Once these two virgins started to eat meat*, the situation went out of control. No matter where they went, or what they were doing, they would unconsciously find themselves kissing each other. They would kiss and kiss until they're rolling on the bed, and they would not get off the bed until several hours later.
[*T/N: eat meat = do the deed / roll between the sheets / do the horizontal tangle]
Xue Zi Xuan really did have schizophrenia. Off the bed, he was gentle, tender, and consider. His demeanor was elegant and graceful. On the bed, he was a crazy, ferocious beast, always making Zhou Yun Sheng moan and groan, wanting to cry, but not quite crying.
Whenever they neared the climax, he liked to forcefully press against the youth's swollen red lips and kiss him like there was no tomorrow. It was like he was about to suck out the other's soul every time they kissed.
After the deed, Zhou Yun Sheng wouldn't be able to close his mouth for a long time. Both his legs and his waist would be sore and powerless, twitching incessantly. But even so, he was very satisfied with his bed partner. He liked his gentleness, his wildness, and his dense, endless kisses.
He had no relatives, no friends, no lovers, or even a fixed residence. When all was said and done, he was actually a child who very much lacked love.
You couldn't use soft methods with him, nor could you use hard methods with him. And if you tried any crafty plots or schemes, he'd expose you at any minute.
The only way to get close to him was to give him love, a lot of love, to give him a sense of security, a steadfast sense of security.
He really needed these two things, but on the surface he would pretend to be strong, and feign disdain at these things as beneath contempt.
Before he was aware of it, Xue Zi Xuan was no longer an exploitable tool or mission target, but the most special existence in his heart.
While Zhou Yun Sheng was enjoying life to the fullest, Xue Jing Yi was not idle. She was gradually perfecting every detail of the murder. She thought it would be very difficult, but when it was really implemented, she realized that she seemed to be very talented at it. She knew how to proceed step by step, and how to fill the loopholes by instinct.
The underground clinic gave her the price of three million yuan, which was far beyond her ability to bear. She was the little princess of the Xue family, but she didn't spend much money on the regular. Despite that, it was still hard for her to save up one million yuan. Fu Bo contributed his pension, but even pooled together their funds were just a little over two million yuan. They really didn't know where to get the remaining third of the funds.
She negotiated many times, but the clinic was unwilling to yield. This was not only a heart transplant surgery, but also a murder. The clean up detail and corpse left after the operation would all be handled by the underground clinic, so the price that they demanded was not excessive.
Xue Jing Yi had to find another way. She used the excuse of accompanying her parents to stay in China for three more days, and she repeatedly begged them to let her stay. It was already hard to make a move on Huang Yi while she was in China, but to make a move all the way from Switzerland? Her reach couldn't extend that far.
Naturally, Father Xue and Mother Xue did not want their daughter to leave. So without notifying their son, they took it upon themselves to cancel Xue Jing Yi's spot in the Swiss nursing home.
Xue Zi Xuan's entire countenance turned black when he received the cancellation letter from the nursing home. He disliked Xue Jing Yi to the extreme, and even more, he hated having her around the teenager.
"You don't want to go to Switzerland?" He walked into the piano room. His gaze was cold and stern.
Xue Jing Yi played a wrong note, but she smiled happily. This was the first time that her brother took the initiative to speak to her since his personality changed so drastically.
"I don't want to go. Out there, both the people and place are foreign to me. Everything would be unfamiliar. Don't I need a serene and relaxed environment for my heart disease? How can I recuperate if I'm in a bad mood every day? Brother, did you even carefully consider things for me? As long as I can stay by your side and see you every day, it would be more effective than going to any nursing home." She confessed covertly.
Xue Zi Xuan took out a cigarette and lit it. His expression was very impatient.
Xue Jing Yi has psychological problems. He already knew this from his last life.
Strictly speaking, there was no normal person in the Xue family. Xue Li Dan Ni pursued perfection excessively. Xue Rui pursued wealth and power excessively. And Xue Jing Yi was excessively prejudiced. Once she believed in something, no matter what people said, it could not make her change her mind.
So he did not intend to communicate with her, and he directly ordered: "You can stay if you want, move to Royal Court, and don't show up in front of Xiao Yi in the future."
"No." Xue Jing Yi reflexively implored. Seeing that her brother's eyes were getting colder, she quickly added: "Can you give me three more days? Brother, look, I received an invitation letter for the International Chopin Piano Competition. I leave for Vienna in three days. I want to practice hard at home for these three days, and I don't want to waste time moving around. I'll leave after the competition, and I won't disturb you and Xiao Yi. Brother, I beg you!"
When he saw the invitation letter printed with gold letters, Xue Zi Xuan's expression turned dazed for a split second. Memories of his previous life surged through his brain, and made his head ache. This was the place where his love had erupted, and this was the place where his love had ended. This competition elevated the teenager to success, and also ruined their future together.
