Supremely Talented Tyrant
Chapter 967 - 966: Compare with me...

Ye Linglan's face was slightly awkward. Under Yan Ming's astonished gaze, she slowly shook her head and reached out to push away the bouquet and ring...

"Shhh..."

The audience, full of anticipation to see this golden couple come together, never expected this to turn into a tragedy of unrequited love. Instantly, the room was filled with murmurs and sighs.

"Why! Give me a reason! I've chased you for so long—didn't you ever feel anything for me?!" Yan Ming couldn't accept such an outcome. He had been preparing for this recital for ages, and to put it another way, this entire event in Hua City was orchestrated to ensure Ye Linglan would attend.

Otherwise, with his talent, hosting even a small recital in Capital City would have been more than feasible. Why waste time doing it in Hua City?

Even a small recital in Capital City would have yielded far more impactful results, considering the city's significance as a political hub—where you could randomly run into someone with astonishing status just walking down the street, if only you knew how to spot them.

In the audience, Hao Jian glanced briefly at Yan Ming's darkened expression and secretly shook his head. If this man could act with more dignity, perhaps he wouldn't be so thoroughly embarrassed, but under these circumstances, embarrassment was inevitable.

"To become the man of Ye Linglan, it can't be you, Yan Ming. It has to be someone who surpasses me!" With Hao Jian present, Ye Linglan certainly wasn't going to spare Yan Ming any face. She wasn't a naive woman. She understood Yan Ming's feelings well, but she understood even better his deeper, hidden nature.

A heart as dark as pitch, filled with chilling malice—such a person, not only did Hao Jian despise him, but she also felt the same. Her attendance at this recital was merely to show some courtesy, with Hao Jian accompanying her. Furthermore, Yan Ming hadn't given her a chance to refuse by abruptly hanging up the phone, otherwise, she wouldn't have bothered coming.

"You... you! Ye Linglan! I, Yan Ming, am absolutely worthy of you!" Yan Ming's face grew increasingly unpleasant. For the first time, he was publicly rejected and belittled by a woman. If he couldn't turn the situation around, then the title of Piano Prince would mean little to him.

After all, fans dislike stars who are humiliated by women, preferring idols who can handle everything with ease, godlike in their demeanor.

"Even if you were worthy of me, you'd have no chance because I, Ye Linglan, am already spoken for!" Ye Linglan had no intentions of continuing this pointless conversation with him. With Hao Jian standing right next to her, even if Yan Ming wanted to push forward aggressively, there was nothing he could do.

"What?! You have a boyfriend?!"

Upon hearing these words, Yan Ming's expression drastically darkened, and his eyes flashed with a jealous fury. Yet, constrained by his public figure status, he couldn't fully unleash his emotions, though his facial expressions betrayed the turmoil within him.

She was taken! The woman he had painstakingly pursued for so long chose today, such an important occasion, to tell him she already had a boyfriend?!

"And he's right here, watching you confess to me..."

Before Yan Ming could recover, Ye Linglan threw yet another heavy bombshell at him. Her words caused a flicker of light in Yan Ming's eyes. Soon after, he scoffed coldly toward the audience, grabbed the microphone, and said, "I'd like Linglan's boyfriend to come forward! I, Yan Ming, want to see who dares to compete with me for her!"

"Ridiculous..."

In the audience, Hao Jian glanced disdainfully at Yan Ming and smirked. He had long expected something like this might happen, but he still felt it was a waste of time dealing with someone like Yan Ming.

Yan Ming might carry some weight as the "Piano Prince" in others' eyes, but to Hao Jian, he was merely an ordinary man—one even more pathetic than most.

As long as Yan Ming remained in this industry, his secrets would never be safe. Furthermore, laws governing public figures were vague at best, leaving them exposed.

Ordinary people, at least, had the law to protect their privacy to the greatest extent possible. Public figures, on the other hand, while nominally enjoying the same rights under the law, had no privacy protection. The world was fair in that sense—you gain something, but you must also lose something.

Take Hao Jian as an example: had he not come to the academy, he likely would never have met Ye Linglan or ended up with her. But to gain her love, there were also sacrifices he had to make.

"Step up! Step up!"

