Hearing this, someone immediately agreed. “This is good. It is handsome enough.”
The classmate joking next to him also agreed, “Two people playing the piano together? What is that called? Four claws… no, four-handed play?”
“Ahhhh! I’m looking forward to the New Year’s Day party!”
“It is fast. It is the end of this month.”
Ouyang Yu often chatted with everyone and already knew the hobbies and specialties of many classmates well. He knew that Pei Qingyuan had many artistic specialties, but he never took the initiative to say it.
Only Ji Tong’s background was special and he didn’t dare take the initiative to talk to Ji Tong about the past out of fear that the other person wouldn’t remember and increase his sadness.
Now Pei Qingyuan, who had the best relationship with Ji Tong, took the initiative to mention it. So Ji Tong should know the piano, right?
Ouyang Yu asked Ji Tong casually, “Do you think it is okay? If you can do it, the two of you can discuss a song. I’ll submit it first and this show will definitely be selected.”
“But…” Ji Tong wanted to shake his head. Then he felt that the host seemed to be looking at him and could only stiffly maintain his heartless smile. “It’s okay.”
“Then it is happily decided!” Ouyang Yu patted his notebook excitedly and turned to look at the others. “Does anyone else want to sign us? The teacher said that more first and second years should sign up since the seniors are generally busy.”
“I really want to watch crosstalk. Are there any warriors who want to contribute some language shows? It is so boring if it is all singing and dancing.”
“It has to be eloquent while also having a personal touch.”
Ouyang Yu instinctively set his sights on the male student in the class who best met this standard.
The hedgehog head looked wary and retreated step by step. “Why are you looking at me?”
His character was forced to change and was no longer so annoying, so someone took the initiative to joke with him. “I think that the picture becomes very funny for no reason when you and Ouyang meet each other recently. Why don’t the two of you contribute a show? It will be absolutely fun.”
“Yes, I want to see this too!”
Ouyang Yu started to gradually accept his fate as a funny man and even took the initiative to say, “What do you think, Old Zhang?”
Zhang Yun wanted to speak but stopped. He finally chose to escape. “…I think I want to go to the bathroom.”
Why on earth had the world become like this?
The classroom was full of laughter and talking. Only the seats of Ji Tong and Pei Qingyuan fell into a mysterious silence.
Theoretically speaking, at this time, Ji Tong would definitely follow suit and convince Zhang Yun to submit the program.
However, he was very quiet now and turned his head to look out the window.
Pei Qingyuan couldn’t see his expression. He could only judge that Ji Tong’s posture of supporting his cheeks was a bit stiff.
So he asked in a normal tone, “Do you want to attend the party?”
This sentence was obviously the same tone as when the host asked for his opinion.
However, Ji Tong inexplicably felt terrified.
He didn’t move and his voice was like a mosquito. “I want to.”
He hadn’t participated in this type of event before and naturally wanted to make up for his regrets. He wanted to play with everyone without scruples and take more photos and videos as a souvenir.
…If only the host didn’t say to play the piano.
Why the piano?
The host couldn’t be suspicious of him because he blurted out that he had learned a bit of piano, right?
Ji Tong’s hand resting on his chin slowly moved up, silently covering his face. At the same time, he used the built-in god’s perspective camera to secretly observe the host.
“That’s good. If you don’t want to do it then you can refuse.” Pei Qingyuan said calmly, “What song do you want to play?”
There seemed to be nothing unusual because the host had no expression on his face.
Being expressionless was the most common expression of the host.
Was Ji Tong thinking too much?”
“Anything.” The guilty Ji Tong emphasized, “In any case, I know everything.”
“Then I’ll choose.”
The teacher walked into the classroom. Pei Qingyuan looked at the book and said quietly, “Practice cooperation when we have time.”
As the class bell rang, Ji Tong finally moved his gaze away from the window and looked at the blackboard obediently. “Yes.”
He did psychological construction for himself and finally slowly relaxed.
Even if the host found it strange, he had nothing to reveal.
As a system, he could play the piano instantly.
Ji Tong reflected on his excessive nervousness and felt that he must’ve been frightened by the crematorium described by Fu Yinyin, so he was a bit suspicious during this period.
He had always hidden well and never mentioned his previous experiences. The host had no reason to suspect that he was human.
In fact, the vast majority of people couldn’t disguise themselves as another identity without any flaws. Fu Yinyin and Fang Hao said that when they were faced with something familiar, they would say something that shouldn’t be said by an AI if they weren’t careful.
It was just that everything in a fantasy world had a spirit and Fang Hao’s host didn’t care. There was no concept of Ai at all. In the crematorium world, everything was dominated by emotional lines. Fu Yinyin’s host was good friends with her and relied on and trusted her very much. She wouldn’t delve into these things.
Meanwhile, Ji Tong’s world required a high vigilance. It just so happened that he lacked experience in the lives of ordinary people and the novelty he often exuded was naturally very similar to an artificial intelligence.
So there was no need to panic. Just do it as before.
