Come and fight!

Fang Zhijing's sudden visit caught Ji Fanxing somewhat off guard.

He had called her that morning, and coming over in person now meant there must be something important.

"My dear child, your piece *Myriad Scenes of Chang'an* is currently ranked firmly in first place in the vote count! Congratulations! Just coincidentally, I have a wonderful item to bring you to make perfection even more complete! Hahaha."

Fang Zhijing was in high spirits, beaming with joy.

Yet Ji Fanxing still caught the fatigue lingering around his brows. Instead of eagerly asking what the item was, she poured a cup of tea for Fang Zhijing.

Fang Zhijing smiled and nodded. Outside rumors painted the Ji girl as untamed and rebellious, and even he had harbored such biases at first. After spending time together, however, he found that Ji Fanxing handled herself with thorough thoughtfulness.

She was far too mature for a girl in her early twenties.

He had experienced a rollercoaster of emotions on his way here and genuinely needed to unwind. Fang Zhijing took a careful sip of the tea. Ah, although it was standard hotel-provided tea leaves, the water temperature was precisely right, fully releasing the tea's aroma and imparting a unique flavor.

The little girl had a remarkable skill for brewing tea as well.

How wonderful that was. If only his own granddaughter were like this.

Having caught his breath, Fang Zhijing pulled an envelope from his pocket and handed it to Ji Fanxing.

"I came today to invite you to attend the 'On the Development of National Music' lecture."

Ji Fanxing was somewhat surprised. Of course she had heard of this lecture.

It was a breakout session held during the National Music Exchange Conference, primarily targeted at students interested in and aspiring toward music. It usually only invited highly respected and influential musicians.

Given her current credentials, she was far from qualified to attend...

With her quick mind, Ji Fanxing instantly recalled another unwritten rule of the lecture:

During the event, the guest lecturers typically led students in completing a musical work, and that musical work would also count as an official submission for the exchange conference.

Connecting this with the exchange conference's previously released statement—"Any vote manipulation will result in disqualification"—she understood.

Fang Zhijing had rushed to deliver this invitation letter probably as a way to "save the state through indirect means."

Now that the matter had been resolved, Fang Zhijing, who had spent the entire morning rushing around for this invitation, relaxed considerably. Seemingly recalling something, a trace of indignation crept into his tone.

"Those old fogies have made music until their brains turned to mush! How could they be so unreasonable?

Originally, I intended that if you were truly framed, I would pull some strings so you could release a work through the lecture panel, which would still allow you to proceed with your bet against Zhao De.

Though as it turns out, he brought this ruin upon himself."

The more he spoke, the happier he became. Deciding not to dwell on those stubborn old men anymore, Fang Zhijing looked at Ji Fanxing with a bright smile.

"Although you won't need to go through such trouble now, since we already have the invitation to this lecture, you should go as scheduled.

Let those people know you are not someone they can manipulate at will!"

Ji Fanxing understood Fang Zhijing's good intentions, and her heart stirred with emotion.

This sexagenarian had likely been running back and forth all morning just for this single invitation.

"Master Fang, thank you." A warm current surged through Ji Fanxing's heart, her gratitude too profound for words.

"Silly child, what is there to thank me for? You are my invited guest; if I don't help you, who will?"

Fang Zhijing smiled and patted her shoulder.

"Prepare well. National music has finally started to show some signs of revival, and I believe you can certainly inspire those students who hold a yearning for music to bravely step onto the musical path."

The lecture was scheduled for next week, and not wanting to let down Fang Zhijing's expectations, Ji Fanxing immediately began preparing without a moment's rest.

During this period, her *Pipa Language* and *Myriad Scenes of Chang'an* securely claimed the third and first positions respectively, while the second place was held by Zhou Fangran, the president of the National Music Association, with his piece *Symphony of a Prosperous Age*.

Zhao De's *As I Please* successfully hit rock bottom, thanks to the "assistance" of enthusiastic netizens.

Meanwhile, the confirmation of Zhao De's withdrawal from the "National Music Exchange Conference" hit the internet like a thunderclap, instantly setting off a storm online.

