In Qin Prefecture, there was a strong emphasis on music copyright, so Lin Yuan backed up the song on the company's server to ensure no issues would arise.
The next day, Lin Yuan returned to his normal college life. He only had one class in the morning, and after class, most of the students went back to their dorms to play games.
Lin Yuan had no intention of going back to his dorm.
With the pressure of exams gone, he was still attentive in class but had more free time outside. He didn't want to waste this precious time in his dorm.
So, what should he do during this break?
After some thought, Lin Yuan sent a text to Jianyi and Xia Fan, asking if they had time to meet up. However, they both declined because they had classes.
Despite being at the same university, Lin Yuan, Jianyi, and Xia Fan, who had been best friends since childhood, rarely got to meet due to their different majors.
Lin Yuan wasn't disappointed, though, because he had an idea of what to do.
He decided to go to the music room to play the piano.
The system had rewarded Lin Yuan with professional-level piano skills, and he hadn't tried them out yet. Since the arrangement of "Big Fish" revolved around the piano as a core instrument, Lin Yuan wanted to see how his piano skills had improved. If they were up to par, he might even consider handling the piano part of the arrangement himself.
...
Ten minutes later, Lin Yuan arrived at the music room.
Qin Prefecture Art Academy prioritized the development of musical talent, providing students with various public music rooms equipped with different brands and models of pianos to offer maximum choice.
This was convenient for Lin Yuan because most students were in class during this time, so many music rooms were available, giving him plenty of options.
Walking along the corridor of music rooms, Lin Yuan finally found the piano he had in mind.
It was an elegant upright piano with luxurious ivory keys, a beautiful porcelain-white finish, and a streamlined design that set it apart from the other pianos.
Perfect.
Lin Yuan entered the room, sat down at the piano, and casually played a classical Blue Star piece, "Wish."
The reason he chose this song was mainly due to nostalgia. It was the first piano piece his mother had taught him, and it had driven him to the brink of madness at one point.
Yet, as he played it now, Lin Yuan found it strangely comforting.
This was not only how the previous host felt, but also how Lin Yuan felt at this moment.
Besides the sense of nostalgia, Lin Yuan's most significant feeling was that he had become stronger.
Every key he pressed felt comfortable, and every rhythm and technique came naturally to him.
In his recollection, Lin Yuan managed to solve many problems related to piano playing that the previous host couldn't. It's important to mention that when Lin Yuan attempted to play this piece by following the sheet music in the past, he found it quite difficult.
But now, everything was different.
He could play the entire piece smoothly, and he could even make some minor adaptations. In addition, details like the depth and rhythm of the pedals, as well as the enhancement of the sound quality, were all noticeable to him.
Technical difficulties like double notes, which had troubled him before, were now easily managed, and his fingerwork had become much more flexible.
After playing the entire piece, Lin Yuan was almost falling in love with the feeling of playing the piano.
Five minutes later, he had completed the entire "Wish." His rapidly advancing piano skills filled Lin Yuan with confidence.
He decided to try "Dream Wedding."
However, just as he was about to press the first note, a somewhat cold voice interrupted him, "Who gave you permission to enter?"
Lin Yuan looked up.
Standing at the door was a long-haired girl in a black coat. The sunlight streamed in behind her, accentuating her tall figure. However, her cold demeanor couldn't hide the striking beauty of her eyes, which now locked onto Lin Yuan's.
"Isn't this a public area?"
Lin Yuan found the girl's attitude quite puzzling.
The girl sneered, "Do you not recognize me?"
Lin Yuan was even more bewildered, "Have we met before?"
The girl glared at Lin Yuan and gradually regained her composure, "This piano belongs to me, and this practice room is designated for my use by the school. So, please, stop torturing my piano with your lousy skills."
Lin Yuan could only get up and say, "I'll give it back to you."
The girl corrected him, "Not 'give' but 'return' because it was mine in the first place."
"Alright, I'll return it to you."
As Lin Yuan walked past the girl to leave, she suddenly said, "There are many people who have tried to get my attention, but you've chosen the most detestable way, pretending to be clueless. Your behavior is truly vexing."
"What?" Lin Yuan asked in confusion.
Lin Yuan was completely baffled by the girl's words.
