Shen Wanning's Concert

Xu Mu originally thought that when Zhou Hening introduced a few young stars to him, he would just meet them briefly.

He didn't expect to be invited to a concert, so he had to return to the car and ask Meng Wanyue to get out.

"Wanyue, it looks like we can't leave for now. I have to attend a concert. Let's go together," Xu Mu said to Meng Wanyue.

"Alright," Meng Wanyue nodded gently, following behind Xu Mu.

Xu Mu and Meng Wanyue went to the concert together and arrived backstage.

At that moment, Zhou Hening was instructing everyone around to warm up and do a simple rehearsal.

Shen Wanning was adjusting the sound. As a musician, she wasn't just a pianist.

Unlike those singing stars, her main field was instrumental music, with perhaps a bit of chanting.

Currently, instrumental music is quite niche in the country, with most official music being foreign.

Her path is ultimately a niche one, not as popular as pop songs.

Just then, a man in a suit walked into the backstage area.

He had a side part, appeared to be around twenty-five years old, and was evidently a regular at the gym, with a well-proportioned physique.

The Patek Philippe on his wrist highlighted his extraordinary status.

"Wanning..."

The man was speaking when he suddenly saw Xu Mu.

Xu Mu also noticed the man.

Feng Jian.

Xu Mu's eyes narrowed slightly. He didn't expect to see his former arch-nemesis, the antagonist Feng Jian, here.

Feng Jian, the second son of the head of the Feng Family.

Back in Yang City, the two had openly and secretly competed, but ultimately, Feng Jian had emerged victorious.

"Xu Mu, what are you doing here?" Feng Jian's face was unfriendly.

"Why shouldn't I be here?" Xu Mu asked calmly, hands in his pockets.

"Of course you can be here. I'm just curious if someone like you can even understand a concert," Feng Jian smirked sarcastically.

In the past, he had some apprehension about Xu Mu since their families were comparable, but now the Xu Family had long fallen behind.

While speaking, he moved closer to Xu Mu and whispered in his ear, "This is Yang City. If you dare get close to Shen Wanning, I'll make you disappear."

Standing nearby, Meng Wanyue took a step forward upon hearing this.

But Xu Mu immediately grabbed Meng Wanyue's hand, signaling her not to act rashly. There was no need to clash with the Feng Family right now.

After all, once the weight loss drug succeeded, the Xu Family would certainly make a comeback in Yang City, and then they'd have a good showdown.

"I'm not disappearing today. I was invited," Xu Mu replied with a smile.

"You? Who would invite someone like you..."

"Xu, come over here. What do you think of this piano?"

Before Feng Jian could finish, Zhou Hening's voice came from afar.

"Let me take a look."

Xu Mu gave Feng Jian a disdainful smile and then turned to leave.

Make him disappear?

Did he really think Xu Mu was still that former antagonist?

Feng Jian's brows furrowed tightly. Since when did Xu Mu get involved with Zhou Hening?

In the past, to get close to Shen Wanning, he had delivered many goods to Zhou Hening, but they were all rejected.

What method did Xu Mu use?

...

Inside the grand theater, it was already packed with people.

The crowd was chanting Shen Wanning's name. Suddenly, the lights dimmed, and the venue plunged into darkness, leaving only the dazzling glow of the light boards.

The lights came back on, revealing Shen Wanning seated at a piano, rising to the stage center on an elevating platform.

The spotlight fell on Shen Wanning.

The gentle and melodious piano music began to flow, spreading to every corner of the venue.

The audience surrounding the stage was utterly captivated.

In the front rows sat individuals of significant status.

Some were heirs of influential families, like Feng Jian.

Others were officials from various government departments.

And there were also business moguls and heads of prominent families.

This world thrives on connections and relationships. While many came for the music, another reason was undeniably Shen Wanning's identity as the Shen Family's heiress.

Today, the head of the Shen Family, Shen Hong, was personally seated in the audience.

Surrounding him were Jiangbei's elite entrepreneurs.

As the performance concluded,

Thunderous applause erupted and continued endlessly.

"Shen Wanning! I love you!"

"Genius Shen Wanning! Goddess Shen Wanning!"

...

Amid the applause, countless voices called out Shen Wanning's name.

Even Shen Wanning herself hadn’t expected her music to resonate so deeply with so many people.

She picked up the microphone, raised her hand to signal for silence.

Her delicate oval face, previously hidden by a mask, paired with her bright and captivating almond-shaped eyes, seemed to exude an innate charm.

"Thank you, everyone! Thank you!" Shen Wanning said into the microphone with a smile. "Next, I will perform my original Second Concerto. My junior, Su Yaya, will join me as the pianist. This is her debut performance, so please give her your support!"

As soon as she finished speaking, the applause erupted once more.

The concerto was grand and majestic, filled with a sense of awe.

The piano’s lively notes danced among the myriad instruments, never overshadowed in the slightest.

As the performance progressed, the later vocal sections elevated the music to another level.

The audience was left utterly stunned.

"Uncle Shen, this is incredible! Wanning's music is absolutely breathtaking!" Feng Jian gave Shen Hong a thumbs-up.

The surrounding entrepreneurs were also full of praise.

"Indeed, it feels as though a divine presence has descended, giving me an overwhelming sense of awe."

"Truly a masterpiece of epic proportions. Who would have thought such a piece was composed by a girl in her early twenties?"

...

Some were flattering, while others expressed genuine admiration.

Shen Hong, a slim middle-aged man with graying hair, smiled and nodded at those around him.

"Haha! It's fine to praise her in front of me, but if you do it in front of her, I worry she might become too proud," Shen Hong said with a laugh.

The others joined in with polite laughter.

Meanwhile, Xu Mu and Meng Wanyue were still backstage.

Zhou Hening was chatting with Xu Mu, who had just shared details about the Xu Family's newly developed weight-loss drug.

After all, it wouldn’t be long before the drug hit the market.

"Ah, I see. No wonder you said earlier that Wanning might not be the best fit. You're looking for someone with a bit more weight, aren't you?" Zhou Hening teased with a smile.

"Not exactly. I’m just looking for someone who complements me," Xu Mu replied to Zhou Hening.

"If we're talking about mutual success, I still recommend Shen Wanning. Back when I was in the military's arts troupe, I worked there for twenty years, and then spent several decades in the music industry."

Zhou Hening looked at Xu Mu and said, "I've seen countless stars, and I can tell you, Wanning's talent is immeasurable."

"If she's really the one to shoot the commercial, I’ll make time to compose another piece of music for her," Xu Mu thought for a moment and replied.

"That’s fantastic! If you compose another piece, I’ll have Wanning endorse your brand for free."

Zhou Hening wanted to see whether Xu Mu had reached the peak of his creative ability.

After all, many renowned musicians in the world have only ever created one iconic piece of music and were unable to surpass their earlier masterpieces.

At that moment, a middle-aged man approached briskly from a distance. He was the executive director of the concert.

"Mr. Zhou, it’s time to get ready. Miss Shen’s performance will be over soon, and you’re up next."

The executive director walked over with a smile.

"Xu, come with me," Zhou Hening said with a grin as he stood up and patted Xu Mu on the shoulder.