Chapter 156: Chapter 156: Trapped in the Piano Room
Gu Yan thought, even if she was parachuted in, it doesn’t interfere with them in any way. She’s in the music group, they’re in the model group, there’s no direct conflict of interest at all, so why are they so against her?
Some people’s thoughts are just that hard to guess, it’s impossible to understand the way their minds work.
Gu Yan sighed slightly, and glanced over at the two people again. They noticed her, whispered something to each other, stealing glances filled with obvious hostility.
Gu Yan felt completely innocent throughout.
After lunch, Gu Yan parted ways with Wang Qi, who returned to the office, while Gu Yan continued to the piano room for practice.
Gu Yan thought about what Wang Qi told her.
Don’t think of it as playing with an unresponsive left hand, imagine you’re using both hands perfectly in coordination.
Gu Yan closed her eyes, emptied her mind, and recalled being sent to piano lessons by her parents as a child; she fell in love at first sight with the pristine piano, with the black and white keys interweaving.
Afterwards, her parents placed great importance on nurturing her love of piano.
Those days were spent with the company of her parents, her mother’s gentle warmth, her father’s loving severity, and her favorite piano.
Back then, she had a complete family, no worries of food or clothing, living a carefree and happy life.
A comforting smile gradually appeared on her lips, and her whole body relaxed.
She lifted her left hand, placing it on the keys from memory, then lifted her right hand, gently placing it down, as if both hands were playing together.
She pressed the first note, then the second, as her left hand rhythmically danced across the keys, the melody of ’Kiss the Rain’ gradually taking shape, calming her mind further.
She was completely immersed in the world of piano, forgetting the uncooperative left hand, just focusing on playing the song, playing it to irrepressible completion.
Gu Yan undeniably had a natural talent for piano; her familiarity with it came not only from what she learned from books or computers, but from her deep love for it. The appearance of the piano, each key was etched deeply in her heart, allowing her to swiftly and accurately identify notes without seeing them.
She always felt the joy and peace the piano brought her with her heart.
As the piece ended, Gu Yan opened her eyes, staring blankly at her hands still resting on the keys. Her right hand remained unmoved, it was entirely her left hand that had completed it alone.
Had she actually achieved this?!
She played through ’Kiss the Rain’ so smoothly, with no pauses in between, not even a single wrong note.
Previously, it was always so stiff, lacking in skill, even she couldn’t bear to listen, but just now, she managed to play from start to finish flawlessly, a night-and-day difference from before.
It left her utterly astonished.
Yet she was immensely delighted that such an enormous, sudden improvement had landed her into a soft, rainbow-bubbling cloud.
This outcome further solidified her determination to persist in her practice without giving up.
She tried playing it once more, though the result was as awkward as before. Undeterred, she believed one success would lead to another.
She sought to recapture the earlier feeling, but it seemed elusive; suddenly it came, and suddenly it went, impossible to hold onto or decipher.
Patiently, she played it again and again, improving bit by bit, though progress wasn’t obvious, she kept trying to keep that free-flowing feeling alive in her hands and heart.
She lost track of how many times she played, her hands feeling nearly numb yet she didn’t want to stop, thinking that feeling could return at any moment, and she didn’t want to miss it.
Wang Qi’s words suddenly echoed in her mind, not to force herself to think of anything specific, just to imagine she was playing the piano...
She no longer looked at the keys, closing her eyes, trying her best to relax, not to cling to anything consciously, only focusing on playing well, not minding whether her right hand was injured or how uncomfortable her left hand was, just playing.
The special feeling quickly passed by, and at that moment, Gu Yan pressed the first note and began to play again.
’Kiss the Rain’ is a calm and soothing piece, not requiring dexterity or speed, but a steady pace, perfectly fitting Gu Yan’s current state of mind.
Once again, she played through it smoothly, opening her eyes with an incredibly content heart.
This method really worked!
Wang Qi was indeed a great help to her!
She decided to treat Wang Qi to dinner today, seizing the chance to seek more insights and knowledge about the piano.
She couldn’t compare to Wang Qi at all, as Wang Qi was an experienced pianist. If not for her indifference to fame or steady family background, preferring to stay out of the limelight, she wouldn’t be just an ordinary employee at Tang Group, but a renowned pianist.
Tang Group truly housed great talents, stirring constant excitement within Gu Yan.
She felt immensely honored to be working with such a group.
After all, she was just an unnoticed nobody, with no talents or remarkable traits.
