Yao Tang already saw through Qin Man’s scheme and refused to take the bait. Instead, she took out her own phone and opened a messaging app.

She typed a message requesting a digital copy of the invitation and sent it directly to Elder Nie.

Qin Man was tapping her foot impatiently. Just as she was about to harassYao Tangagain, the girl held up her phone and waved it atQin Man.

“Here, take a look at this. Is this what you’re dying to see?”

Qin Man strode over and grabbed the device. She brought the screen close to her eyes and peered at it, as if she could somehow verify the authenticity of the document.

Each participant was given two invitation cards by the Music Association, one for the attendee, and another one for a guest.

Of course, Qin Manwas all too familiar with the invitation card thatYao Ranhad received. It was similar to the one she was currently staring at, but not exactly the same.

She pulled the phone away from her face and declared, “This is a fake! Did you get one of your slimy friends to edit this on Photoshop? Who sent this to you, huh?”

As if on cue, a new notification popped up on Yao Tang’s screen.

Elder Nie had sent her a voice message.

Qin Man pounced on it like a hound with its prey.

“It must be this person! He’s the one who helped you forge this invitation, isn’t he? Go on, then, let’s hear the voice message he just sent! Don’t be shy and let everybody listen!”

In her mind, Yao Tanghad probably fabricated the whole thing with the help of her cohorts, and this voice message was probably a way to seal their deal or something.

In any case, she wouldn’t be fooled!

“Come on, Yao Tang, stop dawdling. If your conscience is clean, then you have nothing to be afraid of. Play the voice message!

“Let’s see if this invitation is genuine. If it is, then I won’t say anything else, and you can go gallivanting with your band of rascals or whatever. But if it’s fake, then you should abide by the rules I set and obediently learn the violin!”

“Okay,” Yao Tangshrugged lightly as she took the phone and pressed the play button.

She made sure to put it on speakerphone so that everyone could hear, just as Qin Manhad instructed.

Soon, an elderly male voice rang out in the room. It sounded kind and friendly, affectionate even, but there was no mistaking the air of authority that came with it.

“Little Tang, did you lose your invitation card? Do you need me to send you a physical copy? I can send someone over right away to give you a new one.”

Qin Man’s lips twitched. “Who the hell is this person? How can he casually offer to send you a new invitation card?”

“He is my mentor. Naturally, he has the power to send as many invitations as I need.”

“You have a mentor?” Qin Man shrieked. Her shock was short-lived, however, as it quickly turned into suspicion. “You… How did you get yourself a mentor?”

Wasn’t she a nobody from the countryside?

“Do you still want to see the physical card?” Yao Tangasked with a smile.

“Of course!”

The digital copy was easy to fabricate, after all, while the physical card had an anti-counterfeit identification seal.

Qin Man mulled over the fact thatYao Tanghad a mentor.

If the girl had met him in the village where she had grown up, then he was likely just some amateur music teacher. He might not even be a music teacher!

Just a while ago, Qin Manhad heard talk of a local grocer who had taught himself how to play an instrument. Maybe this so-called teacher was like that, too! Pretentious fools who thought they were something after learning the basics.

He couldn’t be someone powerful… Right?

With doubt gnawing at her heart, Qin Manhurriedly sentYao Rana message to confirm something.

“Ranran, if you lost your invitation card for the Music Associationevent, can your teacher get you another one?”

Meanwhile, Yao Ranwas almost at the concert hall at this point.

She couldn’t stop thinking about the debacle back at the restaurant. She felt that she didn’t count for anything in the eyes of the Yao family.

They were bonded by blood, whereas she was merely an outsider who had accidentally mixed in with them.

What if her mother realized that Yao Tangwas an outstanding student, too? WouldQin Manstill dote on her?

The more Yao Ranthought about it, the more distressed she became. She sighed and looked out the window, hoping to distract herself when her phone beeped.

It was a message from Qin Man.