1987 My Era

Chapter 614, Shining in Europe
About 10 minutes later, Zhou Shihe walked out of the bedroom.

At that moment, Li Heng was sitting on the sofa drinking a cup of hot tea when he heard the noise behind him and turned around to look.

Receiving his gaze, Zhou Shihe, whose mind had been filled with thoughts of him all night, paused, unconsciously stopping in her tracks. Realizing her lapse in composure, she subtly continued walking towards the washroom.

Yu Shuheng had just come out of the washroom when she bumped into Zhou Shihe.

The two women looked at each other, and after two seconds, they each nodded slightly as a greeting. Then they passed each other.

Li Heng saw their expressions and actions clearly, and finally felt a little relieved: Thank goodness! The bottom line was that they didn't start arguing or fighting as soon as they met; and this is already beyond expectations, so it's a blessing in disguise!

After Zhou Shihe went into the washroom, Yu Shuheng came over and sat down next to him, turning her head to look at him meaningfully.

Li Heng felt a chill run down his spine from the stare. "Teacher, why are you looking at me like that so early in the morning?"

Yu Shuheng's eyes grew increasingly strange. She leaned forward and whispered in his ear, "Little boy, I really underestimated you. You're really amazing!"

What do you mean by underestimating me?
What does it mean to be truly amazing?

I've never even gotten a golf ball into the hole, so how do you know how good I am?
Li Heng looked completely bewildered.

Seeing his clear yet foolish eyes, Yu Shuheng smiled slightly and offered no explanation.

She said that because she noticed Zhou Shihe's eyelids looked tired, as if she hadn't slept all night.

Secondly, she was testing Li Heng to see if he had sneaked into Zhou Shihe's room last night, causing Zhou Shihe, who is very disciplined in her daily life, to not sleep well.
However, she immediately dismissed her own guess.

If Li Hengzhen had really run into the other party's room, there would have been no way there wouldn't have been any signs or commotion. She had been secretly keeping an eye on this matter all night.

Besides, Zhou Shihe is such a proud person, and under the current circumstances, she wouldn't allow him to act recklessly.

Both being outstanding women and rivals in love, Yu Shuheng understands her partner better than most people.

Ten minutes later, Zhou Shihe came out of the washroom. The three of them exchanged glances, got up, changed their shoes, and left the hotel.

I didn't make a fuss about breakfast; I just ate something to fill my stomach.

At 8:30, the three arrived at the Royal Concertgebouw in Amsterdam as agreed, but Li Heng was dumbfounded as soon as he got to the door!

I was truly dumbfounded!

The place was packed with people. The Dutch royal family, including the King and Queen and their children, as well as the conductor and all the staff of the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, all came to the door to welcome Li Heng and his companions.

Isn't this a bit too strong?
This is the first time I've ever been in a situation like this.

"Mr. Li, it's a pleasure to have you in the Netherlands." The King of the Netherlands took two steps forward and extended his right hand to Li Heng in a friendly manner.

"Hello, thank you." Li Heng smiled and extended his right hand to shake hands with the other person.

"I really like your music, especially 'The Original Scenery of My Hometown' and 'Memories of the Forbidden City,' which I never tire of listening to. Thank you for creating such great works." The King of the Netherlands said this sincerely, placing his left hand on Li Heng's right hand, looking very happy.

In this situation, what else could Li Heng say? Besides feeling a surge of accomplishment and vanity, he could only say thank you again.

After exchanging pleasantries with Li Heng, the King of the Netherlands then paid his respects to Yu Shuheng and Zhou Shihe separately.

The three then exchanged pleasantries with the Philharmonic Orchestra.

Then came the much-anticipated photo session: taking photos with the King, with the King's children, and with the Philharmonic Orchestra.

The king's daughter also warmly presented the three of them with three bouquets of roses as a welcome gesture.

After all that fuss, I stayed at the door for at least ten minutes.

Damn it! Damn it! Li Heng was quite pleased with himself, having lived two lives, he finally experienced the treatment of a super celebrity.

I have to say, this feeling is really good.

No wonder so many people get lost in the world of fame and fortune; it's really easy for people to get carried away!

After they entered, Yu Shuheng quietly said to him, "Aren't you surprised?"

Li Heng nodded: "To be honest, a little."

Yu Shuheng asked meaningfully, "What does it feel like to be greeted by the King of the Netherlands and the entire Philharmonic Orchestra?"

Li Heng thought for a moment and said, "Astral projection."

Yu Shuheng chuckled upon hearing this, and asked in a voice only the two of them could hear, "That's a good description. But let me ask you, is it more emotional than hugging me?"

