“Rejected?”
“…Alright then.”

After hanging up the call, Zhuang Shanshan’s father wearily rubbed his temples. Seeing the guilt on his daughter’s face, he walked over and patted her shoulder, speaking earnestly. “Let this be a lesson for you. Don’t let it happen again.”

With teary eyes, Zhuang Shanshan nodded. For the first time, she faced the trouble her recklessness had caused the family. She vowed never to stir up trouble again.

—

Meanwhile, at the ST base, the manager, Zhang Qinan, gathered all the starters in the meeting room and dropped a bombshell.

“This morning, I attended a meeting with the club. Thanks to your stellar performance during the Spring Season, the club has made a promise. If we win the championship in the Fall Season, in addition to the league’s 1 million yuan prize money, Su You will add another 1 million as a bonus. The titles of Kill Leader and MVP will come with separate rewards.”

The team’s spirits soared instantly.

Su You Club, owned by Su You Technology, is an esports organization with several gaming teams under its wing. However, ST is its only HW (Hero’s War) team, so the Club has always prioritized ST. And ST has lived up to the expectations.

Although they had yet to win an HW World Championship, the team had claimed the LPL Regional Championship three times, cementing its reputation as one of HW’s top teams.

Shen Lele clapped Kuang Ye on the shoulder. “We’re all riding on the captain’s coattails.”

Esports players earn money not only from salaries but also from tournament prize money. Top-tier players like Kuang Ye also get a share of sponsorship deals. However, Kuang Ye had refused personal sponsorship earnings, requesting the club to allocate a portion of the sponsorship revenue as a team reward each year. That’s why Shen Lele credited him for their success.

With a smirk, Kuang Ye said, “The club seems pretty generous with prize money this time. They must’ve landed a lot of sponsors, huh?”

The manager nodded. “Winning the Spring Season championship brought in plenty of sponsorship deals. Alright, go train hard. Only winning the championship makes the prize real; otherwise, it’s all talk. Kuang Ye, stay back for a moment.”

The team left the room energized and ready to work hard. But as the others walked out, the manager’s cheerful expression disappeared, replaced by a serious look as he turned to Kuang Ye.

“What’s the deal with the message you sent me yesterday? What do you mean this will be your last league? Are you planning to retire?”

—

After finishing her game, Mu Wan practiced the violin for a while. Suddenly, her phone buzzed with a message from Chu Xiao Yin on WeChat. It included a picture and text:

[Goddess, tomorrow the First Concert Hall is hosting a performance by the Eileen Philharmonic Orchestra. I have two tickets. Want to come?]

The Eileen Philharmonic is one of the better-known symphony orchestras in the country, currently touring domestically. Chu Xiao Yin had spent a long time trying to snag these tickets.

Mu Wan hadn’t attended a formal classical music performance in quite some time. She replied: [Sure, how much for the ticket? I’ll transfer it to you.]

Chu Xiaoyin responded: [Don’t worry about it, it’s on me.]

Classical music has a relatively small audience in the country, so even top-tier orchestras don’t charge exorbitant prices for tickets—though scalpers are another matter.

Mu Wan thought about it and didn’t argue. “Alright, let’s grab dinner after the concert. My treat.”

Chu Xiaoyin replied enthusiastically: [Deal!!]

Then, Chu Xiaoyin sent several cute stickers of kisses and hugs.

Seeing this, Mu Wan scrolled through her chat history with Kuang Ye. No wonder their conversations had felt a bit dry—it turned out she hadn’t been sending stickers. She quickly forwarded a few she’d just saved.

[I’m going to a concert tomorrow. Good luck with the competition!]

Kuang Ye had just stepped out of the meeting room when he received her message. A faint smile tugged at his lips. Glancing at his right hand, his expression darkened slightly, tinged with frustration.

“It was just one cigarette… Was it really that big of a deal?”

—

The next day, Mu Wan arrived at the First Concert Hall early. Chu Xiao Yin soon joined her, and the two entered the venue together.

Before long, the performance began. Various classical instruments rose and fell in harmony under the conductor’s baton, weaving a rich tapestry of sound. It was like a fine wine, with each layer offering a unique flavor.

Mu Wan couldn’t help but close her eyes, letting the notes dance around her ears. The Eileen Philharmonic Orchestra truly lived up to its reputation as one of the best in the country. She wondered how long their tour would last in S City. Next time, she thought, she’d like to bring Kuang Ye to listen with her.

Suddenly, a dissonant note cut through the performance. Mu Wan frowned—a violinist had slipped. Fortunately, the other violinists quickly covered the mistake, and most of the audience likely didn’t notice the hiccup.

Mu Wan didn’t think much of it, assuming it was just a moment of carelessness. What she didn’t know was that among the violinists, a pair of eyes were locked onto her with intense hatred.

“This wretch… How does she still have the audacity to show up here? She ruined my sister’s life—my sister can’t even play the violin anymore because of her.”

—

After the performance, Mu Wan and Chu Xiao Yin left the concert hall. Chu Xiao Yin was bubbling with excitement, chattering about how outstanding the performance had been.

“No wonder they’re the best orchestra in the country! I heard their audition process is incredibly tough. One of our upperclassmen from school tried out and didn’t even make it past the first round.”

“I really wish I could join an orchestra and perform on stage. But being in the music department feels like a guaranteed ticket to unemployment. I’m only in my first year, and I’m already anxious about job prospects after graduation.”

Hearing this, Mu Wan’s gaze shifted thoughtfully. “You could try becoming a content creator.”

“Huh?” Chu Xiaoyin blinked.

Mu Wan elaborated, “Platforms like Bilibili and Douyin^[1]Tiktok Version of China. Start by playing well-known or popular tracks, especially ones from anime or other trending genres. If the reception is good and you gain followers, the advertising revenue can be pretty significant.”

At this point in time, short videos hadn’t yet become a massive trend, and there weren’t many high-quality creators in the meantime. If Chu Xiaoyin had the talent and seized the opportunity, her future income could be quite promising.