Mr. Lizard Outside the Window - Chapter 38
Chapter 38: The National Competition
Professor Yu's wife, Gui Fangling, brought a plate of freshly washed fruit into the living room and, following her husband's gaze, looked out at the young woman playing the violin in their courtyard.
With the National Collegiate Cup approaching, Yu Anguo had borrowed the school's prized violin, the "Adelina," for Banxia to use.
With a fine instrument in her hands, Banxia's talent bloomed, like a dragon taking flight, a warrior wielding a legendary blade.
The delicate music flowed from her violin, like feathers floating in the sunlight, each note a gentle caress, transforming the grass into a soft, flowing spring, the small courtyard into a tranquil pond, the young violinist into the mythical Adelina herself.
"Oh, this child…" Mrs. Yu sighed, a hand on her cheek. "Old Yu, do you think she's in love? Her music is suddenly so… deeply emotional."
Yu Anguo harrumphed. "Don't praise her too much. It's just a slight improvement. She's already arrogant enough. Your compliments will only inflate her ego further."
But the softening of the wrinkles around his eyes betrayed his own pleasure.
Banxia finished practicing, realizing she had been so engrossed in the music that she had overstayed her welcome.
She carefully placed the Adelina back in its case, her fingers lingering on the beautiful instrument.
Such a fine violin, it was hard to let go.
The clear tone, the powerful resonance, the pure harmonics, the stable pitch… it allowed her to express her full potential.
Which violinist wouldn't want to possess such a beauty?
"You like it that much?" Mrs. Yu chuckled. "Old Yu and I agreed to lend it to you for the duration of the competition. Your own violin is… well, it's not quite up to par. Its sound wouldn't carry in a large concert hall."
Banxia grabbed Mrs. Yu's hand and shook it enthusiastically. "You're the best, Shimu! You're the only reason I haven't withered away like a neglected little cabbage!"
Mrs. Yu laughed.
Sometimes, Yu Anguo felt like he didn't understand young people these days.
Take Banxia, for example. She was one of his most talented students.
She seemed naive, yet she was surprisingly astute, always able to charm his reserved wife. And though she was generally respectful, she could also be incredibly stubborn about her musical interpretations, often infuriating him, her mentor, the one person who could significantly influence her career.
Her music, her playing, was filled with a raw, passionate sincerity, like the summer sun.
Perhaps it was this youthful energy, this vibrant light, that could revitalize the fading world of classical music, reminding the fast-paced modern world of its enduring beauty.
Our duty as teachers is to nurture and protect these budding talents, he thought.
"The competition starts this weekend, in the capital. It lasts for ten days. Will your family be going with you?" he asked.
A smile touched Banxia's lips. "Yes, Shifu. I'll have… company."
Yu Anguo nodded.
The National Collegiate Cup Violin Competition, held every two years, was a prestigious event.
The competition, held in the capital, consisted of preliminary, semi-final, and final rounds, spanning ten days. Participants, aged between thirteen and thirty, were selected and recommended by their respective music academies and affiliated schools.
It was a gathering of the most talented young violinists in the country, a rigorous test of their skills, and also, indirectly, a reflection of the quality of their schools' music programs.
Most contestants were accompanied by their families, some even bringing their entire extended family for support.
But Banxia's family situation was… complicated.
"The Collegiate Cup is a very important competition. The school will cover your travel and accommodation expenses, and you'll receive a daily meal allowance. Just focus on the competition. Don't go busking on the streets," Yu Anguo said, placing a thick envelope on the coffee table in front of her. "This is an advance on your travel expenses from the school."
Banxia looked at the envelope, her usual cheerful demeanor fading. She pressed her lips together.
She knew the school would reimburse her expenses, but that was after the competition.
She knew who had provided this money.
Her teacher, not only covering her expenses but also trying to protect her pride, pretending it was an advance from the school.
Professor Yu's face was as stern as always, but his wife's gentle smile softened the gesture.
