Mu Yan Ci, accused of being destined to be single, was on his way back to his residence near the office. He wasn’t some naive teenager, so there was no way he’d actually believe Kuang Ye’s words. However, the fact that Kuang Ye had been sleeping on the sofa showed at least some self-awareness. Otherwise, things wouldn’t have ended with him simply being left in the cold outside.

Just as Mu Yan Ci stepped out of the elevator, his steps paused, and he frowned at the familiar figure standing by his apartment door.

“Kuang Xingran?”

“Yan Ci Ge^[1]Ge or Gege means older brother…” Kuang Xingran was leaning against the doorframe in a silk camisole, her curvy figure on full display. She held a wine bottle in her hand and smiled at him with a drunken daze.

Mu Yan Ci walked over and snatched the bottle from her. “Drink less alcohol…”

Kuang Xingran raised a finger, her words slurred. “Didn’t… didn’t drink much, just one bottle.”

Seeing her stumble as she walked, Mu Yan Ci’s frown deepened. He opened the door and helped her onto the sofa. Just as he turned to pour her a glass of water, she grabbed his tie and pulled him down. Her lips, fragrant with the scent of wine, pressed against his.

Mu Yan Ci was dazed for a moment but quickly came to his senses and stepped back, causing Kuang Xingran to fall heavily back onto the sofa. She didn’t move for a while, and just as Mu Yan Ci thought she had fallen asleep, she murmured softly, “Why won’t you accept me…”

A trace of complicated emotion flickered across Mu Yan Ci’s face. For the umpteenth time, he gave her the same answer.

“Because I’m seven years older than you. Because you’re Wan wan’s friend.”

Tears slid down the corners of Kuang Xingran’s eyes. “I don’t care that you’re seven years older than me. And I… I can’t even be Wan wan’s friend anymore…”

Her faint sobbing turned into loud wailing. Mu Yan Ci was momentarily flustered but eventually gave in with a defeated sigh. He walked over and gently patted her back. “What happened?”

—

Time flew, and soon it was the day of Mu Wan’s violin competition finals.

Wang Lan had put on the cheongsam^[2] Both “cheongsam” and “qipao” describe the same type of body-hugging dress worn by Chinese women, and the words could be used interchangeably. Mu Wan had made for her, paired with a cream-colored shawl. Her makeup was flawless, and her hair was neatly styled. She urged her husband, “Are you ready? Wan wan’s performance is scheduled early; we can’t be late.”

Mu Jianhua was adjusting his tie in front of the mirror. “I’m ready, I’m ready! Didn’t you say my outfit didn’t look good earlier and made me change?”

Wang Lan walked over to help him and then complained, “Your terrible sense of style! If it weren’t for your military uniform, nothing would look good on you. I should’ve picked out your outfit last night.”

Unaware that his sense of fashion was being criticized, Mu Wan had already arrived at the First Music Hall early in the morning to prepare for the final round of the competition.

Although The Melodious Sound was a relatively small competition, making it through three rounds to the finals meant that every competitor was skilled.

Chu Xiao Yin, who had also made it to the finals, looked nervous. “Goddess, what should I do? My hands feel stiff. What if I mess up?”

As a music student, Chu Xiao Yin had participated in many competitions, big and small, but she still got nervous to the point of sweating before going on stage. Hearing that the finals would be judged by the lead violinist of the Eileen Philharmonic Orchestra only made her more anxious.

Mu Wan held her hand gently. “Stay calm. The goal is to challenge yourself, not just to win the championship.”

Though Mu Wan had told herself she wanted to win the championship to make her mother proud, she also believed that losing wasn’t the end of the world. At most, there would be a moment of disappointment before picking up her violin and continuing forward.

“Heh, easy to say,” came a sneering voice nearby.

Mu Wan looked up and saw a boy in a tailcoat polishing his violin strings with rosin.

“If you’re so indifferent about winning, why’d you resort to underhanded tactics in the past?” he said mockingly.

Chu Xiao Yin, upon hearing her goddess being slandered, immediately forgot her nervousness and glared at the boy. “Underhanded tactics, your dad! Are you an orphan that you’d mess with someone’s mindset before a competition? The competition organizers already clarified that incident ages ago!”

The boy smirked coldly. “Her family has so much power. Of course the organizers would side with her. Too bad for the powerless musician who got blacklisted and can never play the violin again.”

Chu Xiao Yin shot back indignantly, “You’d better back up your claims with evidence. Otherwise, you’re just slandering—”

“Alright.”

Mu Wan stopped Chu Xiao Yin, her gaze cold as she glanced at the boy. “If thinking that way makes it easier for you to accept losing to me later, then suit yourself.” She then comforted Chu Xiao Yin, saying, “Don’t let insignificant people or matters affect your emotions. The competition is what matters.”

The boy’s face darkened, and he glared at Mu Wan before walking away with his violin. Chu Xiao Yin rolled her eyes. “What a piece of shit.”

In the past, Mu Wan might have been shaken by such remarks, which could have impacted her performance. But the person she was now was far more composed and self-assured. If she hadn’t done something, then she hadn’t done it. Why should she punish herself for someone else’s wrongdoing?

Chu Xiao Yin’s performance slot came before Mu Wan’s. Watching from backstage, Mu Wan noticed that while Chu Xiao Yin had been nervously fidgeting beforehand, she displayed no signs of stage fright once she stepped onto the platform.

“She’s playing beautifully,” Mu Wan murmured with a smile, turning to retrieve her violin case to prepare for her final instrument check.

However, as she opened the latch, her expression instantly darkened.

The bowstring of her violin was broken.