Chapter 45

At around six, Yang Jingxing received a call from Tao Meng, who said she had arrived but was with her grandmother, so she couldn't come to cheer for him.

Tao Meng said, "We are in Box 8, on the left side of the middle."

Yang Jingxing replied, "My parents are in Box 12, opposite you."

Tao Meng said, "Don't be nervous, just maintain the state you were in this afternoon."

The orchestra's performance started at 7 PM and lasted until 10 PM. Yang Jingxing was scheduled to perform around 9 PM, so he had been waiting, listening to the symphonies and the rounds of applause from the front.

Li Yingzhen arranged for Yu Xinting to accompany Yang Jingxing, regardless of whether he wanted it or not. Yu Xinting really got into her role and found things to do: "Do you want some water?"

Yang Jingxing shouted, "Sit down!"

Yu Xinting sat down, looked at Yang Jingxing's tuxedo, and touched her own neck, asking, "Does your throat feel uncomfortable here?"

Yang Jingxing said, "I feel uncomfortable all over."

Yu Xinting laughed, "You look so handsome... You resemble your mom a bit, I take after my dad."

Yang Jingxing laughed, "Are you saying your dad is very cute?"

"No," Yu Xinting was embarrassed and pointed to her nose, "He also has a small flat nose."

Yang Jingxing said, "Then your dad is a classical beauty."

Yu Xinting said, "Tao Meng's nose is so beautiful, I like her eyebrows."

Yang Jingxing said, "You like them in vain, she definitely won't give them to you."

Yu Xinting continued, "And she is so tall, much taller than me."

Yang Jingxing said, "She is wearing high heels."

Yu Xinting said, "I know, but even without them, she is taller than me, definitely over 1.7 meters."

Yang Jingxing grumbled, "Girls over 1.7 meters are second-class disabled!"

Yu Xinting laughed, "You're not afraid of height, you two are a perfect match."

Yang Jingxing laughed, "If she hears that, you're in trouble."

Yu Xinting said, "She came to cheer for you, she must care about you."

Yang Jingxing pleaded, "We are just ordinary friends."

Yu Xinting asked fiercely, "Do you like her!?"

Yang Jingxing nodded, "Yes, I like her as much as I like you!"

Yu Xinting was shocked, "That's different!"

Yang Jingxing said shamelessly, "Alright, I like you a bit more."

Yu Xinting was flustered, "You're making it up, making it up! You can't do that!"

Yang Jingxing said, "Then don't provoke me in the future."

Finally, it was Yang Jingxing's turn. The announcer introduced him as a student from the music college, under the guidance of Professor Li Yingzhen, performing Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 3 in C minor.

Yu Xinting was both nervous and excited, "Go, go!"

Yehorimir came to the stage to welcome Yang Jingxing, and the entire orchestra stood up. The audience was surprised, wondering who this kid was to receive such high treatment.

Yang Jingxing bowed to the over a thousand audience members, saw his parents, teachers, and friends, then greeted the orchestra and shook hands with the concertmaster before sitting down at the piano. He quickly exchanged a glance with the conductor and began.

Yehorimir and the orchestra thought that someone with so little performance experience would be nervous, but it turned out their worries were unnecessary. Perhaps Yang Jingxing was too confident, showing no signs of nervousness. His performance was still lively and graceful, flawless and steady.

Menuhin said that the human ear's sensitivity plays a significant role in the complex interaction between our hearing and emotions. Hearing is a great teacher, uniquely connecting with all our moods and feelings, linking us to joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness.

Music, in essence, is an auditory enjoyment. Regardless of the emotions it conveys, whether sad or happy, it can make people immersed. Great performers can connect with human emotions to the greatest extent in their performances.

Forty minutes later, the piece ended. Yehorimir stepped down from the podium, raised Yang Jingxing's hand like a referee, and pulled him up from his seat. Yang Jingxing bowed, thanked the audience for their enthusiastic applause, and waved to his excited mother.

The applause lasted for two minutes before it subsided after Yang Jingxing and Yehorimir left the stage. Yu Xinting greeted Yang Jingxing with a smile and two thumbs up, saying, "I knew it would be fine."

Yang Jingxing said unmodestly, "You can be proud as a cheerleader too."

Yehorimir and Yang Jingxing agreed to meet the next afternoon, then went their separate ways. Yang Jingxing was about to go to the dressing room when Tao Meng called, not to congratulate him but in a hurry, "Grandma recognized you, what should we do?"

Yang Jingxing laughed, "Say hello to Grandma for me."

Tao Meng was even more anxious, "Grandma wants to meet you!"

Yang Jingxing was not afraid, "Sure, I'll change and go to the second floor."

