Chapter 516
Keluola's fingers danced over the piano keys, transforming the fragmented melody that Xia'er had just played into a smooth, flowing piece. The gentle, romantic notes surprised Ai Mi, who had been somewhat disinterested, drawing her gaze toward the piano.
As the simple piece came to an end, Keluola let out a soft sigh, turning to Xia'er and asking, "Such a romantic little piece... Did you come up with it yourself?"
"This is just the sound that appeared in my mind," Xia'er replied, neither denying nor confirming, though a hint of guilt lingered in her heart.
Beethoven, I’m sorry. I don’t know if this song is one of your manuscripts, but I hope you won’t mind me borrowing it a little in another world...
"It must have been written with someone special in mind," Keluola smiled for the first time since entering the music room, looking at Xia'er. "Did you give this piece a name?"
Keluola had a fondness for such romantic music, even if it might be criticized in noble salons for lacking divinity and classical brilliance, or dismissed by masters as unworthy of their touch... But Keluola truly enjoyed it; she could hear the lingering emotions hidden within the notes.
After a moment of hesitation, Xia'er decided to respect the master’s legacy.
She slowly replied, "It's called 'Für Elise.'"
"'Elise'? Is she a girl?" Keluola nodded with a smile. "Girls do love this kind of thing; she must be quite lucky."
At that moment, as Xia'er conversed with Keluola, she felt three pairs of eyes on her from behind.
One gaze was filled with confusion, as if asking, "Is Xia'er friends with her? I’ve never heard of her."
Another gaze was equally puzzled, as if questioning, "What does she mean by 'love this'? What is there to eat? Where is the food? Do you have to be lucky to get it?"
The last gaze felt like a knife cutting into Xia'er’s back; though no words were spoken, it seemed to say everything.
Oh no.
Xia'er recalled her earlier conversation with Keluola, realizing how easily it could be misunderstood...
She swallowed hard.
What now? How do I smooth this over?
This is urgent; I need help.
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PS1:
183 (overdue) - 1.25 (extra) = 181.75 (still overdue)
My computer arrives tomorrow; finally, I won’t have to go to the internet café anymore.
I hope it lights up on the first try! Please don’t break, computer!!!
Good night!!!
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PS2: PY has a novel called "Collapse, How Can Ties Be Called Deceit?"
Chapter 269: System Upgrade... Time to Evolve? (4244 words)
"You have talent, but your musical education started too late, and that is quite fatal."
Keluola lowered her hands and turned to Xia'er, her expression tinged with regret as she delivered her verdict... She seemed unaware of the slight unease on Xia'er’s face.
"I once knew a female composer who started learning the piano at sixteen. She was the first woman to perform opera in a convent garden, yet she was forever dismissed by critics as a 'latecomer amateur'... If you want to pursue piano as a career, I advise you to reconsider."
"If you were from a lower class, it might be seen as a brave journey through thorns, a beautiful story. But clearly, you come from high society, and learning the piano will only leave an unfavorable mark."
Keluola spoke bluntly, leaving no room for sentiment, and her words were grounded in harsh reality.
This era was not particularly forgiving to artists, especially female ones.
Keluola had once read in a ladies' magazine a saying: "Girls who start learning the piano after fifteen are often mistaken for 'theater girls' (implying sex workers)."
That had infuriated Keluola, but there was little she could do; that was the prevailing mindset.
Especially with the romantic inspiration behind the piece Xia'er had just played, it was even more prone to misunderstanding.
"I don’t intend to make this a career," Xia'er shook her head and said, "I just want to have the skill to play what I want."
Xia'er’s approach to learning the piano was very pragmatic; it was merely a means to complete the reincarnation ritual and to prepare for the system update, allowing her to finish the ritual more quickly.
She had no intention of copying a few classical masterpieces to show off as her own; that would be a waste of time and unnecessary.
With that time, she’d rather think about creating something meaningful that could drive people to madness.
"I'm glad to hear that," Keluola nodded slightly, a faint smile appearing on her face. "For the next two months, whenever you have time, feel free to come find me. I don’t have any plans for a tour right now, so I can teach you a bit."
Keluola was genuinely interested in the romantic piece from earlier; she didn’t mind teaching this girl to see how far her talent could be developed.
As she spoke, Keluola turned her gaze to Ai Wei Na and asked, "What about you, little Ai Wei Na? Are you going to catch up on the lessons you missed?"
"I..." Ai Wei Na was about to refuse, but then she thought of Xia'er coming alone and possibly playing some chaotic, unknown love songs, so she finally agreed, "Alright, I’ll come with her."
Afterward, Keluola pointed out some issues that had arisen during Xia'er’s earlier performance and taught her a few sight-reading tips before her own practice time was up. Xia'er and the others bid farewell to Keluola’s home.
After agreeing to meet for dinner at the Russell Marquis's residence that evening, Ai Wei Na and Xia'er said goodbye to Ai Mi and Adele, parting ways for the time being.
On the carriage ride back to the Russell Marquis's residence, Xia'er and Ai Wei Na remained silent.
Unable to hold back any longer, Xia'er spoke up, "Ai Wei Na... I feel like you might have misunderstood something earlier."
"Oh? Just now?" Ai Wei Na’s expression was neutral as she gazed out at the bustling street, casually replying, "What did I misunderstand?"
"'Für Elise' is just a sound that came to me... It’s knowledge not of this world," Xia'er tried to explain in simpler terms. "Like... a hum?"
Tara, sitting across from them, observed the entire exchange, fully aware that the Mother Goddess's partner, Ai Wei Na, was feeling jealous.
Unfortunately, it seemed that Xia'er didn’t want Ai Wei Na to know about her omniscience... In that case, Tara would have to help the Mother Goddess out.
"It’s perfectly normal for Xia'er to know things from other worlds," Tara chimed in.
Ai Wei Na paused for a moment, then turned to Xia'er and asked, "Really?"
"Really," Xia'er nodded.
"You really don’t know an 'Elise'?" Ai Wei Na looked directly into Xia'er’s eyes, as if trying to see through her thoughts.
"I don’t know her," Xia'er shook her head and said, "If you want, I could play a dozen different piano pieces right now... They’re all sounds in my mind, and the names of those pieces are just what their original creators called them."
Ai Wei Na stared into Xia'er’s eyes, and after a long moment, she let out a soft sigh.
She found it hard to doubt Xiaer's words... It seemed that whenever Xia'er spoke, she would believe her. If Xia'er showed even a hint of vulnerability or a pleading expression, Ai Wei Na would be willing to pluck the moon from the sky for her.
...Of course, given Xia'er’s current abilities, it seemed more likely that Xia'er could pluck the moon herself.
"Are you going to set aside time to practice the piano every day?" Ai Wei Na turned her gaze back to the window, her tone softening a bit.
Knowing that Ai Wei Na had no hard feelings anymore, Xia'er felt a bit relieved.
"Yes," Xia'er nodded and continued, "I might need to spend more time painting as well."
"If you plan to hold an exhibition, you can contact Isabella directly," Ai Wei Na reminded her. "The Stuart family hosts exhibitions that attract quite a few visitors, even for lesser-known artists."
"Do I need to prepare some compensation for her?" Xia'er asked.
She still had a decent amount of money in her De Shield employee card, so covering the exhibition expenses shouldn’t be a problem.
"Compensation?" Ai Wei Na shook her head and said, "Just send an invitation to Edward Stuart the next time my father hosts a banquet."
"Alright..."
Ai Wei Na and Xia'er returned to the Russell Marquis's residence just in time to encounter Princess Vita, who had come to visit Charles.
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