23. Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun
◎September Eagle Flight◎
Zhou Xu also returned to his home in Beijing to facilitate coordinating performance schedules and to make it easier to join Li Chi's classes later.
His visit to Beijing forced Liang Chuling to accept a national-level performance invitation, and the two will perform together.
Ms. Ma learned of this news from Mr. Liang, who hoped to use the performance as a promotional tool for his company. While he claimed to have learned of it, Mr. Liang actually insisted that Ms. Ma attend the performance.
Ms. Ma was quite happy to do so. She recovered well after the surgery and was in a good mood, so she did what she did best—buying Liang Chuling a lot of performance costumes.
The day of the performance arrived.
Liang Chuling sat in front of the makeup mirror as the makeup artist brushed her face. Feeling a little anxious, she took out her phone. After seeing Li Xun pin her and Li Chi to the top of his chat list that day, she followed suit and pinned Li Xun and Ms. Ma to the top of her chat list as well.
The top message reads: "Baby, Mommy has invited a photographer to come in. We're going through security right away. I'll definitely capture some great moments for you tonight!"
Liang Chuling replied with an "okay".
The second pinned post is still the one she posted six hours ago: "Li Xun, Li Xun! Metaphysics, metaphysics! Come quick!"
Today her left eyelid kept twitching, making her feel uneasy, and she wanted to get some mystical help.
Normally, even if Li Xun's reply wasn't timely, it would never be like this, disappearing without a trace.
It was already September, and Li Xun had practically disappeared from public view. Although the deadline was far in mid-December, Li Xun needed to prepare for the composition department, which he hadn't considered before. Three to five high-quality original scores were a huge undertaking.
Fortunately, demonstrating his musical instrument playing skills wasn't a problem for him, otherwise he would have really struggled.
As a result, Li Xun was extremely busy, and Liang Chuling's messages often took a long time to arrive with a belated "dong".
A bird flew past the window, its loud call drawing attention, but Liang Chuling only saw a dragonfly alight, its wings almost transparent, yet resembling countless tiny windows cut from the ground. It rested in the light. The world fell silent for a second, then burst into laughter—again drawing attention, but Liang Chuling only caught a glimpse of Zhou Xu's clothes flashing past the doorway.
Always one step too late.
In September, the summer heat still hadn't given up.
The makeup artist said softly, "Teacher Liang, look up, it's time to apply eyeliner."
Liang Chuling raised her chin, her eyes glancing one last time at her phone screen. A feeling of emptiness washed over her.
"Okay, take a look at the result." The makeup artist put down her tools.
Liang Chuling looked into the mirror. Perfect. A radiant performer.
The concert hall was brightly lit.
The audience was packed. The front row was filled with solemn-faced people, while the back row and upstairs were filled with teachers and students from major music academies and industry leaders.
For performances of this caliber, security is tight, and the audience members are all invited after a rigorous screening process. The goal is to ensure both the atmosphere and safety.
Liang Chuling and Zhou Xu walked onto the stage together. They bowed and took their seats. The lights focused, and the world fell silent. Their fingers fell, and the music suddenly began.
The two-piano version of "Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun" flows gently. Zhou Xu's technique is impeccable, constructing the framework of the work; Liang Chuling's touch is as agile as the wind, with rich and delicate tonal variations, laying out colorful flesh and blood and moving emotions.
Both of them are both professional and career-oriented.
The tension and rivalry of rehearsals will be replaced by a balance and understanding.
The competition remains, but it has become a shared fuel propelling the music forward. The two powerful forces merge in their collision, unleashing an effect greater than the sum of its parts.
Below the stage, countless professional eyes watched them, admiring, appreciating, and analyzing.
An accident occurred when the music reached its most enigmatic section.
Zhou Xu's fingers suddenly stopped on the piano keys; he had forgotten the score. His schedule had been too hectic the past two days, and his team was too eager to promote him, resulting in insufficient rest and a poor performance.
Those few seconds of silence, set against the backdrop of flowing music, acted like an exclamation mark—so striking…
Liang Chuling's heart skipped a beat, and she finally realized where her eyelids were twitching.
But her hearing and muscle memory were faster than her thinking; in the blink of an eye, Liang Chuling had naturally followed up with an arpeggio.
The touch is extremely light, and the tone is ethereal, like a ray of sunlight filtering through when the eyelids of a pantheon flutter.