He subconsciously reached out to take the invitation letter, but someone else got to it first.
Zhou Yun Sheng was originally fiddling with a small mechanical part in the computer room, when he suddenly received a new mission from the system: to participate in the International Chopin Piano Competition.
What the heck? He thought to himself. He had no choice but to set aside what he was doing and look for Xue Jing Yi for more information.
Each mission released by the system was related to a major plot point, either to promote the feelings of the male lead and female lead, or to change the fate of the male lead and female lead.
Right now, the system's control over him was very weak. Whether to participate in the competition or not depended entirely on his mood, but he still had to do his best to control this key point, otherwise it would have an adverse effect on his future.
He grabbed the invitation letter and glanced at it casually. Then he pretended that he couldn't understand English, and passed it to Xue Zi Xuan: "What is this?"
"An invitation to the International Chopin Piano Competition." Xue Jing Yi raised her chin with extreme pride.
Xue Zi Xuan was a little uneasy. Without looking at it, he put the invitation letter back in the envelope and returned it to Xue Jing Yi. Then he ordered: "Move away after returning to China. Don't forget it."
He circled an arm around the teenager, trying to force him away.
Zhou Yun Sheng was a little out of it. He was still considering whether or not he should take the mission. If he didn't accept it, then he could provoke the system, and he if accepted it, then he could provoke Xue Jing Yi. This was really a dilemma.
"Can I participate?" He asked hesitantly.
Before Xue Zi Xuan could answer, Xue Jing Yi screamed: "No! You definitely cannot participate!"
Her heart thumped, as if she would faint at any moment.
Intuition told her that Huang Yi must not be allowed to participate in the competition. He would take away everything that belonged to her through this competition.
"Do you think that just any cat or dog* can randomly participate in the International Chopin Piano Competition? Every participant is a well-known figure selected after repeated auditions. Have you studied systematically? Have you participated in any well-known competitions? Do you have an exam grade? Are you famous? You don't have anything. You just fiddle with those tattered and broken parts, and then come back all dirty and greasy. People like you also want to participate in top-tier piano competitions? What a joke!"
[*T/N: 阿猫阿狗 a mao a gou – literal translation is "a cat, a dog." It is a contemptuous way to say "anyone." The English equivalent would be "any Tom, Dick, or Harry."]
The sense of fear that suddenly struck her heart made her ramble irresponsibly, and she forgot to maintain a gentle and kind image in front of her brother.
Of course, what she didn't know was that no matter how she pretended, Xue Zi Xuan had already seen through her façade. Xue Jing Yi was still that same Xue Jing Yi, the one who would do anything to obtain her forbidden love. Especially in this life, Zhou Yun Sheng provoked her no less than in the previous life.
Zhou Yun Sheng just let her ridicule him without a change in his expression.
After she finished speaking, he looked at Xue Zi Xuan and declared: "I want to participate in the competition."
This person was the piano emperor. It shouldn't be hard for him to get an invitation, right?
"No! You are not eligible to participate!" Xue Jing Yi screamed like crazy.
She must not allow Huang Yi to climb onto that golden stage. She must not let her brother's eyes stay on him!
Xue Zi Xuan ignored Xue Jing Yi's clamor, stroked the youth's cheek, and asked in a low voice: "Why do you want to participate in the competition?"
His heart was confused, and he didn't know whether to be happy or sad.
The teenager's hands were worthy of the reputation of being a world treasure. Even if those hands no longer played the piano in this life, they could also switch specialty to machinery. They could play out the most touching and beautiful musical notes, and also make the most sophisticated mechanical parts. No matter where he went, the teenager could create miracles and shine with dazzling brilliance.
But the more dazzling the teenager was, the more restless Xue Zi Xuan was. It was as if what he held in his hands was sand, and it would leak from his fingers no matter how tightly he held on to it.
"There is no reason. I just want to go and play."
Xue Jing Yi objected so fiercely that Zhou Yun Sheng, who was planning to push aside the mission to provoke the system, wanted to participate instead.
"Such a serious competition, do you think you can play if you want to play? What do you take the piano for? What do you take music for? As toys?" Xue Jing Yi refuted and looked at her brother's reaction.
No one knew her brother better than her. He was obsessed with music. Music was sacred. Whoever insulted music would incur his revulsion.
Unfortunately, the brother who was obsessed with music in her memories no longer existed. In the last life, after losing the teenager and the flexibility of his hands, Xue Zi Xuan abruptly discovered that music was no longer the only thing for him. So at this moment, he was not angry. He didn't even frown.
"Go if you want. I'll accompany you."
Even if Xue Zi Xuan was worried, he could not find it in himself to refuse any request of the teenager.
