"Intentionally? We don't have the ability to intentionally lure you here!" Dennis sneered. "Since we can't catch you, of course we'll start with Gu Momo! Since Gu Momo has voluntarily appeared in public, you must have something to do! We've simply laid an ambush in places where you might try something, just waiting for you to take the bait!"

"You guys did a really good job!" Li Zhanting's smile didn't reach his eyes.

At least he was now certain that the person who delivered the letter to them was, for the time being, a friend!

Seeing this, Mo Feng quickly stepped in front of Li Zhanting and whispered, "Master Ting, let's break through. As soon as there's a chance, you should escape quickly."

"None of you are leaving here today! Men, get them!"

At Dennis's command, the Royal Army soldiers rushed forward.

*

Meanwhile, the piano competition in Country Y is in full swing.

Gu Momo was waiting in the waiting area, her beautiful eyes glancing at the royal viewing platform from time to time, keeping a close eye on the royal family's movements.

But suddenly, when she glanced at the viewing platform again, she found that Dennis's seat was completely empty!

Dennis, who was just sitting there a moment ago, has vanished without a trace!

"Oh no..." Gu Momo subconsciously thought of Li Zhanting's situation, but the competition was about to start for her.

The contestant next to her seemed to notice that Gu Momo was somewhat absent-minded, and quickly and carefully leaned close to her ear to kindly remind her:

"Miss Momo, you need to focus on the competition. Many fans believe that you and Master Ting are innocent, and they are waiting for you to win this match so they can prove them wrong. You need to do your best!"

Gu Momo turned to look at the young girl beside her. Her eyes were clear as pearls, her eyelashes were curved, and her small face was full of collagen, like a peeled egg, making her look adorable.

She couldn't help but smile and casually asked, "What's your name?"

The young girl chuckled sweetly and whispered into Gu Momo's ear again: "My name is Ni Xun'er, and I'm the second young lady of the Ni family in Rongcheng. I'm just here to make a cameo appearance this time, so I hope Miss Momo won't laugh at me later."

Gu Momo chuckled: "You're so kind, how could I possibly laugh at you?"

These words made Ni Xun'er a little embarrassed, and her delicate face was covered with a shy blush.

The order of the competition was determined by the scores of the preliminary rounds, with Maria ahead of Gu Momo based on the scores.

The rules for this competition were all set by the Queen. Unlike the preliminary rounds, the final round required all contestants to create original compositions, not use other people's music. This not only tested the contestants' playing skills but also their creative abilities.

But for Maria, such competition rules were a piece of cake; it was just a matter of composing music. She had been practicing piano since she was five years old, and had been playing for twenty years. During those twenty years, she had also composed many piano pieces with her own unique characteristics.

In this final, she also performed her best piece, "Dark".

This is a piece Maria wrote on her nineteenth birthday, using notes in the middle and high range to create a feeling of despair and suffocation.

When this piece was first released, some people said it was too depressing and dark and not suitable for the general public.

In order to make her work more accessible to a wider audience, Maria fabricated a story about a 19-year-old girl who suffered from depression and wrote the piece while battling the illness.

What a heartbreaking and pitiful story this is! After reading Maria's self-narration about "I am a patient with depression," many people expressed that heaven is jealous of her talent and urged her to overcome her illness and never do anything foolish.

In the past, there were people who exposed her for faking depression to gain sympathy, but Mariah Carey had too many brainless fans who cursed those who spoke the truth until they left the internet. This song "Dark" has also become one of Mariah Carey's most controversial songs.

Her choice to play this song in the final was simply an attempt to elicit sympathy by playing the victim.

Gu Momo sat quietly in the contestant area. On the stage, Maria was wearing a black gauze dress and a black veil, looking every bit the terrifying Halloween costume.

They really wanted to perfectly embody the song's title.

After the performance ended, sparse applause rang out: "Miss Maria is truly amazing!"

"Before, when I listened to Miss Maria's piano music, I was only occasionally moved, but this piece of piano music simply melts into one's heart, doesn't it? To be born into an aristocratic family and still be able to play such a moving piece of piano music, Miss Maria is truly outstanding!"

But soon, many people around him scoffed dismissively, "Is that all? I thought it was something special."

"You!" Maria's fanatical fans were furious and almost started a fight!

If it weren't for the large number of Gu Momo's fans and the people around trying to break up the fight, they definitely wouldn't have escaped this beating!

Seeing that the audience's reaction wasn't very good, Maria quickly gave the host backstage a meaningful look. The host, understanding the signal, went up on stage and asked with a smile, "As far as I know, Ms. Maria has participated in the arrangement or created many original works since her debut. Why did you choose this one in particular?"

Maria coughed lightly, feigning an unprepared expression. After thinking for a few seconds, she slowly said, "Because this is my fans' favorite song. The emotions conveyed when a person is in extreme despair and vulnerability may not be what everyone wants to hear, but for me at that time, this song was my salvation. I hope everyone can have a happy life and never have to experience this kind of pain. This song is also meant to let everyone understand what it's like inside a person with depression. My intention is also to hope that everyone can have more love and understanding for them."

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