Chapter 84: Four Hands in Harmony

J Station stands tall, accompanying A forever? Such a cheesy slogan for fans is rarely seen these days, and Liao Yuan found himself rather pleased by it.

Yet, any hint of emotion was completely hidden beneath his mask. Beside him, Linglingyao seemed to sense something and smiled, saying, “Uncle A has quite a few fans here today.”

Liao Yuan replied with a deliberately indifferent “Mm.”

Linglingyao paused, then asked, “Why are you wearing a mask?”

“Nerves,” Liao Yuan answered.

Linglingyao felt her patience had reached its limit. With a light snort, she ceased any further interaction with Liao Yuan.

Who isn’t a little goddess, after all?

Fu Xiaoci covered her mouth, giggling quietly.

Soon, the first round of the preliminary competition officially began. Contestants, paired in twos, walked onto the stage. On the big screen, the pieces to be performed were randomly selected by the computer system, and the contestants took their seats.

The host gave them only thirty seconds to prepare before the performances began.

The first duo performed the “Radetzky March,” composed in 1848—a piece well known to the public. Every year, the famous WYN New Year’s Concert closes with this march, making it a tradition. For many pianists in attendance, this piece is ideally suited for a piano four-hands performance—everyone can play it.

But to deliver a truly outstanding rendition is no easy feat, especially without prior rehearsal. Each must play their assigned part by reading the score, and unless they’re perfectly in sync, even a slight lack of rapport can lead to mistakes.

Most of the audience possessed at least some basic piano training. For obscure pieces, perhaps errors would go unnoticed, but the “Radetzky March” was so familiar that listeners became especially attuned to every detail.

Moreover, during the voting process, more renowned pianists or UP hosts with a strong following on J Station clearly had the upper hand in influencing results.

Of course, overwhelming technical superiority was rarely seen on site.

Subsequent performances included Mozart’s “Turkish March,” Chopin’s “Waltz in G Major,” Schubert’s “Military March,” and Beethoven’s “Symphony of Fate,” among others—each performed by different contestants.

It was a grand musical feast.

There were no fewer than seven thousand people in the audience, and every listener was visibly absorbed in the beauty of the performances.

Yet, no matter how pleasant a piece may be, hearing it repeated a dozen times can test anyone’s patience.

As time wore on, the audience’s tolerance for repeated pieces wore thin. During the four-hand performances, even a single errant note would result in the performers being utterly lambasted, instantly drowned out by the audience’s booing.

At last, it was time for Asdfghj and Linglingyao to take the stage.

When the big screen displayed their J Station IDs, the entire hall erupted in thunderous applause and cheers.

“They’re here, they’re here at last!”

“Uncle A! My god, Uncle A has teamed up with Linglingyao!”

“This is definitely the first crushingly strong team of the night; I bet the team up against them is going to be in tears!”

“Look, the one in the mask is on stage—it’s Uncle A!”

“Wow, I’d noticed him ages ago, sitting next to Linglingyao all this time, and to think he’s Uncle A, wearing a mask? How flamboyant!”

“Very well, Masked Man, you have successfully caught this goddess’s attention!”

“Uncle A has a great figure—I’m drooling…”

As Liao Yuan and Linglingyao walked onto the stage, their opposing team, chosen at random, also appeared.

When the big screen showed the IDs “Li Moran” and “Jelly Is Too Spicy,” the camera quickly panned to the two contestants, whose faces were predictably grim.

Li Moran glared at Jelly Is Too Spicy and muttered angrily, “If I’d known, I wouldn’t have teamed up with you. Damn, it’s bad luck enough to get stuck with a jinx, but now we have to go against those two. How unlucky can we get?”

Jelly Is Too Spicy waved excitedly at the camera and laughed, “Who cares, let’s just have fun!”

Li Moran, seeing this, was furious and gave his partner a sharp smack on the back of the head. “Spineless!”

Amid the audience’s enthusiastic applause, Liao Yuan and Linglingyao took the stage first.

The computer randomly selected the “Turkish March” for them to perform. This piece is considered Grade 8—ordinarily no challenge at all for Liao Yuan and Linglingyao. But when each person must play their own part from the score, fitting together seamlessly and without a single wrong note, things become trickier.

Several contestants who played this piece earlier had inevitable mistakes, but as long as they weren’t a string of errors, the audience didn’t fuss.

But now, the crowd’s patience had been worn down to the nub. On top of that, it was the illustrious Uncle A and J Station’s top queen, Linglingyao, performing four hands—an act scrutinized as if under a magnifying glass.

During the thirty seconds of preparation, Linglingyao glanced at the score and then asked, “Well? Uncle A, do you think we can do it?”

“Let’s give it a try,” Liao Yuan replied.

Linglingyao nodded, and the two took their seats. The hall instantly fell silent.

Everyone strained their ears to listen.

Fu Xiaoci quickly pulled out her phone to record the performance.

Just before they began, Linglingyao glanced at Liao Yuan’s mask and suddenly laughed. “If I’d known, I would have worn a mask too. That way, we’d look more coordinated.”

Liao Yuan responded with a noncommittal “Oh,” and paid it no further mind. He soon lifted his hands and began the opening passage.

Ting-ting-dong, ting-ting-ting-dong—

A true expert reveals himself in just a few notes.

On the big screen, everyone watched as Liao Yuan’s long, slender fingers danced across the keys like butterflies, instantly creating a stirring atmosphere.

Rhythm, emotion, technique—everything was executed with perfect poise.

This is a piece that has endured for over three centuries. The steady pulse of eighth notes runs through it, and the lively sixteenth notes add a sense of innocence and joy—hallmarks of Mozart’s work.

As a Grade 8 piece, it’s among the most challenging in the twelve pieces featured tonight.

Many contestants, when performing it, made mistakes to varying degrees. In the context of a four-hand performance, some even ended up playing haphazardly, making it the focal point of each round.

Under such circumstances, the four-hand duet of Liao Yuan and Linglingyao drew even more attention.

In the exclusive streaming room for J Station’s “One Emperor and Four Queens,” the chat barrage filled the entire screen.

“Move over, let me see Linglingyao’s beautiful legs!”

“No wonder she’s the queen of the music section—those looks, that figure, those jade-like legs…”

“Hey, hey, hey, focus on the music!”

“Oh my god, Uncle A is on stage!”

“Uncle A is playing!”

“Huh? Am I seeing things? Uncle A is turning his head—he’s looking at Linglingyao while playing?”

“He’s showing off as naturally as breathing!”

“Incredible—he’s not even looking at the music?”

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PS: My mindset’s been a mess these past few days. Time to get back on track and resume regular updates.