Chapter 114: You Might As Well Debut Right Here and Now

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Originally, I thought today I could only admire and experience this grand opera house with its classical aura through my eyes. But now, hearing the conversation between Li Jiayan, Ye Fangfei, and Lu Zhou, everyone suddenly grew excited.

This is an opportunity to experience the atmosphere of this concert hall with both ears and eyes on site!

Xu Junze, Wen Yiming, Zhang Chen, Qi Jiajia, and Chu Yao all turned around obediently and took seats in the audience, becoming spectators for the three performers about to take the stage.

On stage, Lu Zhou walked towards the other cello beside Ye Fangfei’s seat.

Li Jiayan’s gaze followed him as he moved. When his hand reached for the cello, she suddenly spoke, “Lu Zhou.”

His hand paused, and he turned to look at her.

Li Jiayan hesitated for a moment before saying, “Are you going to play the cello? For the ensemble, Fangfei is already on cello. Wouldn’t it be better if you used the familiar violin?”

Lu Zhou didn’t respond immediately. Instead, his hand curved and picked up the sheet music on the stand, beginning to read.

Ye Fangfei, already seated, had her cello positioned in front of her, adjusting for comfort. Seeing Lu Zhou glance at the score, she thought he was hesitating about playing the cello. She looked up and smiled:

“If you’re not familiar with the cello, better to stick with the violin. Otherwise, the ensemble might become a disaster. Although the theme is presented with the cello in this score, if you coordinate well with your violin, I can hold the theme alone.”

Lu Zhou put the music back on the stand, smiled at her, then turned to Li Jiayan and said, “According to the score’s design, two cellos harmonizing the theme would be better. The cello’s full range makes it more suited for this piece.”

“I’m playing the cello,” he replied firmly.

Li Jiayan pursed her lips but nodded with a smile. “Alright.”

She actually knew two cellos would blend better, but... suddenly seeing him walk toward Ye Fangfei sparked an unexpected nervousness in her mind, imagining the two sitting together playing cello and instinctively wanting him to play violin.

But then she realized she might be losing her professional composure due to some impulsive feelings.

Lu Zhou sat on the other cello chair next to Ye Fangfei.

He adjusted the cello’s position, picked up the bow, and sight-read a short passage to acclimate to the cello’s tuning.

As the sound flowed, Ye Fangfei turned to listen, ears pricked, paying close attention to the short segment.

His fingerwork was fairly skilled; even this brief passage showed good intonation.

She smiled lightly, “Looks like you actually have some cello experience.”

Lu Zhou put down the bow, looking back at her with a faint smile. “Why would I lie to you?”

Ye Fangfei withdrew her gaze, then picked up her own bow and began sight-reading seriously.

She started with a climactic main melody that, though brief, stirred a passionate thrill.

Her bowing was excellent and clearly professional—evidence of diligent practice.

In that short passage, her virtuosity shone through: smooth scales and modulations, perfect control of dynamics, especially in vibrato and double stops. The performance was so impressive it made Lu Zhou want to stand and applaud.

This was real mastery!

Such a brief melody already showcased the epic grandeur embedded in the score, echoing in the ears long after.

Li Jiayan was stunned. “???”

She thought Ye Fangfei was mostly talented in singing and dancing, had seen her occasionally play piano on TV, but only pop tunes—not this high-level technical skill.

Even hearing Ye Fangfei say she’d play cello just before starting, Li Jiayan hadn’t taken it seriously, assuming a shallow familiarity with the instrument; after all, few celebrities are professional cellists.

But Ye Fangfei’s sudden display stunned her. This level? Really?

Isn’t Ye Fangfei a pop artist? How could she be so professional here?

Li Jiayan was dumbfounded and suddenly viewed Ye Fangfei in a new light.

Live chat exploded—

“Whoa, that vibrato is so cool!”

“First time seeing Ye Fangfei seriously show off skills; totally impressed.”

“This woman is damn awesome.”

“Looks really skilled, anyone professional here? Explain!”

“Perfect intonation, and the strength from a female player is incredible.”

“Go Fangfei, stay calm everyone!”

...

Ye Fangfei neatly finished playing and smiled at Lu Zhou. “This piece needs some power to sound good, right?”

Lu Zhou smiled, “Definitely.”

Suddenly, Zhang Chen in the front row stood up, clapped loudly, and shouted, “Beautiful!”

Ye Fangfei glanced at him, amused. “Don’t get excited, it hasn’t even started yet, that was just tuning.”

