I was the principal pianist for the symphony orchestra, but on the eve of a major performance, I suddenly forgot every single technique I knew. At that exact moment, my young assistant beside me received a system prompt: [Congratulations to the host. Successfully plundered Piano Talent (Max Level).] Amidst the gasps and sighs of the crowd, I plummeted into the mud, while she climbed to the clouds. I begged my assistant to return my talent, but she heartlessly pushed me off the building. When I opened my eyes again, the doorbell rang. I looked at the young woman applying for the assistant position in front of me and revealed a playful smile. 1 I was reborn on the day I was selected as the pianist for the Philharmonic Orchestra. Outside the window, a fierce rainstorm raged, while hearty and impassioned piano notes poured from my fingertips. Unwillingness, anger, hatred... "Ding dong." The doorbell rang, incongruous and abrupt, interrupting my performance. She was here. "System, is Harper the piano genius we're looking for?" "Yes, host. As long as you gain enough affinity, you can plunder her talent." "Great! I want to be the principal musician of the future exhibition!" Through the thin door, the conversation between Chloe and the system came through clearly. I curled my lips in a cold sneer and raised my hand to tuck a stray hair behind my ear. In this life, things probably wouldn't go as they wished. 2 "Miss Harper, I'm here to apply for the assistant position." Seeing me open the door, Chloe's face flushed slightly with excitement. She tugged at her hem somewhat nervously, appearing both innocent and shy. In my previous life, she used this harmless facade to deceive me. I concealed the fierce light in my eyes and, meeting her expectant gaze, chuckled and shook my head: "I'm sorry, I don't need an assistant." "How... how can that be!" This answer was completely unexpected for her. The smile on Chloe's lips froze instantly. Her face looked terrible, and the fingertips gripping the recruitment flyer turned slightly pale. "Please, Miss Harper, I really need this job..." She lowered her head, revealing a back soaked by the rain. Her whole person seemed fragile and pitiful. But I felt that I, who fell from the eighteenth floor with my brains splattered, was even more pitiful. "Who is it?" From behind, a large hand domineeringly wrapped around my waist. A man's lazy and hoarse voice sounded in my ear. Seeing Chloe blush under his aggressive scrutiny, I leaned into Ethan's embrace and smiled even more delightfully. In my previous life, he always said that the people around me had impure motives, and I didn't think much of it. Until the day I was pushed downstairs, I heard Chloe's hysterical roar: "I already have your talent, why does he still love you!" "The position of Mrs. Sterling belongs to me!" ... "What's wrong, do you know her?" "No, I don't." My thoughts returning, I pinched Ethan's chin and pecked him on the lips. Realizing she was being ignored, Chloe, with tears in her eyes, looked helplessly at the man. "Sir, I'm here to apply for the assistant position, but Miss Harper doesn't seem to like me very much..." The little white flower stood in the rain, hesitating to speak, shedding tears, looking utterly pitiful. But no one paid attention to her. Ethan passionately squeezed my waist, urging in a hoarse voice: "I'm tired, hurry up." "Miss, take care on your way out. I won't see you out." With a smile on my lips, I ruthlessly slammed the door shut. The last thing in my line of sight was Chloe trembling with anger. Her small face was ashen, and the gaze she directed at me was filled with greed. "System, I must get Harper's talent, and everything else she has!" 3 Sitting behind the door, I clung to Ethan's neck and kissed him absentmindedly. How should I play Chloe to death? Disguise it as a car accident... slash her throat... or drown her? "You're brushing me off." Ethan dissatisfiedly nipped at my lip and ground his teeth. I pushed him away in pain and coldly pulled back my clothes. "From now on, don't casually interfere in my business." "Just helping you swat away an annoying fly, your business is my business." Under his resentful gaze, I paced to the familiar Steinway Fibonacci piano. Taking a seat, raising my hands, the passionate melody soared once more. After my talent was taken in my previous life, no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't play a complete note. This was the piano I loved above all else! The feeling of having it back now was truly... incomparable! I suppressed the surging joy in my chest, followed by an even more intense hatred. After a piece was finished, Ethan tenderly bowed his head and kissed my fingertips. His eyes were full of admiration and infatuation. "Don't come looking for me recently, I'm going to the orchestra, very