"This is a bad idea." Zhao Liying whispered to Jing Lihua after glancing at He Zhoyan. She was praising her daughter's piano skills in front of a close family member. She showed them the award Jing Tian had won once playing on a national level competition.
He Zhoyan and Jing Tian looked pretty confident. They were already considering them victorious and sending mocking sneers in Jing Lihua and Zhao Liying direction.
"Why don't you understand Jing Lihua, you can't just randomly play. You have to practice tirelessly to master the notes." Her Xiao Hua was so heartless! Forcing her into a situation like this.
"Don't concern about me. You are good with the notes. Nothing else matters."
"You asked for a piano duet. Also known as two people playing piano together. I'll also explain it since you are having some language comprehension problems. It means you will have to play."
"Do you trust me?"
"I trust you but I also haven't ever seen Jing Lihua play the piano before."
"Who is Jing Lihua? I'm Einstein and Einstein knows how to play a piano"
"This is not a joke and how could Einstein have known how to play the piano?"
"Don't you read? It's a common fact that Einstein's mother was an accomplished pianist. He could play the piano and violin very well"
"Since when did you start reading?"
"JieJie, how about it I go first? So you can watch and know what to do?" Jing Tian was barely holding her happiness. Maybe her sister had learned some tiny bitsy piano skills. But it required a lot of practice to perfect them. Jing Tian had been practicing piano since she was little. So she was confident that she would win.
This was telling Jing Lihua and everyone else that Jing Lihua didn't know how to play the piano. So she should watch and learn from Jing Tian.
"I'll make sure to watch carefully and learn from you, Xiao meimei." Jing Lihua simply smiled at her. It was contrary to Jing Tian's expectations. Jing Tian didn't like it. What had happened to Jing Lihua's temper? Why was she so calm? Why would she not burst out anymore? Jing Tian was frustrated. Her sister felt like a totally new person.
Jing Tian strutted to the huge piano in the drawing-room while Qin Jua and the camera crew followed with the few guests.
"We are going to play the piece 'Chopsticks'." Jing Tian announced.
Jing Lihua barely controlled a laugh.
Couldn't she find something easier than that? Did her Xiao meimei really underestimate her so much?
They both played the piece. Everyone quietened and listened to it silently. Soon there piece was over. Since the piece was easy, there was no mistake in notes. The guests who were eager to please Jing Tian cheered loudly.
Jing Tian bowed pridefully. She looked at Jing Lihua as if she had already won the match.
"Everyone please do not be hard on my sister. She actually never seriously learned how to play the piano." She said in a loving sister tune as if she really cared for Jing Lihua. "I don't know why she even chose the piano competition. Maybe she wanted me to listen to me playing. JieJie, if you wanted me to play you could just ask after the show. I don't want anyone to think you are lacking in any sort." In sweet words, she mentally prepared everyone to think Jing Lihua was horrible at playing.
"No one would think I'm lacking. How can I be lacking when I've such a wonderful sister?"
Jing Lihua once again startled Jing Tian with her response. While people were smiling at such a loving exchange, Qin Jua could see everything. It was exciting, to say the least. She was really looking forward to the next surprise Jing Lihua had planned for them. By now, she was confirmed that Jing Lihua was not a normal person.
The audience, both present in the room and those countless sitting in front of their screens, looked at Jing Lihua and Zhao Liying in deep anticipation, waiting for her to take the next step and either prove herself or make a fool of herself.
"So what piece are we going to play?" Zhao Liying was feeling completely hopeless as she walked to the big gloomy piano. There was no way to convince her Xiao Hua, was it?
"Fantasia in F minor"
Zhao Liying was horrified. Fantasia F minor was one of the most beautiful and most difficult pieces out there. It was only after six months of constant practice that Zhao Liying had mastered it.
"Tell me you are joking"
"You have already played that piece on a talk show. I saw you. You are quite skilled in it. Just play your part. I know what to do"
"Xiao Hua, wait. Let's talk about it. There are plenty of other pieces out there that..." Zhao Liying desperately tried to persuade her but she was given a cold shoulder.
Jing Lihua didn't listen to her pleas and went in front of everyone and explained the piece she was going to play.
"The piece we are going to play is the most famous one written by Franz Schubert in his lifetime. It vehemently depicts his unrequited love. The tunes can be sliced into four parts, coveying a lingering longing for his love, the anger outburst and in the end accepting and letting go. While the famous pianist might have passed away, he had left his narrative and emotions to be repeated in front of countless people for centuries"
Her speech seemed to had a dramatic positive effect on the audience. Many of them had heard of the name 'Franz Schubert'. Now they were passionately anticipating the tunes to play.
Jing Lihua took a seat along with Zhao Liying who seemed less apprehensive after Jing Lihua's explanation. At least her Xiao Hua knew what she was doing.
It was when the first note was played and a magical noise dominated the room as Jing Lihua slender hands rested on the piano. As the music proceeded, an overwhelming subjugation surrounded the atmosphere. Everyone was listening to them with such an intensity that it felt like the room was completely empty.
As if there was only just two of them in the room. Nothing else mattered.
Jing Lihua closed her eyes and let herself drown in the melody. In her lone days, the tune had fascinated to such an extent that she had mastered it. She could very well relate to it. Her unrequited love for Su Liwei, her lingering longing for him, her anger at being rejected constantly and at last her letting go. Only someone who had experienced all that could perceive the true meaning of those tunes.
As the reached the deeper part of the melody, everyone's heart was beating with them. Some of them even started crying without knowing. Such a masterpiece. How fortunate they were to experience it in their lifetime?
The tunes continued for twenty minutes the audience felt like they had had through all the feelings of the narrator in just twenty minutes. The viewership of the reality show that was already exploding due to the Zhao Liying appearance now reached new levels after the beautiful play.
When they both hit the last notes, suddenly people broke out of the magical trance.
Qin Jua was trying hard to bring herself out of those emotions that the tune imparted on them, "The way you played the piano. I could feel all the emotions through those tunes. It was as if I had experienced everything myself. I have listened to countless professionals playing the piano but never had I ever heard something so... so moving."
With the last stroke, Jing Lihua had truly won over Qin Jua!
Everyone came forward and the room flooded with praises. Even those who were previously against her forgot everything and praised her heartily. As they did so, Jing Tian, He ZongYing and He Zhoyan stayed standing in a corner, completely forgotten. Jing Tian couldn't tolerate it anymore and decided to throw away all the pretense.