Chapter 25, Song 25...
Qu Jiaying ran over to ask Lü Yueming, "Ruan Qi has been arriving late and leaving early lately, what's going on?"
Lu Yueming turned his head away in silence: "..."
Qu Jiaying held up her phone. On the screen was a message from Gao Ying: "Everyone is saying that Ruan Qi doesn't want to be separated from you, so she put aside rehearsals to learn German."
"Just ask her directly." Lu Yueming had been instructed by Ruan Qi not to explain the reason to anyone.
Qu Jiaying didn't believe that Ruan Qi was the kind of person who would disregard everything else for love. Even if Ruan Qi had doubts about continuing to play the violin, she wouldn't give it up for anything else.
Ruan Qi did not reply, so Qu Jiaying could only continue rehearsing in silence.
Cai Rui glanced at the violin section. Although Qu Jiaying's performance wasn't perfect, it was still better than the others. "Qu Jiaying, you need to practice your solo part properly. This isn't good enough."
She's been chosen to perform a solo, but I'm not happy at all.
Qu Jiaying hesitated for a moment, then quickly caught up with Cai Rui after the rehearsal: "Could you wait a few days for Ruan Qi? She plays 'The Sea' better than I do."
Cai Rui coldly replied, "If she doesn't come to rehearsal, I won't choose her no matter how well she plays. Since you're so keen on it, then practice your performance to be even better than hers."
Qu Jiaying packed her things in disappointment, slung her violin case over her shoulder, and was about to leave when Lü Yueming called out to her again: "Ruan Qi is waiting for you at the coffee shop on the first floor of the library."
Qu Jiaying smiled and thanked him, then jogged off.
As Lu Yueming watched her figure, he sighed slightly. He then thought of Yan Zheng, who had been frequently seeking his guidance recently. These people were not lacking in talent and were constantly striving for the top. Although he was preparing to study in Germany, he knew in his heart that the path that Cai Rui had planned for him was so that he could more easily collaborate with the pop music industry after returning.
The higher you climb, the more you discover the barriers to talent.
When he was young, Lü Yueming was quite proud of his musical talent. However, after being admitted to the music academy, he was surrounded by more talented and hardworking people, which inevitably made him feel a sense of disparity. He stopped thinking about becoming an internationally renowned conductor and felt that it was good enough to make good use of his own strengths.
Ruan Qi's fall was even greater than his. She had reached the summit and seen the scenery there, but she fell down again. It was already very difficult for her to get back up.
Qu Jiaying found Ruan Qi in a corner of the coffee shop; she was looking down at a German book.
Hearing the noise, Ruan Qi looked up and pointed to the chair beside her: "I ordered you a latte."
Ruan Qi was in a better state than Qu Jiaying had imagined; she was very peaceful and no longer as depressed and gloomy as before.
Qu Jiaying cut to the chase: "Why don't you come to rehearsals?"
Ruan Qi pushed the coffee cup towards Qu Jiaying.
Qu Jiaying picked up the glass and took a sip: "Are you planning to give up?"
Ruan Qi chuckled and shook her head: "I won't give up, all thanks to you."
Qu Jiaying shook her head: "I didn't do anything." She pressed further, "Are you serious?"
“Well, I’ve been busy preparing a piece for my overseas mentor lately, so I haven’t had much energy to prepare the solo for ‘The Sea.’ It’s already quite an achievement that the orchestra has managed to keep up with rehearsals,” Ruan Qi said.
"I knew you wouldn't be going abroad for Lü Yueming's sake," Qu Jiaying said with a sigh of relief.
“That’s what I told them,” Ruan Qi sighed. “I didn’t want to tell others that I was still taking on the challenge. If I failed, I would be laughed at. It’s better to be talked about in my private life, at least that’s not wrong.”
Qu Jiaying was glad that she could tell her the truth, but she still didn't quite understand her inferiority complex: "Actually, you are different from Lü Yueming. He is just getting a 'gilded' degree, while you are the one who wants to continue learning the piano. Why can't you just say it openly?"
Ruan Qi smiled wryly and rubbed her arm: "You know, right? Legend has it that Paganini suffered from a disease that allowed him to perform such difficult moves."
“I’ve heard of it; it’s called something like Marfan syndrome, which is why his joints are unusually flexible,” Qu Jiaying said.
“I’ve never told anyone that I’m naturally soft-boned. When I was little, I could easily do difficult techniques, but I was also prone to fractures. Once when I was in elementary school, I was on a bus and my hand holding the aluminum pole was squeezed by other passengers when the bus braked, and I fractured it. I often have to deal with stress fractures and balance practice. After injuring my arms and hands several times, I can no longer be as flexible as before,” Ruan Qi sighed.
“I competed with piano students all over the world, won the championship, and then fell so hard. I clearly understood the rules of the game long ago, I really don’t know why I’ve persisted until now.” Ruan Qi stared at her hands. “I can’t understand you, and I can’t understand myself. What are we doing this for…”
"So you're really amazing. Anyone else would have given up long ago, but you're still playing the violin with that kind of reputation, even in China." Qu Jiaying laughed. "In the end, we're all gamblers, otherwise we would have chosen the easy path long ago."
Ruan Qi laughed out loud, then teased, "From now on, you'll have to call me 'Master Aunt'."
Why?
