Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Today, Tian Xiaoxiao wore a slightly more formal dress and held her violin in her hand.
The staff behind her immediately distributed her information to the judges.
“Third-grade?” A teacher from Continent M sitting beside Mr. Engel couldn’t help but utter as he flipped through the information.
Third-grade, and she had only joined the association for less than two months.
“She’s Master Wei’s disciple. Who knows, she might reach the fourth grade in about two months.” The teacher who spoke was on Dai Ran’s side in the Beijing Association and was secretly demeaning her.
After all, everyone knew that… it was too difficult to go from the third- to fourth-grade in less than two months, especially since this student wasn’t particularly good in all aspects.
After hearing that she was Master Wei’s disciple, Mr. Engel was a little interested. He looked down at the information and was surprised. “She even made her own composition?”
Master Wei was also a little surprised. He originally thought that this time, only Qin Ran would play her own composition, but he didn’t expect Tian Xiaoxiao to do so as well.
There was a rebroadcast screen recording outside.
Tian Yiyun, Qin Yu, and the others looked on absent-mindedly. Since they knew that Tian Xiaoxiao was the only third-grade student, most of them didn’t care about her.
Li Xue was also in the third-grade, but she didn’t participate in the competition and had only come with Tian Yiyun.
In addition to the teachers, there were also freshmen and other members of the Violin Association in the audience.
On the screen, Master Wei smiled at Tian Xiaoxiao. “You can begin.”
Tian Xiaoxiao bowed to the teachers, then closed her eyes and lingered for a moment. The spotlights above her head suddenly became warm, and she finally moved her hands!
The brisk violin sound suddenly jumped off lightheartedly.
It was a pure and relaxing concerto, and Tian Xiaoxiao was like a fish back in the water in this violin performance.
Although she hadn’t played the violin for as long as Wang Zifeng, she had managed to grasp several difficult skills in great detail!
She started with a legato!
A vibrato!
A short trill!
Her music was already the cheerful type, and a vivid spirituality was bestowed upon by an additional short trill!
Several teachers and even Mr. Engel couldn’t help but stare at her.
Her music was good, and she could even show off her skills?
Then, the next second—
A double trill!
It was a higher-level violin technique.
Unlike the vibrato, a trill required advanced skills, and it was obvious that Tian Xiaoxiao controlled it very well.
There weren’t many dazzling and complicated skills, but the cohesive use of the techniques she utilized was too beautiful. Moreover, the animato aura in the composition fleeted out excessively.
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This was an auditory feast!
After less than five minutes of music, thunderous applause resounded from the audience!
“Oh my God, Tian Xiaoxiao has reached the fourth-grade, right?” “She must be in the fourth-grade. Even I can’t reach her level!”
“Didn’t she just come to the association two months ago?”
“Look at how many points the judges gave?”
The atmosphere at the scene surged momentarily—the trainees, as well as the other members sitting in the stands, engaged in heated discussions.
Dai Ran originally didn’t care, but now, he was rendered completely speechless.
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From the third- to fourth-grade in two months?!
Master Wei glanced at everyone calmly and smiled. “Teachers, let’s score.”
One of the teachers gave 90 points, while the others gave 80 points.
Both Master Wei and Mr. Engel both gave an unprecedented 70 points.
The four people before had wandered between 70 to 80 points. This was the first time that 90 points appeared!
Furthermore, Master Wei and Mr. Engel had each given 70 points.
Taking the microphone, Tian Xiaoxiao bowed to thank the teachers and added a few words of thanks. “Thank you very much, Master Wei, my mentor in life. And also, thank you to my group members, Qin Ran and Wang Zifeng. Especially Qin Ran, who arranged this piece for me…”
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She kept bringing up Qin Ran, so Master Wei waved his hand and scolded in amusement. “Enough, you can go down.”
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Tian Xiaoxiao finally said her thanks and left with the microphone.
She arrived backstage.
Li Xue stared at her in a daze.
Reaching out to brush her hair, Tian Xiaoxiao ignored her and just smiled happily at Qin Ran. “Teacher Qin, I didn’t disappoint you, did I?”
A few people who didn’t have any enmities with Tian Xiaoxiao and the others approached them generously and asked, “Tian Xiaoxiao, you’re too impressive. You reached the fourth-grade in just two months?”
Usually, Tian Xiaoxiao couldn’t be bothered to talk about these.
