Chapter 4 - What to Do, My Enemy Thinks That My Roommate and I Performed On the Piano (1/2)

After saying that Xiao Nian continued looking at his tabs, he clearly was now immune to this. Wei Ru Song observed that Xiao Nian did not have much of a reaction to it, he also felt that it was too awkward to keep harping on this issue. He then pretended to also look at the tabs, they looked like beansprouts, also looked like ants, with his confusion he could only exclaim.

“Oh this… Eh… <Flight of the Bumblebee>… Wow! I can play this piece very well!”

It was very obvious that Wei Ru Song wanted to impress Xiao Nian.

“Eh eh eh?! So cool!” Wei Ru Song was shocked. “Oh yeah, the girls mentioned that you can play 5 different instruments, is this true?”

“I guess so,” Xiao Nian actually considered it for a bit. “Piano, violin, guitar, cello, drums, saxophone, accordion, these are the only ones I know.”

“Only ones?! These are seven different instruments! How did you become the top scorer with such lousy mathematic skills? Shady, this is definitely shady.” Wei Ru Song wanting to be a majestic tiger could now only become Hello Kitty, unknowingly defeated again by Xiao Nian. He craftily pouted, “Why are you idolising the westerners? As a comrade there’s something wrong with your outlook.”

“I know a little Erhu and Hulusi, but I’m not proficient with them.”

“Not proficient?” Wei Ru Song immediately regretted saying that. He suspected that he was about to receive another shock from Xiao Nian, still he could not help but blurt it out. “What do you mean by not proficient?”

“I didn’t achieve the highest grading ah,” Xiao Nian replied naturally. “Without the highest grading how could I dare to say I can play?”

Wei Ru Song’s head hurt. These blows to his ego were definitely self-inflicted.

“Ok, I give up, I can only call you my master.”

Wei Ru Song could not help but imagine a Xiao Nian in a historical Chinese robe and a round pair of sunglasses, performing <The Moon Shadow in Er Quan> in bleak weather on a crowded street. He nearly bored a hole through Xiao Nian with his stare, and reflected that with his lack of imagination he could not depict that glum situation.

“Why do you have to perform <Flight of the Bumblebee>, it feels like you’re trying to act cool.”

Wei Ru Song admitted that his relationship with Xiao Nian was pretty good, after all they were both victims of a rumour. They were definitely on the same team, hence he spoke without thinking.

“The school council literary club senior gave me the score, and said this was played previously.”

“Bullshit,” Wei Ru Song exclaimed. “It was clearly a guitar the last time, you fool, he’s bullying you, wanting you to play till your hands cramp. Which senior? I’ll help you beat him up.”

“This piece is difficult, so I plan to practise in the piano room.”

“Wah, aren’t you sneaky,” Wei Ru Song winked and patted Xiao Nian’s shoulder. “The piano room’s on the first floor, with so many people passing by, there’s definitely quite a number of pretty girls, you…”

“I’m going at night, the piano room key is with me.”

“Eh hey, hey hey, hey hey hey,” Wei Ru Song could not help but gave a sly smile. “Right, good to have the key.” Wei Ru Song reminded Xiao Nian of a housefly rubbing its feet with glee. “Don’t you know that this is an ideal dating spot? Bring someone you like there, perform a piece for them, confess and all pieces would fall into place.”

“Then we’ll go together.”

“Eww what are you trying to do?!” Wei Ru Song sprung up, his arms crossing his chest like a virtuous lady. “I’m not gay ok. Just because you’re attracted to my looks and talents don’t think that you’ll be able to have a fruitless relationship with me. Ah, I’m a sinful man, leading my junior astray, oh god, please forgive my noteworthiness and my sins…”

“I just want you to cook supper for me, there’s a socket there which you can cook noodles with your electric stove.”

“…”

Fine, fine, I was thinking too much. Wei Ru Song rudely snorted and went to play video games, and thus missed out on Xiao Nian’s slight amusement.

Xiao Nian really went to the piano room to practise in the middle of the night, not expecting to become College A’s mystery in a few days. The occasional students returning late at night could hear music drifting out from the unlit piano room, giving them the shudders. At this point someone came up with a sad story – long ago there was a highly talented student couple, they were very much in love, and the model lovers that everyone envied. The girl was very good at the piano, especially <Flight of the Bumblebee>, and often played the piece in the piano room for her boyfriend. The boyfriend later was no longer in love with her, and in grief she hung herself in the piano room. However, her spirit never left the room, and continued playing <Flight of the Bumblebee> waiting for her boyfriend to return to her.

Now, our “grieving female ghost” Xiao Nian did not realise that Wei Ru Song had imagined such a story for him. Objectively speaking, this was also hard work for Wei Ru Song. For some unfathomable reason Xiao Nian insisted on playing in the dark, and Wei Ru Song, behaving like a parent accompanying their child that was studying for their college entrance exam, could only pathetically squat by the side and cooked the noodles with the light emitting from his phone, sneakily eating the noodles when Xiao Nian was not paying attention.

Sometimes, just as Xiao Nian stopped playing, a loud slurp could be heard vibrating through the otherwise silent room.

Or when Xiao Nian played till he forgot about eating, and Wei Ru Song could no longer stand his hunger, thinking, I’ll just eat 1 strand, not more than that, just 1 strand, Junior won’t find out about it. Who would have guessed that the quality of the instant noodle was so good, Wei Ru Song sucked up the strand till his jaw ached and it still did not break, and ended up with him eating all the noodles. He received a ridiculous comment from Xiao Nian, “Pretty good at sucking.”

During those few days, Wei Ru Song reflected on the comment while cooking the noodles and found the comment weird. Why did it sound like Xiao Nian was playing a trick? Was he pointing it out on purpose? Recalling Xiao Nian’s usual behaviour, his cold attitude towards girls, nowadays who would still want to be in a “cold male god fall in love with me” scenario… Wei Ru Song confusedly looked at the piano playing Xiao Nian, despite the dark, the moonlight reflected upon Xiao Nian, just like an angel with a laurel crown, with such moving melody coming from his long and delicate fingers, comfortable and warm, Wei Ru Song then only realised that Xiao Nian had changed the piece he was playing to <Fur Elise>.

“Why did you stop playing <Flight of the Bumblebee>?”

Wei Ru Song placed the stainless steel pot on the table, waiting for Xiao Nian to eat. Recently Xiao Nian had been practicing till very late, afraid that he would be hungry, Wei Ru Song added an egg and a sausage.

“I cannot memorise the score.”

– Wow what a straight forward answer, so honest, so worthy of admiration! As a senior, Wei Ru Song patted Xiao Nian’s shoulder solemnly, full of encouragement and indulgent.

“Even if you performed <Twinkle Twinkle Little Star>, I’ll never forget your impressive image of playing <Flight of the Bumblebee>.”