The two-minute interval was fleeting. Nancy and Linda had just reached the side of the stage when the previous performer finished.

Linda pouted discontentedly, "That Rivata is so annoying. If we weren’t in a hurry, I would have given her a piece of my mind."

"Linda."

Nancy suddenly placed her hand on Linda's shoulder, "Don't let others affect your mood. Focus on performing well, okay? Let's do this!"

Seeing Nancy so serious, Linda became earnest too, "Yes, Nan, let's give it our all!"

After saying this, she opened her arms and hugged Nancy tightly.

"Nan, our chance to shine is right here. We must win!"

"We absolutely must!"

The two girls embraced each other for a moment and then let go, just as the host finished introducing them. They walked hand in hand onto the stage.

In the audience, those who had grown numb to the performances suddenly perked up upon seeing Nancy and Linda together.

"Look, this time there are two of them!"

"What are you excited about? Didn’t the host just say it's a duo performance?"

"Hahaha, it's rare to see a duet today."

"Right, in a competition, if there's too much disparity in skill, a duet can turn into a disaster. I'm curious to see if they'll mess up. That would be quite a spectacle, hahaha…"

"I hope they do mess up, or else I'll fall asleep. How will I even leave when the show is over?"

Unaware of the audience's expectations for their failure, Nancy and Linda each took their place at separate pianos.

In the VIP seats, Zach was beside himself with excitement, gripping Charlie’s arm tightly, almost ready to shout.

"Look, look, Nan is on stage! I've been waiting so long for this."

Charlie glanced coolly at him, knowing that Zach was excited about Nancy’s talent, not anything else.

Zach, undeterred by Charlie's indifference, continued excitedly, "After her performance, I must invite her to dinner. Even though I'm upset that Andrew took my disciple, I'll invite him too."

Charlie shushed him, "Quiet, the performance is about to start."

If it had been any other time, Zach would have immediately retorted to Charlie’s command to be quiet, but now, he obediently closed his mouth, eyes fixed on Nancy on the stage.

Suddenly, melodious music began to play, with Linda’s hands gracefully dancing over the piano keys. The audience, both regular and VIP, were instantly mesmerized.

"What piece is this?"

"I don't know, I've never heard it before."

"Huh... why do I suddenly find it so appealing?"

Zach widened his eyes, almost ready to rush onto the stage, "What's going on? Why is that girl playing, and why isn't Nan moving?"

Just then, he turned to Charlie, "What piece is this?"

The corners of Charlie's mouth slightly curled up, "Jasmine Flower."

"Jasmine Flower?"

Zach, eyes wide and thoughtful, smacked his lips, "Never heard of it, but it seems quite good."

As his words fell, another distinctly different piece of music started, silencing the entire audience...