Mr. Lizard Outside the Window - Chapter 39
Chapter 39: I Want to Stand Beside Her
With all the contestants and judges assembled, the biennial National Collegiate Cup Violin Competition commenced.
The opening ceremony began with a speech by Fu Zhengqi, a highly respected, elderly musician.
Frail and white-haired, yet full of spirit, Mr. Fu stood on stage, his hands clasped behind his back, and smiled. "A music competition is different from other competitions. Music is not meant for rivalry, but for connection, for communication. I hope every contestant will find their own musical voice in this competition and gain something truly valuable from this experience."
As he stepped down from the stage, a judge sitting beside him said, "Your words are profound, Mr. Fu. If these young people can grasp even a fraction of their meaning, they will have gained something truly worthwhile from this journey."
Mr. Fu simply smiled and waved his hand dismissively, then began to look through the contestants' profiles. "Who do we have this year? Any promising talents?"
On stage, the host announced the competition schedule and rules, introducing the eighty-odd contestants.
The judge beside Mr. Fu pointed out a few of the top contenders. "Based on the audition videos, the major conservatories have maintained their usual high standards. The contestants are all excellent, especially those from the Central and China Conservatories. But we've seen most of these students before. We know what to expect."
"Rongyin is a bit different this year. They didn't send Shang Chengyuan's daughter. Instead, they sent a newcomer. I watched her video. She's quite interesting," he said, showing Mr. Fu the video on his phone. "What do you think?"
"Oh, Rongyin? I was just in Rongcheng recently," Mr. Fu put on his reading glasses and leaned closer. "Is that Ling Dong accompanying her?"
"Yes! Can you believe it? A pianist of Ling Dong's caliber accompanying a newcomer! Luckily, we have designated accompanists and chamber orchestras for the Collegiate Cup, so they couldn't pull that stunt here," the judge chuckled.
Fu Zhengqi watched the video, then held the phone to his ear, listening intently for a long moment. His expression turned serious. "I hope I'll have the opportunity to hear her play in the competition," he said thoughtfully.
To want to hear a contestant play multiple times meant he considered her a strong contender, someone likely to reach the final round.
The judge, pleased that his own assessment was validated, beamed. "This year's Collegiate Cup is truly exceptional. Not only are the contestants highly skilled, but we also have you, a true legend, on the judging panel! And we've even invited Jiang Lin to come all the way from abroad!"
Mr. Fu, however, didn't seem as enthusiastic about the internationally renowned violinist's presence. "I haven't heard much from him since he left the country. If he's coming, where is he? The competition has already started."
"Jiang Lin will arrive in a few days. He's busy, you know. Lots of engagements. We'll be lucky if he makes it before the semi-finals."
Fu Zhengqi suddenly frowned. "Now that you mention it, that young woman from Rongyin… she looks a bit like…"
"Like who?" the judge asked.
Fu Zhengqi shook his head, dismissing the thought.
The young woman simply bore a slight resemblance to Jiang Lin, that's all.
But her music, her playing, had a certain fierceness, a raw energy that was completely different from Jiang Lin's flashy style.
Over eighty contestants from all over the country had gathered for the competition. The preliminary round would eliminate half of them, leaving only forty to advance to the semi-finals.
From eighty in the preliminaries, to forty in the semi-finals, then only ten finalists would compete for the gold medal.
For the preliminary round, they had to play the same piece they had submitted for their audition video. The semi-final round required a concerto of significant length and difficulty, and for the final round, they had to choose a piece from a designated list.
Banxia would be playing Zigeunerweisen for the preliminaries and the Tchaikovsky concerto for the semi-finals.
As the contestants took the stage one after another, their performances spanning two or three days, murmurs of recognition and speculation rippled through the audience.
Many of them were already well-known among their peers, their talent and skill acknowledged and feared.
"Look, it's Zhang Qinyun from the Central Conservatory! I heard her teacher is preparing her for the Menuhin Competition!"
"That's Lin Ling from the Shanghai Conservatory's affiliated middle school! She's only thirteen! Incredible!"
When Banxia took the stage, the whispers started again.
"That's her! The one who beat Shang Xiaoyue!"
"I heard she's incredibly arrogant! She said there's no one in the Collegiate Cup who can match her!"
"Who is she? I've never seen her before. Has she even competed before?"
"I haven't seen this kind of… confidence in years. Let's see if her playing lives up to her hype."
The contestants she had clashed with earlier rolled their eyes.
"So arrogant! I hope she gets eliminated in the preliminaries! That'll teach her a lesson!"
"She drew such an early number. She probably hasn't even had time to rehearse properly with the accompanist. Serves her right."
Banxia, oblivious to the whispers and the stares, walked towards the center of the stage in her black, sequined dress, the Adelina in her hand, feeling like a queen.
Her dress, its sheer fabric shimmering with tiny crystals, flowed around her like a starry night.
"She was dressed so casually before. That dress is gorgeous!"
"Yes, it's beautiful! I wonder where she got it."
Banxia stood in the spotlight, her hand holding her skirt. She didn't look at the audience, but glanced towards the backstage door.
The door was slightly ajar. Behind it, in a small waiting room, hung Banxia's coat.