Before the outcome was finalized, Yan Ming's fans naturally rallied to protect their idol. None of them knew who Hao Jian was or where he was among the crowd. Faced with choosing between their favorite celebrity versus an unknown stranger, the decision was obvious.

As the cheers in the venue grew louder and more passionate, Yan Ming's expression regained a hint of composure. Feeling reinvigorated, he swept his gaze across the room confidently and shouted, "Still not coming forward? Your woman is waiting for you on the stage—are you too scared to appear?!"

The crowd joined in, echoing Yan Ming's mockery with chants that insinuated Hao Jian's cowardice. This caused Hao Jian's expression to shift slightly.

"Ha! Linglan, it seems your man lacks the courage..."

"Haha, sir, I suggest you watch your words. Otherwise, you might find life outside this venue a bit difficult moving forward..."

Now that Yan Ming had shifted his offensive toward Ye Linglan, Hao Jian could no longer sit idle. With an icy smirk, he rose from his seat and strode to the stage. Facing Yan Ming, he sneered and said, "I don't care who you think you are—a star or a fool. If you continue to bother Lanlan, you might find yourself unable to work in this industry ever again."

And at this moment, Hao Jian certainly had the authority and power to say such words. Not for any other reason, but simply because he was Hao Jian!

"Hmph! You're being ridiculously arrogant!" Yan Ming wasn't the kind of person easily intimidated by a single remark from Hao Jian. Besides, he had no idea who Hao Jian was and merely assumed he was someone with minor means to capture Ye Linglan's heart. Nobody would believe her man lacked connections.

Ye Linglan had been notoriously assertive during her school days, her fierceness rivaling that of men. When people at school mentioned Ye Linglan, they thought of her ruthless dominance rather than her current delicate demeanor.

"I had thought Linglan's boyfriend would be someone remarkable. But now that I see, you're so shockingly ordinary—even the audience considers you beneath them!"

Now that Hao Jian had stepped forward, Yan Ming wasn't about to let him get off lightly. Even if he couldn't win Ye Linglan over today, he was determined to humiliate Hao Jian. If he could tear down Hao Jian's dignity, Ye Linglan might deem him unworthy as well, opening up new opportunities for himself!

He simply refused to believe that, with his skills as the Piano Prince, he wouldn't be able to capture Ye Linglan!

"Those clothes you're wearing—they're utterly tasteless. If I had to describe you, I'd simply say you're unworthy of Linglan! I suggest you leave her now; otherwise, don't blame me for being merciless!"

"Here, there are 5,000 fans backing me. Do you think you can go against 5,000 people?!"

"Piano Prince! Piano Prince!"

As Yan Ming's words echoed through the venue, his fans followed suit, chanting loudly. Microphones picked up the noise from various corners of the hall, amplifying the sound. Soon, the entire event space became deafening.

"Get off the stage! You dare compete with our Piano Prince for a woman?!"

"Haha! Our Piano Prince would never lose to someone like you over a woman! Just look at yourself—those clothes you're wearing, were they salvaged from a trash heap?!"

"Buddy, do yourself a favor and leave the stage now! Standing here disgraces the platform. The only one fit to stand here is the Piano Prince!"

"Heh, more delusional fans, I see..."

Seeing the situation unfold, Hao Jian sneered, a trace of mockery in his eyes as he regarded the outraged crowd. Shaking his head slightly, he thought, chasing celebrity idols isn't dangerous—the danger lies in blind devotion that turns flaws into virtues.

"Since you're called the Piano Prince, I assume you're quite skilled at playing the piano?" Hao Jian's lips curled into a subtle smile. To truly strike someone down, you must target what they're most proud of. And since Yan Ming excelled on the piano, Hao Jian would crush him precisely in that realm!

"Of course!"

Hearing Hao Jian mention his piano skills, Yan Ming proudly lifted his chin, his gaze tinged with condescension, sneering, "I'm one of the top ten most promising young pianists in all of Huaxia today!"

"Then, let's have a competition on the piano. Show me if your status as one of Huaxia's top ten is truly deserved..."

The higher the pedestal on which his opponent stood, the more satisfying it would be for Hao Jian to knock him off. Though this pretentious fool wasn't standing on too lofty a perch, it was certainly high enough...