Chapter 37

In the evening, they still had to continue training until half past eight. A group of students were already so tired that they were swaying. Li Yingzhen called Yang Jingxing, offering some consolation and a few more words about the relationship between classmates and teachers, suggesting that Yang Jingxing should be热情而独立 (warm and independent).

On the second morning of the military training, Zhang Chujia came to the scene to see the peculiarities, with the purpose of having Yang Jingxing treat her to lunch. Yang Jingxing invited Yu Xinting to join, but Yu Xinting refused.

Yang Jingxing said, "This is your senior, you should get to know her well."

Zhang Chujia also said, "Let's go together, who else should we take advantage of?"

Yu Xinting still shook her head, "I need to go back to the dormitory to take a nap."

Yang Jingxing's car was parked in the college parking lot, which was cheap and convenient, costing only a little over a hundred yuan a month. Zhang Chujia insisted on driving, saying she had never tried an Audi.

The two of them ran quite far, but they didn't have a big meal; just a few small dishes, cheap and practical. Zhang Chujia introduced the situation in the Composition Department to Yang Jingxing, including several professors and a group of teachers. She talked about the professors' qualifications and their relationships. She also mentioned that if Yang Jingxing wanted to win the favor of the teachers, it would be simple because the old guys in the Composition Department were the poorest in the college.

It felt like Zhang Chujia shouldn't have studied in the Piano Department; the Paparazzi Department would have suited her better.

The singing during the military training at the music college was quite interesting. Most of the students were very enthusiastic, and they had the style and ability. A girl named Wang Xiaobei from the Modern Instrument Department, who studied classical guitar, sang a song she had written herself. Her voice and the song itself were very pleasant to listen to, leaving a deep impression. Encouraged by the instructor, the Composition Department had to save face, and Xia Xiaokang volunteered. Although his song was truly unbearable to listen to, everyone still applauded enthusiastically.

There was also a girl from Hong Kong named Hong Tian. On the first day of military training, she was ordered by the coach to remove her makeup, which also made people remember her. She spoke Mandarin with difficulty, so she naturally sang in Cantonese, which many people couldn't understand. Hong Tian specialized in electronic keyboards and said she wanted to form a band at school, hoping to find like-minded people to discuss with.

Xu Xuesi was also well-prepared, bringing a harmonica to the military training and playing it quite well. Another boy who attracted the girls was Niu Jionghua, who studied percussion. He played with two drumsticks, juggling them while singing love songs, creating a dazzling and romantic atmosphere.

In short, everyone was quite active during the rest periods, except for a few individuals like Yang Jingxing. He was even appointed as the lead, but it was the instructor who kicked him forward. He sang an old song and received a round of humanitarian applause.

Just as dinner time arrived, Yang Jingxing was called by Li Yingzhen again. Li Yingzhen said she had been busy in the past few days and hadn't had time to check on Yang Jingxing's summer practice. Today, she would thoroughly check it.

The result of the inspection was that Li Yingzhen decided that Yang Jingxing would play the "Waltz in D-flat Major" (commonly known as the "Little Dog Waltz") at the freshmen concert. Li Yingzhen also warned Yang Jingxing not to be proud, as there were no particularly outstanding students in this year's class.

After the evening training ended, Yang Jingxing went home. As he left the school gate, he saw Yu Xinting with another girl. He stopped his car and greeted them, "Where are you going? Need a ride?"

Yu Xinting shook her head, "We're going back soon."

Yang Jingxing nodded, "Be careful."

After returning home, Yang Jingxing started reading the books he had borrowed from the library. The music college library was truly a treasure trove, with countless professional books and rich audio-visual materials, as well as many musicians' manuscripts. It was said that one could spend a lifetime reading and still not finish, no wonder they say, "Learning is a lifelong journey."

The military training ended on September 22nd. After so many days of being comrades-in-arms, the students had become familiar with each other and could call each other by name.

The military training performance at the music college was quite artistic. Each squad's goose step was performed in various styles, which seemed to be a tradition.

Yang Jingxing said he would treat Yu Xinting to hotpot after the military training, but the girl was quite cold to him and didn't even want to go to the cafeteria with him, so he gave up.

