The intense sense of detachment receded like the tide, replaced by a slight dizziness and a feeling of groundedness. The air in my nostrils was no longer filled with the dust and blood of a barbaric dynasty, but with a faint, cool smell of disinfectant, mixed with a barely perceptible... unique scent of piano lacquer and old sheet music.
Su Nian slowly opened her eyes.
Instead of the rugged stone hall, what came into view was a simply furnished yet stylish office. Off-white walls, wooden bookshelves neatly arranged with psychology books and file boxes, and a large desk with an Apple computer and a potted plant. Sunlight streamed through the blinds, casting interplay of light and shadow on the floor.
The modern world.
She looked down at herself. She was wearing a well-fitting light gray business suit, the cut clean and the fabric comfortable. The marks of Helian Jue's strength on her wrists were gone, and her skin was smooth. Only the lingering echo in her mind of Helian Jue's final, hoarse roar, "Wait for me...", reminded her of the harrowing experience of the previous world.
[Transfer complete! Welcome to Volume Six: The Pianist with a Dual Personality!] 088's lively voice rang in my mind, carrying a sense of joy at returning to a familiar environment. [Modern world! This system can finally enjoy watching dramas online... uh, no, I mean, efficiently assist the host!]
Su Nian ignored the system's banter and quickly looked around, receiving the background and identity information of this world transmitted synchronously by 088.
World setting: A modern metropolis, within the music industry. On the surface, it appears glamorous, but behind the scenes lies a complex web of capital maneuvering, resource competition, and untold secrets.
Su Nian's identity: A psychology master's graduate from overseas, employed by a top domestic psychological clinic, temporarily assigned as the personal assistant and psychological observer for the genius pianist Xie Chen. The original owner of this body couldn't tolerate Xie Chen's eccentric temper and the "miserable" experiences of the previous assistants, so she took his place.
Core mission: Approach Xie Chen, understand the causes of his dual personality, guide the main personality (Xie Chen) and the secondary personality (??) to reconcile and integrate, and heal his childhood trauma.
Task Challenges: Xie Chen's primary personality is gentle and fragile, with extreme dependence; his secondary personality is manic, domineering, and possessive. The two personalities are not fully interconnected, but both have a latent reaction to the name "Su Nian" and her soul aura (influenced by fragments from previous worlds). The task requires gaining the trust of both personalities simultaneously and balancing the potential intense conflicts between them arising from "Su Nian."
[Host, data transfer complete. Your first task: After Xie Chen's city concert tonight, safely escort him back to his apartment and establish initial contact.] 088 issued the command: [Friendly reminder: Based on the tearful accusations of previous assistants, Teacher Xie Chen may enter a... well, rather unpredictable state after the performance. Please be extremely careful.]
Su Nian rubbed her temples. Going from a queen who ruled half the kingdom to an assistant who needed to carefully manage a temperamental artist was quite a change. But… a pianist? A person with a dual personality? This combination sounded incredibly challenging and… suspenseful.
She walked to the full-length mirror in the office. The woman in the mirror had a refined and scholarly appearance, but her eyes held a calmness and resilience beyond her years. Very good, this identity and appearance are perfect for observation and approach.
According to the schedule, Su Nian needs to arrive at the concert venue—the City Concert Hall—in advance to coordinate and prepare.
The backstage area of the concert hall was busy yet orderly. Staff members hurried about, adjusting equipment, managing costumes, and checking procedures; a sense of tension, like that of someone preparing for battle, permeated the air.
Guided by the staff, Su Nian arrived at the door of Xie Chen's private lounge. His name was affixed to the door, along with a simple musical note symbol.
She took a deep breath and knocked on the door.
A gentle, slightly weary male voice came from inside: "Please come in."
Su Nian pushed open the door and entered.
The dressing room was spacious and softly lit. A young man in a custom-made performance suit sat on a sofa by the window, looking down at sheet music spread out on his lap. His profile was beautifully defined, with a high nose bridge and long, thick eyelashes that cast soft shadows under his eyes. He exuded a quiet and pure artistic aura, as if separated from the world by a transparent membrane.
