Hettie walked straight onto the stage and sat down at the piano. The guests below quieted down, waiting to hear her play.
It seemed she often performed at banquets, so no one was particularly surprised.
Zhou Yi leaned against the wall, sipping his drink as he asked his system:
"System, do you have any impressive piano pieces? Preferably ones this world has never heard before."
"Of course, but you know the drill."
"Go on, how many attribute points?"
"Just 50,000. Absolute masterpiece—guaranteed to make the big shots below lose their minds, including that woman you're trying to charm."
"Alright, alright, you think you’ve got me all figured out, huh?"
"I don’t, but I’ve mastered your tastes. You love chasing women who start off a little tsundere."
Zhou Yi... Zhou Yi couldn’t deny it.
Admittedly, conquering that type of woman was more fun for him.
"Aren’t you looking forward to seeing her dumbstruck expression later?"
"Host, I’m not a man. I can’t get excited, nor do I understand your thrills."
......
Zhou Yi stopped bantering with the system and directly purchased the recommended piano piece, titled Tears of the Divine.
Hettie was called a pianist for a reason—she had her own unique style.
Her playing was fiery and unrestrained, a stark contrast to her cold, elegant appearance.
Perhaps all her passion was poured into the piano, allowing the audience to feel the raw emotion. Everyone present was utterly captivated by Hettie’s performance.
There was no denying it—Hettie was a mesmerizing woman, especially when she played.
As the piece ended, applause erupted. Hettie lifted the hem of her dress and curtsied gracefully.
Albedo smiled and praised her, prompting Hettie to finally show a smile of her own.
"Professor, Mr. Zhou said he wanted to challenge me. Now it’s his turn."
She glanced at Zhou Yi, her expression practically saying, Let’s see what you’ve got.
Albedo sensed the tension but was always eager to witness a piano duel.
With a chuckle, he said, "Is that so, Zhou? You’re performing too?"
"Yes, Mr. Albedo."
"Wonderful! We’re in for a treat tonight. Which piece will you play?"
"I’ll improvise."
The pianists in the room exchanged intrigued looks.
"Go ahead, Zhou. We’ll all be cheering for you."
Matthew, meanwhile, raised his camera again, ready to record the moment. He always captured photos and videos at these gatherings, and tonight was no exception.
Zhou Yi stepped onto the stage and sat down slowly, closing his eyes before his fingers danced across the keys.
The audience’s reactions shifted from anticipation to shock, then awe, and finally sheer amazement—all within two minutes.
This was undoubtedly a piece they’d never heard before, convincing them it truly was an improvisation.
How else could such a breathtaking composition remain unknown? And his playing was flawless—not a single misplaced note or hesitation!
"This is unbelievable! He’s like the reincarnation of Master Bach!"
"Oh my God, this will become a classic, mark my words."
"To think such a prodigy was unheard of in the piano world... What a tragedy we nearly missed him tonight!"
Even Albedo and the other guests couldn’t stop marveling.
One elderly pianist sighed, "I pale in comparison."
As for Hettie? She reacted exactly as Zhou Yi had predicted—completely stunned.
Or perhaps enchanted was the word.
Her gaze fixed on Zhou Yi, lips slightly parted, lost in the music.
Only when the piece ended and thunderous applause filled the room did she snap back to reality.
Now she understood the vast gulf between them.
All traces of her earlier arrogance vanished as she clapped fervently for Zhou Yi.
Matthew was beside himself with excitement. Thank goodness he’d recorded it—this was improvisation!
His footage might become study material for countless students. He hurried to back it up on Albedo’s computer.
Meanwhile, Zhou Yi was showered with praise.
"Zhou, you’re the most talented pianist I’ve ever met!"
"Absolutely. Even at my age, I’m humbled. Talent trumps years of practice—though that’s a harsh truth for those without it."
"Zhou, I’d considered taking you as my student, but clearly, you’re beyond teaching. You’re God’s own pianist."
"If I hadn’t come tonight, I’d have missed something extraordinary. Hearing you play is my luckiest moment."
The admiration was genuine. Brilliance deserved respect.
And Hettie? Her eyes now held only deep infatuation.
"Zhou, your talent is staggering. I can’t believe I was so rude earlier... I’m sorry."
"No need. It was just a friendly match. I wasn’t offended at all."
"You’re magnanimous, and I’m utterly smitten."
Her beautiful eyes burned with passion. From then on, she stuck to Zhou Yi’s side—the icy beauty turned into an adoring fan.
"Zhou, do you have a girlfriend?"
"No. Why do you ask, Hettie?"
