The song chosen by Jiang Fei and Qiao Yiyi was indeed excellent, not only for its beautiful melody but also for the deep emotions it conveyed. Qiao Yiyi, a highly skilled singer, initially looked forward to Jiang Fei’s upcoming performance. However, once she started singing, she became completely immersed in the song, lost in its inexplicably sorrowful mood.
After finishing the first verse, Qiao Yiyi slowly emerged from this emotional state and opened her tightly closed eyes.
By then, the audience below was already captivated, with applause and cheers creating a lively atmosphere, almost as if they were at one of Qiao Yiyi’s concerts.
At this moment, Bai Mangguo, the host of the birthday party, found her own spotlight completely stolen by Qiao Yiyi on stage. However, as a devoted fan of Qiao Yiyi, she was naturally thrilled to see her idol perform so brilliantly. She turned to Ye Yuanyuan with a smile and asked, “So, isn’t Qiao Yiyi a star worth admiring? Her singing is truly amazing! Not only does she sing well, but she also dances beautifully and is proficient in various instruments… Honestly, her talents are too numerous to count. If you get to know her better, you’ll definitely like her too!”
Ye Yuanyuan pursed her lips, unwilling to argue with Bai Mangguo on this matter.
Admittedly, Qiao Yiyi’s performance of the song was indeed impressive and enjoyable, showcasing her formidable talent. But so what?
Even if this so-called singing star performed exceptionally well, Ye Yuanyuan, who grew up in a military environment and was accustomed to martial arts training, wouldn’t be particularly moved.
Because, simply put, she wasn’t very fond of music.
“Keep watching the stage!” Qiao Yiyi reached out and gently pushed Bai Mangguo’s head, turning her attention back to the performance.
On stage, Qiao Yiyi, now free from the song’s melancholic mood, didn’t interact with the audience or continue to build her emotions. Instead, she suddenly seemed to remember something and eagerly turned to Jiang Fei, who was playing the piano.
She raised a finger to her crimson lips, signaling the audience to be quiet, then pointed at Jiang Fei, as if to say, “Now, let’s quietly listen to Jiang Fei’s performance.”
The audience was puzzled, unsure of Qiao Yiyi’s intentions. Jiang Fei’s piano accompaniment, while decent, paled in comparison to Qiao Yiyi’s powerful singing. The piano part of the song was slow and easy to play, lacking any real challenge.
A simple piano piece, overshadowed by Qiao Yiyi’s near-perfect performance, was like a leaf next to a flower—naturally, everyone’s attention was on the flower.
But then, the audience’s expressions suddenly changed, some furrowing their brows.
They noticed that the piano accompaniment had shifted. It was no longer the slow, sorrowful version but had suddenly become much faster. While it didn’t feel entirely out of place, it was noticeably different from the original.
“What’s going on? I know ‘Like You’ inside out, and the middle part isn’t supposed to sound like this, is it?”
“Definitely not! I’m very familiar with this song too. How did the accompaniment change so suddenly?”
“Oh, right! Before the performance, Qiao Yiyi mentioned that the song would have some slight modifications. Is this the change she was talking about?”
“But this song is purely piano-accompanied. There’s hardly any arrangement to modify. Let’s wait and see. Maybe Qiao Yiyi’s singing in the second verse will be different.”
The audience speculated, assuming that the change Qiao Yiyi referred to would be in her singing style. No one expected that the real change would revolve around Jiang Fei, with Qiao Yiyi taking a backseat!
No one anticipated that Jiang Fei’s performance would skyrocket, capturing everyone’s attention and completely overshadowing Qiao Yiyi, leaving the audience in awe.
Jiang Fei’s fingers suddenly changed tempo, flying across the keys like butterflies fluttering through flowers, moving so fast they became a blur. The once slow and somber piano notes transformed into something entirely different, the rhythm hitting the audience like a sonic wave, leaving them stunned.
