Overprotected By My Tsundere CEO

Chapter 818 - 530: On the Road [Finale] Julian Linfield’s Bamboo Flute Revealed

The two who rolled down the mountain, one was lightly injured and the other seriously injured. The seriously injured one, thanks to Nora Scott’s emergency treatment, managed to stay alive until the rescue arrived.

The production team took emergency measures, halted filming, and let them rest well on the spot. They sent back those who showed signs of heatstroke, and the rest took medicine or lightened their loads. After a thorough adjustment, they set out again.

The next few kilometers went smoothly, without any surprises or dangers, and they safely reached the destination before nightfall.

Xiangkouel.

This was Clarence’s hometown.

In the Gobi desert, yellow earth spread everywhere, a desolate scene at first glance. Occasionally, a few trees stood alone on the flat land, like markers pointing the way.

The accommodation arranged by the production team was the best in the village, but for them, it was not necessarily more comfortable than a tent.

Nelson, Valeria Young, and Andrea hadn’t planned to stay overnight. They had a car ready and would leave directly after the filming ended. They said they had work tomorrow, but how much of that was true only they knew.

They had dinner in the village, took a bath, changed into new clothes, and around nine o’clock, they gathered around the bonfire for the final segment — chatting and a talent show.

It was all scripted.

The chatting was about summarizing insights from recent experiences, and the talent show was an opportunity for guests to showcase themselves.

"Nora, you were so skilled in saving people today. Have you had such experiences before?"

As the oldest and most experienced, Nelson took the initiative to ask Nora a question after everyone shared their insights.

"Hmm."

The production team gestured to Nelson, who quickly asked, "Any stories to share?"

Supporting her chin with one hand, Nora paused slightly and then lazily replied, "Netizens seem to have given me a label."

Nelson: "What?"

"Adventurer." Nora curled her lips, seemingly quite pleased with the title, "I used to enjoy adventures."

Adventure?

For such a pampered lady, even going to a wildlife park might be an adventure.

Andrea scoffed and deliberately asked, "Where have you been?"

Nora casually mentioned several names of uninhabited areas.

Andrea: "..."

Everyone: "..."

Production team: "..." Didn’t the director ask about this big shot’s experiences before signing them?

"Really?" Valeria was stunned for a few seconds, clearly disbelieving, "Wouldn’t you die going to places like that casually?"

"Only idiots would casually enter and exit dangerous areas," Nora coldly glanced at her, "Daring to challenge, respecting life, and making thorough preparations in advance is a mark of respect for oneself and companions."

Everyone: "..."

Even though Nora didn’t say it explicitly, everyone could hear the thick sarcasm in her words.

And both Clement Winter and Nelson immediately bowed their heads in shame.

One participated in the show for idol admiration, the other for remuneration. They knew they would experience a lot coming for the trek but hadn’t fully prepared initially.

However, it wasn’t them Nora was mocking, but Valeria Young and Andrea.

One did all sorts of laughable things in the show to catch attention and mislead the audience, and the other, self-proclaimed as a wilderness survival expert, misinformed the audience while expressing her expertise, ignoring reasonable suggestions, and refusing to admit mistakes.

At the very least, Clement Winter and Nelson made some preparation initially, being novices with a lack of experience, but they were cautious and didn’t act recklessly, taking care not to endanger themselves or others.

Unfortunately, Valeria Young and Andrea, whom Nora intended to educate, didn’t listen to a word she said, assuming Nora was targeting them on purpose.

They didn’t even believe Nora’s claims.

No evidence was presented; she claimed to have been there, but who could verify it?

As two intervening midway, Marcus Shaw and Oliver Scott exchanged a glance and kept silent together.

Nora had no intention of discussing her past further, casually changing the topic. Nelson noticed and wisely steered the conversation away.

...

Finally, the chatting ended.

As soon as the talent show segment started, Valeria eagerly clapped her hands and stood up, "I studied dance. Let me perform a dance for you."

Nelson graciously asked, "Do you need accompaniment?"

The production team intended for Clement Winter, the music prince, to handle it. However, before Clement could speak, Andrea offered, "I can play the guitar, do you need it?"

"Sure," Valeria immediately agreed.

Clement Winter and the others: "..." Whatever makes you happy.

The production team collectively wore a face of gossip.

One after another performed, while Marcus Shaw and Oliver Scott, who were not part of the segment, watched on the side, enjoying themselves. It wasn’t until it was Nora’s turn that they showed some interest.

