The last note of the piece hung in the air, silencing the hall.
Under Ren Yuanhao’s interpretation, the piece "Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence" pushed the feeling of loneliness to its extreme.
After a long moment, the audience seemed to recover from the melancholic yet poignant melody.
Beside Ren Yuanhao, a musician couldn't help but shed tears. He made no effort to hide his emotions, tightly grasping Ren Yuanhao's hand as tears streamed down his face. He whispered, "Young Master Ren, every note of this piece was perfect. It was as if the professor himself were here. More importantly, this piece of yours sent me drifting through memories of the past. I thought of my first love who practiced piano with me, the sunsets, the wilting fallen leaves, the big yellow dog who crossed the railway tracks to greet me, the scent of rice paddies, the haystacks. If it weren't for this piece, these images I've long since cast aside might never have resonated so deeply with me."
In truth, when Ren Yuanhao played the piece, he was merely thinking of memories that should have been firmly etched in his mind but had been smoothed over by time.
To be born without words to express is sorrow; to have no more vows to make is grief. Ren Yuanhao looked back at his past. After graduating from university, he found himself without any close friends. This was the unspoken sorrow. Being single for 27 years was the unmade vow. He merely conveyed his own emotions through the piano keys and the notes.
Conveniently, he also possessed the professor's buff, which made it all possible.
"Brother Ren, this music belongs to the heavens. I must propose a toast to you."
Liu Qing raised his glass and met Ren Yuanhao, who had returned to the dining table. Though his expression was unreadable, the tremor in his hand as he held the glass betrayed his inner turmoil.
"Frankly, I know nothing about music. But I believe good music doesn't just change moods or alter listeners' emotions; it resonates with their current state of mind."
Liu Qing's praise was effusive, his admiration evident without a trace of pretense.
Meanwhile, Bai Yan's face had turned ashen. His original intention was to win the favor of Yang Lingxue and her mother through an elegant performance. Who would have thought that Ren Yuanhao, a mere accountant, possessed such profound musical talent!
This was an unforeseen turn of events, impossible to guard against. However, Ren Yuanhao's words before the performance seemed to present an opportunity to stir trouble!
He would not let any chance to reverse his fate slip away.
"Hahahaha, how amusing, Ren Yuanhao. Are you playing this solitary, melancholic piano piece in this sophisticated hall to garner everyone's sympathy?"
Bai Yan's laughter grew sharper. "This is a world where the strong prey on the weak. The strong join forces, and the weak are laughable even in their existence. If Lingxue hadn't been tricked by you, would you have had the chance to step foot in here today!"
"Yes, if it weren't for Lingxue, I truly wouldn't have had the chance to sit here with you all today. But don't think that just because you're here, you have a chance to take Lingxue away from me! What gave you this illusion? Is it your self-important family background? Or the power in your hands?"
Ren Yuanhao hit the nail on the head, enraging Bai Yan.
"That's right, so what if it's family background? So what if it's power? Do you have any? You fly of resentment towards the rich, and your approach to Lingxue is merely to climb the social ladder. I've long seen through your intentions as a pretty boy!"
"From the start, when you were seated at the far end, you harbored jealousy, which is why you deliberately played that piece to gain sympathy. Well done, you see? That musician is moved to tears by you, and even this elite from the financial sector is swayed. But look, Uncle, Auntie, are they even slightly moved? Tricks like yours can only fool the naive!"
Bai Yan seemed to be seeking help from his uncle, but the uncle, who had been trying to set him up, shook his head.
"Bai Yan, you are mistaken."
"I'm mistaken? What did I do wrong?" Bai Yan grew increasingly agitated. He slowly took a box from his pocket and walked directly to Yang Lingxue, suddenly kneeling before her.
"Lingxue, marry me. I can give you anything you want. Look, open it and see. This is a South African gem, one of only a dozen or so in existence. To get this, I pulled every string to have it brought back from overseas!"
Bai Yan extended his hand to her, about to place the gem into her palm!
But at that moment, Yang Lingxue pulled her hand away from Bai Yan and looked at Ren Yuanhao. "This gem is indeed beautiful, and I like it very much. But I don't like you. Is that reason enough?"
"No, it's impossible. No woman who sees this gem wouldn't be moved!"
"Then you can consider me a man. I don't dislike it; I just don't like you. Don't you understand yet?"
Yang Lingxue's every word was like a sharp blade piercing Bai Yan. His face turned deathly pale, and his posture shifted from kneeling on one knee to kneeling on both.
Ren Yuanhao suddenly felt a pang of pity. After all, he was merely going through the motions. To extinguish Bai Yan's hopes like this seemed too cruel.
"Did I do something wrong to make you dislike me so much?" Bai Yan's voice was squeezed from his throat, dry as an old erhu.
Yang Lingxue shook her head and said calmly, "It's not dislike... it's just not liking."
"It seems you're hopelessly in love with that poor boy?"
Ren Yuanhao felt two sharp gazes directed at him.
One was so chilling it sent a shiver down his spine, the other so scorching it burned his eyes.
Everyone held their breath, seemingly awaiting Yang Lingxue's answer.
"Yes, I like him. Even if in your eyes he's a loser, a pauper, trash that can't even be bothered to get off the wall, I still like him!"
Yang Lingxue's declaration silenced the entire hall.
—Miss Yang, you deserve the 2021 Oscar for Best Actress!
Ren Yuanhao deliberately avoided Yang Lingxue's gaze. Just then, the situation took a sudden turn, and Bai Yan inexplicably produced a dagger!
"DiDi, detected threat to employer's life. Recommend saving the damsel to increase favorable rating!"
Before the crowd could even cry out, Ren Yuanhao flashed forward. Before the blade could slice Yang Lingxue's throat, he managed to grab it barehanded!
"Yuanhao!"
Blood flowed down his palm. Bai Yan, whose anger had merely been boiling, had intended to scare Yang Lingxue. He never expected Ren Yuanhao to risk his life to save her, and instantly realized that his last glimmer of hope had been extinguished.
"Who are you?!"
"Who am I?! You want to hurt my woman? That's impossible in your next life!"