Chapter 7 Million-Dollar Anchor 5
The time of intense preparation passed by like quicksand, and soon it was a week after the preliminary round, and we started the second competition in the rematch.
The content of this competition was a talent show. Mi Lu drew the first ticket and was the first to go on stage. Today she wore a lake blue dress with a layer of red gauze casually draped over her body, which changed her usual gorgeousness and looked fresh and refined.
She sat quietly in the center of the stage, with a microphone stand in front of her. The lights around her were turned into a light sea blue. The sound of waves surged from the audience to the stage, occasionally with the cries of seagulls. The soft accompaniment perfectly matched the sound of the waves. Before anyone knew it, Mi Lu's sweet voice had already sounded.
"The coconut breeze stirs up the silver waves, and the setting sun peeks out from behind the clouds..."
No one expected that she would choose to sing the classic "Girl from the South China Sea".
Mi Lu has a great voice, and everyone present was instantly attracted by her singing. As the lyrics describe, we seem to be on a beach with clear water and fine sand, with coconut trees in front of us , and the gentle breeze accompanying the waves. And she is the South China Sea girl sitting alone in the sunset, wearing a red sarong and with shining eyes.
I closed my eyes unconsciously and hummed along with the melody.
At the end of the song, everyone was still not satisfied, and many fans in the audience stood up and applauded. In an instant, I felt a sense of crisis, because Mi Lu's performance just now was too perfect.
"Excuse me, who is Miss Yuan Wan?" I was still waiting backstage when suddenly a strange voice mentioned my name. A boy in a courier company uniform stood behind me holding a bunch of exquisite pink roses, looking around and asking.
I walked up to him puzzledly: "I'm Yuan Wan."
He handed the flowers over with a smile: "These flowers are from a Mr. Lin Tong. Please sign for them."
Lin Tong is a very romantic guy!
I took the bouquet, smelled the fragrance, then reached my hand into the bouquet and fumbled around, trying to find the card he wrote to me.
"Ouch!" At this moment, my fingertips were suddenly scratched by a cold metal object, followed by a burning pain. I pulled my hand back, and each finger of my left hand was inexplicably cut with several small cuts.
What bad luck...
"Yuan Wan, why are you still standing there?" Just as I was about to go and treat my wound, a staff member walked in and said, "It's your turn now, come and wait."
As she said that, she pulled me away.
Seeing the wound on my fingertip still oozing blood, I could only rub it on my skirt. Anyway, the skirt was dark blue and the blood was invisible, so I stopped the bleeding first.
"Now, please welcome the fifth contestant, Yuan Wan."
I walked out of the curtain, and the shining spotlight suddenly locked onto me. The lights on the stage dimmed, leaving only a beam of light blue that fell on a white grand piano.
That’s right, my talent show is piano performance - Liszt’s "Dream of Love Chapter 3".
Last time when I competed with Mi Lu on "Green Lemon Live", I was unable to present this five-star piano piece to everyone due to piano tuning issues. This is a regret in my heart. Although I changed the venue for the competition this time, my opponent is still Mi Lu. I was able to beat her last time, and I believe I can do it this time too.
I walked to the piano confidently and sat down. The two beams of light above my head merged perfectly into a white light with twinkling stars. I slowly raised my hands and gracefully stroked the black and white keys.
There was total silence under the stage, and in the dark audience seats, even the sound fingertips, I felt a little uneasy. Although the wounds were not deep, they still felt like needle pricks, and it was inevitable that my performance would be affected.
No matter! Just grit your teeth and bear it till it passes!
"when!"
I held the determination to win, took a deep breath, and struck the first note with force. The smooth and beautiful melody flowed from my hands, and the fingertips felt a piercing pain, which made people clearly feel that the wounds on my fingertips were being torn with the strength of my fingers. Soon, a faint red mark appeared on the white keys.
Hold on! Yuan Wan, hold on!
"Hiss..." Because it was so painful, I couldn't bear it and retracted my hand. The sound of the piano suddenly stopped, and I heard a lot of discussions from the audience.
No, Yuanwan, you must persevere!
I secretly wiped my hands on my skirt, gritted my teeth again, and put my fingers back on the keys. At this moment, a shadow suddenly appeared beside me, blocking the light on the side.
I turned my head in confusion, and Zeng Chen, wearing a dark blue dress, appeared like a god. Amid the audience's doubts, he sat down gracefully.
"You just played to the fourth bar, let's continue now." He gently held my injured left hand, "Use your right hand to fill in the notes I skipped."
Zeng Chen's slender hands fell on the piano keys, and he looked at me with gentle but firm eyes. The discussion in the audience brought me back to my senses, and Zeng Chen had already started his performance.
I didn't expect that he played the piano so well, with superb skills. The notes played by his slender fingertips seemed full of magic. Soon, I was brought into his rhythm by him. We didn't need words or eye contact, just relying on feelings, we could cooperate perfectly, it was perfect!
Under the dazzling lights, everything around me seemed to fade away, and it seemed as if there were only Zeng Chen and I in the world. His profile was calm and beautiful, and he just sat there quietly, as if he was glowing.
After we played the last note together, Zeng Chen stood up and bowed with me. I enjoyed the cheers and applause that came like a tidal wave. The audience's reaction was 100 times more enthusiastic than when Mi Lu performed just now.
"Great! So exciting!"
"I am so moved. This is the first time I know that music can be so infectious!"
“I’m almost crying!”
…
I stole a glance at Zeng Chen, and just as I turned my head, I met his gaze. He frowned, his eyes full of worry. I quickly retracted my hand and hid it behind my back.
"Don't worry, I'm fine." I whispered, showing a bright smile.
"Yuan Wan, you cheated!" Mi Lu suddenly rushed onto the stage, pointing at me and yelling, "It was supposed to be a talent show, and you asked Zeng Chen to play four-hand piano with you, that's cheating!"
"Whether it's a solo or a duet, it's a display of personal ability." Zeng Chen turned his head coldly and responded to Mi Lu's accusation, "And I didn't help at all, I was just responsible for cooperation."
"We all performed alone, except Yuan Wan. This is unfair to us!" Mi Lu argued hysterically.
Zeng Chen was very calm. He said calmly, "But there is no rule in personal talent shows that prohibits inviting friends to perform together."
Mi Lu was about to say something, but at this moment, the teachers on the judging panel whispered to each other and came to a conclusion: "Yuan Wan's results are valid."
Just a few simple words made Mi Lu stunned on the spot. I ignored her and walked off the stage with Zeng Chen amid everyone's support.
"What's wrong with your hand?" he asked me as soon as he stepped off the stage.
"I just received a bouquet of roses, and maybe the thorns pricked me when I was looking for the card."
Zeng Chen grabbed my left hand and studied it carefully: "This doesn't look like a thorn..."
Before he could finish his words, the side door was suddenly opened.
"Wan Wan, I'm late!" Lin Tong appeared in front of me, panting. When he saw me, he was startled for a moment, then asked, "Ah? Is it your turn to go on stage?"
"I've finished the competition." I turned my head. "By the way, I've received the flowers you sent me. Thank you."
"Flowers? What flowers?" Lin Tong scratched the back of his head in confusion.
"Stop pretending." I pushed his shoulder unhappily. "Didn't you just have someone send me a bouquet of pink roses?"
"No." Lin Tong's expression was still puzzled. "I just woke up 10 minutes ago. How could I have the time to order flowers for you?"
"Then who sent these flowers?" Now it was my turn to be confused.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Zeng Chen lowered his head slightly as if he was thinking about something.