"Would you consider me? I adore you."
"Uh... isn’t this a bit sudden? I’ve never thought about it before. Besides, didn’t Matthew say you’d sworn off marriage?"
"That was before I met you. Zhou, are you free tonight? Would you like to come to my place for a drink?"
Hettie was completely besotted.
It was as if Zhou Yi only needed to say "marry me," and she’d drag him to the courthouse without hesitation.
077: "Host, does she have some misunderstanding? Should you remind her that piano skills aren’t sexually transmitted?"
Zhou Yi: "Maybe she just sees me as her soulmate. Artists fall fast and hard."
He added wistfully to the system, "Pity I already promised Claire tonight. Otherwise, a drink at this beauty’s place would’ve been perfect."
077: "You could visit Hettie first, then Claire. It’s not like they conflict."
Zhou Yi: "? That’s even more shameless than my ideas."
"But I like it. Decision made."
What would it feel like to have this aloof beauty burning with passion in bed?
Zhou Yi was looking forward to finding out.
transmigrates into the world as the sect master of the Heavenly Yan Sect, which is on the verge of being wiped out. He binds a system that grants him cultivation power based on the number of disciples he has: for each disciple, he automatically gains a year's worth of cultivation every single day! Take one disciple: every day he gains 1 year of cultivation power. While others struggle through a year of bitter training, he gets the same just by sleeping through a single night. Take ten disciples: every day he gains 10 years of cultivation power. Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul—he breezes through all bottlenecks without lifting a finger. Take one hundred disciples: every day he gains 100 years of cultivation power. Even a Soul Transformation Venerable before him can’t survive a single blow. Take ten thousand disciples: every day he gains 10,000 years of cultivation power! With a wave of his hand, he topples empires. With a single step, he crushes the sacred grounds of the universe. ... While others fight tooth and nail for secret techniques, Lin Yan casually hands out Nascent Soul-level cultivation manuals as beginner textbooks. While others strain to find talented recruits, Lin Yan opens his doors to anyone—so long as they’re human. In just three short years, the Heavenly Yan Sect went from a backwater sect made up of three crumbling huts to a sacred land that every cultivator under heaven would kill to enter. ... One day, otherworldly demon gods invade, with a million demon soldiers pressing down upon the realm. Lin Yan, yawning, rises from his lounge chair and glances at the system panel: [Current Disciples: 1.28 million] [Daily Cultivation Increase: 1.28 million years] He waves his hand casually, and the countless demon soldiers are reduced to ashes in an instant. “So noisy… interrupting my fishing.”
ions, keeping it grounded and realistic】 After quitting his job, office worker Su Yang accidentally binds with the "Enjoy Life System." As the name suggests, simply by indulging in life's pleasures, he can earn random rewards from the system—no need to spend money on beautiful women or grovel before anyone. Just enjoy, and the money follows, making it all about effortless fun. The system comes with a scanning feature, allowing him to establish a favorability bond with women rated 85 points or above. Every 20-point increase in favorability unlocks additional rewards. After suffering through over twenty years of hardship, Su Yang trembles with excitement, his dull eyes suddenly gleaming with newfound hope. "Enjoy life? How hard could that be?"
saw a female celebrity tied up and stuffed in the trunk! Little did he know, countless cameras were aimed at him at this moment - this was a new type of reality show. The first randomly selected passerby was caught in less than an hour. But when Xu Moru was selected, things started to take an unexpected turn. "Damn, this isn't how the script goes. This Xu Moru is too bold, he's not following the rules at all." "Crap, is this guy taking it seriously?" "The female celebrity has been scared to tears!"
he colors of other people’s emotions. Light red meant anxiety. Gray meant exhaustion. Orange meant excitement. Yellow... meant repression. At the same time, he could gain unlimited control over one of those colors. Pale cyan: relaxation. Using this ability, he started offering “two-yuan hugs,” spending an afternoon exchanging emotional-color experiences with others. Then came his final female customer of the day— a girl whose emotional color was pure black... —— A week later, Xu Chuan had become skilled at using pale cyan—Relaxation—treating it like a bottle of menthol balm whenever he needed it. That was when he discovered he had unlocked another unlimited emotional color: Purple, the color of fear. So these emotional colors refresh every week? Fine, I take it back—I’ll never call you useless again... —— Much later, after Xu Chuan had accumulated countless emotional abilities, one night, he suddenly found himself inside someone else’s dream. There, he could use the emotional colors he possessed to paint. And in her dream, he painted her a shower of pink shooting stars, spreading across the depths of the night sky...
