Chapter Eighty-Seven: Interlude

Because this concerned their future, almost no one was perfunctory; everyone exerted one hundred and twenty percent of their effort for this final struggle.

The first boy to take the stage played Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody No. 11 as his second piece. His performance was quite impressive. After he finished, not only did the judges nod approvingly, but the audience also offered him enthusiastic applause without reservation.

The seven judges displayed their scores; after discarding the highest—an 85—and the lowest—an 82—the first contestant received an excellent final score of 83.5.

Hu Bing, the president of the student council, announced the score on stage and then introduced the seven judges in turn: Vice Principal Liu Ya; Dean of the Conservatory of Music, Jin Guoheng; Associate Dean Hu Fangfei; Head of the Piano Department, Li Yunling; Deputy Head Kong Jianjun; Professor Liu Sisi; and Professor Duan Renjie.

Each introduction was met with solemn applause. This lineup was so prestigious it could easily serve as judges for a national-level piano competition.

The second contestant then came up and played the third movement of Beethoven’s “Moonlight” Sonata. By the time of the second round, it seemed everyone brought out their best, performing pieces of great difficulty.

Perhaps it was the inspiring atmosphere of the Shanghai Theatre Academy concert hall, or perhaps the Steinway piano was simply too exquisite; nearly every student who went on stage delivered a remarkable performance.

He Mingzhe found a suitable spot to watch the exam unfold. Observing one contestant after another produce such outstanding performances, he secretly smiled to himself—after all, the better they played, the more it would highlight Cheng Xiaoyu’s lack of skill.

He Mingzhe scanned the two rows of contestants for Cheng Xiaoyu’s figure, but she was nowhere to be found. This left him slightly disappointed and a bit concerned that Cheng Xiaoyu might have been scared off.

But as long as Duanmu Linsha saw through that chubby fraud, it didn’t matter either way.

Sitting in the audience, Duanmu Linsha sent a text to Cheng Xiaoyu, urging him to hurry; she was the next to go on stage, and only a few contestants remained. Almost everyone believed Cheng Xiaoyu wouldn’t show up, but only Duanmu Linsha was convinced he would appear.

Standing behind the side curtain of the concert hall, Duanmu Linsha felt a bit nervous for her first exam. She had participated in a few piano competitions before, but those were mostly commercial events, not many professional ones.

Su Yuxi was the insurmountable mountain blocking the path of every young pianist. In any competition divided by age group where Su Yuxi participated, she was unchallenged in first place. This had greatly diminished Duanmu Linsha’s enthusiasm for competing; entering an event with a foregone conclusion felt pointless.

Besides, for her, piano was more than just competition. She loved the instrument, relished losing herself in the world of varied sounds and symbols. The piano was woven into her life.

When the previous contestant’s score was announced and the applause faded, Duanmu Linsha steadied herself, took a deep breath, and, under the blazing matrix lights, slipped off her deep blue blazer. In her white blouse and blue pleated skirt, she gracefully walked to the center of the hall.

Today she wore a touch of subtle makeup—not for the sake of the exam. In the spotlight, Duanmu Linsha appeared even more radiant, her long slender legs especially striking—fair, smooth, perfectly shaped. Her walk carried a natural rhythm, uncontrived and effortless. With her hair tucked behind her ears, she revealed a pale, graceful neck and flawless profile that left the audience breathless—her beauty was almost unreal.

As this stunning figure took the stage, the male students burst into thunderous applause. Were it not for the solemn setting and the presence of so many school leaders, one could imagine the pent-up crowd would have erupted in cheers.

Duanmu Linsha first bowed with her hand on the piano, then announced her piece: Schubert’s Piano Sonata in B-flat Major, D.960, second movement.

The audience erupted in surprise at the title.

This sonata, in B-flat major, D.960, composed in 1828, was described by critics as the most perfect sonata after Beethoven’s and the crown jewel of Schubert’s piano works.

The difficulty was self-evident. Most contestants had chosen familiar Beethoven pieces, with a rare few opting for Mozart. This was the first time anyone chose Schubert—let alone a young woman—and she had selected Schubert’s final masterpiece.

