21. Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2
◎An impromptu dialogue with X◎
Liang Chuling always likes to guess information from other people's piano playing, and most of the time she is very accurate. She can guess their personality, sexual orientation, and thought patterns after only playing for a minute or two.
Music is a completely personal art form, relying solely on intuition and sensibility. A person's lifestyle and personality cannot be well concealed in music.
Nudity outweighs romance. A helpless sincerity—
I reveal my inner world to you all.
When the competition results came out, Li Xun came in seventh place, which was exactly what Liang Chuling expected.
Li Xun's playing technique is solid, and his musical interpretation is thoughtful, but he is not outstanding among this group of top young pianists. His true brilliance does not lie in this.
Liang Chuling didn't become a judge in the hope that Li Xun would win; she simply wanted to hear more opinions, and specifically, to hear Li Xun's opinions.
only--
Looking around, she noticed that the other judges also seemed somewhat unsatisfied.
In this competition, besides Li Xun, several other contestants showed flashes of brilliance in certain passages, or had unconventional creative tendencies. Judging them solely by their rankings and techniques is indeed a bit of a waste.
Liang Chuling first consulted with the other judges, believing that the competition was not just about rankings, but also about exchanging musical ideas and expressions. Therefore, they suggested inviting several contestants with unique ideas and designs in musical expression to participate in a small performance competition. Rankings would not be considered; the aim was simply to showcase the greater possibilities of music.
The judges unanimously agreed.
So Liang Chuling approached the organizing committee chairman again, smiling, and said, "We have a favor to ask. We judges have discussed inviting a few contestants with unique ideas in musical expression to participate in an additional performance competition, something unconventional, exploring creative aspects. What do you think?"
The chairman raised an eyelid. Liang Chuling, this little Buddha, was usually impossible to persuade, so it was rare to see her actively showing interest. He answered readily, "Sure. Let's have some fun!"
An unplanned exhibition match, with no rankings, was organized hastily yet efficiently.
When the news reached the backstage, the contestants who were nominated were somewhat surprised, and immediately became eager to try.
There aren't many rules for exhibition matches; the requirements are related to creation, and the format is unrestricted.
Several contestants took turns going up, some rearranging popular songs, others playing with modern sound effects, and the audience who hadn't left watched and listened with great interest.
During one of the contestants' performances, Liang Chuling noticed that Li Xun listened very attentively. The contestant was performing a rearranged pop song that Liang Chuling had never heard before, but she noted Li Xun's reaction and planned to ask him about it after the performance.
It was Li Xun's turn.
His gaze swept across the judges' panel below the stage, briefly glancing at Liang Chuling.
Liang Chuling noticed this and touched the pendant around her neck, wanting to give it some blessing.
His first note was like a drop of water falling into a still lake.
Then came the second drop, the third drop, the melody slowly unfolding, not like a river, but like mist, hazy and diffused. The notes were childlike, with a few dissonant leaps appearing in the middle section, like fish suddenly jumping out of calm water, bringing out a touch of fresh life. The melodic lines intertwined and progressed, like two people talking in hushed tones, asking and answering, back and forth.
Liang Chuling sat up straight, trying to see his expression clearly.
This was not a piece of music she was familiar with. It could only have been written by Li Xun himself, and it was an impromptu piece.
His playing was not brilliant, but it was full of narrative sincerity.
It's speaking through music. But who is it speaking to?
It wasn't actually a question; Li Xun never hesitated to reveal himself, and he possessed a sincere character.
Leaping, fragmented, like cautious probing, a few single notes hesitantly repeating. Sometimes it's like an uncontrollable outpouring, dense notes surging forth, an impulsive act of recklessness.
The left hand maintains a persistent, heart-beat-like rhythm, while the right hand weaves contradictory lines, with harmony and disharmony intertwined, engaging in a fierce yet silent debate.
The music gradually subsided, returning to a few simple chords, lingering in the air and leaving large blank spaces.
Naked.
A person who is completely unprepared opens up their inner world without any burden in an unprepared situation.
It lays bare all the chaos, struggles, trials, desires, and helplessness within before you.
Naked.
The last sigh fell into the lamplight.
After a moment of silence, thunderous applause erupted, more enthusiastic than for any of the previous contestants.
Liang Chuling clapped along, her mind blank, looking a little silly.
Looking at Li Xun on the stage, who was covered by the lights, he bowed slightly.
The chairman of the organizing committee took the stage and announced the addition of a special creative award, with Li Xun as the sole winner.
