Chapter 390:
Irving overheard Elyse and Darren's conversation and scoffed. "You don't want to compete against friends? That's naive. You don't understand the harshness and allure of competition." Elyse ended her call and asked, "Why do you say so?" He raised an eyebrow. "I've competed for years and I've learned a lot. You're both just too young and naive." Rolling her eyes, Elyse retorted, "I still don't want to compete against friends so soon." Irving remained silent, considering her innocence.
In Group A, contestants performed one by one. Elyse initially remained calm backstage, but her anxiety grew as her turn approached. Irving noticed her nervousness and quipped, "Didn't you say you wouldn't be nervous? Seems that wasn't true." Elyse glared at him, her palms sweating as he continued to taunt her. "Don't tell me you're going to fail this time," Irving jeered. "You'll be Mr. Tucker's most useless apprentice." Elyse clenched her teeth. She wasn't useless; she would prove herself. Taking several steadying breaths, she was soon onstage. She took a deep breath, heard her name called, and confidently stepped forward to face the judges. Elyse announced her performance title, closed her eyes, and lost herself in her music.
Backstage, Irving listened intently, eventually closing his eyes to focus on her performance. When the piece ended, he opened them. "Maybe she's not as bad as I thought." Elyse set down her violin and glanced at the judges, noticing something odd in their expressions. The host announced, "Alright, you can step down now." Momentarily stunned, Elyse bowed quickly and hurried offstage. Watching her blush, Irving chuckled. "Blushing now? I didn't expect you were this shy."
Elyse shot him a fierce glare. "I'm just hot. I'm not actually shy." Irving remained unconvinced. "Fine, whatever you say." Awkward and self-conscious, Elyse hesitated before nervously asking, "What did you think of my performance? Do you think I can pass?" Irving opened his mouth wide, exaggerating. "Weren't you aiming for first place in your group?" Elyse glanced at nearby people and quickly covered his mouth. "Irving, please cut me some slack."
His presence always embarrassed her, but Irving refrained from teasing her further. Elyse left the competition venue, covering her face with her hands. "Fiona should be done with her performance. Let's find them and meet up," she suggested. Irving nodded. "They reserved a nearby cafe. They're already there drinking coffee. We'll wait for the results before heading over." Elyse nodded obediently, wanting to avoid further teasing. She remained silent, initiating no further conversation.
Nearby, she overheard two girls chatting. "Hey, did you hear about the girl in Group E who cheated? She played the wrong notes, but the judges still praised her." "Oh. Do you think they were trying to console her?" "Heh, naive. Just wait until the results come out. We'll see if she really cheated." The girls' conversation piqued Elyse's curiosity. Who could they be talking about? . . .