Chapter 17

Yang Jingxing didn't attend classes all afternoon. During the evening self-study, Tao Meng told him about the tasks the teacher had assigned and generously shared her notes.

"Thanks," Yang Jingxing said, asking, "Did you change your perfume?"

Tao Meng frowned, "No... I didn't use any!"

Yang Jingxing didn't believe her, "Don't lie to me, it smells good, fresh and natural, I like it."

Tao Meng's eyebrows knitted together, and she turned away from Yang Jingxing, grinding her pen cap on the desk with a creaking sound. This conflict lasted for about ten minutes, ending when Tao Meng asked Yang Jingxing to discuss a problem.

Thus, Yang Jingxing's days were filled with activities. On Saturday morning, he went to the city for classes. He brought pastries for the teachers, and Hu Yiqing and Zhang Chujia, of course, liked them very much, but Li Yingzhen didn't get any.

Zhang Chujia ate the pastries while listening to Yang Jingxing play a little tune, saying happily, "You're ready to participate in auditions like this."

Yang Jingxing asked, "So, am I past the probation period?"

Zhang Chujia laughed, "Far from it!"

Hu Yiqing asked Zhang Chujia, "Is Professor Li coming today?"

"Probably," Zhang Chujia nodded, teasing Yang Jingxing, "Don't worry, I can teach you more than enough now!"

The three of them had lunch together, with Yang Jingxing treating them. Every time it was mealtime on weekends, he had to busy himself with his phone, texting Liu Miaoxiaxue. The two girls had been very excited since they found out he was learning the piano, but they were anxious because they couldn't observe or participate. Today, Liu Miao came up with a plan, asking Yang Jingxing to play for them over the phone, and they even gathered with Xiaxue for this.

Later, Liu Miao's call came in, and Yang Jingxing had to explain, "We're having lunch now, you can hear how noisy it is... Yes, nearby... I don't have time to look at beautiful girls... I'm going to class in the afternoon, can't play, I'm still learning from a child... Hehe, what are you eating... Alright, tonight, I'll call you when I get back to school."

Seeing Yang Jingxing still smiling after hanging up, Zhang Chujia asked, "Girlfriend?"

"No," Yang Jingxing shook his head, "Good friend."

Zhang Chujia laughed mockingly, "Wants to hear you play?"

Hu Yiqing also asked, "A friend from home?"

Zhang Chujia encouraged Yang Jingxing, "Don't be afraid, you should be good enough now."

In the afternoon, they went to the attached elementary school for classes, and Yang Jingxing was still auditing. He sent a few more texts. During the break, Zhang Chujia asked Yang Jingxing to call his good friend and play for her, to fulfill her wish.

Yang Jingxing was embarrassed and wanted to wait until he got back to Shangpu. Zhang Chujia became unhappy and said to Hu Yiqing, "Look!"

Hu Yiqing chuckled, not commenting.

Zhang Chujia threatened Yang Jingxing, "You're not past the probation period yet, don't offend me!"

Yang Jingxing had to give in and called Xiaxue, making the two girls happy.

Yang Jingxing said, "Is there a speaker? Press the speaker... I don't have one... I'll put it on the piano... I don't have headphones, I'll turn up the volume!"

The two girls fiddled for a while and finally got the speaker working. Yang Jingxing heard Liu Miao's loud voice, "Can you hear us?"

"I can, I'm starting... 'Für Elise,' that's all I know." He had practiced it a lot recently.

Hu Yiqing saw Yang Jingxing put the phone on the piano and went over to hold it, thinking it would help with the sound. Zhang Chujia also came closer to see if she could hear the sound from the other end and told Yang Jingxing, "They're asking you to start!"

Yang Jingxing rubbed his hands and, after a few seconds, began. He looked at the keys, playing very seriously, yet relaxed and entertained. Although his face was expressionless, it was different from when he practiced.

Before the first A minor section ended, Zhang Chujia and Hu Yiqing exchanged glances. When it switched to C major, Zhang Chujia tilted her head and glared at Yang Jingxing. By the time it reached F major, Zhang Chujia frowned, opened her mouth, but didn't say anything. Hu Yiqing held the phone, moving it in small circles, as if accompanying the music.

