Chapter 194 - The King's Performance

After Xiao Yichen quietly walked away, Dongfang Yunqi comforted Ye Fan a few words and then led Ye Fan and Shen Yan towards the front left corner of the hall.

There stood a luxurious piano, and a pianist dressed in a tuxedo and bow tie was passionately playing Adele Adkins’s “Someone-like-you.”

When they reached the steps of the piano stage, Dongfang Yunqi turned around and asked Ye Fan and Shen Yan to pause and wait for a moment, allowing the pianist to finish the song.

Shen Yan leaned closer to Ye Fan and whispered, “That pianist isn’t just any pianist, his name is Miao Jian, and he won the silver medal at the International Chopin Piano Competition.

I didn’t expect Yun Qi Club to be able to hire such a talented pianist for the party.”

“Mmm,” Ye Fan nodded slightly, thinking to himself that it was no wonder Dongfang Yunqi did not interrupt his performance readily.

Fortunately, “Someone-like-you” was already more than halfway through.

Ye Fan and Shen Yan waited for almost two minutes until the last note of the song finally fell.

Dongfang Yunqi immediately went up and spoke with Miao Jian.

Miao Jian glanced at Shen Yan and readily nodded, then followed Dongfang Yunqi to where Ye Fan and Shen Yan stood, and they all briefly discussed the performance of “Love’s Devotion.”

When the crowd saw Dongfang Yunqi leading Shen Yan and Ye Fan to interact with the pianist, they immediately guessed that Shen Yan would sing live, and everyone was filled with anticipation.

Additionally, they noticed Ye Fan was also with them, faintly guessing that Ye Fan might sing a duet with Shen Yan, and they couldn’t help but feel envious and jealous.

“To think he even gets the opportunity to sing publicly with Shen Yan.

That guy really got his money’s worth buying those ornamental walnuts!”

“If I had known, I would have bid four hundred thousand or even five hundred thousand to get those walnuts!”

Everyone was filled with regret, no longer ridiculing Ye Fan for being a sucker, instead feeling jealous that Ye Fan was too shrewd.

After a minute or two of discussion, it was finally time to start the performance.

Ye Fan and Shen Yan accompanied Dongfang Yunqi onto the main stage of the hall, where Dongfang Yunqi first took the microphone and said to the crowd, “Everyone, please quiet down for a moment, I have some great news for you.

To thank all of you for your support of charity, Miss Shen Yan is willing to sing ‘Love’s Devotion’ live for everyone.

Additionally, Mr.

Ye Fan will sing with Miss Shen Yan.

Let’s all welcome them with applause!”

Clap clap clap…

A thunderous applause erupted.

Although everyone had guessed Shen Yan would sing live, when they actually heard the news, they still couldn’t help being excited.

However, as the applause died down, a discordant voice came from the crowd, “Who is this Ye Fan?

We’ve never heard of him!

Why should he sing with Miss Shen Yan?”

“That’s right!

Why should he?!” Several people immediately shouted in agreement.

It turned out Zhou Hongzhi was secretly instigating his friends to create trouble for Ye Fan.

Since Ye Fan was a new face, and his clothes did not look expensive, people were already discontent with Shen Yan favoring him.

Now provoked by Zhou Hongzhi and others, the crowd also began to express their disapproval vocally.

Dongfang Yunqi hadn’t expected letting Ye Fan sing with Shen Yan would cause such a backlash, and in such hurried distress, she didn’t know how to calm the situation.

Just then, Ye Fan stepped forward with the microphone and bluntly said, “Because I sing better than all of you!”

Using the microphone and the sound system, Ye Fan’s voice easily drowned out the tumultuous noise.

The crowd hadn’t expected Ye Fan to be so arrogantly confident, and there was a momentary silence.

However, shortly after, someone shouted, “You say you sing well, who would believe that?

Who can prove it?

Stop bragging here!”

By this time, Dongfang Yunqi had regained her composure, and she immediately spoke loudly into the microphone, “Miss Shen Yan can prove it!

Mr.

Ye Fan was personally invited by Miss Shen Yan to sing a duet, do you not trust Miss Shen Yan’s judgment in music?”

This remark was powerful.

Here, Shen Yan was regarded as a music authority.

Dongfang Yunqi brought Shen Yan into it, leaving the crowd speechless.

“That’s right.

I admire Mr.

Ye Fan’s musical talent and gift greatly, and I believe he will definitely bring everyone moving and touching vocals,” Shen Yan also stepped forward and spoke into the microphone, supporting Ye Fan.

At this, everyone finally quieted down.

Even though Zhou Hongzhi and others wanted to maliciously disrupt, they couldn’t speak out further and could only wait for Ye Fan to start singing to cause trouble.

“Now, please welcome Miss Shen Yan and Mr.

Ye Fan to present ‘Love’s Devotion’ to everyone!” Dongfang Yunqi immediately seized the opportunity and spoke quickly, “With a little love from everyone, the world will become a beautiful place.

Please!”

Finishing, she gracefully gestured to Ye Fan and Shen Yan, then walked swiftly down the podium.

