Chapter 403: Deserving Champion
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
s.h.i.+ Xuexin felt a little empty inside. She had no choice, but to go backstage to make preparations.
The compet.i.tion officially commenced.
Due to the fact that the compet.i.tion had attracted the attention of Country S, many reporters from Country S were present. The compet.i.tion was still broadcast live.
Only this time, all the finals were held in the same hall.
At the start of the live broadcast, the number of viewers was only about four to five million.
In the medical laboratory of the Imperial Capital University, the computer in front of Gu Jingyuan was also switched on.
At this moment, everyone had finished their experiments and had time to watch the compet.i.tion.
Wei Zai had a s.h.i.+ Xuexin sticker on his forehead. He had wanted to cheer s.h.i.+ Xuexin on, but when he saw the looks on everyone’s faces, he held back.
The compet.i.tion officially began and the contestants went on stage one by one.
The numbers that s.h.i.+ Xuexin and s.h.i.+ Jin drew were near the back. So everyone waited patiently.
Finally, s.h.i.+ Xuexin went on stage.
Her song displayed a very elegant yet restrained atmosphere of sorrow. It was grand and majestic.
It was difficult for cla.s.sical piano pieces to stand out. When elegant art stood at the peak, it was not easy to be down to earth, but this song that she composed not only showed the skills she had during the semi-finals, it was also smooth and beautiful.
After she finished playing, the audience applauded enthusiastically.
There were five judges on the spot. The most famous one was a Polish pianist. He stood up and gave s.h.i.+ Xuexin the greatest applause. He made an exaggerated gesture of opening his arms.
The interpreter at the side also translated emotionally, “Xuexin, this is the best original composition I’ve ever heard! You’re really a genius! An outstanding composer, an original composer with outstanding abilities! It’s my honor to know you!”
s.h.i.+ Xuexin’s face was br.i.m.m.i.n.g with excitement and happiness.
Her fans were so excited that they were about to go crazy. “Oh my G.o.d, I only knew that Xuexin was amazing, but I didn’t know that she was this amazing!”
“That’s great! This Polish pianist has always been the chief pianist of the National Music Group. He is also a judge and performer of the Philharmonic Music Hall. His words are the greatest recognition for Xuexin.”
“Xuexin is worth it!”
He asked, “Xuexin, can you explain to us the name of this song and your creative mindset?”
The interpreter translated this sentence.
It was obvious that he really liked s.h.i.+ Xuexin.
s.h.i.+ Xuexin held the microphone and said softly and gently, “I composed ‘Not Sad’ with myself as the prototype. As I encountered many things when I was young and had experienced many difficulties, I always thought: Don’t give up, don’t be sad. The difficulties are only temporary, and the light is before you. I hope this song can bring more strength to everyone and help you overcome the difficulties.”
“Xuexin is too considerate.”
“Wuwuwuwu, I’ll download this song too.”
“I wonder when the HD version will be released.”
The Polish musician, who had thought highly of s.h.i.+ Xuexin, could not help, but frown slightly when he heard her explanation.
Her explanation and the mood of her song were actually quite different. However, with such talent and such a piece of music, even if she did not understand it properly, he could not deny that it was the best original work he had seen in all these years.
s.h.i.+ Xuexin saw the look of antic.i.p.ation on his face and continued, “Apart from this, I have also composed quite a number of other songs. When the time comes, I will record them into alb.u.ms as a gift for my fans.”
The judge smiled and said, “I’m looking forward to it. Thank you for coming and partic.i.p.ating.”
Then, he gave her an extremely high score of 9.9.
As for the other judges from different countries, they all gave 10 marks.
s.h.i.+ Xuexin’s performance deserved such a score.
The compet.i.tion had already pa.s.sed by more than half. There was no one before her who could match s.h.i.+ Xuexin’s abilities. They believed that there would be n.o.body behind her either.
They had all listened to s.h.i.+ Xuexin’s performance in the semi-finals under s.h.i.+ Baozhi’s recommendation and had high expectations of her. It could be said that in the eyes of the judges, she was undoubtedly the number one seeded player.
When s.h.i.+ Xuexin saw the score, she covered her mouth. “Thank you. Thank you, judges.”
