The Moon City Concert Hall was a beacon of light against the darkening sky. Its marble pillars and glass facade glowed under the warm floodlights, looking like a palace of art and wealth.
Tonight, the air around the hall was thick with the smell of expensive perfume and high-octane gasoline. A parade of luxury cars—Rolls Royces, Bentleys, Ferraris—lined the curved driveway, depositing the city's elite onto the red carpet.
A sleek silver Bentley pulled up to the curb. The valet opened the door, and **Madam Vivian** stepped out, her diamonds catching the light. She was followed by **Vera**, who looked nervous but determined, and finally **Faye**.
Faye was the picture of perfection. She wore a champagne-colored evening gown that hugged her slender frame, the hem sweeping the ground just enough to be elegant without being cumbersome. Her hair was swept up in an intricate chignon, revealing a delicate pearl necklace.
She held her head high, clutching a cream-colored envelope with silver embossing in her hand. It was the Silver Ticket—the General Admission pass that allowed entry to the main hall. To Faye, it felt heavier than gold. It was her passport to a new world.
"Look at that," a passerby whispered. "Is that the Lin family's daughter? She looks like a princess."
"I heard she passed Grade 9 violin with distinction. She's here to audition for Master Wei."
Faye soaked in the whispers like a flower soaking in sunlight. She smiled demurely, adjusting her shawl.
"Remember," Madam Vivian said, her voice low and sharp. "Shoulders back. Chin up. You represent the Lin family tonight. Do not let me down."
"Yes, Aunt Vivian," Faye said softly.
Vera walked beside them, beaming. "You look beautiful, Faye. You belong here. Unlike..."
Vera stopped. Her smile vanished instantly, replaced by a look of sheer horror.
Standing near the massive Roman columns at the entrance, leaning against the cold stone with one leg crossed over the other, was a figure that shattered the elegant atmosphere.
It was **Ren**.
She wasn't wearing a gown. She wasn't wearing heels. She was wearing her usual black windbreaker over a loose white t-shirt, dark jeans, and scuffed sneakers. A black baseball cap was pulled low over her eyes, and she had headphones around her neck. Her hands were shoved deep into her pockets, and she looked utterly, completely bored.
In a sea of tuxedos and gowns, she stood out like a sore thumb.
"Oh my god," Vera hissed, grabbing Vivian's arm. "She's here. Why is she here?"
Faye's eyes widened. A flash of disgust crossed her face. "Is she crazy? Does she think she can just walk in dressed like that?"
"She's going to ruin everything," Vera panicked. "If Master Wei sees her... if the press sees her... they'll think the Lin family has no manners!"
Vera marched over to Ren, her high heels clicking furiously on the pavement.
"Ren!" Vera whispered harshly, trying not to draw attention. "What are you doing here? Who told you to come?"
Ren slowly lifted her head. Under the brim of her cap, her dark eyes were cold and indifferent. She pulled one earbud out.
"Waiting," Ren said simply.
"Waiting for what?" Vera demanded. "To embarrass us? Look at you! You look like a vagrant! Go home immediately!"
Faye glided over, her face composed into a mask of sisterly concern, though her eyes were mocking.
"Sister," Faye said, her voice dripping with fake sweetness. "Did you come to see the concert? I told you, it's invitation only. You can't just stand outside hoping to scalp a ticket. The security here is very strict. If they see you loitering, they might call the police."
She held up her own Silver Ticket, waving it slightly. "You see this? This is what you need to get in. It costs five thousand dollars, and you need a reference. Please, just go home before you make a scene."
Ren looked at the white envelope in Faye's hand. Then she looked at Faye's smug face.
"You talk too much," Ren said flatly. "It's noisy."
"You..." Faye choked, her face flushing pink. "I'm trying to help you! You're just jealous because you can't go in!"
***
"What's going on?"
A cool male voice interrupted them. **Xavier** walked up the steps, flanked by two other members of the Student Council. He was wearing a dark grey suit, looking every bit the young heir.
He looked at Faye, then at Ren. His gaze lingered on Ren's casual outfit, but unlike the others, there was no judgment in his eyes—only curiosity.
"Xavier!" Faye brightened immediately. "Ren... she came to watch, but she doesn't have a ticket. Mom is just telling her to leave so she doesn't get in trouble with security."
Xavier looked at Ren. "You don't have a ticket?"
Ren yawned. She reached into the pocket of her windbreaker.
"I have this," Ren said.
She pulled out a crumpled ball of black paper. It looked like trash. It had been folded, sat on, and shoved into a pocket with loose change. There was a visible ring stain on it from a soda can.
Faye stared at it. Then she laughed. A high, tinkling sound that grated on the ears.
"Ren, stop it," Faye giggled. "That's trash. Are you seriously going to show the guard a piece of trash?"
Vera covered her face with her hand. "Ren, please. Stop humiliating me."