Tao Meng added, "Why are you wearing a day tuxedo!? I forgot to ask... Don't change, just come up like that." Yang Jingxing was thinking of wearing a vest.

When Yang Jingxing and Yu Xinting went up to the second floor, Xiao Shuxia was already respectfully greeting Tao Meng's grandmother. Tao Meng was dressed differently from the afternoon, wearing high heels, a shiny handbag, and a black and white dress that was a mix of formal and casual. Her grandmother was even more formal, with a cloud brocade vest and a large pearl necklace, and also wore high heels.

The elderly woman was even made up, looking younger than her age. When she saw Yang Jingxing walk over, she clapped, "Bravo!"

Yang Jingxing did not act like an artist, "Hello, Grandma."

The elderly woman chuckled, "Hello, hello, very impressive, your parents are amazing."

Yang Jingxing said, "Actually, it's the teacher who is amazing, and the support team is amazing." He patted Yu Xinting's shoulder, who was hanging her head.

The elderly woman then spoke to Yu Xinting, "Hello, young lady."

Yu Xinting looked up, "Hello."

After a few casual chats, the elderly woman said, "It's late, otherwise we could have had some tea. We'll take our leave now, good night everyone."

Xiao Shuxia quickly said, "We'll see you out, we are also going back."

Tao Meng held her grandmother's hand and called the driver, "We are coming out, wait at the entrance."

As the group went out, they saw a Rolls Royce, and they said their goodbyes. Tao Meng helped her grandmother into the car and then got in herself, being scolded, "You didn't say goodbye?"

Tao Meng had to get out again, "Goodbye, Professor Li, goodbye!"

Yang Jingxing laughed, and was glared at.

After a brief discussion, the remaining people decided to let Yang Jingxing take Yu Xinting back to school. As soon as they got in the car, Yu Xinting asked, "Can we listen to the radio?"

Yang Jingxing demonstrated and then let Yu Xinting adjust it. After a while, she said, "This is the station, there's a classical music program at 12:30, and there might be news about you."

Yang Jingxing asked, "Do you listen to such late programs?"

Yu Xinting said, "Sometimes."

Yang Jingxing said, "Go to bed early, I'll pick you up in the morning."

Yu Xinting shook her head, "No need, really..."

Yang Jingxing was annoyed, "Shut up. There are three tickets in that bag, take them, give one to An Xin, and see who else."

Yu Xinting then picked up the bag with Yang Jingxing's tuxedo, took out the tickets after feeling around, and said, "I'll call Chunyan... I can bring my student!"

Yang Jingxing disagreed, "Kids, what if they get lost, no way!"

Yu Xinting shook her head, "No, no, she is very obedient, very cute."

Yang Jingxing laughed, "Then you two can get along... You need her parents' permission."

"Of course..."

When Yang Jingxing got home, his parents didn't rush him to rest or talk about music, but instead asked about Tao Meng. What does Tao Meng's family do? How is your relationship with her?

Yang Jingxing said he didn't know much about her, and their relationship was average.

On Saturday morning at around seven, Yang Jingxing received a call from Tao Meng, asking, "Don't you have a tuxedo? A tailcoat."

Yang Jingxing was annoyed, "Why so particular, I can play in anything."

Tao Meng said, "The conductor wears a tailcoat... Whatever!"

Yang Jingxing laughed, "You should dress up nicely, like last night."

Tao Meng was angry, "It's none of your business... Did you rest early last night?"

Yang Jingxing said, "Early, what about you?"

Tao Meng said, "I go to bed on time every day... Ha ha, Grandma asked if Yu Xinting is your girlfriend."

Yang Jingxing laughed, "Grandma is old."

Tao Meng said, "People would misunderstand."

Yang Jingxing asked, "Do I look that bad?"

Tao Meng asked, "Doesn't she have classes? She follows you every day."

Yang Jingxing said, "She is Professor Li's assistant."

Tao Meng was upset, "You are wasting her time. If you need an assistant, you can hire one."

Yang Jingxing laughed, "I don't need one."

Tao Meng added, "You should thank her properly."

Yang Jingxing said, "Of course."

Tao Meng asked, "How do you plan to thank her?"

Yang Jingxing said, "By treating her to a meal."

Tao Meng was unimpressed, "Don't be so cliché... You can give her a gift, I can help you choose."

Yang Jingxing was happy, "Thanks, what will you choose?"

Tao Meng said, "Don't worry about it... When are your parents leaving?"

Yang Jingxing said, "Next week, my dad will go back first."

Tao Meng asked, "You really don't plan to go to America?"

Yang Jingxing said, "No, I'm afraid of loneliness."

Tao Meng huffed, "You don't seem to contact your friends much! Isn't music your dream? Is your dream so high?"