Xue Jing Yi was angry and in disbelief. She held the invitation letter for a long time and could not speak.
Zhou Yun Sheng was very happy. He stood on tiptoes and kissed Xue Zi Xuan on the cheek, but the young man held the back of his head and kissed him passionately.
Xue Zi Xuan did what he said, and got an invitation letter that night, in exchange for serving as a judge in the adult category. He has retired (from music) and all of his performances have been cancelled. It was already an honor for the organizer if he were to show his face at the competition, never mind securing his participation throughout the whole process.
"I will practice the piano seriously from today on. You accompany me."
Zhou Yun Sheng looked over the invitation letter again and again.
"Of course. But I must warn you, with your current level, I'm afraid that you won't make it to the end of the competition."
Xue Zi Xuan knew that the teenager always wants to be number one, either he won't compete, or he will fight until the end. But the current him really did not have a chance of winning first place.
"What's wrong with my level? I can play any difficult sound. Don't underestimate me!" Zhou Yun Sheng really exploded.
He flipped open the piano cover and began to show off his fingering skills*. He played double notes, double tremolos, octaves, skip notes, touch sounds**… anything that could be played on the piano, he played them all.
[*T/N: Get your mind out of the gutter. XP 指法 refers to the dexterity and nimbleness of the fingers. It can apply to music, painting, keyboard typing, hand movements in dancing, and also the manipulation of acupuncture needles in traditional Chinese medicine.]
[**T/N: I don't know anything about music, so forgive me if I translated anything incorrectly. And also, correct me. XD]
His fingers danced on the black and white piano keys like gorgeous blooming flowers. He moved so fast that one could only see the afterimages. He spread out his hands and played from high to low. He brought his hands together and played from the bass to the treble. His hair fluttered about, gradually getting messier and messier, until he looked a little like a madman.
The song came to an end, no, in fact, this was not a song, but an untuned melody composed by the boy, who had just combined all the difficult fingering exercises.
Zhou Yun Sheng raised his chin, straightened his spine, and looked directly at the young man with arrogant eyes, as if to say: did you see that, you mortal, this is my strength.
Xue Zi Xuan barely suppressed the chuckle that rose from his throat. Right now, the boy was like a rooster crowing proudly. If you said his crowing was not loud enough, he would definitely flap his wings and peck you.
His skills were indeed superb. In fact, he was able to assemble the smallest mechanical parts into sophisticated instruments, and he was fully capable of performing any difficult piano music.
But the problem was that he had no feelings.
The notes flowing from his fingertips were like computer-synthesized audio, rather than a performer's comprehension of music.
Xue Zi Xuan didn't know what was wrong with the boy in this life. Perhaps it was because he [XZX] had extinguished his [ZYS] love for the piano. Perhaps the study of mechanics made him stricter and more rigid. Or perhaps, his heart had never opened for anyone and has never accepted this world, so his playing style was ice-cold, precise, and mechanical. He seemed to have pulled himself out of everything, and he looked upon the world with the attitude of a spectator, including the Xue family, and including himself [ZYS].
The youth was sitting so close, but he felt so far away. Xue Zi Xuan could easily stretch out his hand and reach him, but he seemed to be unable to hold him firmly no matter what. As soon as such thoughts appeared, Xue Zi Xuan didn't dare to think about it anymore.
He hugged the boy from behind. While gently sucking and kissing his slender neck, he softly praised: "Xiao Yi's fingering skills is the best in the world."
This was not a false statement. He could adapt the basic exercising drills and rearrange it into a new and extremely difficult piece according to his own ideas. The teenager's fingering skills has already reached its peak. It was even slightly better than Xue Zi Xuan's skills.
But the lack of emotions in his music was nevertheless a shortcoming. Xue Zi Xuan was considering how to point this out tactfully so that the baby in his arms would not explode.
He didn't care whether or not the teenager could become a great pianist like in his previous life, or if the boy's piano sound was cold and ruthless. What he fell in love with was the youth himself, and not the glowing halo attached to him. Even if the boy couldn't read a music staff, so what? As long as the person was still in his arms, then all was well.
[T/N: I'm pretty sure ZYS can indeed read a music staff. But XZX is saying that even if ZYS were illiterate in music, he would still love him.]
After more than decades of waiting, and drowning again and again in painful memories, he reflected painstakingly on his affections to search for the origin. In the end, he understood what was real love, and how to love someone.
In his previous life, he realized this too late. But in this life, it was neither too fast nor too slow. The timing was just right.
Thinking of this, Xue Zi Xuan buried his face in the crook of the boy's neck and smiled softly.
Zhou Yun Sheng naturally knew that his technique was the most exquisite. If you gave him a video of a surgical operation, have him watch it once, and then immediately shove him into the operating room, he would be able to duplicate the procedure perfectly. There was no need to talk about the piano, which wasn't even that difficult.
