Zhou Yun Sheng won the piano competition's youth division championship with undisputed strength, but many people felt that his performance was worth far more than that, he should've been the champion of this entire session. The local Vienna media tried to interview him, but on the next day, they learned that he'd already returned home due to physical discomfort. This was really regrettable.
Zhou Yun Sheng was not only a smash hit abroad, his home country was also on fire, most flights and buses replayed scenes of his performances over and over again, the editing focused on the standing ovation after his final performance, the wrinkled tear stained faces were particularly moving. Many music critics agreed: If Xue Zi Xuan's a national treasure level pianist, then Xue Jing Yi is a world class treasure-level pianist. Although Xue Zi Xuan became famous at 13, when he was 16, he absolutely wasn't at such a superb level of skill and unbelievable musical expressiveness.
The domestic media gave Zhou Yun Sheng a high degree of praise for his last performance, calling it a historical timepiece. Some Levine Empire netizens edited the historical video of Ivanov's performance with his own, but whether it was skill or emotional effort, both showed surprising consistency. How can a teenage girl living in a peaceful era resonate with war era Ivanov? It was a mystery, and they could only use the word 'talent' to explain it. In any case, talent was the deciding factor in how far a person could travel on the artistic path.
Some people remained obscure for a lifetime, some people became world famous in their teens, it was a fact of life.
Zhou Yun Sheng, wearing a hoodie and large black sunglasses, was escorted back to Xue house by Xue Zi Xuan. Xue Jing Yi was holed up in her room, watching a recording of his final performance, nervously clicking the fast forward, slow forward, rewind, pause and other buttons, her dark eyes boring a hole into the TV screen.
"Jing Yi, your letters are here." Xue Rui knocked opened her door, waving several envelopes.
"The Curtis Music Academy admission letter?" Xue Jing Yi immediately turned off the TV.
"Not only that, there's Julia Music College, Rochester Conservatory of Music, National Music Academy of China… …, whatever just pick one." Xue Rui didn't understand these things, so after the letters arrived he'd looked them up online, discovering that these were the world's top music colleges. Ordinary people could test for a lifetime and not get the opportunity to enroll, Huang Yi only played three songs and easily got in, he must have some skill.
Xue Jing Yi took the stack of admission letters, opening them one by one. She was secretly both delighted and uneasy. After watching Huang Yi's display of amazing talent, currently, forget about playing the piano, she couldn't even sit on the piano stool without her chest squeezing and her fingers trembling. Her fear had become bone marrow deep.
"Daddy, Dr. Zhang said my condition is improving, when can you help me arrange the surgery?" She pretended to casually ask.
In order to spare her a conflicted mood, Xue Rui had never told her that she would be receiving Huang Yi's heart, only implying that they'd found the donor they were looking for, so she could feel at ease. These days, she went to bed early and got up early, and ate and drank well, striving to restore her health to peak condition, determined to become able to withstand the risk of the heart transplant. She was eager for Huang Yi's heart, like a demon, she firmly believed that all his amazing talent was buried in his heart, with it, all her wishes would come true, she would get Huang Yi's everything.
"Dad will take you to the hospital for a physical tomorrow, if the doctor agrees, we'll immediately schedule the surgery." Xue Rui lovingly patted his daughter's hair.
"If the doctor nods, how fast can they carry out the surgery? I want to live." She clenched her fists.
"Probably the day after, anyway, the donor's very fresh, it's here any time you need it." Xue Rui spoke such cruel words with a causal tone.
In two days, I can get Huang Yi's heart- as long as Xue Jing Yi thought of this, her lips trembled in excitement. She reluctantly pushed down her excitement, and carefully returned the acceptance letters to their envelopes.
Speak of Cao Cao, and Cao Cao arrives. The steward's voice as he greeted Xue Li Dani and Xue Zi Xuan echoed from downstairs.
"Your mother's back, go greet her." Xue Rui was going to support his daughter downstairs, but his cellphone suddenly rang, and he walked away to answer it in a quiet corner. Xue Jing Yi trotted downstairs without his help, flying into Xue Li Dani's embrace, then she tried to hug Xue Zi Xuan, but was pushed away.
