Chapter 43

On November 1st, a Wednesday, with light rain, the temperature dropped to 14 degrees. Yang Jingxing dressed formally to go to school for Li Yingzhen's inspection. It was only ten o'clock, and Li Yingzhen was still giving a private lesson to Yu Xinting.

Yu Xinting looked at Yang Jingxing with a gaze like Yao Chunyan's infatuation. Li Yingzhen scrutinized him and then doubted, "Is the tie too old-fashioned... and the cufflinks are no good, they need to be changed."

Li Yingzhen then asked Yu Xinting, "Xinting, do you have any suitable clothes?"

Yu Xinting was startled, "Ah! Me?"

"Zhang Chujia has a class tomorrow afternoon, you come with us," Li Yingzhen looked at Yang Jingxing.

Yu Xinting looked at Yang Jingxing again, pleading, "I don't have any."

Li Yingzhen looked at Yang Jingxing again, "Your shoes! No, they need to be changed, go now."

Li Yingzhen also wanted Yu Xinting to come along, but the girl was scared, "I won't go, I don't know how."

Li Yingzhen was unhappy, "You'll never learn if you don't."

Yang Jingxing tried to plead, "Professor, forget it, I don't need a support team now."

Li Yingzhen wouldn't listen and lectured Yu Xinting, "This is such a good opportunity, I wouldn't take others even if they wanted to!"

So the three of them went to the mall, first to buy shoes for Yang Jingxing. What Xiao Shuxia failed to achieve, Li Yingzhen did. Yang Jingxing was forced to wear those pointed leather shoes with laces.

A pair of cheap cufflinks cost hundreds, so when it was Yu Xinting's turn, she was scared and whispered to Yang Jingxing, "I don't have money!"

Yang Jingxing said, "You cheer me on, I'll pay for the clothes."

Yu Xinting shook her head, "No, it's too expensive! I'll never spend that kind of money!"

Li Yingzhen asked Yu Xinting to try on the clothes and said to Yang Jingxing, "Zhang Chujia is graduating, I'll have Yu Xinting help me in the future."

Yang Jingxing said, "She should be able to do it."

Li Yingzhen boasted, "I treat these students better than my own children. Zhang Chujia is also far from home, and she's very likable..."

Yu Xinting was quick, but when she came out of the fitting room, she was shy and afraid to be seen. Indeed, the straight-legged pants, the professional woman's blouse, and the little jacket didn't match her face at all, and she was still wearing the sneakers she came in.

Li Yingzhen didn't care about Yu Xinting's feelings and asked Yang Jingxing, "How does it look?"

Yang Jingxing smiled, "It looks good, but the change is too drastic."

Li Yingzhen agreed and said, "Then you choose for her, I'm not young anymore."

Yu Xinting didn't dare to speak and followed behind Yang Jingxing, agreeing with whatever he said. A dark blue pair of jeans, a white mid-length T-shirt, and a light pink jacket, all slightly cute.

When Yu Xinting changed and came out again, Li Yingzhen said, "Casual is good too, you're eighteen, right?"

Yu Xinting said, "Almost nineteen."

Li Yingzhen asked Yang Jingxing, "Is it okay?"

Yang Jingxing was satisfied, "Not bad, not bad."

Li Yingzhen said, "We need a pair of shoes and a new bag, let's check out."

Yu Xinting pouted, "Professor Li, can we buy cheaper ones?"

Li Yingzhen had already taken out her credit card.

Yu Xinting grabbed Li Yingzhen's hand, "Professor Li..."

Li Yingzhen scolded, "You silly girl, it's not your business!"

Yang Jingxing said, "It's my business, I'll take care of it."

Li Yingzhen agreed, "Alright."

It was over four thousand for just three items, Yang Jingxing was almost in tears, let alone Yu Xinting. The girl followed Yang Jingxing like she was going to the execution ground, watching him pay with his card.

They had to choose shoes again, which cost another thousand. Yu Xinting finally broke down, put them on, and laughed, "They look good." White low-heeled boat shoes with a cute black bow at the front.

The bag only cost a few hundred, but it was still good.

On the way back to school, Yu Xinting seriously told Li Yingzhen, "Really, our clothes for a hundred or two look just as good. This T-shirt only costs eighty, and I can bargain!"

Li Yingzhen said, "What you should worry about now is your English."

Yu Xinting exclaimed, "Do I have to speak English?"

Li Yingzhen comforted, "It's okay if you don't."

After returning to school, Yu Xinting put the clothes away and came to have lunch with Yang Jingxing, calculating, "I earn three hundred a week, it will take twenty weeks to pay you back, that's next year! I'll be a bonded laborer!"

Yang Jingxing said, "If I perform well and get approval tomorrow, you don't have to pay me back."

Yu Xinting shook her head, "No, it's too much, and I can't help much."

Yang Jingxing said, "Who says you can't help. If it were Yao Chunyan, even in those clothes..."

Yu Xinting quickly stopped him, "You can't say that about her, she'll be sad."

