Chapter Seventy-Seven: Learning and Writing on the Spot
Song Waning walked over to one of the display cases, gazing through the glass at a perfectly preserved pipa inside. “Could you please take out that pipa for me?” she asked.
The shop assistant’s eyes instantly brightened. “Miss Song, you have excellent taste. This is our most expensive pipa, but its tone and feel are the finest.”
There were several customers in the store; if each of them bought something so pricey, her commission this month would soar beyond her wildest dreams. She couldn’t help but adore Manager Li—what a marvelous client with just a simple recommendation!
Quickly slipping on gloves, she carefully carried the pipa to Song Waning.
Song Waning took it in both hands, examined it, then cradled it and tried a few notes. It was indeed superb. She didn’t even look at the price and decided on it immediately.
Wen Jingxing also made his selection, choosing a jade flute whose color closely matched Song Waning’s pipa.
Yun Ze’s choice of piano was more troublesome; unlike the others, he couldn't simply carry it away. To avoid complications, he decided to set the rehearsal location at the competition venue, saving everyone the trouble of moving instruments back and forth.
When the three began to leave the music store with their purchases, viewers in the livestream were stunned.
“Wow, just how wealthy is Young Master Wen? Roughly calculated, these must cost at least a million. He just buys them without hesitation!”
“Well, it’s Wen, isn’t it? That’s normal.”
Some were hardly surprised.
“He’s so generous.”
“Is he really going to give these to Song Waning and Yun Ze?”
“It makes sense for Song Waning to accept, but Yun Ze doesn’t seem to be that close to Wen.”
“How can we know what goes on in the circles of the rich? Maybe they’ll pay him back, or return with an even more lavish gift—if so, the friendship would be secured!”
“That’s... actually quite reasonable.”
...
Song Waning hugged her pipa and borrowed paper and pen to write out a score.
Meanwhile, Wen Jingxing was sent off to find a rehearsal space. She told him the place didn’t need to be large, but it had to be quiet—so that neither they disturbed others, nor others disturbed them.
Wen Jingxing, however, immediately handed the task to Li Weiwei, insisting on watching Song Waning write her score, no matter how much she tried to refuse.
Being unfamiliar with the area, Song Waning’s notation differed from the local style. Afraid Wen Jingxing might not understand, she returned to the music store to study the local notation and musical symbols.
The viewers in the livestream were left bewildered.
“Did I see that right? Song Waning can’t even read music, yet she’s playing the pipa! Who is she fooling?”
“She can’t just rely on her looks and play tricks on everyone.”
“That’s not fair—Song Waning never claimed to be a master. The talent show doesn’t require anything specific; the guests can perform whatever they like.”
“Exactly. The director hasn’t complained, yet you’re all getting worked up.”
Clearly, those who criticized her at first weren’t in the right. After being rebuked by others, their voices grew quieter. Only a few stubborn ones continued to flood the comments, insisting Song Waning was faking and pretending to know.
Song Waning spent over ten minutes familiarizing herself with the notation. Once she finished, she handed the score to Wen Jingxing.
Wen Jingxing took the sheet, thinking to himself: this woman doubted my abilities from the start, yet she herself can’t even write a score. Is she a beginner? Perhaps she’s most familiar with the piece she mentioned. If I listen to her play, I can jot down the notation myself. I do know a bit of pipa—maybe I’ll teach her during rehearsal.
Ever since Song Waning said she would play the pipa, Wen Jingxing never suspected she was pretending. Credit must go to the original character—someone quite stubborn, who always meant what she said and never lied. If she said something, it was true. That’s why she could be so obstinate, even to the point of becoming ill.
He carefully examined Song Waning’s score, then looked it over again, surprised by how good it was.
He casually praised, “Nicely written. You have real talent.”
The viewers craned their necks.
“Damn, why is the cameraman so clueless this time? Why not zoom in so we can see what’s written?”
“How good must it be to earn Wen’s praise?”
“The last time Wen praised someone was... well, a long time ago.”
“I’ve never seen him compliment anyone. His staff often complain that their boss is heartless and cold—no mistakes allowed. If they’re not being scolded, they’re on their way to being scolded.”
“The funniest thing is, I saw a ranking of company happiness rates—the Huo Group was dead last, happiness index nearly zero.”
“But their salaries are three times the industry average...”
“Uh, aren’t you all getting off topic?”
...
To preserve the mystery of tonight’s talent competition, Li Weiwei strictly instructed the cameramen not to film anything that couldn’t be broadcast.
So the bored viewers, left to their own devices, began gossiping about the guests.
Most favored the unmarried couple, since the two had actually been engaged in real life, making their interactions all the more captivating.
After studying the score, Wen Jingxing said, “Alright, let’s go. The director has found us a place.”
Song Waning raised her brows. Was he really so impressive, able to master the score from just a glance? Well, she’d soon know after working together.
Upon arrival, Song Waning discovered it was a grand conservatory—a glass structure. Though there was no sunshine at the moment, under the curtain of rain, the scenery around the conservatory exuded a unique charm.
Especially the blooming roses, which seemed to glow red even in the rainy weather. Compared to them, all the other flowers paled instantly.
“Amazing! Isn’t this one of the resort’s few romantic spots?”
“So exciting—Wen asked the director to book this place, right?”
“Is the director secretly playing matchmaker?”
“Does this mean the Wen family values Song Waning quite highly?”
“Since they’re at a romantic spot, do you think there’ll be more interaction between them...?”
“Oh no, is it time? Why did the screen suddenly go black!”
“This is outrageous—cutting to black at the crucial moment, just like TV dramas going to commercials at the climax. It’s maddening.”
...
Oblivious, Song Waning was pointing to the score, explaining to Wen Jingxing which parts were solos and which were duets.
“Since you understand, let’s rehearse once together,” she said.
There will be an extra update tomorrow—love you all, hearts to you.
(End of chapter)