Ding ding ding…
The tempo became incredibly rapid, yet it wasn’t chaotic. It was beautifully structured, feeling natural and seamless. The intense emotions conveyed through the music struck the listeners’ ears and hearts even more powerfully than Qiao Yiyi’s singing.
As the music filled the hall, it seemed almost magical, as if the listeners had been injected with adrenaline, becoming wildly excited. The beautiful melodies created vivid illusions in their minds.
It was as if, through Jiang Fei’s performance, they could see tragic pasts, helpless realities, and ultimately, hopeful futures.
These people were all wealthy, privileged individuals with no real hardships in their lives. Yet, why did they feel this way? It was as if the music had cast a spell on them.
“This is… Rach 3!”
Finally, after a moment, someone exclaimed in astonishment.
“Rach 3? What’s that?”
“Philistine. Rach 3 is Rachmaninoff’s Third Piano Concerto! It’s known as the most difficult piano piece to perform! No, not just known—it is the most difficult piano piece! It surpasses Rach 2, building upon it.”
“Yes, that’s right! Rachmaninoff’s Third Piano Concerto is indeed the hardest! There’s a saying that performing Rach 3 once is as physically demanding as shoveling ten tons of coal! This piece is a nightmare for pianists!”
“This is incredible! What’s the name of the pianist? Jiang Fei, right? Where did this piano master come from? He’s unbelievably skilled! Not only can he play Rachmaninoff’s Third Piano Concerto, but he does it so smoothly, so fluently, and with such impact! This isn’t something an ordinary piano master could pull off. He must be among the top-tier piano virtuosos! I’ve attended many piano concerts and heard live performances of Rach 3, but never anything this good!”
Everyone was stunned.
Even Bai Mangguo, who had previously looked down on Jiang Fei, was amazed. Jing Ran, who had wanted to collaborate with Jiang Fei earlier, was equally impressed.
Even Ye Yuanyuan, the military family descendant who wasn’t particularly fond of “highbrow” things like piano music, was struck by the intense emotions conveyed through the performance.
Indeed, many people don’t understand piano or music. But the emotions embedded in music are something everyone can directly feel!
Even animals would be moved by such powerfully conveyed emotions.
As for Qiao Yiyi, standing just a few meters away from Jiang Fei on stage and being a pianist herself, she felt the impact most strongly. She completely forgot her role as a singer who still had to perform. She was utterly captivated by Jiang Fei’s playing, her eyes wide open, the superstar now staring in awe.
“This… is just too incredible!” Qiao Yiyi couldn’t find the words to describe her feelings. Even though she had prepared herself for Jiang Fei’s impressive piano skills, she never imagined he could handle the world’s most difficult piano piece with such ease and perfection.
Not only could he play it, but he also perfectly conveyed the intense emotions of the piece, delivering them to the audience without missing a beat.
This… was the work of a true piano virtuoso!
Achieving this level meant Jiang Fei’s piano skills were on par with his guitar mastery, placing him at a world-class performance level.
Earlier, everyone had been amazed by Qiao Yiyi’s singing, applauding and cheering for her. But now, with Jiang Fei’s piano performance, the audience was so entranced they forgot to clap, completely absorbed in the music.
At this point, no one saw Jiang Fei as merely the accompaniment, the green leaves to Qiao Yiyi’s flower. Now, everyone had practically forgotten about Qiao Yiyi, the next big star!
However, Jiang Fei, the performer, remained clear-headed. He remembered this was just an interlude, albeit a lengthy one, and didn’t want to overshadow the main act. So, he decided not to play the entire Rachmaninoff’s Third Piano Concerto, only the most iconic and thrilling part. As he approached the end, his fingers still flying across the keys, he turned to Qiao Yiyi, signaling her to continue singing.
Qiao Yiyi finally snapped out of it, quickly regaining her composure and turning back to the microphone.
As Jiang Fei’s exhilarating tempo slowed and returned to the main theme, Qiao Yiyi began singing again.
However, this time, her performance, while still decent, lacked the depth of the first verse.
Because now, her only thought was: “No matter what it takes, I must keep Jiang Fei close! No matter what!”
