The lights in the hall dimmed, leaving only a few dazzling beams shining on Wendy Linden, focusing all attention on her alone, adding a touch of brilliance to her entire being...
Wendy Linden smiled gently, lowered her head, and gracefully extended her hands to begin playing the piano.
Soon, the lively piano music resounded in the hall.
After the piece ended, applause rang out from the audience.
Wendy Linden stood up, smiling as she thanked everyone.
"Thank you, everyone."
"Miss Linden is truly not only beautiful, but also plays the piano wonderfully," a young gentleman praised politely.
"Thank you, sir." Wendy Linden glanced at the man with a smile, but her gaze inadvertently drifted to the corner where a stern-faced man sat.
"Thank you, Miss Linden, for the wonderful performance. Next, let’s invite the lady from behind the curtain to begin."
After the host’s voice echoed, the lights dimmed again, and a slightly melancholic beam shone behind the curtain.
Clearly different treatment.
However, this seemed not to affect the girl behind the curtain. Her seemingly slender figure straightened slightly, then she gently placed the violin on her shoulder, holding the bow in one hand and slowly putting it down...
A slightly sorrowful and graceful melody began to play...
The sound was not as light as the previous piano notes; instead, it was laden with a deep sadness that could almost bring tears, inexplicably making hearts sway along with the music.
The hall gradually quieted down, as everyone’s gaze involuntarily lingered on the silhouette behind the curtain, standing quietly, head bowed, completely immersed in the music.
The entire hall was left only with the violin’s melody, flowing slowly...
...
In a corner of the hall, Noah Drexler sat in a chair, staring straight at the focused figure behind the curtain.
His dark eyes flickered.
He didn’t know she could play the violin.
But at that moment, though he couldn’t see her face, he heard from her music a trace of sadness, not from the melody itself, but from her heart... his own heart inexplicably stirred by her music.
In his mind, he couldn’t help but envision her sorrowful expression...
His brow furrowed, and the expression on his handsome face suddenly turned complicated, a hint of heartache flashing through.
...
Behind the curtain, Summer Shawcross finished playing the entire piece of "Half Moon Serenade" with her eyes closed, sighing gently.
The melody of this piece was somewhat sorrowful, so from the beginning, she couldn’t help but think of some past events, the tragic ending of her previous life, and the past experiences of the Shawcross Family, causing her eyes to grow a bit moist.
In the hall, there was silence for a few seconds before the applause slowly began to roll in waves.
Summer Shawcross was a bit surprised that her applause was no less than Wendy Linden’s moments ago.
Just as she was surprised, the host’s voice echoed again.
"Thank you to this lady for her solo performance. Next, please bid for the opportunity to have either of these ladies perform privately. There is no reserve price for this auction, so feel free to place your bids, and the highest bidder wins!"
After the host’s voice rang out, the scene suddenly became lively.
At that moment, Summer Shawcross behind the curtain paused, because Wendy Linden had told her the rules, but hadn’t mentioned that they would also have to perform privately for the auction’s successful bidder.