Chapter 325: Chapter 325
The man’s Chinese carried a slight accent, but it did not hinder understanding.
With a cold and merciless voice, he delivered a heavy blow to Qin Xiangge.
Qin Xiangge’s face turned pale inch by inch, almost unable to stand upright.
"A gentle and delicate nocturne, yet you played it as though rushing to a date in frustration. This candidate, I find it hard to believe you have a Level 10 certificate."
This was ruthless criticism, pulling no punches.
Qin Xiangge’s teeth gripped her lower lip tightly, tears welling up in her eyes.
The female judge next to him couldn’t stand any longer and interjected, "Pearl, this Candidate Qin, despite her youth, has already obtained a Level 10 certificate. The purpose of holding this competition is to uncover their potential and provide them a free platform to showcase themselves. Such harsh criticism completely contradicts the intent of the competition. We should focus on encouragement, not strike at their confidence."
The man’s lips curled slightly, his gaze cold and disdainful. "So, this is your idea of a good student? Someone who can’t even grasp a simple nocturne properly? If this is the case, I see no need for this competition to continue—all I see are mechanical tools, good for nothing but memorizing scores."
"You...!" The female judge’s face was filled with rage, though another male judge quickly stepped in and tried to smooth things over.
Pearl wrote a score on his card and, without even lifting his head, said, "Next."
Qin Xiangge almost ran off the stage.
She never expected that the piano she was so proud of would one day be criticized as utterly worthless by her idol.
It was an immense blow to her.
What she didn’t know was that, to top-tier romantic pianists like Pearl, mistakes in notes weren’t important; the crucial factors were musical style and personal charisma. Sadly, Pearl saw neither of these in Qin Xiangge. Therefore, her supposedly insignificant "non-errors" became glaringly conspicuous.
Qin Xiangge was like a product of exam-oriented education: diligent, but lacking talent and individuality, relying only on rote memorization and resource stacking. With her Level 10 certificate, this was as far as she could go—forever barred from further progress.
The two locally-raised judges, of course, favored students like Qin Xiangge because they shared much in common with her.
Unfortunately, Pearl, proud and sensitive, couldn’t hold such people in any esteem.
Through blurred tears, a staff member led a young girl toward her.
When she wiped her tears away, the girl had already brushed past her, leaving behind only a faint fragrance lingering at her nose.
Qin Xiangge instinctively turned her head, catching only the girl’s graceful back as it faded into the distance.
Golden-brown curls swayed gently, like a scene from a magical dream.
When the host announced Candidate No. 16’s piece, Qin Xiangge froze briefly before curling her lips into a sardonic smile.
Für Elise—a beginner’s piano piece, impossibly simple.
What did she think this competition was? She actually chose such a simplistic piece.
While it might be entertaining to listeners, in terms of professional aptitude, it lacked competitiveness—utterly powerless as a contender.
Because this piece was too familiar—so familiar it could be played with reversed hands.
Surely, the overly picky Pearl would scoff even harder.
Qin Xiangge didn’t rush back to the waiting room but stood behind the stage curtain, eager to see how harshly Pearl would criticize Candidate No. 16.
On the stage sat a white grand piano, lit by a single spotlight, elegant as if awaiting the knight who would escort the princess.
The girl, dressed in a flowing dress, stepped onto the stage. As she did so, a spotlight fell upon her, illuminating a moment of fleeting brilliance.
It was the color of moonlight.
A deep sense of astonishment flickered in the eyes of the two judges. Official source is ɴovelfire.net
The last girl, Candidate No. 15, had been quite attractive. But compared to this girl, she was merely starlight beside the moon—insignificant and dulled.
Starlight could never rival moonlight.
Pearl, who had been sitting casually, inadvertently glanced up—and in that instant, froze.
No one could remain unmoved by flawless beauty.
The girl faced the direction of the judges, offering a slight bow, then walked to the piano and took her seat gracefully.
The spotlight fell upon her, outlining her slender silhouette from the judges’ perspective—her fine side profile and her elegant hands resting on the piano keys clearly visible.
The girl lowered her head, gazing at the piano keys, yet did not begin playing immediately. Her distant gaze seemed to be recollecting something.
Her fingers brushed the keys, like caressing someone from an old memory.
From Pearl’s angle, he could clearly see the tender and gentle arc of the girl’s lips.
Like a pure lotus blooming in the deep recesses of time—serene, elegant, captivating without vulgarity, and radiantly tender.
While the two judges beside him grew increasingly impatient, Pearl’s eyes had suddenly deepened, his fingers lightly tapping the table as he patiently waited.
An excellent performer doesn’t rely on cheap gimmicks—they merely need to tell a good story.
Under the spotlight, the girl seemed born for the stage. Her presence exuded mystery and an undeniable narrative quality; Pearl could hardly contain his anticipation for the tale she was about to spin.
Realizing this gave him pause—he curled his lips and smiled faintly.
A single stray note rung out, chaotic yet sharp—like the sound of a careless touch.
Qin Xiangge sneered and shook her head. The organizers were truly baffling—they didn’t even filter the participants? This amateur, who probably couldn’t distinguish treble keys from bass ones, had been let in to humiliate everyone?
Unable to restrain herself, she glanced toward Pearl. Would he outright dismiss the girl from the stage?