bioinnovel Did Chapter 18 make me look good?
Did Chapter 18 make me look good?
All sounds are silent.
On the stage, the single spotlight, like a sacred pillar of light, enveloped Zhang Yan and the black Steinway piano.
Time seemed to stretch out infinitely.
The whispers from the audience had long since disappeared, replaced by an eerie silence tinged with curiosity, disdain, and anticipation.
Backstage, Zhao Yu stood with his arms crossed, his cold smile growing even stronger.
He could already foresee what was about to happen: Zhang Yan's fingers stiffly poked a few noises on the piano keys, and then, amidst a chorus of laughter, he would blush and embarrass himself as he left the stage.
The thought of that scene excited him.
In the first row, Nie Qingcheng leaned back slightly, sinking into the soft seat.
Her posture was languid, and her captivating fox-like eyes, even through the dim light, were fixed on the boy on the stage.
Examining and savoring it is like admiring a private possession about to be publicly executed.
on the stage.
Zhang Yan slowly closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, the last trace of youthful naiveté and nervousness in his eyes had faded away.
Instead, there was an almost indifferent calm.
It was as if the thousands of audience members, the million-dollar piano, and the stage that determined his reputation were all irrelevant to him.
He was just completing a task.
Then, his hand fell.
There was no probing, no hesitation.
"Clang! Clang clang clang clang clang—"
A series of rapid, passionate, and metallic notes burst forth from his fingertips without warning!
That was not a gentle overture, nor a lukewarm probing, but the most classic and impactful opening of "Croatian Rhapsody"!
The sound of the piano was like a thunderclap thrown into a stagnant pool, instantly resounding throughout the entire auditorium!
fast!
too fast!
The notes were so dense, like a torrential rain, each one precise, clear, and full of power, as if they were about to tear apart the oppressive air!
The expressions on everyone's faces froze the moment the first note rang out.
The student sitting in the back row, who was drowsy, suddenly straightened his back.
The teacher, who was playing on his phone, dropped it on the ground with a "thud".
Backstage, Zhao Yu's smile froze and cracked instantly, as if blown by a minus fifty degree wind, leaving only a face full of astonishment and disbelief.
What...what is this?!
This was completely different from what he had imagined – noise, off-key singing, and helplessness!
On stage, Zhang Yan leaned forward slightly, as if he had become one with the piano.
His temperament underwent a dramatic transformation the moment the music began.
If he was just a handsome student in a suit a moment ago, now he is a king who controls musical notes and emotions!
His fingers moved across the black and white piano keys in a blur of motion, so fast it was dazzling.
That's no longer playing music, it's commanding a war!
The stirring piano music depicts a city engulfed in war and a homeland in ruins.
The clear melody in the high register is the indomitable cry of people amidst the ruins.
The heavy chords in the bass register are the mournful cry of the earth as artillery fire falls.
The entire auditorium was swept up in the powerful torrent of music, leaving everyone breathless and unable to think.
They seemed to have witnessed the trauma on that land firsthand, and personally felt the tenacity and tragedy of those who, even in dire straits, chose to live against all odds!
In the audience, several professors from the music academy stared intently at the young man's hand on the stage, their faces ashen.
"This...this finger technique...is it Liszt's virtuoso technique?"
"No, not only that! Look at his left hand, the chord span is enormous, that's Rachmaninoff's style! He's fused two of the most top-level techniques together!"
"My God... this handling of emotions, this control of rhythm... this isn't a student, this is a master! A world-class master!"
Wang Hao sat in the crowd, mouth agape, completely dumbfounded.
Looking at the radiant, almost glowing figure on the stage, he felt as if he were dreaming.
This is his roommate who eats a six-yuan meal every day and runs himself ragged trying to earn a few hundred yuan in part-time work.
This is like the god of piano has descended upon us!
The most stunning moment of the entire event was undoubtedly that of Nie Qingcheng in the front row.
She sat up straight as soon as the first note sounded.
That languidness and playfulness have long since vanished without a trace.
She took off her sunglasses, and her fox-like eyes, which were usually covered with a thin layer of ice, were now staring unblinkingly at Zhang Yan on the stage.
The light in his eyes shifted from initial surprise to scrutiny, and then to awe.
Finally, the bottomless pool of water was completely ignited.
It was a flame called "obsession".
She looked at him.
Watching his slender fingers dance on the piano keys, watching his focused and aloof profile, watching sweat slide down his jawline and drip onto the collar of his expensive suit.
At this moment, he was no longer the shy, awkward, and helpless puppy who would blush in front of her.
He is a lion.
A young male lion, freely displaying his talent and hormones in his own territory!
This fatal, powerful charm struck her heart more deeply than his clear eyes or his clumsy innocence.
This man is hers.
This man, who shines on stage and makes thousands of people hold their breath, belongs to her alone!
This thought surged through her body like an electric current, causing her fingers, gripping the armrest, to tighten unconsciously, her knuckles turning white from the force.
"when--!!!"
As the last majestic chord fell, the music abruptly stopped.
The whole world seemed to have been put on pause.
A deathly silence.
Everyone was still immersed in that musical storm, unable to extricate themselves.
On stage, Zhang Yan slowly raised his head, his chest rising and falling slightly with his rapid breathing.
His gaze pierced through the stage lights and the dark sea of people, and once again, with unparalleled precision, landed on the woman in the first row.
He asked with his eyes:
"Have you gained face yet?"
Nie Qingcheng understood.
In the dead silence where thousands of people were still in a daze, before anyone could react...
She slowly stood up from her seat.
The focus of the entire auditorium instantly shifted from Zhang Yan on the stage to the graceful and charismatic woman in the first row.
She just stood there, ignoring all the stares around her.
In her eyes, there was only the boy on stage performing for her.
Then, her fiery red lips slowly curved upwards into a smile.
It was a laugh brimming with possessiveness, pride, and an undisguised...hunger.
Snapped.
A crisp, solitary clap rang out in the silent auditorium.
is her.
She was applauding him.