The formal classes started, and they also had to prepare for the freshmen concert. The freshmen concert was voluntary, with no restrictions on the content. You could sing, play an instrument, or dance. Yang Jingxing was busier, as he had to practice the piano under Li Yingzhen's supervision every Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday afternoon.

The music college also had a student council, and many people were actively participating, especially those from the Management Department. More popular were the various student clubs, such as language performance, dance, drama, Kunqu... Of course, there were also those who wanted to create their own space. The fastest progress was made by Hong Tian and Niu Jionghua, who had teamed up with a guitarist to form a trio band and were still recruiting a bassist.

The freshmen concert was held on the evening of the 29th. In the morning, Yang Jingxing received a call from Tao Meng, saying that their military training had finally ended.

Tao Meng also said that the students from Shangpu were planning to gather on October 4th, with not only students from Puhai but also some from other cities, totaling about 13 or 14 people.

Tao Meng said, "Ren Chuyu also said she wanted to come, but it's not confirmed yet."

Yang Jingxing said, "Unfortunately, I don't have time." Zhang Yang and the others planned to play in Puhai until the 6th and then return to school.

Tao Meng complained, "You've spent so much time with your friends. The feelings between high school classmates are the most genuine, and they won't be there in the future."

Yang Jingxing said, "I send my sincere wishes. Have a good time."

Tao Meng angrily asked, "Don't you want to see these classmates at all? They all know you're in Puhai. How will you explain it in the future? Do you understand interpersonal relationships?"

Yang Jingxing chuckled, "You just said it was sincere feelings, now it's interpersonal relationships."

Tao Meng shouted, "It's not contradictory... When will you be free?"

Yang Jingxing said, "On the 6th, in the afternoon."

Tao Meng said, "I have to send my mom on the 6th. How about the 5th?"

Yang Jingxing asked, "Do you want to meet my friends?"

Tao Meng hesitated for a moment and finally said, "Okay, we'll contact you then."

The freshmen concert was held in the old concert hall, and it was quite lively, with many teachers and upperclassmen coming to observe. When Yang Jingxing went to prepare, he saw Yu Xinting playing "You Clap, I Clap" with another girl.

Seeing Yang Jingxing laughing at her, Yu Xinting immediately stopped. It was her new friend, a long-haired, slightly plump girl, who smiled at Yang Jingxing first.

Yang Jingxing introduced himself, "I'm Yang Jingxing, from the Composition Department."

The long-haired girl said, "I know, I'm An Xin."

Yang Jingxing flattered, "Nice name. Xinting, An Xin, no wonder you're friends."

An Xin smiled, "I'm from the word 'warm'... Do you have a performance too?"

Yang Jingxing nodded, "What about you? Any hints?"

An Xin seemed a bit embarrassed, "We're playing a duet, the Landler Dance."

Yang Jingxing was surprised, "I'm ready. Which one is it?"

An Xin said, "The third one."

Yang Jingxing looked at Yu Xinting and asked, "Are you afraid I'll eat all your apples?"

Yu Xinting shook her head and looked away, "No!"

Yang Jingxing asked, "What are your plans for the break?"

Yu Xinting shook her head again, "Practice the piano."

"Go out and have some fun," Yang Jingxing asked An Xin, "Aren't you from Puhai?"

An Xin shook her head, "I'm from Anhui. What about you?"

Yang Jingxing teased, "Ask her."

An Xin looked at Yu Xinting, a bit surprised.

Yu Xinting grabbed An Xin's arm and leaned her head on her shoulder, "He's from Quhang, Jichun."

Yang Jingxing said, "You continue playing, I won't disturb you."

Yu Xinting seemed to change her mind and called, "What about you? Where are you going for the break?"

"Friends are coming to visit."

Yu Xinting understood, "Oh."

There were dozens of short performances, and Yang Jingxing performed in the middle, playing the "Little Dog Waltz" smoothly and with a lot of fun, receiving a lot of applause. Those who didn't know thought he was from the Piano Department. He didn't leave immediately but stayed to watch Yu Xinting and An Xin's four-hand duet, which they performed quite well.

