1. The Bell
◎This gene destroyer is truly despicable!◎
Glacier Wind
Author: Sword Under Waist
First published in
Please support original works and reject plagiarism.
——
Outside the classroom where Liang Chuling practices piano year-round, there is a strangely shaped tree that bears very sweet fruit, but the tree itself attracts a lot of insects.
Those who want to take advantage cherish this tree, while those who hate insects want to cut it down.
With both sides holding clear positions, the tree eventually grew thicker and thicker, swaying precariously, loved by everyone and hated by everyone.
It didn't care at all, it just kept growing, growing like crazy!
Liang Chuling, sixteen years old, has few worries in life, mainly concerning her parents and the piano.
Her father, Mr. Liang, was wealthy and didn't care much about her.
This fatherly love is specifically manifested in the fact that Liang Chuling's allowance was enough to make her a money god in elementary and middle school, but it wasn't so good after she entered high school because there were too many talented people.
As for Mr. Liang himself, he is often away from home, whether at his company, at a friend's house, in another city, or at various clubs whose names Liang Chuling doesn't understand. The father and daughter rarely see each other.
Ms. Ma is responsible for beauty, and occasionally, very occasionally, loving her. Ms. Ma's life motto is "Self first, daughter second."
Her love was like a complicated braid that Liang Chuling had to wear – it could add to someone's glory and earn praise, but it could never save someone's life in times of need.
But Ms. Ma considers herself a responsible and good mother, especially in her efforts to discover her daughter's talents.
Liang Chuling is indeed talented on the piano, possessing a magical talent that leaves people in the industry speechless and incredulous.
She could hum along to music by herself when she was five years old; in her eyes, musical notes were words with their own pitch.
From age six to sixteen, she spent a lot of time sitting on the piano bench. She only started learning piano at six and went straight to the Central Conservatory of Music's affiliated primary school; she was born knowing how to exert force.
At the age of eight, the Mozart that flowed from her hands already possessed the ability to strike a balance between the innocence of childhood and the solemnity of courtly music; the two souls coexisted harmoniously within her small body.
At the age of nine, she performed a concerto on the same stage as international piano masters, flawlessly navigating complex octave leaps and clearly distinguishing the layers of each voice, playing multiple roles on a single piano.
At the age of thirteen, she received an acceptance letter from the Curtis Institute of Music. Every student at Curtis has a sponsor, and Liang Chuling's sponsor wanted her to consider becoming a U.S. citizen for better career prospects.
There was room for negotiation, but for thirteen-year-old Liang Chuling, all negotiations required the presence of her guardian—who was unable to be present. Prideful and feeling that negotiations she couldn't control were pointless, she simply decided not to go.
For the next three years, she continued to create legends in the music industry. Her performance with the symphony orchestra at Queen's Hall at the age of fifteen was a sensation, and the recording circulated widely in the industry.
Ms. Ma was very satisfied with this.
She felt that she, like a flower, had not been able to bloom in the soil of art, and she had to make up for that regret by having her daughter.
So, in Liang Chuling's sixteenth year, Ms. Ma fulfilled what she considered to be the greatest responsibility of her life as a mother: she went through hundreds of connections and finally managed to reconnect with a boyfriend from more than ten years ago.
The ex-boyfriend now has influence at an art foundation, and Ms. Ma's goal is to get a real big shot—Li Chi.
Li Chi returned from his studies in the United States, winning numerous international awards and becoming a well-known figure.
His path also differed from most pianists. After achieving fame at a young age, he immediately left the classical music scene, first going to Stanford to study an unrelated humanities major, and then studying psychology. It took him almost ten years to return to music, and after returning, he fought his way back to the top.
She never teaches large classes; her students are few and far between, and she spends most of the year abroad, rarely seen.
To get her to teach you the piano, money alone isn't enough; you also need a connection, a shared destiny, and ideally, some old ties.
Her ex-boyfriend was moved by Ms. Ma and actually made contact with her—that's one aspect.
More importantly, there was Liang Chuling herself, whose name Li Chi had long heard of.
This led to today's important video interview.
Liang Chuling sat in her music room at home, with her tablet computer in front of her.
On the other side of the screen is Professor Li Chi.