“Tonight, your enthusiastic support for the charity auction has really moved Shen Yan, and she dedicates ‘Love’s Devotion’ to everyone,” Shen Yan’s clear voice resonated, “With a little love from everyone, the world will become a beautiful place.”

Having said this, she turned sideways to give a nod to the pianist Miao Jian, who, upon receiving the signal, promptly sat up straight, and a melodic note began to flow out.

Playing piano accompaniment properly requires skill, and Miao Jian was precisely a person of considerable skill.

As the piano prelude flowed, everyone’s hearts gradually calmed down.

“This is the call of the heart,

This is Love’s Devotion,

This is the spring breeze of the world,

This is the source of life…”

Accompanied by Shen Yan’s clear, melodious and heartfelt vocals, everyone in attendance immediately became immersed, unable to extricate themselves, smiles faintly appearing on their faces, feeling as if their souls were cleansed with joy.

Ye Fan watched Shen Yan, his heart brewing emotions along with the piano’s rhythm and Shen Yan’s singing, filling up with love, compassion, and sympathy, becoming increasingly intense and profound.

“…even Death steps back

and the flowers of happiness bloom everywhere—”

When Shen Yan sang this line, Ye Fan’s emotions had already brewed to their peak and began to erupt like a volcano.

“Ah—

If everyone gives just a little love

The world will become a beautiful place

Ah—

If everyone gives just a little love

The world will become a beautiful place…”

As Ye Fan’s emotional, volcano-like voice suddenly resonated, loud and clear with perfect enunciation, the souls cleansed and hearts filled with love in the audience shuddered, feeling the compassion and sympathy they had been quietly accumulating brought forth.

They couldn’t help but sing along with Ye Fan, tears welling up in their eyes.

Their emotions were completely controlled by Ye Fan’s singing at that moment, forgetting all worldly matters.

As it turned out, when Ye Fan had forced Xiao Yichen to leave earlier, he had anticipated that Xiao Yichen would secretly incite disturbances.

Thus, when discussing the duet with Shen Yan, he had arranged for Shen Yan to sing the initial parts of the song and only join in with his distinctive voice at the chorus.

Shen Yan readily agreed with Ye Fan’s suggestion.

Although her voice was clear and ethereal, capable of beautifully performing the initial parts of the song, the chorus required a significant explosive power that her voice slightly lacked in depth and richness.

Thus, turning the chorus over to Ye Fan, a male voice, would indeed create a better effect.

As expected, just as Ye Fan started his performance, Zhou Hongzhi and others were unable to cause any chaos.

Even their emotions were controlled by Ye Fan’s singing.

By the time Ye Fan finished a section of the chorus and moved into an instrumental piano interlude, he had completely taken over the stage.

Even though Zhou Hongzhi and his group regained their senses, seeing everyone around them with tears streaming down their faces deterred them from causing any disruptions.

“This is the call of the heart

This is Love’s Devotion

This is the spring breeze of humanity…”

Shen Yan continued with the main part of the song, and immediately, everyone’s stirred emotions were soothed by her clear, ethereal, and emotionally rich voice.

They calmed down, their souls cleansed again, and the outpouring of love accumulated yet again, richer and more intense than before.

“…even Death steps back

and the flowers of happiness bloom everywhere—”

When Shen Yan sang this line again, everyone’s emotions reached a peak and had to be released.

“Ah—

If everyone gives just a little love

The world will become a beautiful place…”

Ye Fan’s intensely emotional voice erupted again like a volcano, providing an exhilarating release for the audience’s feelings.

Tears instantly filled their eyes and streamed down their cheeks, hotly flowing as they excitedly sang along with Ye Fan.

“Ah—

If everyone gives just a little love

The world will become a beautiful place…”

Shen Yan’s voice also joined in, but all sounds were dominated by Ye Fan’s singing, his voice reigning supreme, controlling everyone’s emotions, including Shen Yan’s.

“Ah—

If everyone gives just a little love

The world will become a beautiful place—”

With the final note, everyone was in tears, clapping furiously.

This long-lasting roar of applause was for Shen Yan, for Ye Fan, and also for themselves.

The atmosphere on site reached its pinnacle!

After the continuing applause, people started shouting in unison, “Shen Yan!

Shen Yan!

After shouting her name five or six times, Bobo, Tang Mingyi, and Zhang Ruolin suddenly shouted with all their strength, “Ye Fan!

Ye Fan!

Initially, their calls for Ye Fan were drowned out by the uniform shouts for Shen Yan, but after a few shouts, more people began to join in calling Ye Fan’s name, particularly in female voices.

Moments later, the volume of calls for Ye Fan’s name matched those for Shen Yan.

Finally, the crowd shouted in unison, “Shen Yan Shen Yan!

Ye Fan Ye Fan!

However, even in their unified shouting, there was still a subtle difference; when calling Shen Yan’s name, male voices dominated, but when calling for Ye Fan, female voices completely took over.

(Well, this chapter is over half as long again, so I won’t keep you in suspense.)