They don't actually think I like them, do they?

At this point, Su Ruxue fell silent.

The girl turned her head and looked at the little girl who was clumsily rummaging through her suitcase not far away.

"It's probably because seeing her reminds me of myself back then."

......

2:20 PM.

After a tense schedule in the children's and youth professional groups, we finally arrived at the professional group competition.

Su Ruxue managed to secure a "family ticket" for Lin Han. Since Su Ruxue's parents were busy with work and didn't have time to watch the game, Lin Han benefited from this and sat in the third row from the front, with an excellent view.

The preliminary round was like an audition, with no requirements on song selection or time; participants were free to perform as they pleased. The top 16 advanced to the elimination round.

For the champion qin players from each province, such a competition format that immediately eliminates a large portion of them seems too cruel, but in the highest-level competition, the Longqin Cup, they have no choice.

Lin Han finally understood why a cello competition would attract so many spectators.

Compared to the concerts Lin Han had previously attended at the Jinchuan Concert Hall, the quality of this competition was extremely high.

In particular, the contestants had free rein to perform, each bringing out their signature pieces and putting on a series of auditory feasts.

Lin Han was also captivated by the story.

"Next contestant, number 16, Su Ruxue."

As the announcement came over the loudspeaker, all eyes in the audience turned to the stage.

"coming!"

The guy sitting to Lin Han's left was so excited that his legs were trembling; he seemed even more nervous than Lin Han, the family member.

"The most elegant cellist! Yuki-chan!!"

025. A breathtaking performance

As the spotlight focused on the stage entrance, Su Ruxue walked out with elegant steps.

Her most iconic feature was her long, silver-white hair that reached her waist, simply tied up with a purple ribbon, hanging straight down to her waist, exuding a calm and dignified aura around the girl.

The young woman wore an elegant white gown adorned with stunningly beautiful peonies. Her long, slender legs swayed on the theater stage, the rhythmic clatter of her high heels captivating the hearts of all the audience members.

"No wonder he's a popular pianist, he's got a lot of fans!" The boy sitting to Lin Han's right exclaimed to his friend.

Internet celebrity pianist?

Lin Han had no idea when Su Ruxue got such a nickname.

When Su Ruxue first became famous, it was clearly because of her title as the "genius cellist of Jinchuan" and her goddess-like aloof temperament.

"Hehehe, out of all these pianists, I only recognize her," the boy's friend chuckled.

Hearing this, Lin Han was certain.

It seems there are two Yunzi sitting next to me!

They probably don't understand the cello and just bought tickets to see it because they were following the trend.

Lin Han did not object to this behavior; he had done something similar in his previous life.

I never listen to classical music normally, but I saved up 500 yuan by living frugally and bought a concert ticket.

After listening to the music, 50% of the ticket price was recouped.

Taking photos and posting them on WeChat Moments with sophisticated essays successfully elevated him to the status of a tasteful upper-class person, earning back 500% of the ticket money, and leaving Lin Han owing the concert hall two thousand.

"Hey, you outsiders, the only person you know is Su Ruxue!"

The boy crossed his arms and said to his friend with a smug look on his face, as if he were a "know-it-all".

Lin Han was a little surprised. So Yun Zi was the only one?

“Indeed, I’ve only seen Xiaoxue-chan,” my friend said cheerfully, seemingly unconcerned about the overwhelming sense of superiority emanating from the boy.

"Only outsiders like you think she's amazing. Actually, Su Ruxue's level in the cello world isn't that great!" the boy said seriously.

"Oh?" my friend asked in surprise, "So who do you people in your industry consider to be the most capable?"

“People like Wen Nanqing from Jiangbei, Teng Zijian from Yinghua, and Bai Xu, the champion of the previous Longqin Cup, are the real gods! If you are interested in the cello, you should go to more concerts. You don’t know anything about it!” the boy said proudly.

It's so satisfying to show off one's superiority as an insider by belittling well-known pianists outside the circle!

"Then why can't Su Ruxue do it?"

"Are you stupid? If Su Ruxue's cello playing were truly top-notch, would she need to promote herself by posting videos on Bilibili? Look at Uncle Huang, the piano YouTuber with the most followers; he's not even a second-tier pianist in the piano world! Otherwise, why would he come to Bilibili to make money?"

"I see!"

My friend suddenly understood, as if the clouds had parted and the clear sky had appeared.

"Oh my god, I always thought Xiaoxue-chan posted on Bilibili just because she liked interacting with Juzi-chan!"

"That's enough. What kind of talent do you expect from a cellist who became famous by riding the coattails of the orange jam craze? The videos he usually posts are just accompaniment to 'Hair Like Snow.' You should be grateful that this internet celebrity cellist can be performed on such a highbrow stage!"

The boy was halfway through his sentence when his friend quickly patted his thigh.

"It's started, it's started!"

All the judges and audience members focused their attention on the white lotus flower in the center.

Su Ruxue sat in the center of the stage, gently placing her cello on her shoulder. With her right hand, she picked up the bow and softly stroked the strings. As she moved, a melodious cello tune rose, like a clear spring flowing through the mountains, echoing throughout the auditorium.

"Arabek No. 1 Brilliant Piece" is a piece performed by Su Ruxue.

This is a gentle, peaceful, and healing piece of music.