[T/N: Excuse you, Mr. Natural Golden Finger! o(>A<)o]
"Then you still said I couldn't make it to the end of the competition?" He'd been brooding over this sentence. What kind of lover would strike at his partner's enthusiasm before the competition even started?
Pei, pei, pei, bullshit lover, no, just a bed partner!
[T/N: 呸 pei – to spit in contempt]
With a red face, he corrected himself at the end.
Xue Zi Xuan looked at the pouting youth. His small face was flushed with anger. It was extremely cute. He couldn't help leaning forward to kiss him several times.
He was about to explain in a roundabout way, when he heard the mocking voice of someone at the door.
"Because the sound of your piano has no emotion. Do you still remember what Brother said that day when he crushed your fingers? The sound of your piano is like the soulless walking dead."
Zhou Yun Sheng looked up and saw Xue Jing Yi standing at the door. There was a spiteful gleam in her eyes. She couldn't stand the sight of Huang Yi frivolously wrapped around her older brother. Her face seemed to be saying: Didn't you want to display your affections publicly? Well then, I insist on bringing up your bitter past memories.
Zhou Yun Sheng remained unmoved. He indeed could not brood over it, but he would not be led by the nose either*.
[*T/N: 他的确不能介怀,但也不会随便被人牵着鼻子走. I'm somewhat confused by what the author is intending to get across here. In my opinion, it should be that ZYS is indeed brooding over the matter of his fingers getting crushed, but he won't let XJY lead him by the nose because of it. In that case the first part of the sentence should be 他的确介怀, which would translate to "he is indeed brooding," but the author added 不能, which means "cannot / must not / should not," so the sentence translates to "he indeed cannot brood." It could be ZYS referring to the villain system, but the author did not elaborate as such, or it could be a typo, but I'm not certain, so I'm making a note on this part in case it becomes relevant in the future.]
Xue Zi Xuan immediately tightened his arms, and hugged the boy firmly against his chest. He pressed his lips against the youth's ear and repeated a litany of apologies over and over again. Apart from these three words ["I am sorry"], he didn't know what else to say. This one memory was even more unbearable than his previous life. At least, in the last life, he had never hurt the teenager.
How good would it be if he could have woken up earlier? If time could rewind…
Suppressing the chaotic thoughts, he said coldly: "Xue Jing Yi, if you're done talking then get lost."
His tolerance for her was getting lower and lower. It was getting to the point where he couldn't even turn a blind eye on her. He wished that she would just disappear forever.
Xue Jing Yi bit her lip and said aggrieved: "I didn't say these words. Brother, you said them yourself."
Strong hostility flooded Xue Zi Xuan's pitch-black eyes. He was not aware, but the gaze he used on Xue Jing Yi was the look of one faced with an enemy and not a relative.
Faced with his hateful gaze, Xue Jing Yi's heart twisted in pain.
She walked slowly to the piano and said with a sarcastic laugh: "Why should I leave? Brother, don't forget, this piano belongs to me. You gave it to me on my tenth birthday. Look, my English name is printed here. Joy."
She tapped the piano cover with her purple-painted fingernail.
"You gave it to me, so it is mine. I have the right to do with it as I wish, isn't that right, Brother? It can't be that you want to take it back, right?"
Xue Jing Yi felt like she had gone crazy. On one hand she wanted to rush into her brother's arms for pity, and on the other hand she wanted to tear the teenager in her brother's arms into little pieces. In the end, hatred prevailed and she kept spitting out harsh words.
Zhou Yun Sheng retracted his fingertips from the keyboard as if he had touched something dirty. He wiped his fingers with a paper towel a few times.
Nowadays, he couldn't be bothered to exchange a single word with her. After all, he has already shed all pretense of cordiality with her, so there was no need to say empty words.
"I gave it to you, so naturally it is yours."
Xue Zi Xuan also had no intention of arguing with Xue Jing Yi. Half hugging the youth to his side, he left the piano room. He thought to himself that from now on he would probably never touch that piano again, because it was engraved with a sinful name.
After the two left, Xue Jing Yi slowly lie down on the piano cover and let out a depressing wail. She didn't want to push her brother farther and farther away, but she couldn't control the jealous devil inside.
Xue Zi Xuan acted quickly. He bought a piano that same day and had it sent to the Xue manor. Furthermore, he converted Xue Rui's study into a piano room.
Zhou Yun Sheng saw the young man squatting on the floor, tuning the piano himself, and really did not know what to say. In fact, he never intended to touch the piano again after participating in the competition. What was the use of buying it?
But he touched the words "Huang Yi" printed on the cover of the piano in gilded calligraphic font, and smiled stupidly.
"This piano is a higher quality than Xue Jing Yi's piano, right?" He raised his chin proudly.
