Chapter 33, Song 33...

Qu Jiaying didn't want to lose to Le Yi, and she didn't want him to look down on her, so she still performed seriously, but the effect was only slightly better than before. She still felt that something was wrong.

Le Yi was at a loss for words this time: "It seems to lack a bit of appeal, but I have no idea how to fix it."

Qu Jiaying's headache wasn't just about her own performance; Yan Zheng and Xiang Min had even bigger problems. Xiang Min didn't want to change, and Yan Zheng's attitude was very sincere, but all his efforts were in vain.

“…I’m sorry,” Yan Zheng said in a low voice. He really couldn’t bear to fall behind others because of his performance, so he hurriedly packed his things and prepared to leave.

Xiang Min called out to him, and Yan Zheng turned around. Xiang Min then regretted his words: "It's okay."

Yan Zheng didn't pay attention and walked away. Qu Jiaying noticed and pressed Xiang Min for an answer: "Do you have a solution?"

"What? No, I don't have any ideas." Xiang Min shook his head.

Qu Jiaying stared at Xiang Min, who turned his head away: "I can't stop you from staring at me." He packed up the sheet music and quickened his pace to leave.

Qu Jiaying and Le Yi, feeling frustrated, complained, "Does he think I'm stupid? He clearly knows where Yan Zheng ran into trouble, yet he doesn't try to find a solution."

Le Yi scratched his face: "Unfortunately, I don't understand it at all."

"That's because they're both so strange," Qu Jiaying said irritably, then picked up her violin again. "Listen to them again and see what's wrong with them."

Le Yi was extremely frustrated: "I've listened to it more than ten times, and I really can't find it."

"It's just that little flaw, but it's making me really upset!" Qu Jiaying said unhappily. "You asked me to put my emotions into the performance, so you have to take responsibility and listen to it again."

"Okay, let's go." Le Yi opened the recording software and gestured for her to start.

The result was still unsatisfactory.

Of course, compared to other musicians, Qu Jiaying's performance was already very good. Most listeners wouldn't even feel that it lacked any appeal. But Qu Jiaying, who is strict with herself, wouldn't accept it.

"Should we use the Fabien archery technique here?" Qu Jiaying still needed to make adjustments.

Le Yi couldn't understand her: "Your method is still too mechanical. You need to use techniques more freely."

Qu Jiaying also didn't understand him: "What you're talking about, where you just focus on expressing your emotions and your body naturally finds the most suitable technique, is just a pipe dream to me."

Just as Le Yi was about to explain again, Qu Jiaying's phone rang.

"Ah, it's Ruan Qi, she video-called me."

Le Yi quickly packed his things and left, leaving the space to the two girls who were six hours apart.

Qu Jiaying only answered the video call after Le Yi left.

Ruan Qi set off in June and has been in Germany for several months. Although the pace of life and study is fast, she has adapted quickly.

"Hey, practicing?" Ruan Qi saw Qu Jiaying in the rehearsal room.

Qu Jiaying explained simply: "Our band has taken on a performance for a wedding."

"Not bad," Ruan Qi said with a smile.

Qu Jiaying sighed: "Don't even mention it. Apart from Le Yi, all three of us had problems with our performances."

"What's wrong with you?" Ruan Qi asked.

"Maybe it's because I've changed genres, and I'm still not used to it. I always feel like something's not quite right, but I can't quite put my finger on it."

"Your expectations are too high, but I understand what you mean."

Qu Jiaying didn't want to say more, so she asked, "How are you doing with your teacher Muller lately?"

Ruan Qi smiled with satisfaction: "I felt great in class. He taught me a lot, and I'm still absorbing it."

"That's good." Qu Jiaying pursed her lips and said softly. She was calmer than she thought, but her heart ached slightly.

Ruan Qi sensed something was wrong and quickly changed the subject: "What happened between Yan Zheng and Xiang Min?"

"The two of them..." Qu Jiaying was about to speak when a male voice came from the other end of the video.

Although she wasn't on camera, Qu Jiaying immediately realized that Ruan Qi had changed boyfriends.

Because it's spoken in German, the vocabulary is intimate.

"Aren't you going to introduce me?" Qu Jiaying asked with a smile.

Ruan Qi said helplessly, "He is a sound engineer, knows a lot about classical music, and is a very nice person."

Qu Jiaying was happy for her too.

After ending the video call, Ruan Qi sighed.

Life in Germany was certainly not smooth sailing, but she was unwilling to tell Qu Jiaying about the embarrassing things that happened to her because of language and cultural differences.

Ruan Qi was worried that she wouldn't be able to keep up with Mr. Müller's one-on-one lessons because of her language skills, so she spent all her free time going out to communicate with Germans, and that's how she met her current boyfriend.

Actually, the breakup with Lü Yueming was quite peaceful. Their relationship was already somewhat delicate during graduation season. After arriving in Germany, their lifestyles became quite different. In addition to her school courses, Ruan Qi also had a master class with Professor Müller, and she soon separated from Lü Yueming.

Lu Yueming's explanation was similar, but Yan Zheng sensed something more from it.

“When they graduated, things weren’t as good as they used to be,” Yan Zheng told Qu Jiaying.

"I had a feeling about it." Qu Jiaying remembered Ruan Qi's strange reaction at the time.

The two analyzed the situation back and forth.

