Chapter 7: Encounter 3

Chapter 7: Encounter 3

The group followed Lin Yong into the hall to choose guitars, with the two girls, who were originally about to finish their class and head home, tagging along.

Yun He walked at the back, observing Gu Jiabei in front of him. He estimated that Gu was at least 6 feet tall. The two girls chattered away on either side of him, but Gu Jiabei never once turned his head.

In the hall, one wall was adorned with various guitars. Lin Yong examined each one with great interest.

At that moment, a little boy, appearing to be around eight or nine years old, rushed out from somewhere, shouting, "I don't want to learn the piano! I don't want to learn... I really don't want to play the piano!"

"Little Bao, come back!" Following behind was the child's mother, dashing over to seize her son by the arm.

"Mama, I don't want to learn the piano! I want to go out and play!" The little boy's face flushed red as he struggled to break free from his mother's grip, but alas, he lacked the strength.

Many of the pupils in the hall had been drawn to the commotion, though they refrained from crowding around, instead watching discreetly from the sidelines. A few children around Little Bao's age were even giggling stealthily.

"Little Bao," Yun He observed as Old Huang stepped out from the crowd, crouching down before the young boy, and spoke warmly, "Do you not like playing the piano?"

"I don't like it," Little Bao pouted, responding unhappily.

"Why don't you like playing the piano?" Teacher Huang asked with a warm smile.

"I just don't like it! I don't want to play the piano! What's so great about it? I want to go out and play! I want to find Little Lin and play with her!" Little Bao remained unhappy, turning his head away, not planning to look at Old Huang again.

"Who is Little Lin?" Teacher Huang inquired.

"She's a girl from the same kindergarten as him," Little Bao's mother explained nearby.

"Little Lin is so pretty!" Little Bao promptly added.

Teacher Huang pondered for a moment, then gently patted Little Bao's head, saying patiently, "There was once a boy who also didn't like playing the piano. Whenever he was taught, he would always beg to go out and play, unable to stay seated in front of the piano for even a second."

Little Bao seemed intrigued and turned his head back to look at Old Huang. "What happened then?"

"Well, his mother told him that boys who play the piano are very cool, and they'll have more friends wanting to play with them. So, the little boy started learning the piano for a while. Whenever he played, many children would gather around him, especially lots of pretty girls. He was delighted and became more enthusiastic with each practice. Now, he's really good at playing the piano, and as he grew up, he found himself surrounded by more and more pretty girls. What do you think, Little Bao? Would you like to give it a try? If you learn to play the piano for Little Lin, she'll surely be happy to play with you."

A low chuckle rippled through the crowd. "So, playing the piano is for impressing girls, huh? Hahahaha..."

"....Are you trying to fool a child?...." Little Bao sounded skeptical.

"I'm not lying to you." Mr. Huang scanned the crowd and pointed in a direction. "There, that little boy is right over there, but he's all grown up now."

Everyone's attention followed Mr. Huang's gesture, making Yun He the center of attention.

"Dang... What's going on?" Yun He was a bit dazed and instinctively sought refuge behind Gu Jiabei, hoping his taller friend could shield him from the crowd's gaze.

Gu Jiabei turned to look at him, their eyes meeting. Yun He sensed a hint of amusement in Gu Jiabei's eyes.

Before Yun He could decipher the meaning behind that look, Gu Jiabei suddenly took a step aside, revealing Yun He to everyone once again.

"Hey... you..." Yun He whispered, instinctively reaching for Gu Jiabei's arm but stopping just before their fingertips touched, standing quietly in place.

Only then did he realize that since meeting Gu Jiabei, they hadn't exchanged a single word. It would be inappropriate to grab his arm out of the blue.

"Yun He, come here!" Mr. Huang beckoned him.

If only he didn't have to go... Yun He thought to himself.

"Yun He!" Mr. Huang called out again.

All eyes were on Yun He, eagerly anticipating some sort of entertainment.

Yun He sighed inwardly and mustered up the courage to approach Little Bao and Teacher Huang.

"Old Huang, I'm still young, can't you let me off the hook this time?" Yun He asked hopelessly.