Tsk tsk, what kind of question is that?
Teacher, what's wrong with you today? Can't you consider the occasion?
He secretly rolled his eyes at her, then quickly realized that the teacher was only teasing him because she was so happy to see how much attention he received.

That's true, otherwise Yu Shuheng, who is usually seen as very aloof by outsiders, would never have seen this side of herself.

At Fudan University, teachers and students rarely see her genuinely smile, let alone show her witty and humorous side.

She has now completely devoted herself to this younger man. The more successful and influential he is, the more comfortable, happy, and fond she feels of him.

Seeing how much the teacher cared about him, Li Heng didn't disappoint her kindness and replied with a smile, "The two feelings are different. But if I had to choose one, I would choose to hug you."

Yu Shuheng gave him a half-smile, inwardly cursing him as a sly little devil.

Yu Shuheng said softly, "I told you long ago that your fame and popularity in Europe and America are beyond imagination. Otherwise, those media outlets that always apply double standards to our country wouldn't have praised you so highly. It's mainly because the Western elites are captivated by your classic works and thus like you."

Little brother, what you saw today is just the tip of the iceberg. There will be much more to come, so get used to it quickly. Keep up the good work and make your teacher proud.”

Li Heng chuckled and said, "Alright, I'll take you two along for all these glamorous occasions in the future."

Hearing that it wasn't "you" but "you two," Yu Shuheng narrowed her eyes and then glanced at Zhou Shihe beside her.

Zhou Shihe was very perceptive and sensed the gaze directed at her by Teacher Yu, but she maintained a calm expression and kept looking straight ahead. She then followed the others into the Royal Concert Hall.

They spent the morning communicating and rehearsing with the Philharmonic Orchestra.

During this process, Li Heng once again directly experienced another side of Yu Shuheng: decisive and efficient.

On important occasions, Ms. Yu was no longer the woman who indulged him and pursued his love, but rather she fully demonstrated the excellence of her aristocratic family, managing everything well without making a fuss, and the Philharmonic Orchestra respected her.

Zhou Shihe also observed all of Teacher Yu's behavior and silently raised Teacher Yu's level of difficulty in her mind.

At noon, the three, having finished rehearsals, had lunch together at the warm invitation of the King of the Netherlands.

Also accompanying him were two senior members of the Philharmonic Orchestra: the principal conductor and the music director.

After lunch, the three of them returned to the hotel to rest for an hour and a half, getting their makeup done while also recharging for the upcoming performance. The makeup artists were all sent by the Philharmonic Orchestra, and their skills were impeccable. It's just that these women's breasts were fucking huge, making him reluctant to look but forced to glance at them several times.

Around 3 p.m., Li Heng, Yu Shuheng, and Zhou Shihe arrived at the entrance of the Royal Concert Hall in Amsterdam again.

At this point, the place has changed its appearance.

Not only was there a uniform red carpet, but hundreds of media reporters were also gathered on both sides of the red carpet. As soon as the three of them showed their heads, they were almost blinded by the "click-click" of camera shutters and flashes.

Some media outlets were particularly bold, shouting in broken Chinese: "Mr. Li, look over here! Look over here! I'll take a handsome picture of you and introduce you to our French Rose as your girlfriend."

Wow, good stuff!
Even the French Rose has been brought out and sold; apparently, this is a reporter from the French newspaper Le Monde.

As the saying goes, one doesn't hit a smiling face. Seeing how sincerely you've offered up your beauty, Li Heng turned halfway around and generously let you take the picture.

Besides Western media, Li Heng was surprised to spot Chinese media in the crowd: CCTV! Oh! Isn't that our central government?

Seeing Li Heng looking over, the CCTV reporter smiled and waved to him before snapping photos.

The short red carpet felt incredibly long, like an eternity. We trudged along step by step until we finally made it into the concert hall.

Whoa…!
Li Heng took a deep breath, patted his cheeks, and said to the two women, "Sigh, this kind of thing is fine once or twice, but it gets tiring if it happens too often. Keeping smiling all the time, my face is almost stiff from smiling."

Yu Shuheng quipped, "Tomorrow, European newspapers will be full of your front-page news. You should be content. This is a moment of glory that many people dream of."

Upon hearing this, Li Heng felt it made a lot of sense.

In this vast graveyard of fame and fortune, countless handsome men and beautiful women have racked their brains and schemed their way to the top, only to have their bodies ruined, their hearts wounded, and end up with nothing but broken heads and blood.

Xu Li and Xu Sheng arrived. Xu Li seemed to have something to ask Yu Shuheng, and waved to her from the door of the lounge.

Yu Shuheng immediately stood up, walked out of the lounge, and chatted with the couple.