Standing there together, they were like the parents she had longed for in her childhood dreams.
Banxia's eyes stung, but she blinked back the tears.
She took the envelope, her usual cheerfulness returning. She grabbed two tangerines from the fruit plate, waved goodbye, and, with a playful grin, said, "Don't worry, Shifu! I'll do my best! If I win, I'll tell everyone I'm your student! And if I lose… I'll say I'm Professor Yan's student. I wouldn't want to embarrass you in front of your friends in the capital!"
Yu Anguo had graduated from the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing and had many former classmates and friends there.
Before he could scold her for her impertinence, she had already slipped out the door.
"She's just trying to reassure us, make us laugh," Gui Fangling said, watching her leave. "Such a lively girl. You wouldn't know she's an orphan."
Time flew by, and soon, it was time to leave for the capital.
Banxia packed her suitcase.
"The dress from Xiao Lian, lipstick from Xuemei, the violin from Professor Yu, and all this travel money…" Banxia looked at her half-full suitcase, her heart overflowing with gratitude.
Life is good, she thought.
"Do you need to pack anything, Xiao Lian?" she asked, turning to look for him.
Xiao Lian was dragging a mobile phone across the floor, the earphone cord clutched in his mouth.
"You want to bring this? You… you can use a phone?" Banxia exclaimed, surprised, picking him up along with the phone. Her fairy-tale boyfriend suddenly seemed more like a character from science fiction.
"Yes, I can," Xiao Lian said, then proceeded to unlock the phone with his tiny claws, proving his point.
"Wow," Banxia was impressed. "You're so talented, Xiao Lian!"
There were only a few apps on his phone: a food delivery app and two music-related apps, one with a mango logo, the other with a red orange.
Banxia didn't recognize them. The mango logo seemed to be for a music production software, but she had no idea what the red orange one was for.
With her suitcase packed, Xiao Lian in her pocket, and plenty of travel money, Banxia headed to the airport, her heart filled with excitement.
This was her first time flying. When she had first come to Rongcheng for university, she had taken the cheapest bus, enduring a thirty-hour journey, changing buses and sitting on hard seats, arriving exhausted and sleep-deprived.
Now, navigating the unfamiliar world of air travel, she was grateful for Xiao Lian's guidance, his quiet instructions helping her check in, find her gate, and navigate the airport procedures.
She hadn't realized how strict airport security would be, the long lines, the thorough checks, the prohibition of live animals.
Thankfully, Xiao Lian, small and inconspicuous, had slipped through security and was waiting for her on the other side.
Banxia collected her belongings, passed through security, found Xiao Lian, and quickly tucked him into her pocket, breathing a sigh of relief.
"I would have been devastated if I had lost you here, Xiao Lian."
The plane took off, and Banxia looked down at the endless sea of clouds, then at the city lights twinkling below.
They landed in the capital and took the subway to their hotel.
The subway was crowded. Banxia, dragging her suitcase, stood in a corner, protectively shielding Xiao Lian.
She looked down, and Xiao Lian peeked out of her pocket, his black eyes looking up at her.
A long journey, an unfamiliar city, a crowded subway car…
But with him by her side, even the journey felt… comforting.
"Will your family be going with you?" Professor Yu's question before she left had been the one she had always dreaded.
Backstage at concerts and competitions, she had always been alone, clutching her violin case, watching other students surrounded by their families, their words of encouragement and support, their hugs and comforting smiles.
She had always dreaded the well-meaning strangers who would approach her, their faces filled with pity. "Why are you alone, little girl? Don't you have any family with you?"
Now, it was different. She wasn't alone.
Banxia smiled, her hand reaching into her pocket, stroking Xiao Lian's head, gently teasing his tiny claws, making him squirm.
The competition organizers had booked rooms for all the contestants and judges at the same hotel.
Upon arrival, the first thing they had to do was register and draw their competition numbers.
