Invitation from the Competition Organizers

Fiona Xiang was an exceptionally good conversationalist. In just half an hour, Ian Song felt much more familiar with her, and even wished the chat could go on longer.

"Sorry, I should head to the café now," Ian said apologetically.

"Mind if I come along?" Fiona asked.

"Sure, I'll treat you to coffee," Ian replied with a grin.

Ingrid spotted Ian as he walked in and came over to greet him. "Ian, you're here... Uh, is this your girlfriend? She's so pretty."

Fiona smiled gracefully. "You misunderstood, sis. I'm Fiona Xiang, Ian's classmate."

"Sorry about that," Ingrid said quickly.

"No problem," Fiona replied.

"Ingrid, please arrange a seat for my classmate. Put it on my tab," Ian said.

"Sure thing," Ingrid replied.

After arranging things with Fiona, Ian Song made a quick round through Mira Su’s office, then walked over to the piano, lifted the lid, and let his gaze fall on the black and white keys. Feeling a subtle stirring in his heart, he decided to play a piece gifted by the system.

He quickly sifted through the remaining eight pieces in his mind and decided to play one called “Blue and White Porcelain.”

This piece was adapted from a song, and the system’s description said: It was composed and performed by a superstar from another world—a hugely popular song that tells a hauntingly beautiful story…

Ian took a deep breath and placed his fingers on the keys.

The next moment—

His fingers danced, and the beautiful yet sorrowful melody of “Blue and White Porcelain” flowed from his hands.

Music touches the heart and soul most deeply. “Blue and White Porcelain” was an extraordinary piece, and with Ian’s Piano Master skill, the notes seemed to transport the café’s guests into a Jiangnan water town.

Drizzle fell as mist like thin smoke filled the air. A Jiangnan woman in a qipao, holding a paper umbrella, gracefully approached, stepping onto a stone bridge to meet a gentle, scholarly man…

The fine rain, thin mist, stone bridge, and small river conjured a world more real than reality.

“This is a classical piece… so sorrowful.” Mira Su had gotten used to hearing Ian play every day, but she hadn’t expected him to pull out another original. This one was so stunning that she was quickly lost in the mood of the music.

When the piece ended, most customers were still lost in the mood Ian had created—some of the more sensitive women even shed tears.

“Such a beautiful piece, such a touching story.” Fiona gazed at the tall figure on stage, her eyes growing dreamy. He might seem a bit dull, but he could write music that moved people so deeply.

Then she thought of Ian’s martial arts skills and sighed softly. “Ian Song, just how many secrets do you still have hidden?”

Sitting beside Fiona was a short-haired, middle-aged woman in a beige suit. She gently wiped away her tears, already determined to invite this young man to the Riverstone City Piano Competition—if he participated, the contest’s prestige would surely rise.

She also marveled that such a small café had a master-level pianist, and one so young—truly, talent could be found among ordinary people.

After two hours of playing, Ian rose and thanked the guests, earning another round of enthusiastic applause.

After collecting his wages and leaving Mira Su’s office, Ian felt relieved—today, Mira hadn’t asked who composed “Blue and White Porcelain.” Otherwise, he’d have to pin it on his imaginary study-abroad friend again.

“What’s the name of the first piece?” Fiona asked, looking at him.

“Blue and White Porcelain.”

“Can you give me the sheet music? I want to adapt it for guzheng.” Fiona asked, her face full of anticipation.

“Sure, I’ll give it to you tomorrow.” The piece already had a classical flavor—if adapted for guzheng, it would be great.

After asking Ingrid to settle the bill, Ian was about to leave the café when a middle-aged woman in a beige suit walked over and handed him a business card. “Excuse me for interrupting, sir. My name is Zhen Yun, one of the organizers of the Riverstone City Piano Competition. May I have a word with you?”

Ian hesitated slightly, then nodded. “Okay.”

They sat down again, and Zhen Yun asked politely, “May I ask your name?”

“My name is Ian Song.”

“So you are Mr. Song.”

Hearing the honorific, Ian felt a bit awkward, but Zhen Yun continued, “Mr. Song, I wonder if you’ve heard about the upcoming Riverstone City Piano Competition next month?”

Ian’s heart stirred—he remembered Shelly Song had signed up for that contest.

He nodded. “I’ve heard of it.”

“Have you signed up to compete?” Zhen Yun asked.

Ian shook his head.

Hearing that Ian hadn’t registered, Zhen Yun felt a bit disappointed. Clearly, the contest’s influence was still too small—and maybe Ian didn’t care for it. Feeling nervous, she said, “Mr. Song, as one of the organizers, I’d like to invite you to compete. Would you be interested?”

“Competing in the piano contest would be a great way to earn Fame Points,” Ian thought, lowering his head in contemplation.

Seeing him hesitate, Zhen Yun grew anxious and decided to sweeten the deal: “Mr. Song, your piano skills rival those of famous masters. If you agree to compete, you can skip the preliminaries and semifinals and go straight to the finals. Plus, the champion gets a 100,000 yuan prize.”

Fame Points and cash—why wouldn’t he go for it?

“Ms. Zhen, I agree to participate.”

“That’s wonderful!” Zhen Yun said excitedly. “Thank you so much, Mr. Song.”

“No problem. I should be thanking you for the opportunity. By the way, I’m still a student, so just call me Ian. ‘Mr. Song’ sounds a bit awkward!”

“Haha, my mistake.”

They exchanged contact information and chatted for a while before going their separate ways.

Leaving the café, Fiona, who hadn’t spoken for a while, smiled and asked, “Ian, does Shelly know you play piano?”

“Mm.” Ian nodded.

“She’s competing too, and she’s sure she’ll win. If you take the championship, I bet her reaction will be priceless.”

Hearing this, Ian hesitated. If he won, would Shelly resent him? She’d always looked down on her cousin, but he didn’t want to hurt her.

“What’s wrong? Afraid Shelly will be upset if she loses?” Fiona asked with a smile.

After a moment’s silence, Ian nodded.

Fiona went on, “You’re overthinking it. I know Shelly well—she’s proud, but not petty. If you win, you two might actually get closer.”

“Really?” Ian’s eyes lit up—he did want to get along better with Shelly.

Fiona just smiled, saying nothing.