Chapter 99 Jiang Xingyao Has Changed

The woman's cool tone caused a huge uproar in the concert hall.

Everyone could tell that Jiang Xingyao was making a silent threat.

In this world, those who know their stuff aren't just the judges here; there are also many industry professionals among the audience watching this competition.

Her ability speaks for itself. If Jin Qingyu's score is ridiculously low because of one sentence, then the competition is rigged.

The scene became a little awkward because of Jiang Xingyao's words.

The host then turned his attention directly to Zhou Huaiyan, seeking help.

Zhou Huaiyan could also tell that Jiang Xingyao and Jin Qingyu were at loggerheads, clearly indicating that they knew each other.

He asked, "Mr. Jin, do you have some connection with this contestant number 20?"

Jin Qingyu's fingers were still intentionally or unintentionally fiddling with the wedding ring on his ring finger, his cold and deep gaze fixed on Jiang Xingyao's face.

The woman wore a light green cheongsam, much like a vibrant bud in spring. She exuded the familiar arrogance that Jin Qingyu knew, without a trace of dejection or fragility.

Jin Qingyu looked at her exquisitely made-up face, a hint of irritation flashing in his eyes.

Very well, let Qin Jiangnan lie to him, say he has a back injury, say he's in the hospital.

He braved the heavy rain to search for her in Shenzhen, but where was she?

She was dressed up and posed seductively here.

When Jin Qingyu looked at Jiang Xingyao, Jiang Xingyao's gaze went past him and looked at Zhou Huaiyan next to him. She asked, "Mr. Zhou, is the competition funded by the Zhou family a one-man show by Mr. Jin?"

Or is this competition a ruse, with the real purpose being to please Jin Qingyu alone?

Jiang Xingyao's tone was somewhat aggressive.

She appeared calm, but only she knew that her palms were drenched in sweat.

It's like the saying, "Once bitten by a snake, twice shy."

She will never forget the time when Jin Qingyu stabbed her in the back when she trusted him the most.

Jin Qingyu's silence frightened her more than a confrontation, so she simply didn't give him a chance to speak.

Zhou Huaiyan was questioned by Jiang Xingyao in public, but he was not annoyed. Instead, he smiled and said to Jin Qingyu, "President Jin, it seems that I can't give you this favor today."

He then turned to the judges and said, "What are you standing there for? Hurry up and give our number 20 a score! Did you hear what they just said? It has to be fair and impartial. If I find out that anyone is cheating or doing anything dirty here, don't blame the Zhou family for being ruthless."

Zhou Huaiyan didn't say how he showed no mercy, but it silenced everyone present. Everyone in Hong Kong knew that the Zhou family was influential in both the legitimate and criminal worlds. The ruthlessness of the eldest son of the Zhou family was not so easy to achieve.

The judges didn't dare to hesitate and immediately showed their scores. Jiang Xingyao's skills were impeccable, and the details that she hadn't handled well before were all handled smoothly with Shen Ying's help.

Without any discussion among the judges, she was given a score of around 9.5.

The fact that they all agreed on these scores already speaks volumes about Jiang Xingyao's level.

The host quickly chimed in, "It seems the judges are quite satisfied with our contestant number 20's performance. Do you have any suggestions for contestant number 20?"

Without Jin Qingyu's interference, Jiang Xingyao wore a polite smile and waited respectfully for the judges' opinions.

One of the elderly men said, "Miss Jiang, I'd like to ask if you composed the piece you just played? I don't think I've heard it before."

“No.” Glancing at Jin Qingyu out of the corner of her eye, Jiang Xingyao denied it directly, “I asked a friend to write the music for me. I can’t compose music.”

She now sees it clearly: if Jin Qingyu can help Jiang Cancan steal one of her songs, he can steal a second one.

She didn't want to reveal her music until she became strong enough.

From now on, every song she writes will be evidence to refute their accusations of plagiarism against her. One day, she will throw all of this at Jin Qingyu and Cheng Jing's face.

The old lady seemed to show a hint of disappointment on her face, but she quickly said a few words of encouragement to Jiang Xingyao and sat back down. The other judges did not offer any further comments.

The piano competition was scored live, so the contestants might not have known the results, but the host and the audience already knew.

Seeing that no one spoke up, the host began to announce the scores of each contestant.

Jiang Xingyao won by a margin of 0.3 points, defeating number 19 and taking first place in the competition.

When the heavy trophy was handed to her, Jiang Xingyao felt her heart, which had been hanging in suspense, suddenly relax.

The flash shone on her face, and the sound of camera shutters surrounded her.

Jiang Xingyao hadn't experienced such a star-studded occasion in a long time, and she was still a little unaccustomed to it. Her gaze fell on the audience, and she saw Shen Ying giving her a thumbs-up with one hand, while holding her phone high in her direction with the other.

The phone seemed to still be in video mode. She couldn't see the person on the phone screen, but she knew it was definitely Shen Mingsu on the other end.