This string of notes blurred the tonality, perpetuating the ambiguous atmosphere between sleep and wakefulness in Debussy's works.
Those few seconds of pause felt like a brief moment of clarity for Pan during his afternoon nap, or the transition between dreams.
Before Zhou Xu could regain his composure, Liang Chuling's right hand immediately struck several parallel chords in the high register of the piano. Following the harmonic grammar of Impressionism, she reinterpreted and extended the meaning of those few seconds of pause, turning it from a technical mistake into a critical point between the inside and outside of a dream.
The conductor's brow relaxed, his gestures adjusted accordingly, and the entire band's breathing followed Liang Chuling's rhythm.
Zhou Xu paused for less than five seconds before quickly regaining his composure under Liang Chuling's guidance. However, in the ensuing performance, the leadership had subtly shifted. What had initially been a performance spearheaded by Zhou Xu had now become one where Liang Chuling controlled the entire show. Zhou Xu became the collaborator; his playing remained precise, but it was now in sync with Liang Chuling's breathing and rhythm.
As the music drew to a close, that unexpected pause was no longer a flaw, but a brilliance that lingered in the air. The music ended, its resonance resonating long afterward. Silence followed, then thunderous applause.
Liang Chuling and Zhou Xu stood up at the same time and bowed to the audience.
Backstage, the atmosphere was relaxed and lively. Many people gathered around to offer their congratulations. Liang Chuling dealt with them, not seeing the figure she wanted to see—of course she wouldn't see him, he was too busy to reply to messages. Liang Chuling was simply hoping to wait for another "pause."
"Chu Ling!" Jin Xi squeezed through the crowd. "You played so well, so very well!"
Liang Chuling was also surprised to see her, and the two hugged with smiles.
Jinxi added, "I'm going on a tour with my teacher in a couple of days, so I won't be at school for a while."
“Okay, then come back to me.” Liang Chuling replied.
Still no new information.
It wasn't until very late when I got home, washed away my fatigue and makeup, and collapsed onto the bed that my phone finally lit up.
Li Xun: "Just finished class. I'm so sorry, how was your performance today, little genius?"
Looking at the words, Liang Chuling could no longer recall the exact feeling of excitement she had experienced under the spotlight that night.
She typed: "It's great. It's a shame you didn't come to listen."
After all, she was very successful, and her intuition was very accurate. Even without the blessing of metaphysics, Liang Chuling could solve all problems on her own.
So it's just a pity, not a source of dissatisfaction.
Li Xun replied quickly: "I'm sorry, little genius, I'll be getting busier and busier lately."
Liang Chuling could understand; there was nothing she couldn't understand. Of course she could understand; why couldn't she?
"It's okay, there will be other opportunities next time."
After replying, he tossed his phone aside and pulled the blanket over his head.
After that, the organizers of the performance approached Liang Chuling and told her that they had a new idea. They believed that the series of cooperation opportunities and exposure resources that had been planned for Zhou Xu could be led by Liang Chuling, which would produce a more amazing effect and better represent the top level of the younger generation of pianists.
I want to know what Liang Chuling thinks.
Liang Chuling rolled her eyes inwardly several times. These resources were originally tailor-made for Zhou Xu, and even the promotional slogans seemed to evoke the feeling of 'Zhou Xu and his friends.' How could it be appropriate for her to take them over so rashly?
"Thank you for your sudden realization, but a tasteful collaboration should begin with the most basic understanding and appreciation of the artist's inherent qualities, rather than hastily adjusting established priorities after an accident. I don't want to be the second-best option." Liang Chuling hadn't learned to be lenient; she was quite angry.
The other party immediately expressed their hope that Liang Chuling would wait for a while, as they would adjust all the project proposals and redesign them with Liang Chuling at the core. Liang Chuling was even less likely to agree; she didn't have time to wait, and she didn't lack performance opportunities.
She was still angry. Why was she relegated to a secondary position? Why should she receive additional praise after the fact? Where were their eyes in the first place? Didn't they see before tonight that she deserved this and more?
Liang Chuling thought to herself, "It's an outrageous crime that you can't recognize my uniqueness!"
--
Zhou Xu quickly arranged for several teachers and a practice room. Liang Chuling watched him twirling the practice room key on his fingers and couldn't help but ask, "Why are you making such a big fuss?"
He put the keys away, raised his chin slightly, and said matter-of-factly, "Shen Curtis."