A spotlight suddenly shone on Li Xun, illuminating his entire body.
He was dressed formally, a black suit suited him well, his hairstyle suited him well, and the trophy suited him well... This was pure nonsense from Liang Chuling. The trophy was a steel sculpture shaped like a blue bow tie that she had temporarily found out from somewhere.
The staff must be fans of Tchaikovsky.
Li Xun stood there, accepted the trophy, and smiled somewhat helplessly.
The sunlight shone down like a cascading Milky Way, but the word "cruel" popped into Liang Chuling's mind. The beautiful Milky Way represented such a dull time.
Liang Chuling felt that time should preserve many things for Li Xun, so that he could fight against the mundane.
Li Xun, however, is more penetrating than time itself; his pauses are like a river, a real river.
As Liang Chuling looked at that beam of light, a certain part of her heart was also suddenly illuminated.
I think I've started to really like him.
The awards ceremony ended completely, and the crowd dispersed even faster.
Liang Chuling was tidying up her water bottle, massage ball, and snacks when a voice rang out beside her, speaking in slightly accented Chinese: "Liang Chuling? Judge Liang? Teacher Liang?"
She looked up.
A tall boy stood in front of me, wearing a suit but no tie, with two buttons undone on his shirt, and a bright smile on his face.
It's Zhou Xu, the champion of the main competition.
"Hello, congratulations on winning the championship." Liang Chuling nodded and said politely.
I had crossed paths with him a few times before when we were in Europe, and when I learned that he was participating in the competition, I knew that the championship was bound to be his. Zhou Xu's skills are undeniable; he truly deserves the title of a prodigy who returned from Europe.
"Thank you." Zhou Xu's smile widened, direct and frank. "Your scoring was very sharp. You were the only one who deducted points for that glissando.
Liang Chuling raised an eyebrow: "Of course points should be deducted for playing the wrong notes."
“Yes, Judge Liang is impartial and incorruptible.” Zhou Xu wasn’t embarrassed at all; instead, he leaned closer. “The organizing committee is having a celebration banquet tonight. Shall we join them?”
"No, I'm afraid I'll be kept talking and won't be able to eat properly. Besides, we're not that close." Liang Chuling didn't like people who were too overly familiar.
Zhou Xu didn't press the matter. He turned his gaze and saw Li Xun walking over from the side of the stage. He whistled at Li Xun and then gestured with his chin: "Hey! Li Xun! Congratulations on the special prize."
Li Xun walked over: "Hello, Zhou Xu. Thank you. Congratulations on winning the championship."
After saying that, he handed the trophy to Liang Chuling, who was already holding out her hands out of curiosity. Then he took Liang Chuling's bag and checked whether there was still water in her water bottle.
Liang Chuling had already looked at the trophy, handed it to him, and then took out some milk tablets from his pocket to eat.
Zhou Xu saw it all.
"I can't compare to you. This award, created specifically for you, is of extraordinary significance." Zhou Xu said, but there was no admiration in his eyes.
Li Xun said calmly, "I just hope everyone has fun."
“I’m quite happy,” Zhou Xu replied, then looked at Liang Chuling. “Speaking of which, Professor Li Chi will be returning to China after the New Year, and I’ll be taking classes with her for a while. Does that mean we’re from the same school?”
Liang Chuling didn't react and looked at Li Xun.
She didn't know, so Li Xun certainly didn't know either, otherwise he would have told her. Looking at him was just a habit.
As expected, even if Li Xun didn't know, he didn't look surprised.
Zhou Xu seemed to just remember something and slapped his forehead: "Look at me, I forgot to mention. Teacher Liang, I asked about you with an elder who knows you. I wonder if you remember me? I came back to China this time to take Li Chi's class with you."
Liang Chuling remembered the party she had been dragged to, and the uncle who had talked to her about Li Chi. So that's how it was.
Looking at Liang Chuling's expression, Zhou Xu knew she probably remembered, then turned to Li Xun: "Speaking of which, I'd never heard of Teacher Li Chi's son playing the piano before. I've seen it for myself today. He plays quite interestingly. Hey, Li Xun, have you ever heard your mother play the piano?"
Even if Liang Chuling was stupid, she could tell that something was wrong. What did she mean by "never heard of it before", "have seen it", "plays interestingly", and "have you ever heard your mother play the piano before"?
She looked displeased: "How well Li Xun plays has nothing to do with whose son he is. He's not good at technique."
