Chapter 32
Chapter 32: Tonight, Chosen and Unique
People often say that alcohol boosts courage.
The enhancement brought by this “golden finger” is like a shot of strong liquor for Wen Yu right now.
He has always been afraid of the stage, the spotlight suffocating him. This is also why he admires, even envies, Fu Chengque so much; she dares to go up there, even to dance.
In the previous life, this performance went smoothly.
And now, there’s not even a pianist… Wen Yu finds it hard to say whether he bears any responsibility for this. But one thing is for sure, he doesn’t want Fu Chengque’s dance to be without music, he doesn’t want her efforts to go to waste.
Moreover, Fu Chengque asked him for help.
So, the impostor master, requested to step up!
Wen Yu arrived in front of Chen Xiongguo, staring at this furrowed-browed old man in surprise.
“What’s going on?” Chen Xiongguo asked sternly.
Wen Yu pointed at himself, “Teacher, I can play, and I’m willing to go.”
“You?!” Chen Xiongguo was dumbfounded.
Several sharp-eared classmates around instantly gathered, unable to believe it.
“Wen Yu, you can play the piano, for real?”
“Wen Yu, if you’re bragging, you’ll have to face the consequences. Once you’re up there, you can’t come down…”
The words made sense, and Chen Xiongguo suppressed the urge to scold.
“Are you serious?”
“Teacher, I’m serious, I can play the piano, I should be able to handle it.”
Chen Xiongguo suddenly put his arm around Wen Yu’s shoulder. “Wen Yu, I won’t doubt you for now. I want you to look up and see the stage below. Do you see it? It’s so large, so spacious, every move can be seen clearly. Now, look ahead at those teachers and leaders. See them? They are all very serious about watching the performance, some of them are professional music teachers; now, look back—” he waved to the students packed in the hall, “see them? When you go up there, these thousands of eyes will all be watching you. If you can’t play the piano well enough, you might be laughed at by everyone once you’re up there, understand? Now, I’m asking you, do you still want to go up there?”
After speaking, he stared into Wen Yu’s eyes.
Wen Yu looked at the auditorium again and said solemnly, “Teacher, I understand. I still want to go up.”
Chen Xiongguo was moved.
Regardless of whether Wen Yu could really play the piano, his courage was commendable.
After considering for a long time, Chen Xiongguo gritted his teeth and asked, “I’ll ask you one last time, are you sure you can play?”
“I can.”
“Can you play smoothly?”
“I can. I have an electronic keyboard. Fu Chengque told me the piece, and I’ve played it myself.”
“Electronic keyboard… Well, wait for me a moment, I’ll go ask.”
Chen Xiongguo got up and quickly walked towards the stage, disappearing into the side of the stage.
After a while, he hurried back.
“Wen Yu, the teachers agree to let you go. Promise me that you won’t mess around.”
“Teacher, I promise you, I won’t mess around. I can do it.”
“Well, go ahead. Don’t go to the backstage, it’s too late. Go directly from the front and go behind the curtain.”
He took another deep look at Wen Yu, straightened Wen Yu’s collar, and quickly said, “Wen Yu, do your best. Whatever happens, the teachers won’t blame you. If you can’t play, don’t move, let Fu Chengque dance alone.”
“I got it, Chen Xiongguo, I’ll go.”
Behind him, a few classmates who had been watching the whole time shouted softly:
“Wen Yu, come on!”
“If you can’t play, come back, we’ll save you.”
Wen Yu smiled, left the area of Class Four, and walked down the aisle to the stage.
The curtain was still down, but the host had already left the stage.
There was much speculation among the audience below as to why the performance from the senior year had not appeared for so long.
Wen Yu sneaked onto the stage from one side and then directly crawled behind the somewhat dim curtain…
***
There was no more time to wait.
It’s probably time for a solo dance.
Fu Chengque thought to herself.
Even so, she had to give it her all to complete this dance. She had to be more captivating without music, purely relying on her dance moves to grab everyone’s attention, leaving them astonished, thoroughly remembering the majestic image of Empress Chengque, she must… she must…
But, can she really do it?
With no accompaniment, relying on her somewhat stiff dance moves practiced for three to four weeks, can she really do it?
She looked around, unnoticed by anyone.
The teachers were still nervously arranging things beside her.
The piano had been moved up early, and Fu Chengque was pushed behind it. She had to take the first step from here. The music and her steps should have been synchronized, but now, how should she step…
Phew—
Not afraid.
I’m not afraid.
Who am I? I’m the super heroine with a golden finger, the rising Empress!
Tonight, I am chosen, and I am the only one!
A mere solo dance, I can handle it!
Suddenly, a commotion broke out.
“Oh, come over here quickly. Sit down here, when the curtain rises, it’s all up to you.”
“You must communicate with each other with your eyes, keep the rhythm.”
“Retreat, everyone retreat!”
Fu Chengque saw a boy in school uniform being pushed towards her.
As his face went from blurry to clear, from the dimness to right in front of her, she felt as if the world suddenly gained an extra beam of light, suppressing all the waves.
Wen Yu.
He’s here.
I knew he lied to me, I knew he could play the piano, I knew he could see the message I sent, I knew—
He would come to help me!
***
The curtain rose.
Wen Yu looked at Fu Chengque, excitement shining in his eyes.
He opened his mouth and mouthed, “I’m here.”
Fu Chengque nodded vigorously.
He gestured with his eyes that the curtain was rising, then pointed to the black and white piano keys in front of him. Fu Chengque understood and patiently waited for the performance.
Before going on stage, the “fake master” had already been activated, elevating the piano to a master level, and the duration of over ten minutes was enough to play this piece.
The extraordinary power that Wen Yu had felt during his last painting experience had become familiar to him. His fingertips slid over the piano keys as if he and the piano were one, even internally commenting: this piano isn’t quite up to par.
As the curtain rose completely, the audience below, although curious about the school-uniformed figure sitting at the piano, remained silent, not wanting to disturb.
The dance music “My Heart Will Go On,” which Wen Yu had listened to from the audience in his previous life, he remembered clearly and had practiced. Let’s begin.
Wen Yu looked up and met Fu Chengque’s eyes.
The girl smiled slightly.
With no hindrance in his heart, Wen Yu gently brushed the keys, and melodious notes poured out from his fingertips. Fu Chengque had been waiting for this moment, lifting her skirt in time with the beat, gracefully dancing like a butterfly to the center of the stage.
Their coordination was flawless.
“Every night in my dreams… I see you… I feel you…”
Wen Yu silently sang the lyrics in his heart, lifting his eyes from behind the piano to watch Fu Chengque. She wore a sky-blue dance dress, graceful and elegant, slowly overlapping with the image he had seen in his previous life.
In his past life, he had looked up at Fu Chengque from the audience, and today, he was accompanying her.
With masterful skill, he became adept, slightly varying the unfamiliar parts for the girl based on his understanding of the music, making it more suitable for Fu Chengque’s lively performance on stage. He even played a few brilliant notes at will to liven up the atmosphere for Fu Chengque.
The enchanting sound of the piano hovered faintly in the air of the auditorium.
Fu Chengque seemed to respond to it, her dance steps becoming more confident, her skirt fluttering as she displayed her graceful dance, immersed in the music.
With each dance and each piece of music, they complemented each other perfectly.
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