"It's here!"
The girl in the adjacent piano room is Gu Xi. Upon hearing the familiar melody once more, Gu Xi is filled with both excitement and sadness!
The joy stems from...
After more than four months of waiting, she finally catches sight of the elusive Qu Dao visiting the piano room again!
Yet, sadness lingers because...
For such a prolonged period, Gu Xi has spent nearly all her free time in the piano room, even sacrificing her lunch breaks and staying late after classes, all in search of the mysterious music composer. She feared missing him again!
The wait felt endless.
Gu Xi had begun to believe that he would never return.
But today, as he appears once more, Gu Xi feels grateful for her persistence and refusal to give up!
Her heart races.
Gu Xi swiftly enters the corridor and peers into the adjacent piano room.
She's certain the music is emanating from this room!
As she reaches out to open the door, she hesitates.
Would abruptly interrupting Maestro be seen as disrespectful?
Gu Xi feels a twinge of nervousness. Many composers are known for their temperamental nature. A bad first impression could spell disaster.
First impressions matter!
"Wait until the piano stops playing." Resolved not to budge an inch from the door, Gu Xi knows Maestro can't vanish into thin air.
Five minutes later.
As the piano falls silent, now is the perfect moment to enter.
Sensing her opportunity, Gu Xi takes a deep breath, adjusts her clothes and hair meticulously, ensuring she appears respectful and lightly knocks on the door.
She dares not knock too hastily.
She's very particular about decorum.
Inside the room, Lin Yuan is surprised. He wonders who could be seeking him out in the piano room and unconsciously worries—
Isn't this piece copyrighted?
"Please come in," he calls out after a few moments of silence, puzzled by the visitor's identity.
The door swings open, and Lin Yuan's expression furrows slightly upon seeing the visitor.
Gu Xi?
Lin Yuan recalls this girl's name. She's said to be the top pianist in school, a name often mentioned by the piano teacher.
But Lin Yuan has a negative impression of her due to past unpleasant encounters.
Compared to Lin Yuan's furrowed brows, Gu Xi's mind is in turmoil, her eyes widening in shock and her thoughts scattering!
"Is something wrong?"
Lin Yuan waits a few seconds for a response, but when none comes, he prompts her with a question.
"Just now!"
Gu Xi suddenly realizes her voice feels dry, clinging to the last shred of hope: "Um... did you compose that piece?"
"Yes."
Lin Yuan admits it without hesitation, feeling no qualms about the matter. He's confident there's no similar composition in existence.
It's over!
Lin Yuan's words shatter all of Gu Xi's hopes.
Seeing Lin Yuan's unabashed frown, she can't help but berate herself inwardly.
He's the mysterious Maestro!
Gu Xi has fantasized endlessly about Maestro's identity, envisioning a low-key teacher or a passing stranger...
Never did she imagine he'd be a fellow student like herself!
She realizes now that she's offended Maestro from the outset, all the while planning to make a perfect first impression.
What have I done?
This is akin to courting disaster!
Gu Xi doesn't doubt the authenticity of Lin Yuan's words. Despite being around the same age, she can't fathom how he could create such magnificent music.
Geniuses exist.
If she's a prodigy at performance, then the composer she's unwittingly offended is a creative genius of another caliber!
Reflecting on their past encounters, Gu Xi realizes they've crossed paths before.
At the time, she didn't notice, even thinking he deliberately made himself visible to catch her attention.
Now that she's regained her senses, she realizes those chance encounters in the piano room confirm his identity!
Is it too late to apologize?
Regardless of the timing, Gu Xi feels an almost instinctual urge to salvage the situation. It would be foolish to let pride get in the way now!
It must be rectified!
Without hesitation, she bows her head and says, "I'm sorry for my previous behavior. Please forgive my ignorance and rudeness."
As she lowers her head, Gu Xi's face flushes with embarrassment.
She once held herself in such high esteem, convinced Maestro harbored feelings for her. To think of it now is utterly mortifying...
Lin Yuan is taken aback.
Is this Gu Xi experiencing a moment of conscience?
Though he doesn't particularly like her, Lin Yuan isn't one to hold grudges. Since she's sincerely apologizing, he sees no reason to dwell on it.
With that, he gets up to leave. Passing by Gu Xi, he says, "It's alright."
"Thank you!"
Glancing up with a twinge of guilt, Gu Xi notices Lin Yuan has already left the room, apparently not inclined to stay.
She's left speechless, gazing after his retreating figure, at a loss for words.
Though she opens her mouth to say something, she ultimately holds her tongue.
While uncertain if his forgiveness is mere formality or genuine, at least his attitude hasn't worsened.
This means there's still hope!
And now that she knows Maestro's identity, she no longer needs to worry about him disappearing!
"Nothing..."
Gu Xi rubbed her head in frustration, realizing she forgot to ask for his name. This oversight nearly prompts her to chase after him.
After a moment's thought, she decides against it.
Since she's a student at this school, it won't be difficult for Gu Xi to learn his name.
If she were to chase after him now, Qu Dao might think she's stalking him...
In a sense, she supposes she is.
"I must gain Maestro's recognition!"
Given his age and extraordinary talent, Gu Xi can already envision his future achievements. Any pianist presented with such an opportunity would be unable to resist!
"What should I do?"
Gu Xi grapples with the dilemma: "I need a strategy."
Qu Dao holds pianists to very high standards. Given the level of his composition, even a superior pianist could only choose to cooperate.
"My advantage is that we're the same age and alumni."
Thinking this, Gu Xi is once again vexed by her past behavior: "If only I hadn't offended Maestro so grievously before, maybe things would be easier. I was such a fool to cry over myself!"
Every action has consequences.
What's right and what's wrong?
Sorry, Maestro isn't wrong.