"Owen wants to see me?"
Farida was thrilled, her heart pounding with excitement.
"Yes. Follow me."
Farida followed the staff member, and as they walked, the number of people dwindled, but security increased. Everyone approaching this area had to undergo strict identity checks, making it nearly impossible for paparazzi to sneak in.
Pushing open the door to a large lounge, a few top-notch makeup artists were busy working. When someone entered, they only glanced up briefly.
"Wait here for a moment."
The staff member entered an inner room, respectfully addressing the man resting on the sofa, "Mr. Feng, Miss Farida is here."
Owen opened his eyes. "Hmm."
The manager waved, and the assistant went out to bring Farida in.
Farida held her breath, her sparkling eyes fixed on the man before her. His deep, exquisite features combined the best of East and West, and his slightly intense makeup made him even more striking.
It was her first time being so close to her idol, and she was so nervous she didn't know what to do with her hands.
Owen glanced at her, his deep eyes sweeping over her. He frowned slightly. "Turn around."
Farida didn't react immediately.
The assistant reminded her, "Farida, turn around."
"Oh, okay." Farida scratched her head and awkwardly turned around.
Owen's gaze moved over her figure, and in a magnetic voice, he said, "It's not her."
Isaac was stunned. How could it not be her?
He had personally called their director multiple times to confirm that it was her in the piano room that day.
Farida looked puzzled, not understanding what this meant, but she had a bad feeling deep down.
"Who was with you that day?" Owen asked.
"W-What day?"
"Half a month ago, at 2:10 PM, in the piano room on the second floor. Who was playing Chopin's C minor?"
Farida instantly understood. They were looking for Zuri, not her. A look of disappointment and dejection crossed her face.
"Give it a try," Owen said curtly.
Isaac immediately arranged it, pulling back a curtain to reveal a piano.
Farida was a bit nervous.
She knew if she didn't perform well, she wouldn't be able to go on stage today.
When the piano music started, everyone in the room instinctively turned toward it, but soon went back to their tasks.
By the second segment, Owen's brow furrowed slightly.
Isaac understood and signaled her to stop.
"You played well. With more practice, you could certainly perform with Owen someday," Isaac said diplomatically. Then he asked gently, "Farida, could you give us that student's contact information?"
Farida, barely able to conceal her disappointment, said in a muffled voice, "You're looking for Zuri. I'm not close to her and don't have her number."
It was a huge blow to realize that despite years of playing piano, she was outshone by someone from a slum.
Isaac, worried she wouldn't want to help, said kindly, "Farida, you're a good girl. You want Owen's concert to be perfect, right? That pianist is very important to Owen. As classmates, can you find a way to contact her?"
Farida glanced at Owen, then at the hopeful Isaac, and finally nodded, dialing Saira's number.
"Saira, do you have Zuri's number?"
Saira was in the auditorium, surrounded by noise, unable to hear clearly.
"What? What did you say? I can't hear you."
After several repeats, Saira finally understood but didn't have the number.
Farida then asked Zuri's classmates, but none had it either.
Isaac was anxious but could see Farida was doing her best.
That girl Zuri must be so reclusive that no one knew her number.
"Pass on that last song," Owen said seriously.
Isaac panicked. "No, that's your main song. It's what the fans are most looking forward to. If we skip it, they'll be very disappointed."
God! That song can't be cut. Cutting it would mean trouble with the organizers and the company. It was explicitly written in the contract.
"We don't need the piano accompaniment. It sounds good without it. If worse comes to worst, we can..."
Isaac's voice trailed off under Owen's death glare.
The Feng family's perfectionist trait was maddening, especially in Owen.
Sometimes, imperfection could be quite nice.
Farida spoke up, "Um, there's one classmate who definitely knows her number. If I get his number, we should be able to contact Zuri."
Isaac's eyes lit up, and he urged, "Let's hurry and ask."
With the concert time approaching, they didn't have much time left.
Meanwhile, Zuri, after running all the way, finally arrived at the stadium five minutes before the concert was about to start. Azura, seeing her from a distance, finally relaxed.
"You're here! Hurry, let's go in."
Without waiting for Zuri to catch her breath, Azura grabbed her hand and headed to the ticket check.
A scalper approached them discreetly, whispering, "We have tickets, do you want some? Only 4,888 yuan."
"No, no," Azura said impatiently, waving him off.
She was eager to get inside and didn't want to miss the opening ceremony.
Azura pulled out two VIP diamond tickets from her pocket, ready to hand them to the ticket inspector when her phone inconveniently rang. She didn't want to answer, but it kept ringing.
"Give me your bag, you answer the phone."
Zuri took the bag from her.
Just then, a rough hand suddenly reached out, snatching the tickets from Azura's hand.
In the moment of the grab, Zuri instinctively protected the bag, but to her surprise, the person wasn't trying to steal the bag but the tickets.
Azura's tickets were stolen just like that.
Azura was stunned.
The next second, a loud yell erupted in the square.
"My tickets!!!"
Zuri reacted quickly, throwing her water bottle at the thief.
"Bang"...
It hit the target perfectly.
The thief fell, and Zuri quickly stepped forward, grabbing his arm, pinning him down with his hands behind his back, and pressing her knees on him so he couldn't move.
"Ah, ah, ah!" The thief screamed in pain, "My hand is going to break, it's going to break."