This feeling was like a pebble among a pile of shining gold, glowing all around, but she remained plain and unremarkable.
Within this group, she more determinedly wanted to prove that she wasn’t just for show, even if she wasn’t as outstanding as them, she too had her shining points, refusing to be looked down upon.
Once she found the knack, Gu Yan practiced more diligently, relying on her memories of the piano, closing her eyes and playing repeatedly.
But the melody that followed had an intentional feel to it, deliberately ignoring certain elements, trying hard to play well. So, despite much progress, it lost that particular taste.
Gu Yan didn’t feel discouraged, but rather happy. At least, using her left hand alone wasn’t so stiff anymore. While not exactly flexible, she could basically keep up with the rhythm and not play the wrong scale.
Gu Yan’s mood became increasingly relaxed, her nerves no longer so tense. When she continued practicing, it felt even smoother and more relaxed.
Gu Yan suddenly understood that piano playing and one’s state of mind are greatly connected.
Previously, she always focused on improving the flexibility of her left hand. Her body and nerves were highly tense, and her mood wasn’t relaxed. Over and over, she couldn’t play well, leading to some frustration and low spirits inside.
But once she relaxed, she realized it was just her mood playing tricks on her.
As a person naturally relaxes, your body will become softer, and your fingers will become more agile.
This quickly explained why she could gracefully use her fingers away from the piano but would become short-circuited once at the keyboard.
During her subsequent practice, Gu Yan was always relaxed and casual, yet the results were very significant.
She could casually use her left hand to play a piece that had a hint of cheerfulness.
Some say you can hear a person’s heart through their piano music, and Gu Yan believed this was true.
She was now pouring all her mood into the music.
Feeling that the score she had wasn’t suitable for her current cheerful mood, she searched through her mind and casually played "Always With Me."
This was a rather cheerful piece, containing a simple joy and emotion.
It was her first time playing this song, yet it felt as if she had played it many times before, though unfamiliar, still smooth.
Gu Yan had a smile on her face the whole time, playing it over and over.
But she didn’t forget the serious matter. She needed to focus on other pieces for assessment, so she concentrated on practicing those two.
Time flew by, and when You Shuyang’s call came in, she still couldn’t stop.
"Miss Gu, will you wait upstairs for the general manager to finish work today, or what?"
"No need, you tell Tang Yuxiu that I have plans to dine with colleagues today to discuss piano matters. I won’t be going back with him; let him go home by himself after work. I’ll return after having dinner."
Hmm, today’s response was different again, and You Shuyang sought Tang Yuxiu’s guidance.
Tang Yuxiu frowned slightly, having dinner with colleagues? Consult about the piano?
Her passion for the piano really exceeded his imagination, having even set him aside.
But it seemed Young Master Tang forgot what his relationship with Gu Yan was, and he had no right to be eating vinegar over this.
Yet, he didn’t even realize that he was like a resentful husband waiting alone.
"Tell her not to stay out too late, to be home before it gets dark, and to call me if anything comes up."
You Shuyang conveyed Tang Yuxiu’s words, Gu Yan agreed, said no more, and hung up the call, only for her phone to prompt that it automatically shut down due to low battery.
Gu Yan, "..." She forgot to charge it yesterday.
She didn’t mind much, casually slipped it into her pocket, and planned to play "Kiss the Rain" once more before going to find Wang Qi for dinner.
However, as she left the cubicle and attempted to pull the piano room door open, she found she couldn’t.
Gu Yan tried several more times, but still couldn’t move it.
She frowned, what’s going on? Is there a problem with the door?
Gu Yan banged on the door hard and shouted loudly, "Is anyone out there? Anyone?"
Pressing her ear against the door to listen for sounds outside, she heard nothing. Gu Yan frowned. Was the door’s soundproofing too good?
It was the end of the workday; there shouldn’t be no one around. Many people would go to the bathroom after finishing work, and the path outside led to the bathroom. Why was there no sound at all?
She banged on the door several more times, "Anyone there? Could someone help open the door?"
She called out many times, each louder than the last, yet with her ear pressed to the door, she still heard nothing.
Was there really no one?
Just as she was feeling frustrated, she suddenly heard faint voices outside.
"What are you guys doing?"
Lin Fei passed by on the way to the bathroom and saw two people acting suspiciously at the piano room door.
Yao Xue jumped in surprise, seeing Lin Fei, frowned, "It’s none of your business; you’d better not get involved."