Yang Jingxing felt ashamed and changed the topic, "How much do you earn from tutoring?"

Yu Xinting said, "Sixty per hour, I have to give ten to the senior."

Yang Jingxing was angry, "Why?"

Yu Xinting said, "She helped me find the job and took me there."

Yang Jingxing asked, "Is it far?"

Yu Xinting said, "Not far, but it takes a long time to walk into the neighborhood, it's huge! I was afraid of getting lost, so I memorized the route, hehe. Liyang Huadu, Building 24, Room 602."

Yang Jingxing was surprised, "No way? I live in Building 30."

Yu Xinting didn't believe him, "You're lying."

Yang Jingxing said, "The South Gate, there's a big garden and a swimming pool, it's so dirty!"

"Really! Why didn't I see you?"

Yang Jingxing said, "Give me the transportation fee, I'll pick you up and drop you off, four yuan."

Yu Xinting said, "I have to go at nine in the morning, actually, I wanted to go in the afternoon, but the child has a tutoring class in the afternoon."

Yang Jingxing said, "Nine is good, I'll be coming out for breakfast."

Yu Xinting laughed, "I'll go online later to review my English."

Yang Jingxing was confident, "No need, I'll play a piece, and they'll just laugh even if you curse them in Yidu dialect."

Yu Xinting laughed, "I know you can do it."

On Thursday afternoon, Yang Jingxing, Li Yingzhen, and the deputy dean of the music college rushed to the Puhai Concert Hall. They were first greeted by the Chinese-American female assistant conductor in the second-floor lounge. The assistant conductor was named Yue Xian, under forty, who had been abroad for over a decade. Her appearance and makeup were Westernized, but she still remembered her mother tongue, speaking with a Northeastern accent.

Li Yingzhen had told Yang Jingxing that Yue Xian was also a pianist by origin, but switched to conducting due to her small hands after going abroad. Yue Xian had won awards in both piano and conducting, a very talented woman.

Yue Xian encouraged Yang Jingxing, telling him not to be nervous when he met Mr. Jaromir, but to seize the opportunity. Jaromir was the current chief conductor of the New York Philharmonic, who had been in the position for three years, known for his passionate pursuit of music and iron-fisted management of the orchestra.

Yue Xian respected Li Yingzhen and inquired about Yang Jingxing's piano experience. It was natural to be curious, as no one had heard of him before, and now a world-class genius suddenly appeared. Or was Li Yingzhen just blowing things out of proportion in her old age?

Yang Jingxing, of course, was modest, but Li Yingzhen exaggerated on his behalf. When the coffee ran out, Li Yingzhen asked Yu Xinting, who hadn't had a chance to speak, to get more. The girl took a long time to finally bring back a few cups.

Yue Xian asked if Yu Xinting had bought the coffee from the second-floor café and even took her out to introduce her to another lounge where there was hot water and instant coffee. Yu Xinting was very embarrassed.

After chatting for about half an hour, a young white man came to find Yue Xian. Yang Jingxing understood that the chief conductor was waiting in the practice room, calling them over.

They went to the practice room and waited for a few minutes. Conductor Jaromir arrived, around sixty years old, tall and robust. Jaromir only shook hands with Li Yingzhen and then said to Yang Jingxing, "You have five minutes."

What an attitude! But Yang Jingxing still had to say "thank you" and then slowly sat at the piano, taking a moment to prepare, wasting half a minute.

Li Yingzhen said, "The third movement, start from measure eighty."

Yang Jingxing looked at his teacher, "Can I play 'Feux Follets'?"

Li Yingzhen frowned as if startled but finally nodded.

"Feux Follets" is the most challenging of Liszt's etudes. The rapid double notes in various intervals are almost impossible to practice, requiring not just talent but exceptionally large and agile hands, with fingers that can stretch and contract at an incredible speed. The piece, though only three to four minutes long, demands more than just perseverance and courage; the performer must be exceptionally gifted, or all efforts will be in vain. Of course, one could force it, but it would be too cruel to the listener and the performer.

After the first few measures, Yue Xian and Jaromir raised their eyebrows, and Li Yingzhen breathed a sigh of relief. Yang Jingxing was indeed Yang Jingxing.

After a minute, Li Yingzhen's proud smile contrasted sharply with Jaromir's expressionless face. Yu Xinting was still clutching her clothes, occasionally stealing glances at the other listeners' reactions.

The piece, clearly a show of technique, was played very fast by Yang Jingxing, but the notes were still very clear. Clarity alone was not enough; he also had to convey the playful and whimsical nature of the piece, reminiscent of a mischievous sprite. This was very much in Yang Jingxing's style; he would have loved to play Chopin the same way!

Suddenly, Jaromir straightened his upper body, as he finally heard a wrong note, ahaha. But he immediately stretched his neck, as it wasn't a wrong note! Yang Jingxing had started playing the ossia, not simplifying but increasing the difficulty, focusing on the left hand. This would have made Liszt roll in his grave!

