The five judges listened in astonishment to the melody emerging from Xia Yu’s hands.
The melody was not only free of flaws but also somewhat excellent?
“It’s Tears of the Moon,” said one of the judges who played the guzheng and recognized the piece.
The other four nodded without further comment. They watched Xia Yu play, observing his movements.
Originally, music is an auditory enjoyment, and it’s normal to close one’s eyes while listening. However, neither the five judges nor the audience below could close their eyes.
They were not only listeners now but also spectators.
Xia Yu’s elegant movements blended with the melodious tune on stage, creating an enchanting scene.
“It’s the Hua School of guzheng!” an enthusiast in the audience identified the school.
Only the Hua School of guzheng emphasizes visual aesthetics alongside the music.
The five judges exchanged glances.
The Hua School has only one lineage, so it was needless to say—it must be a disciple of Liu Ronglan!
Who was it that previously claimed this contestant had no teacher? Clearly, this is Liu Ronglan’s heir!
After a brief moment of surprise, the five judges calmed themselves and listened to the music.
Tears of the Moon doesn’t have complex emotional shifts—it’s simply a graceful piece with a touch of sorrow.
Tears of the Moon is also the name of a blue-flowered trumpet vine. In the hands of other schools, playing Tears of the Moon would make listeners close their eyes and lose themselves in a sea of blue flowers.
But Xia Yu’s performance was as if he had transformed into a single flower of Tears of the Moon, blooming on stage, glowing softly.
Though there was no wind inside the hall, a breeze seemed to arise from the music, swaying the blue flowers. Xia Yu’s body seemed to sway gently along.
When the piece ended, the audience remained immersed in the scene they had just experienced.
“A truly wonderful performance of Tears of the Moon,” one judge finally broke the silence.
Initially, the judge had intended to use the word “touching,” but Xia Yu’s guzheng had gone beyond auditory enjoyment.
“We never expected the Hua School of guzheng to still have an inheritor,” another judge remarked.
“Is Liu Ronglan your teacher?” a third judge asked.
“Yes,” Xia Yu replied.
“How come we’ve never heard of you before?” one judge questioned, puzzled.
“My mother was a student of Madam Liu, and I’ve been learning from her all along,” Xia Yu used Kong Hanyue as a shield.
“So it’s a family tradition,” the five judges nodded in understanding.
“Piano, violin, guzheng—one more skillful than the next. Truly extraordinary,” they marveled again.
“This piece is something even your teacher in her time couldn’t surpass.”
After some more encouraging words, the judges allowed Xia Yu to leave the stage.
Returning to his seat, Xia Yu sat down.
Behind him, a man in glasses stared at his back, his heart filled with mixed emotions.
Yesterday, he had told a friend that Xia Yu might play the guzheng, and both had laughed heartily at the idea. Never did he expect that Xia Yu would actually perform on the guzheng today—and with even greater mastery than the violin!
Xia Yu’s guzheng playing had already reached the level of pouring the music’s emotions into it, a level he himself had yet to achieve.
Recalling the events from the first to the third round, the man in glasses felt a sense of injustice.
In the first round, he had seen Xia Yu’s piano playing as slightly inferior to his own, feeling proud.
In the second round, Xia Yu switched to the violin, matching his technical level and even showcasing fast fingerwork. Reluctantly, he had placed Xia Yu on equal footing with himself.
But now, in the third round, the opponent had brought out the guzheng again, displaying a level far beyond his own?
Why couldn’t you just play the guzheng from the first round! Why must you torment me like this!
He tugged at his hair and sighed.
The remaining contestants didn’t offer any particularly impressive performances. By four o’clock in the afternoon, the day’s competition ended, and everyone left the venue.
Back at the hotel, Xia Yu felt somewhat disappointed because he still hadn’t seen An Siyao. Although An Siyao’s competition number was scheduled for the next day, other contestants who were to perform the next day had still come to the venue.
It seemed that An Siyao’s cold had not yet recovered.
He wasn’t overly worried, however. From what he had heard from Liu Ronglan, the cold wasn’t serious. He would see An Siyao tomorrow when she competed.
After dinner, with nothing else to do, Xia Yu went to bed early.
At six o’clock the next morning, he once again found himself in the body of the white cat.
Today, another group of potential adopters would come. Hopefully, among them would be someone trustworthy.
Meanwhile, Tina and the group of children had already woken up. When some of their peers were taken away by adopters, they naturally felt something and held expectations.
Except for the two troublemakers.
The two boys had finally given up all hope. Once released from their room, they happily played by themselves.
This time, they encountered Xia Yu again.
The two hesitated briefly and decided to give the white cat some face on this festive occasion, resolving not to bother it today.
Still, they had to issue their threats.
Facing their provocations, Xia Yu yawned. He jumped onto the windowsill nearby and kicked a pot of succulent plants onto the floor.
The clay pot tipped over, spilling the succulent and soil.
The two boys were delighted. They had originally dared not provoke the white cat, but now the cat had practically handed them an opportunity for revenge!
Laughing loudly, they called over a nearby staff member to file a complaint.
However, the staff member didn’t reprimand the white cat. Instead, he harshly tapped the two boys on the head.
“You’re really something, now you’ve even learned to frame others!” the staff member said sternly.
“We didn’t! The cat knocked it over—it’s still on the windowsill, look!” the boys presented their evidence.
“I know you too well. You knocked over the pot and then placed the cat on top, didn’t you? Why don’t you just smear some dirt on its paws too!”
Grabbing their hands, the staff member dragged them away. “Miao Miao is such a good cat, and you’re still trying to frame it. Come on, let’s go see the director.”
“We’re the ones being framed!”
The two boys turned their heads to look at the white cat. It calmly watched them, its expression seemingly smug.
As if everything had been under its control all along.
A chill ran through the two boys, and a sense of fear rose in their hearts.
If the white cat causes trouble in the future, wouldn’t it always be blamed on them two?
Stay away! From now on, they must definitely stay far away from this cat!
Watching the two boys being led upstairs, Xia Yu sighed, lamenting their lack of self-awareness.
He turned his gaze to the window again. The bus had arrived, and this time, more people had come than before.
Opening the window, he darted outside, circling around the feet of the newcomers.
His eyes settled on a particular couple. The warmth radiating from them was only slightly less than Tina’s.
They appeared to be in their thirties or forties, dressed in simple clothes, seemingly of modest means.
That was more than enough.
The couple entered the hall and saw the group of children playing.
Their eyes were immediately drawn to a blonde, blue-eyed girl.
But after exchanging a glance, they averted their gaze.
Although they were considered wealthy in their small town, in a big city, they were nothing special. Such a beautiful girl would never be available to them.
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