Ji Tong cheered himself up in his heart.
Recently, he had been very cautious when writing in his diary. He chose to secretly write in the consciousness space when the host was sleeping. After writing, he put it in a box and buried it in the ground next to the paulownia flowers.
He also planted some flowers and plants on it as a cover. It was surrounded by flowers and plants everywhere and the appearance was quite natural.
The most dangerous place was the safest place.
The host didn’t know he was keeping a diary and never thought there would be a diary buried under the tree he often passed by.
In short, everything was fine.
He shouldn’t panic.
The New Year’s Day party was a school-wide event and the school fully supported it. If the show required the use of musical instruments then they could go to the school of music to borrow them at any time.
In the busy schedule every day, Pei Qingyuan arranged the time and took Ji Tong over to practice.
In order to prove that he was a genius system that knew everything. Ji Tong performed a section for the host as soon as he touched the long-lost piano.
He found a random piece of music from the BGM library that he had listened to recently. The melody was soothing and the tone was sacred. In the flowing music, it seemed that a lotus flower was slowly blooming on the surface of the river. This could make people forget all their troubles and just want to become a monk in place.
Pei Qingyuan: “……”
Fortunately, Ji Tong didn’t make suggestions on the selection of songs.
His system’s taste for music had always been special.
The four-handed joint play depended on the cooperation of the two people and they needed to cultivate a tacit understanding in practice. Pei Qingyuan originally thought he needed to teach Ji Tong a lot. He hadn’t expected Ji Tong to just glance at the score and interpret it completely. It was the most standard level from posture to techniques and there were no flaws.
He noticed the host’s somewhat surprised expression and took the initiative to say, “I’m very powerful, right?”
Pei Qingyuan responded softly.
Being too standard and perfect meant lacking the personality that a person should have.
When different performers played the same piece of music, they would show different personal styles and emotions in the details. Some flaws would bring a different type of beauty.
For an AI that only used tricks and rules to interpret music, the lack of personality was normal.
However, Pei Qingyuan always felt that something was weird.
This was obviously a romantic piece of music but Ji Tong looked very serious. This was completely different from his usual lively expression when listening to music.
Of course, Ji Tong was very serious.
He looked at the name on the sheet music that made him tremble in his heart and devoted 120,000 points of concentration to meet this challenge. He wasn’t even shy when he had occasional physical contact with the host.
This piece was called ‘The Secret.’
…No secrets!
His mind was full of collected information, imitating the most standard postures and techniques. He didn’t dare to be distracted at all. The movements of his hands were extremely elegant while his heart felt like he was chewing wax.
It was all Ouyang Yu’s fault.
How nice was it for the host to perform alone so he could also enjoy it intently offstage?
Outside the piano room, the students of the school of music happened to pass by and stopped to look in.
The sound of the piano wasn’t very distinct but the two backs were very good.
When practicing the second time, Pei Qingyuan couldn’t help saying, “Playing should have a type of confession or enjoyment. You can try to relax.”
Ji Tong nodded seriously. “I am very relaxed and enjoying myself.”
“……” Pei Qingyuan glanced at him. “Really?”
Ji Tong’s body didn’t move and his hand increased his strength. “Really.”
Listening to his decisive tone and the abruptly accentuated piano sound, Pei Qingyuan’s eyes finally showed a hint of a smile.
No matter what Ji Tong was hiding, at least he was cute in this moment.
He didn’t care about the performance effect of this party as long as Ji Tong had fun.
Pei Qingyuan thought for a while and asked him, “What do you want to wear on the day of the party?”
Ji Tong tried his best to stay focused and silently recited the music score in his heart. “I don’t know. It is okay.”
“It is usually a suit,” Pei Qingyuan said. “Let’s wear it together.”
A suit was one of Ji Tong’s favorite elements.
“One black and one white or two black?”
His voice fell and the originally harmonious and smooth sound of the piano suddenly became chaotic. It stopped abruptly when it was played wrongly.
This was called relaxation.
Ji Tong stared sadly at the smiling host. “Did you do it on purpose?”
Pei Qingyuan naturally connected the broken notes and continued the music.
“Yes.”
The host actually admitted it so righteously.
Ji Tong sulked for a while. At this beautiful piano sound, he really didn’t hold back and whispered, “One black and one white?”
…He had indeed begun to imagine wearing a suit with his host.
It was shameful but effective.
In this awkward sound where depression and anticipation coexisted, the rhythm of the piano music became lighter and lighter.
“Okay.”
On the night of the party, the whole school was filled with people. The students who couldn’t sit down could watch the broadcast on their phones or computers.
In the crowd, a white figure was particularly dazzling. In particular, there was a boy wearing a long gown next to him, forming a sharp contrast.
Ouyang Yu looked numb. “I don’t want to walk with you. It seems like I’m here as a joke.”
Ji Tong showed a blank expression. “You were originally meant to be funny.”
Ouyang Yu choked up. “…Can you save me some face?!”