Liang Chuling was genuinely puzzled: "You've already signed with a record company and are doing very well in Europe, so why are you still applying to Curtis?"
Zhou Xu raised an eyebrow at her: "The record company is a business, Curtis is a learning experience. Besides," he leaned closer, a hint of slyness in his eyes, "if you can go, why can't I?"
In addition, Zhou Xu turned down a series of solo invitations, but accepted all chamber music performances that indicated or were likely to facilitate his collaboration with her.
With their intentions, the time they spent together became legitimate.
During a break in rehearsal, Liang Chuling couldn't help but ask, "Don't you think we're being paired up too often?"
Zhou Xu replied matter-of-factly, "The cooperation is effective and the market recognizes it, so what's the problem?"
"I don't like being told what to do," Liang Chuling said frankly.
"It's not an arrangement, it's a mutual benefit."
He offered her a favor she couldn't refuse.
Zhou Xu contacted and finalized a collaboration performance with a Russian female pianist, which was the same opportunity that Liang Chuling had missed due to an accidental injury.
Liang Chuling's resistance subsided upon hearing that name; it was her regret, but it was about to reach fulfillment.
She looked at Zhou Xu, trying to find any trace of charity or ostentation on his face, but all she saw was excitement. He was also going to perform with this female pianist, and he was thrilled about it.
Liang Chuling saw that he resonated with her own feelings for this idol, and was moved by his excitement, thus developing a rare fondness for him.
On the night of the performance, Liang Chuling's collaboration with her idol was a complete success, making up for her past regrets. Following closely behind, Zhou Xu's performance of the Second Piano Concerto with a female pianist was equally breathtaking.
Amidst thunderous applause, Liang Chuling stood to the side of the stage and sincerely applauded as well.
As Zhou Xu bowed, he saw Liang Chuling in the background and the admiration on her face for him, which made him feel more confident.
Look, even his radiance can make her take notice.
In order to earn this applause, Zhou Xu has been working harder than ever before in recent years. He wants to try his best to make Liang Chuling turn around and look at him.
This increased confidence allowed Zhou Xu to bring up the past again.
Since he could find Liang Chuling's past regrets, he could naturally understand how much Liang Chuling valued Li Xun—a value imbued with preciousness. Even though Chinese wasn't his native language, Zhou Xu clearly understood its rarity. Therefore, he made a special trip to Shenzhen to see Li Xun's live performance. However, Zhou Xu's heightened expectations, fueled by Liang Chuling's high regard, were not met.
"I still don't understand, what exactly do you value in Li Xun? His path is clearly different from ours. What you need is someone like you who can inspire you at the peak. Li Xun can't provide that kind of stimulation, can he?"
Liang Chuling retorted irritably, "So you know that too?"
"You have impeccable taste in music, but why does your taste become so poor the moment you step away from the piano? I don't understand. Li Xun is considered excellent by ordinary standards, but in our world, he barely qualifies to compete. I am indeed not as good as you, but he is even less so than me... never mind, I don't want to compare. What exactly do you see in him?"
"He has no chance of winning at playing the piano. As for composing, yes, he has ideas, but with your reputation and status, how many composers would be willing to write a piece for you if you wanted to? You have the ability to choose the best resources, so why stay on the sidelines of a possibility? You can pick the best fruit at any time, so why wait? Unnecessary waiting is a waste of time, and I see no other use for it. So please tell me, what exactly do you value in him?"
Zhou Xu asked three times in a row, almost driven by a sense of responsibility!
Liang Chuling was angered by his harsh words and annoyed by his barrage of questions. She wanted to defend Li Xun, so she picked out the words she could use to deal with him. She wasn't good at arguing, so she said somewhat defiantly, "You don't understand! Li Xun is a good person, he is very..." She paused, searching for the right words, "He is very gentle and makes me feel at ease. Isn't that good?"
“Gentle?” Zhou Xu almost laughed out loud. “Gentle? Liang Chuling, listen to what you’re saying. I saw you competing in Europe a few years ago, and you were so tough. But when I saw you again this time, you’ve learned to be cautious. I originally thought that time had smoothed out your edges.”
He said with a sudden realization, "I understand now. It was Li Xun who changed you. He pulled you into that calm but mediocre world. You're no longer purely yourself. You call waiting growth? You call fading away gentleness?"
