Chapter 27

"Oh my, who said our A-Ze was inconsiderate? Look at him, he's so understanding!" Having successfully coaxed him, Qin Yuqiong spoke as she pushed Ji Ze back toward the backstage area of the recording hall.

The hosts of Friday Funfest were discussing with Chen Mo and the others how to revise the script and insert the musical exchange segment. Seeing Qin Yuqiong and Ji Ze return, they all smiled and nodded in greeting.

Ji Ze kept a stiff face as he nodded at everyone. He sat down without saying a word. Fortunately, Qin Yuqiong was there to ease the atmosphere and actively cooperate with the TV station staff, so things progressed smoothly.

Throughout, Ji Ze had been secretly sizing up Chen Mo. Chen Mo had not thought much of it at first, but after everyone finalized the script and rehearsed their lines in preparation for recording, the hosts had already gone out front to warm up the crowd and interact with the audience, preparing to casually introduce the day's guests—the male and female leads and important supporting cast of Emperor Wu of Han: The Young Emperor: Huang Lixin, Lin Xia, Fei Yuchen, Sun Yun, and Chen Mo, as well as Ji Ze, the superstar who sang the opening theme for Emperor Wu of Han: The Young Emperor.

Backstage, Ji Ze and Chen Mo were both assigned to the same lift platform for their entrance. With no one else around, Ji Ze suddenly said in a faint voice, "After looking at you for so long, I can confirm it. You're not as handsome as me."

Chen Mo: "..."

Fuck! That was a provocation! Without a doubt, a blatant provocation! What did he mean, "You're not as handsome as me"? Who the fuck did he think he was? Looking like that and still daring to call himself handsome—who gave him that confidence? Chen Mo screamed internally as he shot Ji Ze a murderous glare, the fury in his eyes almost tangible.

So this was the kind of person you were! Two-faced bastard!

Ji Ze, unwilling to back down, glared back. Their murderous gazes collided in midair.

A war was about to erupt!

Chapter 27

"...Welcome, everyone, to Friday Funfest on this Friday night! I'm your beloved host, Brother Mao Li, and I'm your beloved host, Sister Fang Yao... then I must be your beloved male god oppa, Brother Song Ke—"

"Hold on. Where exactly did you get the confidence to declare yourself a male god oppa? Do you even know who today's guests are...?"

After a series of lighthearted jokes and banter, the hosts of Friday Funfest smoothly introduced the guests who would be appearing today. Explosive dance music filled the venue, while the lights turned dazzling and flashy. Before going onstage, Ji Ze raised an eyebrow at Chen Mo and gave him a provocative look before stepping onto the stage with the beat.

As a high-quality idol singer hailed by the media and fans as a superstar, Ji Ze could not only write songs and play the piano, but was also highly skilled in the street dance and popping that young people loved nowadays. In front of the cameras, his dancing was exquisite. Paired with the energetic music and his flawlessly handsome face, every move and every pose drew loud screams from the fans below. In the end, all those screams converged into a single sentence: "Ji Ze, I love you!"

The music stopped abruptly, and Ji Ze shouted back, "I love you too!" The screams below instantly surged toward him like a roaring tidal wave, and Ji Ze became the undisputed center of attention.

Standing in the middle of the stage, Ji Ze curled his lips smugly. The rich masculine aura radiating from him set off another wave of screams from his fans. It was as though this were Emperor Ji's concert, and the atmosphere exploded in that instant.

The hosts standing at the edge of the stage exchanged looks. Chen Mo was supposed to come on after Ji Ze. According to the newly revised script, Chen Mo would take the stage next, interact with Ji Ze, and then lead into the musical exchange segment. But if things continued this way, Chen Mo, coming on right after Ji Ze, would likely be crushed into obscurity by Emperor Ji's powerful on-the-spot presence. After all, Chen Mo could not dance, much less stir up the fans' emotions on the spot.

In this atmosphere, no matter how handsome Chen Mo was or how well he performed in the musical exchange segment later, the audience would only remember Ji Ze's stunning first entrance.

This situation was far too unfavorable for Chen Mo.

The hosts onstage shook their heads almost imperceptibly, unable to feel optimistic about Chen Mo's upcoming entrance. Yang Qindong, who had been watching from below the stage, frowned slightly as well. Only Qin Yuqiong curled her red lips in satisfaction and cast Yang Qindong a distant, indifferent glance. Before she could speak, an even crazier wave of screams suddenly erupted through the recording hall. Qin Yuqiong instinctively looked toward the stage, and her face instantly turned livid.

On the dazzlingly lit stage, with energetic music pounding through the venue, Chen Mo, dressed in a baseball jacket and jeans, was copying Ji Ze's dance. The most infuriating part was that although he was following Ji Ze's moves, every pose was sharper, cleaner, and more visually striking than Ji Ze's. With the same explosive dance track, the fans whose passion had already been stirred up by Ji Ze instantly went wild, unable to hold back as they screamed, "So handsome!"

Amid the rolling waves of deafening sound, Chen Mo, having finished "copying" Ji Ze's dance, smiled brightly and glided lightly to the front of the stage. Everyone assumed he was about to strike a pose and end the dance, but Chen Mo did not stop. Instead, he continued gliding around the stage, waving to the fans below. When the fans and staff in the recording hall noticed what he was doing, another round of incredulous, disbelieving screams erupted, nearly blowing off the ceiling.

The reason was simple. As Chen Mo glided along the edge of the stage, he appeared to be stepping forward, but his body was rapidly moving backward. He seemed to float lightly as though walking on clouds, or strolling easily in a place with no gravity at all. The powerful visual effect instantly set the entire venue ablaze.

After many years, the Moonwalk, which had once swept across the public in another world and inspired countless screams and admiration, was effortlessly and skillfully displayed by Chen Mo before anyone could prepare themselves.