Azura followed closely, grabbing a nearby bag and slamming it onto the thief's head, shouting angrily, "Stealing tickets, are you? Why didn't you steal my bag?! You MTD! You leave my bag and go for my tickets. I'll bash you to death!"
"Spare me, heroine! Spare me, hero!" the young thief begged for mercy.
Security guards quickly arrived, rescuing the boy from Azura and promptly detaining him.
"Hand over the tickets."
"They're in my pocket."
Azura unceremoniously reached into his pocket and pulled out two tickets. Upon seeing the tickets, her face turned dark.
One ticket's QR code was missing a small piece, while the other was intact.
This made Azura furious!
"You'll pay for my ticket! This is a diamond VIP ticket!"
These were hard to get!
The young thief's eyes flashed with regret upon hearing it was a diamond VIP ticket. But it wasn't the damaged ticket he regretted; it was missing the chance to make a fortune.
If he hadn't been caught today, just one diamond VIP ticket could have fetched him tens of thousands.
The thief was taken away by the police.
Azura was disheartened and upset.
Zuri handed her the intact ticket. "The concert is about to start. You should go in."
She didn't care about watching the concert.
After all, she wasn't an Owen fan.
But Azura thought differently. They had come together, and leaving her friend outside while she went in felt disloyal.
"Forget it, I'm not going either."
Saying this pained her heart deeply.
This was Owen's concert, the one she had been eagerly anticipating.
"Don't." Zuri thought for a moment, then approached the ticket counter with the damaged ticket. "This ticket is real. You can check it. It got torn during the robbery. Can you make an exception?"
The ticket inspector shook his head. "No."
"It was stolen right at the entrance. You saw it happen. The ticket is real." Azura joined in persuading.
But no matter what they said, the inspector wouldn't budge.
"The concert is starting. Go in. I'll be fine." Zuri pushed her forward.
Azura, thinking of something, pulled out her phone and muttered angrily, "It's all because of that phone call. I'll deal with that person now."
Farida had made several calls with no answer. Just as she and Isaac were about to give up, Azura called back.
They exchanged surprised glances, and Farida put the call on speaker.
"Azura, it's Farida."
Azura frowned, "Farida?"
She wasn't familiar with her, so why was she calling?
Azura was already irritated and said, "You better have a good reason, or you'll be sorry."
"I have something very, very important. Can you give me Zuri's number? I need to find her urgently."
"You're looking for Zuri?" Azura looked at Zuri suspiciously.
Zuri took the phone from her. "This is Zuri."
Isaac spoke up, "Hello, Zuri. I'm Owen's manager, Isaac. Here's the thing, Owen needs a piano accompanist for his concert. He heard you play and thought you were excellent. Could you help us and accompany Owen for one song? Just one song. Can you do it?"
Accompanying, she intended to refuse.
But…
She glanced at the dejected Azura beside her and replied calmly, "Okay."
Isaac finally breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you. Where are you now?"
"At the C entrance. You need to send someone to get us."
"Alright, no problem."
Zuri handed the phone back to Azura. "You don't need to call your uncle anymore."
Soon, a staff member hurried over, spoke to the ticket inspector, and let both of them in.
"What's going on?" Azura asked curiously.
"They seem to be short a pianist, so they're asking me to fill in."
Azura excitedly grabbed her hand. "Does this mean you'll be close to Owen?"
Zuri nodded.
Azura was thrilled. "Zuri, you're so lucky. Your first concert and you get to be close to your idol. Such divine luck."
One was overjoyed, while the other remained indifferent, showing no excitement or joy.
Entering the backstage area, they were greeted by a bustling scene. People hurried back and forth, seemingly chaotic yet orderly. Zuri was led to the innermost dressing room.
"You're Zuri, right?" Isaac examined the girl before him. She was unexpectedly beautiful, her exquisite features perfect for a star.
A promising talent!
"Yes, I am."
"Can you play Chopin's C minor? The piece you played in Windsor Academy's piano room half a month ago."
Without responding, Zuri sat at the piano, her slender fingers dancing over the black and white keys. The melodious sound flowed gently, bringing a serene and harmonious aura. Those in the room unconsciously slowed their actions, and their anxious, tense expressions relaxed.
Yes, this was the sound!
After confirming, Isaac immediately called for makeup and stylists. "Quick, get her ready, change her outfit."
Staff brought a row of high-end evening gowns. The designer immediately chose a white one. Her clear, bright eyes would perfectly complement the white gown.
The staff presented the gown to Zuri, who glanced at it and said, "No."
The designer urged, "Sweetie, you'll look stunning in this white gown."
The gown was beautiful, but she didn't like white.
Too cold!
Zuri's gaze swept over the rack and stopped at a red gown. "That one."
The designer dramatically covered his mouth. "Oh my! Sweetie, red is too bold. You're too young to pull it off. It will only make you look gaudy."
Despite the designer's persuasion, Zuri insisted on the red gown. The designer had no choice but to have an assistant take it down and lead her to change.
When the dressing room door opened, designer Pablo, seeing her, covered his mouth, exclaiming, "Oh my God!!!"
Paragraph comment
Paragraph comment feature is now on the Web! Move mouse over any paragraph and click the icon to add your comment.
Also, you can always turn it off/on in Settings.
GOT IT