The girl took out a tissue from her bag, bent down, and meticulously wiped the piano keys that Lin Yuan had just used. In a mocking tone, she said, "Although Abigail's 'Wish' is my favorite piece, it doesn't mean I'll like it when anyone plays it. Your level is slightly better than other pursuers, but it doesn't meet my standards. Also, I don't like roses, so I've already thrown them in the trash downstairs."
"Oh," Lin Yuan responded, thinking that the girl must have some misunderstanding. He didn't feel angry or the need to explain himself.
After all, it didn't really affect him. He simply told her, "I washed my hands before playing."
Some people who cared about piano hygiene were very particular about fingerprints on the keys. Lin Yuan assumed this room was a public piano room, and out of consideration for others, he had washed his hands with soap before playing.
The girl didn't respond and continued wiping.
She even went over the piano body, which Lin Yuan hadn't touched.
Lin Yuan had no choice but to move to another room.
In the new room, he sat down at the piano. Just as he was about to start playing, he remembered the girl's comment about his piano skills being lousy and asked the system, which he hadn't contacted for a while, "Are my skills really that bad?"
[No,] the system replied.
"That's a relief," Lin Yuan said.
But just as he let out a sigh of relief, the system added, [For people with higher playing skills, those worse than them are considered lousy.]
Lin Yuan realized that the girl who had just criticized him must be even more skilled than him, despite having been given professional-level skills by the system.
She must be a piano prodigy or something.
Lin Yuan didn't think much of it and began playing "Dream Wedding," the piece he had obtained from the Silver Chest.
...
Meanwhile, in another room, the girl was finally finished cleaning the piano.
Gu Xi sat at the piano, her emotions tinged with frustration. Her father had given her this piano as a present when she was seven years old. When she joined Qin Prefecture Art Academy, she insisted on bringing this piano with her because she had grown fond of it over the years.
Since then, no one else has touched her piano except her. It was like her toothbrush, and it made her uncomfortable to think that a stranger had played it today.
This incident had ruined her mood for practicing the piano today.
As she was feeling irritated, she suddenly heard an unfamiliar piano piece playing softly. Surprisingly, it had a calming effect on her mood, and she couldn't help but listen.
The melody was in a typical G minor key.
Gu Xi listened attentively.
This was the first time she had heard this piece, and she didn't know which artist had composed it. The piano music washed over her, and it felt like she was drifting in a musical ocean.
At times, it was as warm as a gentle breeze, and at other times, it was as soft as a rainbow. When a romantic atmosphere began to envelop her, the piano music became sweet, as if honey were melting in her heart. She felt like she was in a sacred wedding chapel.
But something didn't feel right.
The piece wasn't entirely romantic and sweet. Upon closer examination, it seemed to convey a sense of hopeless love. A man yearning for love could only wander in his dreams, afraid to embrace it and fearing that he might wake up. He kept seeing the woman he loved wearing a pure white wedding dress, dancing in a dreamlike wedding.
The performer was expressing emotions through the piano.
The tempo of the piano was fast and then slow. The pitch of the piano went up and down.
When the piece ended, Gu Xi found herself in a daze, and she had a feeling of waking from a dream. She looked at the piano in front of her, then suddenly stood up and rushed out of the room.
"Who was that?"
She was trying to find the source of the music. She went to every music room but couldn't locate the pianist who had played the unfamiliar piece. Instead, she received curious and astonished looks from others.
"Who was it?"
Her eyes gleamed.
She desperately wanted to know who had played that unknown piece and what it was called.
Just then, a nervous young man beside her said, "Goddess, if you don't like roses, it's okay to throw them away, but can you tell me what kind of flowers you like? I'll bring them next time..."
"Roses?"
Gu Xi was in the middle of her search for the mysterious pianist and was feeling a bit down about not finding them. Her mood fluctuated, and she suddenly remembered the roses. Her expression grew colder as she asked, "So, the roses from earlier were sent by you?"
The young man stuttered, "Y-yes, it was me."
Gu Xi opened her mouth, recalling the face of the guy who had just interrupted her. Her face grew even colder as she said, "I'm allergic to pollen."
The atmosphere turned chilly.
The young man retreated in defeat.