Ren ignored them. She smoothed the paper out against her thigh. It was still wrinkled, but now it was recognizably an envelope. A black envelope.
"Let's go," Ren said to Xavier. "The old man is waiting."
She turned and walked toward the entrance. But she didn't go to the main glass doors where the general guests were queuing.
She walked toward the side entrance.
The side entrance was guarded by four massive men in black suits with earpieces. A red velvet rope blocked the path. Above the door, a small, discreet sign read: **VVIP / ARTIST ENTRANCE**.
"She's insane," Faye whispered, watching Ren walk toward the restricted area. "That's the VVIP entrance. Even Aunt Vivian isn't allowed there. They're going to throw her out."
Vera grabbed Faye's hand. "Don't look. Pretend we don't know her."
They watched as Ren approached the lead security guard. The guard, a man who looked like he ate bricks for breakfast, stepped forward, his face stern.
"Miss," the guard boomed. "This is a restricted area. Please use the main entrance."
Ren didn't stop. She didn't argue. She just held out the crumpled, stained black envelope.
Faye held her breath, waiting for the guard to shout, to grab Ren, to throw her down the stairs.
The guard took the envelope. He looked at it with a frown of annoyance. He prepared to crush it and toss it in the bin.
Then, his thumb brushed over the seal.
He froze.
He looked down at the envelope. In the glare of the entrance lights, the gold embossing—which had been obscured by the wrinkles—caught the light. It was a stylized violin, intertwined with the letter 'W'.
The Wei Family Crest. The Master's personal seal.
The guard's eyes bulged. He looked at the envelope, then at Ren, then back at the envelope. His stern face crumbled into an expression of pure panic and awe.
He didn't just step aside. He practically jumped out of the way.
He unhooked the velvet rope with trembling hands and bowed—a deep, ninety-degree bow that was usually reserved for heads of state.
"I apologize, Miss!" the guard shouted, his voice cracking. "Please! Right this way! The Master is waiting for you in the Green Room!"
The other three guards also bowed in unison, creating a human corridor for Ren to walk through.
Ren didn't even look at them. She stuffed the envelope back into her pocket as if it were a used tissue, adjusted her cap, and strolled through the VVIP doors.
The heavy doors closed behind her with a soft thud, cutting off the noise of the street.
***
Silence.
Outside on the steps, the wind seemed to have stopped blowing.
Vera stood with her mouth open, looking like a fish out of water. Madam Vivian dropped her clutch bag.
Faye felt like the ground had disappeared beneath her feet. She stared at the closed VVIP doors, her brain refusing to process what she had just seen.
"What..." Faye whispered, her voice barely audible. "What just happened? Why did they bow? That was trash... it was a piece of trash..."
Xavier, who had been watching the entire scene with a calm, almost resigned expression, stepped forward.
He looked at Faye. He looked at the pristine, cream-colored Silver Ticket in her hand. Then he looked at the VVIP door.
"It wasn't trash," Xavier said quietly.
Faye spun around to face him. "What are you talking about? It was wrinkled! It had a drink stain on it!"
"It was black," Xavier said. "Black with gold embossing."
Faye blinked. "So?"
"In Master Wei's hierarchy," Xavier explained, his voice devoid of pity, "White is for general guests. Red is for VIPs. Black..."
He paused, letting the weight of the words sink in.
"Black is for the Master's personal guests. It's the highest level. It's not a ticket you can buy. It's a summons."
Faye's face turned a sickly shade of grey.
"Personal guest?" she choked out. "Ren? But... she's tone-deaf! She's from the countryside! How could she know Master Wei?"
"I don't know," Xavier said, putting his hands in his pockets. "But I do know one thing."
He gestured to the main entrance, where a long line of people in expensive gowns were waiting to have their tickets scanned.
"You have to line up," Xavier said. "And sit in the audience. Ren..."
He looked at the VVIP door again.
"Ren is already backstage drinking tea with the man you're trying to impress."
Faye looked down at her Silver Ticket. A moment ago, it had felt like a golden key. Now, it felt like a piece of cheap cardboard.
The contrast was brutal.
Faye had dressed like a princess to sit in the crowd.
Ren had dressed like a beggar to sit on the throne.
Vera grabbed Faye's arm, her nails digging into the fabric of the dress. "Let's go," Vera said, her voice shaking. "There must be a mistake. We'll ask inside."
But they all knew, deep down, there was no mistake. The security guards at the Moon City Concert Hall didn't bow to mistakes.
As Faye walked toward the main line, dragging her feet in her expensive heels, she felt a burning sensation in her chest. It wasn't just jealousy anymore. It was fear. A terrifying realization that the sister she had looked down on for years was living in a stratosphere she couldn't even see.
Xavier watched them go, then turned to look at the VVIP door one last time. A small smile played on his lips.
"Ren," he whispered. "Just who exactly are you?"
**[Chapter 39 End]**