Chapter 52, Song 52...
With the competition time drawing ever closer, Qu Jiaying and Le Yi still hadn't reached an agreement.
In fact, Yan Zheng and Xiang Min were both helping out, giving Qu Jiaying all sorts of advice. She listened to some of it, but she insisted on her own ideas for others.
Not only the song "Demon King" from the preliminary round, but also the song for the final round, need to be practiced.
This year's competition has also changed in format. After careful consideration, Ms. Xia Xiaolei felt that it was more favorable to Qu Jiaying than before. The organizers wanted to be more in line with international standards, so they reduced the number of domestic judges and increased the number of international judges. However, this does not mean that there are no challenges. Some judges have more open-minded views, while others are more conservative.
The competition format is also closer to international competitions. Previously, it was not international enough and its recognition was not high enough, so many violinists did not participate. Therefore, two rounds are enough for now. The preliminary round is to select a piece from a range of composers. This round eliminates a large number of people. The second round is to enter the final round, where you will perform with a symphony orchestra. The pieces are drawn on the spot and are ten more well-known pieces than those in the preliminary round. You need to practice these pieces in advance.
But Qu Jiaying felt good about this process of getting to know each other, as each discussion helped her to improve.
Le Yi was also very happy. Playing with Qu Jiaying was more fun for him, and he rediscovered the feeling of playing the piano.
Qu Jiaying and Yue Yi couldn't explain why, but bystanders could see the truth.
Yan Zheng and Xiang Min understood that Qu Jiaying and Le Yi were both performers with very similar ideas. Le Yi wanted music that he and the audience could enjoy, while Qu Jiaying wanted music that was infectious and resonated with the audience. So even when they argued about music, they were just learning from each other and making progress.
Yan Zheng and Xiang Min both know that they are not as pure in their music as Qu Jiaying and Le Yi, but Yan Zheng is now very open-minded, while Xiang Min is not.
It was already the last semester, and Xiang Min still hadn't finished the third movement. He didn't know how to compose the music. He sat in the rehearsal room with a frown, watching Qu Jiaying and Le Yi practice. He felt frustrated and even less able to write.
Yan Zheng patted his shoulder, and the two quietly came out of the rehearsal room. They didn't go far, but sat and talked on hard chairs in the classroom next door, which had the door open.
Yan Zheng always acts like he knows her best, which makes Xiang Min very unhappy.
"You have a broad mind, I haven't reached your level yet," Xiang Min said sarcastically.
Yan Zheng said calmly, "Then you should just stay away."
Xiang Min remained silent for a while, then helplessly grabbed a handful of hair, lowered his head and sighed. He just couldn't do it. He couldn't finish composing the music if he stayed away from Qu Jiaying, otherwise the whole structure would be wrong.
Yan Zheng saw through him and said coldly, "Jia Ying is kind-hearted. She doesn't mind that you treat her as a tool for research, but I can't. If you continue with this attitude, you should leave sooner rather than later."
Xiang Min clenched his fists, took a deep breath, suppressed his anger, and growled in a low voice, "No! I'm just unwilling to accept it!"
“The world doesn’t revolve around you. You lack love, but she can’t give you as much as you want. She’s a career-oriented woman, and that’s what attracted you to her. You can’t have it all.” Yan Zheng practically ripped him apart.
Xiang Min stood up abruptly, glaring at him angrily.
Yan Zheng remained unmoved and chuckled sarcastically, "You're wondering why I can accept this? It's simple, you just can't understand it. With your talent and your mother's status in the industry, you've been a genius admired by everyone since you were a child, while I'm not. I've been looking up to her since I was a child."
Xiang Min was stunned.
Yan Zheng continued, "Your intentions are impure. Jia Ying doesn't mind now, but that doesn't mean it will always work. When you can't move forward because of this, you'll be left behind, and she'll be sad too. I don't want her to be sad. She only has so much energy, so she can only focus on her own things."
Yan Zheng looked at the bewildered Xiang Min and sighed inwardly. He had made a similar mistake before, hiding it from Qu Jiaying because of his pride. So he was already very content to be able to stay by her side now.
Yan Zheng certainly had his own ulterior motives. If he hadn't formed the quartet back then, Qu Jiaying, who was making rapid progress, would most likely have chosen Le Yi, the best pianist in the department, as her accompanist.
