Chapter 55: He Was Stupid Enough to Believe a Fool’s Piano Skills
Shen Yuan listened as the originally sorrowful music transformed into a cacophonous carnival piece. His brow furrowed deeply; he could hardly bear to listen a moment longer. He immediately tugged at the man’s arm and said:
“Xiansheng! Make Su Huaiyao stop! It sounds so terrible… such strange melodies, I can’t take it…”
“Shut up.”
Yu Xiuqing barked a low, cold reprimand. He took his glowing cigarette butt and pressed it into the back of the youthās hand.
“Ah…”
The little fool shrank back in pain, cradling the reddened spot with both hands. Tears welled up and spun in his eyes.
“Be quiet. If you make another sound, I’ll make sure you can’t stand up.”
Yu Xiuqing threatened in a freezing tone. His gaze was as piercing as icicles formed in the dead of winter.
The youth was immediately silenced by that glare. He stood there obediently, not daring to move an inch, peering at the man timidly with his large, watery eyes.
Yu Xiuqing ignored him. He finished his cigarette in silence, then pulled a wet wipe from his pocket and meticulously wiped his hands, doing his best to keep his emotions in check.
But that noisy piano piece on stage still filled him with an overwhelming sense of annoyance; he felt that even the word “trash” was insufficient to describe it.
How could this happen?
Even if his grandmother’s surviving masterpiece was unsurpassed and impossible for others to arrange, someone as excellent as Su Huaiyao, a talented music student, should never have performed to such a poor standard!
Su Huaiyao was usually cautious and had never made such a low-level mistake. For him to stumble today…
It was entirely beyond Yu Xiuqingās expectations.
Was this still the genius pianist he knew?
Old Master Yu could no longer bear to listen. The expression on his face shifted from initial excitement and anticipation to pure rage.
He had thought Su Huaiyao could provide him with a satisfactory piece of music. For the first time, he had looked upon this young composer with high expectations, only to be met with a result that left him bitterly disappointed!
Furthermore, using his late wife’s final half-composition as a basis for such reckless fabrication was undoubtedly a challenge to his bottom line.
This kind of rock-and-roll, DJ-style music was absolutely not his wife’s compositional style during her lifetime!
It was nothing short of polluting his elderly ears!
Old Master Yu reached his limit. A surge of intense fury rushed to his head. He stood up abruptly and, leaning on his cane, marched toward the center of the stage with a menacing aura.
Everyone present stood up, yet not a single person dared to speak, clearly having sensed the Old Master’s dark mood.
Some were there to watch the drama, while others were filled with worry.
Song Wei was practically pins and needles, her face turning beet red.
She paced back and forth in place, her eyes fixed anxiously on Su Huaiyao, who was still immersed in his music on stage.
As expected, that fool simply cannot be trusted!
Yu Xiuqing stood up as well. Knowing that his grandfather had reached a breaking point, his expression turned solemn.
The other man valued this half-finished legacy of Old Madam Yu above all else. After studying it for over ten years, to suddenly have it arranged so chaoticallyāhow could he tolerate it?
On the other side, Su Huaiyao, who was playing with his eyes closed, failed to notice the person approaching him. Suddenly, the hands he had placed on the keys were struck heavily.
He jolted in fright, his fingers snapping back from the pain. The piano emitted a sharp, dissonant sound.
He snapped his eyes open and scanned his surroundings with a sharp gaze, only to see Old Master Yu glaring at him with a face full of fury and murderous intent.
Su Huaiyao had never seen the Old Master like this before. He was stunned on the spot, not knowing how to react.
He immediately stood up and asked cautiously, “Grandpa, you… why have you come over?”
Old Master Yu let out a cold snort, then raised his cane and struck him ruthlessly across the body, barking:
“My wifeās legacy… are you trying to insult her by playing such rubbish? You beast!”
“Ah!”
Su Huaiyao let out a scream of pain. He tried his best to hide behind the piano, watching as the cane slammed onto the keys with a heavy thud that sent a shiver down one’s spine.
The pain left him unable to even stand straight. He could only clutch his stomach and hunch his back. Only then did he realize what the Old Master was referring to, and he stammered in a panic:
“Ugh… Gran-Grandpa, please don’t be angry! It’s not like that, let me explain! This music…”
He wanted to say that the music was Shen Yuan’s, but the words died in his throat. If he said it, it would mean admitting he had plagiarized someone else’s workāthe consequences would be unthinkable!
“What about this music?”
Old Master Yu narrowed his eyes, glaring with a terrifyingly grim expression. “This is a lack of respect!”
“I-I didn’t! The prelude of this half-song was too sad, I only wanted to change the mood…”
Su Huaiyao fabricated desperate excuses, his skin crawling under the man’s stare. He wished he could find a crack in the floor to crawl into.
He knew lying was foolish at this moment, but he cared more about his reputation than the theft of the work!
Unfortunately, the Old Master did not soften his heart. Instead, he grew angrier, raising his cane to continue the beating without mercy.
“Thud! Thud! Thud!”
The sound of the cane falling was heavy and loud, each strike seeming to hit the hearts of those listening.
The audience below didn’t dare to even breathe loudly, only watching in silence as the “gentle pianist” was reduced to a pathetic mess.
Su Huaiyao turned pale with pain, his face covered in a mess of tears and snot. He cast a pleading look toward the man below the stage.