——Here it comes! The nerve-wracking bamboo flute from my sister is coming!

"I’ll just..." Nora Scott drawled lazily, "play a flute."

Everyone: ??? Didn’t you practice the bamboo flute for a week just to perform it now?!

"I, I, I—" Clement Winter excitedly raised his hand, "Can I join you?"

Nora didn’t think much, "Sure."

Clement’s eyes sparkled, "What instrument do you need?"

"Do you know the bamboo flute?"

"Yes!"

Clement nodded eagerly.

All of Clement’s skill points were in music; he might not be proficient in all instruments, but he knows a bit of the common ones.

Especially... Mrs. Winter, to save on tuition, had him teach the bamboo flute. Hmm, though he always thought of it as a dark history.

There was just a tree by the roadside, probably grown for years, so Oliver Scott consciously got up to pick a leaf, wiped it clean after returning, and handed it to Nora.

Nora took it.

The show crew:

"Nora mentioned before recording that her talents are guitar and erhu, right?"

"Andrea took the guitar."

"She mentioned to Clement before that she can play the flute. If she plays well, it shouldn’t be bad."

"Have you thought about it? Guitar and erhu are hands-on, the flute... you blow into! The bamboo flute is also something you blow! Have you experienced the nightmare of being woken up by a bamboo flute?"

"...I have a bad feeling."

"God Z’s death-defying record."

"Why not directly let post-production cut this part? I’m afraid if she loses fans, it’ll affect her commercial value, dragging down our show’s traffic."

"..."

Everyone expressed that this was indeed a possibility, a real possibility.

However, the next moment—

They consciously ignored the topic.

The difficulty of playing a leaf is actually not low, at least everyone present (except the two brothers) had only heard of it, never seen it, so no one believed Nora could really play well.

But, when a melodious and poignant special melody overflowed from Nora’s lips, the whole place fell silent, and someone even took a sharp breath.

Beautiful!

Heavenly sound!

The song was the theme of "Skill·Memory," "Destructive Demoness," which had been popular for months on short video platforms, and thus was familiar to those frequently in touch with the internet. The interplay of the bamboo flute and flute melodies complemented each other, neither outshining the other, but rather adding to the harmony through collaboration.

Valeria Young, who initially wanted to see Nora make a fool of herself, felt her expression gradually stiffen, barely able to maintain her smile upon hearing this piece.

——So the earlier bamboo flute was just a ruse, hiding a move to build up for a climax. This play was really too cunning.

After the song ended.

Except for those harboring ill intentions, everyone sincerely applauded and praised.

Valeria clapped casually among them, her gaze maliciously fixed on the two, but in a moment, her attention was suddenly drawn to the bamboo flute in Clement’s hand, and she paused, slightly surprised, asking, "Clement, the bamboo flute in your hand belongs to Nora, right?"

"Yeah."

Clement nodded.

The show crew didn’t prepare a bamboo flute, so if he had to play, he could only use the one Nora brought.

Valeria squinted slightly, "The emblem on the end seems a bit familiar?"

Knowing about this emblem was purely accidental.

Valeria studied dance, and she often paid attention to dance and music matters. As Julian Linfield is a well-known figure and an old artist in the music circle, she naturally knows about him.

Moreover, recently, as Rosa Sullivan, the protégé of Julian Linfield, emerged, becoming a new star in the entertainment industry and a favorite of capital with "Escape Room".

Valeria had been following Rosa Sullivan.

And when following Rosa Sullivan, she discovered a little episode—a video released on short video platforms by Flora Loughton, which showed a bamboo flute engraved with Julian Linfield’s exclusive emblem. After being discussed in the small circle, it was revealed that this bamboo flute was not genuine, and this claim could be proven by Rosa Sullivan.

So Valeria had some understanding about Julian Linfield’s bamboo flute situation back then.

——Roughly, the bamboo flutes crafted by Julian Linfield are rarely gifted to individuals, typically given to institutions. And the individuals he gifted were without exception very famous old artists in the circle.

——Although Flora Loughton’s qualifications were sufficient, it was revealed that the bamboo flute was not personally given by Julian Linfield but was made at the request of a junior and then gifted to Flora.

This was worth pondering upon.

Valeria naturally trusted more in Julian Linfield’s protégé.

And now, the emblem at the end of what was supposedly Nora’s bamboo flute, coincidentally, had Julian Linfield’s exclusive "LY" emblem.