Chapter 356: Striking Resemblance

At first glance, Cecilia noticed the woman in the video resembled a young Paula. As a child, she had immensely admired Paula, often sneaking peeks at videos of the younger dancer. Paula had started her career as a ballet dancer.

"Boss, are you done? What do you think?"

Regaining her composure, Cecilia dismissed it as a coincidental resemblance. "It's quite good. However, I'd like to wait and see."

"All right, I'll keep their contact information for now."

"All right." Cecilia ended the call. She dared not rewatch the video; the memory that immediately flooded her mind was of her childhood, the moment she’d asked Paula for dance lessons and been cruelly mocked.

"You're deaf! You can't dance when you can't even hear the beat clearly. Do you think you can keep up with the rhythm? Don't embarrass me," Paula had sneered.

Later, Cecilia stood on a stage herself, a successful dancer. Yet Paula had never once praised her achievements. "What's the point of working so hard? Some things can't be achieved just by effort," Paula had said contemptuously. "People like you, born with a disability, should stick to what disabled people can do. Don't even dream about great success overnight. You're simply not cut out for dancing."

Despite the constant discouragement, Cecilia persevered. One day, at a competition, someone stole her hearing aid. Onstage, she heard only a cacophony, unable to discern the melody. Her performance was riddled with errors, resulting in her elimination. Returning home, Paula destroyed her dance costume and tossed her shoes in the trash. "Don't you dare dance again," she'd threatened. "If I ever see you dancing, I'll break your legs."

Reflecting on the past, Cecilia curled up, trembling. The childhood pain felt insurmountable.

Inside the music room, lost in painful memories, Cecilia was oblivious to the arrival of Nathaniel. "Ceci," he said.

His familiar voice pulled her back to the present. She turned to see him.

"Why are you here?" she asked hoarsely.

Nathaniel, his sight lost but hearing acutely heightened, approached. He wanted to comfort her but feared rejection, so he sat at the piano. Under Cecilia's watchful gaze, his slender fingers touched the keys. He played a gentle melody, instinctively, though he couldn't recall learning it.

Cecilia stared. "You know how to play the piano?" She’d always assumed he couldn't, given his past complaints about her piano playing.

The melody ended. "Not entirely," he admitted.

He then played a piece she had recently composed, having simply listened and retained it. As he played, he pointed out areas for improvement. "I feel like this bit could be changed." After his suggestion, the piece sounded perfect.

Cecilia's perception of him shifted. Nathaniel didn't rely on fate; he relied on himself. She immediately revised the problematic sections.

Before dinner, with Nathaniel's help, Cecilia had miraculously corrected all the issues.

"Did you really lose your memory?" she asked incredulously.