Su Ruxue's unique and extremely domineering infectiousness captivated the audience almost the instant the music began.

At this moment,

What comes to mind?

At night, I walk alone on the beach. Everything is so quiet. On the other side of the sea, tall buildings stand out and are brightly lit. All I can hear is the gentle sound of the waves and the breeze that caresses my clothes.

Or, under the cover of night, a princess dressed in magnificent attire with layers of flowing skirts dances in a garden, bathed in the enchanting moonlight.

Su Ruxue closed her eyes and immersed herself in the music. Her fingertips danced lightly, as if conversing with the strings. Every note she played was performed to the fullest, carrying an indescribable emotion.

As the music played, a slight smile began to appear on the girl's lips, and her body swayed gently. Her white hair fluttered with the melody, like a blooming cloud. At that moment, she was the princess dancing in the night.

The boy was completely stunned.

At this moment, he was already in a dream world, a world where only he and the princess existed. His body, his heart, and all his emotions rose and fell with the princess's playing, becoming one with the music.

This performance was absolutely stunning...

As the last note faded, the entire hall fell silent.

The dazzling lights shone on Su Ruxue's face. The girl looked up, panting, with beads of sweat on her face, and a happy smile on her face.

A few seconds later, everyone realized what was happening and stood up to applaud.

"it is good!!"

Inside the auditorium, some people even started shouting.

"So beautiful, Su Ruxue!!"

"Waaaaah, how can this be so touching!" Many girls started wiping away tears, taking selfies as they did so, giving their friends more material to share on social media.

This was the first time in the competition that an audience member had shouted loudly. The Longqin Cup competition reached its climax with Su Ruxue's performance.

Su Ruxue smiled and bowed to the audience, her eyes revealing satisfaction and joy—an expression Lin Han only ever saw during her performances. It was a sense of fulfillment born from the release of one's life's value.

She is a true tone-deaf person.

Lin Han finally breathed a sigh of relief.

what the hell.

I thought Mangzi's sudden attack last night would affect Su Ruxue's performance, but it seems I was worrying for nothing!

Sure enough, Su Ruxue is always very steady, no matter what!

"Brother, although I don't know much about music, I feel like Su Ruxue played really well! She was much better than most of the other contestants!"

At this moment, the friend asked the boy in confusion.

The boy quickly pretended to cough, and soon he was covered in sweat.

"Well... I didn't actually say Su Ruxue wasn't capable! After all, who isn't strong enough to reach the Dragon Qin Cup?"

"That's it~"

"I'm just saying that Su Ruxue's popularity is due to riding on the coattails of Ju Zi Shen's fame, and while you think Su Ruxue's performance in this match was amazing, it was actually an exceptional performance!"

The boy raised his index finger and said seriously,

"As someone in the industry, I still objectively believe that Su Ruxue's level is actually just average. Look at how she keeps hyping up her relationship with Ju Zi Jiang, but they're not actually that close! For such an important competition, do you think Ju Zi Jiang, who's so busy with her career, would even have time to take a look...?"

Just then, a hand patted the boy on the shoulder.

The boy turned his head and saw Lin Han, who had reached her limit.

"I'm sorry, I didn't hear you clearly."

Lin Han took off his sunglasses and said.

"What are you saying? Can you say it again?"

026. Give him a reward.

"Orange...orange marmalade??!!"

In that instant, the boy's mind went completely blank. His single-mindedness was simply not enough to process such a terrifying scene, and his eyes almost popped out of their sockets.

The boy's friend seemed to realize something and turned around, "What's wrong... Ahhhhhh!!!!"

My friend was so frightened that her hormones spiked, and she started flailing her arms wildly.

"Orange marmalade!!!"

"Shh~"

Lin Han put his index finger to his lips and winked at the two of them.

"Don't embarrass me too much, I just want to watch the game in peace."

"Orange God, I...I'm your biggest fan!! I've liked you for so long!!!"

The boy tried hard to control his excitement, but his hands still trembled violently. He was afraid that his words would not be accurate enough, so he gestured frantically with his hands.

"Ok, I know."

Lin Han smiled slightly, then turned to look at the boy's friend.

"I turned around to tell you that this boy doesn't know anything. He doesn't know anything about the cello, let alone Su Ruxue. He's just a casual observer. You can just listen to his words for fun."

"Great!" my friend exclaimed excitedly. "I knew it a long time ago! Xiaoxue-chan is incredibly amazing!!"

The boy froze instantly.

"No, Orange... Orange God, let me explain, I was just kidding! I've hardly ever seen a cello performance..."

"If you haven't watched many games, shut your mouth and watch quietly," Lin Han said with a smile. After saying that, he turned his head back and ignored the boy.

Only the boy, whose entire body was stiff to the extreme, remained, his hands hanging in the air.

He was about to cry.

I was actually disliked by Orange Jam!!

Who would have thought that Orange Jam would actually come to see Su Ruxue's performance, and even sit right next to me?! And to make matters worse, I was belittling Su Ruxue and calling her pretentious. Who can I complain to?!

What's the point of a life hated by orange jam?!

The boy was crying and was about to rest his head on his friend's shoulder, but his friend suddenly pulled his shoulder away.

The boy's eyes widened.

"Stay away from me, I'm afraid Orange Jam will misunderstand that we're very close," my friend said seriously.