The room was filled with parents from Ren De School and others attending the concert. Upon hearing An An's audacious claim, they all shook their heads.
"A newborn calf fears no tiger, indeed!"
"Does he even know who Gu Yue is? The Classical Music Research Institute is not something one can simply get into!"
"This child is only a few years old, isn't he? He thinks he's arrogant because he knows a little something."
Despite the lack of support, An An walked onto the stage step by step.
He accepted the prosthetic finger picks prepared by the staff and quickly put them on. He looked at Gu Yue and asked, "Did you say that my mother's compositions are not suitable for the guzheng?"
Gu Yue's face contorted with sarcasm. "Yes."
How could such complex variations possibly be suitable? She had practiced for so long and still couldn't play according to the original rhythm, which had led to her being beaten many times.
An An's face hardened, and he turned to the staff. "Sister, could you please provide the sheet music for a composition by my mother?"
"A composition by R?" The staff, who had been somewhat bewildered by the unfolding drama, tentatively asked.
An An nodded. "Yes."
R's compositions were beloved by guzheng enthusiasts, but their high difficulty had even led to the circulation of simplified versions online.
Where there was a guzheng, how could R's music be absent?
Soon, the staff brought a piece of sheet music – the original guzheng score for "Zhan" (Battle). Just looking at the fingering variations marked on it was enough to consider it a compilation of advanced techniques.
Gu Yue's eyes twitched as she looked at the original score of "Zhan."
"I said yesterday that I would no longer play R's compositions," she muttered, recalling her words from the previous day.
An An smiled sweetly. "You said it wasn't suitable for the guzheng. Could it be because you can't play it?"
The child's innocent words, however, stirred up a storm.
"How could that be!" Gu Yue raised her head haughtily. "Very well, I'll make an exception and play with you!"
An An looked at Huo Rou from afar, a hint of cunning in his eyes. Huo Rou shook her head helplessly.
This mischievous child was starting to provoke again.
Since Gu Yue had agreed to play, according to the rules, the younger performer would go first, followed by the senior performer offering guidance.
The staff guided An An towards a child-sized guzheng. An An shook his head. "Sister, please get me a higher stool."
An adult guzheng was too high and long for a child like An An, who was five or six years old. The strings were also harder, making it difficult for a child's strength to handle certain techniques like vibrato.
"Child, you should just play the smaller one. Don't pretend you can do more than you can," a spectator from the audience below advised softly, unable to watch.
An An, however, insisted on using the adult guzheng.
"If you insist on playing this, and your hands can't reach, don't blame me for bullying a child," Gu Yue said coolly from the side. "Why don't you switch back to your children's instrument?"
An An climbed onto the high stool that the staff had brought. He looked at Gu Yue with a serious and earnest expression. "The fingering techniques here can only be fully showcased on an adult guzheng."
"Furthermore, this piece is filled with a spirit of battle. A child guzheng's timbre cannot express such an artistic conception." After saying this, An An smiled slightly, with a hint of mischief in his eyes, and asked, "Auntie, you don't know this?"
An An's words were very professional, and the murmurs from the audience subsided.
Yes, how could Gu Yue not know?
Her suggestion for An An to use a child's guzheng was not out of kindness, but possibly a deliberate attempt to pressure him.
How could Gu Yue be like this?
Gu Yue's fans in the audience began to doubt her. Only Gu Yue knew that she genuinely had no such intention; she had long forgotten what An An had said.
An An sat down, looked carefully at the score, and took a deep breath.
He lifted his wrists, plucked the strings, rapidly switching between large and small tremolos, and executed clean, fluid arpeggios…
An An, whose hand span was just enough to cover an octave, played the constantly changing piece with incredible dexterity. The melody was majestic, and the tense and fierce atmosphere intensified.
In the most intense and rapidly changing sections, An An showed no signs of strain. The audience was completely immersed in the burning spirit of battle.
It was as if they were on a battlefield, surrounded by a cacophony of combat, smoke billowing, and fires raging.
As the battle concluded, the smoke gradually dispersed, and the melody softened into a slow, heavy rhythm that struck a chord in everyone's hearts.
"Zhan" was fierce, passionate, and filled with murderous intent; it was also lonely, sorrowful, and ravaged.
The song "Zhan" suddenly gained a tangible visual dimension, something they had never experienced despite listening to it countless times before.
So, R's compositions could be even more exquisite!
Everyone was lost in the lingering, profound final notes, unable to break free for a long time.
Gu Yue's face turned red. How could this be?
She had practiced for so long and could only manage to play it somewhat. How could this child, in addition to playing the melody, also consider the emotional nuances?
Dynamics, volume, and intensity – these were things only those who had mastered the instrument would consider.
"Next, we invite our senior performer, Gu Yue, to play and offer her guidance."
The host smiled and gestured for Gu Yue to come and perform.
Gu Yue stood frozen. The gap was so vast that she knew there was a difference just by hearing it.
She was afraid.
"I've thought about it. I must adhere to my promise. I said I would no longer play R's compositions, so I regret that I cannot perform again." Gu Yue said, trying to maintain her composure.
The audience below, however, was not convinced. Some of her loyal fans shouted, "Gu Yue, play it for him! Let him know what distance is, what disparity is. Stop boasting all day long!"
"Gu Yue, play a piece! Play a piece!" Her fans, unwilling to see Gu Yue's reputation tarnished, shouted for her to accept the challenge.
The other spectators, however, secretly wondered if Gu Yue was afraid.
After all, "Zhan" had become immensely popular last year. Qin Jiejian's clear, high-pitched voice, coupled with the intense melody, made the climax a must-play song during school breaks.
Those who had heard it naturally felt a sense of catharsis. To be honest, the two synthesized audio clips Gu Yue had used for accompaniment at the time lacked the impact of the current performance.
"I…" Gu Yue clenched her fists in anger. The prosthetic finger picks dug into her palms, and beads of blood began to seep out. Shame and sadness overwhelmed her.
She collapsed onto the ground.
Along with her collapse, her reputation and fan club followed.
In an instant, R's popularity reached its peak, and An An's performance of "Zhan" at the concert also trended on hot searches.
Netizens marveled, realizing how magnificent R's compositions could be when played well.
The mother and son left as if nothing had happened, happily buying pastries that Elder Wang liked and heading home.
"You two caused such a stir on this outing?" Elder Wang's trembling hand held up his phone, showing them a trending video.
"Your hand?" Huo Rou instinctively felt something was wrong. Ever since he drank that bottle of medicine, Elder Wang's hands had become steadier day by day. How could this be?