“He’s not! He’s not mediocre!” Liang Chuling blurted out, “He…”
He stopped abruptly before he could finish speaking, and in his rapid attempt to defend himself, he bumped into a wall he couldn't see.
Zhou Xu stood up: "Okay, don't be angry. I admit that Li Xun has his strengths. He has keen perception and creative ideas. But Liang Chuling, that path is not suitable for you. He is not someone who can stand shoulder to shoulder with you."
"My affairs are none of your business."
Liang Chuling regained her composure, realizing that staying with Zhou Xu any longer would be suicidal, so she packed her things and headed out of the concert hall.
The concert hall is next to the cafeteria, but it wasn't mealtime yet, and there weren't many people around.
She saw, with no obstruction, a male student riding a shared electric scooter, deliberately trying to hit a stray cat sleeping on the grass. The cat's belly rose and fell with its breathing, and the scooter went straight toward the cat.
"Hey! There's a cat! What are you doing!" Liang Chuling shouted, running towards the cat to wake it up and scare it away.
The male student on the bicycle was startled by her sudden shout. He didn't expect anyone to meddle in his business at this time and place. His bicycle veered off course, and in his panic, instead of avoiding her, he wobbled and crashed into Liang Chuling.
The front wheel of the electric scooter grazed Liang Chuling's calf, causing her to stumble but barely avoid falling. Her calves, which were covered in shorts, were burning with pain.
Looking down, I saw blood mixed with ash, which looked rather horrifying.
The cat was startled awake by the noise and disappeared in a flash.
The male student on the bicycle turned pale, stammering as if he wanted to apologize, but couldn't get the words out for a long time. His eyes darted around, and he twisted the handlebars, trying to slip away as soon as no one was looking.
"Stop!" A cold shout came from behind Liang Chuling.
Before she could react, a figure swept past her like the wind, catching up with the electric scooter that was about to accelerate and grabbing the back rack.
It was Zhou Xu. I don't know when he followed me out.
"You hit someone and you still want to run away!" Zhou Xu's voice was full of anger. People who play the piano have excellent arm strength. The man was pulled so hard by Zhou Xu that his electric bike tilted and he almost fell off the bike.
"I didn't mean to, it was her! She suddenly ran out."
Zhou Xu has a mixed-race appearance. In China, this kind of appearance will automatically make many people imagine his origins and family background, and dare not be his enemy.
So the male student's voice trembled, and all he could do was try to argue his way out of it.
Liang Chuling was furious. She put her hands on her hips and yelled, "You're talking nonsense! If you hadn't been trying to bump into the cat, why would I have suddenly run out here!"
After getting angry, I looked left and right again to make sure the cat had run away, and then I felt relieved.
Thinking back, she realized she didn't quite remember what the cat looked like, so she figured the man probably didn't either. That was probably for the best, otherwise she was worried he might retaliate!
The male student continued to evade the issue, saying, "It's your fault for running out on your own!"
"This is a lawn, is it a place where electric bikes can go? I saw you hit it with my own eyes!" Zhou Xu ignored his lies and took out his phone with his other hand. "I've noted down the license plate number, and I've taken a picture of your face. Now, come with us to the hospital for a medical examination. I'm warning you, don't waste your breath on me!"
Liang Chuling was a little confused when she heard this. After confirming that the kitten had run away, she didn't have any other thoughts. She just wanted to go home as soon as possible. Her mother said she would cook for her herself tonight. She was worried that her mother would get sick from exhaustion, since it hadn't been long since she had surgery.
She wanted to settle things peacefully: "Zhou Xu, forget it, it's just a minor scrape. The cat has already run away."
“A scraped skin is still an injury!” Zhou Xu said firmly, not caring whether the cat had run away or what kind of cat it was. “Who knows if there are bacteria? Do we need a tetanus shot? You have to go to the hospital for a checkup! I'll help you up.”
Without saying a word, he grabbed the male student off the bus with one hand and supported Liang Chuling with the other.
He was too assertive, and this assertiveness was all out of concern for her, which made it difficult for Liang Chuling to refuse, otherwise she would feel like a terrible person.
Under Zhou Xu's almost murderous gaze, the male student completely wilted and followed them to the hospital with a long face.
Zhou Xu's mouth never stopped the whole way.
First, they escorted the man to register and pay the fees, then accompanied Liang Chuling to clean and apply medicine to the wound, confirming that it was just a superficial injury.
