling as she looked at Lu Beichuan. “You really should have performed later. That way Master Pianist Charlie could hear you play the piano. He would definitely feel happy to have an admirer like you.”

Puzzled, Ye Zhen asked, “Did Master Pianist Charlie come?”

Madam Zhou looked towards the doorway. Smiling, she said, “He’s here.”

She headed over the person that appeared in the doorway.

The young musician Charlie, who was highly praised by people in the music industry, was wearing a formal suit and following a server into the ballroom.

He was a young-looking foreigner. His height attracted attention, his skin was surprisingly white, and his facial features were exquisite. Underneath his long, curled eyelashes, there were eyes that looked like blue gems set in white mercury. His soulful eyes were deep and defined. His naturally yellow hair was slightly curly. He was a handsome young man that didn’t look older than 20 years old.

“Hello, Mr. Charlie. Thank you very much for coming to my birthday party,” Madam Zhou greeted Charlie and shook his hands while smiling.

“It's my honor to attend your birthday party.” Charlie slightly bowed after shaking hands as a mark of respect. He had a dapper appearance, and his British aristocracy ancestry was fully revealed in his gentlemanly mannerism.

This was yet another character that was glossed over in the novel. Ye Zhen thoughtfully looked at Charlie. “Master Pianist Charlie looks quite young. To have such talent at a young age…”

Lu Beichuan glanced at Ye Zhen and then indifferently looked at Charlie. “Don’t think he’s young. He’s ten years old than you.”

“Ten years?” Ye Zhen looked at Charlie in surprise. She lamented over the enigma of foreigners’ ages.

“Charlie, if you could come here earlier, you might have been able to hear a lovely, moving musical feast.” Feeling extremely regretful about the missed opportunity, Madam Zhou introduced Lu Beichuan to Charlie, “This is Lu Beichuan. He finished playing Serenade five minutes ago.”

Charlie looked at Lu Beichuan and stared at him for a while before smiling and stepping forward and hugging him.

It was a warm hug between friends. Before separating, Charlie warmly and comfortably said, “Lu! You’re really here! It’s been such a long time since we last met!”

Lu Beichuan nodded. “Three years.”

“You two know each other?” Madam Zhou asked.

In a friendly manner, Charlie kept his arm around his shoulder and answered in broken Mandarin, “We’re friends.”

They really were friends.

When Lu Beichuan had been studying abroad, he and Lu Beichuan had seen a lot of each other for a period of time. They had attended a school where outstanding geniuses gathered and everyone was born out-of-the-ordinary.

“Lu, Madam Zhou said you played my Serenade in public? You’re such a musical genius!” Charlie was friendly and generous. “I should have composed more when we were schoolmates that way you could have given me more feedback!”

Madam Zhou vaguely figured something out from Charlie’s words. She looked at Lu Beichuan with a more stunned look.

Lu Beichuan didn’t reminisce with him. He turned his head and introduced Ye Zhen and Charlie to each other.

“This is my friend, Charlie.” After a succinct introduction, Lu Beichuan said to Charlie, “This is my wife, Ye Zhen.” An equally succinct introduction.

Charlie wasn’t stingy at all with complimenting her. “This young lady is so beautiful. The first moment I saw you, I started guessing which family’s young miss you are. After all, you fit exactly the most perfect and beautiful woman in my dreams. I didn’t expect you to be Lu Beichuan’s wife! Whether it was before or now, Lu Beichuan, this fellow, has luck that’s so good that it makes people jealous. He’s so lucky to marry a woman as beautiful as you. Although I’m not very happy, only Lu Beichuan, this arrogant fellow, can match you. The two of you are a match made in Heaven. I sincerely wish the two of you well.”

The romantic French man showered Ye Zhen with praises. Faced with his friends sweet-sounding, but insincere words, Lu Beichuan furrowed his brow and wrapped his arm around Ye Zhen’s waist to declare sovereignty.

Ye Zhen faintly smiled. “Thank you for your well wishes.”

Charlie looked at the arm on Ye Zhen’s waist. A surprised and feeling-ladened expression appeared on his face.

This was a marvelous love.

After Ye Qing had ruined the mood of this evening function and Lu Beichuan went on the stage and quelled the unpleasant mood, many people were waiting to see Ye Zhen’s embarrassment, but they were met with disappointment.

They thought that since Ye Zhen and Ye Qing were twin sisters and Ye Qing had performed so badly, Ye Zhen wouldn’t be able to stay out of it.

Wandering away from the crowd and holding a wine glass, Lu Shaoyan smiled as he looked at Lu Beichuan and the others. He said to the woman by his side, “Miss Shen, this nephew of mine is quite outstanding.”

Shen Weiyin’s face was pale and wan. When she looked at Lu Beichuan, her eyes were alarmingly bright.

“Moreover, it seems that his relationship with his wife is very deep. You won’t be able to come between them.”

Shen Weiyin took a deep breath. “Okay, I’ll help you get a meeting with my grandpa.”

Lu Shaoyan raised his wine glass, tilted it, and clinked it with Shen Weiyin’s glass. “Happy cooperation.”

Charlie was worthy of being a professional musician. There was no one at the party that could reach his level of musical attainments. To wish Madam Zhou a happy birthday, he played two songs that thoroughly relaxed all of the guests, restored the happy mood from the beginning of the birthday celebration, and elevated it to a higher level.

At the end of the birthday celebration, Mayor Zhou and Madam Zhou smiled while symbolically cutting the birthday cake together. While Mayor Zhou and Lu Beichuan made an appointment for a meeting, Madam Zhou handed the first slice of cake to Ye Zhen.

Soon, the birthday celebration winded down.

On the car ride back, Ye Zhen leaned on the back seat and closed her eyes to take a nap, but then she thought about how Mayor Zhou was so friendly to Lu Beichuan near the end of the function. She asked, “Why was Mayor Zhou looking for you?"

Lu Beichuan pulled his tightly tied tie. Smiling, he answered, “To talk about a project on the northern corner of the city.”

Ye Zhen’s eyes lit up. “An opportunity?”

“The chance was small before, but the mayor made an appointment with me to discuss it the day after tomorrow.”

Ye Zhen gave him a thumbs up. “Outstanding!”