Li Chi has the air of a pianist, with a somewhat explosive seriousness—referring to his demeanor.
Without wasting words, she said, "Play one of your best pieces."
Liang Chuling was not intimidated and played Liszt's "La Campanella," a piece with high technical difficulty. She played it with ease, lightness, fluency, and mastery.
In the few seconds after the song ended and no one spoke, Liang Chuling even had a moment to wonder why her teacher's house had so little decoration, yet there was a huge portrait of Chairman Mao in the background.
She's just like everyone else.
Then Li Chi spoke, very clearly: "I'll be in Beijing on Wednesday. Come to my music room then and play it again."
The words were spoken in a very formal and methodical manner, but Liang Chuling and her mother, who was listening intently beside her, both understood that the matter was probably settled. Not just anyone could enter Li Chi's music room.
“Okay, Teacher Li,” Liang Chuling replied obediently.
"I'll send you the address later," Li Chi said, and then prepared to end the call.
Liang Chuling waved at the screen and said, "Bye-bye."
Just as the video was about to cut off, Liang Chuling saw a figure in a white T-shirt dart in from the bottom right corner of the video frame, seemingly grabbing something, before quickly disappearing back out.
I couldn't see anyone, only a white T-shirt, like a gust of wind, swaying and flying by quickly.
The video has ended.
The mother next to her dramatically breathed a sigh of relief and patted her chest: "Done! Honey, isn't Mommy amazing?"
Liang Chuling nodded and gave an objective evaluation: "It's alright, mainly because I played it well."
Ms. Ma didn't hold it against her and enthusiastically pulled her up: "Come on, let's go get some drinks! Let's celebrate!"
Half an hour later, Liang Chuling was pulled to sit in a coffee shop.
In early autumn, Beijing is blessed with clear skies and gentle breezes.
Liang Chuling looked around listlessly.
Inside the window, Ms. Ma, dressed in a colorful outfit, was taking selfies from various angles with her phone.
Outside the window, it's Monday, a workday. People are rushing around on the streets of Beijing, and everyone is dressed like human beings.
Before the drinks arrived, Ms. Ma received another phone call and hurriedly grabbed her bag, saying, "Take your time drinking, Mom has an urgent matter. Go home by yourself after you finish!"
The drinks were served then, and Ms. Ma picked up one of them and handed it to her.
Liang Chuling accepted the hot chocolate from Li Chi.
Li Chi met her downstairs and bought her a few drinks to take up with him.
To enhance the ambiance, a flower border was installed at the entrance of the shop at great expense. As Liang Chuling walked and drank, she couldn't help but look at the plants in the flower border, trying to use her eyes to neutralize her taste buds—the sweetness of the hot chocolate actually made her a little uncomfortable, but she still kept drinking, just as she didn't like eating candy, but she would accept candy whenever someone offered it to her.
It's just a pity that she didn't recognize a single plant.
Upon arriving at the music room, Li Chi gestured to Liang Chuling, pointing to a sofa in the living room. "Please have a seat," he said.
The apartment features a one-bedroom, one-living room layout with minimalist interior design. Its most notable features are its spaciousness and the ubiquitous use of soundproofing materials.
Li Chi pushed open the only door, revealing a standard music room covered with sound-absorbing material. Two pianos stood facing each other in the center, and on the other side was a huge statue of Chairman Mao. Liang Chuling inexplicably felt like bowing.
Next to the piano, a person was standing looking at their phone.
A boy wearing a white long-sleeved T-shirt and jeans, who looked about the same age as Liang Chuling, was quite tall, slender, and had soft-looking hair.
Hearing the door open, he turned around and met Liang Chuling's gaze.
Liang Chuling's eyebrows twitched.
That's the white T-shirt that flashed by in the video, right?
The boy wasn't surprised or enthusiastic. He glanced at Liang Chuling casually, gave her a polite smile, and didn't greet her. Liang Chuling understood. Artists often have their own temperaments and personalities. She didn't see it as a strength or a weakness; both are desirable qualities.
Liang Chuling guessed that he would be her future classmate.
Li Chi asked Liang Chuling to come over for a sound check. Liang Chuling walked over to the piano, and the boy walked out. As the two passed each other, the boy suddenly said "Hey!" Liang Chuling immediately stopped. The boy plucked a small leaf from Liang Chuling's head.
