Chapter 187: The Curtain Rises

Meanwhile, Fu Yingzhou took Shi Shi back to his home. He had only recently renovated this apartment. Because he wanted to live with Shi Shi, he needed to prepare in advance.

As soon as she entered, Shi Shi began to look around. She found that the house was very new and showed no signs of having been lived in.

She found a somewhat old photo album on a bookshelf and curiously picked it up to look through it. The album mostly contained photos of Fu Yingzhou as a child, as well as some group photos of him with his family. Shi Shi was engrossed in looking at them when suddenly one photo made her stop. In the photo, Fu Yingzhou was standing very close to a girl, smiling brightly.

Shi Shi felt a pang of sadness and pointed at the photo, asking, "Who is this girl?"

Fu Yingzhou leaned closer to take a look and quickly explained, "This is my cousin. It's a photo we took together when we were little. I'll introduce you to her when she comes to Kyoto!"

Seeing his eagerness to explain, Shi Shi breathed a sigh of relief, but still muttered, "Who knows?"

Looking at her adorable appearance, Fu Yingzhou couldn't help but smile and gently pinched her nose. Afterwards, Fu Yingzhou led Shi Shi on the tour.

The spacious living room features a huge floor-to-ceiling window, offering unobstructed views of the city when bathed in sunlight. The decor is simple yet luxurious, with a soft, comfortable light gray sofa paired with an elegant walnut-colored wooden coffee table. In a corner, a black piano sits; Shi Shi walks over and gently touches the lid, her eyes filled with curiosity.

"You like playing the piano?" Shi Shi asked curiously.

Fu Yingzhou smiled faintly and shook his head. He said gently to Shishi, "I don't have much musical talent. This piano is for you." He stepped forward, put his arm around Shishi's shoulder, and continued, "The most romantic thing I can imagine is me sitting in front of this French window, looking at you across from me, touching the piano keys with my long, slender, fair hands."

It's not surprising that she enjoys this kind of scene because she has a hand fetish!

Next, they went to the kitchen, which was fully equipped with modern kitchenware and had a variety of brand-new tableware in the cabinets.

Shishi pointed to the fully equipped kitchenware: "There's no sign of anyone living here. Why are you so well-equipped? Is it for the housekeeper?"

Fu Yingzhou smiled and said, "No, this is for myself. I can cook delicious food for you here from now on. The way to a woman's heart is through her stomach."

Shi Shi's cheeks flushed slightly, her heart filled with sweetness.

Finally, they arrived at the bedroom, where a large bed occupied the center of the room, its bedding soft and fluffy. An abstract painting hung on the wall above the bed, adding an artistic touch to the room. Shi Shi walked to the window, looked at the view outside, and exclaimed, "This place is really wonderful. Compared to it, my home isn't cozy enough."

"As long as you don't mind that it's small, little princess."

Shi Shi retorted, "I'm not some princess! Do you think I've never suffered before!" Only after saying this did he realize that it was she who had suffered, not the original owner of this body.

The greatest suffering the original owner had ever endured was the suffering of love.

Fu Yingzhou gently hugged her from behind and said tenderly, "From now on, this will be our home."

The matter of espionage should be handed over to the state.

Mite Media was utterly destroyed.

...

Nothing happened until I went abroad for the competition.

The "Great Island Empire" was collectively referred to as the "Devil's Country" by the Chinese. In the eyes of the Chinese, a tiny island nation with only a few islands—how could it be considered a "Great Island Empire"? For so many years, haven't they reflected on whether they've actually tried to expand their territory?

Oh, it can't be expanded.

Then it's still Japan.

Compared to the last overseas training trip, this time the accompanying personnel are much larger. Having been targeted before, no one dares to be careless. After all, China is a great nation; being attacked once can be attributed to being caught off guard. But being attacked twice would be utterly shameful!

They probably knew their theft of Shishi's musical score had been exposed, and that the Chinese visitors last time were clearly not friendly. This time, both sides were much more restrained.

Facing the barrage of questions from media outlets around the world, Shi Shi's stunning beauty quickly went viral. Of course, not for positive reasons, as those participating in international competitions are all genuinely talented. Shi Shi, however, stands out not only for her youth but also for her exceptional beauty.

Compared to the well-maintained youthful appearance of Chinese people, Westerners look noticeably older!

"It's laughable that the Chinese sent a pretty face to compete!"

A Western media outlet scoffed, drawing laughter from those around them. Shi Shi heard these words but didn't refute them; the competition hadn't even started, and words were futile. However, her eyes instantly hardened, she clenched her fists, and a fighting spirit ignited within her.

Gu Hanyi gently patted her shoulder, offering silent encouragement.

A total of 36 countries participated in this international music competition, divided into four groups of 12 countries each. Two winning countries were selected from each group. Finally, the champion, runner-up, and third-place winners were chosen from these eight countries.

Compared to Shi Shi's group, which relied on composition and brainpower, Kong Pan's group, the Central Conservatory of Music, relied more on physical stamina. In the group stage, where 2 out of 12 contestants were chosen, they had to perform three songs. The large chorus performance relied on teamwork. It was very strenuous.

After Shi Shi won by a landslide, she brought warm water to Kong Pan's side to watch.

Kong Pan's group was full of top-notch musicians, especially Sato from the Oshima Empire, who was internationally renowned and whose eyes were full of disdain for China. During the preparation time before the competition, he saw the Chinese musicians diligently tuning their instruments backstage, so Sato deliberately made noise nearby in an attempt to disturb them.

Shi Shi took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to curse. Although Japan was like a villain in his mind, could you please not act like a villain?! He used his left hand to press down his right hand, which was about to slap someone.

Shi Shi watched intently as Kong Pan made her final preparations.

The competition officially began, with contestants from various countries taking the stage in turn. Sato, the lead singer from Japan, was the first to perform. His energetic and passionate rendition earned him rounds of applause from the audience.

The next few choirs to perform were significantly weaker than Sato's Japanese music group.

When it was China's turn, Kong Pan calmly walked onto the stage to the lead singer's position and began to play. As the Chinese pianist's fingers danced nimbly across the keys, a beautiful melody flowed out like a gentle stream, instantly silencing the entire venue. Kong Pan raised the microphone, and her rich, powerful soprano voice resonated throughout.

As the music progressed, the audience was completely immersed, as if transported to a dreamlike world. When the piece ended, thunderous applause erupted throughout the venue; China had conquered everyone with an overwhelming victory.