A Grade 10 piano certificate, especially for a professional one, is incredibly difficult.
There are probably no more than a hundred people in China who can reach this level.
Regardless of the quality of the playing, in principle, not a single note can be wrong. Even if it's just one wrong note, going off-key, one cannot be considered a professional level 10 player.
However, Zhao Lei was quite confident in his skills. After all, he had never stopped practicing professionally since he was a child.
Although he had neglected his practice a little during his two years of doctoral studies, he was confident that he would still be fine.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, he walked to the white piano, moved the white piano stool aside, and slowly sat down.
"Thump thump thump!"
As Zhao Lei's fingers danced across the piano, a melodious and elegant piece immediately began to resonate.
Although the restaurant offers this free meal promotion, very few people actually come up to try it.
After all, level 10 is too difficult. When everyone saw someone playing, they all looked over with envy.
Men with talent are always very charming.
Moreover, Zhao Lei is tall and reasonably good-looking, and combined with the elegance of the white piano, he really does have a bit of a European aristocratic feel.
"This person plays quite well!"
"Hmm, that sounds alright!"
"She's pretty good-looking, how about we go ask for her WeChat later, sis?"
Some female office workers were whispering among themselves while they were having lunch.
There were also those who flirted with Zhao Lei.
However, Zhao Lei's gaze remained fixed on Yu Xiyan, occasionally revealing a deep and elegant smile.
Zhang Yi couldn't help but exclaim, "Our Brother Lei is still so handsome! Xi Yan, you've got such a great man, and you know him so well. If you miss out on him, you'll definitely regret it!"
"Zhang Yi, what nonsense are you talking about!" Yu Xiyan's pretty face turned red, and she couldn't help but scold, "I'm not interested in him. If you have feelings for him, go for it! Don't hold me back!"
After Yu Xiyan finished speaking, she turned her face away again, deliberately not wanting to meet Zhao Lei's gaze. Instead, she turned to look at Lin Yu and deliberately started a conversation with him.
Seeing this, Zhao Lei was somewhat affected, and coupled with the fact that he hadn't practiced in a long time, his notes went astray. But it was only one note, so he quickly covered it up with a series of consecutive notes.
Ordinary people wouldn't be able to tell anything from it. It's just too technical.
"Clang, clang, clang—"
A moment later, the performance ended as the last long note fell.
Zhao Lei slowly stood up.
Splash!
Scattered applause immediately rang out from the surroundings.
Zhao Lei smiled, nodded slightly to both sides, and then returned to his seat.
"Wow, Zhao Lei, you're amazing! You're still as handsome as you were when you were a kid!" Zhang Yi couldn't help but clap her hands and praise him.
Zhao Lei waved his hand, "That won't work either. I've only just reached level ten, still a bit short of being a master!"
"Zhao Lei, you're so outstanding, and you're so humble. Any girl who marries you would be so lucky!" Zhang Yi glanced at Yu Xiyan and said loudly on purpose.
"Tch, just so-so, no progress at all!" Yu Xiyan pouted, pretending not to hear what Zhang Yi said, and deliberately turned away.
Zhao Lei looked somewhat embarrassed, and a sense of displeasure welled up inside him.
I thought that singing "Für Elise" would win back my dream lover's heart, but to my surprise, he was unmoved and indifferent.
Frustrated to the extreme, he couldn't help but slowly clench his fists.
Zhang Yi quickly patted his hand from below, signaling him not to get agitated.
She then looked at Lin Yu and said sarcastically, "Dr. Lin, I saw you listening intently just now. Do you also know anything about the piano?"
That's just stirring up trouble.
Lin Yu hadn't paid much attention at all.
However, upon hearing her question, Lin Yu actually began to recall carefully, tapping his fingers on the table. "It was alright, barely passable, the rhythm was just average, and I even missed a note in the middle!"
"What did you say?" Zhao Lei thought he had misheard.
What is that?
This country bumpkin actually said he played it wrong?
Before he could explode, Zhang Yi couldn't help but ask, "Are you kidding me? Our Zhao Lei is a professional, how could he make such a basic mistake!"
Lin Yu said in a serious tone, "It's the second section, the loop part, that's definitely missing a note, I'm not lying to you!"
Bang!
Zhao Lei slammed his hand on the table and stood up abruptly. "Hey Lin, I've put up with you for too long! You country bumpkin, do you even know anything about the piano? What right do you have to criticize my piece!"
Yu Xiyan's expression froze. "Zhao Lei, what are you doing! Dr. Lin was just giving you advice, and you're being so insensitive! Putting aside how well you play the piano, what you're doing is really unbecoming!"
"Xi Yan, you're actually taking his side too? He's an amateur, talking nonsense and clearly insulting me!" Zhao Lei looked aggrieved and glared fiercely at Lin Yu.
He felt that Lin Yu was just stirring up trouble, that he didn't understand the piano at all, and that he was deliberately trying to annoy him.
As for that note, although he vaguely felt something was off when he played it, and there might have been a slight mistake, he didn't believe a country bumpkin could actually hear it. The other person was simply guessing!
At this moment, Zhang Yi quickly tried to smooth things over, "Hey! Don't get agitated, we're childhood friends who grew up together, why get angry over an outsider!"
"Okay, let's call the waitress over and have her evaluate it. If she gives us a free meal, it means that Zhao Lei's piece was indeed at a level ten, right?"
When Zhang Yi made this suggestion, Zhao Lei and Yu Xiyan immediately calmed down.
Zhao Lei snorted and sat back down. "Yeah, why am I making such a fuss? It's like casting pearls before swine. We should just let the waiter decide!"
Zhao Lei snapped his fingers, and immediately a waiter came over.
"Sir, what service do you need?"
Zhao Lei immediately asked, "The piece I just played should be at level ten, right? According to your event rules, I should get it for free!"
The waiter paused for a moment, glanced at the screen in the restaurant, then turned back, shook his head, and said, "I'm sorry, sir! We have professional judges backstage. If your level truly meets the requirements, it will be displayed on the big screen!"
"What do you mean? You're saying I'm not at level ten?" Zhao Lei exploded on the spot. "What kind of lousy judges are you! Are you even qualified? I am level ten, how dare you say I'm not! I think you're just cheating and deliberately trying to avoid giving us a free meal!"
The waiter said in a flustered manner, "Sir, please don't be agitated. Perhaps you made a small mistake just now, which inevitably affected the evaluation results. However, you did not meet the standard. We are an international restaurant and would not deliberately renege on our obligations. Please understand!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
