The assistant beside her seemed helpless and asked softly again. They, the workers, had it tough; fixing it wasn't difficult, but if a surprise inspection came from above, their work would clearly not meet the standards.
"See if there's anyone from the music department who plays the guzheng, and let them fill in for now. We'll figure things out later!" After all, this backup tape was there for emergencies, and now they had no choice but to have someone fill in, acting as the face of the event.
Grace Gu glanced at the people above, not knowing what they were saying, and couldn't help but ask, "Who was he scolding just now?"
Qin Jun, feeling a bit bored, explained, "Who else could it be? Our Hong Kong University's music goddess, Jasmine Dai. After this, I wonder if this goddess will turn into a laughingstock; it'll definitely be a hot topic after meals."
Emily Gu snorted coldly, "She's just a clown."
Qin Jun glanced at her and laughed, "Who was crying and begging that day over a clown? If it weren't for him going to that nightclub to find you, your brother would have skinned you alive."
Emily Gu snorted again, "Do you think there's anything in this city my brother doesn't know? Foolish.
"
Just as the two were bickering, a figure stopped beside Grace Gu. "Excuse me, we have a guzheng here. Would you like to try it?"
Grace Gu was about to refuse when Emily Gu suddenly had an idea. "Grace, go try it! You play much better than Jasmine Dai."
Emily Gu knew Grace could play the guzheng by chance. The first time they went to the antique market, she saw the guzheng and her eyes lit up.
Although she only played two notes, Emily Gu, who had some knowledge of such things, immediately realized that Grace was not faking ignorance. The way her eyes lingered on the guzheng clearly showed her fascination.
At the time, Emily Gu had wanted to buy it for her, but Grace refused no matter what. She remembered Grace's calm words: "Good things should find their rightful owner. If it stays with me, it would just be wasted."
Seeing Grace's hesitation, Emily Gu whispered in her ear, "Grace, a woman can also build her own future. This is your chance."
Grace Gu's eyes showed a slight surprise. She had always thought of Emily as a naive woman who didn't ask about the world, but she never expected her to be so perceptive. Was this what people meant by "wisdom disguised as ignorance"?
A woman could be her own pillar and create her own future.
Was that true?
Grace Gu wasn't sure what had come over her, but she ended up following the person upstairs. As she sat in front of the guzheng, she kept thinking about Emily's words. Could she really achieve a rebirth, as Emily had said?
Down below, Qin Jun gave Emily a strange look. "You two don't have any deep grudges, do you? Jasmine Dai might not have the best character, but she certainly has the musical talent. Aren't you sending her to her doom?"
"Can you shut up for once?" Emily shot him a glance and snapped.
Qin Jun, realizing he was talking to no one, fell silent, because the woman on stage had begun to play. Her movements were graceful and harmonious, with her notes rising and falling like a soft hum, peaceful yet full of hidden beauty. The surrounding crowd quieted down in awe.
She was already stunning, but the water-blue dress she wore made her seem even more mysterious. Her delicate fingers gently plucked the strings, like strolling by the Weishui River, or walking amidst lush, fragrant flowers…
The feeling it gave was different for each person, but everyone could feel the subtle beauty in the music. It was quiet and elegant, far from the overwhelming grandeur of a staged performance.
Qin Jun nudged Emily, "Where did you find this treasure?"
At first, he had thought she was just another woman trying to get close to Emily to make a move on Ethan Gu, but now he realized he was wrong. This woman exuded an otherworldly charm, far from the cunning type.
Emily completely ignored him, treating him like an annoying fly buzzing in her ear. At that moment, her heart was full of mixed feelings. She knew Grace, but she had never fully understood her. There was something about this woman that drew her in deeply. But she was also worried for her future.
Would a man like Julian Bai really let her slip out of his control easily? After all, women like Grace were rare, and despite her innocence, Emily had heard enough to know that some things weren't so simple. The Bai family was a powerful, high-status one, not the kind of place anyone could easily step into.
The shock ended when Emily and Grace left the hall. The event manager had tried to inquire about Grace's identity, but all his questions were blocked by Emily.
As they walked out of the hall, a man dressed like a bodyguard appeared in front of them. "Excuse me, Miss, our sir would like to meet you."
He spoke directly to Grace Gu, seemingly ignoring Emily.
Grace frowned slightly. "Sorry, I don't know your sir."
Just as she was about to leave, Emily grabbed her and, without any embarrassment from being ignored, smiled brightly. "How could Mr. Chu be here at Hong Kong University?"
"Mr. Chu is an honorary director at Hong Kong University. With the centennial celebration, it's natural for him to return to Hong Kong," the bodyguard explained.
Emily thought for a moment, recalling that Mr. Chu was indeed an honorary director at the university. It wasn't too surprising for him to return for such a major event.
The bodyguard looked at Grace Gu again, noticing that she seemed unperturbed, as if she had never heard of Mr. Chu. He couldn't help but feel displeased.
Emily quickly smiled. "If Mr. Chu has the time, we should visit him."
Was this a tacit agreement? The bodyguard said "mm" and turned to lead the way. Grace was reluctantly dragged along by Emily into a simple-looking room. However, once inside, they found it was filled with all kinds of musical instruments.
The man sitting there was in his sixties but looked energetic. This was Grace's first impression of Mr. Chu. And when Mr. Chu saw Grace, he was slightly taken aback, admiring her exquisite appearance.
When he had watched them rehearse earlier, he was astonished. How could such a young girl play the guzheng so perfectly? He considered himself a genius, but even he couldn't reach her level at such an age.
"Grace Gu, Julian Bai's woman." Mr. Chu said slowly, tapping his wooden chair as he stared at her.