"Jing Yi, do you feel that well? You even ran all the way down." Xue Li Dani was pleasantly surprised.
If she wants to get my heart as soon as possible, she can't be sickly, right? Zhou Yun Sheng sneered inwardly, giving Xue Jing Yi a slight nod as greeting. Xue Jing Yi had no intention of getting closer to him, anyway, it was just a few more days, no need to put on an act, she had long grown tired of his existence.
"I feel really good recently, my health's much better. I'm going to the hospital for a physical tomorrow." Xue Jing Yi handed over the pile of letters and happily asked, "Mama, do you know what this is?"
"An admission letter from Curtis Music Academy right? Oh, even Julia?" Xue Li Dani took a closer look, her expression very surprised. Almost all the world's top music colleges' admission letters were gathered here, and all were personally written and issued by the deans. They were filled with enthusiasm, even offering full scholarships. There was no doubt that they were competing for the boy, he had used his talent to conquer the world.
Xue Li Dani quickly glanced back at the boy, her eyes very complex.
"Mama, which college should I choose? I really liked Curtis at first, but now I think Julia is not so bad either. Can you give me some advice? Brother, what do you think?" Xue Jing Yi affectionately pulled Xue Zi Xuan's clothes, but he shook her off.
"What kind of music school you should attend? Did you win these admissions letters with your own skill? If not, then continue practicing, don't entertain these unrealistic fantasies."
His words made Xue Jing Yi choke and flush. Xue Li Dani denounced a 'you this child' and quickly pulled her daughter into her bosom for comfort.
The atmosphere in the living room stagnated, and Zhou Yun Sheng's next words made everyone collectively freeze, "I also want to go to a music school, can I?"
"You can't! (No!)" Xue Li Dani and Xue Jing Yi screamed in unison.
Zhou Yun Sheng exposed a hurt expression, his white cheeks almost transparent.
"They mean not right now. You just represented Jing Yi in the competition, if you apply to the music schools as yourself, the substitution will be easily exposed. We have to protect Jing Yi's future, so you'll have to wait at least a year, after Jing Yi settles in school, I'll enroll you." Xue Rui hurried downstairs while giving a reasonable explanation, his mood clearly good.
Seeing the boy not replying, he continued in an even more patient and tolerant tone, "Xiao Yi ah, you're Jing Yi's only relative, do you have the heart to give her a bad reputation? You're still young, a year isn't long, it'll be gone in a blink of an eye.
"Oh right, I received a call from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the prime minister of the Levine Empire wants you to play 'My Empire' at the 10th National Summit meeting next week. Instead of spending time studying for exams, it's more fun to practice the piano, and who knows, maybe you'll receive an interview with the national leaders. What do you say, isn't that great?" At the end, Xue Rui's eyes were practically shining.
It's finally here. Zhou Yun Sheng sighed darkly in his heart. He'd performed so conspicuously in the competition for two reasons, one, to become famous, two, to win this performance opportunity. In the last world, Xue Jing Yi had shined in the competition, and later received this invitation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She and Xue Zi Xuan respectively played 'Reminiscences de Don Juan' and 'My Empire'. When she suddenly suffered a heart attack, she endured the piercing pain to complete the performance, fear of her approaching death and strong desire to live giving her performance extremely powerful spiritual strength, infecting everyone present.
After the curtain, she collapsed on stage, the cameras broadcasting this scene clearly, then she instantly became world famous. Because of that, a gorgeous and brilliant life opened up for her. Her perseverance won the national leaders' high praise, and they each visited her in the hospital, giving Xue Rui a fold-hold in the center circle of very powerful people, his business deals sailing smoothly. Then Xue Jia became independent from Xue Clan, becoming the leader of China's rising social class. Their infinitely beautiful futures was the foil for Zhou Yun Sheng's desolate and miserable outcome. So in this life, Zhou Yun Sheng had always stirred up Xue Jing Yi and Xue Zi Xuan with this performance opportunity in mind.
"But I don't want to wait, I want to go to school now." He finally opened, "Since I came here, you've made me wear the same hair, the same clothes, and even made me attend a banquet and participate in a competition instead of her. Jing Yi said she wanted to leave traces of her life in this world, and so do I."
