Chapter 107: Fine Snow

The brisk prelude began under An Siyao’s fingers.

Xia Yu quickly recognized the piece; it was a popular piano piece called “Fine Snow.”

Originally, this melody was a folk tune from a small country, later dramatically adapted by a pianist during World War II, who completely changed the tune while preserving the original emotional essence.

The original folk tune was inspired by a widely known folk story from that country.

The protagonist of the story was an ancient general from that country, and the narrative unfolded before the general rose to prominence.

“Fine Snow” refers to a special kind of rice. After undergoing a difficult production process, this rice becomes cool and fragrant, possessing pain-relieving and anti-inflammatory properties.

At that time, the general, still a minor leader, was often wounded during the anti-invasion war. In ancient times, wound infections were a major cause of soldiers’ deaths. The reaper was merciless and spared no one, not even the general.

To help him, his wife made this rice for his use.

Unfamiliar with “Fine Snow,” the general mistook it for regular medicine. With this aid, he performed bravely on the battlefield and was soon noticed and promoted.

After repelling the invaders, the general rose from a minor leader to become a retainer of the city lord. He was riding high on success, yet his wife gradually weakened.

The general tried numerous methods to save her but failed.

After her death, while sorting through her belongings, he discovered the truth about her passing from a scroll.

Producing “Fine Snow” was a complex process requiring manual work, combining the rice with a herb called “Snake Persimmon.”

However, Snake Persimmon was highly toxic.

Though the story was tragic, the main mood of “Fine Snow” was cheerful.

Under the light and joyful melody lay a subtle sadness.

The piece was written from the wife’s perspective, pouring out her feelings.

Even as her life gradually faded, her heart remained joyful because the rice she made saved her beloved.

Closing her eyes, An Siyao infused her emotions into the piano piece, conveying them through the echoing music.

Her performance captivated the audience below, but the judges on stage detected some dissonance.

It was too sweet.

The sorrowful parts were barely perceptible, while the cheerful sections overflowed with joy. This was not a tragic love song about sacrificing one’s life for another; it was more like a declaration of love, a promise to give everything for one’s beloved.

As An Siyao reached the transitional section of the piece, her fingers hesitated briefly, and she softly coughed.

The cough did not disrupt her playing, but the emotional tone of the music subtly changed afterward.

This shift occurred because An Siyao’s emotions had changed.

Coughing while playing was already a significant mistake. An Siyao glanced at the camera, a sense of sorrow rising within her. She grieved that she could not deliver a perfect performance.

This sorrow manifested in the music, growing stronger and intertwining with the cheerful melody. Eventually, as the music concluded, it lingered in the air above the concert hall.

“Bravo!” Four out of the five judges clapped first.

“Even if Jiulang were alive today, he couldn’t surpass this level,” the remaining judge gave an exceptionally high appraisal.

However, An Siyao felt no joy inside. She remained preoccupied with her cough.

“Has your health not improved yet?” a judge asked, showing concern.

“Just a cold,” An Siyao replied.

“It’s okay. There are still five days until the final. Rest well.”

After further analysis of An Siyao’s “Fine Snow,” the judges spent four or five times longer on her evaluation than on other competitors. Only after hints from the producer did the five judges reluctantly stop talking.

After leaving the stage, An Siyao did not stay to listen to the remaining performances and left the concert hall with her teacher.

With An Siyao’s performance setting the bar, the subsequent performances lost the interest of both the audience and the judges.

After the competition, Xia Yu returned to the hotel, still reminiscing about An Siyao’s rendition of “Fine Snow.” It was truly an irresistible piece.

He also worried about An Siyao’s health. Although it didn’t seem serious, she was still unwell.

He could temporarily set aside his plans regarding the white cat and visit An Siyao tomorrow.

Although the competition had ended, everyone stayed at the same hotel. After tomorrow’s announcement of the finalists, there would be a party where he could see An Siyao again.

After going to bed, Xia Yu fell asleep.

The next day, his plans encountered a slight problem—An Siyao did not appear at the party.

Fundamentally, An Siyao was also someone who preferred staying at home. Moreover, she remembered Xia Yu’s words about returning within ten to fifteen days. Since ten days had already passed, she waited in her bedroom for convenience.

At the party, the list of finalists was announced—ten people in total, including Xia Yu.

Five days later, on December 1st, the final would take place, with ten contestants competing for the top ten rankings in the region.

Unlike athletic competitions, music contests didn’t require head-to-head battles, so the final would involve all ten participants.

If there were only two finalists, each playing one piece with judges’ comments, the competition would end in just a few minutes. Even if the organizers agreed, the audience below would never accept such brevity.

After returning from the party, Xia Yu went to visit the white cat again to check on Tina’s new home, not wanting to waste today’s gaming time.

It was a wooden villa with two floors and a small attic. The villa was large, but the interior decoration was very simple.

Inside were three empty rooms, and Tina chose the smallest one. A larger room would make the girl uneasy.

Lying beside Tina and feeling the comfort emanating from her, Xia Yu fell asleep contentedly.

Falling asleep beside Tina while using the white cat’s body was an ultimate pleasure.

A night passed, and when dawn broke, Xia Yu returned to his own body.

He thought to himself that he really needed to acquire the telepathy skill soon—it was such an enjoyable experience.

He planned to see if he could meet An Siyao today. If not, he would go to the white cat’s place to level up his skills.

Wait, today was Sunday; there was no school.

He could only wait until tomorrow. The day after tomorrow was the final, and after that, he could return to An Siyao.

At noon, Xia Yu went to the hotel’s upper-level restaurant for breakfast. It was the hotel’s own restaurant, with decent food, though far from matching An Siyao’s cooking or even slightly inferior to the chefs at Dongzhiang Academy.

He hadn’t eaten baiyu dumplings in a long time.

While having lunch, his phone rang.

It was a childhood friend of his. The friend’s father had worked closely with Xia Dongyang for several years, so Xia Yu had a good relationship with him. Later, when the friend’s father went to prison, their contact gradually faded.

After Xia Dongyang disappeared, Xia Yu had asked him to investigate, and it seemed he now had some news.

Indeed, the call was about Xia Dongyang.

“He’s in Afang?” Xia Yu was surprised.

“Yeah, a friend of mine supervises a construction site in Afang, and Xia Dongyang found work under him.”

After asking for the construction site’s location and the name of his friend, Xia Yu hung up.

Xia Dongyang actually went to work on a construction site?

Xia Yu found it hard to believe.

Had he been possessed by someone from Earth?

Quickly finishing his lunch, Xia Yu decided to go and see for himself.

Before stepping out of the hotel, his phone rang again.

This time, the caller was Youxue.

Pressing the answer button, his sister’s energetic voice came through: “Brother, guess where I am now?”

Minimizing the call interface, Xia Yu checked Youxue’s phone location—it was right beside him.

Looking around, he spotted Youxue. She was walking toward the hotel with the principal’s best friend, the Chinese teacher.

No wonder the principal had mentioned giving him a surprise yesterday—it turned out he had brought Youxue.

Silently approaching from behind, Xia Yu tapped the girl’s shoulder.