As the piece was about to end, Li Yingzhen quietly entered the classroom a few steps, but didn't disturb Yang Jingxing. The three piano students didn't greet the teacher, all listening to Yang Jingxing, the transfer student.

After the piece ended, Yang Jingxing chuckled, took the phone from Hu Yiqing, and asked, "Could you hear clearly... Thanks... Of course it was me... When have I ever lied to you... Thanks, Xiaxue... Haha... Professor Li is here, I have to hang up..."

Yang Jingxing greeted Li Yingzhen, "Professor Li, thank you for your hard work."

Li Yingzhen looked at Yang Jingxing and asked, "Who were you calling?"

"A friend."

Zhang Chujia added, "A girl friend!" Her tone was full of sarcasm.

Li Yingzhen nodded and said to Yang Jingxing, "You played the theme well just now, with that kind of warmth. See, you need to pay attention to the contrast in alternating broken chords, to have a sense of interaction between your hands. C major should be brighter, a bit faster, you played it too tenderly, especially in F major... But the later chords should be more stable, a bit more serious, not so restless, otherwise, there's a lack of contrast and emotional fluctuation." Li Yingzhen didn't consider whether these requirements were too high for Yang Jingxing.

Zhang Chujia mocked Yang Jingxing, "Sigh, you should bring your good friend to the exam too."

Hu Yiqing reminded Yang Jingxing, "You played much better just now."

Li Yingzhen sat down and called Yang Jingxing, "Maintain that emotion and play it again."

Zhang Chujia laughed and asked Yang Jingxing, "Do you want to call again?"

Yang Jingxing, of course, didn't.

Li Yingzhen seemed to change her strategy today, nodding and praising Yang Jingxing frequently as he played, "Yes, that's it... Gentle, be gentle... Good, not too slow... Pay attention to the relative major, good... Here, it should be faster, la do mi la do mi, crescendo, that's right... The triplets should be more passionate, a bit off... Pay attention to the descending half-step, many people struggle with it... Gentle, very gentle, right, very beautiful."

After Yang Jingxing finished, Li Yingzhen clapped and said loudly with a smile, "Isn't that right, that's how it should be, with emotion, how good!"

Yang Jingxing felt quite embarrassed.

Zhang Chujia pointed at Yang Jingxing, "Telling you to call wasn't wrong, dinner is on you." Then she conspired with Hu Yiqing, "Let's go to Doulaofang again." She then complained to Li Yingzhen, saying that Yang Jingxing played very average in the morning but changed when he called a girl. As she spoke, Zhang Chujia became angry, exclaiming, "How bizarre!"

Li Yingzhen, however, warned Yang Jingxing seriously, "Don't get too cocky with a little progress, you're just starting, just beginning." Many people who learn the piano are tormented by insurmountable bottlenecks and give up. Sometimes, practicing a phrase hundreds or thousands of times still yields no improvement, which can be very disheartening. Even if Yang Jingxing seems like a genius now, who knows what the future holds. A quick start doesn't mean strong endurance.

After that, Li Yingzhen took Yang Jingxing to her office for a private lesson. She said Hu Yiqing could leave if she was busy, but Hu Yiqing stayed, listening more attentively than Yang Jingxing.

Li Yingzhen checked Yang Jingxing's 599 practice and praised his fingers for having good movement, no longer relying on his arm and wrist. He had also basically mastered scales and half-steps.

Li Yingzhen then brought out Czerny and selected some pieces from 277 and 835 for Yang Jingxing to practice. After more than an hour, she declared that he had basically passed this level.

However, etudes are not the goal. Just as swimmers also run, running is for swimming. Etudes are for music. So Li Yingzhen reminded Yang Jingxing never to stop practicing the basics.

When Li Yingzhen asked Yang Jingxing to start playing a piece, Zhang Chujia had already finished teaching the other children and came to watch. After listening to Yang Jingxing play "The Shepherd Boy's Flute," she laughed, "You can't play without calling!"

Li Yingzhen was also very dissatisfied and questioned Yang Jingxing, "Where's the spirit you had just now?"

Hu Yiqing explained a bit nervously, "He hasn't practiced this yet."

