Mr. Lizard Outside the Window - Chapter 15
Chapter 15: Through the Wall
Banxia's alarm went off at 6:00 AM. She quickly got ready and cycled to the school's practice room building. There were only a few people in the lobby, including Shang Xiaoyue, her class monitor.
Seeing Banxia, Shang Xiaoyue, without a word of greeting, grabbed a key and marched upstairs.
As they had arrived at around the same time, they ended up in adjacent practice rooms. As soon as Banxia entered her room, the sound of aggressive violin playing erupted from next door, like a barrage of artillery fire.
"So, the class monitor is playing the Tchaikovsky concerto. That's intense, like a machine gun. Luckily, it's not aimed at me."
Oblivious to the musical onslaught next door, Banxia settled down in her practice room, pulled two slices of semi-cured cheese from her bag like a contraband item, took a small bite, and smiled contentedly.
Lately, strange things had been appearing in her apartment: small cakes, fruits, and delicious snacks left on her table.
Maybe Xiao Lian can transform into other animals besides a gecko, like a crow or something, she mused. Maybe he's been flying around, bringing back things he likes.
She nodded to herself, convinced. It's highly possible. After all, they're both black.
With a slight pang of guilt, she carefully finished her snack.
I have to ask Xiao Lian where these things are coming from tomorrow.
After finishing her breakfast, wiping her hands clean, and rosining her bow, she finally began to practice, quickly losing herself in the music, oblivious to the world around her.
Lost in her own playing, Banxia didn't notice that the music next door, which had begun with such aggressive energy, gradually weakened and faltered as she played, eventually falling silent.
In the music classroom that morning, Professor Zhao Zhilan sighed, looking at her student. She interrupted Shang Xiaoyue's playing and asked gently, "Is something the matter, Xiaoyue? Your style is usually more technically driven. Today, it sounds…unfocused. And you look tired. You shouldn't be pushing yourself so hard."
Zhao Zhilan had known Shang Xiaoyue's father, Shang Chengyuan, for many years and had always taken a special interest in his daughter.
In front of the teacher who had watched her grow up, Shang Xiaoyue's eyes finally welled up.
"There's this person… I really dislike her," she bit her lip, her head down. "But even though I dislike her, I can't help but compare myself to her. She's so good. Her music is so mournful and moving, so deeply affecting. I can't seem to achieve that level of expression."
Zhao Zhilan: "So you changed your Tchaikovsky concerto, which is usually a showcase of your technical skills, into a more lyrical interpretation?"
Shang Xiaoyue avoided her teacher's gaze. "My father said I haven't found my own music yet. I…I wanted to try…to learn from Banxia's technique."
Zhao Zhilan considered her student's words carefully. "Xiaoyue, which versions of the Tchaikovsky concerto have you listened to?"
Shang Xiaoyue blinked, ticking them off on her fingers. "Heifetz, Oistrakh, Milstein, Hahn… I've listened to all the famous versions."
"And whose style do you prefer?"
Shang Xiaoyue thought for a moment. "Heifetz represents the extreme of virtuosity, while Oistrakh is the pinnacle of lyricism. They're both masters, and people have different opinions about their styles. I can't say which is better or worse."
"You're wrong, Xiaoyue," Zhao Zhilan shook her head. "Go back today and listen to their performances again, carefully. Heifetz isn't just about virtuosity. There's a certain aloofness, a certain grandeur in his playing. Oistrakh isn't just lyrical. The reason they're considered 'extremes' is because they have their own unique vision, their own understanding of the music, and they've reached the pinnacle of their respective styles."
Shang Xiaoyue, who hadn't understood her teacher's point at first, suddenly realized what she meant. It was like a bolt of lightning. Her eyes lit up. "My own…musical vision?"
"Xiaoyue," Zhao Zhilan sighed, her voice filled with emotion. "Sometimes, I read music reviews about the Tchaikovsky concerto. They often refer to performers by their gender. 'Female violinists can't play Tchaikovsky.' 'Female violinists are good at lyricism, but lack the virtuosity and power.' It pains me to hear such things."
She stood up, gathered her teaching materials, and patted Shang Xiaoyue's shoulder. "Since I started teaching you, I've always been amazed by your technique and power. I often think that perhaps one day, a female violinist will prove them wrong, will silence those who judge art based on gender."
After she left, the quiet classroom remained silent for a moment before the bright, clear sound of the violin filled the air again.
Yan Peng, passing by downstairs, paused, listening to the music. He smiled wryly and shook his head. "So, the moon still hangs high in the sky, never falling into the gutter. It's me…who still has a long way to go."
During lunch, Pan Xuemei mentioned Shang Xiaoyue. "The class monitor has gone crazy. She's been getting up at 6:00 AM and heading straight to the practice rooms, coming back just before lights out. Only one person from each year will be selected for this competition. She's determined not to lose to you."
"Yeah, I saw her in the practice rooms this morning."
"Oh, our Banxia is also an early bird, isn't she?" Pan Xuemei suddenly realized that her seemingly carefree friend was also one of the first to grab a practice room key every day. "As expected, geniuses work harder than us mere mortals. I guess I should step up my game too."
Banxia chuckled. "Let's meet downstairs from the practice rooms from now on, then."
