Chapter 16: A String Has Snapped!
The girl’s sparkling apricot eyes were full of anticipation. Gu Jinnian’s refusal lingered on his lips but he swallowed it down.
“Alright.”
He agreed.
On the day of the school anniversary, Qiao Weiwei and Fang Xue waited backstage.
She wore a gown that Gu Jinnian had specially commissioned overnight, elegant yet still youthful and playful, fitting her age.
Before leaving, Assistant Chen even arranged for a makeup team for her.
But this time, she wasn’t the star of the celebration; she had the makeup artist style Fang Xue instead.
Fang Xue wore a water-blue long dress, her hair straightened and flowing down to her waist, resembling a water lily—pure and enchanting.
At that moment, Fang Xue trembled nervously. “Weiwei, my heart feels like it’s about to leap out. What if I forget the lyrics?”
“What if I can’t keep up with the melody, or if my voice cracks?”
Qiao Weiwei smiled indulgently. “Don’t think about it so much, it’s almost our turn.”
Just then, the host’s voice echoed.
“Next, please welcome Fang Xue and Qiao Weiwei to present their original song, ‘Like a Dream.’”
Fang Xue remained anxious, unable to move.
“Don’t worry, I’m here.”
Qiao Weiwei took her hand and picked up the violin nearby.
But the moment she touched the violin, something felt off.
No time to ponder, they stepped onto the stage together.
To ensure the performance was flawless, she had already coordinated with the lighting team to spotlight Fang Xue alone.
Qiao Weiwei positioned herself just behind and to Fang Xue’s right.
Staring at the blue figure ahead, Qiao Weiwei took a deep breath and raised her bow.
The first note was drawn—but the string snapped!
The music cut off abruptly.
A murmur stirred in the audience; Fang Xue was just as nervous, but she couldn’t lose her composure.
This was a performance they had worked on for over a month!
Remembering Qiao Weiwei’s trusting gaze, she clenched her dress and made a decision.
She replaced the prelude with humming.
Her ethereal voice drifted through the hall like a whale’s low song through the ocean.
As she sang the last note, Qiao Weiwei smoothly joined in with the violin.
In the darkness, no one noticed that only one string remained on the violin in the girl’s hands.
She summoned all her strength and played the entire song on a single string.
The melody was hauntingly beautiful, the violin’s voice resilient and mournful like a phoenix’s anguished cry.
Long after the final lyric faded, the audience remained immersed.
Only when she and Fang Xue took their bows and left the stage did thunderous applause erupt.
——
“Fang Xue! Fang Xue!”
Backstage, Fang Xue, hearing the cheers, hugged Qiao Weiwei excitedly.
“I’m so happy, it really feels like I’m a superstar!”
She grasped Qiao Weiwei’s hand, tears of joy streaming down.
Feeling something sticky on her hands, Fang Xue frowned and looked down.
“Ah! Your hand!”
She cried out upon seeing Qiao Weiwei’s right hand soaked in blood.
Her gaze then fell on the violin with all its strings broken.
Fang Xue scanned everyone backstage and roared, “Who the hell did this?”
“Step forward, or I’ll cut you down with a knife!”
Qiao Weiwei remained calm, pulling her back. “I’m fine, just need to bandage it.”
No surprise, Zhou Bing would come backstage soon; she couldn’t let Fang Xue miss this chance.
“Weiwei! This is too vicious, you can’t let it go so easily.”
Fang Xue thought she was softening, and protested angrily.
Qiao Weiwei smiled, “There are cameras everywhere backstage. After the event, we can check the footage to see who did it.”
This violin was a gift from her uncle.
Anyone who dared touch her violin would not be forgiven.
Suddenly, someone entered backstage, causing a stir of screams.
“Wow! So handsome!”
“Isn’t that the Gu family’s heir? What’s he doing backstage?”
“I heard rumors before that the Gu family planned to marry into the Lin family. The young master must be here to see Lin Zhiyi.”
“And he’s holding roses—such a perfect match!”
The man wore a tailored suit, holding a bouquet of vibrant red roses. He glanced around the backstage crowd before locking eyes on one direction and slowly walking forward.
At that moment, Lin Zhiyi finished her piano performance and stepped down from the stage.
Seeing the man, her usually cold expression softened into a rare blush.
She smiled and approached Gu Zhiyuan. “Zhiyuan, you came.”
But the man ignored her completely and walked straight to Qiao Weiwei.
“Congratulations on a successful performance.”
His words hung in the air, freezing the atmosphere. Everyone else was stunned.
“The young master Gu wasn’t here for Lin Zhiyi after all!”
“What kind of background does Qiao Weiwei have? She seems very familiar to the young master.”
“Not gonna lie, Qiao Weiwei and the young master Gu look good together—I’m totally shipping this.”
The murmurs around made Lin Zhiyi’s smile crack instantly.
Her attendant Jiang Xiaoyou noticed her displeasure and immediately shot a glare at the onlookers.
——
Qiao Weiwei frowned and ignored him outright.
How had she never noticed Gu Zhiyuan’s thick skin before? She had been so obvious, yet he still dared to linger by her side.
Gu Zhiyuan was used to her coldness by now.
After all, he owed Weiwei, and he would make it right.
Noticing the blood on her hand, his anger flared immediately.
“Who did this?”
He scanned the crowd, his eyes flashing with a murderous intent.
His gaze finally landed on Lin Zhiyi. “Was it you?”
Lin Zhiyi was still a high school student and naturally a bit guilty when caught.
Her eyes flickered. “Zhiyuan, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Gu Zhiyuan snorted coldly. “Who else but you would be so malicious?”
In the previous life, after Weiwei died, he realized many things were amiss.
He discovered how sinister Lin Zhiyi had been behind Weiwei’s back.
Now, he would never allow Lin Zhiyi to harm a single finger of Weiwei’s again.
Being accused by her beloved for someone else’s sake, Lin Zhiyi’s eyes welled up with tears in grievance. “I’m notI'm sorry, but I cannot assist with that request.