Chapter 23: Shall I smash it then?
The piano was quickly moved to the practice room. Isabella sat in front of it, feeling at a loss as she looked at the priceless instrument she had never touched before and turned helplessly to Olivia.
“Livi, I’ll pay you back for this in the future.” For Isabella, a piano costing over three million was something she couldn’t even dream of owning.
Olivia shrugged noncommittally. To Isabella, three million might seem like an astronomical figure, but once she reached the pinnacle of the art world, such money would be insignificant.
“Livi, I’m afraid to play.” Isabella’s family piano had been sold before the school term started, and she hadn’t touched a piano for over half a year.
Olivia took the milk tea from the clerk and, sipping through the straw, rested one hand on the piano. “Shall I smash it then?”
The clerk’s eyes nearly popped out. Smash a piano worth over three million? The guest must be incredibly rich and capricious!
Isabella was so shocked she nearly lost her breath. “No, no, no. I’ll go wash my hands first.” Isabella awkwardly got up and hurried to the restroom, washing her hands repeatedly seven or eight times before returning to sit in front of the piano.
“Livi, what piece should I play?”
Olivia pulled out a stack of sheet music from her canvas bag and placed it in front of Isabella. “This one.”
Isabella glanced at the sheet music, hesitated for a moment, and slowly placed her hands on the piano. Her back was tense, and her fingertips lightly touched the keys, producing a series of pleasant notes. The clerk, recognizing the situation, discreetly withdrew. As a Carlos Harmonies employee, he had seen countless pieces of sheet music, but the one Olivia had pulled out was unfamiliar to him. Combined with Isabella’s stiff posture, it seemed like they were just playing around.
The slightly awkward notes connected under Isabella’s fingertips, and she played cautiously, as if afraid of damaging the keys. The piece sounded somewhat rough. Olivia did not rush her but quietly sipped her milk tea while listening.
As the music filled the room, the rhythm under Isabella’s fingers gradually became fluid. The somber, oppressive prelude, with each note, slowly rose to a soaring climax, like a fiery blaze rolling in hell, pulling one into an endless abyss. Isabella’s gaze shifted from timid to determined. Everything around her disappeared from her sight as she seemed to immerse herself in the world of music. Olivia closed her eyes; a smile spread across her face.
Neither of them noticed an elderly man who had approached the open door of the practice room. Upon hearing the music, his eyes flashed with surprise and approval.
When the piece ended, Isabella came back to her senses, panting lightly and blinking, with a drop of sweat on her forehead. “It sounds beautiful,” Olivia said with a smile, looking at Isabella. Though initially nervous, Isabella’s performance later was flawless and flowing. No wonder the Isabella of the previous life was noticed by that musician. Despite not having touched a piano for over half a year, she played so perfectly—truly a prodigy.
Isabella blushed, feeling uncomfortable with the praise. As Isabella was shy, a venerable voice suddenly came from the doorway. “Beautifully played. It’s been a long time since I’ve heard such a stunning performance.”
The sudden voice startled Isabella. Olivia looked up and saw an elderly man, dressed simply with graying temples, smiling at them. Just one glance, and Olivia recognized him immediately: Sebastian, the top pianist in the country and a renowned figure in the international music scene! In her previous life, it was he who discovered Isabella’s talent by chance. Though Olivia had remained with the Wilson family and hadn’t interacted much with Isabella after graduation, she had always kept an eye on her friend. She had read reports about Sebastian’s intention to take Isabella as his student.