Chapter 50#

[Ding! Task completed!]#

“Don’t help others bully yourself.”

“You…” Jian Yunchen looked into Qin Mu’s eyes, his voice seemingly dry and stagnant for a moment.

He blinked slowly, the suffocating frustration in his chest feeling as if it had been pierced by a sharp needle, leaving behind nothing but a lingering soreness. He bit his lower lip hard, the pain helping him restrain the emotions welling up within him.

Qin Mu acted as if he didn’t notice his about-to-cry expression, just watching him quietly as the sound of soft breathing flowed slowly through the air. After a long while, Jian Yunchen finally spoke, his clear voice tinged with a hoarse undertone, as if struggling to restrain something: “Qin Mu, if I win, promise me one request.”

“Okay.”

The agreement came so quickly that Jian Yunchen hadn’t even reacted. He stared at him: “I’m serious!”

“I am serious, too.”

Qin Mu replied: “Then if you lose, you also promise me one request.”

These words ignited Jian Yunchen’s competitive spirit. He looked up at him defiantly, only to realize that in the cramped space, the two were extremely close. An ambiguous sentiment sprouted quietly in his heart, and Jian Yunchen’s gaze lingered on Qin Mu’s features, unable to say a word of refusal.

“Do you want me to lose?” he asked softly.

Qin Mu smiled, lowering his gaze to look at him. His tone was deliberately drawn out, teasingly opening his mouth: “Of course I do.”

Jian Yunchen snorted softly, his fingertips winding around Qin Mu’s collar before pulling tight. Qin Mu was pulled into bowing his head, his hands braced against the wall in front of him, forced to press against Jian Yunchen. The dim light could not hide the unyielding brilliance in Jian Yunchen’s eyes, which were burning brightly. He tilted his head and gave a brilliant smile: “I won’t lose.”

The final competition officially kicked off.

Only 7 contestants had advanced from the previous round.

Jian Yunchen was placed 5th.

In this round of the finals, apart from the judges, some of the contestants’ family members were also present in the audience. Jiang Sheng stood steadily off-stage, his gaze landing on Jiang Yunhan, who was under the spotlight.

His talent went without saying. With the sabotage from Jian Yunchen in the original plot removed, his performance went exceptionally smoothly.

Jiang Yunhan wore a smile, his posture straight, his masterful fingering combined with full, rich emotions, causing even Hall’s face to bloom with a gentle smile.

After the performance, Jiang Yunhan bowed slightly and left the stage.

The last one to perform was Jian Yunchen.

Jiang Sheng did not leave; he even maintained a single posture, standing in a nearby corner, watching him just as he had watched Jiang Yunhan.

Jian Yunchen tightened his grip on his violin and slowly took a deep breath. He forcibly suppressed the involuntary trembling of his fingertips, his heart beating like a drum. He gently rested the violin on his shoulder and tilted his head to lean against it.

With eyes closed, his fingers pressed down lightly, and the melody began to flow.

This was a very lyrical song, carrying even a hint of sadness.

He remembered when he was a child, passing by a music room and being drawn by a violin advertisement. In the poster, a little boy played the violin, like a precious little prince.

A 9.9-yuan trial class, a half-hour session, where the teacher said “exceptionally high talent” several times in a row.

It coaxed the Jian Yunchen of that time into saying he had to learn it no matter what.

300 yuan per lesson could cover two days of Jian Xin’s wages.

Two lessons a week; that was how Jian Yunchen learned for two years.

When did it change?

Jian Yunchen himself couldn’t remember.

The period of being doted upon was both blurred and profound; one slight recollection brought up a bloody mess.

When the piece concluded, Jian Yunchen remained dazed for a moment, as if buried in his memories, forgetting where he was until he saw Qin Mu in the audience. That was when he came back to his senses.

He shifted his eyes; Jiang Sheng had already left.

Qin Mu stood in a conspicuous spot in the audience, looking past the judges’ comments, smiling and applauding.

The abrupt applause interrupted the judges, and the room went quiet. In Jian Yunchen’s field of vision, only Qin Mu’s smiling, applauding figure remained.

He stared at him intently, watching as Qin Mu’s lips moved slowly.

The changing lip shape clearly spoke three words: You. Won.

His ears turned red, and his heart, which had been racing too fast, calmed down inexplicably.

Jian Yunchen eventually placed fourth.

The final piece he performed was his own original composition; while it wasn’t highly difficult, it won points for its fresh melody and abundant emotion, giving him a huge boost.

Hall presented the award himself, and Jiang Yunhan stood in the first-place spot with bright eyes.

He tilted his head and glanced secretly at Jiang Yunhan on the high platform. The certificate in his hand felt light. Jiang Sheng had a large display shelf in his study for the trophies Jiang Yunhan had won since childhood; he had seen it quietly.

Only first place.

As he walked off the stage, Jian Yunchen subconsciously dared not look into Hall’s eyes as he passed him.

He quickened his pace, wanting only to escape this embarrassing scene as fast as possible.

But he was stopped by Hall.

Jian Yunchen paused, looking up at him.

Qin Mu, standing in the audience with his arms crossed, watched this moment of the protagonist’s spotlight, the emotions in his eyes gradually turning cold.

[Ding! Task completed!]

Prevented the villain from causing trouble, successfully allowing the protagonist to receive the honor that belonged to him.

Qin Mu had completed the task beautifully.

77 received the task feedback and looked at its host.

It asked cautiously: [Host, was this all part of your plan?]

Qin Mu leaned against the wall. On stage, Jian Yunchen had been stopped by Hall, who leaned in to say a few words, and Jian Yunchen, his little face tense, nodded nervously.

He didn’t answer 77, but followed them.

Backstage, Hall stood with his back to Qin Mu, his tall frame completely blocking Jian Yunchen from view. The distance was too great for Qin Mu to hear their conversation.

After a while, Hall tapped Jian Yunchen’s shoulder lightly and left first. Jian Yunchen’s gaze subconsciously followed him, the joyful expression not yet faded.

The moment he withdrew his gaze, Qin Mu appeared silently before him.

Qin Mu had dropped his smile; his beautiful peach-blossom eyes, lacking the support of that gentle smile, appeared cold and distant.

A cold chuckle escaped his throat: “What were you talking about, so happily? Let me hear it too, shall we?”

Jian Yunchen was stunned, then immediately bloomed into a smile. The gloom of losing the competition was swept away, his entire face brimming with pride. His tone rose, and unable to restrain his reserved showing-off, he said: “Just now, Hall told me that for the first round of the competition, his highest score was dropped.”

Jian Yunchen raised his sparkling eyes to look at Qin Mu, the curve of his mouth rising uncontrollably regardless of his efforts to restrain it—a truly heartfelt smile. He couldn’t help but grab the hem of Qin Mu’s clothes: “He said… he gave me the highest score!”

Qin Mu looked down at him in silence. After a long moment, he suddenly raised his hand to cover the lower half of Jian Yunchen’s face.

Jian Yunchen froze in place, but he only held onto his hand without resisting, looking at him quietly with puzzled eyes.

Qin Mu’s fingertips tightened slightly as he said softly:

“You are not allowed to smile like that at anyone else.”