“Sounded that good just tuning? Amazing!” Zhang Chen kept praising.

Though he couldn’t grasp the technical details, he truly found it beautiful. Seeing her vigor while playing made her seem incredibly impressive.

Honestly, despite her usual difficult personality driving him nuts, when she’s performing music, she shines irresistibly.

Not only is she talented musically, but also stunningly beautiful. How great it would be to marry her—keeping such a treasure at home, at least to pass on superior genes!

Live chat:

“This guy’s so extra.”

“Zhang’s desperate for attention.”

“LOL.”

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...

“Are you ready? Can we start?” Li Jiayan asked from beside the piano.

Ye Fangfei laid out the score and exchanged a glance with Lu Zhou. After confirming he was ready, she nodded toward Li Jiayan.

The prelude began with the gentle piano, Li Jiayan’s domain.

Today she was elegantly dressed, perfect for piano playing.

She gazed at the sheet music before the keys, her slender fingers emotionally dancing over the black and white keys. Each note transported her back to scenes from dramas she once followed, memories layered with stories and moments shared with Lu Zhou.

The piano’s flowing notes, like a babbling brook, gradually immersed the listeners in the music’s mood.

Her body moved rhythmically with the music, blending strength and softness, perfectly creating the atmosphere. The piano’s flowing sound transformed into a subtle undercurrent, gathering into a powerful force.

Her emotions sank deeper into the music, eyes moistening involuntarily.

As the piano reached a turning point, signaling the cello’s entrance, Ye Fangfei and Lu Zhou simultaneously lifted their bows, fingers poised on the strings. When the piano shifted, their bows touched the strings in unison, drawing out the distinctive low cello notes, as if quietly telling the story’s beginning—a brewing sense of tragic grandeur.

At a turning point, the piano struck strong, rhythmic beats.

Lu Zhou and Ye Fangfei exchanged a glance, smiling, as if signaling the impending climax!

In the next moment, their left hands’ four fingers nearly simultaneously began vibrato at almost the same rhythm, bows drawing sound that cascaded gently.

Then the score led to a new section.

Ye Fangfei took on the faster part, the cello’s pitch rising with the scale.

Her fingers were astonishingly agile, pressing strings steadily with continuous gradation—vibrato, slides...

Her taut expression revealed the difficulty of the rhythm, but she seemed enchanted, nodding her head with the beat.

Meanwhile, Lu Zhou’s part was softer, accompanying in lower registers.

At the next section, Lu Zhou’s playing became more intense, while Ye Fangfei relaxed her rhythm and matched alongside.

She glanced at him occasionally; seeing him navigate a difficult, flashy section with smooth fingerwork, a faint smile appeared on her lips.

Quite impressive, though it was clear this segment was taxing for him. Probably he hadn’t played cello for some time and hadn’t rehearsed this piece in advance. The unfamiliarity and fear of mistakes made him intensely focused, lips tightly pressed, sweat beading on his forehead.

Yet the sound was confident, rhythmic, and conveyed his unique emotion.

The main theme from Game of Thrones centered on the cello; at this moment the piano fell silent.

So the spotlight of the ensemble was entirely on Ye Fangfei and Lu Zhou.

Though Li Jiayan was reluctant to admit, she couldn’t deny their collaboration was excellent!

The main melody’s ensemble conveyed emotional layers beautifully—solemn yet stirring, grand and heartfelt.

At this moment, Qi Jiajia in the audience stared wide-eyed at the passionate playing of Lu Zhou and Ye Fangfei, utterly shocked.

Chu Yao was completely immersed in the music’s emotion, tears streaming as her heart surged.

Zhang Chen clutched his chest, feeling his pounding heart, eyes never leaving Ye Fangfei—his woman was mesmerizing! He adored her! But why did she keep smiling at Lu Zhou?

In this professional concert hall, listening to their performance felt incredibly real and beautiful. Wen Yiming and Xu Junze were equally moved by the music on stage.

Though their initial focus was on Li Jiayan, eyes full of admiration and love, when the cello section began, they couldn’t help but be drawn to Lu Zhou and Ye Fangfei.

Those two were exceptional. And their synergy on stage was so visually pleasing!

Live chat erupted—

“Whoa, I got goosebumps!”

“Amazing! A visual feast, so shocking!”

“How do they nod and sway so perfectly in sync?”

“Don’t understand, but I’m hyped! Is this their skill?”

“What a power couple!”

“Suddenly want them to form a band and debut right here!”

