53. Display of Skill

After Mo Xiaoxin, Xiao Gao and another boy from Team Four performed a comic dialogue together. Though they stumbled a bit with their lines, the performance was amusing enough to get a good response from the audience.

Surprisingly, the act following Team One was a rarely seen magic show. When the magician turned a handful of flower petals into ten-yuan bills and scattered them into the audience, the room erupted in screams.

The penultimate performer was Chen Ruowen. She was rather disgruntled not to be the closing act, but as the order couldn’t be changed, she consoled herself with the thought that “second to last is the real grand finale.”

Her entrance caused quite a stir, as the entire section where Team Four was seated emptied out. It took considerable effort to bring in a piano from outside the activity center just in time for her performance.

Assistant Pan had brought Chen Ruowen’s piano early that morning at her request, but since outsiders weren’t allowed inside the activity center, they had to leave the piano at the entrance and wait for Wu Jie and the others to fetch it.

Originally, Chen Ruowen wanted to have the piano delivered by drone, but Wu Jie and the rest unanimously objected, saying it would be too ostentatious. Left with no choice, she let them move the piano themselves.

“Wait… you can bring your own props?” Vincent glanced at Team One’s captain, clearly feeling this was a bit like cheating.

Seated beside them, Mo Xiaoxin interjected, “Your magician brought his own props too!”

“That’s not the same, is it?”

“How is it any different?”

“Well, you… fine, I’m not arguing with a woman.” Vincent plugged his ears and moved aside, staring intently at the piano in the center of the stage.

The piano’s deep, dark finish matched perfectly with Chen Ruowen’s pure white coat. She sat at the instrument, stretched her slender fingers to test a couple of notes, and then, with an unbidden smile, struck a flowing cascade of notes.

The image of a quiet young woman playing the piano was so captivating that many in the audience found themselves transfixed by her, paying no attention to what she was playing—at least not at first.

It wasn’t until her hands began to range more broadly and her fingers moved faster, the dense, passionate notes bursting forth, that the audience snapped out of their reverie in startled awe.

“This… this piece is actually really beautiful!”

“Of course! Liszt’s ‘La Campanella,’ a world-class masterpiece! How could it not be?” a music lover answered automatically.

“But this piece is so difficult! Even amateurs who reach the highest grade usually have to practice for over a year to master it. The techniques in it are insane.”

“Uh… I don’t get it, but it sure looks impressive.”

“Exactly! This piece exists purely to show off technical skill!”

And that guess was spot on. Chen Ruowen had chosen this piece precisely to showcase her skill.

In her view, musical laymen couldn’t really tell whether a piece was played well or not. Their only criteria were: “Does it sound good?” “Have I heard this before?” and “Does it look impressive when played?” They didn’t know how to analyze a performance professionally.

So, if she wanted them to “understand,” she had to pick a piece that was “beautiful,” “not too cliché but still recognizable,” and “visually dazzling.” With its varied techniques and wide range, “La Campanella” was her top choice for a showpiece.

Looking at the audience’s faces as she took her bow, Chen Ruowen knew she’d chosen well. Their eyes shone with amazement.

That winter, the sight of a white-clad young woman playing piano with elegant hands became the most beautiful memory of youth for many present on the campus of Nanda.

No one paid any attention to the last performance from Team One. As soon as Chen Ruowen left the stage, Team Four knew the victory was theirs.

Professor Yao, finishing off the formalities, had everyone vote anonymously for their favorite act. When the votes were tallied, Chen Ruowen won first place by a landslide with thirty votes—over half the total. Mo Xiaoxin’s recitation of pi also received more than ten votes, making Team Four’s victory a foregone conclusion.

“Congratulations,” Team One’s captain came over graciously after Professor Yao announced the winner. He hugged Wu Jie in a show of goodwill, but his eyes remained fixed on Chen Ruowen, who stood at the back, calm and silent.

“You've got a cheat code on your team. We can’t complain about losing.”

“A cheat code?” Wu Jie glanced at Chen Ruowen, his eyes shining with undisguised joy.

“That’s actually… a pretty accurate description!” he laughed.

That afternoon, Team Four’s members, summoned by Qiao Yusen’s message, filed one by one into his office.

“Which department?” Qiao Yusen leaned back in his chair, hands folded on his knees, his gaze through clean glasses resting on Chen Ruowen with a gentler look than he’d worn days before.

“If you haven’t decided, I can make some recommendations, for example—”

“No need.” Chen Ruowen cut him off decisively. She picked a pen from his holder, uncapped it, and, with a flourish, signed her name and chosen department on the form before her.

“The School of Medicine?” Qiao Yusen raised a refined eyebrow, clearly surprised by her choice.

“You don’t really seem like the doctor type.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Chen Ruowen tossed the pen back into the holder. Qiao Yusen’s eyes instinctively followed her movement.

“I don’t plan on being a doctor.”

“Then why choose Medicine?” Qiao Yusen asked, puzzled.

“What’s it to you?” Chen Ruowen stood up, waved a careless hand at him, and strode out, slamming the door behind her.

Qiao Yusen stared at the closed door for a long while before chuckling softly and picking up the application she’d left behind.

“Still as spirited as ever.”

…

Once the forms were filled, the exhilarated Team Four members launched into another celebratory meal. This one was more relaxed and joyful than all the previous ones, with laughter and chatter throughout. As captain, Wu Jie suggested the seven remaining Team Four members form a group chat to keep in touch going forward.

The moment Chen Ruowen returned to her dorm, she received six friend requests and a barrage of messages tagging her in the group.

Tall Gao: @Chen Ruowen, Ruowen, who’s the man in your profile picture?

Careful Xiaoxin Little Xin: You idiot! Obviously her boyfriend! Isn’t that right, Ruowen? @Chen Ruowen

Tall Gao: Angry.gif

Ah Jie: So is he your boyfriend or not? Ruowen, hurry and clarify! @Chen Ruowen

Is Bai Jinyan her boyfriend? Chen Ruowen sighed. This question…

She’d like to know the answer herself.

After a moment’s thought, she replied in the lively group chat with three words:

“Sooner or later.”

Careful Xiaoxin Little Xin: Ahhh! Ruowen, you’re so cool!

Ah Jie: Don’t tell me you’re chasing after him? Shocked whale.jpg

Grey Balloon: Ruowen chasing after someone? Impossible, right? Shocked whale.jpg

Cool Breeze: Shocked whale.jpg

Tall Gao: “Sooner or later,” so not at noon then?

It took Chen Ruowen a full second to parse Tall Gao’s meaning before she nearly dropped her phone with laughter. The group immediately responded with thumbs-up emojis for Tall Gao.

Ah Jie: 23333333333 Master of logic

Grey Balloon: Ingenious thinking

Cool Breeze: I admit defeat. Bowing to the master.jpg

Chen Ruowen: hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh