Chapter 28: The stage confession caused a stir among the audience! The camera zoomed in instantly, recording…

After lunch, the seven guests rested briefly before heading to the music classroom at the academy.

Unlike the bustling kitchen in the morning, this place is filled with an elegant artistic atmosphere.

The audience seats were neatly arranged with seven chairs. The deep red curtain on the stage was tightly closed, creating an air of mystery.

The director announced the afternoon's rules: "Teachers, behind the stage curtain are the foreign students who had lunch with you. They are all extremely musically talented. Now they will each perform a short piece on their respective instruments without showing their faces. Please listen carefully and, based on the style and feeling of the music, choose the partner and their instrument that best match your performance concept. The curtain will only open after the selection is complete."

The rules are novel and exciting, relying entirely on pure hearing and intuition to make judgments, which undoubtedly increases the suspense and appeal of the show.

First, a plaintive violin melody flowed forth, rich in emotion and skillfully executed. Guzheng performer Zhao Lin's eyes lit up, and her body swayed slightly involuntarily to the melody, as if she could feel the cross-border resonance between the string instruments.

Next came the deep, mellow cello, its sound like aged wine, carrying the story of time. Teacher Ding adjusted his glasses, a thoughtful expression on his face.

The third was a languid and sensual jazz melody played on the saxophone, reminiscent of a nighttime bar with flickering lights. Shan Zhiyi couldn't help but sway gently to the rhythm.

Then came a melodious and ethereal flute tune, like a gentle mountain breeze, caressing everyone's hearts. Teacher Liu Xin closed her eyes, seemingly assessing how well the tone suited her.

The fifth piece to play was an elegant and flowing piano piece called "Jasmine Flower," which was familiar and beautiful, but seemed to lack any distinctive features, and people had reservations about it.

What followed was a highly rhythmic and explosive pop drum set, the powerful beats igniting the atmosphere and filling it with youthful energy. Chen Yifei's eyes lit up; this perfectly aligned with his identity as a pop singer and the stage effect he wanted to create.

Finally, a powerful, high-pitched, and resonant sound suddenly rang out, instantly drowning out the lingering notes of all the previous instruments. It was the Chinese suona! A selection from "Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix" was played with exquisite skill, full of vibrant life and a sense of celebration, appearing particularly striking and powerful in this foreign music classroom.

Everyone was stunned. A hint of surprise flashed in Chai Yundu's eyes, which quickly turned into intense interest. This musical instrument, full of primal power and momentum, seemed to have a natural affinity with his fierce and domineering martial arts.

The moment of choice arrived. Liu Xin chose the flute, Zhao Lin chose the violin, Teacher Ding Yi chose the cello, Shan Zhiyi was drawn to the saxophone, and Chen Yifei decisively chose the drums.

Chai Yundu calmly said, "I choose the suona." What he wanted was this kind of powerful momentum that could sound the battle horn and lift the roof, to infuse his martial arts performance with soul.

Finally, Zhu Qingting chose the piano, which was left over from everyone else's choices, because she felt that her dance could blend with all musical instruments.

With the final decision on landing set to be made, the deep red curtain slowly opened to both sides, finally revealing the true faces of the seven musical partners.

The most surprising person was the suona player, none other than Karl, the white-haired old man who had praised Teacher Ding Yi's braised pork at the luncheon and spoke fluent Chinese! Holding the gleaming suona, he shook hands with Chai Yundu with a beaming smile, "Chai! It's an honor to work with you! If I had to say what I like most about Chinese culture, it would be the suona and Chinese kung fu. Unfortunately, my body can no longer learn martial arts, so I can only practice the suona to its fullest potential."

Chai Yundu greatly admired Carl. "Teacher Carl, I am also honored to work with you. I can teach you a set of Chinese boxing techniques that you can also practice to improve your health."

Zhu Qingting's pianist was a handsome young man named Lucas, as striking as a Greek sculpture. He had short, soft, light-gold hair and eyes as blue as a lake. At the dinner table, Shan Zhiyi took a keen interest in him and asked his age; he was only eighteen.

At this moment, Shan Zhiyi was even more envious, because her partner was an ordinary-looking boy with a small mustache.

The next three afternoons were a busy and fulfilling rehearsal period. The various groups were scattered in different rehearsal rooms at the academy.

Karl's suona playing was high-pitched and passionate, sometimes like a thousand troops marching, sometimes like a phoenix singing in the heavens. Based on the suona's melody, Chai Yundu designed a set of boxing techniques that incorporated traditional martial arts. Every breath from the suona was perfectly synchronized with the sound of his fists and feet, and his agile footwork. Karl's passion for martial arts and his superb suona skills impressed Chai Yundu, and the two gradually developed a perfect working relationship.

On the other hand, Zhu Qingting and Lucas's work is full of artistic exploration and subtle emotions.

Zhu Qingting changed into a water-sleeved performance costume she brought from China and simply demonstrated a basic dance, instantly captivating Lucas. He even had a burst of inspiration and created an original melody.

Based on his piano music, Zhu Qingting choreographed a graceful and flowing water sleeve dance.

During rehearsals, Lucas's eyes were always fixed on Zhu Qingting's spinning figure, and the admiration and infatuation in his eyes were almost undisguised.

He would often improvise a small section of the melody, saying, "Because your movement just now was so beautiful, it gave me new inspiration."