Indeed, Li Yingzhen asked Zhang Chujia to play, explaining the key points and the emotions to pay attention to in each section to Yang Jingxing.

As a graduate student, Zhang Chujia played this simple piece effortlessly, even glancing at Yang Jingxing during the lively parts. It was really ungraceful, showing off to someone who had only been learning for half a month.

Then Yang Jingxing played again, but Li Yingzhen was still unsatisfied, "You're just imitating... When you played earlier, I could feel your understanding and emotion. Playing is also a process of recreation. If everything is the same, the world would only need phonographs."

Being criticized again, Yang Jingxing had to practice harder. But emotion isn't something that can be practiced alone. After several attempts, Yang Jingxing's playing was almost a carbon copy of Zhang Chujia's, but Li Yingzhen still didn't find the joy she felt when listening to "Für Elise," though she couldn't criticize Yang Jingxing much more.

Next, they moved on to basic practice, starting to preview 849. Li Yingzhen selected some targeted pieces for Yang Jingxing to play, then pointed out his shortcomings, and also praised a few places where he did well, asking him to maintain them.

The lesson continued like this until six o'clock when Li Yingzhen received a call and was surprised, "So late... Don't worry about me, I'll eat with my students." She then asked Yang Jingxing, "Where were you planning to eat?"

So, the four of them had dinner together. Li Yingzhen's car was a white Toyota, and she let Zhang Chujia drive so she could talk to Yang Jingxing. They didn't talk about the piano, just about family matters like whether he had siblings and what his parents did.

After sitting down at the restaurant, Zhang Chujia said to order good dishes and reminded Yang Jingxing, "I've never had a three-hour private lesson."

Yang Jingxing didn't thank Li Yingzhen and retorted, "Who asked you to be so good."

Li Yingzhen and Hu Yiqing chatted, asking how Yang Jingxing's music theory was coming along and suggesting that Hu Yiqing should start focusing on his writing training. It wasn't about writing great works but learning the format, understanding harmony, and basic handling of motifs. Given a phrase, he should know how to enrich it with basic techniques, even if they were formulaic, to ensure the melody's coherence.

Li Yingzhen was a bit concerned, "Is that okay?"

Hu Yiqing thought for a moment and nodded, "It should be okay."

Yang Jingxing started texting again. Liu Miao and Xiaxue said they wanted to hear "Canon," and Yang Jingxing was motivated to play a new piece for them each week.

After dinner, Yang Jingxing prepared to pay, but Li Yingzhen's look scared him. Experience is the best teacher, and Yang Jingxing didn't dare say he was a man, letting Li Yingzhen treat the younger ones.

Li Yingzhen mentioned that the next day was the Mid-Autumn Festival, and she might not have time to watch Yang Jingxing practice, so she entrusted Zhang Chujia with the task. Yang Jingxing also shamelessly asked for a day off for Hu Yiqing, who agreed. Zhang Chujia asked Yang Jingxing to bring mooncakes the next day.

The subway was quite crowded but not too packed. Zhang Chujia asked Yang Jingxing if Shangpu was really an elite school and if the students were all children of big bosses and officials.

Yang Jingxing said, "Obviously not, look at me."

Zhang Chujia sneered, "Afraid I'll take advantage of you?"

Yang Jingxing said, "Obviously not, look at you."

"What?"

"Clearly kind-hearted."

Zhang Chujia objected sternly, "Take that back, I'm considering charging tuition."

Suddenly, Yang Jingxing released his right hand from the handrail and quickly grabbed the left hand of a young, fashionable girl standing to his right. Her hand, slightly cold and damp, had just reached into his pocket, which contained his phone and wallet, bulging.

The girl was quite attractive, with bright, panicked eyes and bright lipstick on her tightly closed lips. Her face, flushed with委屈 and anxiety, looked like a timid girl who had been molested but dared not resist.

Yang Jingxing released the girl's hand, took out his phone, and chuckled, "Want my number? Just ask, you're so pretty."

What a shameless person! The girl glanced at Yang Jingxing, disgusted, and hurried away.

It took Zhang Chujia a while to believe what had happened, cautiously looking in the direction the girl had left, "Oh my, I couldn't tell at all, why did you let her go!?"