If Xiang Min withdraws, Qu Jiaying will probably end up with Le Yi.
Because they are still a quartet, Qu Jiaying doesn't want them to be separated or disrupt the balance.
Yan Zheng believes she understands Qu Jiaying well. Rationally, Qu Jiaying always says that everyone will go their separate ways after graduation, but she actually envies Qiu Xue for having Wang Zhou's assistance, Ruan Qi and Lü Yueming for mutual support, and Xiao Xing and Da Wei for working together. She really wants to have a similar environment around her.
Perhaps it was a bit greedy, but Yan Zheng understood Qu Jiaying's thoughts. He looked up to Qu Jiaying while also wanting to catch up with her. She had also said that she had regarded him as her rival since childhood, which was probably why she was able to reach such heights.
So Yan Zheng didn't want to go to Xiang Min, so he could only wake him up like this.
Yan Zheng glanced at Xiang Min, who was leaving in a daze, and then at Qu Jiaying, who was still focused on practicing with Le Yi, but she hadn't heard a sound.
Xiang Min dragged his heavy body back to his little house, turned his head to look at the orange-pink sunset outside the window. A breeze came in through the gauze window, and the green plants on the windowsill trembled slightly, but it still couldn't dispel the heat in his heart.
Was he really as excessive as Yan Zheng said?
He didn't ask Qu Jiaying to give up her career. On the contrary, he hoped that she could be better. He just wanted a monogamous relationship. Isn't that right?
He was also puzzled as to why Yan Zheng didn't seem possessive.
Qu Jiaying should be able to do it. She has a history with Yan Zheng and they had intimate moments together, so the next choice should be Le Yi.
Xiang Min was unconvinced. Le Yi didn't dare to compete and wasn't enthusiastic enough towards Qu Jiaying. All she could do was play the piano. Why could she be chosen as the next one so easily?
It's not even summer yet, why is it so hot?
Frustrated, Xiang Min got up and turned on the electric fan. The increased airflow caused the sheet music on the desk to fly to the floor.
He impatiently got up, bent down, and picked it up, his gaze involuntarily falling on the electric fan.
Looking from the back, one could almost see the steaming, blurry waves of wind. Xiang Min gripped the sheet music tightly in his hand. He recalled many nights when Qu Jiaying, afraid of the heat but also worried about the air conditioning being too cold, would always turn on the fan before it got too hot.
In this small cabin, they get close, exchange ideas, and spark inspiration.
In fact, Qu Jiaying was the best to him. When he had a fever, Qu Jiaying came to take care of him and also comforted him about his past feelings towards Cai Rui and his mother.
He couldn't turn around and leave. Qu Jiaying needed him more. He could compose music for her. What could Le Yi and Yan Zheng do?
Xiang Min cheered himself up a bit and then noticed the message on his phone. Qu Jiaying asked if he was home, and he quickly replied. Not long after, there was a knock on the door.
Qu Jiaying came to see him.
"Aren't you going to take advantage of your time to practice the piano?" Xiang Min asked, trying to hide his delight.
Qu Jiaying entered the house with a smile and teased, "I was worried about my composer. How is he? Would you like to have a chat?"
Xiang Min quickly shook his head. He finally understood Yan Zheng's feelings. He shouldn't have bothered Qu Jiaying at this crucial moment, making her spend extra energy worrying about him.
Qu Jiaying understood his feelings and chuckled, "Actually, chatting with him is also helping me, I'm a bit stuck too."
She and Le Yi could never decide on the best solution, and kept making changes, always feeling that there was a better interpretation, but at the same time they were worried that if the interpretation was too novel, they would not be able to win an award.
This is a paradox: Qu Jiaying increasingly wants to showcase her acting skills, but before she can enter the industry through winning awards, she cannot freely express herself.
Qu Jiaying thought of the first movement of Xiang Min's "Green Night" and asked curiously, "How did you manage to maintain a balance between self-expression and standards?"
Xiang Min raised an eyebrow and chuckled, "What did it feel like when you were playing?"
Qu Jiaying recalled, "It was very interesting, always changing, and it was quite fun to play with it."
"So, do you think it sounds good?"
Qu Jiaying nodded.
