After listening to Qing Yan's improvisation, Li Yusha had only one question in her mind: why was Qing Yan able to perform so well without any preparation?
Over the years, Li Yusha had also listened to many obscure piano compositions, and she was certain that the melodies Qing Yan played just now had never been published. It was highly likely that he had improvised on the spot!
How could he come up with such excellent improvisations without repeatedly pondering and carefully constructing the melodies?
Earlier, she had naively asked him if he had learned the piano or won any awards, boasting about her own fifty-plus first-place awards and her apprenticeship under the renowned piano maestro Andy. She felt utterly embarrassed now.
In the presence of the master of pitch recognition, Andy was nothing compared to Qing Yan. Perfect pitch was a legend in the piano world that remained unbroken to this day!
Qing Yan had won numerous prestigious awards both domestically and internationally, ranking alongside the legendary Long Lao as a master-level figure. In the eyes of the master of pitch recognition, even if her opponent had won over fifty first-place awards, it wouldn't matter. Their level was on a completely different plane.
Li Yusha felt like she had made a fool of herself. When she arrogantly asked those questions earlier, Qing Yan was still playing games. She thought he was a loser for life, but little did she know...
Her contempt and self-righteousness had turned into slaps on her own face one by one...
Li Yusha couldn't quite describe her current feelings—defeat? Resentment? Sadness? Disappointment? Frustration? Uselessness?
"It's your turn," on the stage, Qin Zhilan raised her red lips, confidently looking at Lu Muyao. "Senior Pitch Recognition has already completed his improvisation, and everyone has witnessed his level. Didn't you believe that your talent surpasses Senior Pitch Recognition? Now you have the opportunity to show everyone."
Lu Muyao stood still, trembling uncontrollably. She knew better than anyone else about her own composition skills. Once she showcased them, it would undoubtedly be a laughingstock.
How could she possibly compare to the master of pitch recognition?
Qin Zhilan noticed her predicament and sneered coldly, "If you can't improvise, then just play a piece of well-known music that you've heard before."
Lu Muyao couldn't play...
Although her private tutor had taught her pieces like Canon, Für Elise, and Wedding in a Dream, she couldn't remember a complete melody without sheet music.
Even if someone placed the sheet music in front of her and asked her to play, she played with a lot of hesitation, definitely not as smoothly as Qing Yan just now. Anyone who understands the piano can immediately tell her level!
"You can't even play the top ten famous pieces?" Qin Zhilan felt ironic; she had really overestimated her earlier.
Lu Muyao bit her lip and persisted, "I just had a blank mind suddenly..."
Seeing her embarrassed look, Qin Zhilan found it amusing. "Since you can't improvise and have no impression of the top ten famous pieces, then just play something you know."
Lu Muyao remained motionless. Over the past month, she had only practiced the piano piece "Sorrow," and she hadn't practiced any others at all.
"What? You can't even play other piano pieces? Not even the simplest 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star'?"
Laughter erupted from the audience.
"I didn't expect Lu Muyao really can't play the piano!"
"She only knows 'Sorrow'?"
"She can't memorize sheet music?"
"For someone learning the piano, memorizing sheet music is the most basic... It's unbelievable that she can't even remember a complete piece of sheet music."
"The key is, not being able to play 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star' is a bit too much! I could play it when I was four years old."
"Someone like her has no right to get second place."
"Her second place definitely has some unfairness!"
Lingqin, the judge and teacher sitting in the front row of the audience, held the microphone and said in disappointment, "In this year's piano competition, not only do the contestants need to have extremely high playing skills, but they also have to compose their own pieces. From the first round of auditions to the top eight in the third round, you all played the same piece."
Other contestants would have multiple pieces to play, trying to show the judges a better side and score more points.
But Lu Muyao only played "Sorrow" from start to finish.
"At first, I thought you were very confident in the piece you composed, thinking that with just one piece, you could surpass all competitors. That's why you played the same piece from start to finish. I even thought you were quite self-assured. But I didn't expect that you weren't confident; you only know how to play 'Sorrow' from start to finish!"
Teacher Lingqin was utterly disappointed with her. "You tried to take a shortcut and deceive your way through such a serious and grand occasion. I'm very disappointed in you."
"No, no, it's not like that..." Lu Muyao was on the verge of tears. "I don't only know this one piece..."
The people in the audience below jeered one after another:
"Then why don't you play? Show us your skills and prove yourself!"
"You're feeling insecure because Qing Yan plays so well, aren't you? Scared to play, huh?"
"Apologize!"
"Apologize to Master Qing Yan!"
"You don't deserve second place! You don't even deserve to be in this circle!"
"Lumu Yao, you are a disgrace to the piano world! Get out of this circle!"
"Get out! Get out!"
Luzhenhai and Xu Aiqin watched helplessly as their daughter went from being the second place adored by thousands to being treated like a despised street rat, and all thanks to Qing Yan!
Feeling heartbroken, they were about to speak up when Qing Yan spoke first.
"Just now, backstage, I ran into one of your former classmates," Qing Yan spoke with a calm expression and a strong presence. "Let's invite her on stage now."
Everyone looked on in surprise as a girl stepped onto the stage, poised and graceful. She spoke, "Hello, everyone. My name is Xu Tingting. I accompanied Liu Feifei to attend the awards ceremony, and I used to be in the same class as Lu Muyao."
Lu Muyao exclaimed in shock, "Xu Tingting!"
They used to be good friends, even best friends. But later on, they had some conflicts, and after Xu Tingting transferred schools, they lost touch...
Never would she have expected her former friend to come forward and expose her like this. Was it because she had shown off her second-place achievement to Xu Tingting earlier, before the ceremony started?
Or did Xu Tingting get bribed by Qing Yan?
Regardless of the reason, Lu Muyao felt like she was doomed today! She instinctively clenched her fists, her face pale.
"Lu Muyao came from a poor family before. I've been to her house, and there was no piano there. But she envied my piano since we were young. Every time she came to my house, she would touch that piano."
"I can testify that she didn't learn piano before high school. She couldn't even differentiate between the bass and treble clefs."
"Her piano journey must have started after high school."