When Meng Zhen stepped onto the stage, the entire venue fell silent for a moment. Every spectator caught sight of the graceful figure in a qipao, complemented by perfectly applied makeup. She shed the innocence that belonged solely to a girl, replacing it with a hint of charm and allure.

“Oh my, is that Meng Zhen? She looks even more beautiful in the qipao than her costume for the flower spirit character.”

“Everyone knew what she originally looked like. Could it be that she had plastic surgery? Really disgusting!”

“Whether she had plastic surgery or not, she looks beautiful now. But I’ve seen 《Dream Chaser》 before. Meng Zhen didn’t know how to play any musical instruments, her singing was average, and her dancing was also mediocre. Now she’s holding an erhu in her arms, right? It’s really embarrassing for her to voluntarily go on stage just to boost ratings. Poor little nobody.”

Sitting in the front row, several fans of Yue Yuanzhao whispered among themselves. They had no favorable feelings towards Meng Zhen and naturally wouldn’t speak well of her.

After the host spoke a few brief words, the stage lights suddenly dimmed, casting a soft spotlight on Meng Zhen and making her the sole focus of the venue.

She sat on a wooden stool, her back straight, the erhu resting against her abdomen near her left thigh. With one hand holding the bow, she began her performance.

The beginning of the piece featured a typical instrumental melody, its lively and vigorous rhythm vividly portraying the scene of galloping steeds before the audience. Whether it was the neighing of horses or the momentum of their gallop, everything was captured within the sixteenth notes.

Meng Zhen played with great concentration, deeply absorbed in her emotions. Her finely trimmed eyebrows were slightly furrowed, and her rosy lips were pressed into a thin line, clearly indicating her complete immersion into the music.

Sitting at the judges’ table, Professor Ning, who originally had a somewhat grim expression, couldn’t help but let out a sigh upon hearing Meng Zhen’s music. His expression relaxed and softened slightly.

Zhang Zhongqing leaned toward the teacher and smiled, saying, “See, the production team still has a good eye. This little girl surnamed Meng performs really well.”

Professor Ning pushed the other party away, his expression revealing a hint of disdain. “Don’t disturb me while I’m listening to the music.”

Zhang Zhongqing: “……”

Sitting at the far right, Fang Jing chuckled.

Meng Zhen’s body and mind were both immersed in the music. She felt as if her heart was being guided by an invisible thread, soaring high when the melody rose, and descending into valleys when it fell.

After finishing the performance, fine sweat appeared on her forehead, and a faint blush adorned her cheeks, resembling a rose after a storm, exuding an indescribable charm.

Yue Yuanzhao’s fans looked at the face on the big screen with complex emotions. Although they liked their idol, they were not deaf. They could distinguish whether the music was good or bad.

Compared to the guzheng performance by Yue Yuanzhao, which was stumbling and barely managed, Meng Zhen’s erhu solo was simply divine.

Such a stark contrast wounded the hearts of the fans. They stood frozen in place, neither applauding nor cheering, quietly resembling statues.

The host walked onto the stage, praising with admiration, “Ladies and gentlemen, Teacher Meng is only eighteen years old this year, yet she plays the erhu so remarkably well. Truly impressive!”

Meng Zhen smiled shyly.

At this moment, Yue Yuanzhao was also invited onto the stage. Compared to his confident demeanor earlier, he now appeared like a frosted eggplant, his face purple, lacking energy, and exuding an air of dejection all over.

“Do the three regular mentors have any questions for the youth mentors?”

Fang Jing raised his hand and asked gently, “Meng Zhen, how many years have you been studying the erhu?”

“I was exposed to this instrument since I was young. There was a two-year break in between and I only recently picked it up again, so I was quite nervous during the performance just now, afraid of making mistakes.”

Ning Fenghua nodded slightly. His gaze shifted to Yue Yuanzhao, with a hint of scrutiny in his eyes as he asked, “How many years have you been studying the guzheng?”

Although Ning Fenghua rarely appeared on screen, his students were well-known figures in the industry. Yue Yuanzhao couldn’t afford to offend him. He could only answer with a forced smile, “I’ve been studying for four or five years, but I’m not very talented. I apologize for any disappointment, teachers.”

Ning Fenghua knew Yue Yuanzhao was lying but chose not to pursue it further.

This child, at such a young age, was already full of lies. His character had veered off course. If he didn’t correct it, the road ahead would surely be difficult.

After the regular mentors finished their questions, Meng Zhen and Yue Yuanzhao also sat at the judges’ table and watched the performances of the contestants.

It must be said that the quality of this variety show was indeed very high. Every contestant who took the stage had a solid foundation in traditional Chinese music. There’s even a female contestant who performed on the guzheng, and her rendition of 《High Mountains and Flowing Water》 was much stronger compared to Yue Yuanzhao’s.

《Do-Re-Mi-So-La》 had been on air for a year but this was the first time a contestant had surpassed a mentor. It wasn’t that the contestant was exceptionally talented, rather, the youth mentor wasn’t skilled in traditional Chinese music but insisted on exposing himself to humiliation.

Meng Zhen’s revival card finally came into play, benefiting a fourteen-year-old girl who played the yangqin^[1]Chinese hammered dulcimer beautifully and melodiously. However, due to the outstanding performance of other contestants, she was placed in the undecided group.