She was so excited that she bowed to everyone.
“Oh my G.o.d, this score is too high! Xuexin is the undisputed champion!”
“Those who are trying to gain attention are going to suffer.”
“Ha, I really want to see how this matter ends.”
In the laboratory, Wei Zai glanced at the other people watching the live broadcast and restrained his urge to shout.
Gu Jingyuan crossed his arms and didn’t say anything. When the others saw his expression, they didn’t even dare to breathe loudly and just stared at the computer screen silently.
When s.h.i.+ Xuexin left the stage, a female judge beside her asked the Polish judge, “Ramos, why did you only give 9.9? Are you looking for geniuses like Chopin and Beethoven?”
“Of course not.” Ramos shook his head.
“Then why did you still deduct s.h.i.+ Xuexin’s points?”
Since geniuses were rare, they did not mind giving s.h.i.+ Xuexin the greatest praise.
Ramos didn’t answer. s.h.i.+ Xuexin’s understanding of the song was strange. How could a contestant play such a high-quality song and say something so lacking in texture?
The other four judges were too stunned by her song to dwell on it, but Ramos thought more about it.
After a few other contestants, s.h.i.+ Jin appeared.
It was obvious that the judges were completely relaxed.
This was because according to their understanding, this contestant had never taken piano and composition seriously. They also heard that she was a celebrity from Country S.
It was rumored that the celebrities in Country S were not very capable. They were the kind of people who would do anything for the sake of popularity and fame.
s.h.i.+ Jin’s performance was near the end and after s.h.i.+ Xuexin’s. These judges could not help, but have some biases against her subjective impression.
This was not surprising… After all, s.h.i.+ Baozhi’s comments on s.h.i.+ Jin were worse than the judges had imagined.
After s.h.i.+ Jin went on stage, everyone’s antic.i.p.ation was average.
Then, s.h.i.+ Jin started playing.
Gradually, the judges sat up straight.
This tune aside… the playing technique used was definitely the best among all the contestants. However, this tune…
The others also began to stir. Doubt rose in their hearts. What was going on?
“Isn’t this a song very similar to the one s.h.i.+ Xuexin played just now?”
“The style is almost identical.”
“Am I not professional enough? What about me? The tune sounds very similar.”
“Although the two of them do have a lot of history, they shouldn’t be so close.”
“Am I the only one who thinks that s.h.i.+ Jin’s song is better than s.h.i.+ Xuexin’s?”
“Comment above, is there something wrong with your brain? Isn’t it the same song? How could s.h.i.+ Jin’s sound better?”
“What is going on?”
“Isn’t this a self-composition? Whoever goes on stage first will definitely be the original.”
The judges were also puzzled.
Every contestant’s song was under their own care. Even the judges would not know about it beforehand.
These songs were only heard by the world for the first time when they were on stage, but it was hard to say what would happen during practice.
The female judge beside him said in a low voice, “s.h.i.+ Jin’s performance is better than s.h.i.+ Xuexin’s, but she came on stage later. This song…”
She did not mention the word plagiarism, but the doubts in her heart could not be dispelled.
Ramos rubbed his chin as well. He could tell that s.h.i.+ Jin’s tune was an improvement on s.h.i.+ Xuexin’s foundation, making up for all of s.h.i.+ Xuexin’s flaws. Therefore, there was no doubt that s.h.i.+ Jin’s tune was more complete and more moving. However, no matter how beautiful it was, she was still the last to appear.
Wei Zai looked at the computer and pouted. He wanted to criticize Gu Jingyuan, but when he saw Gu Jingyuan’s expression, he held himself back.
On the other hand, the others were discussing in low voices. “What’s going on with little sister?”
Then, they received Gu Jingyuan’s warning gaze. Everyone could see the murderous intent in his eyes. The words “little sister” indeed seemed to have nothing to do with them.
After s.h.i.+ Jin finished playing, the audience was stunned for a moment.
If not for s.h.i.+ Xuexin’s song, everyone would have applauded. Her performance abilities far surpa.s.sed other contestants, but the song… puzzled everyone.
After s.h.i.+ Jin left the stage, there was scattered applause behind her.