"Do you want the leaves of the bellflower?" he asked.
"Huh? What am I supposed to do?" Liang Chuling asked, confused.
Seeing Liang Chuling's puzzled expression, he smiled and said, "Then I'll take it. Go and play the piano."
Li Chi sat down in a chair next to the piano and pointed to the piano: "Play the song from your video."
Liang Chuling sat down at the expensive piano, played a few notes, and found the touch exquisite.
She composed herself and her fingers fell.
The melody of "The Bell" flows once again.
In this space, without network latency, Liang Chuling played with even more passion.
After the piece was finished, Li Chi neither applauded nor offered any comments. He looked at Liang Chuling and spoke after a few seconds: "Your technique is very skillful, and your musicality is also quite good. You're a very talented player, kid."
Liang Chuling blinked, sensing that the teacher hadn't finished speaking.
As a result, Li Chi simply called out, "Li Xun."
The boy in the white T-shirt walked over and leaned against the door frame of the music room.
Li Chi said to Liang Chuling, "This is my son, Li Xun. He comes over occasionally to attend classes with you."
Liang Chuling's mind was racing: Son? Teacher Li Chi has a son? And such a big one at that?
She always thought that an artist of Li Chi's caliber should only have pianos and air in his life.
Moreover, the son doesn't look much like his mother; their temperaments are completely different.
Liang Chuling looked at Li Xun, who nodded to her with a smile, looking inexplicably gentle.
She found gentleness rare in her life, which made her find it interesting.
But it's interesting, like when someone offers her candy, she'll accept it, even though she doesn't like candy.
The fact that she rarely shows gentleness doesn't mean she needs it.
Liang Chuling was internally ranting: "A nepotism case!"
But then she thought again, wasn't she also considered a relative? She didn't seem to be any more noble than others.
She wilted instantly, and that slight imbalance vanished.
A teacher of Li Chi's caliber only takes on a few students a year; she's probably the only one of her caliber in the country.
What opinions could she possibly have?
It's as if she has the right to have an opinion.
It's nothing that she relied on her mother; she herself did too. Her only regret was that her mother wasn't a pianist, otherwise she could have avoided several detours, and she might be even more successful than she is now.
Liang Chuling has been praised as a genius for too long, and she knows all too well how unfair the music industry is. Talent is something you either have or you don't.
A talented person can learn in a few years what others learn in decades, while a person without talent can only learn for a lifetime and still achieve the same result.
Liang Chuling had heard of Li Xun for a long time, but had never heard of him before, so she assumed his skill level was limited. Naturally, she assumed he wasn't very good at playing and was just being taught by his "fairy mother" (a term of endearment for a female martial arts master).
Talent is not distributed according to bloodline.
Teacher Li Chi is a deity, but the son of a deity is not necessarily a minor deity.
Therefore, when Li Chi said to Li Xun, "You play a song too," Liang Chuling's expectations automatically decreased.
Li Xun sat down on the piano bench where Liang Chuling had just left and played a Bach piece.
Liang Chuling initially listened with the attitude of "I'll see how well you can play," but as she listened, her nonchalant attitude gradually disappeared.
Played —
not bad!
It wasn't at a level that would leave her speechless, but there's no need to compare myself to her; that would be too much to ask.
But it should never be described as "okay".
The touch is clean, the notes are clear, the lines are good, and most importantly, the musicality is excellent. There is a sincere sense of narrative in the music.
Liang Chuling is picky.
She couldn't help but sigh inwardly: Indeed, the power of genes is immense! No wonder he's Teacher Li Chi's son. It's just a pity; his father must have held him back and ruined his genes! Otherwise, with Teacher Li Chi's talent, her son would surely be a child prodigy.
Before they even knew each other, Liang Chuling had already taken it upon herself to hate Li Xun's father on his behalf, and incidentally, she also hated Li Chi's husband on his behalf.
This gene destroyer is truly despicable!
Li Xun finished playing without saying anything and stood up from the piano bench.
Liang Chuling clapped her hands in approval of the performance.
I didn't feel embarrassed at all.
Did he applaud when I played so well?
He didn't have a drum!
