Chapter 19: The Gift
Page 1/3
Many online fans and team members posted comments.
“Clearly, the original version sounds much better. What kind of mess is this plagiarism?”
“Die, you plagiarism scum!”
“Zhou Bing’s always been a plagiarist; no wonder he’s interested in such trash.”
“Hey, what does Zhou Bing have to do with this? Zhou Tianhou probably didn’t even know this person plagiarized.”
“Why argue? Just because someone posts something online, who knows who copied whom?”
“Stop defending them! The evidence is conclusive—still trying to deny it!”
...
In short, the online debate was going wild.
“Ah!”
From the other end of the phone came Fang Xue’s wail. “Teacher Zhou just informed me to put the contract on hold.”
“This song was clearly written by me! What’s wrong with that guy?”
Qiao Weiwei comforted her, “Don’t panic yet. Think carefully—besides us, who else knew about the sheet music?”
At the same time, she opened her computer to check the IP of the person who posted the accusation.
“No one else... Since you reminded me last time, Weiwei, I haven’t let anyone else see it.”
Fang Xue murmured, baffled about where things had gone wrong.
The demo uploaded by the poster appeared a week earlier than hers.
Suddenly, she gasped.
“No, wait!”
There was one person who had seen it.
Her voice was filled with disbelief as she uttered a name.
“Chen Jiazi...”
“That’s Chen Jiazi!”
At the same time, Qiao Weiwei found the IP address of the poster.
It was from directly opposite Fang Xue’s home, apartment 206 in building 14.
“Why would he slander me? He even greeted me with a smile when I was heading home earlier.”
Fang Xue recalled that although Chen Jiazi was quiet and reserved in class, he was gentle with the stray cats in the neighborhood.
When he smiled, his eyes were very striking.
Why would such a person post defamatory rumors online accusing her of plagiarism?
Besides Weiwei, only Chen Jiazi had the chance to see this sheet music.
Two weeks ago, Chen Jiazi had come over to return some clothes; the music score was left in the living room.
When she came out of her bedroom, she saw him holding the sheet.
Chen Jiazi remained calm and softly said, “The book fell on the floor; I’m just picking it up for you.”
“Do you like singing too? And you compose music yourself? That’s amazing.”
Fang Xue recalled Weiwei’s advice and quickly put the book away.
“It’s just for fun.”
She smiled shyly.
After that, Chen Jiazi didn’t say much else.
Page 2/3
“How could I be so stupid!”
Fang Xue slapped her forehead, crying bitterly and blaming herself.
“I misjudged people, lost the sheet music, and now I’ve even dragged Teacher Zhou into this mess.”
Awakening to love only to find her crush was a pile of rubbish.
Anyone would collapse under such circumstances.
Qiao Weiwei gently reassured her, “Someone was deliberately putting on a show to deceive you; of course, they wouldn’t let you notice.”
“It’s not your fault.”
Staring at the poster’s IP, a cold glint flickered in her eyes.
If he was seeking his own downfall, she wouldn’t be polite.
Right after Fang Xue showed her the sheet music, Weiwei had registered the copyright online as a precaution.
Now that Chen Jiazi had ignited this fire, they wouldn’t let this wave of attention go to waste.
Qiao Weiwei compiled the copyright information and posted it online; Zhou Bing quickly shared it on Weibo.
“An earth-shattering twist!”
“This song was really written by a 17-year-old high school girl? She’s so talented!”
“I thought the entertainment industry’s music scene was dead, but a genius young girl has appeared.”
“Zhou Bing even reposted this! This girl’s future is limitless!”
...
Many people rushed to Chen Jiazi’s comment section, and his Weibo homepage was instantly flooded.
Even the trending square was filled with comments condemning Chen Jiazi and the attention-seeking internet celebrities.
“Villains accuse first; the entertainment industry is ruined by people like you!”
“Shameless! Stealing a young girl’s song.”
“The worst are those internet celebrities who cyberbully the poor girl without knowing the facts.”
“Good thing the girl was smart enough to register the copyright early; otherwise, she wouldn’t even have a place to cry.”
Public opinion instantly reversed, and Qiao Weiwei capitalized on the momentum by helping Fang Xue register accounts on all major social media platforms, gaining millions of followers within a day.
Sudden fame and wealth overwhelmed Fang Xue, leaving her bewildered.
“Weiwei, have I been dreaming these past few days?”
She stared at the number of followers on her homepage. “I woke up, and there was no school anniversary, no Teacher Zhou, and no fans.”
Qiao Weiwei rolled her eyes. “Look at you, so hopeless.”
“When you become the next queen of the music scene with hundreds of millions of fans, won’t you be crying on my shoulder every day?”
Though she teased, she let Fang Xue lean on her shoulder and handed her a tissue as Fang Xue’s face was streaked with tears.
After the crying session ended, she applied a dose of cold water.
“Stop looking at your phone. If you don’t study soon, that 20-point math disaster is going to haunt you.”
In fact, someone had already posted the exam ranking list from Shengde High School online.
Fang Xue’s 20 points in math was glaringly obvious.
But as a newcomer, her fans were still in the adoring stage, defending her.
“High school math is tough, and Fang Xue is a singer anyway.”
“Is Fang Xue immune to criticism? People hold on to this small thing; who hasn’t scored 20 points before?”
“Someone’s just jealous. Protect our Fang Xue.”
Page 3/3
Qiao Weiwei showed these comments to Fang Xue.
“Come on, superstar, don’t let your fans down.”
She knew exactly what motivated Fang Xue.
Sure enough, the next moment, Fang Xue was fully energized.
“What’s so scary about math? Watch me conquer it!”
...
Because Chen Jiazi was a minor and there was no solid proof he was the poster, the matter was left unresolved.
At school, he tried to make friendly overtures toward Fang Xue but was rebuffed every time.
His daily routine was school, the old mansion, and the music room—a monotonous but fulfilling life.
He often ran into Gu Zhiyuan, but thanks to a warning from his uncle, he dared not cross any lines.
Gu Jinnian seemed busy, staying in the attic music room after returning home.
Occasionally, Qiao Weiwei would catch him in the study and seize the chance to ask math questions.
Gu Jinnian’s problem-solving approach was straightforward, and under his guidance, Qiao Weiwei’s math grades steadily improved.
She even ranked first in the midterm exams.
Returning home, she eagerly shared the good news with Gu Jinnian.
But after searching the house, there was no sign of him.
“Working late again?”
She could only go to the study, solving problems while waiting for her uncle to come home.
Until the alarm rang.
Qiao Weiwei looked up at her phone.
It was already midnight, yet Gu Jinnian still hadn’t returned.
A faint sense of disappointment crept in her heart.
Coming downstairs, she found a familiar figure standing at the door, holding a box.
It seemed he had been standing there for a long time but hadn’t knocked.
“Uncle?”
Qiao Weiwei approached tentatively.
The man turned, his voice cold.
“Open the door.”
Then he placed the box on the table.
“Open it and see.”
Was this a gift for her?
Qiao Weiwei hurriedly opened the box.
“A violin!”
Though she had guessed what was inside, she was still surprised upon seeing the violin.
Its texture was smooth and delicate.
Holding it, the body felt just right.
She placed it on her shoulder and drew the bow a couple of times; the sound quality was better than any violin she had seen in the music room.