busy." "Harper, what's more important, the piano or me?" "...What do you think?" I seriously withdrew my hand and, following the melody in my mind, played another piece. The sound of the piano echoed melodiously in the room, and in a good mood, I practiced continuously for three hours before stopping. Tomorrow was the first day reporting to the orchestra. This time, I would surpass my former peak. 4 "Harper, I've arranged an assistant for you... She's a kid who just graduated from music school, got some talent." As soon as I entered the theater's concert hall, the orchestra director came over to notify me. After speaking, he waved gently to the distance. A bad premonition welled up in my heart, and I raised an eyebrow and turned around. "Teacher Harper, I just came to the theater to try my luck, I didn't expect... please guide me from now on!" Sure enough, Chloe walked over timidly, politely bowing deeply to everyone. The look in her eyes when she saw me was full of sincerity and admiration. Perhaps afraid of my refusal, she hurriedly added with feigned clumsiness: "I can endure hardship, I hope Teacher Harper won't dislike me." Hearing these unpretentious words, the orchestra members immediately had a favorable impression of Chloe. Everyone smiled and told her not to be so polite. "Chloe, don't be afraid, Harper is very easy to talk to." "Yes, we are all a family here." Seeing my silence, the director secretly winked, urging me. It was as if my not accepting her kindly would be making things difficult for her, making me the bad guy. But I deliberately wouldn't let them have their way. "No thanks, I don't need an assistant." I smiled gently, but firmly refused to her face. Then I ignored everyone's expressions and walked towards the piano in the corner. The scene instantly fell silent. The orchestra conductor, who had been watching from the sidelines, walked over. He was about thirty years old and looked gentle and refined. "Harper, I think this kid is pretty good." "I think she's just mediocre." Being abruptly contradicted by me, he froze awkwardly. Seeing this, Chloe immediately bit her lower lip in embarrassment, forcing a smile. "It's okay, thank you everyone for the welcome... It's my poor aptitude that doesn't make me fit to be an assistant, everyone shouldn't make things difficult for Teacher Harper." "I will figure out a way for my mom's illness, if not, I can work at a bar." As she spoke, tears kept falling from the corners of her eyes. It made everyone feel a little sympathetic. Before the director could comfort her, I opened the score, looked up, and replied: "Yeah, your aptitude is indeed a bit lacking." In my previous life, I taught her hand-in-hand through wind and rain for three years, and in the end, she was still a piece of trash. 5 "Obviously she's a newcomer herself, isn't she a bit too arrogant." "Bullying Chloe because she's easy to talk to, pure-hearted." In the crowd, I didn't know who muttered a few words softly. I lowered my eyes, bowing my head and mockingly curled the corners of my lips. Obviously they were trying to force someone on me, and didn't allow me to refuse. If I didn't need to use the orchestra's name to participate in the international music competition three months later, I would be too lazy to play with them. Not getting the title of International Piano Master in my previous life was my regret. In this life, I don't want any regrets. I fondly stroked the keys beneath my hands, ignoring them and started to play. Dense music like raindrops sounded, echoing continuously in the empty theater. The scales vibrated, exploded, leaped. "Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3?!" The originally frowning conductor suddenly looked up in astonishment. Several seasoned members of the orchestra also gathered around. "Harper's piano level is much higher than during the qualification exam." "To be able to interpret Rach 3 like this... is one of the few in today's piano world." "She's a bit too genius!" Amidst the low praises of everyone, Chloe, who was left out in the cold, clenched her fists, full of jealousy. She opened her mouth to say something, but found that no one was paying attention to her. It wasn't until the piano lid closed that everyone came back to their senses. The director cleared his throat, still deciding to smooth things over: "Harper, since she's already recruited, and there are so many performances, I think you still need a practice assistant." "No, this isn't a garbage shelter, whatever waste you have, please resolve it yourself." I restrained the smile on my lips and seriously scanned Chloe a few times. It wasn't until I had sufficiently admired her livid face that I walked in a happy mood to the lounge. Speaking like this was a bit excessive. But who said I wanted to be a good person? "Sorry, Chloe, you..." Seeing