“I plan to go to Germany with Lü Yueming. Teacher Xia introduced me to a mentor there, who is also her teacher. So, if we count that, I’m your senior aunt.” Ruan Qi calculated her seniority.
"Professor Muller?"
“You know, right? You’ve been learning piano from Teacher Xia since you were little. I’ve heard that Teacher Müller is not only a famous performer, but also a very talented teacher.”
Qu Jiaying nodded. She felt that she had improved her skills under Teacher Muller in her past life: "You will definitely gain a lot. Do you need a recording engineer? I know a teacher who has recorded for the National Symphony Orchestra."
"So kind of you? We'll be competing against each other in the future."
“That’s precisely why I want you to be even better, otherwise it would be so meaningless,” Qu Jiaying said bluntly.
Ruan Qi laughed: "In return, I'll share some of my experience with you."
"Please explain more clearly."
"Take 'The Sea' for example. This is not the first time I have played this piece. After so many years, my understanding and interpretation are better than before."
Qu Jiaying was speechless: "No showing off."
“Don’t rush me, I’ll get to the point. I was very young when I first performed, and my performance skills weren’t very good back then. My teacher told me to go to the sea because it was an important competition, so my parents took me to the beach. We took a boat, saw seabirds, and the sun shone on the deck. It was dark at night, but we could hear the louder sound of the waves,” Ruan Qi recalled.
"You've been to the beach, haven't you?"
"I've been there, and it always smelled of the sea, and the weather was cold and gloomy," Qu Jiaying said.
"Have you never been to a beautiful sea abroad?" Ruan Qi asked.
Qu Jiaying lived in Germany in her previous life. Germany's coastline is not very large, but she heard it is very beautiful. However, she did not want to travel or go on vacation. It was as if she felt guilty for not becoming a soloist. She dared not relax and was only forced to travel by her parents.
Ruan Qi said, "Actually, that's fine too. It's your interpretation, your explanation, your performance."
"So you have to experience it firsthand?" Qu Jiaying asked worriedly. "But what if there are things I haven't experienced yet? Like the theme of 'The Butterfly Lovers,' I've broken up before, but it wasn't that sad."
“It’s unlikely that you can perform every piece well; everyone has their own strengths.” Looking at Qu Jiaying’s stubborn expression, Ruan Qi sighed, “But it’s good that you have the drive to polish every piece. All your past experiences will eventually be incorporated into your performance.”
Qu Jiaying continued to study how to perform "The Sea" well, and the three mediocre people came up with all sorts of ingenious ideas to help her.
First was Yan Zheng, who printed a huge copy of "The Great Wave off Kanagawa" and hung it on the wall of the rehearsal room, so that Qu Jiaying could come over every day to practice her piano while watching it.
“Debussy created this work based on this painting. You’re the type who focuses on feeling, so look at this print every day,” Yan Zheng said confidently.
Qu Jiaying stood in front of the painting. She knew it was famous, but this was the first time she had observed the details closely. The waves were surging and turbulent, with three boats struggling in the waves. The boatmen were battling the sea, and it looked as if they would be swallowed up at any moment. The ferocity of the sea made the distant Mount Fuji look so quiet and so small.
Debussy's "La Mer" evoked a similar sense of danger for Qu Jiaying; it wasn't just about appreciating it from the shore, but about experiencing the waves and tides firsthand.
Xiang Min suggested that they try scuba diving.
"Then we'd have to go to the beach, right? The nearest beach is accessible by high-speed rail," Qu Jiaying asked doubtfully.
“The aquarium has this project,” Xiang Min explained.
Qu Jiaying and Xiang Min went diving together. Since it was in a large water tank, even the slightest wave made her feel dizzy. She then tried surfing, which made her truly appreciate how terrifying the waves could be.
Qu Jiaying tried several times but failed to stand up. She waved her hands repeatedly, not wanting to try anymore.
Qu Jiaying sighed, "I'm even a little afraid of water now, and I even get seasick. If I still can't perform well, all this suffering will have been for nothing."
Yan Zheng comforted her, "You'll definitely be fine."
Xiang Min blamed himself, saying, "I should have come up with some other ideas."
Yan Zheng glanced at Xiang Min: "You are indeed wrong. Diving and surfing are extreme sports. Did you consider Jia Ying's safety?"
“But you only showed her the prints; she needs to feel them,” Xiang Min said.
Yan Zheng didn't want to admit that Xiang Min had an advantage over him, after all, he and Qu Jiaying had never broken up, and he had heard that he was even composing a concerto for Qu Jiaying.
Xiang Min only suffered setbacks with Qu Jiaying. In his heart, Yan Zheng had more advantages than him. They could be considered childhood sweethearts, and Qu Jiaying always cared more about Yan Zheng.
However, the focus of attention—Qu Jiaying herself—wasn't paying any attention to their exchange, but instead asked Le Yi, "Do you have any suggestions?"
Le Yi laughed heartily, "The weather is so nice, let's go boating."
Yan Zheng and Xiang Min stared intently at Le Yi, almost forgetting that this guy was also a formidable rival.
"Boating on the lake feels wonderful; I'd like to go and gather materials too," Xiang Min said.
"Then let's go together," Yan Zheng said, somewhat annoyed that he hadn't found a good excuse.
Le Yi looked at Qu Jiaying, who nodded casually.
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