Save Myself from Desperation

Eddy looked at Shirley with a mixture of melancholy and helplessness. “You do have some talent for the harp, but it’s rather limited. Yet, you’re so confident in yourself. As your mentor, it’s hard for me to constantly discourage you, so | haven't told you that you played badly.”

Shirley couldn't believe this was the truth.

Looking gloomy, Shirley gritted her teeth and retorted defiantly, “Mr. Moore, you speak so poorly of me. Are you implying that Ashley plays well? Is she even better than you?”

Eddy’s expression immediately turned stern. He firmly held his cane to thud on the ground and declared, “Of course, she’s better than me! Otherwise, why else would | treat her with such respect?

“How dare you address Ms. Ramos by her name? That's disrespectful! Apologize to her now!”

In an instant, Shirley's eyes widened in disbelief. She thought, ‘Apologize to Ashley?

Refer to her as Ms. Ramos?’

Bryce couldn't help but let out a snort of laughter.

He had been worried that Ashley would be bullied, but now, with Eddy’s arrival, Shirley was utterly humiliated. Among them, Ashley seemed to hold the highest status in the harp circleNôvelD(ram)a.ôrg owns this content.

there.

Eddy urged Shirley to apologize.

Raising her hand to stop him, Ashley said indifferently, “No need. | won't stoop to her level.”

Eddy frowned at Shirley, clearly displeased. “Ms. Ramos is being generous by not holding your rudeness against you. Now, you should thank Ms. Ramos!”

Shirley's eyes widened in disbelief again.

She thought, ‘Not only do | have to apologize to her, but | also have to

thank her?”

The livestream audience, witnessing this unexpected turn only one thought. events, had

They thought, ‘Despite Ashley's young age and Eddy being quite old, Eddy’s respect for Ashley is remarkable!” Eddy glared at Shirley, thinking, ‘My student is far too disrespectful to Ashley. “This is rude!

‘It's infuriating enough to make me want to dismiss her!”

eme

Shirley clenched her fist and looked at Ashley, saying with reluctance, “Ms. Ramos, thank you for not taking my disrespect to heart. However, although Mr. Moore respects you, according to the show’s rules, it’s your turn after | played The Land.”

She thought, ‘I really want to see how well Ashley can play. | can’t believe she will play better than me!’

Eddy, seeing Shirley's defiant behavior, looked at her as if she was a fool about to meet her doom and was about to reprimand her.

Ashley raised her hand to stop him, smiling faintly, “Your student is amusingly foolish. But according to the rules, | shall play The Land.”

Shirley thought she must have misheard.

She wondered, ‘Amusingly foolish?”

Matthew, hearing Ashley was about to play The Land, was disdainful. He thought, “This jinx is unworthy of playing Ash’s The Land.

A poor performance will be an insult to both Ash and The Land!”

Under the gaze of everyone present, Ashley calmly took her seat in front. of the harp, gently pressing the strings with her left hand.

The moment she sat down and slightly raised her hand, an innate classical elegance emanated from her, as if she had been one with the harp for many years.

The livestream audience was immediately captivated by her serene and steady demeanor. Matthew suddenly widened his eyes as Ashley began to pluck the strings.

Ciapter 61

playing the first note.

By the time Ashley played the fifth and sixth notes, Matthew’s eyes were brimming with surprise, his profound gaze fixed on Ashley..

He thought to himself, ‘It’s just like...

Just like when my mentor Ash personally played The Land!

“That free and easy harp sound not played for the sake of learning or competing, but played to enjoy the beauty of the harp!’ So far, Matthew had only felt this soul-resonating sensation when listening to Ash play.

Now, hearing Ashley play, he found himself experiencing that same feeling:

He thought, ‘What’s going on?”

-Everyone at the venue and the online livestream audience had their eyes fixed on Ashley, who was seated before the harp.

The lingering harp music was distant and prolonged as if it transported people from the noisy and flashy modern city to a poetic and picturesque place.

At first, they thought the harp sounded tranquil and graceful as if they had come to a quiet country lane, looking at smoke curling up from the chimneys.

Upon listening again, they felt the harp’s rhythm quicken, adding a sense of loneliness, like countless men parting from their families, about to head to the battlefield.

Suddenly, the harp sounded even more desolate and profound. The rhythm became increasingly faster, unfolding a scene of strife and conflict before their eyes, which made them excited.

Matthew stared unblinkingly at Ashley’s fingers on the harp. This was the most difficult part of playing The Land.

Ashley’s hands moved incredibly fast, with nimble and intricate techniques, with fluid grace and precision, without a hint of roughness or pause!

The greatest characteristic of the harp was its tranquility. You needed to

express a deep and complex emotion from the third section of The Land, which was particularly challenging. Yet, Ashley’s performance was flawless

Matthew sincerely felt that even as Ash’s student, he couldn't play at such a high level.

Towards the end. Ashley’s technique became even more complex and varied, the harp’s celestial sound transitioning from a small town to a bustling city, magnificent and splendid, like a song of a golden age.

From the seaside to the plains, from the desert to the city, this was The Land!

After Ashley finished playing, the audience remained silent for several dozen seconds before they woke up from that dreamy and picturesque dream, returning to reality.

“Ashley, that was so beautifull” Miranda said, still captivated, clapping enthusiastically.

Bryce, always so candid, walked up to Ashley and patted her on the shoulder. “Come on. You’re too modest. When | asked how good you. were at the harp, you said average. If this is average, then what are the rest of us supposed to do? | feel like you play just as well as Ash!” Hearing Bryce’s words, Matthew thoughtfully furrowed his brow. He thought, ‘It seems I’m not the only one who feels this way.”

At this moment, the livestream viewers were going wild again..

[Ashley’s performance was amazing! | felt like | was dreaming. It was so immersive!]

[Now | see why Mr. Moore respects her so much. Her harp skills are even better than his!]

[No offense, but Shirley's skills are trash compared to Ashley’s. She doesn’t even qualify to be arrogant in front of Ashley!] After Ashley’s performance, the director asked Matthew's team for comments as per the show's routine.

Hayes immediately laughed and said, “Beautiful! Ashley, you’re incredible. No wonder Mr. Moore speaks so highly of you!” Chapter 61

The director turned to Matthew. “Matthew, what do you think?”

Matthew's lips were tightly pressed, and his look towards Ashley was complex look, but he quickly changed his expression. He thought, I've always looked down upon Ashley, but she truly surprised me today.