Amid applause and screams that boomed like summer thunder through the skies, Chen Mo glided around the stage in satisfaction. Finally, he slid in a circle around the two beautiful female hosts. Since he was dancing, Chen Mo behaved completely differently from usual. His gaze was fiery, lingering, and uninhibited as it seemed to brush over the two hosts. Even the two beautiful hosts, who had seen all kinds of people, could not suppress their girlish hearts and covered their faces as they screamed.

At the same time, the big screen displayed Chen Mo's youthful yet delicate features. Enhanced by his dancing and acting, they became incredibly seductive and soul-stirring, making the fans below scream again.

When the song ended, Chen Mo leisurely glided to a stop beside Ji Ze. He smiled and raised an eyebrow at him, his challenge impossible to miss.

Ji Ze's face instantly turned livid.

Because of the head-to-head entrance battle between these two male gods, the brilliance of Huang Lixin, Lin Xia, and the other guests who came on afterward was immediately overshadowed. Whether the hosts or the fans below, everyone was still immersed in the impressive and unique dancing of the two handsome men—especially Chen Mo—and had not yet recovered.

Fortunately, the hosts of Friday Funfest were all veteran professionals in the industry. Even though their emotions had been severely stirred, their professionalism kept them from losing focus for too long during the recording.

The seasoned, calm, and quick-witted Mao Li managed to pull the atmosphere back within a few minutes. At the same time, he worked with the guests to introduce themselves and give Emperor Wu of Han: The Young Emperor some preliminary promotion.

Next came the previously agreed-upon musical exchange segment between Chen Mo and Ji Ze. The hosts, chatting like friends while deliberately stirring the pot, brought up the fact that Ji Ze was a famous Piano Prince and original music producer, while Chen Mo, despite his young age, had become famous overnight at Yuan Haobin's concert with his astonishing Lighting Cigarettes with a Piano stunt. Both were incredibly skilled, but no one knew whose piano playing was better. Ji Ze would then take the initiative to suggest a musical exchange. The whole setup was clearly meant to recreate the scene of Yuan Haobin, Yuan, the Heavenly King, supporting a newcomer, forming a bond with Chen Mo through music, and becoming close friends.

Unfortunately, Emperor Ji had low emotional intelligence, a narrow mind, and none of Yuan Haobin's unconventional generosity or graciousness toward others. Even when he spoke the arranged lines, they somehow carried an extra edge of provocation and disdain.

Emperor Ji was arrogant and unruly, while Chen Mo was even more willful and self-directed. The two were like needle against wheat awn; a few simple words immediately sparked a confrontational atmosphere.

The hosts secretly shook their heads and could only yield the stage to Chen Mo and Ji Ze once more.

Ji Ze looked coldly at Chen Mo and said, "You go first?"

Chen Mo smiled as he looked at him and raised a hand in invitation. "You should go first. Otherwise, if I perform Lighting Cigarettes with a Piano, there won't be anything left for you to do."

Ji Ze was instantly choked speechless. He frowned tightly at Chen Mo before saying, "Music is about expressing one's emotions. If your understanding of the piano is limited to showing off techniques, then I have nothing more to say."

Chen Mo smiled at that, politely yielding the piano with a slight nod. "Then let me see what Senior Ji's emotion-expressing piano playing is like."

Ji Ze pursed his lips in irritation, walked over to the piano, and sat down. His hands gently caressed the black and white keys. Ji Ze took a deep breath, and an intense piano piece filled with passionate emotion rang out through the recording hall.

Chen Mo's ears twitched, and he smiled. It seemed this Emperor Ji might talk about music being for emotional expression, but inwardly, he was still very unconvinced. This piece was called Storm. Chen Mo had practiced it in the System Space as well. It was an extremely demanding piece. Its structure was highly complex. In order to portray the dangerous scene of a raging storm at sea, humanity's fear in the face of such a natural disaster, and the cowardice, ugliness, submission, and struggle of human nature when faced with fear, the composer had employed extraordinarily complicated piano techniques. The ending in particular, which was also the climax of the entire movement, was full of twists and escalating layers in both rhythm and emotion, meant to convey the composer's unyielding fighting spirit. The techniques and emotions required nearly reached the greatest heights humanity could possibly display. Compared with Chen Mo's Lighting Cigarettes with a Piano, its difficulty was no less formidable.

And Ji Ze, praised by the media as the Piano Prince, truly lived up to his reputation. At least from Chen Mo's professional perspective, although Ji Ze's performance of the ending was slightly strained, the techniques he possessed and the emotions he conveyed through the piece were absolutely everything someone his age could possibly master and interpret. If Chen Mo really had been nothing more than a seventeen-year-old prodigy, he might not have been able to gain the upper hand in this musical exchange.

But Chen Mo, who could even accomplish something as unbelievable as Lighting Cigarettes with a Piano, was no ordinary seventeen-year-old. With the system cheat at his disposal, he possessed nearly endless time. He could recklessly study every technique and refine himself with effort hundreds or thousands of times greater than that of ordinary people. Through Immersion Space, he could experience countless lives and emotions. Every possession and every performance might only offer observers a clear outside view, but for Chen Mo, they represented deeply unforgettable experiences from within the situation itself.

So when Ji Ze finished his performance with an excited expression, rose to acknowledge the cheering and screaming fans below, and immediately turned to challenge Chen Mo, Chen Mo merely said calmly, "You're not bad."

Then, before Ji Ze could react, he added, "But I'm better."

After saying that, Chen Mo calmly walked past Ji Ze and sat down before the piano.

To completely suppress Ji Ze's momentum, Chen Mo chose to perform Storm as well. The familiar piano music rose again, and almost immediately, the fans at the venue heard the difference between the two—