“CP fans shedding tears of joy, feels like a holiday!”

...

At last, the two principal cellists finished their final notes. Then pianist Li Jiayan struck the closing chords.

Thus ended a three-person ensemble of Game of Thrones’s theme. They rose from their seats.

Ye Fangfei set down her cello and opened her palm to Lu Zhou.

He put down his bow, gently shook her hand. They exchanged a smile, then released.

Ye Fangfei turned toward Li Jiayan and extended her arm.

Li Jiayan understood, eyes moist, walked over. Ye Fangfei took her hand, and the three bowed together toward the audience.

Suddenly, loud applause erupted.

Zhang Chen stood, clapped, shouting, “Bravo!”

Others also rose to their feet.

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“So beautiful!” Qi Jiajia exclaimed excitedly.

“You three were amazing today,” Wen Yiming said.

Chu Yao wiped her tears, smiling, “I cried listening.”

After bowing, Li Jiayan looked toward the audience. This scene was what she had longed for—she once dreamed of becoming a great pianist, performing in top concert halls for discerning, sophisticated listeners.

To have an audience who appreciated and admired her...

But her musical talent was limited. Due to many practical reasons, she never persevered to fulfill that dream.

She gradually withdrew from the stage and became a music entrepreneur, opening a piano teaching institute.

The artistic spirit was worn down over time, but today, suddenly performing alongside Lu Zhou and Ye Fangfei in such a hall, she felt deeply moved. She couldn’t hold back and covered her mouth, tears falling.

Ye Fangfei sensed her change and gently embraced her.

Li Jiayan’s reaction stunned those in the audience—what was happening?

Lu Zhou quietly watched Li Jiayan crying on Ye Fangfei’s shoulder, feeling uneasy himself. He guessed she hadn’t played with the orchestra like this for a long time.

Live chat—

“Why cry after the performance?”

“Hug, Jiayan, don’t cry.”

“I don’t get it.”

“As a musician, I understand this feeling.”

“Did she cry because she found kindred spirits?”

“Lu Zhou, your ex is crying. Aren’t you going to comfort her?”

...

Wen Yiming and Xu Junze, sitting in the audience, came up on stage. Seeing Li Jiayan’s tear-streaked face, they wanted to comfort her but were at a loss.

Ye Fangfei released Li Jiayan.

Li Jiayan noticed those around her and felt embarrassed, smiling through tears. This mix of laughter and crying was heart-tugging.

Wen Yiming wanted to hold her close but knew it was inappropriate, so he just smiled and said, “Did the piece move you to tears?”

Li Jiayan shook her head. “It brought back memories. I lost control for a moment... Sorry for embarrassing myself. Please don’t laugh.”

“Oh my, are the floodgates open?” Chu Yao pulled tissues from her bag and handed them over.

Li Jiayan took the tissues, wiped her tears, then looked at Lu Zhou.

“These years, have you been training in secret and mastered all arts? You play cello so well.”

Now that the performance was over, Li Jiayan could finally express her surprise.

Chu Yao noticed the sweat on Lu Zhou’s forehead and gave him a tissue too.

Lu Zhou said “Thanks,” wiped his forehead, and smiled at Li Jiayan, lips gently curved:

“I used to think I played cello well, but after performing with the great Ye, I finally saw my true level—I’m just a junior.”

He glanced at Ye Fangfei with a mischievous smile.

“Master Ye, will you take me as a student?”

Li Jiayan: “???”

Ye Fangfei looked at him with mock exasperation, “Stop pretending to be a junior around me.”

Lu Zhou smiled softly, pointing to his forehead. “Not pretending. Look, I’m sweating, and you’re dry. That’s the difference between a junior and a master.”

“...” Ye Fangfei suddenly wanted to hit him. “Could it just be a difference in sweat glands?”

Lu Zhou laughed.

Ye Fangfei ignored him, professionally discerning his level. He hadn’t played cello for a while, his hands were rusty, but his skill was no joke.

Though if it came to a duel, she was confident she’d best him, but becoming his teacher? What a joke.

Meanwhile, the live chat was buzzing—

“Is this how masters show humility?”

“AKA mutual flattery.”

“What a treasure Lu Zhou is, the more you dig, the more you love.”

“First time seeing Ye Fangfei on cello—totally captivated.”

“I’m Fangfei’s fan, but their duet just made me a CP fan too. Is there hope?”

“You’re not alone.”

...

Thanks to reader 1454258481828081664 for the 100 Qidian coins reward.