He knew he had lost a tremendous amount of face.
Not only was he beaten until he scurried like a rat before the man he loved, but his status in the music world was also severely compromised!
He had been too careless. Blinded by greed for power, he had actually been stupid enough to trust that fool’s piano skills!
Seeing his beloved being beaten, Yu Xiuqingās expression turned sour. He immediately stood up and dashed onto the stage.
He shielded the shell-shocked Su Huaiyao behind him and caught the cane that was about to descend. He said in a deep voice:
“Grandfather, enough. So many people are watching. Don’t embarrass Xiaoyao; he just didn’t play well this time.”
Old Master Yu shook with rage and roared, “You unfilial grandson! Youāre actually helping an outsider disparage your grandmother’s work! She detested disrespect toward her music more than anything else when she was alive, let alone having it arranged into something unrecognizable!”
Su Huaiyao was terrified, his hands clutching the man’s clothes as he shrank behind him. An unprecedented sense of humiliation made him unable to even lift his head.
Yu Xiuqing let go of the cane. He spared a glance at the shivering head behind him and then spoke to the Old Master again:
“Grandfather, Iām sorry. I apologize to you and Grandmother on Xiaoyaoās behalf. Although he ruined the piece, he is my person. I will not allow him to be beaten and scolded like this in public.”
As soon as these words came out, the room erupted into a clamor.
They were shocked by Master Yuās act of defying the Yu family patriarch to protect his “White Moonlight.”
One must know that Yu Xiuqing was proud and arrogant, never tolerating anyone, yet he had always been respectful toward the Old Master.
Now, he actually dared to contradict the Old Master in front of everyone and downplay the ruin of Old Madam Yuās legacy. This was something no one had expected. Jiang Tianming, in particular, was waiting to see a joke.
Hearing this, Old Master Yuās face turned instantly dark. He stepped up to Yu Xiuqing with his cane and asked harshly:
“Xiuqing, are you truly set on opposing your grandfather today? Do you not care for your late grandmother’s reputation?”
Yu Xiuqing lowered his head slightly, his attitude remaining firm. “Grandfather, I don’t mean to oppose you. Xiaoyao messed up the score, and his reputation will be affected just the same.”
The Old Master gritted his teeth and said, “Are you comparing your grandmother’s decades of honor to a green youth?”
“Grandfather, these are two separate matters.”
Yu Xiuqingās tone remained respectful, but his words still made it clear he intended to protect his White Moonlight.
Su Huaiyao watched as the Old Masterās expression grew colder. He couldn’t stop shivering, terrified that the other man would kill him in a fit of rage. He tugged at the man’s sleeve:
“Xiuqing, forget it. Don’t talk back to Grandpa because of me. This was indeed my fault. I insulted Grandmother Yuās great work. Iām sorry…”
Below the stage, Shen Yuan watched with a cold heart.
In the past, when he was publicly scolded and whipped by Old Master Yu, that man would only watch in silence. He would never stand up for him on such occasions.
He always had to wait until the bullying was over before hypocritically coaxing and comforting him…
The little fool suddenly felt very sad. The sensation was like a blunt knife, cutting into his heart bit by bit.
It turned out the difference between being loved and not being loved was so obvious.
“Alright, Grandfather. Xiaoyao has a weak heart and can’t take much more fright. Weāll be heading down now.”
Yu Xiuqing supported the swaying Su Huaiyao, his tall figure enveloping the youth as they slowly walked off the stage.
Old Master Yu watched as his only capable grandson defied him like this. His cheeks trembled with rage as he slammed his cane against the floor.
“What a sin…”
He let out a heavy sigh, a trace of agony flashing in his aged eyes. He then wiped his face and regained his usual stern expression, fearing others would see any weakness.
Jiang Tianming was secretly overjoyed.
Although he had been angered by that brat Yu Xiuqing, Yu Botang was faring no better!
Old Master Yu adjusted the microphone and asked tiredly, “Is there anyone else who has written a score? One last chance. If not, we shall conclude the banquet.”
Everyone whispered amongst themselves, yet not a single person dared to step up, fearing a mistake would further enrage the already furious Old Master.
Seeing the famous pianists and composers he had personally invited remain silent, Old Master Yu was ready to give up. Just as he took his assistantās hand to step down, a clear and loud voice suddenly rang through the hall:
“Someone else wants to compose!”
In an instant, everyone’s gaze gathered toward the center of the head table, landing on Shen Yuan.
The little fool was panicked and lost. He twisted his hands, trying to break free from Gu Lanxiaoās grasp, but it was futile. He could only lower his voice and plead:
“Gu… Doctor Gu, let me go! I don’t want to compose, Grandpa Yu will be angry…”
Gu Lanxiao held his arm high. “Shen Yuan says he is willing to try. If the melody is poor, itās on me.”
As soon as the words fell, Jiang Tianming, who had been watching from the sidelines, finally couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “Doctor Gu has quite a big mouth. Even the great pianist Su couldn’t arrange the score. Do you think a fool can do it?”
Yu Zhaozhao also threw in a jab: “Did you hear that? A fool wants to arrange my grandmotherās work?”
The whole room erupted in laughter.
Shen Yuan was so ashamed he wanted to vanish. He buried his head low, but his ears couldn’t block out the mockery.
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