Although Lü Yueming admired Ruan Qi, it wasn't to the extent that Qiu Xue's boyfriend would revise Qiu Xue's graduation project.

Lu Yueming preferred Ruan Qi, who, in order to conceal her pride, claimed to others that she planned to go abroad for Lu Yueming's sake.

However, after Ruan Qi contacted her German teacher, Müller, her confidence gradually returned.

With her previous international championship awards and Xia Xiaolei's introduction, Ruan Qi could have directly attended Professor Müller's master class, but to be on the safe side, she took the entrance exam for the music academy where Professor Müller taught.

After arriving in Germany, Ruan Qi's classmates admired her greatly, both for her courage to start anew and for her outstanding piano playing.

Lü Yueming's situation was actually not bad. Although his conducting style was novel, it was in line with the current trend. However, the teachers at the new school had traditional and overly strict ideas, and he was very uncomfortable with his new life in Germany. He often stayed at home, which was out of sync with Ruan Qi, who was eager to go out.

"Do you think it's a matter of being out of sync?" Qu Jiaying asked.

Yan Zheng humbly asked, "What do you think is the reason?"

“I wouldn’t say that Ruan Qi and I have many similarities, but I know that we are both very self-centered, otherwise we wouldn’t be where we are now,” Qu Jiaying said. “Lü Yueming, trapped in his own world, certainly can’t praise Ruan Qi every day, cook for her, and help her practice German like Ruan Qi’s current boyfriend does.”

"So Qiu Xue and her boyfriend have such a good relationship?" Yan Zheng suddenly realized.

“Of course,” Qu Jiaying said.

"And what about you?" Yan Zheng asked.

"Why are you asking me? Weren't we analyzing other people's relationships to help you get a feel for things?" Qu Jiaying pretended to be clueless.

Yan Zheng looked at her: "But I only want to know about you."

Qu Jiaying was taken aback: "You changed your mind again?"

"Don't worry, no," Yan Zheng said helplessly, "because I've only ever dated you."

"You don't need to find out from me, do you?"

"Tell me about it. If you happen to meet your ideal type, I'll be your wingman," Yan Zheng said with a smile.

Qu Jiaying pressed her forehead; unable to refuse such hospitality, she could only give a brief explanation.

"Marriage is too far removed from my life. I haven't thought about it much. I don't have it, and it seems very difficult for me to have a long-term relationship," Qu Jiaying said.

"So that's why you're not with Xiang Min?" Yan Zheng asked.

"...Maybe." Qu Jiaying really didn't want to talk to her ex-boyfriend about her relationship status, but for Yan Zheng's sake, she forced herself to continue the conversation.

“But Xiang Minming clearly meets your standards. He works very hard in music and even composed music for you,” Yan Zheng said.

"Are you helping him out now? Are you two that close? Xiang Min would be touched if he knew." Qu Jiaying was surprised.

"Heh, he'll think I'm crazy," Yan Zheng sneered.

"Do you think you understand him?" Qu Jiaying asked rhetorically.

“At least half, but I don’t understand him at all,” Yan Zheng said.

Qu Jiaying looked at him quietly: "Then, to put it another way, you don't understand me."

"Why do you say that?" Yan Zheng felt he understood her quite well.

“If you know me, you should know that I don’t like him enough because he doesn’t like me enough,” Qu Jiaying said softly.

"Xiang Min even created something for you..."

“So to him, I am not Qu Jiaying, I am just a muse.” Qu Jiaying stood up and looked down at Yan Zheng.

Yan Zheng seemed to be captivated by that one glance.

He was being superficial; he underestimated Qu Jiaying, thinking she wanted a practical relationship when all she truly wanted was a soul connection.

How could he be willing to let go of Qu Jiaying, who is like this?

To put it bluntly, he couldn't perform "Wedding March" well, and he was still unwilling to accept it. Why should he applaud the wedding of the girl he liked and another man?

A spark ignited in Yan Zheng's heart.

"I've changed my mind," Yan Zheng said casually, dusting off the score.

Qu Jiaying rolled her eyes at him: "I knew it."

By re-grasping the tangled red thread, Yan Zheng's rendition of "Wedding March" was grand and full of emotion.

Le Yi, unaware of what had happened, kept clapping, saying, "Well done!"

Qu Jiaying knew that Yan Zheng would definitely be fine, so she didn't say much and pulled Le Yi to listen to her performance.

Xiang Min sensed something and looked at Yan Zheng: "Looks like I don't need to tell you."

"You were originally going to tell me about this? What a pity, I was planning to help you out," Yan Zheng said with a smile.

"What are you thinking?" Xiang Min frowned, having never seen anyone help their love rival before.

"Your idea is even stranger, isn't it? I was thinking of Jiaying's best interests, thinking you treated her well, but who knew you would..." Yan Zheng shook his head.

What's wrong with me?

"She saw through you," Yan Zheng told Xiang Min anyway.

Xiang Min looked at Qu Jiaying, who seemed to sense something and turned to look at him.

He should be happy; Yan Zheng's renewed competitive spirit would help him rediscover his creative state. He knew in his heart that what he was pursuing was not Qu Jiaying herself, but a phantom-like woman who embodied everything he craved.

However, Xiang Min had nowhere to hide under Qu Jiaying's gaze, and a sense of fear and immense loss, which he could not ignore, enveloped him like dark clouds.