Pan Xuemei got their lunch from the cafeteria, bringing an extra bowl of pork rib soup for Banxia.
"The departmental selection round is tomorrow. Are you nervous?" she asked, placing the soup in front of Banxia. "Xiaoyue is really good, but you're just as skilled. I'm just worried…can you perform at your usual level on stage?"
In Pan Xuemei's opinion, her friend was technically as good as anyone. The only concern was her lack of stage experience. Banxia had never participated in any major competitions.
On the other hand, the other strong contenders, including Shang Xiaoyue, had all come up through the ranks of music schools, participating in numerous competitions since childhood. They were seasoned performers.
"Don't worry, I'm not afraid of the stage," Banxia said, setting out their lunch.
She added, almost as an afterthought, "I've performed plenty of times."
Subway stations, public squares, cafes, bars… every single night, I'm putting on a show.
She opened her lunchbox, revealing the carefully packed meal.
The top layer contained fresh fruits and vegetables. The second layer held fragrant beef curry. The third layer was rice with a fried egg on top.
Pan Xuemei, who had been about to offer more encouragement, stared at the food, speechless, especially after tasting the curry. "Holy shit, Banxia! What have you been up to lately?"
Banxia straightened up, a serious expression on her face, and held up a finger. "I…got a gecko."
Pan Xuemei waited for her to elaborate, then realized that was all she was going to say.
"So? You're saying that getting a gecko has magically improved your life?" Pan Xuemei exclaimed, rolling her eyes. "If you're trying to lure me into the world of reptiles, at least come up with a better story!"
Banxia just grinned.
Though it was still a secret, she couldn't resist sharing a bit of her newfound happiness with her friend.
"The greatest joys in life are good food and…a perfect, intoxicating musical performance."
Banxia chewed on her spoon, the taste of curry lingering in her mouth, remembering the magical duet through the wall.
At that same moment, a devoted music lover, sitting on his office balcony during his lunch break, opened the Red Orange app on his phone and saw that his favorite new artist, Red Lotus, had uploaded another song, titled "Through the Wall."
"He releases music frequently. Very productive," he thought, impressed. He had enjoyed Red Lotus's first song, so he clicked on the new track. "Let's see if this one is as good as 'Misty Forest'."
A short while later, he rushed back to his computer, his fingers flying across the keyboard as he excitedly uploaded a video to Bilibili1. The video's title: 【My mom asked me why I'm listening to music on my knees—Highly recommend this hidden gem from Red Orange: "Through the Wall"!!!!】
In the RES office, Xiao Xiao sat at his desk, headphones on, tears streaming down his face. His colleagues chuckled at his melodramatic display. A coworker glanced at his screen and nudged him. "Red Lotus again? You're obsessed with him. You're practically his number one fanboy."
"You don't understand. I thought he was just a talented arranger," Xiao Xiao wiped his face, clutching his chest. "But this song…'Through the Wall'…it just…pierced my heart."
"That yearning to connect, yet feeling too unworthy… Wanting to open the door, but unable to… Being so close, yet so far… separated by just a wall, back to back with the person you love, yet forever out of reach… It's just…so perfectly expressed," he stood up. "I hereby declare myself Red Lotus's number one fan! I'm going to donate to him right now! A fruit basket, at least!"
On several social media platforms, a few videos recommending Red Lotus's new song started appearing. They hadn't gone viral yet, but they boosted Red Lotus's earnings on Red Orange just enough to break the 100-yuan mark.
Across the ocean, a man called out to his father, "Dad, come and check this out! I found someone interesting online."
His father, William, was a world-renowned pianist. But despite his age and his classical music background, he remained open-minded and curious about the music young people enjoyed.
"Who is it?" he asked, his white-haired head appearing over his son's shoulder.
"An independent musician from China. Mr. Lian. I bought one of his beats on Red Orange a few days ago. This is his new song, 'Through the Wall'."
William listened for a moment, then clapped his hands. "Yes, this Mr. Lian is quite interesting. He has a strong classical music foundation. And he's not just mechanically blending classical and pop music. He's using classical themes and developing them within a pop music framework. Very clever."
"But what truly impressed me is the piano accompaniment," he took the headphones from his son, closed his eyes, and swayed to the music, his fingers unconsciously miming the piano part. "The pianist is very skilled and incredibly expressive. It's rare to find such talent. The emotion in his playing is so moving. It reminds me of a young boy from the East who caught my attention many years ago."
He took off the headphones, shook his head, and sighed. "Unfortunately, that boy has lost his own unique voice on the piano."
"Oh, Dad, not this again," William's son shrugged, unconvinced. "In your opinion, all young musicians these days are products of standardized training, soulless robots. You're too harsh. Even that young man who won the Rachmaninoff Competition last year received a negative review from you."
Maestro William spread his hands. "Exactly! That's who I'm talking about. That poor Ling Dong. No matter how many awards he wins, in my heart, he has lost the beautiful, unique voice that captivated me when he was a boy."
He glanced at the screen one last time and nodded. "Mr. Lian… very good. I'll remember that name."
1. ^ Bilibili (B站): A popular Chinese video-sharing website.
Comments
Post a Comment