Hearing so many people shouting his name in unison, Ian Song felt a strange wave of emotion inside. His gaze swept across the audience and spotted quite a few familiar faces—like the Zhao Family siblings, his classmate Zach Zhang, Rae Xiao, and others.
He also saw several martial friends he’d met through the National Martial League. Of course, his uncle and aunt were present too, sitting right in the front row.
“Thank you, everyone. Next, I’m going to play an original composition I wrote—‘Fated Yet Apart.’” Ian’s voice carried through the arena via his headset, reaching every ear in the hall. He bowed to the crowd, then strode to the piano.
He sat down, lifted the piano lid, and placed his fingers on the black-and-white keys—but didn’t start playing right away.
Scenes with Hannah Han flashed through his mind, bringing a bittersweet ache to his heart. That’s right—he’d only composed ‘Fated Yet Apart’ earlier today.
His piano skill had already reached the level of Piano God—if he wanted, he could write a top-tier piece in just a few minutes.
The notes of ‘Fated Yet Apart’ drifted through his mind. Taking a deep breath, he finally let his fingers move across the black-and-white keys.
“Dong dong... dong dong!”
A low, gentle melody flowed through all sixteen speakers, filling the entire Riverstone City Sports Arena.
The music sounded simple enough, and the playing wasn’t complicated, but it had a unique sweetness—like returning to the days of first love. Guided by the melody, everyone closed their eyes, sinking into their own memories.
After upgrading to Piano God, Ian’s Emotion Control ability automatically activated whenever he played, amplifying the audience’s feelings more than tenfold.
As the first section ended and the second began, the melody carried a hint of restless excitement and anxious uncertainty—just like a boy nervously preparing to confess his feelings to a girl.
The expressions on the audience’s faces shifted too: some smiled in sweetness, some winced in pain, some looked frustrated, and some were filled with regret.
As the second section finished and the third began, the music grew even softer and heavier.
Everyone in the hall felt a stab of pain inside. Through the music, they understood—the boy’s confession had failed. Sadness and disappointment washed over them.
Thanks to Emotion Control, most of the audience was moved to tears by heartbreak and disappointment at that moment.
Jiangzhou City, Hannah Han’s home.
Right now, Hannah was sitting on the living room couch, watching the live broadcast of the piano competition on Milky Way TV.
When Ian Song appeared on screen, a proud smile appeared on her face. But when he announced he’d play ‘Fated Yet Apart,’ her expression froze and she felt a sudden ache inside.
As the music began, the low, gentle melody seemed to pierce straight into her heart—and she found herself smiling again.
As she listened to the second section, a suspicion crept into her mind—was he using their story as the inspiration for this piece?
Soon, the music reached the third section, and a gentle sorrow and endless disappointment spread through the air...
In an instant, her defenses crumbled. Tears streamed down her face as regret flooded her heart. If... if I hadn’t been so firm this morning, maybe—I might already be together with him.
The entire piece had only three sections. As the final note faded into the air, the audience remained lost in the world Ian Song had created. Of the eighteen thousand people present, two-thirds were moved to tears.
Silence. Not a single clap.
A full ten seconds passed before scattered applause began—then it grew louder and louder, echoing through the whole arena and refusing to fade.
“Thank you, everyone!”
“Thank you!”
Ian Song smiled at the audience as he spoke.
“Play another!”
“Oh, come on, you made me cry!”
“Ian Song, we want to hear more!”
...
At first, only a few people called out, but soon nearly ninety percent of the crowd was demanding another performance from Ian Song.
“Sorry for making everyone cry. This time, I’ll play something cheerful—‘Ode to Joyfulness,’ just for you.”
Ian returned to the piano. As his hands danced across the keys, a stream of joyful notes poured out—his own original piece, ‘Ode to Joyfulness,’ which had a playful flavor. For a moment, it was as if a lively girl was making faces right in front of everyone.
Thanks to Emotion Control, everyone’s mood instantly brightened; smiles appeared at the corners of every mouth.
When the piece ended, applause crashed over the stage like a tidal wave, almost blowing the roof off the sports arena.
The clapping lasted a full two minutes before it finally died down.
“That wasn’t easy—I finally get a chance to speak!” joked judge Ethan Lan, provoking a round of laughter.
Ethan Lan continued, “Compared to last time, Ian Song’s skills have improved dramatically—I’m truly amazed. Whether it’s performance or composition, I have only one thing to say: flawless. Ian, I want you to know—I’m now a fan of yours.”
*Clap clap clap!*
Another round of enthusiastic applause followed.
“Thank you, Judge!” Ian replied modestly.
The other judge, Liying Yang, said, “Ian Song, I kind of hate you! I spent an hour on my makeup and now you’ve made me cry. Shouldn’t you compensate me?”
The audience burst into laughter at Liying Yang’s playful remark.
Xie Yang chimed in, “Both pieces were absolutely perfect. ‘Fated Yet Apart’ brought tears to thousands, while ‘Ode to Joyfulness’ made everyone smile. Ian Song, I have to say—you’re a genius. Your mastery of emotion is godlike. I dare say, no pianist in the world can match you!”
Ian Song humbly replied that he didn’t dare accept such praise.
A few minutes earlier, in the presidential suite of the Gaelton Hotel in South Sea City, superstar actress-singer Murong Xinyue was glued to the TV.
She was watching the very moment of Ian Song’s piano performance in the competition.
Gradually, tears welled up in Murong Xinyue’s eyes. When the music reached the third section, she couldn’t hold back her sorrow any longer and began to cry.
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“What a troublesome guy—he actually made me cry!”
But soon, as she listened to Ian Song’s ‘Ode to Joyfulness,’ all her sadness vanished, and a smile lit up her beautiful face.
After Ian Song’s performance ended, a strong thought arose in her heart: I want to invite him to accompany me at my concert.
With that in mind, she quickly picked up the phone and dialed her agent’s number.
Soon, her agent, Su Su Yang, came over from the next room.
“Oh my, Miss Xinyue, I finally get a chance to rest, and you’re calling me over again! What is it now?” Su Su Yang yawned, her face deeply tired.
Murong Xinyue had been on a nationwide concert tour lately. As her agent, Su Su Yang had to run around handling all sorts of matters, leaving her utterly exhausted—she barely slept more than five hours a day.
Today, she finally had a chance to rest, only to be woken up by a call from Murong Xinyue.
“Don’t be mad, Su Su!” Murong Xinyue hugged her agent’s arm, shaking it as she acted cute.
“Alright, little ancestor, enough with that. Just tell me what you want.” Su Su Yang said, half exasperated.
“I want him to accompany me!” Murong Xinyue pointed at Ian Song on the TV.
Su Su Yang froze, then frowned. “Little ancestor, what are you up to now? The band and accompanists for every concert are already set—if you change things, it’ll mess up the whole company’s plans!”
Murong Xinyue smiled mysteriously. “Su Su, once you see him play, you’ll understand why I want him as my accompanist!”
As she spoke, Murong Xinyue picked up the remote and rewound the TV to the part where Ian Song started playing ‘Fated Yet Apart.’
At first, Su Su Yang wasn’t impressed, but soon her expression changed—she was completely drawn into the music. By the time the piece ended, she was in tears, quietly sobbing.