Xiao Lian, having crawled out of her pocket, was hiding behind the door, peeking through the gap, watching her.
He watched her lift her violin, tune it, and nod at the accompanist, his own heart pounding with a nervousness that surpassed even hers.
As the piano began to play, Banxia raised her bow, and Xiao Lian's eyes widened.
He knew that the girl standing in the spotlight had forgotten everything else, lost in her music.
It hadn't been long since the school selection round, but her playing had improved yet again, her technique even more refined, her interpretation even more nuanced.
She was constantly evolving, every performance a new discovery, a new revelation.
The mournful melody of the violin flowed from the stage, washing over the audience like a wave, a ripple of sadness touching their hearts, a sudden chill in the air.
The music painted a vivid picture: a blizzard raging, a lone wanderer, lost and alone, his heart filled with despair.
As the music reached its climax, she unleashed a torrent of technically brilliant passages, a dazzling display of virtuosity.
Rapid ricochet bowing, intricate left-hand pizzicato, flawless artificial harmonics.
Her playing was effortless, breathtaking.
The audience was captivated. Xiao Lian, watching through the gap in the door, his heart trembling, his gaze fixed on the girl bathed in the spotlight.
She was surrounded by shimmering lights, but they couldn't dim her own brilliance.
She was a gemstone, her own light shining brightly for all the world to see.
Every music student understood the profound truth: "Let my music speak for itself."
For those who truly loved music, the most persuasive language was music itself.
As the last notes of Zigeunerweisen faded, a moment of silence, then thunderous applause erupted.
The pre-competition trash talk was forgotten. Most of the contestants were thinking the same thing: Damn, she's good! What was her name again? Banxia? I need to remember that.
She'll definitely make it to the semi-finals. Another strong rival. I have to practice harder.
She's good, but I won't lose to her.
Amazing music! I love her playing! I wonder if I can get her number…
That night, Banxia slept soundly in her hotel room.
The long journey, the rehearsals with the designated accompanist, the opening ceremony, and the preliminary round had exhausted her. She had fallen asleep the moment her head touched the pillow.
Xiao Lian sat on the table beside her bed, the glow of his phone screen illuminating his busy little hands.
He was composing music using a popular music production app on his phone.
Writing and arranging music on a phone was awkward and inefficient. He would write a few bars, then listen through his earphones, make corrections, the process slow and laborious.
But being near her, he didn't mind.
Time passed slowly. The night was long.
Even late at night, the city outside the hotel window bustled with activity, the red taillights of cars snaking along the elevated highways.
Xiao Lian, pausing in his work, would glance at Banxia, sleeping peacefully beside him.
She was a restless sleeper, her arms and legs sprawled outside the covers. The nightlight by her bed cast a soft glow on her outstretched hand.
Her hand, palm up, her fingers slightly curled, as if grasping at the light.
Her hand was beautiful, slender yet strong, her nails short, her fingertips calloused from years of playing the violin.
Xiao Lian stared at her hand in the dim light, his cheeks flushing.
He remembered what that hand had done to him in the darkness of her room.
His tail, so sensitive, so vulnerable… he usually hated being touched there.
She didn't know, did she? The meaning of touching a gecko's tail? No, she knew. She knew exactly what she was doing, teasing him, exploring his most vulnerable spot.
She had made him cry out, even though he was fully clothed, his body writhing with a pleasure he couldn't understand.
After all these years, he had forgotten how… wicked she could be, how much she enjoyed teasing him.
A familiar heat surged through him.
Xiao Lian quickly climbed down from the table, and as his feet touched the carpet, he transformed, his clothes falling away.
Banxia slept on, oblivious.
Naked and blushing, Xiao Lian crept across the floor and into the bathroom.
He wrapped a towel around his waist and splashed cold water on his burning face.
He looked up at his reflection in the mirror: pale skin, damp hair, dark scales still clinging to his neck and chest, a long tail trailing behind him.
He touched the scales on his neck, his fingers tracing their familiar pattern.
She had touched him like that, her fingers gentle, exploring, her lips following, her touch both tender and possessive.
He had been so ashamed, so vulnerable, yet her touch had been so… intoxicating, that he had almost wished he could die in her arms.
She was a precious jewel, beautiful, pure, and so incredibly talented.
And now, she was shining on the grand stage, her talent recognized by the world.
Ling Dong closed his eyes, the image of Banxia on stage, lost in her music, burned into his memory.
She had been radiant.
And she would only shine brighter.
Her music had touched the hearts of the audience, opened their eyes to her world.
She would continue to rise, to climb higher, until she reached the summit.
He wiped the condensation from the mirror, his fingers lingering on the cool surface, tracing the outline of his pale, thin reflection, the dark scales a stark contrast against his skin.
I don't want this, he thought, his gaze fixed on his monstrous reflection.
I don't want to hide in the shadows, a pathetic creature, begging for her pity, her affection.
He leaned against the pristine white sink, his heart pounding in his chest.
Can't I stand beside her?
I want to be with her, openly, proudly, as an equal. I want to stand beside her, hand in hand, and see the world from the summit together.
YESS
ReplyDeleteI'M SO HAPPY FOR XIAO LIANG
HE'S SO ADORABLEEE