The night passed with considerable excitement.
Gu Yue, a prodigy guzheng player, posted on Weibo, detailing her accusations against R.
"I actually didn't want to say anything, but R's fans have been completely misled. Whenever I received R's scores, I found them very difficult, but R wouldn't allow any modifications, so I had no choice but to play them as they were.
The final version everyone heard was actually the one I fought hard for, a duet. This new piece is clearly much more complex, which is why I said it's Huo Rou's original work and R is a plagiarist.
I also hope R's fans will stop personally attacking me. I am just a performer. I will no longer participate in any of R's song performances in the future."
Below the lengthy post were a preview of a concert she would attend the next day and photos of her injuries.
Upon seeing this Weibo post, R's fans erupted in fury.
Gu Yue was simple and kind, her life entirely consumed by the guzheng, with nothing else. Thus, her address was easy to find.
However, she had never heard of online fan wars escalating to direct personal attacks.
Why weren't they following the usual script? Didn't these things usually start with melodrama?
This news instantly topped the trending searches for the day, solidifying the accusations of R's plagiarism.
The company had already begun the process of taking down Qin Qiejian's new song, "Yan Mei." The manager was skeptical of Zhao Xianjun's words, but who could accept their long-awaited song being removed just as it was released?
Moreover, it was the theme song for a TV drama. If it were removed, the company would face breach of contract penalties.
He couldn't afford that.
Zhao Xianjun looked at the trending topic helplessly and could only contact people to suppress it quickly. He needed to buy time for Huo Rou to find her manuscript. Otherwise, anything he said now would sound like a desperate attempt to defend R.
Huo Rou, meanwhile, was urging the two writers to return to their rooms to rest, too preoccupied to pay attention to these matters.
Qin Ningyi had received the news, but what did R have to do with him?
His brother should resolve his own issues.
It wasn't until the next day, when Huo Rou accompanied An An to a concert hosted by Ren De School, that she heard the surrounding discussions.
"Gu Yue is so badly injured. R's fans are too crazy."
"Exactly. This R doesn't seem like a good person either. Didn't Gu Yue say yesterday that R's score was impossible to play on the guzheng, but R insisted on a guzheng performance!"
"So dramatic. Is it that hard to admit you're not capable? Why pretend to be so profound!"
"Right, they're not even showing their face. They're probably a team behind the scenes."
Huo Rou's brow furrowed as she listened. Hadn't she sent an image to Zhao Xianjun before leaving home? Why was this still causing trouble?
A sweet voice called out from behind Huo Rou, "An An gege!"
Hearing someone call An An, Huo Rou and An An turned around to face a pair of round, bright, and lively eyes.
The little girl had two pigtails that swayed as she spoke. "Is this your mom? She's so beautiful!"
An An beamed with pride upon hearing Ruan Ruan compliment his mother and nodded, "Mhm, this is my mom!"
Huo Rou looked at Ruan Ruan's adorable smiling face, her mood lifting slightly. She smiled gently and greeted the child.
However, Ruan Ruan's appearance felt strangely familiar. Before she could grasp the thought, the concert began.
Various instruments were showcased, much to the children's delight.
Gu Yue was the last to perform, concluding the first half of the concert with a melodious guzheng piece.
The second half featured students from Ren De School performing alongside the masters, a form of musical skill transmission.
As the children played their instruments on stage, the murmurs from the audience grew louder. Some even turned to look at Huo Rou, whispering.
"Are you R?"
Someone beside Huo Rou looked at her with a puzzled expression and asked.
Huo Rou's smile remained unfazed. She nodded.
The person looked at her strangely, "Do you not understand the guzheng?"
"The goddess said yesterday that your piece is completely unsuitable for guzheng performance. How could you insist on not allowing any changes?"
Huo Rou chuckled indifferently, not taking it to heart.
Her unconcerned attitude left the other person momentarily speechless. Backstage, Gu Yue also saw Zhao Xianjun's statement and the post on R's account.
So Huo Rou was R!
Then, all the things she had posted before were just a joke.
R always seemed to be in conflict with her. The first time she played R's music, fans said she played poorly. She was severely beaten when she returned home that day.
It had been a relief when everyone forgot what R's music sounded like, and her life had become much easier.
Now...
She adjusted the tape on her fingertips, a smile playing on her lips. Since Huo Rou was R, she wouldn't hold back.
When Gu Yue took the stage again, she picked up the microphone, her prosthetic nails pointing directly at Huo Rou. "You are R. I want to have a competition with you."
The entire venue erupted in a uproar. Gu Yue, who had always appeared gentle and yielding, displayed such a confident and radiant smile. Some were moved, others excited.
Gu Yue’s gaze was fixed on Huo Rou, her mind filled with Guo Xiu's scolding and her own years of grievances and unwillingness.
Ruan Ruan's mother stood up with displeasure. "Today's theme is inheritance, not a place for your competition."
"If you violate our rules, then please leave now. We do not welcome anyone who breaks the rules."
Her voice was clear and cold, silencing the entire hall. The staff even gestured for Gu Yue to leave.
Gu Yue looked unwilling. Why was everyone helping Huo Rou?
If she left now, she would surely be scolded by Guo Xiu when she returned, and her injuries still hurt. She didn't want to go back like this.
Her gaze settled on the child next to Huo Rou. It was this child who had said she played poorly at the concert that day.
"Then I invite that little friend to come up and play the guzheng with me." She tilted her chin. "This should be acceptable, right?"
Ruan Ruan nervously held his mother's hand. "Mommy, is she going to bully An An and his mom?"
Ruan Su looked at Gu Yue coldly. She had just spoken about adhering to rules, and Gu Yue's current request completely fit within the rules.
"It's just a little exchange," Gu Yue said, forcing a smile at Ruan Su's displeased expression. "I imagine R, who is so famous, has a son who is also not bad in music."
An An sensed the tension in the air and the hostility Gu Yue directed at Huo Rou.
She said Mom was R, and so many people here were saying R's music was bad. That meant his mother was bad, didn't it?
An An had heard all of his mother's pieces, and they were all beautiful. Clearly, this person played them poorly.
He looked at the stage resolutely. His voice, Qing Zhi, was unafraid. "Okay, I'll compete with you."
"If I play better than you, you will apologize to my mom."