"Although that's true, I prefer Lu Muyao's piece. Setting aside the beginning and ending, the climax in the middle is really catchy! It's so inspiring!"
"I also like Lu Muyao's piece, but similarly, I only like the climax part..."
As Li Yusha stepped down from the stage, she happened to hear someone saying this. Her nails dug into her palms, but she maintained a calm appearance, smiling and nodding to everyone.
One had to admit that Lu Muyao's climax section was indeed beautiful, and her level of composition was unquestionably above Li Yusha's. However, it was unfortunate that the rest of the piece fell short, resulting in second place.
When Lu Muyao heard that everyone liked her piece, especially the climax part, she felt happy and excited, thinking that she had stolen the spotlight.
"The first eight winners have already performed their award-winning pieces for everyone, so I believe you all have a better understanding of their rankings."
"Now, it's time for the most important part of today—the award ceremony."
"Please welcome our renowned piano master, Teacher Cao, to present the honorary certificates to the winners from fourth to eighth place!"
The applause resounded in the auditorium.
Cao Bin adjusted his suit button and gracefully walked onto the stage, presenting the honorary certificates to each winner and taking commemorative photos.
After they stepped down, the host picked up the microphone again, speaking with passion, "Next, let's invite our Piano Association President, Qin Zhilan, to present the trophies to the winners of the first to third places!"
The applause from the audience grew even louder, thunderous.
Third place Liu Feifei, second place Lu Muyao, and first place Li Yusha left their seats elegantly and walked toward the stage.
All three of them were seventeen or eighteen years old, talented and outstanding, becoming one of the highlights of this year's event.
While waving and greeting the crowd, Lu Muyao also nodded in acknowledgment to Li Yusha, but it seemed that Li Yusha didn't notice her gesture. Instead, she waved and smiled at other people.
After Qin Zhilan took the stage, she presented the champion trophy to Li Yusha and the third-place trophy to Liu Feifei. Then, she cast a chilling gaze at Lu Muyao.
That look, as if she were staring at a thief!
The host was momentarily stunned and hurriedly intervened, "President Qin, there's still the second place... You forgot to present the trophy to the second-place winner..."
Lu Muyao felt a bit embarrassed, but with so many eyes on her from the audience and the cameras of the reporters, she smiled politely and maintained her composure, "President Qin, I am the second-place winner of this competition, Lu Muyao."
"I know." Qin Zhilan's tone was icy cold, her gaze even sharper than before.
When Lu Muyao mentioned her "second place," the knives in Qin Zhilan's eyes seemed eager to slash through her lies.
Everyone was a bit confused, even the host had no idea what was happening. They all felt that the way President Qin looked at Lu Muyao's eyes resembled that of an enemy...
The host could only use his eyes to signal the pageant attendant who was holding the trophy. The attendant understood, smiled, and presented the trophy to Qin Zhilan, implying that the second-place trophy was for her.
Qin Zhilan remained standing, unmoving like a towering mountain, her gaze chilling to the extreme.
"You don't deserve the second-place trophy!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the whole audience erupted into an uproar!
Even the color drained from Lu Muyao's face in an instant, overwhelmed with embarrassment.
Lu Zhenhai and Xu Aiqin in the audience stood up suddenly, trying to understand what was happening.
Even Gao Yang was stunned, unable to believe that President Qin, who had always cherished the younger generation and been amiable, would say such words!
"What do you mean by that, President Qin?" the host smiled, trying to defuse the situation. "Do you mean that after listening to Lu Muyao's performance just now, you think she deserves a higher ranking?"
The host's words hit the nail on the head. The audience members who had previously thought there was something wrong with Lu Muyao's piece breathed a sigh of relief. So that was the case.
President Qin felt that Lu Muyao's level was worthy of the first place?!
Beside her, Li Yusha instinctively tightened her grip on the champion trophy. Could it be that President Qin would publicly announce that Lu Muyao is more qualified to win the championship in front of everyone?
"I'm asking you," Qin Zhilan didn't take the host's lifeline, but instead looked into Lu Muyao's eyes and asked each word deliberately, "The piece you just played, did you compose it all by yourself?"
Lu Muyao had already realized something, her heart pounding like a drum, her whole body going weak. "Y-Yes..."
"In other words, this piece, from beginning to end, every note, every melody, is your own creation and has nothing to do with anyone else?"
Lu Muyao was on the verge of losing her balance, not understanding Qin Zhilan's meaning. Did Qin Zhilan know that she had taken the climax part from Qing Yan, and that's why she publicly questioned her?
No, it couldn't be. Who was Qin Zhilan? How could she know about Qing Yan, such a small figure?
Unless Qing Yan had found her and told her something, otherwise...
"President Qin, I have no idea what others might have told you," Lu Muyao planned to deny it to the end. The best approach now was to create a diversion and shift their attention elsewhere!
"If you think I had such wild and ignorant thoughts as admiring you and wanting to be your disciple after seeing you on stage just now, I apologize." Lu Muyao maintained her composure as a young lady, neither humble nor overbearing, taking a step back as a way to move forward. "You mentioned earlier that you don't accept disciples, and even if you did, you wouldn't accept anyone from the Lu family. I don't know what wrong our Lu family has done... But as a senior, you have the right to choose your own disciples... I understand and won't force it. I even feel that I'm not good enough to earn your favor."
"But when you were on stage just now, in front of so many people, you said that I wasn't worthy of wearing Muqing's clothes and jewelry. Perhaps you don't know that I've always regarded you as my idol, and I've been working hard to learn the piano just to get closer to you..."
With just a few simple sentences, she painted President Qin as a negative character, someone "rude," "bullying the younger generation," and "arrogant"!
Qin Zhilan had never encountered such a cunning person before. She may be young, but she was quite calculating!
"I never expected President Qin to be this kind of person. Lu Muyao has been desperately learning the piano just to get closer to her, and she not only refuses to accept disciples, but also says such hurtful words. Lu Muyao must be feeling so sad after hearing that, right?"
"I think Lu Muyao looks great in Muqing's clothes. Is President Qin being too meddlesome? What she wants to wear and what she wants to put on is none of her business, right?"
"President Qin doesn't have to mentor or help the younger generation, but intentionally embarrassing them in such an important occasion..."
"I think President Qin lacks manners..."
"It's impressive how strong Lu Muyao's mental resilience is. Being a young lady from a wealthy family, her upbringing and broad-mindedness are truly different from ordinary people..."
Most of the people in the audience were praising Lu Muyao.
Lu Muyao, seeing how her few words had turned the situation around, looked at President Qin with a hint of provocation in her eyes.