Xiang Min recalled Qu Jiaying's bright eyes as he played his piece in the center of the stage last year, and said with a smile: "Fun is my expression, and pleasant to listen to is the so-called standard. As long as the concept changes, both can be achieved at the same time. They are not mutually exclusive. Just like your interpretation and my score together constitute this work."
Qu Jiaying suddenly realized that she had gotten stuck on a particular point. She laughed and said, "So you really have always been very good. The improvisation method you taught me when we first met was very correct. It's about understanding music theory and then improvising according to your feelings, instead of just focusing on one aspect."
Xiang Min pulled out a chair and sat down, bitterly mocking himself, "I'm not as good as you. You get to understand things with just a little guidance, and you'll go much further. I can't keep up with you, and I even complain that you don't stop and wait for me. Isn't that ridiculous?"
Qu Jiaying was about to shake her head in denial when Xiang Min continued, "I'm different from the other two. They were attracted by your piano playing first, while I was attracted by the way you looked at me first. That's where the trouble lies. I've performed in all sorts of places and received many admiring glances, but I found them all boring. What I want is your appreciative gaze, but I'm still not satisfied. I want to have it all, and then I feel bored. Maybe I have some kind of issue, just like you said."
Qu Jiaying stood up and took half a step forward, gently stroking Xiang Min's sideburns, and said softly, "I'm sorry, I'm a greedy person."
Xiang Min raised his head slightly and smiled with relief, "I know."
After sorting out his thoughts, Xiang Min quickly finished writing the third movement and handed it over to the school symphony orchestra for rehearsal.
Qu Jiaying exclaimed in surprise, "It's even better than the first two movements! The various parts are very balanced, and there are more variations. How did you manage to revise it so quickly?"
“Once the train of thought is clear, things flow smoothly. The inspiration came from our first meeting,” Xiang Min said with a smile, leaning against the piano in the rehearsal room.
"Isn't the entire composition inspired by our first meeting? You have new inspiration?" Qu Jiaying asked in surprise.
“Even earlier, our first meeting wasn’t actually in a bar. You were practicing the piano, and the three of us were listening outside. Although I didn’t meet you that time, I heard your Brahms,” Xiang Min said.
Qu Jiaying didn't need him to say anything more; she could understand just by looking at the score.
On the stage of the performance, Qu Jiaying gave her all in playing "Green Night".
The first movement depicts their first meeting, filled with passion for each other but lacking understanding and experiencing many misalignments. Consequently, the second movement shows them growing apart, yet simultaneously gaining a deeper understanding of each other—her ambitions and his pain. In the third movement, their passion is rekindled, but this time it's not as intense as a storm, but rather a gentle, soothing companionship and mutual understanding.
Before her death, Schumann's widow, Clara, destroyed all the letters she had exchanged with Brahms. No one knows if anything happened between them, but their friendship lasted until the very end after Schumann's death. We cannot define our relationship, but we hope it will continue forever.
Qu Jiaying gave a passionate and enthusiastic performance.
The loss of a loved one can be incredibly lonely, the pursuit of the summit can be incredibly lonely, and walking alone on a path where no one supports you can be incredibly lonely. Love is the only antidote to loneliness.
Le Yi, sitting in the audience, wiped the moisture from the corners of her eyes, clapped vigorously, and looked at Qu Jiaying on the stage. Her face was glistening with what looked like sweat or tears.
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Author's Note: Please add "Unexpectedly Matched with My Ex-Boyfriend's Brother" to your favorites for pre-order!
Synopsis: Ji Chun lived for over twenty years in the interstellar era. Suddenly, she dreamt that she had transmigrated into a cannon fodder female supporting character in an interstellar novel. She was forced to participate in gene matching but was used by the villain and ultimately met a tragic end.
Ji Chun had a headache. She had already signed up for gene matching, but seeing that she couldn't stop the original plot from happening, she turned around and ran into He Yue, her ex-boyfriend's friend.
Ji Chun never expected that He Yue, who was unruly in college, would actually come to participate in gene matching after retiring from the military and making outstanding contributions.
To her utter surprise, she woke up to find herself married to He Yue, a man she had always disliked.
The two agreed to break up after a year, but no one expected that He Yue, who was known for being cold, hard and fierce, would chase after Ji Chun and beg her not to leave a year later.
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