me leave with a firm attitude, the director had no choice but to refuse Chloe, but was interrupted by a man's refined voice. "If Harper doesn't want her, I'll take her, Chloe can learn from me, I think she's quite pleasing to the eye." "Thank you conductor, I will definitely work hard and not embarrass you!" The orchestra conductor... seems to have been married for a few years. Thinking of that good deed I almost ran into in the stairwell in my previous life, I playfully rubbed my fingertips. But this Chloe is quite hard to chase away. But what I have is patience. Watching her slowly climb to the clouds and then fall hard seems more fun than killing her directly. And this kind of embarrassment in the eyes of a small person is really interesting. 6 "Bravo!" "Encore..." The piano solo ended, and thunderous applause erupted from the audience. I bowed deeply and walked off the stage flamboyantly, swaying my mermaid skirt. In the corner, Chloe resentfully kicked the instrument at her feet. "System, I've been working hard for a month already. Harper still doesn't seem to like me very much, is there any other way to strip her of her talent?" "Host, you can accumulate others' affinity to improve your luck. When your luck surpasses hers, you can snatch the talent." As I passed by her, I heard her conspiracy with the system again. Chloe pretended to be friendly, raised her little face, and smiled at me. I completely ignored her, chatted with someone beside me, and walked away. "What are you pretending for, if I had this kind of talent, I could play this well too!" Talent? In my previous life, after having my talent, Chloe was also a piece of trash. If everything in the world only depended on talent, then what would my more than ten years of hard work amount to. 7 After the performance, the orchestra held a networking banquet in the side hall of the theater. I sat in a box on the second floor, quietly observing Chloe, who was holding a violin downstairs, ready to act. What is she doing with a violin? She clearly doesn't know how to play the violin. "Today's solo was outstanding." The door was pushed open, and Ethan walked in with large strides. His face was cold, his eyes dark and deep, looking domineering and aloof. All the performances of the Philharmonic Orchestra received sponsorship from the Sterling family, so he had unrestricted access here. "Genius, your favorite irises." With a smile on his lips, he stuffed the flowers into my arms. Seeing me satisfied, he took off his black scarf and gently wrapped it around my neck a few times. "It's ugly, is Mr. Sterling very free lately?" "After signing the contract, I took a plane back, fortunately I didn't miss it." I leaned lazily in his arms to rest, but suddenly the melodious sound of a violin performance came from downstairs. Chloe, dressed in an elegant white dress, stood in the performance area, eyes closed, playing the violin intoxicatingly. She was like a pure and delicate dodder flower, stumbling into a luxurious banquet. This strong contrast immediately drew the onlookers of the celebrities. "What do you think of her level?" Ethan buried his head and kissed my collarbone again and again, paying no attention to the commotion outside. Hearing the question, he obediently looked up, panting low, his voice very hoarse. "Far inferior to you." The sound of the violin was far inferior to mine, but objectively speaking, it was very good. Chloe studied vocal music at the music academy, not orchestral music. In her previous life, she had never played the violin. The scene before me made me have a guess in my heart. I pushed Ethan away and immediately dialed the phone: "Check Chloe's interpersonal relationships in the orchestra, especially the violinists." After doing odd jobs around the orchestra conductor for a month, Chloe must have gained the affinity of many people. If high affinity can strip talent... "Miss, a week ago, Chloe saved a person from a drunken homeless man at the door of the theater, named Mia." I lowered my eyes and recalled carefully. Mia, the violinist in the second tier of the orchestra. "Investigate the homeless man's identity and financial movements, and send the results directly to Mia." "Yes." Hanging up the phone, I threw my head back and drank the red wine in my hand in one gulp. Wantonly stripping others' precious talent, destroying others' lives. Chloe, you really deserve to die! When the wine in the bottle bottomed out, the sound of the violin stopped. The celebrities applauded enthusiastically and asked about the performer's identity one after another. Chloe ran off the stage shyly, but accidentally bumped into the man in the corner. He was slender, his white shirt worn loosely, revealing a small patch of fair collarbone. The man's face was full of gloomy ruthlessness, with a trace