Noticing that Ms. Zhou beside him hadn't said much today, Li Heng tried to make conversation to lighten the mood. After looking her over, he sincerely complimented her, "Comrade Shihe, you look beautiful today!"

“When isn’t it beautiful?” Zhou Shihe said this with her eyes lowered and her tone gentle, yet it gave people an indescribable feeling.

Li Heng was stunned and couldn't help but lean over. "Hey? Is this something our Shihe would say? Could it be that silly girl Sun Manning is just pretending?"

Zhou Shihe smiled knowingly, but then noticed the strange look in his eyes. She pretended to be nonchalant and stopped smiling, pouted her cherry lips, and turned her head away to avoid looking at him.

Seeing this, Li Heng deliberately asked, "Have I been neglecting you because I've been talking to Teacher Yu the whole time?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Shihe turned her head back and stared at him quietly, her eyes pure and bright, unwavering and silent.

After staring at each other for half a minute, Li Heng smiled and said, "Hey, that's it, that's more like it, that's the you I know."

Another half minute passed, and Zhou Shihe looked away, her gaze softening as she looked elsewhere. Quietly, she said, "Li Heng, can I ask you a question?"

Li Heng said, "Go ahead."

Zhou Shihe slowly asked, "Which of you—Fugui, Yu Guan, Yang Chong, Ma Qing, Bai Jiaxuan, and the Second Young Master—is most like you?"

He was a little confused.

Fugui is the protagonist of "To Live", Yu Guan, Yang Chong and Ma Qing are from "The Troublemakers", Bai Jiaxuan is the male protagonist of "White Deer Plain", and the Second Young Master is the core character of the new book "Dust Settles".

Who do you think resembles him?

Good heavens! Nobody's like him. They're all pathetic. They're either down-on-their-luck rich kids or cynical playboys. Bai Jiaxuan is blind, and the second young master is an idiot.

Li Heng frowned. "Can't you wish me well for once? Why compare me to them? Do you think any of them are as handsome as me? Do I have as many bad habits as they do?"

Zhou Shihe smiled cleverly and quietly asked, "Is being a womanizer a bad habit?"

Li Heng blinked: "Bai Jiaxuan has lost six wives, how can I compare?"

Zhou Shihe gave him a strange look: "You also want six wives to die?"

Li Heng: "..."

He was speechless and had no reply.

After a long standoff, Li Heng said irritably, "I think your mouth is blessed today, spouting nothing but bad luck. Mai Sui is your best friend, are you cursing her to die?"

Zhou Shihe looked down at her toes, pursed her lips, and remained silent.

She thought to herself: You still know that Sui Sui is my best friend?

Yu Shuheng, Xu Li, and Xu Sheng came over after discussing things, bringing two glasses of water, which they handed to the two women: "Have some water to soothe your throats, we'll be going on stage soon."

The Philharmonic Orchestra valued them highly, giving them the honor of being the first to perform, allowing them to play two pieces consecutively.

After the two finished drinking half a glass of water, Yu Shuheng continued, "The venue is packed today, and tickets are extremely hard to come by. According to the Philharmonic Orchestra, a great many European celebrities have come, including members of royalty, politicians, major business leaders, well-known designers, popular stars, and other industry leaders."

Only a small number of tickets were reserved for supporters and circulated through normal sales channels; the majority of tickets were pre-ordered two months in advance.

Li Heng, they've all come because of your immense fame. Aren't you nervous?

Xu Li nodded in agreement, saying to you, "That's right. Since this is your first time appearing in Europe, this ticket is very valuable and in high demand."

I heard that the president of an Italian football club arrived too late and missed out on tickets, eventually having to pay six times the price to buy them from someone else.

Having been personally received by the King of the Netherlands that morning, Li Heng already knew he was quite famous in Europe and America, but he hadn't expected his fame to be this great.

A purely instrumental album has brought in so much fame and fortune, wow!
I can't believe it.

However, after a while, he realized that all 10 pieces inside were masterpieces of legendary quality, and he felt relieved.

If we intercept nearly half a century's worth of classic works and still fail to generate a sensation, wouldn't that be a waste? Would these pieces still be considered classics?

Meeting the gazes of the four, Li Heng shrugged and said with a relaxed smile, "Don't worry, I've seen my share of big things now, this is nothing, just a piece of cake."

Seeing his expression, Zhou Shihe couldn't help but think of his shamelessness in hugging and kissing her, and instantly stopped worrying about him.

The five chatted for a while longer when suddenly, the door to the lounge opened, and the music director of the Philharmonic Orchestra walked in personally. He very politely said to Li Heng and the other two:

"Mr. Li, Ms. Yu, Ms. Zhou, please get ready. You will be on stage in 5 minutes."

Ps:

(End of this chapter)