Secrets 308

Chapter 308 The Broken Strings

The music surged toward its sharpest turning point.

Scarlett’s wrist twisted, her fingers striking harder. This was the famous “Thunderclap” passage of Breakdown, the part where the nails had to rake fiercely across all four strings to unleash a shattering burst of sound.

“It’s going to snap!” Emma clenched her fists tight.

Sure enough—“twang!” A sharp crack split the air. The thinnest string snapped, whipping past Scarlett’s cheek with a glint of silver under the lights.

The audience gasped. Sharon shot to her feet. Jack’s face darkened at once.

Behind the curtain, Emma and Quinny were already laughing, their shoulders shaking.

They had already drafted the forum headline for tomorrow: Star Graduate’s Embarrassment on Stage–Pipa String Snaps, Dignity in Shreds.

But the very next moment, their laughter froze.

Scarlett didn’t even flinch. She didn’t glance at the broken string, her eyes steady as stone.

With only three strings left, the higher register was crippled, yet her wrist shifted seamlessly, drawing a new melody from what remained.

And instead of faltering, she pushed faster.

What was meant for four strings she split across three, spinning them into urgent cascades. The missing notes were replaced with the heavy timbre of the lower range, transforming the piece into something more tragic, more grand.

“She’s insane,” Quinny whispered, her voice hollow.

Jasper’s lips curled into the faintest smile.

But on stage, sweat dotted Scarlett’s brow, sliding along her jaw.

With one string gone, every fingering had to be improvised. Her fingertips were raw, reddening against the coarse metal, but she played as if nothing existed beyond the sound.

Then–another

snap.

The middle string broke.

14:36 Mon, Oct 27

Chapter 308 The Broken Strings

Even Jasper’s eyes narrowed.

With two strings gone, Breakdown should have been impossible.

The hall stirred in chaos. Murmurs rippled. A professor rose, ready to call an end.

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Emma laughed so hard she nearly doubled over. Quinny lifted her phone, eager to capture Scarlett’s humiliation.

But Scarlett didn’t stop. For original chapters go to find(ɴ)ovel.net

Her right hand stilled. Her left hand struck the wooden body of the pipa in rhythmic beats.

The instrument became both lute and drum, her knuckles pounding out a war rhythm. The two remaining strings roared under her touch, a guttural harmony with the percussion.

The sound was staggering–like war drums rolling over a battlefield, urging soldiers forward.

“My God…” Sharon covered her mouth, eyes glistening.

Jack stroked his chin, then grinned. “Embarrassment? That’s a showpiece.”

Colt rose silently, moving toward backstage. He had seen the flicker of panic on Emma and Quinny’s faces, knew instantly this wasn’t coincidence.

On stage, Scarlett seemed to leave herself behind, entering a trance.

She stood, one foot braced on the bench, body swaying with the rhythm.

The two strings shrieked like dragons, the percussion shaking the air. At times it was the gallop of an army, at times a lone hero crying to the heavens.

As the final note crashed down, she lifted her hand, spun the pipa once in her arms, and held it at her side.

Under the spotlight, the instrument, scarred and broken, gleamed like a weapon forged in war.

The hall was silent for three breaths.

Then the explosion came. Applause thundered through the room, louder than for any performance before. Stomps, whistles, cheers shook the rafters.

“Encore! Encore!”

A single shout became a chorus.

Scarlett bowed slightly, her face damp with sweat but lit by a brilliant smile.

She offered no excuses, no shame. She stood tall, radiant in her glory.

Backstage, Emma and Quinny went pale. A bottle slipped from trembling hands, spilling across their dresses. They didn’t even notice.

How? With two strings broken, she should have collapsed in disgrace. How had it turned into triumph?

As Scarlett soaked in the applause, their jealousy twisted into something colder–fear.

They had provoked the wrong person.

When she came offstage, Sharon threw her arms around her, sobbing. “You scared me half to death!”

Jack handed over a bottle of cold water. “Not bad, Scarlett. That improvisation could headline a concert.”

Colt frowned, reaching for her hand to check. “Are your fingers hurt? That string nearly cut your face.”

Scarlett shook her head, ready to insist she was fine-

But then another hand closed gently around her wrist.

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