The slight tension finally dissipated, and Jiang Xingyao gave a polite smile, posing for photos with the media.

By the time everything was over, half an hour had passed, and most of the audience had left. The spot where Jin Qingyu had been sitting was now empty.

He left at some point.

Shen Ying walked up to Jiang Xingyao and gave her a big hug: "Xingyao, congratulations! I knew you could do it."

Jiang Xingyao smiled as she looked at the trophy in her hand. The dream she hadn't fulfilled when she was sixteen seemed to have come true when she was twenty-five.

“Xingyao, now that you’ve won the championship, you’ve gained some fame in this industry. Companies might approach you to collaborate on commercial performances. There’s also a banquet at the Zhou family later. My suggestion is that you should go and take a look, and get to know people in the industry,” Shen Ying said.

She knew very well what Jiang Xingyao's goal was: to prove herself, she needed to quickly make a name for herself.

Various competitions are not frequent, and relying solely on participating in competitions is always too slow.

Participating in more activities is also a way to quickly build a reputation.

Especially today, Jiang Xingyao just won the championship in this competition, so she should strike while the iron is hot.

Jiang Xingyao understood everything Shen Ying said, and she didn't refuse: "Sister Shen Ying, wait for me a moment, I'll go backstage to get my bag and then I'll go with you."

She stayed to take photos and was delayed for a while. All the contestants had already left, and the backstage area was empty.

Jiang Xingyao quickly found her bag. Just as she was about to leave, a large shadow suddenly fell over the doorway.

Jin Qingyu crossed his arms and looked down at Jiang Xingyao, his eyes filled with mockery: "Mrs. Jin, you've really made a splash today. In the past month that I haven't been around, you've been flaunting yourself like this?"

He walked towards Jiang Xingyao step by step, each step carrying an overwhelming sense of pressure.

Just seeing his face made Jiang Xingyao feel as if her heart was being squeezed and clenched painfully.

A metallic taste churned in her throat, but Jiang Xingyao ignored him and tried to step over him. However, Jin Qingyu reached out first, grabbed Jiang Xingyao's shoulder, and pressed her against the dressing table.

He said, "Why are you hiding? Am I interfering with your search for a new job?"

Jiang Xingyao, you're really something! All I did was not go into the water to rescue you, and you just disappeared for a month without saying a word?

"If I hadn't found you today, would our flamboyant Mrs. Jin have been able to give me a baby in a couple of days?"

He looked at Jiang Xingyao in her light green cheongsam, which accentuated her exquisite curves. Among the group of women in white dresses, she was so eye-catching that she was impossible to ignore.

In the concert hall where thousands of people gathered, she was the only one who shone so brightly that she could capture everyone's attention the moment she appeared.

Jin Qingyu still remembered the fleeting look of amazement Zhou Huaiyan had when he first saw her.

Just thinking about his wife, who went to great lengths to escape him, yet shone so brightly in places he couldn't see, made Jin Qingyu unable to suppress the surging resentment in his heart.

He pinched Jiang Xingyao's chin, lowered his head, and before his lips could touch the woman's rosy lips, a sharp pain shot through his forehead.

Jiang Xingyao, clutching the sharply angled trophy in her hand, smashed it onto his head without hesitation.

Caught off guard, Jin Qingyu staggered. He took a step back, and when he pressed his fingers to his forehead, his fingertips were stained with a large amount of blood.

Sticky blood flowed down his forehead and into the corner of his eye. Jin Qingyu gritted his teeth, a large shadow of gloom almost filling his pupils.

"Did I hit the nail on the head? Are you getting angry?" Jin Qingyu sneered. He continued to say the most hurtful things to Jiang Xingyao, ignoring the bleeding wound on his head, and reached out to pull Jiang Xingyao back.

Jiang Xingyao lifted her foot, her stiletto heel stomping on the man's instep. She said, "Even bleeding so much blood can't cleanse the filth in your head, Jin Qingyu. You're disgusting."

The child? He still has the nerve to mention the child in front of her? Does he deserve it?

The sharp, thin heels of the high heels were like blades, making Jin Qingyu's insteps go numb. He staggered and grabbed the dressing table next to him to steady himself.

When I came to my senses, all I could see was the woman's receding figure, her high heels clicking on the ground as she walked with a swaying gait, exuding an arrogant air of disdain.

Jin Qingyu seemed to sense a strong sense of unfamiliarity from that figure's back.

Jiang Xingyao has changed. She has become more indifferent and arrogant, and seems to care less about him.

Jin Qingyu scoffed coldly, pressing his finger to his forehead once more, the bright red blood staining his fingertip, a strange dark glint flashing in his eyes.

Assistant Xu rushed in from outside. Before he could even say that he had seen the news about his wife, he noticed that Jin Qingyu's face was covered in blood.

"Mr. Jin, your face..."

"Where did Jiang Xingyao go just now?" Jin Qingyu asked.

Without needing to say anything, just by looking at Assistant Xu's hurried appearance, he knew that he had seen Jiang Xingyao.