After two minutes, Yang Jingxing's showmanship became even more audacious. The listeners had to concentrate to identify where he had made bold changes. But Yang Jingxing wouldn't give them a chance to criticize him. After all, he was from the composition department and had self-studied a lot, listening to countless pieces from ancient to modern times. Making a few variations in this already loosely structured showpiece was not a problem, as long as he could play it.

At some point, Jaromir's fists were clenched in front of his chest, trembling as if he had seen a ghost, but more excited than afraid!

The piece ended with dozens of notes in a single measure. Yang Jingxing turned and gave the listeners a smile, but only Yu Xinting responded.

Jaromir still had his fists clenched, trembling exaggeratedly. After a long while, he finally spoke, bursting into profanity, "Holy shit... God is being f***ed... Who are you!?"

This couldn't be blamed on his lack of manners. Yang Jingxing had played the piece in just three minutes and a few seconds, with a consistently even touch throughout, even the bold and audacious variations were for the sake of this effect. From start to finish, Yang Jingxing's key depth was smooth and even, with no weak notes, and he used the pedals freely. And this was on a Steinway, which would normally increase the difficulty.

In such an intense finger movement, no one could claim to achieve perfect detail, and just completing it at a normal speed would be remarkable. But Yang Jingxing not only played much faster but also with greater expressiveness, no wrong notes or weak notes, clear, even, and smooth...

Yue Xian, forgetting her Chinese heritage, still had a stunned expression and blurted out in English, "Unbelievable!"

Yang Jingxing was happy, "Thank you."

Jaromir jumped forward, "What's your name?"

"Yang Jingxing."

"Follow me!" Jaromir pulled Yang Jingxing out quickly.

Yang Jingxing was pulled to the practice hall without a word, with the others following closely. The practice hall was relatively small, and the orchestra members were resting, making a lot of noise.

"Attention!" Jaromir shouted loudly.

The orchestra members, who seemed to fear him, immediately quieted down, and some hurriedly returned to their positions and picked up their instruments.

Jaromir continued to shout, "I want to introduce you to God's masterpiece, Yang Jingxing!"

Who is this kid? The group looked at each other, watching the old conductor embrace Yang Jingxing and then clap. Yue Xian also clapped, and the orchestra members reluctantly followed suit.

Jaromir, holding Yang Jingxing's shoulders, said a lot of praise, even in Slovak, which Yang Jingxing could only respond to with a smile.

Good things should be shared, and Jaromir couldn't wait. He pointed to the piano and said to Yang Jingxing, "One more time, please."

Li Yingzhen agreed, "Play it again."

So Yang Jingxing played it again. After three minutes, the orchestra members finally started to clap voluntarily, tapping their expensive violins and cellos.

Jaromir decided, "Tomorrow evening, you must be on stage, you must!"

Li Yingzhen also agreed and suggested that Yang Jingxing play Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 3.

Jaromir couldn't wait, gathered the orchestra, and started rehearsing immediately. He and Yang Jingxing were a perfect match, both young in spirit, not in age.

After all, it was the New York Philharmonic, where a single vacancy often attracted hundreds of elite candidates from around the world, with an average age of over forty. The overall level of the orchestra was much higher than that of the music college.

Li Yingzhen didn't need to get angry; she just sat and enjoyed Yang Jingxing's performance with the New York Philharmonic. The first run-through was very successful, and everyone applauded afterward.

After Rachmaninoff, they moved on to Beethoven, as Jaromir wanted to test Yang Jingxing's emotional power. Oh, it was exactly what he liked, almost dropping his baton in joy.

Jaromir really wanted to play all five of Beethoven's concertos, but time didn't allow, it was almost six o'clock. So he had the orchestra members line up to meet and shake hands with Yang Jingxing. The two Chinese members seemed to like Yang Jingxing and spoke a bit more, trying to connect as fellow countrymen.

Jaromir invited Yang Jingxing to have dinner together, even going to shake hands with Yu Xinting and asking Yang Jingxing, "Your beautiful girlfriend?"

Yang Jingxing shook his head, "A good friend."

Jaromir reminded, "But you need a female companion."

Yang Jingxing introduced, "My professor, Ms. Li Yingzhen."

Jaromir then remembered to respect Li Yingzhen, who had been smiling all along.

They agreed to meet at the hotel restaurant at eight in the evening, and Jaromir and Yue Xian escorted Yang Jingxing and the others out of the concert hall.

Li Yingzhen praised, "You did well, I won't criticize you this time." Yang Jingxing had once again taken on a high difficulty.

Yu Xinting also laughed, "Better than I imagined, congratulations."

Yang Jingxing said, "Thanks to your help."

Li Yingzhen suggested, "Why don't you take Xinting with you tonight?"

Yu Xinting didn't know, "Where?"

Yang Jingxing said, "For dinner, the foreigners are treating us."

Yu Xinting shook her head, "No!"

Yang Jingxing said, "It's a working dinner, not great, but we can go for hotpot afterward."

Yu Xinting nodded, "Okay."