Chapter 93: Unexpected Melodies

Sitting at the piano, Lin Zheng Ran quickly tested the keys and realized his hands adapted to it effortlessly, like reuniting with an old friend.

Jiang Qian stood nearby, quietly observing his every move.

From his playing technique, she could tell this guy had practiced for quite some time, yet there was an odd mix of familiarity and rustiness.

“Haven’t played in a while?” she asked.

Lin Zheng Ran nodded. “It’s been ages since I touched one. By the way, could I borrow that sheet music you were using? It sounds great.”

Surprised, Jiang Qian glanced at him, nodded, and handed over her music sheet.

She thought about warning him that the piece was tough but decided against it, not wanting to come off as dismissive.

Lin Zheng Ran thanked her, flipped through it quickly, memorized it, and smiled as he set it on the piano. His fingers glided across the keys.

The moment the piano notes filled the air, Jiang Qian’s eyes widened in shock, her mouth hanging open.

She leaned in, listening closely to how he handled the tricky parts—it just kept getting more astonishing.

Even her own piano talent had been praised by professional tutors as exceptional.

Yet even she made mistakes when playing this challenging piece.

But Lin Zheng Ran played flawlessly, and on the spots where she thought she did well, he made it flow even smoother, drawing listeners in completely.

The beautiful melody echoed through the practice room for a long while, stirring memories of her past failures in Jiang Qian’s mind.

She recalled her own arrogance when she assumed he couldn’t play piano.

The young woman’s hands clenched into tight fists.

As the piece built to its climax in the second half, Jiang Qian fully realized her skill fell short of this boy’s—this was her strongest area, or so she thought.

Just then, in the hallway, assistant Fang Meng heard the music and stepped in, staring at the scene in stunned silence.

Midway through, Lin Zheng Ran paused and said, “Try tweaking this part like this—it’ll sound much better.”

He replayed the section to demonstrate.

Jiang Qian watched him, and Lin Zheng Ran glanced back, not really caring if she listened; he was just offering a helpful tip.

Without a word, she sat at her piano and tried his method.

Her first attempt had a slip-up.

Lin Zheng Ran prompted, “For the second—”

“Got it,” she said, adjusting and playing again. This time, it flowed smoothly, leaving her amazed.

She’d practiced that section endlessly with various techniques and never nailed it perfectly, yet under his guidance, she mastered it in under a minute.

Jiang Qian tried it twice more, each time nearly flawless.

Lin Zheng Ran marveled at how quickly she picked it up. Normally, teaching others only gave them a standard boost, like from a skilled instructor.

Even when he’d tutored Han Wenwen on her studies, some concepts needed repeating.

But Jiang Qian grasped everything with just a hint, without him finishing his thought.

The difference in natural talents was clear.

Lin Zheng Ran said admiringly, “You’ve got real talent. You’ll go far in this field. Since that’s settled, let’s rehearse for tomorrow’s evening performance. What are we playing?”

He picked up the score and saw it was a simple piece anyone could learn. “This is easy. Want to start now?”

Jiang Qian didn’t answer, just stared coldly at the piano, her eyes holding something unspoken.

Suddenly, she stood and headed for the door. “Sorry, I need to step out for a moment.”

At the doorway, she paused. “Actually, I don’t think we need to practice. My piano skills aren’t up to yours. For something as simple as tomorrow’s performance, you’d handle it effortlessly. I don’t even deserve to accompany you.”

Lin Zheng Ran blinked at her. Was it that serious? It was just a show. “So, you’re skipping tonight’s practice?”

“We’ll just go straight to the stage tomorrow. With your level, it’ll be fine.”

With that, she left the room. In the hallway, Fang Meng had overheard everything.

Others might not get it, but Fang Meng knew Jiang Qian acted indifferent on the surface yet had an fiercely competitive spirit, driven by her father’s heavy investments in her training.

She felt she had to prove herself worthy of her family’s resources.

As for Lin Zheng Ran, from an ordinary background, one could excuse his academics or sports as luck or natural ability, but in piano—Jiang Qian’s specialty—there were no excuses; skill was skill.

To an expert’s ear, their playing of the same piece showed a vast gap in proficiency, especially since he could teach her.

“Qian Qian, are you okay?”

Jiang Qian glanced back at Fang Meng and kept walking. “I’m heading home. I need to be alone in my room.”

Soon, a Rolls-Royce pulled up at the school gate, and Jiang Qian and Fang Meng got in, heading back home.

Left alone in the classroom, Lin Zheng Ran listened to rehearsals from nearby rooms and thought, since we’re not practicing, I’ll just get back to reading.

In the car on the way home, Fang Meng eyed Jiang Qian’s gloomy expression.

“Qian Qian?”

Jiang Qian was too lost in her thoughts to respond.

At sixteen, she had never faced such a formidable opponent, one who made her doubt how to surpass his piano mastery.

That evening, she locked herself in her room, flopped onto the bed, and stared blankly at the distance, her eyes empty.

The next morning, Jiang Qian emerged still in the same clothes.

Fang Meng realized, “Qian Qian, you didn’t change out of your clothes to sleep?”

“Because I didn’t sleep at all.”

Fang Meng said, “That dramatic?”

Now like a zombie, Jiang Qian mechanically ate, washed up, got in the car to school, zoned out in the practice room, and waited for the evening’s freshman welcome ceremony.

The homeroom teacher said nervously, “You’re up next. Jiang Qian, Lin Zheng Ran, are you both ready?”

Lin Zheng Ran nodded. “No problem, teacher.”

Jiang Qian, with vacant eyes and a aura of despair, whispered, “Don’t worry, teacher. It’ll be fine.”

Lin Zheng Ran wiped sweat from his forehead, wondering what was up with her—she seemed so different from the past few days.

Luckily, the speech went smoothly. Despite her state, once on stage, Jiang Qian represented her family well, delivering an energetic address that rallied the crowd.

Their piano duet followed, wrapping up elegantly without a hitch.

The freshmen in the audience applauded and exclaimed at the beautiful melody.

In the Class Three seats, Heqing watched jealously as the two bowed together, her hands fidgeting.

Lily clenched her fists, gritting her teeth. Why did those two look like such a perfect pair? Damn it, Zheng Ran!

Only Han Wenwen, with her keen insight, listened from backstage and murmured, “Hmm? Jiang Qian seems like she’s been hit hard by something. What happened?”

She glanced at Lin Zheng Ran, a uneasy feeling stirring. “Suddenly, I have a bad premonition.”

After they left the stage, Jiang Qian’s cold demeanor shifted back to despair, as the duet had once again highlighted the gap between their skills.

Following the freshman event, she took three days off, citing illness, to rest at home.

By the fourth morning, the young lady finally stirred from bed, her face flushed as she lay on the pillow, a shy blush coloring her cheeks.