Although Zhu Qingting was fully immersed in the dance creation, she could vaguely sense the overly intense gaze of her young partner. She could only try to maintain professionalism and distance, focusing more on the integration with the music.

On Friday morning, the sun shone brightly. The program's bus headed towards the Vienna Golden Hall, a sacred place in the hearts of countless musicians.

The incredibly resourceful production team managed to secure a venue for their final cultural presentation, even though there were no audience members present.

The performance officially began. Teacher Ding Yi recited the poem "Bring in the Wine" with a powerful and majestic tone accompanied by the deep melody of the cello; Zhao Lin's guzheng and her violin partner's dialogue on "Spring River Flower Moon Night" was melodious and moving; Chen Yifei's collaboration with the drummer blew the audience away, bringing the infectious power of pop music to its extreme; Shan Zhiyi and the mustachioed saxophonist's "The Moon Represents My Heart" was languid and sexy.

Chai Yundu and Karl's performance of "A Man Should Be Self-reliant" brought the show to a climax. The sound of the suona (a traditional Chinese wind instrument) rose like a battle horn, and Chai Yundu, dressed in a sharp black outfit, moved with incredible speed and power, each movement brimming with strength, perfectly showcasing the masculine beauty of Chinese martial arts. The stirring suona and the fierce power of martial arts were perfectly integrated.

The final act featured Zhu Qingting and Lucas. The lights dimmed, and a spotlight shone on the center of the stage. Lucas sat before the grand piano, head bowed, pressing the keys; the music carried a touch of youthful melancholy and sweet longing. Zhu Qingting, her flowing sleeves billowing, danced gracefully to the music.

The performance ended to thunderous applause. Zhu Qingting and Lucas bowed side by side to the audience in gratitude. However, just as Zhu Qingting was about to step off the stage, an accident occurred.

Suddenly, Lucas knelt down on one knee in front of everyone. He looked up at the astonished Zhu Qingting and said in clear and excited Chinese, "Qingting! You are the most beautiful oriental goddess I have ever seen! You are my muse! I am willing to go to China for you and learn more! Please give me a chance!"

The entire room erupted in uproar! The camera zoomed in instantly, capturing this dramatic moment. The director and crew behind the monitor were also stunned.

Zhu Qingting's face flushed instantly, a mixture of embarrassment and helplessness. She quickly took a half step back, maintaining a polite smile, and replied, "Thank you, Lucas. Your music is fantastic, and we had a great time working together. But I'm sorry, I can't accept your kind offer. I wish you find your true muse in the future."

After she finished speaking, her gaze drifted quickly and unintentionally towards a certain direction in the audience. There, Chai Yundu stood with his arms crossed, his brows slightly furrowed, his eyes deep and unfathomable, intently watching the movements on the stage.

Despite being decisively rejected during his confession at the Golden Hall, young Lucas was clearly not completely heartbroken. During the two-day tour of Vienna arranged by the production team, he still sought every opportunity to approach Zhu Qingting, attentively offering her water, trying to help her with her coat, and gazing at her expectantly with his bright blue eyes.

Zhu Qingting was annoyed by the constant interruptions, but she didn't want to be too rude in front of the camera, so she could only stick close to Shan Zhiyi as much as possible, or mingle with the older female guests like Sister Xin and Sister Linlin, so that Lucas couldn't find a chance to speak.

Dan Zhiyi understood perfectly, and each time she would shield Zhu Qingting behind her like a mother hen protecting her chicks, teasing Lucas in a joking tone, "Little boy, you should be careful when pursuing girls!"

Chai Yundu observed all of this, remaining outwardly calm, but the atmosphere around him grew increasingly tense. Chen Yifei and Ding Yi both sensed his displeasure and privately joked that he was "almost drowning in a vinegar jar."

Finally, on his last night in Vienna, Chai Yundu went straight to the program's director.

In the director's temporary office, Chai Yundu got straight to the point, "Director Yao, there's something I want to report to the production team. Actually, Zhu Zhu and I are dating; we're boyfriend and girlfriend."

Although the director guessed from some clues that the relationship between the two was not simple, he was still stunned when he heard the top star admit it himself.

Chai Yundu continued, "So, I hope that in the next two episodes, the production team can try to avoid arranging such in-depth pairings between Chinese and foreign trainees again? Especially Zhu Zhu's partner," he paused, his tone carrying a hint of barely perceptible irritation, "it's always a young man. This time it was Lucas's confession, and last time in Budapest, Liszt was even more outrageous."

He looked at the director and offered his suggestion, "I think perhaps we could consider having foreign trainees team up with each other, while our Chinese guests form their own teams. This would ensure the quality of the show while also reducing some unnecessary trouble. After all, the purpose of our program is cultural exchange, not... creating international scandals, right?"

Chai Yundu's words were reasonable and well-founded. They expressed his personal feelings as a boyfriend, while also considering the broadcast effect and the guests' condition from the perspective of the production team.

The director pondered for a moment, seemingly weighing which format would bring more excitement to the show. Ultimately, wanting to do a favor for the top star, he nodded and said, "Yun Du, I understand what you mean. We will seriously consider this matter and re-evaluate the subsequent performance format."

Stepping out of the director's room, Chai Yundu let out a long sigh of relief.