Chapter 355 Stunning Everyone
Unlike before, this time, Catherine Swann’s group drew a placement in the second-to-last group. Ronin Oconnor informed Catherine of the drawing results, saying, ” Catherine, we’re in the second-to-last group, so we have to wait quite a while!
He thought Catherine might be unhappy about it since he knew her temperament very well. They didn’t care about their competition placement at all. After all, they were doing their best, and finishing the competition early would allow them to leave sooner.
However, to his surprise, Catherine didn’t seem upset at all. In fact, her mood was quite lightened up.
“Just right. We’ll be in the back, so I’ll take a nap,” said Catherine.
“Catherine, feel free to sleep. I’ll wake you up when it’s time,” Ronin said considerately and then shared the drawing results in their WhatsApp group.
The others, like Yesenia Duncan, couldn’t come in person due to classes. However, they were all waiting eagerly on their phones and ready to watch the competition.
Sometimes, old rivals couldn’t help but reunite. As for Emma’s group, they were just ahead of Catherine’s group in the lineup.
However, Liana Swann’s group remained unusually quiet with no signs of activity, which left Ronin feeling rather puzzled.
“These were people who usually loved to cause trouble, so why were they suddenly so silent? It was truly baffling, “thought Ronin.
Emma had always looked down on Catherine, considering her as nothing more than a clown who couldn’t hold her own.
Many people began to compare Catherine with Emma because of their previous encounter. Now, it was Emma’s turn to take the stage. As she walked towards the stage, she glanced sideways at Catherine. When she saw Catherine, who was still fast asleep, she felt rather disdainful.
“Sleeping like this, and she dares to compete with me?
“I don’t even need to make a move; I can defeat Catherine with my skills alone. The championship is rightfully mine,” Emma thought to herself.
Emma approached the stage to draw her performance style, and the result surprised many.
It was a dance performance!
Emma’s forte was music, not dance.
However, she showed no signs of panic or distress. When the music started playing, she immediately entered a state of focus.
To everyone’s amazement, Emma, who was known for her musical talents, performed remarkably well in the modern dance segment. Her flawless performance left the audience in awe.
Many believed that this year’s championship would undoubtedly belong to Emma, given her exceptional performance in a field where she wasn’t even specialized.
Ronin and the others in Catherine’s group weren’t particularly interested in Emma’s performance. They had no desire to watch and were eagerly waiting for Catherine’s group to perform next. Like all the other groups, Catherine’s group had to draw their performance style.
Classical music!
Classical music was their draw, and Catherine handed the card to Ronin. Ronin whispered, “At least it’s better than dance!”
Dance was the weakest point In their group.
Many people were looking forward to Catherine’s group’s performance, especially since they had several public performances that featured modern music and instruments like guitars.
Now, no one knew how they would conduct the performance using classical music. After some preparations, their performance officially began.
Dry ice billowed and created a hazy mist that enveloped the entire stage, turning it into a dreamlike setting. Just as the audience was wondering what they were about to perform, the soothing sound of a mandolin began to fill the air.
Accompanied by the ethereal mist and the sound of flowing water created on the stage, it instantly transported the audience into a dreamy realm.
The mandolin was played melodiously and beautifully. As the first climax passed, the sound of a flute joined in, taking the music to even greater heights. The mist gradually dissipated, revealing the performers within.
A white-clad girl played the mandolin with her exquisite face displaying an arrogant and dominant expression. As her agile fingers gracefully strummed the strings, the music became increasingly melodious, captivating the audience.
Two handsome young men were standing behind her. Their flute playing complemented the mandolin’s melody, pushing the music to its climax.
By the end of the performance, the entire audience was spellbound. Until the music ended, it seemed like the audience hadn’t snapped back to reality from the mesmerizing performance.
Grayson Clifford was sitting in the audience, watching Catherine’s astonishing performance with admiration clearly visible on his face.
The only person who seemed completely composed throughout the performance was Catherine herself. After her performance, she gracefully put away the instruments and walked off the stage.
Catherine ran into Grayson at the backstage. He had been waiting for Catherine, and when she walked in, he was already there.
“Waiting for me?” Catherine asked. Grayson’s handsome face broke into a faint smile, and he looked at Catherine with gentle eyes. “Yes.”
He didn’t deny that he had come specifically to wait for Catherine since there was nothing to hide.
“Catherine, your performance this time was a huge success. It’s been so long since I heard you play the mandolin, and I never expected such an opportunity,” Grayson praised.
Not everything paid off with effort because some people were naturally gifted. Grayson knew that no matter how hard he worked, he would never reach Catherine’s level.
Catherine wasn’t just naturally talented. She was the kind of person who was heavenly blessed.
That’s why Grayson admired and respected her. Seeing Catherine about to pack up the mandolin, Grayson took the initiative to help. “Let me take care of this, Catherine!”
When he was with Catherine in the past, these tasks were his responsibility. Ronin was absorbed in his computer, and these traditional musical instruments were not suitable for him.
As Grayson carefully packed up the instrument, Catherine sat leisurely by the side and allowed him to handle it.
After Grayson had neatly put the mandolin away, he spoke to Catherine. “Catherine, let’s have dinner together tonight. It’s been a while since we met.”
“Let’s talk about it when the time comes. I have something to attend to,” Catherine replied. She was in Oceanvile not just for the competition but also because of the matter involving Arbotte Laboratory.
She anticipated that Rodge might come looking for her in the evening so that she couldn’t agree to dinner with Grayson right away. As he heard Catherine’s response, Grayson didn’t want to disturb her further.
“Alright, I’ll let you know later. If you’re free, we can have dinner together!”
“Okay,” Catherine responded with a grunt before slowly getting up. She put her hands in her pockets and prepared to leave.
“Take care of the instrument. I’m leaving first,” said Catherine.
Catherine left as she finished the sentence. After Catherine left, Grayson continued to gaze in the direction she had gone and was lost in thought.
Unbeknownst to anyone, not far away, someone was observing their every move closely. After exiting the backstage area, Catherine found Ronin and Bryan waiting for her.
Ronin noticed that Catherine was no longer holding her instrument case and found it a bit strange. He asked, ” Catherine, where’s your mandolin?”
Catherine casually replied, “I gave it to Grayson.”
Ronin felt reassured after hearing that it was given to Grayson. However, neither of them made an effort to speak discreetly, and many of the surrounding contestants overheard their conversation. Their expressions towards Catherine changed.
But Catherine paid no attention to the reactions around her. With everything packed up, she was ready to leave.
She had no time to linger here. Ronin and Bryan naturally followed her. They were returning to Casier the next day, so Ronin suggested, “How about we have a good time in Oceanvile tonight?”
Bryan was about to agree when he suddenly saw a figure ahead and bumped into Ronin’s shoulder. He said, “Look ahead before you speak!”