On the afternoon of the 30th, Yang Jingxing had to go to the North Building to practice the piano. Li Yingzhen started having him try some difficult pieces. In the past few days, he had been practicing Chopin's Black Key Etude.

This piece required evenness, accuracy, ease, and a strong sense of touch. Despite its short duration of just two minutes, a performer's skill could be discerned by a professional ear in just a few seconds.

Yang Jingxing played it once, and Li Yingzhen didn't seem to find anything to criticize. She hesitated for a moment and said to the sophomore boy who had just finished his lesson and was now staring in amazement, "You can go now, go ahead!"

After the door closed, Li Yingzhen said to Yang Jingxing, "Shouldn't the pedal be a little shallower? Just a little... Left hand, a bit heavier, play it again, let me listen."

Yang Jingxing played seriously, and Li Yingzhen listened even more intently, her expression slightly distorted. After listening, she didn't say anything, remained quiet for two minutes, and then started practicing the next piece.

Li Yingzhen originally planned to have Yang Jingxing master over 40 high-difficulty etudes in three months, but now it seemed the progress would be even faster. Sigh, others' improvement slowed down with more practice, but Yang Jingxing's progress was rapid. Before, he would need to practice a small piece five or six times, but now, with such high-difficulty pieces, he could play them so well after just two or three tries that Li Yingzhen didn't know what to criticize.

After three hours of practice, Li Yingzhen and Yang Jingxing discussed the future, asking him, "Do you want to continue practicing or go out and see the world?"

Yang Jingxing was very firm, "Practice!"

Li Yingzhen nodded and said, "In the future, try to participate less in school activities. Broaden your horizons. The New York Philharmonic will be performing in Puhai in mid-November. We'll go together. Choose a piece and prepare it." She had told Yang Jingxing that the New York Philharmonic had three Chinese members, two of whom she knew. Additionally, the orchestra had recently hired a female assistant conductor, who was also Chinese.

Yang Jingxing asked, "Which piece will make you the most proud?"

Li Yingzhen smiled, "True skill isn't about the piece. The New York Philharmonic is known for their performance of Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3..."

Yang Jingxing said, "Then let's do that."

Li Yingzhen shook her head, "No, no, it's not the right time, and there's not enough time. You can't practice well during the break!" She was quite dissatisfied.

Yang Jingxing said, "There's still over a month. I'll give it a try."

Li Yingzhen thought for a long time. If it were another student trying to practice Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3 in a month, she would have scolded them severely, but for Yang Jingxing, Li Yingzhen's plan was to make him stand out.

However, meeting the conductor of the New York Philharmonic wasn't easy. If he failed, it would be a huge loss. Li Yingzhen had spent a lot of effort to establish this connection, even putting her reputation on the line.

The most critical point was that even though Li Yingzhen had confidence in Yang Jingxing, she herself wasn't sure. Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3 was rarely attempted, and the teachers in the college wouldn't let students waste their time on it. Li Yingzhen had taught countless students in her lifetime, but only a few had seriously practiced Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3, and only one had succeeded, and that wasn't under her guidance.

If Yang Jingxing played Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3 as poorly as he did "Don Juan" during their first meeting, Li Yingzhen's reputation would be ruined.

In the end, Li Yingzhen agreed to let Yang Jingxing practice Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3 for two weeks, but he had to be prepared to switch pieces. Li Yingzhen thought Yang Jingxing's performance of Chopin's Piano Concerto No. 1 was already at a high level and could serve as a backup.

Li Yingzhen also asked Yang Jingxing, "Do you have any plans to study abroad?"

Yang Jingxing shook his head, "No."

Li Yingzhen agreed, "We shouldn't blindly admire foreign things. Many people only see the advantages, and how many people go abroad with their violins and end up washing dishes!" After a while, she asked, "Are you close to Yu Xinting?"

Yang Jingxing was embarrassed, "Just friends. What do you think of her playing?"

Li Yingzhen said, "Of course, she can't compare to you... Among the freshmen I have, she's one of the better ones. She's lively and likable."