Xue Zi Xuan stopped to glance at him and found that he was showing a rooster crowing expression again. He couldn't help but smile. It was so cute. He never knew that Xiao Yi was so cute.
He put down his tools and nodded affirmatively: "Of course, it's definitely better than hers."
"That's about right." The corners of Zhou Yun Sheng's lips turned up, and he snorted, light as a feather.
Three days later, Xue Li Dan Ni took Xue Jing Yi to Vienna. Xue Zi Xuan did not want to go with them, and deliberately postponed their departure by one day.
The competition was held in the Golden Hall. The judges invited were all world-class piano masters, and the most important one was naturally Xue Zi Xuan. Thus, the two contestants who were related to Xue Zi Xuan also received a lot of attention.
People within the music circle or the media were familiar with Xue Jing Yi and knew that she had a lot of spirit. Her level was in the middle of the upper tier among all the players. As for who was Huang Yi and what was his level, no one knew anything about him.
Xue Zi Xuan's requirements for his residential environment were very demanding. He was very dissatisfied with the hotel arranged by the competition organizer. After getting off the plane, he went directly to the hotel he had booked and asked for a presidential suite with a piano.
"Practice the piano some more before the competition. Try to find the feeling."
He opened the suitcase, took out their clothes, and hung them up one by one.
"En, first let me rest for a while, and help me take off my shoes."
Zhou Yun Sheng lie lazily on the bed, put his legs up on the open suitcase, and even swayed his feet arrogantly.
The grim on the soles of the shoes fell into the suitcase. If another person had done this, Xue Zi Xuan, who was seriously obsessed with cleanliness, could chop off the other's feet, but this was his big baby, so he could only smile helplessly.
"Have you figured out what repertoire you want to play in the preliminaries?"
Xue Zi Xuan took off the boy's shoes, tripped his clothes off, and stuffed him under the blanket. Then he kissed the tip of the boy's nice and warm nose.
Zhou Yun Sheng pursed his lips and returned the kiss. Then he said indifferently: "I haven't figured it out yet. Probably "Army Polonez.""
This was the repertoire that Chopin wrote to praise the Polish national struggle, and it was one of the works that embodied his national spirit most strongly. The whole piece was impressive and magnificent, requiring the performer to be one hundred percent passionate.
Xue Zi Xuan thought it over, frowned, and cautiously warned: "I suggest you don't choose this piece. The sound of your piano lacks emotion. I'm afraid it can't express the patriotic passion that Chopin wants to express."
"Then what do you think I should play?" Zhou Yun Sheng was about to fall asleep. His voice was a little foggy.
"Play pieces that require more skill than emotion. You can select difficult pieces specifically to impress the judges with superb techniques, not emotions. Xiao Yi, are you listening to me?"
The teenager snored lightly. Xue Zi Xuan stretched out his hand to pinch his cheek.
"I know already, don't bother me, I'm really sleepy." Zhou Yun Sheng buried his head in the blanket.
Xue Zi Xuan pulled open the blanket and smiled.
"I'm not deliberately disturbing you. The competition is tomorrow. You have to learn about the judges and other contestants. My suggestions just now are for your own good. One of the judges for the juvenile group, Olsen, is my mentor. He appreciates music not with the ears, but with the soul. I'm afraid your mechanical style of playing won't please him. Depending on your circumstances, you are likely to face two situations after taking the stage. Either you get full marks for your superb and perfect technique, or you get zero points for playing without emotion. This is very disadvantageous for your next match."
"Are you listening? Do you want to win first place? Xiao Yi? Little rooster?"
Xue Zi Xuan gently patted the youth's white and tender cheek, and found that he was already asleep. He shook his head and broke into laughter.
The competition was held on schedule.
Zhou Yun Sheng and Xue Jing Yi drew the numbers twenty-three and eighteen, respectively. Both of them were playing in the middle of the program.
After a few days of separation, Xue Jing Yi was a lot more energetic. Her pale and sick cheeks were slightly flushed, and they looked no different from ordinary, healthy people.
She tucked herself into a corner, and was silently memorizing a sheet of music in her hands, not communicating with anyone.
Zhou Yun Sheng walked over leisurely and greeted her with a smile: "Xue Jing Yi, long time no see. Where do you live?"
Xue Jing Yi raised her head and glared at him with cold eyes.
"What are you going to play?" Zhou Yun Sheng changed the topic.
"What about you?" Xue Jing Yi flipped the question back on him.
""Army Polonez.""
"Then I wish you good luck."
After getting the answer that she wanted, Xue Jing Yi lowered her head and continued to recite the score.
Zhou Yun Sheng arched an eyebrow and smiled happily. It would seem that the murder was almost ready to be carried out. Otherwise, Xue Jing Yi would not be so indifferent. She seemed to treat him as a dead person.