This is Xie Chen's main personality. The information described him as a gentle, sensitive, and easily stressed genius who possesses absolute control at the piano.
He looked up when he heard footsteps.
The moment their eyes met, Su Nian's heart skipped a beat for no apparent reason.
His eyes were beautiful, a clear light brown, like the finest amber. But at this moment, those eyes held an obvious tension and a hint of... dependence? The moment he saw Su Nian, that tension seemed to ease a little, replaced by a shallow, benevolent doubt.
“You are…” he began, his voice gentle and pleasant.
"Hello Mr. Xie, I'm Su Nian, Dr. Chen's temporary assistant who's here to replace Assistant Li." Su Nian gave a professional and reassuring smile and handed over her work ID. "I'll be in charge of all matters related to your performance tonight."
“Su Nian…” Xie Chen repeated the name softly, his brows furrowing almost imperceptibly as if recalling something, but then relaxed, giving her a somewhat shy smile. “Thank you for your help, Assistant Su. I… I’m a little nervous.”
His attitude was polite, even somewhat courteous, carrying the sensitivity and distance characteristic of an artist. But Su Nian keenly noticed the subtle shift in his eyes the moment she gave her name. He did indeed have an underlying reaction to "Su Nian."
"This is your first large-scale solo concert, so it's normal to be nervous," Su Nian said calmly, with a reassuring tone. "I believe in your abilities. I'll be backstage the whole time, so please call me anytime if you need anything."
Xie Chen nodded, his gaze returning to the sheet music. His fingertips unconsciously tapped the rhythm of the piano keys on his knees, clearly immersed in his own musical world once again.
Su Nian didn't disturb him, quietly stepping aside to familiarize herself with the dressing room and the performance schedule. She noticed that Xie Chen had a glass of water beside him, but it was barely touched. His fingertips trembled slightly from time to time.
Gentle, fragile, and easily stressed. This was her first impression of the protagonist, Xie Chen.
The concert started promptly at 8 p.m.
Standing behind the curtain on the side of the stage, Su Nian could clearly see the packed audience below the stage, as well as Xie Chen, who was bathed in spotlight in the center of the stage.
When he sat down at that Steinway piano, his entire demeanor underwent a dramatic transformation. His previous nervousness and shyness vanished, replaced by absolute focus and confidence. His back straightened, and his long, slender fingers moved across the black and white keys as if they possessed their own life.
Bach's rigor, Chopin's poetry, Liszt's exuberance… a variety of challenging pieces flowed from his fingertips, sometimes like a babbling brook, sometimes like a torrential downpour. The concert hall was completely silent, only the powerful or delicate piano music captivating the ears of every listener.
Su Nian had to admit that Xie Chen on stage was incredibly charismatic. He seemed to have been born for the piano; music was his only language to communicate with the world.
[Host, we detected abnormally active mental fluctuations in the target character during the performance, but the dominant personality remained absolutely in control.] 088 reported in real time, [Soul fragment resonance intensity... upper-middle. He is indeed yours, although... he was cut in half.]
As the performance drew to a close, the final piece was Xie Chen's own composition, "Sonata of Light and Shadow." The first half of the piece was filled with light and hope, like the dawn breaking through the clouds, but the second half took a sharp turn, filled with struggle, conflict, and unease, as if light and shadow were fiercely battling.
When Xie Chen played the most intense and darkest movement, Su Nian clearly saw that his fingers suddenly increased the pressure on the keys, the veins on the back of his hands bulged, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. His expression was no longer one of pure immersion, but rather carried a kind of restrained pain, even... a slight distortion.
Just then, 088 suddenly issued an alarm: [Warning! A sharp increase in the activity level of the alternate personality has been detected! There are signs of a forced switch! Host, be careful!]
Su Nian's heart skipped a beat! Could it be that the extreme emotional investment during a performance would trigger the emergence of a secondary personality?
The final, heavy chord slammed down, the speakers booming and the echo reverberating throughout the concert hall. Thunderous applause erupted instantly!
Xie Chen remained in the position he had just finished, his head bowed, his chest heaving violently, as if he had exhausted all his strength.
The spotlight shone on him, magnifying the slightest tremor.
