Looking back at the room that had obviously been cleaned once, Xiwang rolled up his sleeves, cleaned up again according to his own habits, put his clothes and daily necessities in place, then sat back in the chair, closed his eyes, and quietly enjoyed this rare tranquility.
The warm breeze sneaked in from the window, like a stream flowing silently, gently brushing Xiwang's ears and passing by his body.
"Hmm~? Hmm~?"
Subconsciously, he hummed his own tune softly. After hesitating for a while, Xiwang stood up again, took out the violin again, and stood straight.
"call……"
Adjust your breathing again, calm your inner thoughts, and then... close your eyes, gently place the bow on the strings, and slowly pull.
????~
Unlike the "standard" tune played to Quercus before, this is a relaxing and gentle tune with a lot of personal emotions added to it.
However, this modified piece of music gives people a feeling that it "sounds better". One can clearly feel the performer's emotions from the melody, and the feeling of "finally finding peace and finally being able to relax". Even the beat has been deliberately slowed down, revealing a gentleness like water, as if soothing someone's anxious heart.
The sun gradually sets, and the last sunlight of the day shines on the earth, giving everyone the last warmth before night falls.
The dusk light passed through the window, fell on the floor of the room, and stopped in front of his toes, like a polite and elegant listener, sitting down in front of him obediently, and as time passed, when the music gradually came to an end, it slowly and quietly left.
The wind gradually grew cooler, a small reminder of the coming night. However, none of this could affect Xiwang who was immersed in the performance.
He immersed himself in his own tune, focusing his thoughts and emotions on his hands, transferring them to the instrument, and finally dissolving them into the music.
The gradually cooling wind gently brushed across his face, bringing him some care and comfort, and then gently left, taking the music that carried his thoughts and emotions, quietly, taking his song, slowly drifting away into the distance.
“…It sounds much better when played this way.”
Li, who was staying in the backyard, looked up at Xiwang's room. A gentle melody came out from the open window, drifted in with the wind, and flowed into his ears.
"It's this guy who practiced piano without closing the window... It would be strange if he didn't disturb others. He broke the rules on his first day here and forgot about it right after he said it. He really deserves a beating."
Li took a puff of his cigarette and frowned, seeming a little annoyed.
After a moment's silence, he carefully enjoyed the tune played by Xi Wang, took another puff of cigarette, and blew out a smoke ring.
"… Never mind. He's a newbie after all. I'll just give him a warning later. This won't happen again."
Pulling out a wet tissue to put out the cigarette butt and wrap it up, Li muttered to himself, and then stopped talking. He closed his eyes and lay on the chair, quietly listening to Xi Wang's performance... This guy has a good talent, but why does such a guy want to live with me...
"...Tsk."
Li thought of something, then smacked his lips in disgust, opened his eyes, and looked at Xiwang's room again.
I hope it’s not what I think - Li frowned and suppressed the bad guess in his heart.
…………
………………
On the other side, Eden, who had just returned home, was wearing headphones and listening carefully to the music playing. Her pretty eyebrows were slightly wrinkled, and a hint of doubt flashed across her golden pupils from time to time.
"What's wrong? Child?"
A middle-aged woman who looked 70% like Eden came over, hugged Eden gently from behind, and asked softly.
"Mother……"
Eden quickly took off his headphones and greeted quietly.
"What's wrong? You look like you've encountered some difficulties?"
"Well, I'm just a little... confused."
Eden nodded, then disconnected the headphones and played the music in the terminal again.
"........."
Soon, the song was over, but Eden's mother also frowned, showing a look of confusion and thought.
"Is this the model song that the school teacher found for you?"
"No, it belongs to a classmate of mine."
"……classmate?"
Eden's mother was a little surprised... Because if this piece of music was played by Eden's classmates, wouldn't it be too "standard"? "Standard" to the point where there was no "personal touch" in it.
To make an analogy, it is like the "realism" in painting. However, painting can be realistic just for the sake of "truth", but if it is done in music...how to put it, to put it nicely it is "loyal to the original song", to put it bluntly it is "rigid".
Moreover, this kind of performance that completely erases the "personal color"... to be honest, it is not good. It will be very stifling and can even be said to cut off the performer's future creativity.
"Your classmate...you can explain to him that if he continues to use this method, he may not be able to go far in the field of music in the future...Of course, if he insists, you should not dissuade him too much."
"It's not like that, Mom...listen to this again."
Eden shook his head, and then played another song. This time it was completely different from the previous one. The music had an extremely distinct personal touch, and one could even feel the performer's mood and emotions from the beat and melody... It was a relaxed and happy mood, giving people the illusion that their mood was slowly getting better.