When Banxia arrived at the conference room, it was already filled with contestants from all over the country.
Some were very young, still in middle school, their parents hovering nervously beside them.
Most were her age, talented young musicians from prestigious music academies, many of them already well-known in the classical music world, their faces familiar from previous competitions.
Banxia registered and received her name tag: Contestant No. 10.
A group of contestants nearby glanced at her.
"You're representing Rongyin?" a girl, small but with a haughty air, asked, her eyes narrowed. "Where's Shang Xiaoyue? Why isn't she here?"
Banxia blinked, confused.
"What's there to ask? She didn't even make it past the school selection round, obviously," a boy standing beside the girl said dismissively.
The girl smirked. "Shang Xiaoyue has fallen so far? I was hoping to compete with her. What a shame. I never thought she'd lose a school competition."
"Serves her right for going to Rongyin. I thought she was trying to be a big fish in a small pond. And now she's been replaced by… who are you again?" the boy asked Banxia, a smirk on his face. "I don't think I've seen you before."
Banxia, unfazed, chuckled along with them. "I'm Banxia. Do you all know Xiaoyue?"
"Of course! She participated in the Collegiate Cup twice in middle school, won a silver medal and a gold medal. She's so arrogant, so annoying!"
"Yeah, she's pretty annoying," Banxia agreed. "I had to work really hard to beat her."
"This competition will be much easier without her. I'm definitely getting a good ranking this time," the boy said confidently.
"Me too," Banxia agreed, smiling sweetly. "Without her around, all I have to do is deal with you… amateurs. Makes things much simpler."
Their faces fell.
"What did you say?!"
"I didn't say anything," Banxia said, sitting on her suitcase, her elbow resting on the handle. "I'm just saying, it's funny how some people, who couldn't even beat Xiaoyue in a real competition, think they can win with trash talk."
Banxia, tall and slender in her black boots, her long hair tied back, her eyes calm, exuded a certain wildness.
As if to emphasize her point, a small black gecko crawled out of her pocket and onto her shoulder, its dark gold eyes narrowed into slits.
The pampered music students, accustomed to the polite world of academia, were momentarily silenced, intimidated by her audacity.
"What are you so smug about? Who even are you? Don't think you're so great just because you beat Shang Xiaoyue!" one of them finally retorted, his face flushed with anger.
"Yeah! This is the Collegiate Cup! It's about music, not arrogance! We'll see who's laughing on stage!"
Banxia stood up, picked up her suitcase, and walked towards the exit.
As she passed the boy who had just spoken, she leaned closer, Xiao Lian on her shoulder mimicking her movement, their faces inches from his, and smiled.
"Be grateful this is a violin competition, not a trash-talking contest. Otherwise, you wouldn't even last a day," she said sweetly.
The boy, intimidated by the fierce girl and the cold-eyed gecko, looked like he was about to cry.
As Banxia left the conference room, she sighed. "Xiao Lian, it's lonely at the top."
Xiao Lian chuckled inwardly. "Are you so sure you can beat everyone?"
"I was talking about trash-talking, not violin playing," Banxia rolled her eyes. "Those guys couldn't even come up with a decent comeback. I felt like I was bullying them. If it had been Fatty from my village, at least he would have put up a fight."
"This is the Collegiate Cup. It's about violin playing, not fighting."
Banxia's face fell. "Oh no! I shouldn't have boasted like that! What if I lose? I'll be so embarrassed! I can't lose!"
Xiao Lian chuckled. "What are you going to do, then?"
Banxia, seeing that no one was around, leaned closer and whispered, "If a handsome prince gave me a good luck kiss, I definitely wouldn't lose."
It was Xiao Lian's turn to blush.
The little gecko hesitated for a moment, then, clinging to her collar, stretched up and gently touched her lips with his flat little mouth.
AHHHHHHH
ReplyDeleteSO CUTE
SHE'S SUCH A GIRLBOSS