"Good luck to you too." He nodded slightly and turned to leave.
He thought that Xue Jing Yi would not pay attention to him anymore, but she suddenly said solemnly: "Of course I will have good luck. The championship is mine."
"You want to win the championship?" Zhou Yun Sheng turned around and nastily provoked, "Originally I just came to have some fun. It doesn't matter if I can win the championship or not. But since you want that trophy, then too bad, I will take it. Know this, I really don't like it when you snatch things from me."
"Who are you saying snatched your things?" Xue Jing Yi finally couldn't help herself. She grabbed him by an arm, and snarled in a low voice, "You're the robber! You robbed me of my family, and you robbed me of my lover! You're a stealer!"
"Your lover? Who is your lover? Xue Zi Xuan? Did he say so? How about we go ask him, exactly who is his lover?" Zhou Yun Sheng leaned in towards her ear and spoke with a smile.
Hot blood rushed towards Xue Jing Yi's eyes and her complexion turned pale. Only by taking in deep breaths could she keep herself from fainting.
The competition had only just started. Zhou Yun Sheng couldn't let her die just like that. With familiar movements, he opened the small bag that she carried with her, took out a pill, and pressed it under her tongue.
"Keep living." He patted her on the cheek, and then he walked away. He came to an empty corner with no one around and spat [at himself], "Pei*, you actually got jealous of a little girl. Wake up!" The words fell from his lips and echoed off the wall.
[*T/N: pei 呸 = an expression of contempt]
"Why are you jealous?" As soon as Xue Zi Xuan opened the door, he saw the teenager talking to the wall, and smiled.
"It's nothing." Zhou Yun Sheng's cheeks flushed, and his eyes darted left and right.
Xue Zi Xuan loved the teenager's watery eyes as he tried to evade. He brought the youth into his arms and rained continuous kisses on the boy.
There was no doubt that Xue Zi Xuan was a recognized idol among the young competitors. When they saw him, many people pointed and whispered, especially when he kissed the boy on the cheek, forehead, nose, and even neck, many people could not help but gasp at the sight.
"Brother, I feel a little unwell, can I go to your lounge for a while?" Xue Jing Yi stepped forward, clutching her chest. No matter how much her brother rejected her, she could not restrain the urge to approach him.
"No." Xue Zi Xuan refused simply.
Then he took the boy into his arms and walked away, leaving Xue Jing Yi behind to be scrutinized and mocked by the other competitors in the vicinity.
The competitors took the stage one after another, and soon it reached number eighteen.
Zhou Yun Sheng left Xue Zi Xuan's lounge, and stood behind the curtain to watch.
Xue Jing Yi was very calm and began to play after bowing to the audience and judges. The repertoire she chose was "Despair." It was the work of a piano master from the last century, Bordeaux, and it was known for its intense emotional collision and difficult techniques.
She performed very well, far beyond her previous level. The audience applauded enthusiastically and the judges successively gave high marks. After some calculations, she was currently ranked first among the competitors who have already performed, thus, firmly securing her place in the semi-finals.
When she stepped off the stage and passed the teenager, she stopped, and whispered: "Do you know who the judge sitting in the center is? That's Olsen, my brother's mentor, and he has a nickname in the [music] circle."
"What nickname?" Zhou Yun Sheng raised his eyebrows, thinking that the name Olsen seemed familiar.
"Master of Soul."
Xue Jing Yi took off the fresh flowers pinned to her chest and explained slowly and clearly.
"The sound of his piano is full of heart-pounding power, and he is hailed as 'a musician whose sound strikes at the soul' by the world at large. His aesthetics are the same as the sound of his piano, based on emotional expression rather than technique. Brother was the only disciple he took, and is deeply influenced by him. My brother crushed your fingers after listening to the mechanical sound of your piano. If it were Olsen, he would drive you off the stage and make it so that you give up playing the piano for life. So, good luck to you!"
She was already leaving before she had finished talking.
Zhou Yun Sheng curled his lips in objection.
The next few competitors failed to surpass Xue Jing Yi.
Finally, it was number twenty-three.
Zhou Yun Sheng stepped onto the stage and bowed to the audience. As he straightened up, he took a quick look at the evaluation committee. The main focus was the famous Olsen Jerome's huge beard. His facial hair was extraordinarily thick, to the extent that his facial features were nearly completely obscured, but his harsh and sharp blue-gray eyes were daunting.
Zhou Yun Sheng, who was planning to look away quickly, took a second look, because Xue Zi Xuan happened to be sitting behind the [man with a] big beard, and was giving Zhou Yun Sheng a thumbs up to cheer him on. He immediately smiled. His peach blossom eyes gleamed in the spotlight.
Olsen snorted once. Without turning his head around, he said: "This is your little rooster? How good is he? Even if it violated the competition rules, you still got him an invitation. Is this the fair and impartial Sean that I know?"
