Chapter 131: Chapter 108: Punching Above One’s Weight

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“How did you win? Tell me in detail!” Pei Yue’s voice became hurried.

Ye Bingtong’s gaze flickered, hiding her own schemes as she roughly described the situation.

As Pei Yue listened, he couldn’t help but laugh. He patted Ye Bingtong on the shoulder, “You’re only telling me this now! Bingtong, Bingtong, this time, you really have a chance to become famous.”

Ye Bingtong was somewhat bewildered.

She wasn’t the smartest person and hadn’t yet understood what was happening.

She merely won a piano competition against Lin Yun when they were children. How could that mean she had a chance to rise to fame?

“To become famous, to make money, what’s the most important thing right now? Talent? No! It’s popularity,” Pei Yue explained in a gentle voice. “Lin Yun is very famous now, and you were once good friends with her, even praised by a master pianist as being more talented. Such a sensational topic, if you hadn’t told me, wouldn’t I have missed out?”

Ye Bingtong’s eyes flickered again, “But, that was all a long time ago.”

Pei Yue smiled, “No matter how long ago it was, it doesn’t matter. The key is the hype! With this hype, you’ll be directly linked to a top composer! With just that, you’ll be able to have your own name in the music industry.”

Pei Yue’s point was simple.

It was: Clout chasing.

Lin Yun’s status was there for all to see. If they could place Ye Bingtong’s name on the same level as hers, it would be a massive leap for Ye Bingtong.

“I’ll go talk to someone from Xuanjia about this. You wait at home for my good news,” Pei Yue said excitedly as he left.

Ye Bingtong turned her head and looked again at Lin Yun’s photo on the screen.

A flicker of envy involuntarily flashed in her eyes.

Once.

She could have made Lin Yun lose everything.

This time.

She could do it again.

With Pei Yue’s help, she surely could!

After learning about the past relationship between Ye Bingtong and Lin Yun.

The people from Xuanjia indeed started to regard Ye Bingtong more favorably.

Online, the piano competition from their childhood that Ye Bingtong and Lin Yun participated in was dug up.

Videos of Ye Bingtong’s and Lin Yun’s performances were unearthed and compared non-stop.

Although Lin Yun was high-status now, she had been thoroughly defeated by Ye Bingtong in that competition.

Xuanjia also took the opportunity to hire some trolls, claiming that Ye Bingtong was actually a music prodigy not inferior to Lin Yun.

The reason she was previously unnoticed was that she was restrained by the Ye Family.

The real her had the potential to become a top musician.

Regarding these assertions, the majority of the online comments were mocking.

Yet, by clout chasing Lin Yun, Ye Bingtong actually started making a name for herself.

Many people began to doubt and theorize.

Could it be.

That Ye Bingtong really was some kind of genius girl?

“Who would have thought they’d dig up such an old video,” Zhao, the head of Yuxing, was somewhat annoyed. He couldn’t help but look at the calm Lin Yun, “Lin Yun, are you and this Ye Bingtong close? Were you really friends?”

Lin Yun was flipping through some music scores. Upon hearing the question, she simply replied, “Friends? I guess so. My coming back to the country this time was actually for her.”

Lin Yun didn’t seem to have any intention of disguising anything.

Zhao was startled for a moment, his expression becoming somewhat anxious, “Then you…”

Ye Bingtong was a signee of Xuanjia.

The two companies were always at loggerheads.

“I want her to live forever in my shadow, never able to come out on top,” Lin Yun declared.

Zhao couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. He smiled, “With your ability, doing this will be a piece of cake.”

Lin Yun shook her head.

Easy? Perhaps not!

For her, Ye Bingtong was always her most difficult enemy to overcome, so this time, she had returned to the country with the determination to risk everything.

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“I will handle the comments on the internet. This Ye Bingtong is clearly trying to leech off others; we can’t let her continue to do so. You don’t have to worry about these things, Lin Yun. Just focus on your work.”

Lin Yun hadn’t planned on dealing with it anyway. She simply nodded calmly.

Throughout these years.

Her heart had room only for music.

As for the messy affairs outside, she couldn’t be bothered to care.

She just wanted to defeat Ye Bingtong in music, fairly and squarely.

Only by doing so.

Would she truly overcome her inner demons.

“Lin Yun, there’s one more thing,” Mr. Zhao continued. “The head of the Ye Family wants to meet with you. What do you think?”

The head of the Ye Family.

Lin Yun’s gaze flickered slightly, “Ye Bolin?”

“That’s him.” Mr. Zhao nodded, lowering his voice before adding, “It’s quite strange, really. Ye Bingtong was driven out of the Ye Family, and they even made a public announcement to sever all ties with her. But after that, the hype around Ye Bingtong’s signing with Xuanjia has been so big. It seems like the Ye Family might be pushing it from behind. I’m not sure what exactly the Ye Family’s attitude towards Ye Bingtong is. If you have any grudge against her, think it over. Decide for yourself whether you want to meet with the Ye Family’s people.”

Lin Yun fell silent for a moment, then smiled lightly, “Sure, give him my contact information. He can reach out to me himself.”

Mr. Zhao didn’t say much more, just nodded in acknowledgment.

Before long.

Lin Yun received a call from Ye Bolin.

“Mr. Ye,” Lin Yun said with a cool voice.

In her memory, Ye Bingtong was the darling of the Ye Family. Her brothers had adored her from a very young age.

When she had heard that Ye Bingtong was expelled from the Ye Family, she was somewhat surprised.

But by nature, she disliked dwelling on trivial matters and thus didn’t investigate further.

So this time.

Was Ye Bolin seeking her out to reprimand her?

Because she had joined Xuanjia’s rival company?

Lin Yun was considering this absentmindedly.

When she heard Ye Bolin’s voice say, “Xiaoyun, I’m sorry.”

Lin Yun was stunned.

She had pondered many possibilities but never expected an apology to start the conversation.

Ye Bolin continued with a hint of guilt, “We didn’t know that Ye Bingtong had done such terrible things to you in the past. It’s our fault for not disciplining her properly, causing you to suffer all these years.”

This apology was something that Ye Bolin and the other members of the Ye Family had always wanted to give Lin Yun.

And now, they finally had the chance.

Although it couldn’t make up for the harm she had endured, as long as Lin Yun came back, they would have ways to compensate her slowly.

Lin Yun zoned out for a moment before asking, “You… know about it?”

“It came out recently when Chen Yueyue and Ye Bingtong suddenly turned against each other,” Ye Bolin said in a somber tone. “Before, we were also kept in the dark.”

Lin Yun remained silent, not saying anything.

She didn’t know what to say.

“You should know that Ye Bingtong has been expelled from the Ye Family,” Ye Bolin said gently. “We, like you, have seen through her true nature. Now, we are allies. You’ve just returned to the country and don’t know many people here. How about coming over to the Ye Family for a casual dinner tonight? I’ll send someone to pick you up.”

Lin Yun didn’t have much understanding of social graces; she wasn’t even sure how much of what Ye Bolin said was true or false.

But…

The Ye Family.

They were probably still living in the same place.

Her own home had been nearby once.

Lin Yun pursed her lips, then accepted, “Okay.”

She might as well have a look at the place where she once lived.