However, it was clear that Teacher Huang had no intention of doing so. He patted Yun He's shoulder and said to Little Bao, "Little Bao, this brother here used to cry his eyes out while practicing the piano since he was little. But when he realized playing the piano could help him make more friends, he suddenly became so enthusiastic during every practice."

"Old Huang, could you please stop talking..." Yun He whispered through gritted teeth to Old Huang.

"Brother, did you cry when you practiced the piano when you were little?" Little Bao looked up at him with an innocent expression.

"Ahh... I might have cried..." In truth, Yun He had never shed a tear over practicing the piano.

"Poor you..." Little Bao gazed at Yun He with sympathy.

"It's all in the past now..." Yun He was utterly embarrassed, especially under the gaze of this young child, and in front of everyone. Moreover... Moreover... Gu Jiabei was also watching him. For some reason, he seemed to be affected by that person's gaze. Perhaps it was due to his mother's influence, making him unable to resist paying extra attention to good-looking people, wanting to steal a few more glances...

"Little Bao, let Brother play the piano for you, alright? Let's see if Brother becomes irresistible while playing, shall we?" Old Huang encouraged gently.

Little Bao frowned in thought for a moment before saying to Yun He, "Alright then, play something for us."

"Thank you, Your Highness, for this great favor," Yun He sighed.

Yun He shot an annoyed glance at Old Huang before slowly making his way to a piano, not too far from where Gu Jiabei stood, allowing Yun He to catch glimpses of him with the corner of his eye.

Taking a deep breath, Yun He relaxed his fingers and closed his eyes to clear his mind. When he opened them again, his fingertips danced across the keys like sprites on autumn leaves, alternating between swift and slow, joy and sorrow. Amidst the chatter in the hall, Yun He seemed to tune it all out. His performance started off slow and gradually accelerated, flowing seamlessly into every corner of the room. Those who understood appreciated it, while those who didn't were still captivated, stopping to watch. After all, music was a language of emotions.

As the piece ended, applause erupted.

Yun He glanced sideways at the particularly noticeable person in the crowd. Lin Yong, standing next to him, waved foolishly, while that person smiled, a hint of approval in his gaze.

For some reason, Yun He felt a bit closer to Gu Jiabei now, closer than when he had been hesitant to touch his arm earlier.

Later, Little Bao was led away. Before leaving, he earnestly told Yun He, "Big Brother, I don't know if you played well or not, but seeing everyone applauding for you made me really happy! I loved it! I want everyone to clap for me someday, so I'll learn to play the piano!"

"That's great. When you learn, play for Little Sister Lin, Little Sister Li, and all sorts of little sisters," Yun He chuckled.

As the crowd dispersed, everyone went back to their respective tasks.

Yun He returned to Lin Yong's side, only to find that the two girls who had been learning guitar hadn't left yet. One of them said to Yun He, "Cute guy, didn't you say you couldn't play the piano? How could you lie like that? Tsk!"

"I was just improvising, got nervous and managed it again," Yun He replied casually.

The two girls, finding nothing more to talk about with Yun He, headed home. Lin Yong cheerfully went back to playing with the guitar on the wall.

Only Gu Jiabei and Yun He remained, standing in silence.

After a moment, Gu Jiabei spoke softly, "It was Liszt's Liebesträume."

Gu Jiabei's voice, slightly deep, resonated in Yun He's ears.

Their eyes met, and Yun He nodded slightly. "Mm-hmm."

"Though not Liszt's most challenging piece, it's still one of his signature works, not easy to master, especially capturing its essence," Gu Jiabei gazed into Yun He's eyes, a hint of a smile in his dark pupils. "You played it quite well."

That smile was captivating, as if it could ensnare someone, leaving them rooted to the spot.

After a while, Yun He murmured, dazed, "You're quite good-looking too..."

Damn... What did you just say?

Both froze, then burst into laughter simultaneously.

After a while, Yun He said, "Hey, can we stop laughing now?"

"The blame's on you for making me laugh first," Gu Jiabei's smile still lingered on his face, his eyes curved like crescent moons from amusement.

"Alright, I admit it was my fault..." Yun He admitted, gazing into Gu Jiabei's captivating eyes.