Chapter 43
The people on the set and the audience watching the livestream were shocked when they heard Phoebe’s words. Many questioned her. (Phoebe means she can play any lute music we want to hear, right?) (How is this possible! She can’t be so awesome, can she? I don’t believe it! Who gave Phoebe the courage to say such words?) (Are you being confident or conceited?) (Guys, let’s pick a time.) (That’s right. Since she dares to say that, let’s give her what she wants.)
The paid trolls quickly discussed what they wanted. In the end, they came up with a piece they deemed impossible for Phoebe to know: “Praise of Love.” Unlike “Primum Fundamentum” or “Concerto in E Minor,” this piece was less known, though it was a rather old song like “Concerto in E Minor.” “Praise of Love” had many sections, each with a different atmosphere and melody, which made it difficult to play.
Once one of the trolls gave the name in the comments, the haters, Jamar’s fans, and Reece’s fans all agreed. Those who had never heard of it went to look it up. (Yes, let’s play this song.) (I’ve heard this piece before. Let’s listen to how Phoebe plays it.) (They actually chose this one. It’s very difficult. I wonder if Phoebe knows how to play it.)
Phoebe could not see the comments, so the director said, “They want you to play ‘Praise of Love.’” She was familiar with the song. “Okay,” she replied readily. With that, she started playing the lute. The prelude was deep and tragic, reminding people of war drums, followed by an intense melody reminiscent of a violent battle. In the end, there was a sorrowful part, and the high-pitched notes sounded like heartbreaking wails. It was a stark contrast to the previous parts. Not only were the people on the set lost in the music, but the viewers stared at the screen, mesmerized.
After Phoebe’s performance ended, it took a few seconds for them to snap back to reality. Then they showered her with complimentary comments. (Phoebe, well played!) (As it happens, I’m a professional lute player. I have to say that Phoebe played the whole piece right and brought out the tragic and saddening mood.) (I’ve never listened to lute music before, but I was actually immersed in it just now. By listening to the music, I can tell how good she is at playing the lute.) For those who accused Phoebe of following a script, shame on you!
The paid trolls and Jamar’s fans indeed felt ashamed. They did not expect Phoebe to be so good at playing the lute. But the trolls were paid to defame Phoebe, so they couldn’t give up just like that. They went on with more skeptical comments. (We admit that Phoebe is indeed good at playing the lute, but that doesn’t mean that her performance is unscripted.) (If you want us to believe her, then let her play the banjo, dulcimer, and trumpet. We’ll pick the piece for each.) (The production team has a guitar, right? Let her play it too.) (That’s right. If she finishes all the pieces, we’ll admit that she does know a lot of instruments and the show is real.)
When the director saw these comments, a smile flickered in his eyes. This just falls into my lap, he thought. Phoebe’s gonna be more popular. If Phoebe could perform all the songs, it would prove the show unscripted and might even make it a trending topic. With the idea in mind, the director read Phoebe those comments. Phoebe said nonchalantly, “Piece of cake, give me the titles.” The assertive attitude earned her acclaim online.
(Pherbs is so cool. I love her so much.) (Pherbs, you’re awesome. I like how confident you are.) Oh yeah!! Give her the titles. Phrebs is so cool! (Phoebe is really arrogant. I’m not her fan yet, but if she can achieve it, I will become her fan.) Aren’t you afraid of embarrassing yourself later? (Phoebe is so confident and arrogant. We won’t go easy on her.)
Then, the paid trolls hurriedly went to look for obscure and difficult songs. To their disappointment, Phoebe nailed the challenge, not missing any song’s theme and expected mood. (Bravo! I have to give Phoebe the thumbs-up.) Why is Pheels so amazing? Pheels is a genius. I admire her so much. She nailed it. Good job. She’s awesome. (The key is that she used different instruments to play according to the requirements of the haters. Em officially her fan now.)
Phoebe played different tunes on different instruments. This made her fans cry out in excitement and turned many onlookers and even haters into fans. After the performance, she again garnered a lot more followers on Twitter. The performance clip from the show was posted elsewhere online. The clip named “Phoebe Give Me the Titles” became a trending topic again after the video of her boxing match. As a result, more people came to watch the livestream, many of whom were musical instrument enthusiasts. Soon, the haters came under attack. (Haters said that Phoebe was acting according to the production team’s script. Where are the haters?) (You haters, can you manage something as impressive!) (If this is scripted, I’ll eat my hat.) Where are the haters just now? Come out and say something. (What a slap in the face. They must go somewhere and hide.)
Many of Phoebe’s fans and onlookers mocked the people who had led the trolling. At this moment, the trolls and haters could only remain silent. If they continued to criticize and question Phoebe, it would backfire.
In the meantime, Leon had been watching the livestream at home. His face darkened as his attempt was frustrated. He did not expect Phoebe to know so many musical instruments. She could even play such obscure and difficult pieces with ease. I made a mistake, he thought. I had planned to defame her and the production team. But instead, I made her more famous.
The video of her music performance was trending again. Leon even helped the production team prove that the show was real and unscripted. Joshua suddenly turned his eyes from the livestream to Leon. “Leon, your plan backfired and helped them,” he said. “We told you before that Phoebe knows music. You pointed the trolls in the wrong direction.”
Joshua was a super pop singer. In the past year, he got along with Phoebe, though not as well as she was with Jamar. Phoebe would practice with Joshua. She would often make some food good for his vocal cords and even lozenges.
Chapter 13
However, Joshua hoped that Phoebe would recognize her place in the family and not compete with Sienna. That was why he supported Ollie, Leon, and Jamar in suppressing Phoebe. When Joshua witnessed Leon’s blunder, he somehow felt proud of her. At the same time, he was worried about Sienna, thinking, “Phoebe performed so well. What if she outshines Sienna?”
Leon glared at Josh. “Would you shut up? You only said she has some musical talent. How could I know she plays so many instruments? So you knew all this time?” Joshua shook his head. “I really didn’t know that.” He paused to think and added unhappily, “She knows more instruments than I do.” Gain was also quite surprised by Phoebe’s performance. “The question now is how to help Sienna,” he asked with a frown.