Today, Ouyang Yu was going to perform crosstalk with Zhang Yun on stage. The title was ‘Sentences that Hurt Me.’
This outrageous-sounding show was actually chosen.
God knew that Ouyang Yu just wanted to play with Zhang Yun at first.
He originally thought this would be the cruelest thing today. He hadn’t expected that the even crueler thing was that he would walk to the auditorium with Ji Tong, who turned heads 100% of the time in a suit.
Ouyang Yu was always worried he would be beaten up. “Why didn’t you wait for Brother Pei to come over with you?”
Ji Tong lowered his head. “I am keeping a low profile.”
After he and the host changed clothes in the bedroom, it almost had the effect of a couple’s outfit.
Ji Tong was really embarrassed to dress up like this and walk to the auditorium in front of everyone, so he had to grab the tool man Ouyang Yu and slip away first.
As a result, he received countless attention along the way.
He had never worn a suit and he was always worried about whether he was dressed strangely. His heart became more and more nervous.
If he had known this, he wouldn’t have listened to the host and worn this white one.
Black was better and more low-key.
Arriving at the relatively quiet backstage lounge of the auditorium, Ji Tong found a corner to rest in. His brain was empty and he didn’t even realize that an unfamiliar classmate was quietly taking photos of him. He waited until the host came in.
Seeing the host wearing a suit this time was completely different from before.
He himself was wearing a suit of a different color.
It made him even more nervous.
Ji Tong silently looked away, not daring to look directly at the host. “Are we going to play soon?”
Pei Qingyuan sat down beside him. “There are still ten minutes.”
This double piano performance was arranged very early and the New Year’s Day party had officially begun.
The sound outside came through the backstage. Amidst the applause that resounded through the auditorium, Ji Tong felt that he was almost suffocating from nervousness.
It was the first time he had participated in this type of event and it was also the first time he had to walk on such a big stage.
Chasing high school students on the sports field in a dinosaur costume didn’t count.
Before Ji Tong could squeeze the pillow in the lounge into a ball, Pei Qingyuan caught his hand in time. “Take a deep breath and relax.”
Ji Tong took a deep breath according to these words. Then after a few seconds of relaxation, he immediately started chatting.
“There are many people in the auditorium, much more than on the day of the freshmen meeting. Are there still many people watching the broadcast?”
“Wouldn’t it be weird for me to wear this? How about we switch? There were always people looking at me along the way. I’m definitely not suitable to wear white…”
The host was about to announce them and the students with the staff cards quickly knocked on the door of the lounge to remind them to prepare to go on stage.
Pei Qingyuan led Ji Tong to get up and walk in the direction of the noise.
“It isn’t weird. It is good-looking.” His voice was gentle and powerful. “The audience isn’t important.”
“Ignore them.”
In the midst of the enthusiastic applause, the spotlight fell on the piano and shone on two figures sitting side by side.
This wasn’t the first time Pei Qingyuan appeared at a large-scale event. Almost all the teachers and students in the school knew him but many people were seeing Ji Tong for the first time.
The lights went out, the auditorium was dark and all the lights were on the piano.
Black was cold and gloomy while white was free of the hustle and bustle. It was unforgettable, pure and flawless.
The discussion and exclamations mixed with applause gradually grew. It soon quietened down at the slow sound of the piano.
The black and white keys started to jump.
The entire prologue of this piece was a solo by the man in the black suit.
The beginning of ‘The Secret’ was the breeze blowing the falling leaves, the birds flying low in the sky and the waves touching the shells on the beach. It was gentle, silent and cautious, little by little seeping into the boundless air.
When he first walked onto the stage, under the gaze of countless eyes, Ji Tong almost felt dizzy.
But at the host’s solo, his heart seemed to be swept into the sea. He gradually forgot the spectators at the shore.
Unlike the previous practice in the piano room where there was only the rigid melody, he was suddenly seized by a strong emotion.
Playing was a type of talking. The host said so that day.
At the end of the prologue, it was the double play section and another piece of music quietly joined.
Fingers interlaced in the light. The black and white fabrics on their arms touched and separated, brewing silent heat.
In the intertwined and lingering sound of the piano, Ji Tong suddenly couldn’t remember those textbook-like guides. He vaguely remembered the day a long time ago.
In the quiet piano club, he sat by the window and jerkily pressed the keys, occasionally looking at the lively crowd in the playground in the distance.
In the huge space, only the clear and beautiful sound of the piano remained.
Love grew secretly.
So the leaves flowed into the warm wind, the birds settled on the long-lost ground, the waves found the lost shells and the lonely islands met the sea.
Pei Qingyuan focused on the keys of the piano and on the dancing white fingers of the person beside him.
This was until he saw Ji Tong’s wrist gradually lowered and the speed of changing hands occasionally lagged. It was completely different from the previous, standard perfect posture. All types of small, real mistakes flowed.
The turbulent waves paused slightly and returned to the embrace of the ocean in louder waves.
This was a common mistake made by beginners who hadn’t received professional teaching.