Ramos then remembered that he had forgotten to ask s.h.i.+ Jin a question.
“Regarding s.h.i.+ Jin’s score, the judges have to discuss it before we can confirm it. I’m sorry everyone, but we can only give everyone a final result before the award ceremony tomorrow night.”
As the representative of the judges, Ramos gave everyone a simple explanation.
“Ha, someone has lost face overseas.”
“It’s still not certain who will win. Let’s wait and see.”
“Anyway, it’s impossible for our daughter to have such a situation. I’ll always believe her.”
“s.h.i.+ Jin is definitely the best. Just the number of original songs has proven this point.”
“Previous poster, wake up. Is the composition of a pop song the same as the composition of a cla.s.sical piano piece? Do you think it’s the difference between cabbage and lettuce?”
“Waiting for tomorrow night’s awards ceremony!”
***
s.h.i.+ Jin’s figure appeared backstage. The staff looked at her in unison. She looked back at everyone calmly with clear eyes.
Yao Jiahong pa.s.sed the water over without asking anything.
Actually, he had more or less understood why s.h.i.+ Jin had come to attend the compet.i.tion. He also knew that she definitely had her own plans and thoughts.
“The public’s comments are all over the place now. I will try my best to suppress them. As for the company, I will also communicate with the higher-ups.” Yao Jiahong rea.s.sured s.h.i.+ Jin.
s.h.i.+ Jin took the water and nodded. Her expression was calm and natural. She was not disturbed by the commotion outside.
“I don’t want to see the reporters or be interviewed. Just get in the car.” After saying that, she followed Yao Jiahong to the parking lot.
On the other hand, s.h.i.+ Xuexin was alarmed.
Hu Lai and s.h.i.+ Baozhi were sitting backstage. They had indescribable feelings about the situation outside.
Hu Lai had experienced Chu Ling’s plagiarism before, and she had been badly battered the last time. This time, she did not want to repeat the same mistake on s.h.i.+ Xuexin.
“Xuexin, tell me honestly. Why is s.h.i.+ Jin’s song so close to yours?”
“I don’t know either.” s.h.i.+ Xuexin shook her head and said, “Sister Lai, you know me. I’ve been learning the piano for many years. You know s.h.i.+ Jin too. She never learned it before.”
With that said, she looked at s.h.i.+ Baozhi. “Auntie.”
s.h.i.+ Baozhi thought about it and said, “Hu Lai, do you know s.h.i.+ Jin well?”
How could Hu Lai not understand s.h.i.+ Jin?
She even clearly knew how many times s.h.i.+ Jin had followed Chu Ling to his filming sets.
Hu Lai had been taking care of Chu Ling for so many years. She had seen s.h.i.+ Xuexin take piano lessons and practice all sorts of things, but she had never seen s.h.i.+ Jin touch the piano.
“Auntie, I even consulted you when I was writing the melody.” s.h.i.+ Xuexin looked at s.h.i.+ Baozhi.
s.h.i.+ Baozhi asked, “Then why is it that during the semi-finals, your songs were very close, and the same problem happened during the finals? If there really is a crisis, how are you going to prove yourself?”
Plagiarism was not the most important thing. The most important thing was to prove that she had not plagiarized.
Now that the outside world was in chaos, s.h.i.+ Baozhi needed a solution.
s.h.i.+ Xuexin’s eyes lit up immediately. “I gave this song to Sister Lai a long time ago. Right, Sister Lai?”
“Yes, the recording was also done earlier.” Hu Lai nodded. “Previously, I showed the music score to the company’s higher-ups. Everyone admired Xuexin, so we signed the contract.”
“In other words, s.h.i.+ Jin somehow got your piece.” s.h.i.+ Baozhi understood.
Hu Lai asked, “But what does s.h.i.+ Jin want from this?”
Then, she realized the answer herself. The answer was too simple. She was after Chu Ling.
1
Although she kept telling her fans that she already had someone she liked and even bragged about that man, Hu Lai never believed her. After all, who was better than Chu Ling?