Now he's the one who's won by applauding himself!
Liang Chuling felt that she was trying to curry favor with Li Chi and hoped that her teacher could sense it.
Li Xun paused for a moment, then smiled at her again.
He's laughed so many times already. Liang Chuling wondered, is he in such a good mood today?
Li Chi ignored their little interaction and looked at Liang Chuling, getting to the point: "I know Curtis can break the rules to keep your student status indefinitely. You came to me not because you want to retake the exam, right? Why didn't you just go this year?"
"Not entirely. I want to learn piano from you, and I'm also wondering if I could study something else first, like social sciences or humanities, like you. That might be more beneficial to my career? But who knows... I'm not an adult yet this year, and I don't want to bring my guardian to class."
Liang Chuling likes Li Chi and admires her broad musical path. She feels that she is very similar to Li Chi and hopes to learn more about her thoughts and ways of thinking from her. Therefore, she doesn't want to make up reasons and will just say whatever comes to mind.
Li Chi nodded, not surprised, and didn't ask her why she was so resistant to bringing a guardian to class. Li Chi was a teacher, a mother, and a woman, and she had also seen Liang Chuling's resume.
Of course, I know she is very clear about these requirements, I know her awards are solid, I know her ambition, and I know her family background and family—these are naturally two completely different things.
She's so lenient with her own children, so naturally she wouldn't interfere with other people's. She cherishes geniuses, but geniuses, aren't they herself? She's seen far too many. Geniuses are as numerous as carp crossing a river.
Li Chi: "You can learn piano from me. As for whether you go to Curtis or study somewhere else in the future, that's up to you. You can go wherever you want."
Liang Chuling nodded, equally confident: "I know."
She certainly knew.
She has no doubt about her talent.
It's only natural that she will reach great heights.
She knew where she stood and how far she could go.
As I've said before, the path of music is very unfair; talent is the only passport, and she obtained it very early on.
Between nods, she glanced at Li Xun beside her.
She was a little worried. Would Li Chi's words, spoken so bluntly, be a blow to this person?
As a result, Li Xun showed no sign of discouragement and remained completely unconcerned and unreserved about the bright future that Li Chi had planned for others.
This made Liang Chuling both curious and surprised.
This person not only has a good mood, but also a good mindset!
After the class ended, Liang Chuling packed her things to leave.
Li Chi suddenly said to Li Xun, "Make the contrast between loud and soft in the third movement of your piece next week more obvious, don't play it like plain water."
Li Xun nodded and agreed.
Liang Chuling thought to herself, "Oh, it seems that Teacher Li Chi is quite strict with his son and doesn't completely let him grow up freely."
As they reached the door, Li Xun surprisingly followed them out.
"Liang Chuling," he called from behind.
Liang Chuling turned around.
Li Xun strolled over slowly and handed her a few folded pieces of paper.
"What?" Liang Chuling didn't take it, looking at him warily. A challenge?
Li Xun handed the piece of paper forward again: "The sheet music is for next week. The teacher wants you to preview it first."
The fact that they said "teacher" instead of "my mom" made Liang Chuling feel a sense of goodwill towards them.
Liang Chuling took it and opened it; it was indeed a piano score, and it was quite difficult.
She is confident in her sight-reading ability, but that doesn't mean she can skip practicing beforehand.
She wanted to be a true genius, not just someone who was superficial.
"Thank you." A little embarrassed, realizing her earlier inner monologue, she pulled a packet of cookies from her pocket. "Would you like some?"
"You're welcome. I won't eat it, you can keep it for yourself." After saying that, Li Xun turned around and wandered back into the small building.
[Author's Note]
Long time no see. I hope all my old and new friends are doing well.
I originally intended to finish writing it and release it all at once, but this is a story that takes place in autumn, and I don't want to miss autumn, nor do I want Chu Ling and Li Xun to miss autumn.
Updated daily at 9 PM.
The story has no real-life counterpart. If there are any inconsistencies in the piano, exam, or other aspects, consider them as my own invention. There are numerous personal interpretations, all serving the purpose of the story.
I wanted to include many funny stories from my childhood piano practice, but I found that the stories started to unfold on their own, so I didn't need to include them, which is great.
Happy reading! Let's dive into the story.
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