?<strong>Chapter 390:</strong>


    Irving overheard Elyse and Darren’s conversation and scoffed, “You don’t want topete against friends? That’s naive. You don’t understand the harshness and allure ofpetition.” Elyse ended her call and asked, “Why do you say so?” He raised an eyebrow. “I’vepeted for years and I’ve learned a lot. You all are just too young and naive.” Rolling her eyes, Elyse added, “I still don’t want topete against friends so soon.” Irving stayed silent, considering her innocence.


    In Group A, contestants began their performances one by one. Elyse managed to stay calm backstage at first, but her anxiety mounted as her turn approached. Irving noticed her nervousness and quipped, “Didn’t you say you wouldn’t be nervous? Seems that wasn’t true.” Elyse red at him, her palms sweating as he continued to taunt her. “Don’t tell me you’re going to fail this time,” Irving jeered. “You’ll be Mr. Tucker’s most useless apprentice.” Elyse clenched her teeth. She wasn’t useless; she would prove herself. With her breaths steady, it was soon her turn to go onstage. She took a deep breath, heard her name called, and confidently stepped forward, standing before the judges. Elyse announced the title of her performance, closed her eyes, and lost herself in her own world.


    Backstage, Irving listened closely, eventually closing his eyes to focus on her music. When the piece ended, he opened them again. “Maybe she’s not as bad as I thought.” Elyse set down her violin and nced at the judges, noticing something odd in their expressions. The host said, “Alright, you can step down now.” Momentarily stunned, Elyse bowed quickly and hurried offstage. Watching her blush, Irving chuckled and said, “Blushing now? I didn’t expect you were this shy.”


    Elyse shot him a fierce re, retorting, “I’m just hot. I’m not actually shy.” Irving remained unconvinced, replying dismissively, “Fine, whatever you say.” Awkward and self-conscious, Elyse hesitated before asking nervously, “What did you think of my performance? Do you think I can pass?” Irving opened his mouth wide, exaggerating, “Weren’t you aiming for first ce in your group?” Elyse nced at the people nearby and quickly covered his mouth. “Irving, please cut me some ck.”


    Being around him always made her feel embarrassed, but Irving held back this time and didn’t push her further. Elyse left thepetition venue, covering her face with her hands. “Fiona should be done with her performance. Let’s find them and meet up,” she suggested. Irving nodded. “They reserved a cafe nearby. They’re already there drinking coffee. We’ll wait for the results before heading over.” Elyse nodded obediently, not wanting Irving to tease her again. She remained silent and didn’t initiate further conversation.


    Nearby, she overheard two girls chatting. “Hey, did you hear about the girl in Group E who cheated? She yed the wrong notes, but the judges still praised her.” “Oh. Do you think they were trying to console her?” “Heh, naive. Just wait until the resultse out. We’ll see if she really cheated.” The conversation between the two nearby girls drifted to Elyse’s ears, and she nced back with curiosity. Who could the girl they were talking about be?


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