Then a phone call was made to the school's academic affairs office to explain the situation, emphasizing the incident of a vehicle injuring someone on campus.
As Liang Chuling listened to him on the phone, she anxiously used sign language and mouthing to help him, desperately saying, "Tell them someone is trying to hurt the stray cats!" Zhou Xu understood and added that sentence.
"We're at the hospital right now. By the way, the injured person is Liang Chuling. We hope the school will take this matter seriously and hold the perpetrator accountable. He must pay the price!"
Actually, the cat was the cause of the incident for Zhou Xu, but it wasn't the core of his concern. However, with Liang Chuling gesturing excitedly beside him, he still added, "I think it's necessary to consider introducing relevant regulations for the protection of stray animals on campus. This is not a trivial matter; it also relates to campus safety and humanistic care."
He spoke like a leader on an inspection tour... Liang Chuling couldn't help but wonder how old he was.
The school initially thought it was just a minor incident, and that a reprimand and compensation for medical expenses would suffice. They considered Zhou Xu's demands for a public apology and even his push for animal protection regulations on campus to be making a mountain out of a molehill.
But this thoroughly enraged Zhou Xu.
"This time it's a cat, what about next time? Is campus safety a joke? Is this how you treat life?"
He argued forcefully on the phone, even resorting to threats, saying that if the matter wasn't dealt with seriously, he would use his own channels and the media to draw more attention to it.
Under his pressure, the school finally compromised.
The boy not only had to pay compensation, but was also required to issue a public apology on the school radio station. Several schools also issued a "Trial Measures for the Protection and Management of Stray Animals on Campus" and posted notices on strengthening vehicle management on campus and advocating for the protection of stray animals.
Liang Chuling stared at the new notice on the bulletin board, momentarily lost in thought.
Things took a completely unexpected turn.
The abrasion on her leg was healing, so it was slightly itchy.
Zhou Xu...
Like the midday sun, it is scorching and intense, with a fierce power that can almost burn people.
She felt alienated, yet she couldn't help but wake up. She shouldn't feel alienated. When did she begin to feel alienated from this powerful force?
While Liang Chuling was staring blankly at the bulletin board, Li Xun called: "I saw the post on the school's official WeChat account. Are you injured? How serious is it? I'll come and see you. Are you going home or staying at school? I'll take a taxi to your house now or come to the school to find you."
The background noise could be heard of professors discussing equipment adjustments, so Li Xun must be in the recording studio.
"It's nothing, it's nothing!" Liang Chuling quickly said. "It's just a scrape, Zhou Xu already took me to the hospital to get it treated. Are you going to record this? Don't come over, it's really nothing!"
"Really?" Li Xun confirmed.
"Really! I'll take a picture and send it to you! I'll hang up now, it's really nothing!" Liang Chuling hung up the phone and immediately took a picture of her calf and sent it over.
Li Xun quickly replied: "I saw it. It's good that you're okay. You still need to be careful. If you feel unwell, just call me, okay? I can come see you tonight, and I can finish this faster."
"Oh, really, no need! I already told you I'm really fine, just focus on recording."
Then Li Xun sent a voice message, his tone noticeably more relaxed, but the question he asked made Liang Chuling pause for a moment: "What about the kitten? Is it alright?"
Liang Chuling had an indescribable feeling: happiness? sympathy? exhilaration?
In short, she said happily, "The kitten is alright too, luckily I found it quickly! It's clever, it runs very fast!"
Li Xun replied with a single word, "Okay," and the conversation ended.
Li Xun only asked these two questions.
Is Liang Chuling alright? Is the kitten alright?
Only two points of concern are highlighted: her, and the innocent kitten that was caught in the crossfire.
He didn't mention a word about the boy who hit someone, the commotion Zhou Xu caused, or the school's new regulations.
His attention was focused solely on the safety of the people and lives he cared about; whether the bad guys were brought to justice seemed to be of little concern.
With such a gentle perspective on the world, this is indeed Li Xun.
But Zhou Xu's power made the bad guys pay the price, and even changed the rules.
Holding her phone, Liang Chuling felt even more disoriented.
She felt as if she were standing between water and fire, seeing for the first time two completely different paths.
A road leading to a warm and peaceful harbor.
Another path leads to a higher, farther, and more exciting summit.
When eagles take flight in September, it is the time to choose their path.
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