At the same time, the whole song has captured the original atmosphere very well, and the changed beat and melody are kept in an appropriate area, which will not make people wonder "This song has nothing to do with the original song now?"
"Hmm? This piece of music... um... is played by the same person as the previous one?"
"Mom, how did you know?"
"You emphasized it before, doesn't that tell me that both pieces were played by the same person, dear?"
He gently touched Eden's cheek with his finger, then pondered for a moment and spoke softly.
"It seems that you are really lucky to have met a child with a talent similar to yours... But for some reason, he always restrains himself when playing, and even erases his own [color] in his performance... So you feel very strange?"
"Um……"
"Then why don't you go and ask in person? With the talents you two have shown, you should have a lot in common."
"I looked for it, but... I was late..."
"Is that so...ah, Mom, can I ask you something? Is he a boy or a girl?"
“…It’s a male classmate.”
"I see... then it's not surprising."
Eden's mother nodded as if she understood.
"Don't be shy, speak up bravely. At worst... you can communicate through music. I believe he will be willing to talk to you. If he can't understand... well, that's another matter~"
"Mother……"
Eden was speechless.
"I'm really just... a little late..."
Eden whispered softly...At the same time, the figure who would help others from time to time appeared in his mind.
Listening to the music still playing in the terminal and feeling the cheerful mood conveyed by the music, the corners of Eden's mouth slightly raised.
She was very happy because she met someone "like her".
Chapter 6839 Eden: Caught! ()
[With the help of your teacher, you have found a place to live and practice piano outside the school. Although you have to pay some extra expenses, fortunately, Li has introduced you to some jobs that can help you solve this financial problem.]
[Gradually, you even had some extra money. You happily bought some small things and packed them up to give to Mother Teresa, who took good care of you... Although Mother Teresa accepted the money, she hoped that you could keep the extra money in the future to improve your own life.]
[If you really want to repay her, come to the church and play a song when you have time. This is what Mother Teresa said]
[You naturally obeyed her instructions and saved the extra money, intending to save up to buy yourself a musical instrument]
[At the same time, as you lived here longer and longer, you gradually became familiar with the oak, and also got to know other people who lived here... and relying on your identity as a "record player"... no, it was your beautiful music and songs of varying styles, you quickly became familiar with everyone and soon became friends.]
[It’s a bit surprising that most of the people living here are students, including Li, who is a university student studying languages.]
[In addition, the girl named "Yin" who impressed you the most was a computer science major, and she was also considered to be Lu's... uh... girlfriend? But she rarely spoke and had little expression. She was usually either taking online classes in her room or following Lu around. It was difficult to see her at other times.]
[And you discovered some problems... It seems that everyone living here has tattoos, and their looks... well, most of them don't look particularly easy to get along with, and have a kind of "bad" stereotyped beauty.]
[At first you thought it was some kind of strange ritual here, and everyone who lives here must have one. You even went to ask Quercus specifically... When Quercus heard this question, his mouth twitched. After looking at the others, he shook his head and said that this was just their own interest and it was not necessary. It also meant that you didn't have to be like them. Most of the others also said that you didn't have to do that, as if they didn't want you to become like them.]
[Although you don’t quite understand, you can feel their kindness towards you, so you don’t do anything that would make others unhappy without permission... But you still feel a little guilty, so you help others in your free time, and play a few more pieces of music or sing a few more songs when you are free. It can be regarded as an alternative "compensation". It also allows you to practice piano.]
[Everyone is happy about this, and as time goes by, you will no longer play those overly "standard" pieces in front of them, but will play more casual pieces that follow your heart and mood... After everyone discovers this, they become even happier, and sometimes they will specifically tell you that they hope you won't practice in the room so they can't hear you.]
[“When I study or work while listening to your songs… I always feel more powerful, or more relaxed? We didn’t have this habit before, but now we feel a little uncomfortable when we don’t listen to songs while doing things. This is all your fault. Xiwang, you have to take responsibility.” - This is what everyone said]
[Although the meaning of their words seems to be complaining, their tone and expression show that they like this feeling very much, and they don't reject this "habit" that has been formed because of you... You are very happy because what is happening now overlaps with what happened in the past.]
[As expected, music is powerful——you think so]
[Of course, the most important thing is... although everyone looks like a "delinquent", surprisingly, most of them are good students. They basically attend classes on time, and their grades are surprisingly good, except for Yin and Li. They seem to be very idle and have never been to school. They don't seem to want to go to class at all.]
[After you got to know everyone, you specifically asked about this question, and in the end you got an unexpected answer - Yin's grades were very good, and because of his personality, he applied to the school for online classes and didn't have to go to school; Li was even more straightforward, and directly applied to the school for the privilege of not having to go to school based on his test scores... and he was approved.]