[Serves him right! Who told him to fake his votes!]

[Extremely gratifying! I just love watching scum fall from grace!]

Amidst the chorus of cheers, some raised questions:

[Wait, what about his bet with Ji Fanxing?]

[That's right! Weren't they supposed to issue a public apology if they lost, and admit that traditional-style music is the greatest?]

[And what about Qu Feiyang? As his teacher, shouldn't he keep his word as well?]

[Apologize already!]

[Zhao De, honor your bet!]

...

Netizens' memories might be short, but they displayed an uncanny persistence when it came to such trending topics.

Soon, the Weibo accounts of both Zhao De and Qu Feiyang were flooded by netizens.

Right at that moment, Qu Feiyang posted a new Weibo update.

@QuFeiyang: I am deeply saddened and regretful over the mistake made by my student Zhao De due to his eagerness for quick success and instant benefits.

Music is pure and should not be tainted by anything.

However, as Zhao De's teacher, I am willing to step in and fulfill his bet with Ji Fanxing.

Ji Fanxing, do you dare to accept my challenge?

Qu Feiyang's post appeared sincere on the surface, but actually harbored hidden barbs.

He attributed Zhao De's actions to "eagerness for quick success," completely absolving himself of any blame.

While ostensibly offering to continue the bet, he was actually trying to force Ji Fanxing into a tactical retreat, thereby invalidating the bet by default when she backed down.

"Hmph, little girl, I bet you wouldn't dare respond!" Qu Feiyang looked at his computer screen, a sinister smile curving the corner of his mouth.

On the internet, netizens were equally shocked by Qu Feiyang's move.

[What the hell! What is Qu Feiyang trying to do?]

[Is he trying to stand up for his disciple?]

[Isn't this completely shameless? What are Qu Feiyang's credentials compared to Ji Fanxing's? A bet between the two of them—isn't the winner obvious at a glance?!]

[Exactly! Isn't this just bullying someone younger with seniority?]

[Can you guys have a little faith in the Goddess Ji? Right now, she's ranked first!]

[That's probably because there are too few pop songs on the charts, and ordinary people just can't appreciate those professional musical pieces.]

[Qu Feiyang is different; he is the undisputed second-in-command of mainland entertainment's pop music scene, right below Fang Zhijing! Besides, he excels in all styles, making him far more formidable than Zhao De!]

[If Ji Fanxing has even a shred of common sense, she definitely won't accept.]

[I also think Goddess Ji won't accept...]

Just as everyone was deep in discussion, Ji Fanxing's Weibo account stirred.

She reposted Qu Feiyang's update, replying with a mere two words:

"Bring it on!"

These two words resonated powerfully, yet they completely blew up her fandom.

[Holy shit! Holy shit! Holy shit!!!]

[Goddess Ji, what are you saying!!!]

[Quick! It hasn't been two minutes yet, hurry and retract it! We can pretend nothing happened!]

[Has Goddess Ji lost her mind, or have I gone insane?]

...

Upon seeing Ji Fanxing's reply, Qu Feiyang's expression shifted, followed by another malicious grin.

As if afraid she might renege, he immediately reposted:

@QuFeiyang: Little girl has courage; I admire that.

"Fine, since you are so eager to lose, I will grant your wish!"

At the exact same time, in completely different locations, the exact same thought popped into the minds of both Qu Feiyang and Ji Fanxing.

In the office of Tenghai Pictures, Bi Deng stared at the Weibo posts of the two on his computer screen, his mind full of question marks.

"Has Ji Fanxing lost her mind?! She actually dares to accept Qu Feiyang's bet!"

He rubbed his temples and silently modified the draft of the gambling contract, increasing the equity proportion for Huaxia Media and reducing Tenghai's share.

Well, this worked out too. Once that fool lost, he could acquire Huaxia Media at an even lower cost.

"Knock, knock, knock."

A series of knocks interrupted Bi Deng's train of thought.

"Come in," he said without lifting his head.