Chapter 25: Piano Master

Thanks for the invite. I'm in France, just got off the plane.

Got off the plane.

Song Mo turned off airplane mode.

The phone reconnected to the network.

Immediately, a dense flurry of message notification sounds rang out.

He got a fright.

He thought something major must have happened.

He tapped open Xia Rou's message first, and quickly got the full picture of what had happened.

He looked at the contacts in his phone, one by one.

And at the messages Xia Rou had sent, one after another.

Song Mo couldn't help but laugh.

He hurriedly typed out a message and sent it over.

Song Mo: Got it.

Song Mo: It's nothing. Don't worry.

Xia Rou: Boohoo, big boss, you finally replied.

Song Mo: I was on the plane earlier, had it on airplane mode.

Xia Rou: Oh oh, Song Mo, are you sure this is nothing?

On the other side of the screen, Xia Rou was filled with worry.

The degree of online hate was absolutely outrageous.

Things like "bully," "disgusting man," "gold-trimmed straw bag," "artsy-fake maggot"—a mess of insults and slander, simply unfit to read.

Song Mo really thought it was nothing?

She was afraid that after facing such enormous malice, Song Mo's spirits would sink, and that it might affect his competition in France!

Song Mo: Just clowns jumping around.

Song Mo: I have a rough idea who's been pulling strings behind the scenes.

Xia Rou: Alright then.

Song Mo: You've worked hard, Xia Rou.

Song Mo: Thanks to you.

"Ah!"

Xia Rou clutched her phone, leaping up from her dorm chair, overjoyed!

The roommates around her looked at her strangely.

"Um, Xia Rou, are you in a relationship?"

Xia Rou hastily said, "Nonsense!"

"Don't get the wrong idea, I was just chatting with a friend."

"Oh." The roommate hesitated, but in the end said nothing more.

Xia Rou hurriedly tapped open her phone to reply.

But she saw a new voice message.

She warily glanced at her roommates.

Seeing no one looking her way, she eagerly hopped onto her bed.

She put on her earphones and tapped open the voice message.

Song Mo's gentle voice came through.

"When I get back to the country, I'll treat you and Senior Xia Xue to a meal, to reward and thank you both for your efforts during this time. I'll cook personally."

Ahhhh!

Xia Rou screamed inside.

She rolled around on the bed like a lively, leaping fish.

She picked up her phone and, very composedly, replied with one line.

Xia Rou: Sure.

Seeing the reply.

Song Mo gave a faint smile and put away his phone.

Song Wanrou was sneaking peeks at Song Mo's phone from the side.

She had also gotten wind of the online sentiment, and said indignantly:

"Little brother, someone is definitely smearing you online. They're making up nonsense and making it sound so real, and the whole internet is piling on—the person behind this must have quite a bit of clout."

Song Mo smiled.

"It's nothing."

He had a rough idea in his mind who it was.

When all was said and done, besides Chen Xi, who else could it be?

Chen Xi didn't have that kind of clout, but the few women behind him did. Working out the timeline, it was very likely that fatso Leng Wanqiu.

Song Mo sneered inwardly.

In his past life, he had helped Leng Wanqiu seek out famous doctors everywhere, accompanied her as she lost weight, and constantly encouraged her. In the end, she went from 250 jin down to 110 jin—at 175 cm tall, with a bountiful chest, she already had a perfect figure.

She completed a gorgeous transformation, but then turned around and betrayed Song Mo. When Song Mo was being jointly suppressed by those women behind Chen Xi, she jumped ship without hesitation.

She truly ruined Song Mo.

Although Song Mo's original intention was only to win her over and gain the Leng Group's support, Song Mo flattered himself that compared to Chen Xi, who had found a new backer and cast her aside directly, he had done her a kindness, hadn't he?

A kindness, repaid with ingratitude.

"In this life, I really want to see whether this fat woman, without my help, can still slim down. With that precious face of hers, even if she wanted to go lick Chen Xi's boots, she probably wouldn't get the chance…"

Song Mo was not worried about the storm at home. Having lived two lives, Song Mo's heart was strong enough — how could he care about the mud-slinging online?

It didn't hurt, didn't itch.

He focused on preparing for the meeting with Master Liszt, and once he returned home, he would slowly deal with the troublemaking she-devil.

Song Wanrou heard every word of Song Mo's inner thoughts, and felt deeply indignant inside.

The person little brother just mentioned in his thoughts — that must be his enemy, right?

These people are truly disgusting.

Yet little brother hadn't done a single thing.

But they stuck to him like a dog-skin plaster.

Fortunately, little brother wasn't afraid of their petty tricks at all.

Song Mo and Song Wanrou checked into a hotel that had a piano.

Song had originally wanted to book two rooms.

But Song Wanrou refused, saying:

"How am I supposed to take care of you in two separate rooms?"

"Book one. The suite has three rooms in it anyway."

"I'm not sleeping in the same room as you — what are you avoiding suspicion for?"

Song Mo gave a wry smile: "I still ought to avoid suspicion."

"Otherwise, it might become ammunition for the media to attack."

Song Wanrou muttered inside.

Let the media attack, my ass.

Even if they really did attack, we aren't blood relatives anyway.

She said firmly: "On this matter, listen to me."

Song Mo could only agree.

They checked into the hotel shortly after.

After contacting Master Liszt.

He said to go to the Paris Opera House tomorrow.

No one was performing tomorrow.

Song Mo could play a piece on the spot then.

Liszt and some of his friends would come to listen.

Song Mo said he understood.

He sat down on the piano bench at the hotel.

He had no leisure to take in the scenery of Paris, nor any leisure to take in France's exotic charm — or its exotic beauties.

Song Mo checked his Piano Mastery proficiency.

【Piano Mastery: 921/1000】

If he practiced hard until tonight.

He should be able to gather enough proficiency to reach the level of Piano Master.

In such a short time, going from Piano Introduction to Piano Master — it could no longer be described as mere genius.

One could only call it a heaven-sent prodigy.

Yet until now, Song Mo had no reputation at all, either domestically or internationally.

He was utterly unknown.

But he was destined to shake the world.

Song Wanrou stayed with Song Mo, quietly keeping watch over his playing for several full hours.

Every two hours, she handed Song Mo a cup of warm water.

Song Mo took it and sipped lightly.

Then he immediately began practicing hard again.

Just as his Piano Mastery proficiency was about to max out.

Song Mo felt many insights welling up in his heart.

The heavy piano seemed to have become a part of his body.

As easy as moving an arm or a finger.

He could effortlessly use the piano to express his feelings.

To vent his emotions.

He even broke free from those masters' scores.

He gained a brand-new appreciation for the piano's tone and timbre.

Under the high-intensity training, his fingers ached faintly.

But Song Mo had Song Wanrou help him wrap bandages around them.

Then he kept on playing.

He felt as if there were boundless strength in his body.

Enough to ignore the soreness of sitting so long and the ache in his fingers.

The piano under his fingers.

Like the sword of a peerless swordsman.

Dancing according to his will.

Song Wanrou accompanied him in complete silence.

Until Song Mo reached the true threshold.

The piano sound burst like a silver vase shattering!

Shock flashed in Song Wanrou's eyes.

She sprang to her feet in one swift motion.

She paced around the floor, silent, yet the heat and disbelief in her gaze revealed the storm within her!

In those eyes that doted on her younger brother.

A new emotion emerged, never seen before.

Reverence!

As if gazing upon a god!

Song Mo's side also rang with a system notification.

——【Piano Master: 1/10000】

(End of Chapter)