The Quiet Rise of Entertainment Superstars

The Chaopai coffee shop is a bit far away, and it was already five fifty when Xiaoyue arrived.

Xiaoyue was standing outside the trendy coffee shop. She knew it was very upscale just by looking at the facade. She didn’t expect that the sloppy Mr. Cai liked such a high-end place.

Xiao Yue walked in and saw a valuable piano in the hall. The coffee shop was decorated very stylishly. At this time, a messenger came to greet her.

"Excuse me ma'am, do you have an appointment?"

Xiao Yue smiled and said, "No, but Mr. Cai has reserved Box No. 6, and I am his guest."

"You are Miss Cheng, right? Mr. Cai just told me to do that. Please follow me."

"Thank you."

Xiao Yue followed the messenger up the spiral staircase and stopped in front of a private room on the second floor.

"Miss Cheng, we're here. This is box number six."

Xiaoyue nodded in thanks and tapped three times with her fingers.

"Come in."

Xiaoyue recognized it as Cai Zekai's voice, so she gently pushed the door open and walked in.

There were two men in suits sitting at the round table by the window, one of them was Cai Zekai.

Cai Zekai saw a simple and beautiful girl pushing the door open and thought she had walked into the wrong room.

"Teacher Cai, I'm not late, am I?"

Cai Zekai looked at the smiling Xiaoyue, and his unchanging smile froze. Is this Cheng Xingyue?

Could it be that the little girl wearing a black down jacket and a mask that I saw before looked like this?

I have to say, this is definitely a huge misunderstanding between the two of them.

When the two met for the first time at the film and television city, Cai Zekai deliberately disguised himself. Xiaoyue was filming a movie at that time, so she wore loose clothes, even a little sloppy, for convenience.

"No, I'm not late. Cheng, you've changed a lot!"

Cai Zekai's face returned to his unchanging smile.

Cai Zekai pulled his friend who was still dumbfounded next to him and introduced: "Cheng Xingyue, she is Lao Huang's student. Do you remember the song "Young Man's Prayer" that you like? It's her piano piece."

"Classmate Cheng, he is my good friend Li Chenan, and also a pianist."

Li Chenan came back to his senses and said shyly: "Hello, classmate Cheng!"

Xiao Yue also said politely: "Hello, Teacher Li!"

"Please sit down, you're welcome."

Xiaoyue didn't hesitate and sat next to Cai Zekai, looking like a junior.

Li Chenan's heart was still pounding. He really wanted to take a look at Xiaoyue, but he felt it would be rude.

This girl is so beautiful, she is both talented and pretty!

When Xiaoyue sat down, she discovered that the location on the second floor was very cleverly designed, as she could just see the piano in the lobby on the first floor.

A young man walked up to the piano, sat down and began to play. Xiaoyue recognized it as a piano piece called "Loanna" by Lan Xing.

It’s just that this young man’s piano skills are poor and he has made several mistakes.

"How dare you bring out this kind of technology and embarrass yourself."

Suddenly, a handsome man appeared behind the young man. It was Zhu Jun.

The young man left the piano in shame and walked away.

"This kid is still so straightforward." Although Cai Zekai didn't hear what Zhu Jun said, he knew it was not a good thing.

Li Chenan finally returned to normal and said with a smile: "After more than ten years, his personality is still straightforward and cute."

"Okay, stop speaking for him."

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

"He's coming up!"

Cai Zekai's face was even more joyful, and he said to the door: "Come in."

When I got to the door, Zhu Jun was indeed standing there.

"Hello, teacher. Hello, Mr. Li. Uh... Cheng Xingyue?"

Zhu Jun looked at Xiaoyue and felt that her eyes were very familiar, so he unconsciously said her name.

"Hello, Zhu Jun."

Xiaoyue greeted her generously, after all, she was someone she knew.

Zhu Jun felt his heart skip a beat before she finally appeared again.

It turns out that she is so beautiful, breathtakingly beautiful.

Then he felt bitter again, because now he had faced the reality.

She is not in the same circle as me. She is so amazing. She writes good songs, plays the piano well, makes good movies, and now she has good looks.

He really can't afford her!

"Hello." Zhu Jun felt his throat was dry and he managed to utter two words.

Cai Zekai said with a smile: "Let's all sit down and talk!"

The slightly awkward atmosphere was finally dispelled and the four of them sat down.

Xiao Yue would not forget the purpose of her trip, and asked first: "Teacher Cai, you have been abroad for three years. How much do you know about the United Nations exchange group visiting our country today?"

Cai Zekai smiled and said, "Many people have asked me this question today. In fact, I only know a few of the most famous pianists in the United Nations. For example, Cliburn, Pollini, and Hoff. I have only heard of others who are similar to them in various industries. To be honest, in the field of piano, we in China may fail miserably, and there is almost no chance of winning."

After hearing Cai Zekai's words, everyone fell silent.

Everything we say now seems pale and powerless. No one knows how the Chinese Piano Association has arranged it, and no one is too lazy to ask.

Xiaoyue thinks that she is not a savior and cannot save Huaguo's piano. She just came here out of curiosity.

Xiaoyue took a sip of the coffee and found it very bitter, not as delicious as tea.

Suddenly, there was a commotion and exclamations in the originally quiet coffee shop.