[You are a little surprised. You didn't expect that Li is so powerful... No, I should say that everyone here is very powerful.]
[You are very happy, and even more grateful to the teacher who brought you here and to the teacher who let you live here and gave you a lot of help. Slowly, your mood returns to what it was before. A happy and relaxed atmosphere surrounds you. With your constant smile and your increasingly handsome face, you become more and more charming, and from time to time you are teased by the teacher and others.]
[The attitudes of other students in school towards you are also slowly changing... I can't say it's getting better, it's just "easing"]
[After all, ever since you moved out of the school dormitory and started living off campus, and even practiced the piano off campus, other students didn’t have much time to bother you… You didn’t even go back to school to practice on weekends, but went straight to work and save money, so other people couldn’t find you at all, let alone bother you.]
[At the same time, as time goes by, people's hostility towards you begins to fade away... Although it still exists, at least it is not as fierce as before.]
[It seems like everything is going well... I don't think so]
[Although your actions have made your life peaceful and you don’t have to worry about other students, but...some people are not so happy.]
[This person is Eden who has always wanted to find you]
[Ever since discovering your "secret", Eden has been wanting to talk to you, wanting to understand why you can obviously make the music better, but in subsequent performances, you deliberately erase your own "color" from the music... You can obviously become a "genius" like her, so why...]
[Of course, more importantly, she felt from your daily behavior that you are similar to her... Especially your name. Although the homophonic pun "曦望/希望" is a little funny in the eyes of others, Eden likes it very much.]
[Because "hope" is a really good word, isn't it? Better than her "Eden"]
[So although Eden hasn't had much communication with you yet, she still has a good impression of you...but it's hard to say now]
[She came here as fast as she could, and she left the classroom on time several times, and she even tried to block you at the school gate a few times... but in the end she didn't run into you, as if you were avoiding her]
[Also, Elga, who claimed to be your "friend", would come to "obstruct" her from time to time, causing her to miss the time to meet you... Eden once suspected that Elga was your "accomplice" and you just didn't want to see her on purpose.]
[She was a little confused, not knowing what had happened to her that made you dislike her... At the same time, her pride as a "favored daughter of heaven" was also aroused.]
[She must have a good talk with you and ask you why you are avoiding her]
--------
????~
“Hmm~??”
The melodious sound of the piano echoed in the room. Xi Wang immersed himself in the moment, releasing his inner emotions, dissolving them into the singing and adding his own "color" to it.
Although he had the recommendation of his teacher and the piano store allowed him to rent a practice room at a very low price to practice for a long time, but... he still had to hurry up.
After all, since leaving school, there are too many things that I need to consider and deal with, and I need more money... Although I can barely get by with a tight budget, but... like Mother Teresa said, I have to live a better life and not let them worry.
If I save some more money, I can buy a cheap cello. Then I can play the cello in the dormitory, and it will also be a good opportunity for Brother Li and Yin to change their "taste".
Ah, speaking of which, everyone who helped in the community in the past... I haven't visited them for a long time. I have to ask Mother Teresa for help. Unfortunately, I don't have any achievements now, so I can only record a few songs and bring them back... I will go back to see them after I get into university!
I don't know what happened to the kids I used to go to church with... How about Wright? I wonder if he's studying well... I'll find a chance to contact him.
And the teacher...Father Enrique...everyone...
Xiwang's eyelids drooped slightly, his thoughts gradually drifting away along with his memories, missing everything in the past.
Unconsciously, the fingertips resting on the keys began to change, and the originally intended melody began to deviate. A few notes were changed in a certain measure, and then like a trickling stream, the melody was gently brought to another song.
The beat slows down, and the fingers striking the keys also lighten a little, making the tone long and soft. I can feel the longing hidden in the sound like the fallen leaves in autumn, which are gently carried away from the treetops by the warm breeze and fall into my hands. I twist the branches of leaves, carefully looking at the dim color and detailed veins on them, and my thoughts unconsciously flow back along the time, back to the happy times in the past.
The gentle wind gently passed over my body, lifting up the fallen leaves piled on the ground, making a rustling sound. In a trance, it seemed as if the wind became tangible, like a gentle girl, coming to my side with past memories and fallen leaves.
"........."
Suddenly, as if realizing something, Xi Wang stopped playing, his hands stopped in mid-air, and his eyelids, which were originally slightly drooped, slightly raised. After pausing for a while, Xi Wang slowly withdrew his hands, sat upright in his seat, and did not move anymore.
"........."
knock --
After a while, as if someone noticed something, there was a polite and crisp knock on the door.