The recording of this episode lasted a full five hours. When it finally ended, Meng Zhen walked over to bid farewell to the three senior mentors and the program staff. Seeing the cheerful conversation between her and Professor Ning, Yue Yuanzhao gritted his teeth in disbelief, completely not expecting to be outdone by Meng Zhen.

His manager glanced at him and whispered, “Don’t make a scene here. This variety show is backed by Yellow Peach station. We can’t afford to offend them.”

Yue Yuanzhao understood the situation clearly. Taking a deep breath, he directly got into the car, no longer wanting to see Chenxi Theater.

That night, the largest forum in the country was flooded with numerous posts related to 《Do-Re-Mi-So-La》. Among them, one netizen posted a picture of their ticket stub and created a separate thread with the title, 【This episode of 《Do-Re-Mi-So-La》 is truly eye-opening. Who would have thought?】

【OP, stop teasing us. The three regular mentors are seasoned professionals who wouldn’t underperform. Could it be the two guest judges who caused the surprise?】

【I knew Meng Zhen was no good. She’s an illiterate who never attended high school. How can she play any musical instrument? Participating in a traditional music show is just asking for humiliation, isn’t it?】

【Where’s OP? Are you duping us?】

【Yue Yuanzhao’s fans, save your breath. I was at the scene myself. Your idol’s guzheng performance wasn’t just bad, but worse than any contestant’s. Yet you have the nerve to hype up his professionally dedicated persona. Disgusting.】

【Oh wow, could it be that the one who humiliated themself wasn’t Meng Zhen, but Yue Yuanzhao? Can someone explain in detail?】

In just one night, the post’s views on the forum doubled, and some even shared photos they had taken. Meng Zhen’s photo, wearing a qipao and holding the erhu, was so stunning that many Hazelnuts forgot their fights with the haters, focusing instead on admiring and praising Meng Zhen.

———pr

The day after the recording of 《Do-Re-Mi-So-La》 happened to be the 20^th-anniversary celebration of the Xu Group. Zhao Rong sent a driver early in the morning to pick up Meng Zhen and took her to a styling studio.

The stylist was accustomed to receiving celebrity customers, so she didn’t make a fuss over Meng Zhen. She simply handed her a small notebook with cartoon patterns on it to sign.

“Teacher Meng, there’s a pure white fishtail dress that would suit you very well. Would you like to try it on?”

Meng Zhen nodded and, with the stylist’s assistance, changed into the fitted long dress. Meng Zhen’s black hair was casually draped over her shoulders, and the stylist applied bright red lipstick, instantly highlighting Meng Zhen’s elegant demeanor.

“My judgment is spot on. Teacher Meng indeed looks stunning in this dress. When you appear at the celebration later, you’ll surely dazzle everyone.”

After Meng Zhen finished getting ready, she took the car to the hotel owned by the Xu Group.

They’re well-known in the capital city so this anniversary celebration attracted many celebrities. As soon as Meng Zhen stepped out of the car, entertainment reporters swarmed around her with cameras and microphones. She smiled, pursed her lips, and waved to the crowd, before quickly walking into the elevator.

“Meng Zhen actually came? Can even a nobody like her attend Xu Group’s banquet?”

“What’s wrong with being a nobody? Look at her beautiful face. Many wealthy businessmen attend these banquets. Who knows, maybe she’ll rise from obscurity soon.” Remarked a journalist while clicking the shutter.

As soon as Meng Zhen entered the banquet hall, many people’s eyes were drawn to her. While many wealthy businessmen didn’t recognize this relatively unknown starlet, her beauty was undeniable. Dressed in a pure white backless gown, with jet-black hair and fiery red lips, she stood out wherever she went, the most striking figure in the room.

At that moment, Xu Xueruo was sitting on a bench, watching Meng Zhen’s appearance. She bit her lower lip, her expression turning somewhat unpleasant.

“Xueruo, why did your company invite Meng Zhen? A small internet celebrity with hardly any notable work, appearing at the anniversary celebration doesn’t seem quite appropriate, right?” A tall, slim young woman said with a disdainful expression.

“The guest list was decided by my parents. I’m not sure exactly what happened.”

Xu Xueruo forced a slight smile. Her status as the adopted daughter of the Xu family was well-known in upper-class society. However, due to the affection of Xu Youheng and Zhao Rong, people generally treated her well. But if the Xu family were to find their long-lost biological daughter, who would care about an adopted daughter without any blood ties?

With that thought, Xu Xueruo felt extremely uncomfortable. Her eyes slightly reddened, making her appear even more vulnerable and pitiful.

Xu Ruixi walked up to her and handed her a glass of juice, whispering, “I really don’t understand why Dad let her come. Isn’t he afraid of tarnishing the reputation of our Xu family?”

“Ruixi.”

Xu Xueruo furrowed her brow, unwilling to let her friends know about Meng Zhen’s identity, so she spoke up as a reminder.

Meng Zhen noticed the siblings in the northwest corner. Xu Ruixi glared at her angrily, while Xu Xueruo smiled gently. Meng Zhen remembered someone once told her that the more harmless and gentle something appears, the more cautious one should be. Who knows what lies beneath that surface? It might be a sheep or a venomous beast.

That statement couldn’t be more fitting to describe Xu Xueruo.

Meng Zhen wasn’t the main character of this banquet, and no one approached her to start a conversation. Just as she was getting bored, idly playing with the pink roses on the table, a waiter walked over.

“Ms. Meng, Madam Xu asking for you to come to the lounge.”