After glancing through the sheet music, Liu Manman was surprised to find that it actually seemed quite good.
“Did you really finish this in just one day?” Liu Manman couldn’t believe it.
“The main melody was already set, so it was quick to complete the rest,” An Siyao replied, following the explanation Xia Yu had prepared earlier.
“So you already knew yesterday that one day would be enough?” Liu Manman turned to Xia Yu.
Xia Yu nodded.
Liu Manman helplessly dropped her hand and began doubting herself.
It wasn’t just that An Siyao had accomplished something Liu considered impossible—what truly unsettled her was Xia Yu’s unwavering trust in An Siyao.
Is what I deny so natural and unquestionable to them?
Is this the world of geniuses?
Just like the protagonist in a manga.
The main characters work together and accomplish the impossible, while I’m just the bystander shouting it’s impossible and embarrassing myself!
“Let me calm down for a moment,” Liu Manman said, sitting on the sofa to the side. She remained discouraged for ten minutes, then drank a can of cola and finally regained her energy.
“Let’s give it a try,” she said.
Just looking at the sheet music wouldn’t tell her much; she needed to play it to know how the piece truly sounded.
“This is a piece for guzheng, dizi, and sheng. Do you play the sheng too?” Liu Manman asked An Siyao in surprise.
“I’ll play the dizi,” An Siyao said.
“But I don’t know how to play the sheng!” Liu Manman looked at Xia Yu.
Xia Yu nodded.
“Then let’s go ahead,” Liu Manman said energetically.
“No,” An Siyao shook her head. “I can’t play the dizi yet.”
“You can’t play it? Then how are you going to perform?” Liu Manman looked at An Siyao in disbelief.
“It’s okay. I’ll learn it in three or four days,” An Siyao replied.
“How is that possible? Right, Xia Yu?” Liu Manman turned to Xia Yu again.
Xia Yu nodded, but not in agreement with Liu Manman’s doubt—instead, he supported An Siyao’s confidence.
“Then let’s practice together in three or four days,” Xia Yu suggested.
Liu Manman was about to say something else when a sudden realization struck her.
This scene felt familiar—it was exactly like yesterday when they arranged the music!
That’s right, this was trust between geniuses! If An Siyao was willing, she could definitely learn the dizi in three or four days!
If someone could compose a song in just one day, why couldn’t they learn an instrument in three or four?
“Then let’s start practicing now,” Liu Manman turned to Xia Yu again.
“No,” Xia Yu also shook her head. “I’m not yet proficient with the sheng. I need three or four days to practice.”
Not only was there an issue with the dizi over there, but now the sheng had problems too!
However, with enough determination, any difficulty could be overcome!
“I believe in both of you!” Liu Manman said solemnly.
At that moment, she felt she had grown—she had taken another step closer to the world of geniuses!
“Then we’ll meet again in four days,” Xia Yu said, picking up An Siyao’s sheng. “Can I borrow this? I didn’t bring mine.”
Together with Liu Manman, the two left An Siyao’s house and returned home.
On the way back, Liu Manman calmed down.
Just moments ago, she had believed in Xia Yu and An Siyao purely on impulse. Now that her enthusiasm had faded, doubts crept into her mind.
“How good are you at playing the sheng now?” Liu Manman asked.
Xia Yu picked up the sheng and played a simple tune called “Two Little Rabbits.”
Although it sounded decent, Liu Manman inwardly screamed, This level definitely won’t work!
She immediately called An Siyao to ask about her dizi skills.
An Siyao played a practice piece for her.
It wasn’t “Two Little Rabbits,” which relieved Liu Manman slightly, but she still worried even more about An Siyao than about Xia Yu:
Didn’t you pause in the middle? You definitely paused! Can’t you even play a simple practice piece well?
Liu Manman felt deeply pessimistic about what lay ahead.
What kind of people am I even working with!
Well, the third piece was an unexpected bonus anyway. It wouldn’t be a big loss if it failed.
After giving up, Liu Manman relaxed and took out the sheet music, casually practicing her guzheng part.
Meanwhile, Xia Yu didn’t rush to practice the sheng. Instead, he went to An Siyao’s place to teach her how to play the dizi.
Four days passed quickly. There were two days left before the deadline for submitting the third piece’s video and audio.
That morning, Liu Manman was in the music room, casually practicing the guzheng without much focus. She was completely indifferent.
After all, Xia Yu and An Siyao were practically starting from zero. Right now, she was the most skilled among them—she really didn’t need to work hard anymore.
No matter how she thought about it, the third piece had no chance of success. Trying hard would be pointless.
Besides, she had been observing Xia Yu. He spent each day doing who-knows-what inside his room and rarely practiced the sheng.
He kept saying he believed in An Siyao, claiming he could master the sheng in just four days—but deep down, he probably didn’t believe it either, right?
That’s why he was so slack!
And I, the unfortunate one dragged into this, actually spent four hours every day practicing seriously. How dedicated of me.
After finishing a piece, Liu Manman sighed, thinking how her hardworking nature would surely put her at a disadvantage in the real world.
What she didn’t know was that Xia Yu’s music skill was already at level 5. Plus, he was playing his own composition, and with his dizi technique, he could master the sheng in a short time.
As for An Siyao, she had an even greater advantage—an external aid similar to memory immersion training.
“Liu Manman!” Xia Yu’s voice came from downstairs. It was time to go to An Siyao’s place.
“Coming!” Liu Manman placed the guzheng in her bag and headed downstairs.
The two arrived at An Siyao’s practice room, where An Siyao had already been waiting.
“Let’s begin.”
Watching An Siyao and Xia Yu carefully take out the dizi and sheng, Liu Manman couldn’t help but smile.
These two really looked the part.
The piece began with An Siyao’s turn first.
A melodious dizi sound filled the room, flowing smoothly and naturally.
Liu Manman’s heart skipped a beat. This dizi playing seemed already as good as hers.
Then came the harmony of the sheng.
The dizi and sheng intertwined seamlessly, inseparable.
Wow, this sheng…
Liu Manman felt alarmed. When it was her turn to play, she hurriedly joined in but missed the timing slightly. Compared to the dizi and sheng’s fluency, she was clearly behind.
When the piece ended, under An Siyao and Xia Yu’s gazes, Liu Manman felt deeply ashamed.
Why are you both so skilled!
You both didn’t know how to play any of this four days ago!
Damn it, so trust between geniuses is real! And was Xia Yu’s lack of practice just the arrogance of a genius!
Am I, an ordinary person, really just dragging them down the moment I slack off even a little!
Ashamed, Liu Manman bowed deeply. “I’m really sorry. I’ll definitely practice extra tonight!”
“I’ll help you practice,” Xia Yu picked up the guzheng nearby.
An Siyao picked up the dizi again and continued playing. Since the sheng was only for harmony, and the guzheng needed to accompany the dizi, they could still practice without the sheng.
Expecting to be the best, Liu Manman ended up at the bottom. Now receiving guidance from the two, she felt a complex mix of emotions.
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