Wang Haoran didn’t take long to make his decision.

He opted for two abilities: Supreme-Level Piano Performance and Supreme-Level Music Composition, which together cost him 7000 Villain Points. Though it was quite costly, this was necessary to outshine the prodigy protagonist, Lin Chen, and win over the genius pianist Qiu Qianwei. There was no avoiding the expenditure of these Villain Points.

Gritting his teeth, Wang Haoran exchanged 7000 Villain Points for the Supreme-Level Piano Performance and Supreme-Level Music Composition abilities.

Qiu Qianwei’s musical talents were at the master level. These two supreme-level abilities would place him a whole tier above her. Displaying his skills before her would surely leave her in awe.

In five days, Qiu Qianwei had a solo concert scheduled. It was the perfect chance to impress her!

…

That evening, Wang Haoran visited a piano store to buy a piano to practice at home. Although he had mastered supreme-level musical abilities, he was a perfectionist. To ensure a flawless performance at Qiu Qianwei’s concert, he needed prior practice.

For an effective practice session, a quality piano was crucial. Wang Haoran browsed the store and eventually chose a piano that caught his eye.

Next, he needed to assess the piano’s sound quality. He requested a piano score from the store’s staff and chose an extremely challenging piece.

The Third Piano Concerto.

Recognized as one of the most difficult pieces to perform in music history, it met Wang Haoran’s supreme-level skills perfectly. Playing ordinary pieces would have been too simple.

After briefly reviewing the score, Wang Haoran placed it on the stand. His fingers danced across the keys, creating a breathtaking melody.

Wang Haoran felt himself becoming one with the piano, akin to the “man and sword as one” state described in martial arts novels.

In this deeply immersed state, he completed the piano piece without realizing it. As the final note sounded, applause erupted around him.

Turning, he noticed around twenty people, including the store owner and customers, had gathered. So absorbed was he in playing, that he hadn’t noticed the crowd forming.

“It seems my playing drew them in,” he thought.

“I’ll take this one,” Wang Haoran decided, feeling the piano suited him well. He was prepared to purchase it. The price of 1.88 million was no concern—just pocket change to him.

He swiped his card, left his address and contact details, and arranged for delivery the following day.

Unbeknownst to Wang Haoran, a young fan had filmed his performance and uploaded it to a short video platform. To avoid infringing on his image rights, she had blurred his face.

However, it was his extraordinary piano skills, not his looks, that became the video’s main highlight, leading it to go viral with millions of likes.

The next day, the video soared to the top of the trending list with the headline keyword: Piano Maestro.

At this time, Wang Haoran was still asleep. Since it was the holiday and he didn’t have classes, he naturally hadn’t woken up early, especially after being busy until late the night before.

Tang Bingyun also woke up late, complaining about Wang Haoran making her tardy for work while searching for clothes scattered around the home.

…

In a tranquil hilltop villa, Qiu Qianwei was diligently practicing the piano in the music room. Possessing high musical talent, she was also diligent in her efforts. With a solo concert imminent, she planned to seclude herself for a few days to perfect her pieces.

However, one particularly challenging piece was troubling her. Despite multiple attempts, she wasn’t completely satisfied with her performance. The dissatisfaction stemmed from a few less-than-perfect note transitions. Though these slight imperfections would go unnoticed by most, Qiu Qianwei held herself to a high standard and couldn’t allow them.

Taking a deep breath to regain composure, she resumed practicing the troublesome piece. Even after ten attempts, the flaws remained. The issue wasn’t her musical ear but her finger technique, which frustrated her even more.

“Miss Qiu, you’ve been playing the same piece almost all morning. Are you having a difficult time?” the housekeeper asked, noticing Qiu Qianwei’s visible frustration.

“Just a small challenge, but I believe I’ll be able to overcome it soon,” Qiu Qianwei replied, though with a hint of doubt in her voice.

“Miss Qiu, there’s a ‘Piano Maestro’ trending on Douyin playing the same piece. Maybe you could see how he does it,” the housekeeper suggested, despite their understanding being limited.

Qiu Qianwei frowned upon hearing this. She was an internationally recognized genius pianist. What could a Douyin musician offer her? These platforms often showcased attention-seeking amateurs, hardly a source for inspiration.

“Miss Qiu, I’ll go clean now,” the housekeeper realized her mistake and quickly retreated to her chores.

Still a bit agitated, Qiu Qianwei turned to her phone to browse social media, hoping for some distraction. Her mood shifted when she saw a peculiar trend—five of her friends had shared this Douyin video titled “Piano Maestro.”

Perplexed, Qiu Qianwei wondered why musicians she respected were praising this “Piano Maestro.” Curious, she played the video. It displayed a man with a heavily blurred face performing the Third Piano Concerto on a new piano. As the saying goes, “An expert recognizers skill at a glance.” After just ten notes, Qiu Qianwei was captivated—this “Piano Maestro” was no amateur!

She continued watching closely, her amazement growing. By the time the concerto concluded, she was left with her mouth agape, utterly shocked.