Yang Jingxing was puzzled, "What does a dream have to do with a place?"

Tao Meng said, "I will definitely go abroad. I'll come back later... Talk to Grandma more, she likes young people."

Yang Jingxing was about to go out, and his parents quickly asked what he was doing. Xiao Shuxia almost scolded her son, "You are a musician now, how can you still be so unambitious?"

Yang Chengyi, in front of his son, scolded his wife, "He is an adult now, don't manage everything for him."

Xiao Shuxia was determined, "I will manage this for life!"

Yang Jingxing was about to call Yu Xinting, but she was already waiting at the school gate. She got in the car first, gave Yang Jingxing an apple, and asked, "Have you had breakfast... An Xin said thank you... Did you listen to the radio... Why not... It's better you didn't, they were not timely... I washed my new clothes last night, they are not dry yet!"

After dropping off Yu Xinting, Yang Jingxing agreed to pick her up at noon and go to the concert hall in the afternoon. Then he met Hu Yiqing and gave her the tickets. Two tickets, because Hu Yiqing had a boyfriend.

Hu Yiqing was happy for Yang Jingxing and then shared her own joy, saying she met her boyfriend through a blind date, who was a civil servant, and they planned to get married next year.

Yang Jingxing was worried about Hu Yiqing's boyfriend, "A gentle and beautiful wife, a noble profession, others will be jealous."

Hu Yiqing no longer treated Yang Jingxing as a student, "A tall and handsome boyfriend, a musician, will also be envied."

After saying goodbye to Hu Yiqing, Yang Jingxing went back to school to meet Zhang Chujia and give her the tickets. On the way, he received a call from Yu Xinting, "Xiaojiajia and her family also went to the concert hall yesterday, they saw you! They are coming again tonight!" Xiaojiajia was Yu Xinting's student, only five or six years old, quite pitiful. Yang Jingxing was still playing with mud at five.

Yang Jingxing could hear the adults' voices in the background, calling Yu Xinting to say hello, so he said, "Say hello to Xiaojiajia for me."

"Okay!" Yu Xinting was happy, "Xiaojiajia, the big brother says hello to you."

Yu Xinting was still happy, "When I first said you live here, they didn't believe me, ha ha."

Yang Jingxing handed the tickets to Zhang Chujia, who was almost at eleven. They chatted for a while, and Zhang Chujia was still struggling with whether to stay at the school. She didn't know what she could do outside the school, but she didn't want to be trapped here for life.

Yang Jingxing asked, "What do you want to do?"

Zhang Chujia laughed, "I used to want to be like you, a master."

Yang Jingxing said, "You are already a master."

Zhang Chujia laughed coldly, "Why didn't Professor Li take me to meet New York... I don't mean anything, actually, Old Li is very good to me."

Yang Jingxing was at a loss, "Now whatever I say is like talking without feeling the pain."

Zhang Chujia blamed, "Why are you so unique... What are your plans?"

Yang Jingxing said he wanted to study, continue studying, which surprised Zhang Chujia.

After saying goodbye to Zhang Chujia, Yang Jingxing went to pick up Yu Xinting. The tutoring time was from 9 to 12, and he didn't rush, just waited downstairs. But after the car had only been parked for three minutes, Yu Xinting came down with a few people, a young man and woman, and a little girl holding Yu Xinting's hand, definitely Xiaojiajia's family.

Yang Jingxing quickly got out of the car and clapped, "Xiaojiajia, hello."

The little girl was happy, "Big brother, hello."

Xiaojiajia's parents greeted Yang Jingxing like they were meeting a master, both surprised and admiring. After a brief chat, it turned out that Xiaojiajia's father was a music lover and was extremely impressed with Yang Jingxing's performance, saying it was better than a certain version from a certain year.

The family wanted to invite Yang Jingxing to their home, but he had to explain that he had no time. Before leaving, Yang Jingxing said to Xiaojiajia, "Your sister is very good, you should learn from her."

Xiaojiajia agreed, and her parents also expressed their satisfaction with Yu Xinting.

On the way back, Yu Xinting told Yang Jingxing that she received very good treatment today, with all kinds of fruits and even an invitation to lunch.

Yang Jingxing asked, "Did they treat you badly before?"

Yu Xinting said, "Not really, but not as much as today... Xiaojiajia's dad spoils her, it reminds me of my childhood."

Yang Jingxing said, "That's good, she will grow up like you."

Yu Xinting was modest, "I am not good."

Yang Jingxing was curious, "How are you not good?"

Yu Xinting said, "I don't have a womanly charm, Xiaojiajia's mom does."

Yang Jingxing almost laughed to death, "Do you know what womanly charm is? Besides, that's something men should evaluate!"

Yu Xinting was a bit nervous, "I know."