But today, she fiddled with her sunglasses slowly and smiled. “You guys also know that my violin was only so-so. I was even last when I entered the association. But I was able to reach the fourth-grade in such a short amount of time all because of my team member, Qin Ran. It was all her…”
Qin Ran picked up the cap beside her and buckled it on her head expressionlessly, even pressing it down further.
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But these words had a huge impact on the others.
The veterans didn’t know, but the freshmen knew that Tian Xiaoxiao had indeed been unremarkable when she first entered. She had certainly been the most inconspicuous of the thirty freshmen.
This year, only three freshmen were above the third-grade.
Two months later, they were still in the third-grade, but Tian Xiaoxiao, who had been weaker than them, suddenly rose to the fourth-grade and left them behind!
All other aspects of their training had been identical, except for one thing…
They didn’t have Qin Ran in their group…
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This was only two months. If the time had been longer, like one or two years, what grade would she reach? The fifth- or sixth-grade?
Li Xue’s whole body shivered at this thought.
She knew she shouldn’t think of this, but she couldn’t help but look down at her hand.
Two months ago, this pair of hands had rejected Qin Ran.
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A little out of control, she excused herself to Tian Yiyun and quickly left. Tian Yiyun was too unstable now and didn’t care about her, so she just nodded distractedly.
**
The sixth contestant finished his performance quickly.
The seventh person was Wang Zifeng.
He was also highly looked upon by the freshmen.
In the audience, the group of freshmen knew that Qin Ran, Tian Xiaoxiao, and Wang Zifeng were in a group.
Seeing him on stage, they started discussing in low voices.
“Hey, Tian Xiaoxiao is already in the fourth-grade, do you think Wang Zifeng will reach the fifth-grade?”
“That’s… impossible, right?”
“Tian Xiaoxiao could do it in two months, what if Wang Zifeng can too?”
But of course, they didn’t really believe it.
Jumping from the third- to fourth-grade was different from soaring from the fourth- to the fifth-grade.
As they talked, Wang Zifeng started playing. Surprisingly, he was also playing his own composition, but unlike Tian Xiaoxiao, his style was thick and solemn.
He started with legato, and after a short melody as the introduction, a warm and vigorous grandeur burst forth!
His ten years of violin skills were merged at once, and his numerous and complicated skills were displayed at this moment.
Legato, sautille, martele, rapid change of fingering, glissando, and even repeated double trills!
As the key observation subject of the teachers, most people knew that two months ago, Wang Zifeng hadn’t been particularly skilled in changing his fingering, and he had never used the repeated double trills before!
It was an auditory feast completely different from Tian Xiaoxiao’s!
He was clearly at the level of a fifth-grade student!
Dai Ran stared at Wang Zifeng, thrown off balance. Why hadn’t he spotted this student before?
“Teachers, please score.” Master Wei was the one who pulled the teachers back to reality again.
This time, it was in the bag. He got four 90 points and one 88 points from Wen Yin.
In the end, Master Wei and Mr. Engel simultaneously gave 75 points.
Holding his violin, Wang Zifeng thanked the teachers first, and then said, “Thank you very much to my team member, Qin Ran…”
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Backstage, Qin Ran was speechless. She lowered her cap again.
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The audience couldn’t help but whisper among themselves after seeing the score.
“Only 75 points? How strict are Master Wei and the guy from Continent M Association?”
“Who will make them score above 80 points?”
“I think it’s difficult.”
**
Before long, it was time for Number 11.
The staff at the back handed over the information to the teachers.
Master Wei took it casually and glanced at it.
He had arranged Number 20 for Qin Ran, so he didn’t really care about this next performance.
That was until he saw the name of Number 11 written on top—
Qin Ran.
Master Wei suddenly sobered up.
“What happened?” Looking around, Master Wei asked a staff member. “Did you get the wrong ordering?”
The staff was taken aback. “This is what I received from backstage.”
“Who was number 11 originally?” Master Wei asked in a deep voice. “This is wrong. Qin Ran is Number 20. Tell them to change it.”
Beside him, Dai Ran looked over the information and turned to him. “Master Wei, Number 11 was originally Qin Yu. They must have changed it after negotiating. Since it’s already decided, just let it be.”
He knew in his heart that Qin Yu must have done something under the table.
“Change it.” Master Wei handed the information to the staff.
Hearing this, Dai Ran’s expression darkened, but since Mr. Engel and the others were present, he lowered his voice. “Master Wei, you can’t let your apprentice take up all the good things!”
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The last performer would definitely etch a deep impression on Mr. Engel and the others.
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