Someone started singing along with the piano music:
"Buddy, you're a boy, make a big noise
Playing in the street, gonna be a big man someday"
Others joined in. They even started stomping their feet and clapping their hands in the same beat as the music.
"We will, we will rock you!!!"
Soon, everyone was singing along to the catchy song. The crowd was no longer mere spectators but active participants of the performance instead. More people gathered; their attentions caught by the energetic spectacle. They squeezed their way into the already packed crowd and became even more amazed upon seeing that the one playing the popular rock music on the piano and stimulated all these people was a beautiful, elegant and classy young woman.
It was like being in a concert. Everyone was having so much fun!
This was the first time Evelina felt such exhilaration while playing the piano. Her heart raced inside her chest, pumping blood throughout her whole body, filling her up with what seemed like endless energy, and making her feel oh so alive. She felt like she was on top of the world, as she performed with what she was most passionate about—music. The audience's enthusiasm fed her to perform better, even revising her cover of this classic rock anthem song as she played it, improving the arrangement in the process.
'So this is what it's like to perform in front of a big audience.'
She loved it!
This was why Evelina decided to play this particular song in this occasion, instead of choosing from her extensive repertoire of intricate classical pieces. More than this, the song's message resonated with her especially in this kind of youthful environment. Like all these university students who were around the same age her, she also had her own big dreams. Unlike them, however, she would never be able to achieve those dreams in this lifetime no matter how hard she tried. There was no escape for her. Her fate had already been sealed the moment she was born as Evelina Vetrova, the sheltered princess of the reigning criminal family in the international underworld.
Looking at all the students having fun while singing along with the music she was playing, Evelina thought that they were all so lucky. They had the freedom to strive for their dreams. There might be hardships, but at least they had the chance.
Unlike her.
Evelina tossed these hopeless thoughts out of her mind. She wanted to focus on the performance. She wanted to enjoy it. There might not be a chance for her to achieve her dreams but at least for now, she was able to have a taste of what it felt like to perform in front of an audience cheering and clapping for her, loving her music and making her understand what it felt like to be truly alive.
"WE WILL, WE WILL ROCK YOU!!!!!"
She threw her head back and tossed one of her hands up in the air, a sign of victory, feeling the music and the crowd's energy with her own body.
###
###
How annoying.
He wasn't being rude. No, he didn't think so. He just didn't want to waste his time on useless talk with strangers.
What was the most precious currency in the world?
Gold? Dollars? Euro?
No!
It was time.
Time was extremely precious, not only to people working in the business industry but literally to everyone alive. You could earn all the money you lost and more if you had the drive, capability and health, but you could never earn back the time you lost in your life. All you would have left were regrets. Time waited for no one.
That was why he felt extremely annoyed when a certain girl blocked his path and delayed him from meeting his friends sooner.
"Hello, Big Brother Liwei~" Rose Young greeted him.
"Hey, Liam! Whazzup?"
"Oh wow. So this is the famous Liam all the girls in our university are talking about?"
"We're gonna have a party at my place tonight. You're welcome to join us, Liam. Rosie is gonna be there."
A furrow formed between Jin Liwei's brows at Rose Young's companions. They were too annoying just like her. However, he couldn't just simply ignore her because her family was an integral part in running Jin Corporation's Singapore branch. His father also had a bit of a friendship with her father, Romeo Young, although they weren't close. It was the type of superficial friendship developed from regular business cooperation.
Thus, Jin Liwei nodded at Rose Young's friends as a greeting so as not to waste his saliva talking to them. They seemed pleased, though, that he acknowledged them. They all batted their eyes at him and thrust their chests forward, deepening the furrow between his brows.
"I just want to congratulate you for graduating and getting your bachelor's degree. What a great accomplishment! Uncle and Auntie and Grandmother Li must be so proud of you! I'm also very proud of you," Rose told him while giving him a sweet smile.
He nodded. "Thanks."
"I heard that you also got accepted in the MBA program. Wow! You're such a big inspiration to me, Big Brother Liwei. I wish to follow in your footsteps but I know that I can never reach your level. You're so smart."
They were speaking in Mandarin so Rose Young's mostly American companions couldn't understand them. They didn't mind, though. They were too busy ogling Liam Jin who was voted as the hottest Asian student in the campus. Not only was he extremely smart and a straight A student, but he was also quite athletic. His professors bragged about him as if he was their own son. And most importantly (especially to the girls), he was rumoured to be ultra rich.
Whatever. Rose Young was rich and frequently treated them to shopping and expensive restaurants. Although they didn't like her as a person because she looked down on them sometimes, they liked her money and how generous she spent it. Therefore, she was a "good" friend.
Rose Young continued chatting with Jin Liwei, blind to the fact that he wasn't interested in having a conversation with her. She was basically just talking to herself. His replies could be counted in one hand.
"I need to go now. Bye," Jin Liwei interrupted her in the middle of her self-conversation. He didn't wait for her reply before leaving.
"Big Brother Liwei, wait! Where are you going?"
He ignored her.
"I want to treat you for lunch as my congratulations for getting into the MBA program. Wait! Big Brother!"
His mind had begun to automatically filter out all the annoying noises in the background, so he no longer heard her. He walked quickly, almost jogging, because he was already ten minutes late for his meeting with his friends. He hated being late.
Thanks to his burst of speed and long legs, Rose Young was unable to keep up with him. She had no choice but to give up and let him go. However, she didn't look disappointed. On the contrary, she had a smug expression on her face. After all, she was the only female student in the university who he was willing to talk to. He was notorious for ignoring all the girls who tried talking to him. That made her special.
Back to Jin Liwei, he already reached the square and was about to text his friends when he heard something from a distance.
His usual cold and indifferent expression registered interest.
"What's going on? Is there an event in the square today?" he wondered.
It seemed like he wasn't the only one interested in what was happening. There were other students headed towards the origin of the sounds. They couldn't see it yet but they could hear that there must be a lot of people gathered to produce such a loud singing group.
"Hmm. I'll take a look at it quickly before meeting with my friends."