On the morning of the 1st, Yang Jingxing met Du Ling first. Du Ling had changed her hairstyle and was dressed beautifully. After lunch, they went to the station to pick up Zhang Yang and the others. Zhang Yang arrived at 2 PM, and they were as excited as if they hadn't seen each other in a long time. Around 3 PM, Lu Lin and Xu Wei also arrived, and the five of them went directly to Yang Jingxing's place.

Du Ling was very angry that Yang Jingxing lived in such a large house by himself and hadn't told her, especially since it was so close to her school.

Du Ling looked around and was dissatisfied when she saw the empty kitchen, saying he should cook his own meals. Zhang Yang warned Yang Jingxing not to agree, or he would have a lot of trouble in the future. Du Ling and Zhang Yang then started arguing.

After a short rest, the friends bought two mats and slept on the floor that night. Du Ling said she was too lazy to go back to school and wanted to occupy a room, planning to buy towels and blankets, but was stopped. However, Yang Jingxing had to promise to take her back to school that night.

Before dinner, the friends all expressed their desire to visit the music college. After a tour, they were a bit disappointed, as it was small and quiet, and they didn't see many beautiful people or talented individuals.

Of course, they had to have a big meal and drinks for dinner. Then they discussed their college life, each giving a report. Beautiful girls were a constant topic. Zhang Yang said he was mesmerized by a tall and beautiful senior on the first day of school. Xu Wei said there were many girls in his major, but none were particularly pretty. Lu Lin said he was very sad, as he hadn't seen any attractive girls in the entire school.

Du Ling was pleased and said with her big eyes, "Those boys are so annoying, shameless, and even have the nerve to think about eating swans."

Yang Jingxing was puzzled, "I thought the music college should be a very romantic place, but why are there so few romantic moments? I haven't seen many beautiful girls or couples."

Just as they were laughing, Yang Jingxing received a call from Tao Meng, asking if he had met his friends and what they were doing.

Tao Meng said, "Let's meet on the 5th at noon, I'll come to your school."

Yang Jingxing was happy, "Finally, there will be a beautiful girl at the music college."

Tao Meng didn't believe him, "You haven't brought your beautiful friend yet? By the way, I need to ask about your friends..."

Yang Jingxing said, "No need to ask, you'll meet them."

Tao Meng was angry, "Are they your friends or mine? Do you think I want to meet them! Eat first, and then tell me how many people, their names, and what schools and majors they are from."

Yang Jingxing asked, "Are you making friends or gathering intelligence?"

Tao Meng was impatient, "My mom is coming out, I have to hang up!"

In the next three days, the friends wandered around Puhai, and Yang Jingxing had to refuel his car twice. On the evening of the 4th, Yang Jingxing received another call from Tao Meng, "Shao Lei and the others might call you later. I told them you went home."

Yang Jingxing chuckled, "You're not lying, I'm going home soon."

Hearing that Yang Jingxing was introducing a beautiful girl the next day, Zhang Yang and the others were all grateful to their good brother, except for Du Ling, who was dismissive, "Hmph, are you stupid!?"

Lu Lin asked suspiciously, "Are they really just friends?"

Yang Jingxing nodded, "You'll see tomorrow."

Zhang Yang was worried, "Is she very ugly!?"

Xu Wei asked, "Is she from Puhai?"

Yang Jingxing, catering to his friends' curiosity, shared some information about Tao Meng. Du Ling was very disdainful, "Why are you hanging out with such people!" In her eyes, Yang Jingxing wasn't someone who would fawn over the rich and powerful.

Lu Lin chuckled, "I feel so much pressure."

Zhang Yang was disdainful, "Afraid of watermelons... Will she bring bodyguards?"

Xu Wei laughed, "We won't embarrass you."

In the evening, Tao Meng sent a text message asking for more information. Yang Jingxing had to satisfy her by introducing his friends one by one.

Tao Meng was still unsatisfied and asked about their family backgrounds, relationships, and whether they had boyfriends or girlfriends.

Yang Jingxing was annoyed, "You're not meeting my parents, why do you need to know so much!"

There was no further response.

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