"Christine, I think you understand the situation now, don't you?"
Inside a luxury hotel in Beijing.
In the room.
On the video call screen of a phone.
A dignified woman sat in a chair. The oak paneling behind her glowed amber like whiskey; it was the study of the old London house—where Nana Li had once knelt beneath those reliefs to practice, until her knees bruised and bled.
A pair of eyes ninety percent similar to Nana Li's watched the girl calmly.
"Once September is over and this competition ends, you should withdraw from school as we requested and return to the United Kingdom. We will arrange for you to attend the best music conservatory."
"I understand, Mother."
Nana Li placed both hands on her knees, her expression uneasy and constrained as she spoke softly.
"But the competition isn't over yet, is it?"
Nana Li slowly raised her head, not daring to meet her mother's gaze through the screen.
"If I win this time."
"If you win, I will honor my promise."
The woman said.
As she spoke, a trace of helplessness and regret flickered across her face.
In truth, she had never wanted to make such a wager with Nana Li.
Not once had she ever considered making Nana Li give up music.
After all, she was so extraordinarily gifted.
Unfortunately, this girl was always so selfish, with her mind filled only with herself. She had never realized what her talent could bring to the family. Sometimes, she truly wondered whether Nana Li blood really ran through her veins.
But since Nana Li's father had agreed to this wager—if she defeated Gan Hua's granddaughter head-on, she would be allowed to attend art school and choose the life she wanted.
Then, as her mother, Kellyan Nana Li would not say