Chapter 10: During the Competition

The competition venue was a hotel ballroom.

By the time Su Sanxian and Lin Shen arrived, many participants and spectators had already gathered.

The place was bustling with a dense crowd.

The competition order was determined by drawing lots. After entering, Su Sanxian drew her number directly—she was contestant number five.

That meant she would be performing fifth. There were a total of twenty contestants in this competition, and it was a round to advance from twenty to ten. Number five was already considered an early position in the lineup.

Su Sanxian decided to listen to two performances outside before heading backstage to wait. She and Lin Shen found a slightly secluded spot to sit.

Contestant number one was a young man. He had neat short hair and a fair, clean face. Dressed in a black suit, his slender yet tall frame wore it well, making him look like a vibrant high school student in his prime.

He performed Zigeunerweisen (Gypsy Airs). The piece was sorrowful and lingering, telling a story from the perspective of a wanderer. The poignant emotions and the challenging violin techniques intertwined, creating a brilliant effect.

The clean and refreshing-looking boy stood there with his bow in hand, drawing out melancholy notes.

Yes, he had that “melancholy prince” aura.

Contestant number one played very well. Both his emotional expression and technical handling were quite appropriate. Although there were occasional clashes in fingering during the more technically demanding passages, these small flaws could not overshadow the overall excellence of his performance.

Seeing his wife staring intently at the young man on stage, Lin Shen mischievously whispered: “Wife, what piece are you playing?”

“Wife, what piece are you playing!”

“Wife!”

“Don’t… don’t call me wife.” Su Sanxian responded, a little flustered and embarrassed. Well, who wouldn’t feel flustered and embarrassed if such a handsome man by their side called them “wife”?

“But you are my wife.” Lin Shen propped his chin on his hand, his deep, captivating eyes fixed unblinkingly on Su Sanxian. “Wife~”

Goodness, it was enough to kill her!

Feeling overwhelmed, Su Sanxian couldn’t take it anymore. She stopped listening to the performance and bolted backstage.

Her hasty retreat made Lin Shen break into uncontrollable laughter. His slightly narrow, phoenix-shaped eyes curved like crescent moons.

Ye Tong had recently been wanting to learn the violin and had decided long ago to attend this competition today.

She had barely sat down when she noticed a man sitting diagonally ahead of her, smiling with curved eyes.

Her first reaction was astonishment. Looking closer, his slightly narrow phoenix eyes, sword-like brows, and starry eyes—truly starry, as if stars sparkled in their depths—were dazzling.

He wore a black suit, exuding an air of restrained sophistication that was almost overwhelming.

Ye Tong felt her heart was about to leap out of her chest. She wanted to ask for his contact information, but since the competition had already started and she had entered late, it wasn’t appropriate to walk around casually.

She decided to wait until the competition ended to approach him. The handsome man had no companion by his side, so he had likely come alone.

Backstage, there were quite a lot of people. Su Sanxian sat somewhat nervously in a chair in the waiting area, watching participants and staff move busily back and forth.

Outwardly, she appeared calm and graceful, but inwardly, her mind was wandering far away.

She couldn’t let him keep calling her “wife.”

This matter had to be addressed seriously with Lin Shen.

If he called her “wife” again in the future, what should she do? She couldn’t just run away like she did today, could she?

Why was she even looking forward to him calling her “wife”?

Su Sanxian told herself to stay calm and not be bewitched by this charming fox of a man.

Maybe she should just tell him she wasn’t the original owner of this body.

No, what if he thought she was crazy and locked her up?

Forget it. She would just stay like this for now. If she really couldn’t stay with him any longer later, she would just slip away after performing.

“Number five! Next, number five!”

The sudden announcement startled Su Sanxian, pulling her out of her thoughts.

It was her turn soon. She grabbed her violin and bow and stood by the door that led to the competition stage.

In front of her was a young woman, already finishing her piece.

From where she stood, she could see Lin Shen in the corner. Perhaps because her turn was coming, he had moved two rows forward.

“Next, let’s welcome contestant number five to perform Violin Concerto No. 1 in G minor, First Movement.”

It was her turn.

Collecting her thoughts, Su Sanxian walked gracefully to the center of the stage, smiling as she positioned her violin and raised her bow.

Melodious and flowing music rose from beneath her hands.

From the audience’s perspective, the performer on stage wore a vintage-style black mermaid gown.

The stage lights illuminated her figure, and she looked like a noble young lady from an ancient European stage, striking and radiant.

The piece she played was grand, powerful, and commanding. Her technical handling was smooth and complete, so much so that people unconsciously forgot the performer herself, losing themselves entirely in the beauty of the music.

The dazzling sight of Su Sanxian made Lin Shen’s heart thump wildly, each beat hotter than the last. Every time she played the violin, she managed to make him fall in love with her all over again—each time more passionately than before.

…

When she finished her performance, Su Sanxian felt confident in herself. She packed her violin into its case, intending to slip away quietly.

Still, leaving early felt a bit awkward, so she couldn’t resist sneaking a glance at Lin Shen.

And what did she see???

Lin Shen was talking to a young woman—pretty, delicate, and smiling sweetly with curved eyes.

Leave?

Leave, my foot! Always attracting bees and butterflies! Was there ever a time he behaved himself when they went out?

Su Sanxian slung her violin case over her shoulder, scowling, and marched straight toward Lin Shen.

Ye Tong had been quietly watching Lin Shen, seated diagonally in front of her. When she saw him move two rows forward after the fourth performance, she could barely hold herself back.

Later, when contestant number five came on stage, Lin Shen’s smile bloomed like a flower. It was truly… heart-stirring. Ye Tong decided to throw caution to the wind. When number five finished performing, she followed him, intending to ask for his contact information.

She approached and began chatting casually. The man was a gentleman—a cold, distant gentleman. His expressionless face contrasted sharply with his polite words, which only made him more attractive in Ye Tong’s eyes.

Just as Ye Tong felt their conversation was going well and was about to formally ask for his contact information, the man who had been largely indifferent suddenly looked as if he had seen something.

His body shifted instantly, and his eyes lit up like a spark had been struck. The change in him was obvious—yes, he was excited.

Following his gaze, Ye Tong looked over. Huh? It was the contestant from just now, number five.

Even off stage, she was graceful and poised. In the dimmer light, she exuded a hazy allure that the spotlight could not capture.

“Wife~” Ye Tong froze, staring at the source of the voice beside her. He even politely turned to her and said: “Excuse me, miss, my wife is coming over. Could you please give us some space?”

Ye Tong had no idea how she nodded or how she walked back to her seat. By the time she came to her senses, she was sitting back in her original spot, watching that same man smiling warmly as he coaxed number five.

“Wife~ you played so beautifully. You’ve improved since last time.” Lin Shen said as he looked at Su Sanxian.

“I saw someone chatting happily with a pretty little girl just now. You could still pay attention to my performance while being so distracted?” Su Sanxian said sarcastically. “Clearly last time when you…”

Last time?

Last time what?

Su Sanxian froze mid-sentence, her words catching in her throat. She couldn’t even remember what she was about to say.

She was certain that since she had transmigrated, she had only gone out with Lin Shen once—and that was to the amusement park with the kids. Nothing like this had happened then.

Why did it feel as if this kind of situation had happened many times before?