Chapter 68 Practicing Piano

Chapter 68: Piano Practice

After class, Cheng Feng went to the bubble tea shop next to the supermarket. Just as he reached the entrance, a boy slightly shorter than him walked past. Cheng Feng recognized him immediately—it was Ye Tan, the one they'd discussed last class.

Ye Tan was even better-looking in person than in photos, really did deserve first place. Cheng Feng thought to himself that someone of his status would probably try to marry up, aiming for a family like the Shangs. Too bad the Second Young Lady wasn't at this school; otherwise, he might've had a shot at climbing that ladder.

Why bother thinking about such things? It had nothing to do with him. Cheng Feng shook his head and walked into the bubble tea shop.

Back in the classroom, Cheng Feng handed the milk tea to Zhang Yuantao and Shang Shaohao. Unexpectedly, Shang Shaohao pulled out five hundred yuan and gave it to him, saying it was a delivery fee.

Cheng Feng refused to accept it, but Shang Shaohao leaned in and whispered, “I’m a bit sleepy. I’m going to sleep during the next class, so I won’t be able to keep up. After class, give me a recap. Call it a tutoring fee.”

Hearing this, Cheng Feng immediately nodded, thrilled. He was more than happy to tutor the young master.

It was a beautiful, sunny day.

Over the weekend, Young Master Shang and Zhang Yuantao were playing games in the villa.

Cheng Feng wasn't on duty that day, so he went to the hospital to visit his mother and helped her take care of the transfer paperwork. The doctor said the surgery could be scheduled for the following week.

Overjoyed, he chatted with his mother until noon, fed her lunch, and then left the hospital.

Afterward, he went to the grilled fish restaurant where he used to work and treated the boss and the employees who had helped and looked after him to dinner.

A guy he'd been friendly with put an arm around his shoulder and said with a smile, “Cheng Feng, you’ve really made it big, huh? And you haven’t forgotten us. That's what I call loyalty!”

Cheng Feng smiled, took a sip of his drink, and said earnestly, “I promised I’d treat everyone to a big meal. A promise is a promise.”

The dinner lasted until 8:30 p.m. before they all went their separate ways.

The boss patted Cheng Feng’s shoulder, his smile especially sincere. “Xiao Feng, keep working hard. I know things will keep getting better for you.”

Cheng Feng gave a firm nod. He would. He was sure of it.

He had already heard from the restaurant staff that business hadn’t been great lately, the boss’s wife was bedridden, and the boss himself had a bad back.

He had specifically bought the boss a lot of health supplements and an expensive massage chair.

The boss grumbled about him wasting money, but the warmth in his eyes was unmistakable. He liked Cheng Feng even more—the kid really knew how the world worked.

Cheng Feng didn’t think it was a waste at all. If the boss hadn’t taken him in back then, he might still be doing odd jobs on the streets. Let alone his life now—he probably wouldn’t even have been able to afford his mother’s medical bills.

Not to mention, it was the boss who, using his connections, told him that the Shangs were hiring. Otherwise, he wouldn’t even have had the chance to step through the Shang family’s gates.

…

On payday, Cheng Feng was in such a good mood that he rewarded himself with two sets of practice exams and plunged headfirst into a sea of questions.

A week later, the school was holding a piano competition, with each class getting ten slots.

There was no prize money, but the piano teacher specifically approached Cheng Feng, hoping he would sign up.

Cheng Feng already loved playing the piano. Thinking that participating wouldn't cut into his study time, and hearing that outstanding performers could qualify for higher-level competitions, his interest was piqued.

He desperately wanted to perform on a competition stage, so his mother could see how talented he was. When she recovered and was discharged, seeing her son doing so well would surely make her proud.

With that thought, he signed up without hesitation.

After signing up, the piano teacher told them they could use the piano rooms for practice after school.

Back at the Shang family estate, when Shang Shaohao heard he was entering the competition, he waved a hand and told Cheng Feng to go practice in his personal piano room.