Yang Jingxing said, "I still need to chat with you."

Zhang Chujia was speechless, "I can't take it!"

The next day, Yang Jingxing really bought mooncakes before going to the music college. Xiao Shuxia had planned to come to Puhai to see her son and treat him to a good meal for the Mid-Autumn Festival, but Yang Jingxing actually declined, surprising his mother.

Meeting up, Yang Jingxing flattered Zhang Chujia, "Did you say you'd dress beautifully for the Mid-Autumn Festival?"

Zhang Chujia wasn't buying it, "Did you say you'd be smooth-talking for the Mid-Autumn Festival?"

Zhang Chujia only ate one mooncake, saying the others could be given to her classmates. She had a student concert to attend that evening, a quintet performance, so she was dressed quite nicely.

"Do you want to come?" Zhang Chujia asked Yang Jingxing.

Yang Jingxing, of course, wanted to and asked what Zhang Chujia's performance was.

"Trout, by Schubert, have you heard it?" Zhang Chujia was quite doubtful.

Yang Jingxing indeed hadn't.

"I'll play a part for you." Zhang Chujia wanted to show off again.

Zhang Chujia played a challenging, intense piano solo, more difficult than "Für Elise" or "The Shepherd Boy's Flute," and challenged Yang Jingxing, "Try? I'll write down the score for you."

Yang Jingxing said, "Play it again, and I'll remember it." It was only a dozen bars.

So, Zhang Chujia played it again and then let Yang Jingxing try. Although he made a few mistakes and the overall effect was not ideal, Zhang Chujia was already jealous of his memory and learning ability, asking him to treat her to lunch.

They practiced all day. Li Yingzhen called Zhang Chujia, and Hu Yiqing called Yang Jingxing. Both supported Yang Jingxing going to the evening concert to broaden his horizons, but Hu Yiqing was concerned about him returning to school too late.

The Mid-Autumn Festival concert started at 7 PM in the old concert hall of the music college. After having an early dinner, Zhang Chujia took Yang Jingxing to meet her partners.

Zhang Chujia indeed gave a mooncake to each of the other four, introducing Yang Jingxing, "Yang Jingxing, he's treating us."

Three men and one woman, the woman was tall, not particularly beautiful, but cheerful, "Oh, boyfriend, so handsome."

Zhang Chujia, feeling insulted, laughed, "Please!"

Yang Jingxing felt honored, "I must look quite charming."

Zhang Chujia glared at Yang Jingxing and introduced the three men and one woman, all graduate students. The woman played the viola, and the three men played the violin, cello, and double bass.

Zhang Chujia emphasized to her classmates, "Professor Li's student, a real oddball!"

Yang Jingxing greeted them and stressed, "Actually, I'm Yang Jingxing, not an oddball."

The viola player comforted, "In her eyes, everyone is an oddball."

Zhang Chujia quickly added, "No, not you guys, just him."

The violin player laughed and asked, "How odd?"

Zhang Chujia didn't mind embarrassing Yang Jingxing, "He was learning 599 a few days ago."

The others were naturally surprised. Li Yingzhen teaching such a level of student!? Yang Jingxing didn't dare to argue.

Using her student ID, Zhang Chujia brought Yang Jingxing into the hall, then went to prepare, telling him to find a seat.

The old concert hall wasn't that old, with a bright stage and neat, clean seats for about 500 people. The audience was quite full, and Yang Jingxing found a seat in the back corner.

Just before 7 PM, Yang Jingxing received a call from Tao Meng, "Where have you been? The class meeting is starting, and you're not here."

Yang Jingxing explained, "I'm still in the city, I've asked Teacher Jiang for leave."

"Oh..." Tao Meng's tone softened, "Also, that girl from Grade 12 came looking for you, around 6:15 PM."

"Still not letting me go? Did she scold me?"

Tao Meng was impatient, "I suggest you be careful... She brought a bag and asked me to put it in your drawer, I didn't." She was angry, was the class monitor supposed to do such things?

Yang Jingxing was quite unambitious, "It might be something good, you owe me."

Tao Meng hung up.

(Updates will be added on weekends. The plot is slow, please bear with it. It will get better.)

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