Her teacher, Li Yunling, was also in the audience. She had great confidence in her student; perhaps not as gifted as Su Yuxi, but certainly a budding master.

Duanmu Linsha adjusted the bench, and the moment her hands touched the keys, all her nerves vanished, replaced only by excitement and anticipation.

The judges knew she was Li Yunling’s cherished pupil, but in a public exam, no one would show mercy; only genuine skill would prevail.

With the very first note, Duanmu Linsha’s exquisite touch caught every judge’s attention. When a true talent performs, there is no mistaking it.

It was clear she had a profound understanding of the piece. Li Yunling knew well how hard her student worked—five hours of practice daily was routine. While other girls chased dramas, shopped, dated, or watched movies, she played piano.

Duanmu Linsha interpreted Schubert in line with Brendel’s approach.

Andante, in enharmonic minor, in ternary form. The first section, with the soft pedal, introduced the theme in a light melody; the middle section, in A major, expressed emotional surges; then the return to minor, and finally, after the third section’s reprise, the coda in major.

Every section was handled with perfect judgment; every note, every tempo change was the result of careful thought. In technique and touch, she was far beyond the standard of a high school student. In her depth of interpretation and emotional grasp, she soared even higher. Her expression ranged from broad to entranced, and even transcendent.

Compared to Beethoven, Schubert’s piano sonatas allowed for more improvisation, sometimes even bordering on the fragmented.

Yet, Duanmu Linsha found the greatest freedom through the strictest control and the most meticulous thought.

Of course, a great work can never have only one “correct” way to play it.

But she managed, through her beautiful phrasing, to take every listener into a mysterious world belonging to Schubert alone. The audience felt a powerful emotional resonance—a tragic beauty that could move one to tears.

When she finished, the applause was thunderous. Her emotional expression was exceptional, though her technical prowess was slightly limited by her small hands.

But for a girl not yet seventeen, leaving aside those rare prodigies, her performance already satisfied the judges. That she was both talented and beautiful left nothing to be criticized.

Every judge awarded her a high score—90 points, some even as high as 92. Only Li Yunling gave her 85. In her view, her student still had much room to improve; a score too high might make her complacent.

Because the piece Duanmu Linsha chose was long—about fifteen minutes—it counted as two pieces.

Seeing her excellent score, the highest so far, Duanmu Linsha remained unfazed. As she bowed, she saw that Cheng Xiaoyu still hadn’t arrived, which made her anxious.

She hurried offstage, intending to call him. Only four contestants remained; Cheng Xiaoyu was the fourth, the final act.

When Duanmu Linsha called, Cheng Xiaoyu was still in the copy shop. He answered, “I’ll be there right away.”

None of the professional music stores had the sheet music for his piece, which frustrated and delayed Cheng Xiaoyu greatly.

Indeed, it was a piece almost no one would ever attempt. With no other option, Cheng Xiaoyu went to a copy shop to download and print it online.

Copy shops often helped customers download and print sheet music from the internet, but when the clerk saw the sheet Cheng Xiaoyu had downloaded, he was dumbfounded and couldn’t help asking, “Are you sure this is sheet music?”

Cheng Xiaoyu looked at the dazed clerk and nodded. “Of course it is.”

The clerk, who knew a bit about music, became increasingly incredulous the more he looked. He shook his head, saying, “No one could possibly play something like this! It must be a joke, a fake score someone posted online.”

Cheng Xiaoyu laughed. “Who says no one can play it? I can.”

The clerk, as if hearing a joke, shook his head and said no more. After all, Cheng Xiaoyu was a customer—he couldn’t argue.

While the penultimate contestant went on stage, Cheng Xiaoyu was still hurrying toward the concert hall, cursing his lack of wings.

As soon as the second to last contestant appeared, there was an audible stir. This was Wu Di, a candidate from Chongqing.

Many had seen him in magazines; he was hailed as China’s piano prodigy, and together with Su Yuxi, he was known as the “golden boy and jade girl” of the piano world.