She could not stand s.h.i.+ Xuexin, so it was easy for her to understand why she wanted to take away s.h.i.+ Xuexin’s resources and even make s.h.i.+ Xuexue feel unjust.
s.h.i.+ Baozhi said, “Don’t let your guard down. She has a lot of fans and is very popular. If you don’t have concrete evidence, it’s hard to believe you completely. Anyway, let’s prepare for this tough battle. I’ll find a friend to contact Jade and see if I can get him to come out and say a few words for you so that he can stand for your credit.”
“Auntie, do you know Jade?”
“Not yet.” s.h.i.+ Baozhi picked up her phone to contact her old friend.
s.h.i.+ Xuexin suddenly felt emboldened. Her songs had been collected from the s.h.i.+ mansion a few years ago and had been modified. It was impossible that it had anything to do with s.h.i.+ Jin.
If s.h.i.+ Jin had not partic.i.p.ated in the compet.i.tion with her this time, she would have treated these music scores as her own composition and believed it herself.
In the earlier years, s.h.i.+ Jin was still young and had never learned piano. How could she have created such pieces?
When s.h.i.+ Jin returned to the villa, Ji Hanxue sent her a WeChat message. “s.h.i.+ Jin, do you want to come over and sit with me for a while?”
It seemed that Ji Hanxue had also watched the live broadcast of today’s compet.i.tion and was paying attention to her situation.
No matter what, s.h.i.+ Jin was considered the savior of the entire crew. With Ji Hanxue as the leader, the entire crew basically stood on her side when they watched the compet.i.tion.
“Alright, wait for me for a while.” After s.h.i.+ Jin replied to the message, she changed into casual home clothes, took a bottle and walked downstairs.
When she went over, the other crew members were all chased away by Ji Hanxue. They were afraid of giving her pressure.
The only person who stayed by Ji Hanxue’s side was Yan Chu. He was the male lead of this drama and had debuted for many years. He was the white moonlight in the hearts of countless people. In recent years, the number of movies he filmed had decreased significantly. However, once any of his movies were released, it would still become a cla.s.sic hit.
This time, he and Ji Hanxue worked together. It would definitely be a huge surprise for the fans.
Ji Hanxue and him were sitting in the pavilion in the courtyard.
When he saw s.h.i.+ Jin, Ji Hanxue smiled and said, “Yan Chu insisted on meeting you to thank you in person.”
“Thank me?” s.h.i.+ Jin did not think that they had any interactions.
“When the earthquake happened, the biggest rock on the mountain hit Yan Chu’s room. What do you think?”
In other words, if he had not left the mountain, he would have been reduced to a pile of mush.
“So no matter what, I have to thank you.” Yan Chu smiled and extended his hand.
s.h.i.+ Jin shook his hand.
He smiled and said, “Director Ji hasn’t finished filming that sunrise scene. We still want to stay here for another two days.”
“Do whatever you want.” s.h.i.+ Jin could not live in such a big place by herself anyway. It was not a big deal to have them around.
“Do you need any help with the compet.i.tion today?” Yan Chu asked cautiously.
Logically speaking, he shouldn’t have asked this since it was his first time meeting s.h.i.+ Jin, but he wanted to help.
Although the rumors outside had been suppressed, there had to be a solution. This was also the reason why Yan Chu wanted to meet s.h.i.+ Jin.
Ji Hanxue also said, “If you have any difficulties, you can tell us.”
She was a popular celebrity who had traveled overseas to partic.i.p.ate in the compet.i.tion.
Whether she had made a mistake or she had been framed, Ji Hanxue couldn’t bear for her to be hurt.
“It’s not difficult for now. My manager has made arrangements for the compet.i.tion. Director Ji, Mr. Yan, you don’t have to worry about it.” s.h.i.+ Jin’s voice was very pleasant.
One could tell that she wasn’t bothered.
Ji Hanxue and Yan Chu exchanged glances and switched the topic.
“Right, Director Ji, this is for you.” s.h.i.+ Jin took out a bottle.
It was small and contained an unknown liquid.
It looked quite exquisite, and the liquid was glowing slightly.
“What is this?” Ji Hanxue took it and played with it with interest.
“Essential oil extracted from the flowers and leaves you wanted to throw away. It can be considered a souvenir.”
Ji Hanxue immediately opened the cork of the bottle and sniffed it.