Xiaoyue and the other three looked towards the lobby on the first floor and saw a blond, blue-eyed, bearded man walking into the cafe, followed by two Chinese plainclothes officers. They were probably bodyguards assigned by the government because they were afraid he would get into trouble or be provoked by others.

"He is Claiborne!" Cai Zekai said calmly, "He came here just after arriving in China. What are you doing here?"

Li Chenan said: "I can't figure it out, who else is here?"

Cai Zekai shook his head and smiled, "How would I know? I have already quit the Piano Association. The current Chinese Piano Association is dominated by certain people, and it is full of chaos. After this exchange meeting, the authorities will definitely deal with a few people. Just wait and see."

"At least a few people will be blamed."

While they were chatting, Claiborne disappeared, probably having gone into the box.

A few people ordered some snacks, which served as dinner.

Zhu Jun said to Cai Zekai: "Teacher, I think I have practiced "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star Variations" well enough. Do you want me to play it for you?" As he said this, he glanced at Xiaoyue out of the corner of his eye.

Cai Zekai understood instantly that this brat wanted to show off his piano skills in front of the girl he liked, and as a teacher, he naturally would not refuse.

"Go ahead. It's a good opportunity for us to go down together."

So the four of them went to the first floor lobby together.

Zhu Jun sat in front of the piano, and Xiaoyue and the other two found an empty sofa and sat down, waiting to enjoy Zhu Jun's playing.

The beautiful and moving piano music sounded, immediately attracting many people's attention.

Zhu Jun's playing skills are very superb. Just the beginning reminds people of the starry sky. Every note is like a bright star, shining with warm light.

In a box, a middle-aged man listened attentively with a happy look on his face, seeming to be enjoying it.

Suddenly, a voice speaking poor Chinese rang out: "This is an intoxicating piece of music. Its warm melody, diverse variations, artistic expression and connection with life all make me feel the charm of music and the richness of life."

The speaker was none other than Cliburn, the famous pianist at the United Nations.

The middle-aged man was Lin Feng, who was familiar with Cliburn. He had studied piano abroad for five years. After returning to China, he did not join the piano association, but opened this coffee shop.

Lin Feng smiled and said: "The arrangement and performance techniques of the piece allow each note to resonate deep in the soul, making people feel happy and joyful. This is also the most wonderful thing about this piano piece."

Cliburn nodded in agreement and said, "That's right. I didn't expect that China would have such excellent works. I am really looking forward to this exchange meeting in China more and more."

"China is a vast country with abundant resources and a lot of talented people. When you came to China, did you feel the prosperity of China?"

"Speaking of China's advantages, I don't need to say much, everyone can see it. But what I heard is that you seem to be a little behind us in terms of entertainment. I didn't want to come to this exchange meeting. I think since the United Nations is trying hard to break down the original barriers, establish diplomatic relations, and exchange and learn from each other, it should show sincerity, instead of thinking about suppressing China."

After hearing what Claiborne said, Lin Feng laughed: "Don't let your President Guterres hear this, otherwise he will seal up the manor."

Cliburn shrugged indifferently and said, "That's my family's business, not mine. At worst, I can come to China and be a piano teacher."

Lin Feng laughed heartily: "You are still so casual! Are you going to have a formal exchange with the Chinese Piano Association the day after tomorrow?"

"Yes, Pollini, Hoff and I are all going."

Lin Feng's expression changed slightly, and he said: "Do you really need to make such a big fuss? You actually want to send out three pianists. Are you planning to destroy our Chinese Piano Association forever?"

Claiborne sighed and said, "I don't know. I can't make the decision. The same goes for Pollini and Hoff. We were all forced to come to China."

Lin Feng couldn't sit still anymore. Although he was not a member of the Chinese Piano Association, he was a Chinese!

"Claiborne, I need to go to the bathroom."

Claiborne nodded, and Lin Feng left quickly.

"Hello, President Yuan, I'm Lin Feng."

"Lin Feng, have you figured it out? Do you want to join the piano association?"

"No, President Yuan, did you know that Cliburn, Pollini, and Hoff will visit your piano association the day after tomorrow?"

"I just received an official notice about this matter. The specific reception is in the charge of Vice President Qin Yu. You know, I'm old now and will retire next year. I can't take care of so many things!"

Lin Feng was furious when he heard this and said angrily: "Can't even the reputation of our country make you take this matter seriously? Although you are a senior, I strongly disagree with your attitude of not caring about things. Look at what Qin Yu has done to the Piano Association?"

Yuan Feng on the other end of the phone was stunned. He naturally knew the importance of this matter, but he was just a hollow president now. That bastard Qin Yu had connections in the officialdom and was good at winning people's hearts, but he had no one to help him, so he was powerless!

"Lin Feng, I want to take care of it, but I have no one to use!"

Lin Feng heard the helplessness in his voice, gritted his teeth, and said: "The day after tomorrow, I will bring a few pianist friends over to help you. Do you think this will allow you to show up?"

Yuan Feng didn't expect that Lin Feng would be willing to show up at this critical moment. He agreed with great joy: "Okay, okay, as long as a few of your friends are willing to come, an old man like me is willing to sacrifice my life to accompany you."

After hanging up the phone, Lin Feng let out a long sigh. The reason why he didn't join the piano association was because of Qin Yu, the guy he hated. The reason why he applied to study piano abroad for five years was because he pushed too hard. At that time, Lin Feng had no other choice but to apply to study abroad.