"But all you've done is make me feel like you're wiping out all traces of my existence, turning me into Jing Yi's shadow. I will not go to the performance, and even if I wanted to go, I will do it in my own name. I want to live honestly! I don't want to wear these clothes, or this girly hairstyle. And I'm Huang Yi, not Xue Jin Yi!" He shouted these words, then turned and ran out.
Xue Rui absolutely hadn't expected the usually well-behaved boy to suddenly learn how to resist today, he quickly waved to the butler and nurse to give chase. Xue Zi Xuan had already thrown away his luggage and ran out like the wind.
The boy's footsteps staggered, because he was focused on the competition, he recently lost a lot weight, his white shirt lifting in the wind, making him appear smaller and smaller, as if he would disappear in the blink of an eye. Xue Zi Xuan panicked at this impression, and called out the boy's name while pursuing.
He was about to catch up when a car suddenly appeared around the corner, the boy glanced at the license plate, then immediately opened the door and jumped in.
It's Xue Yan, he's back. Xue Zi Xuan stared at the taillights drifting further away, his expression dazed.
—————-
"Finally out of that demons nest. Fortunately, cause I'm way too witty, I remembered to grab my knapsack on the way out." Zhou Yun Sheng was lying on top of Xue Yan's lap, catching his breath, playfully poking at the man's leg muscles.
"Wrong place." Xue Yan griped his wrist and led his hand up to a more intimate place.
Zhou Yun Sheng reddened, then squeezed in retaliation. Seeing the man's painful yet pleased look, he snorted, then leaned up to kiss him, grinning. The two people hadn't been together for a long time, they lingered in each other's embrace, the car steadily pulling into the villa parking lot. Xue Lao Si waited for ten minutes, then pinched the bridge of his nose and said, "Kissing for half an hour, that's plenty enough. We all just got off the plane with no dinner. You two can continue your physical activities after you're full, there's no need to waste time in an uncomfortable car."
"You make sense." Zhou Yun Sheng slung his knapsack over his shoulder and jumped out, then he bent down to carry his lover out.
If he wasn't looking at it, Xue Lao Si would never believe the slim teenager could easily pick up his huge boss. The boss should be around 85 kilograms, this could classify him as a big guy, and his figure was completely different from the little lamb. But currently, the skinny little lamb was effortlessly carrying a huge beast in his arms, in a princess hold no less. The scene was too beautiful, Xue Lao Si didn't dare look.
He got the wheelchair out of the trunk and pushed it over to the boy, then ran towards the house with his head lowered, afraid to receive an 'I'll kill you to safeguard my secret' look from his boss.
"Put me down, how long do you plan to hold me?" Seeing the boy ignoring the wheelchair and walking straight towards the house, Xue Yan reminded him in a heavy voice.
"You're my You Le Mei." Zhou Yun Sheng unthinkingly said.
[You Le Mei- A Chinese brand of milk tea. The author is referencing this 2008 commercial staring Jay Chou
https://youtu.be/cb-PZVXH2_w?t=1m1s (don't spam)
I think it goes:
Girl: What am I to you?
Boy: You're my You Le Mei.
Girl: Ah, I'm your milk tea? O_O
Boy: That way, I can hold you in my palm.
Girl: *drops panties*
Super corny, so naturally it became a meme.]
Unfortunately, Xue Yan completely didn't get the reference.
Zhou Yun Sheng smiled helplessly and added, "So I can hold you in my palm." The words fell and he grinned.
Xue Yan face palmed, wanting to laugh but trying to hold back, then he pinched the boy's naughty lips and slowly said "I have to go to Germany for surgery in a few months."
"To treat your legs? Am I hurting your self-esteem by carrying you?"
"No, it's not about dignity. After your performance, everyone stood up to applaud you, but I could only sit. When you left the venue, Xue Zi Xuan could hug you and protect you from the crowd, but I could only sit. I feel like I can do very little for you with these legs. In the future, you have to pay a lot for me, so I want to be whole." Love can make people stronger, Xue Yan now wanted to become the strongest man in the world, so he could protect his most precious treasure.
"Actually, you've already paid a lot for me." Zhou Yun Sheng lowered his head to kiss his lover, his eyes slightly red.