President Fu… had never said such a thing.
Had she been hoping against hope all along?
“No… it’s impossible, he… he promised, I would become the disciple of Master Zheng Yu…”
Fu Zhengnan smiled slightly, looking at Ming Zhirou’s pale little face, a trace of madness still flickering in her eyes.
He chuckled, “Before the concert began, I couldn't even be sure if Master Zheng Yu would grace us with his presence today.”
Ming Zhirou’s body felt weak.
She could only lean on Ming Huaizhi to steady herself.
Suddenly, as if struck by an idea, she lifted her head sharply, meeting Fu Zheng’s piercing gaze.
“You said… before that, you weren’t sure if Master Zheng Yu was present, which means Master Zheng Yu is here now, right?”
Fu Zhengnan nodded with a half-smile, “Indeed, Master Zheng Yu is present.”
A mad glint flickered in Ming Zhirou’s eyes.
She saw an opportunity!
If Master Zheng Yu were to step forward now and take her as a disciple, then her reputation and dignity could be preserved.
She wouldn’t become a laughingstock.
And she could also… use this to sidestep President Fu’s accusation of her plagiarizing the song "Qing," making it a non-issue.
“Master Zheng Yu!”
Ming Zhirou suddenly pushed Ming Huaizhi away and, facing the audience, dropped to her knees with a thud.
Her pale little face, as sweet as a lotus, was filled with adoration and sincere earnestness.
“I admire you so much that I’ve longed to become your disciple!”
“If you were satisfied with my performance just now, I implore you, beg you… take me as your disciple.”
“I will certainly work hard to become more outstanding and become your pride!”
Her act of kneeling stunned many.
Ming’s mother even shed tears of emotion, constantly recounting how much her daughter admired and adored Master Zheng Yu, and how much effort and hardship she had endured to become his disciple.
Ming Zhirou remained kneeling.
Her face set with determination.
This posture was exactly as Ming Huaizhi had anticipated.
Since Zheng Yu was present, and she had knelt…
Zheng Yu would have no choice but to accept her!
However, after kneeling for a long while, she did not see Master Zheng Yu step forward under pressure to accept her as a disciple.
Instead, she heard a sound of contemptuous laughter from President Fu.
She maintained her kneeling position and turned her head to look at President Fu.
Fu Zhengnan smiled enigmatically, “Do you know why I said you are unworthy?”
Ming Zhirou’s delicate fingers clenched.
He dared to bring that up again!
In the next second.
Fu Zhengnan uttered words that were enough to shake the heavens and earth—
“Because the song you plagiarized was precisely created by Master Zheng Yu.”
“Boom—”
This statement exploded like thunder in everyone’s ears.
Disbelief was etched on every face.
The entire venue began to echo with gasps of astonishment.
"Qing" was Master Zheng Yu's creation?
Ming Zhirou had plagiarized Master Zheng Yu’s work?
“No wonder I always felt the arrangement of this song had Master Zheng Yu’s touch!”
“Yes, yes, I’ve been saying all along that the style of this song is very much in line with Master Zheng Yu’s.”
“I recall an interview about this song where Ming Top Star and Ming Weizhou stated… they were fans of Master Zheng Yu, so their style naturally gravitated towards his.”
“I knew… the only person in this world who could create such an excellent song was Master Zheng Yu!”
“I truly regarded Ming Zhirou as the future hope of Xia Guo’s music, but I never imagined… she would plagiarize Master Zheng Yu’s song!”
“Plagiarizing Master Zheng Yu’s song is one thing, but she shamelessly tried to get Master Zheng Yu to take her as a disciple?”
“How could Master Zheng Yu possibly accept a thief as a disciple?”
Countless top figures in various musical fields voiced their indignant outrage.
To all who loved music, Master Zheng Yu was a beacon, illuminating their path and encouraging them to persevere.
He was a god in their hearts, not to be desecrated.
Ming Zhirou’s actions were akin to dancing on their landmines.
Desecrating their goddess.
How could they tolerate that?
Ming Zhirou remained kneeling on the ground.
The sounds of indignant curses and humiliation from the musicians filled her ears.
Fu Zhengnan’s words struck her like lightning, making her head buzz incessantly.
Her limbs grew colder by the second.
That song… was Master Zheng Yu’s creation?
Master Zheng Yu’s…?
“Impossible! What grounds do you have to say ‘Qing’ is Master Zheng Yu’s creation? That song is clearly my creation! Mine!”
Ming Zhirou’s eyes turned crimson as she roared furiously at Fu Zhengnan.
“As the president of the Music Association, I naturally stand by my words.” Fu Zhengnan took out his phone from his pocket.
He lowered his head and tapped a few times on his phone.
Immediately, the content on his phone was projected onto the large screen above the stage.
“Last July, Master Zheng Yu sent me an audio file.”
“Although it was only a work in progress, I believe everyone can immediately recognize that the audio track of this file… is almost identical to Miss Ming Zhirou’s ‘original work’.”
The phone clearly displayed everything.
And beneath the unfinished audio file, there were scattered lyrics.
Even though it was a work in progress,
It was clear enough to see.
This audio file, saved on President Fu’s phone with a timestamp of July 20th last year,
Was identical to "Qing."
Unless Ming Zhirou could provide evidence proving she wrote the song "Qing" before last July…
Then it would be an undeniable case of Ming Zhirou’s plagiarism!
Ming Zhirou stared fixedly at the projected phone screen.
Her pupils dilated, her gaze becoming vacant.
July 20th last year.
The day Ming Zheng was brought back to the Ming family.
Why…
Was it that day?
How could it be such a coincidence?
“Miss Ming Zhirou, do you have any further explanation?” Fu Zhengnan’s voice grew colder, “Is this how you show your admiration for Master Zheng Yu, by plagiarizing his work? Is this your way of showing worship?”
“I didn’t!”
Ming Zhirou shrieked hoarsely, her body went limp, and she collapsed onto the ground. Her bloodshot eyes were contorted, filled with terrifying redness.
“You’re lying… how could this song possibly be Master Zheng Yu’s creation? I found this song in Ming Zheng’s room! How could a country girl like her possibly have Master Zheng Yu’s handwritten manuscript?”
She screamed at the top of her lungs.
After finishing her outburst,
She suddenly realized what she had said.
She quickly covered her mouth.
“Rou’er…”
Ming Huaizhi’s expression stiffened, and he stumbled, walking step by step towards Ming Zhirou.
He slowly crouched down.
“What did you say? Say it again?”