Chapter 1

The red carpet was crowded with media, and the way they looked at me carried a hint of gossip and disdain.

Who could have imagined that I, born into a family of pianists, would be personally exposed by my girlfriend for plagiarism on the eve of an awards ceremony?

And the person I had supposedly plagiarized was Gu Jue, a poor genius boy who had appeared out of nowhere.

People always loved watching stories about underdogs rising to the top, so after the plagiarism scandal broke, everyone suspected me.

It was only because I came from a prominent family and supposedly looked down on the hardworking and talented Gu Jue, and because my girlfriend Bai Xin had publicly expressed admiration for him, that I allegedly suppressed him at every turn.

But the young man feared no hardship, and half a year ago, he defeated me in a competition and took first place.

The audience finally saw the underdog comeback they had imagined, and they cheered because Gu Jue had beaten me.

Even though they knew Bai Xin was my girlfriend, they still shipped the two of them and believed that I was the one blocking the development of their relationship.

“I didn’t expect Xu Ze to be this kind of person.”

“So-called composers are just personas built with money.”

“We can’t bow to capital.”

“The power of capital can’t defeat true love.”

I wanted to argue and tell them the truth, but a burst of cheers rang in my ears.

I saw Bai Xin walking gracefully down the red carpet, holding Gu Jue’s arm.

The handsome man and beautiful woman made a dazzling pair.

I held a marker that had run out of ink, and before I could even sign my name, I was signaled to leave.

“A plagiarist actually has the nerve to come here, and sure enough, once someone is shameless, they’re invincible.”

Gu Jue stood outside the cameras humbly and politely, nodded at me, and reached out to gesture for me to sign the backdrop.

“Beginning with his work and ending with his character, Gu Jue is the best person, and certain people should hurry up and get lost instead of hogging public resources.”

The words Gu Jue’s fans shouted out loud made me so embarrassed I wished I could find a hole to crawl into.

At that moment, Gu Jue stepped forward and made a shushing gesture, saying, “My fans respect all teachers, and I hope everyone will appreciate our work more, while we will resolve other matters privately.”

With one sentence, he not only displayed his generosity, but also confirmed that the rumored plagiarism online was real.

I instinctively looked at Bai Xin, hoping she would explain in front of the media and fans.

But she did not even bother to look at me, and instead held Gu Jue’s arm tightly, her eyes filled with heartache and admiration.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t expect him to be this kind of person either, and Gu Jue, you’re still so magnanimous that you’re even helping him out.”

We had clearly known each other for so many years, and when her family suffered a major disaster back then, both her parents passed away.

I was the one who begged my parents to sponsor her.

She had a gift for vocal music, so I wrote lyrics and composed songs for her, lifting her step by step from an unknown street singer to the big screen.

I thought our hearts were connected, but the words she said as she passed by knocked me down into the abyss.

“Being with a plagiarism freak like you is truly my shame, and if you can apologize to Gu Jue onstage, I’ll still respect you as a man.”

I grabbed her hand, my eyes filled with pain, and I could not understand how our many years of feelings could be worth less than their brief six-month encounter.

“You know I didn’t plagiarize.”

Bai Xin shoved my hand away, her eyes full of contempt, and said, “Put away that disgusting face of yours, and stop acting like you’ve been wronged, because the one who should feel wronged is clearly Gu Jue.”

My heart hurt even more.

Facing the cameras, Bai Xin urged, “Xu Ze, apologize, and it is precisely because I am your girlfriend that I can’t let you keep making mistakes.”

Then she turned and bowed deeply to Gu Jue, saying, “I apologize to you on Xu Ze’s behalf, Gu Jue, and you’ve always been generous, so forgive Xu Ze this once, because he only did something like this because he couldn’t accept that his high-and-mighty self lost to an unknown person like you.”

I clenched my fists and looked at Bai Xin in disbelief, because she was slapping me in the face in public.

“You would actually go this far for him?”

Bai Xin patted my shoulder and said earnestly, “Xu Ze, wrong is wrong, and I won’t cover for you.”

I stared hard at Bai Xin, hoping to see even a trace of hesitation and pity in her eyes.

Unfortunately, her eyes held only mockery and disdain.

She shoved me and urged, “You had the nerve to plagiarize, but not the nerve to apologize to Gu Jue?”

I took a deep breath, took out the phone in my pocket, and played the song demo in front of everyone.

“This is the sample recording of the song ‘Love for Xin,’ and it is enough to prove that I am the original creator.”