[T/N: The text doesn't specify, but Sean is most likely XZX's English name.]
Xue Zi Xuan's tone was extremely calm: "Teacher, you will know how good he is after you've listened to him." This was the reason why he had to move his position to behind Olsen.
While they had their conversation, the performance began. The song that the teenager selected, "Army Polonez," was a song that required the performer to put their passion into it.
The youth's hands flew across the keys, and every note was played accurately, without any mistake from beginning to end.
After the performance, the audience responded with thunderous applause. To them, the teenager's performance was perfect.
The judges thought for a moment and wrote down their scores one after another, but Olsen's eyes were wider than a dinner plate. He was so angry. Yes, the boy's performance was indeed perfect, but it was because it was so perfect that Olsen was furious.
The sound of the boy's piano was like a treasure that has lost its soul. No matter how magnificent and splendid the exterior was it couldn't conceal the empty interior. This was a blasphemy to music, and the most significant loss in the performance world. How could the boy have no feelings at all? Olsen wouldn't be so angry if the boy had just invested a little bit of emotion.
Olsen was so angry that he planned to directly oust the young man off the stage, but his disciple squeezed his shoulder.
"Teacher, please don't hurt him, I beg you."
Xue Zi Xuan also pressed his other hand onto his mentor's shoulder. He couldn't let anyone hurt the teenager, even if it was just a small criticism.
Olsen failed to break free from his disciple's hold. He knew what his disciple's personality was like. Asides from music, he never cared about anyone. But now, he was putting aside his pride and self-esteem, just to have the boy walk off the stage safely.
Fine, for the sake of over ten years of camaraderie between teacher and student, he will give him face. Olsen compromised and drew a big circle on the scoreboard.
Zhou Yun Sheng noticed Olsen's glare, and he knew that the man wanted to stand up several times, but each time, Xue Zi Xuan pressed him back down.
What does he want to do? Is it really as Xue Jing Yi had said, that he wants to kick me off the stage?
While he mulled this over, the judges were presenting their scores for his performance. Three judges awarded him a perfect score of 20, one judge gave him 18 points, and another judge gave him 19 points. Only Olsen drew a big fat duck egg* on his scoreboard.
[*T/N: duck egg (or sometimes chicken egg) is another way of referring to zero, because of the oval shape of the egg]
A susurrus of whispers rippled through the audience. They didn't know the reason behind Olsen's judgment. After all, there were very few people who have a deep understanding of the soul of music like him and Xue Zi Xuan.
"If I didn't see you perform on stage with my own eyes, I would have thought that the live music was computer-synthesized music. Yes, I admit that your piano skills are perfect, and it can even be described as precise. However, it has no emotions and no soul. Any computer can replace you. You are just an amplifier, not a dedicated performer. So I'm sorry, I don't give machines rating." Olsen commented on behalf of all the judges.
What a poison tongue! You went as far as to imply that I am not human! This really is Xue Zi Xuan's crazy teacher!
Zhou Yun Sheng was silently cursing in his heart, but on his face he wore a modest smile.
Xue Jing Yi hid behind the curtain with a triumphant expression on her face.
After a background investigation, everyone knew that this competitor was Xue Zi Xuan's younger brother. After his younger brother was severely criticized by his mentor, how would Xue Zi Xuan react?
The cameraman looked for Xue Zi Xuan in the audience, and then zoomed in for a close up of his face.
The piano emperor, who had the same aesthetics as his instructor, was smiling at the boy. He kissed his fingertips and then raised them to the boy on the stage. He mouthed silently: "Don't be afraid, you are the best in my heart."
Seeing Xue Zi Xuan's actions on the big screen, the audience and the judges were surprised, especially Olsen, who almost fainted. I just finished giving my commentary, and you completely undermined me. Just what is the meaning here?
Being scolded by someone, naturally Zhou Yun Sheng was more or less uncomfortable, but seeing Xue Zi Xuan's gentle and indulgent smile, and soothing kisses, he immediately flung Olsen's words beyond the topmost clouds*.
[*T/N: beyond the topmost clouds = idiom for "unimaginably far away"]
It was zero points, but so what, it didn't matter. Anyways, the highest score and the lowest score was to be disregarded, and the remaining points were used to calculate an average. With this calculation, he stably passed Xue Jing Yi and entered the semifinals.
After bowing to the audience in respect, Zhou Yun Sheng slowly walked off the stage. He saw Xue Jing Yi hiding in the corner with a spiteful look on her face. He arched his eyebrows provocatively. However, he was aware that if Xue Zi Xuan had not held back Big Beard*, his outcome would definitely be what Xue Jing Yi had described.
[*T/N: ZYS literally refers to Olsen as "big beard 大胡子." Pretty sure it's his official nickname for the man now.]
