Chapter 258: Growth Through Adversity

Under the gaze of everyone.

Xu Shaochen sat down in front of the piano.

With his hands hovering over the keys, Xu Shaochen began to immerse himself in emotion, recalling the sheet music in his mind.

Then, he slowly closed his eyes.

“Hmph! What a show-off!”

Chen Quan snorted dismissively. “It’s just playing the piano, no need for all this theatrics.”

The next moment, Xu Shaochen reopened his eyes. Everyone fell into a daze, as if his demeanor had shifted completely.

Even Chen Quan’s expression changed. Unsure if he was convincing himself or explaining to others, he sneered, “What matters is how it sounds, not how you look before you play.”

“Ding~”

The sound of the piano filled the room, and everyone perked up, feeling as though an electric current surged through their bodies.

“Ding~ Ding~ Ding~”

The melody continued. Xu Shaochen’s ten fingers moved rapidly over the keys as if they were dancing, fluid and elegant, creating a unique beauty.

The same piano, yet different people produce different results. Xu Shaochen’s performance was as clear as the cry of a phoenix, not yet a master’s level, but outstanding among his peers.

Liu Rushuang’s eyes sparkled as she watched Xu Shaochen. Talented men always attract women, especially when it’s a man she has already been intimate with.

No wonder my sister likes him too; Xu Shaochen really is exceptional. A man like him is impossible to resist.

“This… How is this possible!”

Chen Quan’s face froze completely. His eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at Xu Shaochen, as if he had seen a ghost.

As a professional pianist, he could hear more nuances and see where the gap between him and Xu Shaochen lay.

But he was unwilling to admit it, because Xu Shaochen had slapped his face—hard.

For a moment, he was in a daze.

“Ding~”

While he was in a daze, Xu Shaochen struck the last key, ending the piece with a lingering tone.

The Western Restaurant fell into complete silence, so quiet that you could hear people breathing.

“Clap! Clap! Clap!…”

After a brief silence, thunderous applause erupted. Liu Rushuang even clapped until her hands turned red.

“My skills are third-rate and unworthy of praise. Sorry for the poor performance.”

Xu Shaochen glanced at Chen Quan and smiled, speaking calmly.

Chen Quan’s face alternated between green and white, as if burning with a fiery heat. He was both embarrassed and angry.

Even Xu Shaochen called his own skills third-rate and unworthy of the stage.

So what did that make him, Chen Quan? Not even passable?

This slap on the face was loud and painful.

“I…”

Just as he was about to speak, Xu Shaochen completely ignored him, walked over to his seat, and sat down. Looking at Liu Rushuang, he asked, “Did it sound good?”

“Yes,” Liu Rushuang nodded eagerly like a little chick pecking at grain.

Seeing this, Chen Quan clenched his fists tightly. He hadn’t expected Xu Shaochen to blatantly ignore him. This was the ultimate insult.

“I admit I’m not as good as you, but it’s only today that I’m not as good. I’ve only been practicing the piano for three months.”

Chen Quan suppressed his fury and coldly addressed Xu Shaochen.

He had only practiced piano for a mere three months. Who knew how long Xu Shaochen had practiced to reach this level? He would surpass Xu Shaochen one day.

When Xu Shaochen heard this, he sighed helplessly and looked at Chen Quan with pity. “I hate to break it to you, but young people only grow through adversity. I’ve only been practicing the piano for a little over ten days.”

Wow! As soon as these words fell, everyone was in an uproar, staring at Xu Shaochen, dumbfounded.

“That’s impossible! No way! I could barely play a full song after ten days!” Chen Quan blurted out, unable to believe Xu Shaochen’s words.

Xu Shaochen shook his head and chuckled lightly. “Sorry, but don’t compare me to you. Clearly, you’re not qualified.”

“Little Chen, what’s going on?”

At that moment, a Middle-aged Woman wearing glasses walked in from outside the restaurant.

“Master, you’re here.”

Chen Quan quickly walked over to her. His piano skills had been taught by his master.

His master had been in Jiangzhou recently and just returned to Yunzhou today, so he especially invited her out for a meal.

He had arrived early, but his master hadn’t shown up yet. Seeing a piano in the restaurant, he decided to put on a display.

“What happened?” The Middle-aged Woman wearing glasses asked. She had heard Chen Quan’s voice as soon as she walked in.

Chen Quan gave a mocking smile. “Master, someone claimed they could play better than me after just ten days. Isn’t that ridiculous?”

His master was quite famous in Jiangzhou. Even if his words didn’t carry weight, his master’s certainly did.

“Oh? Where is this person?” The Middle-aged Woman wearing glasses raised her eyebrows.

Chen Quan stepped aside and pointed at Xu Shaochen. “It’s him, Master–”

“Mr. Xu, what are you doing here?”

When she saw Xu Shaochen, the Middle-aged Woman with glasses was first taken aback, then quickly walked toward him.

She was Xu Shaochen’s piano teacher. Since Xu Shaochen wasn’t around recently, she had time to return to Yunzhou. But she didn’t expect to run into him here.

“Hello, Teacher Li.” Xu Shaochen smiled slightly and greeted her.

Chen Quan was stunned by what he saw. He quickly stepped forward. “Master, do you know him?”

“Little Chen, if you’re talking about Mr. Xu, then it’s true. I personally taught Mr. Xu, and in terms of piano, he is indeed a true genius.”

Teacher Li smiled at Chen Quan as she pointed at Xu Shaochen. Even she couldn’t help but marvel at Xu Shaochen’s talent.

She initially thought Chen Quan was the most talented person she’d ever met, until she encountered Xu Shaochen.

The only pity was that Xu Shaochen wouldn’t pursue a career in piano; otherwise, he would surely become a great pianist.

After all, who needs money when they’re already rich?

Boom! Hearing Teacher Li’s words was like a hammer blow to Chen Quan’s mind, leaving it blank.

He didn’t believe Xu Shaochen’s earlier words, but he had no choice but to trust his master. His entire being turned despondent.

“It’s her! She was the champion of that piano competition here in Yunzhou!”

Suddenly, someone in the crowd recognized Teacher Li and exclaimed in surprise.

“It’s really her! Last year’s piano competition reported about her extensively!”

“Yeah, I remember! Her playing was truly wonderful…”

The crowd erupted in chatter, clearly indicating that Teacher Li was quite famous in Yunzhou.

But everyone was even more astonished by Xu Shaochen. Since Teacher Li herself said Xu Shaochen had the most talent she’s ever seen, just how terrifying must his potential be?