Zhou Xu glanced at her in surprise, not expecting her to stand up for Li Xun. His smile returned: "Of course I know he played with thought. Otherwise, he wouldn't have won this special award, right?" He emphasized the words "special award." "But Liang Chuling, what are you angry about? You seem to care about him quite a bit?"
Seeing that Liang Chuling didn't speak, he took a step forward, almost in front of her, with a hint of provocation: "Because of his composition? You think he's creative? If you admire strength, shouldn't you raise your standards a bit? What kind of strength is it if the judges have to give him a separate award to recognize it? The real champion is right here."
He pointed to his chest, a smug smile on his face.
Liang Chuling was so angry that she wanted to curse him in a low voice—she was afraid that if she spoke loudly, others would hear her and it would have a bad influence.
Li Xun gently tugged at her wrist, pulling her back and positioning himself between her and Zhou Xu: "You're right. A champion is a champion, and a special prize is a special prize. Congratulations again on winning the championship, that's amazing."
Zhou Xu glanced at Li Xun a few times, then smirked, "Fine. You really aren't going to the celebration party? There are quite a few people from record companies there."
"No, we're not going." This time, Liang Chuling and Li Xun said in unison.
Zhou Xu shrugged, not caring, and waved to Liang Chuling: "See you next time, Senior Sister."
After saying that, he turned and left, like a triumphant general.
Liang Chuling wanted to give him the middle finger as she looked at his back, but fearing that someone with ulterior motives would take a picture, she could only turn to look at Li Xun: "Why are you stopping me?"
"He's telling the truth. Seventh place is a fact, and the special prize is a fact. There's nothing to argue about."
"But that's what he said about you!"
“It’s okay, I didn’t think he said anything wrong, and I didn’t feel offended.”
Liang Chuling didn't say anything.
Yes, Zhou Xu didn't seem to have said anything swearing, but that contempt made her uncomfortable.
Li Xun tucked a stray strand of hair that was sticking up near her face behind her ear.
"Let's go eat. Didn't you want pan-fried buns? They'll be sold out if we wait any longer."
His fingertips were a little cool as they touched her ear. Liang Chuling snapped out of her daze and slapped his hand away: "Don't touch me! Who wants to eat with you!"
“I’m hungry, little genius, you can keep me company while I eat.” Li Xun said matter-of-factly, already pushing Liang Chuling’s back to walk out.
It was already dark outside, the summer heat had dissipated somewhat, and the wind carried a bit of moisture from the Huangpu River.
The two walked along the street without saying a word.
The streetlights cast a shimmering, diamond-like glow on the ground. Liang Chuling skipped along, observing closely. She looked up to call Li Xun to look too, but saw him step right into the circle of light, shards of glass glittering beneath his feet. Instinctively, she pulled him back, but without pulling, they collided. Liang Chuling looked at the ground again; it wasn't shards of glass, just the same light.
"When the second contestant in the special competition performed, you applauded very enthusiastically. Why? Because his playing was not outstanding."
Liang Chuling recalled the questions she had prepared. She could always directly define Li Xun's emotions and feelings. Such a subjective word. If it were someone else, Liang Chuling would only say "exertion".
“I really like the song he adapted, ‘What Else Can I Give You?’ He adapted it so beautifully, and I found it very interesting.”
"Why?" Liang Chuling stopped. She always felt like she couldn't hear Li Xunde clearly when he was walking and talking. She wanted to hear every syllable of his voice.
"I don't think giving something to someone is about getting them to stay. It's just that I want to give it to you. Once I've done that, I have no regrets. After all, this gesture warms myself first, not you."
Oh—Liang Chuling nodded, her question was answered: why clap so passionately, because she felt it was a very good expression from a subjective aesthetic point of view.
However, he only had a vague understanding of what Li Xun was saying.
"What's the name of the piece you played?" Liang Chuling changed the subject to one that she was more interested in.
Li Xun snapped out of his reverie and glanced at her: "No name. It was impromptu."
"There has to be a theme, right? The exhibition competition requires it to be related to creation."
Li Xun thought for a moment and said, "Then let's call it 'An Impromptu Dialogue with X'."
Who is X?
A hint of mockery flashed in Li Xun's eyes. "I don't know."
Liang Chuling raised her chin like a proud little peacock and snorted, "Stop pretending! If it wasn't for me, who else would it be for?!"
Li Xun couldn't help but laugh out loud, and gently flicked her forehead: "That's right, if it's not for you, who else would it be for? So why are you asking?"
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