Cheng Feng remembered that the eldest young master, Shang Xu, had said he could use his piano room anytime, but he still didn't dare go to Shang Xu's. Instead, he went to the one Shang Shaohao usually used.

Every day, as soon as he finished his homework, he would head straight for the piano room and practice for hours. He loved it, and being young and healthy, he never felt tired.

One evening, as he entered the piano building, he heard a beautiful, flowing melody drifting from ahead, clear and lovely.

Cheng Feng felt a stir. That piano sound seemed to be coming from the eldest young master.

Following the music, he walked to the door of a piano room and instinctively paused, peering in through the glass window.

Shang Xu was wearing a black casual outfit that day. His posture was upright, his features sharp and handsome. He was slightly bowing his head, his slender fingers dancing over the keys. The whole scene exuded a cool, aloof elegance.

Cheng Feng watched and sighed.

He could clearly feel the gap between himself and the eldest young master. They were both playing the piano, so why could Shang Xu play so smoothly and beautifully, while no matter how much he practiced, he always fell short?

He couldn't put his finger on what was wrong. Just as he was about to quietly leave, Shang Xu suddenly turned his head, his gaze landing on him.

The moment their eyes met, Cheng Feng was startled. He quickly blinked, nodded, and smiled at Shang Xu as a greeting, then quickly turned and slipped into Shang Shaohao’s piano room.

Sitting on the piano bench, he took a deep breath and immersed himself completely in the music, so much so that he didn’t even notice when someone stood behind him.

It wasn’t until a long-fingered hand gently rested on the piano keys that he snapped back to reality. Turning his head, he saw it was Shang Xu.

Cheng Feng hurriedly stood up, his voice tight.

“Eldest Young Master.”

Shang Xu spoke calmly. “You entered the piano competition?”

Cheng Feng nodded. “Yes, the competition is next week.”

Shang Xu didn’t ask further. He walked directly to a nearby chair, sat down, and looked up at him. “Sit. I’ll teach you.”

Cheng Feng’s eyelashes fluttered slightly as he slowly sat back down on the piano bench.

He couldn’t help stealing a glance at Shang Xu’s profile. He felt incredibly awkward because he was a bit afraid of him, like seeing a strict school principal. The tips of his ears even turned red uncontrollably.

Being alone with the eldest young master, he didn’t dare breathe too loudly. He didn’t know where to put his hands and feet, let alone try to make conversation.

A faint, distinctive orchid scent from Shang Xu lingered around him, light and fresh, yet it made him feel inexplicably warm all over. A thin layer of sweat even broke out on his back.

Shang Xu’s hand returned to the piano keys, his voice low and pleasant.

“Cheng Feng, watch me play.”

Cheng Feng immediately focused his mind, his gaze locked on the piano keys, his expression intensely concentrated.

At first, he was still a bit reserved, his whole body tense.

But as time passed, sitting beside Shang Xu, listening to his patient guidance, and watching his fingers move with effortless grace, he gradually relaxed.

He realized that the eldest young master wasn’t as difficult to approach as he seemed. In fact, there was even a hint of subtle gentleness about him, completely unlike how he treated Shang Shaohao, often scowling and scolding.

So, the eldest young master was actually such a gentle older brother.

Once he let go of his reserve, whenever he encountered something he didn’t understand, Cheng Feng dared to ask proactively. And the eldest young master would teach him very seriously.

For the next week, whenever he had free time, Cheng Feng would head straight to the piano building.

He stopped going to Shang Shaohao’s practice room altogether, instead walking directly into Shang Xu’s, where he would obediently sit to the side and learn.

Every day, he blazed through his homework just to squeeze out a little more time for practice.

He couldn’t quite explain why, but whenever he was by the young master’s side, his restless spirit would gradually settle down—a feeling that brought him immense peace.

In the past, to study well, he had always pushed himself relentlessly forward, never daring to slack off. Yet it was only when he played the piano that he felt like he was truly resting.