If that were to happen, he would lose all face and vomit a mouthful of blood.
He was starting to take this competition seriously.
Two hours later, the preliminaries ended. A total of twenty competitors entered the semifinals. Zhou Yun Sheng and Xue Jing Yi ranked first and fourth respectively. When the rankings were announced, there were screams of excitement and sighs of dejection. There were also some who simply left the area silently.
Zhou Yun Sheng walked out of the lounge, saw Xue Zi Xuan waiting in the corridor, and ran over to him right away.
Seeing the little rooster flapping his wings as he [ZYS] flung himself into his [XZX's] arms, Xue Zi Xuan hurried forward to scoop him up. With one hand, he brushed away the messy hair on the teenager's forehead, and with the other hand, he supported the youth by the buttocks.
"Does Big Beard want to drive me off the stage?" Zhou Yun Sheng asked viciously as he crossed his legs around the young man's waist.
"I told you before, that he uses his soul to appreciate music." Xue Zi Xuan held him and walked out. A hoard of bodyguards wearing sunglasses surrounded them, separating them from other contestants and any family members.
They took the VIP passage, which was very secretive and void of pervasive reporters.
Xue Jing Yi chased after them from behind and called out many times, but neither one of them looked back. She was so angry that she almost ended up crying out loud. A lot of the other contestants gesticulated and whispered about her. They had most likely perceived that she was at odds with her adopted brother. Fortunately for her, Xue Li Dan Ni rushed to pick her up quickly, so she managed to save some face*.
[*T/N: "Face" is a Chinese cultural concept. It's a mixture of honor, pride, appearance, and dignity.]
Inside the comfortable nanny car*, Xue Zi Xuan was still educating his little rooster: "I've already told you not to choose an emotional piano score. In order to have you smoothly enter the semi-finals, I've already violated the rules. I interfered with Olsen's decision. Otherwise, as the main judge, he has the authority to remove you from the competition then and there."
[*T/N: 保姆车 bao mu che – literally translates to "nanny car." I looked it up and it seems to be referring to big vans (with comfy seats) that celebrities are often chauffeured around in.]
"You're so good, you're so great." Zhou Yun Sheng absently praised while fiddling with the computer.
As soon as the competition was over, the stubborn, unyielding energy in his heart also dissipated. Wasn't it just his music lacking emotion? How important could something like that be? It wasn't like he was going to rely on playing the piano to make ends meet in the future.
"You're brushing me off* again." Xue Zi Xuan pulled the teenager onto his lap and firmly bit his thin lips.
[*T/N: 敷衍 fu yan – to do something half-heartedly or just for show]
"Stop nagging. You're like an old woman. If he wants to give me a score of zero, then just let him. In any case, the highest score and the lowest score don't count, so his scoring won't affect me." Zhou Yun Sheng bit the young man back on the tip of the nose.
"You're wrong. He can influence the other judges. He is Olsen, the Master of Soul. If he says you're no good, then the other judges will also side with him. Fortunately, there are only three judges from his faction, and the other three are famous judges belonging to the academy faction, so they pay more attention to standards and techniques. With them present, it is not a guarantee that you will get a high score, but there is at least a little hope of you getting into the finals." Xue Zi Xuan carefully analyzed.
"How much is a little hope?" Only now did Zhou Yun Sheng start to pay attention.
"About fifty-fifty."
"Only fifty-fifty?"
"Didn't you say you were only playing around? What are you so surprised for?" Xue Zi Xuan raised his eyebrows.
"But I have already told Xue Jing Yi that I was going to take her championship trophy." Zhou Yun Sheng felt like Xue Jing Yi and Olsen were joining hands to go against him.
"Her? It's impossible to win the championship based on her level." Xue Zi Xuan said confidently.
"No, you're wrong. She is very likely to win the championship."
In fact, this championship trophy was prepared by the world's consciousness for the child of destiny. If Zhou Yun Sheng had not stirred up trouble, then Xue Jing Yi would surely be able to obtain the cup, and perhaps she would then be able to gain the favor of the other child of destiny. Thinking of this, Zhou Yun Sheng looked deeply at the young man.
Killing the child of destiny could end up destroying the world, and then Zhou Yun Sheng would die with the crumbling world, so he couldn't do that. But what if he wrecked the established destiny? What happens when a bug appears in the preset program? What would the system do? Would it crash or become completely paralyzed?
This thought flashed through his mind like lightning, making Zhou Yun Sheng even more determined to win the championship.
The system detected the host's treacherous thoughts, and even though its energy was about to run out, it still implemented a level three punishment.
Nested against Xue Zi Xuan's warm and broad chest, Zhou Yun Sheng placed his hands on his abdomen, and he realized that he actually enjoyed this feeling of being hugged tightly while he was in pain.