of paranoia. My dad's illegitimate son, Liam. With red wine splashed on his expensive white shirt, she panicked and started shedding tears. I lay on the railing, yawned, got up, and left. "Boring act, let's go home, Mr. Sterling." "Okay, there's a new dish from French cuisine, I'll go home and make it for you." "I'm going to practice the piano tonight, I don't have time to accompany you." "It's okay, you practice yours, I'll leave after I finish making food for you." "...Okay." 8 The next day, the director suddenly summoned the orchestra members for a meeting. I pushed open the door of the conference room with coffee, but saw Chloe in the corner. When everyone saw me, they looked at each other with unclear meanings and began to whisper. After that piano solo, I became famous overnight. In the domestic music world, it can be said that my reputation soared, and my limelight was unparalleled for a time. Under many gazes, I sat down and drank coffee to myself. "Everyone, there are personnel changes in the orchestra. Mia from the second team resigned and left the orchestra due to personal reasons." "Let's welcome the new violinist—Chloe." Sitting in the main seat, the director crossed his hands and smiled when he announced. He looked very satisfied. As Chloe walked out of the corner shyly, the scene erupted in enthusiastic cheers. "Harper, won't you welcome the newcomer?" Seeing me indifferent, the orchestra conductor, wanting to support Chloe, called me out in front of everyone. I raised an eyebrow and immediately smiled generously in response. "Of course I welcome her." The game has just begun, welcome to the venue. Chloe sat down uneasily and carefully glanced at me: "I don't have any talent, I'm just a little diligent, I still have a lot to learn from everyone in the future!" Many people praised her, with occasional coaxing laughter. Of course, there were also people who secretly mocked me. "What diligence, Chloe just started practicing the violin not long ago, to be able to enter the orchestra in such a short time is definitely relying on talent!" "Slap in the face, someone even said Chloe's aptitude is not good." "Chloe work hard, you will definitely surpass those who look down on you soon." Sitting on the edge, Chloe restrainedly shook her head, but the eyes she secretly cast at me were full of pride. I drank coffee calmly, occasionally lowering my head to tap on my phone. When the director announced the end of the meeting, it was unknowingly lunchtime. I stretched, got up, and threw the bottomed-out coffee cup into the trash can. "Trash is trash, sure enough, it still has to stay in the trash can." "Harper, didn't we say that everyone is going to Chloe's welcome party at noon?" Seeing me walk back to the lounge, the orchestra director frowned and stopped me. His eyes were filled with deep disapproval, probably having a lot of opinions about my trash can remark. I curled my lips into a shallow smile and bypassed him. "Lunchtime is my personal freedom, there's a distinguished guest in the lounge, please excuse me." "Harper, you have to change this temper of yours..." "Bang!" 9 "Harper, is what you said true?" Seeing me enter, the woman sitting in the lounge stood up abruptly. Her face was haggard, her eyes covered in red bloodshot. I nodded, took out the violin from behind me, and placed it in her trembling hands. "Mia, try playing it." Under my serious and encouraging gaze, Mia bit her lower lip. Taking a few deep breaths, she turned her head and clamped the violin on her shoulder, lightly resting the bow... What flowed out were still broken notes. Mia let go, fell to the ground, covered her face, and cried bitterly: "I can't play the violin anymore, I've learned the violin for twenty years, I can't play the violin anymore..." The sound insulation of the lounge was very good, no one outside could hear the commotion inside. I sat quietly to the side, waiting for her to vent her emotions. The person on the ground cried loudly for a few minutes before calming down. "At the banquet last night, Chloe played Paganini's 'Witches' Dance', this is the piece you perform best." To show friendliness, I symbolically handed over a handkerchief. Mia got up from the ground and wiped the tear stains off her face with her bare hands. She clenched her teeth, a touch of ruthlessness revealing in her eyes: "Thank you, I won't let that bitch go." "I look forward to it." After reaching a consensus, a smile finally appeared on Mia's lips, and her pale little face was no longer decadent. Before leaving, she stopped, turned back to look at me, and seemed extremely serious. "Harper, you are the pianist with the highest talent I have ever seen." "But you have to be careful, that bitch has a lot of schemes and a lot of backing behind her."
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