The applause continued, and the audience rose to their feet and cheered. But Xie Chen did not rise to take his bow for a long time.
The stage manager was getting anxious and gestured for Su Nian to go up and check on things.
Su Nian strode onto the stage, approached the piano, and softly called out, "Mr. Xie? The performance is over, it's time for the curtain call."
Xie Chen slowly raised his head.
The moment he looked up, Su Nian met a pair of eyes—completely different from the previous gentle light brown ones! These eyes were much darker, almost pitch black, churning with lingering mania and ferocity, and a kind of… aggressive gaze, like a wild beast locking onto its prey!
He smiled, a smile completely different from his usual shy demeanor, carrying an air of wickedness and unbridled arrogance.
"A curtain call?" he spoke, his voice deep and husky, magnetic yet with a chilling quality. "A bunch of noisy ants, do you even deserve it?"
Alarm bells rang in Su Nian's mind!
Four personalities! He emerged at the moment when the performance ended, when he was both most relaxed and most excited!
“You are not Xie Chen.” Su Nian remained calm and spoke in a voice that only the two of them could hear.
"Oh?" The alternate personality raised an eyebrow, scrutinizing Su Nian with interest. His gaze swept unceremoniously from her face to her entire body, filled with blatant scrutiny and possessiveness. "The new assistant? She's more pleasing to the eye than those blockheads from before. How do you know I'm not that good-for-nothing?"
The "waste" he refers to is clearly the dominant personality.
The applause and cheers from the audience continued, interspersed with some questioning murmurs. The stage lights were scorching, making one's skin feel hot.
Su Nian knew that she had to bring the situation under control as soon as possible.
“No matter who you are, this is a work setting.” Su Nian met his intensely authoritative gaze with an unquestionable tone, “Complete the procedures you are supposed to complete. This is a matter of respect for the audience and for the identity of ‘Xie Chen’.”
The alternate personality stared at her, a hint of surprise flashing in its eyes, followed by even stronger interest and... a desire to conquer. It suddenly reached out and grabbed Su Nian's wrist!
His strength was great, and his fingers were icy cold, completely different from Helian Jue's scalding touch, yet equally powerful and irresistible.
“Respect?” He chuckled, leaning closer to Su Nian, his warm breath brushing against her earlobe, his voice both seductive and threatening. “For me, it’s not a matter of whether I should or shouldn’t do something, but whether I want to or not.”
He grabbed Su Nian's hand, forcibly pulled her along, and faced the sea of people below the stage, giving her a perfunctory bow. Then, before the applause had subsided, he dragged Su Nian and strode quickly backstage without looking back.
He walked quickly, his pace quickened, and his demeanor was tinged with a restless, agitated energy. Wherever he went, the staff gave way, their faces showing fear.
Su Nian's wrist was gripped tightly by him, and she could clearly feel the unstable aura emanating from his body. Manic, possessive, and aggressive. This was the alternate personality.
Back in the lounge, the alternate personality slammed the door shut, shutting out all the noise from the outside world. He released Su Nian's wrist, where a noticeable red mark had been left.
He turned around, his back to Su Nian, and stood by the window, looking at the city's night view outside. His shoulders rose and fell slightly, as if he was trying to calm the surging negative emotions within him.
The lounge was deathly silent.
After a long while, he slowly spoke, his voice still low, but less violent than before, and more filled with an indescribable weariness and...loneliness.
"Your name is Su Nian?" he asked without turning around.
"Yes," Su Nian replied calmly, rubbing her wrist.
He was silent for a moment, then suddenly whispered, "That good-for-nothing... he likes you a lot."
Su Nian was taken aback.
He turned around abruptly, his dark eyes locking onto her, filled with contradiction and obsession:
"But I won't allow it."
"You are mine."
(End of Chapter 125)
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Next chapter preview: What does the alter ego's declaration of possessiveness mean? When will the protagonist return? Where are the clues to Xie Chen's childhood trauma hidden? What are the shadows behind the glitz and glamour of the music industry? How will Su Nian navigate between two completely different personalities and embark on a new healing journey? The pianist with a dual personality—his world is far more complex and dangerous than the stage.
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