1987 My Era

Chapter 615, Love Arises Without Knowing Where It Begins and Runs Deep
2 month 25 day.

It was a little after 3 p.m. at the Royal Concertgebouw in Amsterdam.

As the lights dimmed, the huge concert hall gradually quieted down, and all the audience members looked up at the host in the center of the stage.

The host, a guest performer who was the music director of the Philharmonic Orchestra, spoke to the audience with great emotion while holding the microphone:

"Oh! Today is truly extraordinary. All of you here are the leading elites from various industries in Europe. I know who you have all come for. After waiting for months, we have finally reached this greatest moment. Now, please welcome the legendary music master Mr. Li and his two beautiful partners, Ms. Yu and Ms. Zhou."

"Clap clap clap!"

As soon as the music director finished speaking, thunderous applause erupted in the audience, wave after wave, until Li Heng, Yu Shuheng, and Zhou Shihe filed out one after another.

Especially when Li Heng was on stage, the applause instantly rose several times higher, the clapping was fast and intense, and everyone's eyes were immediately focused on him.

At the same time, everyone was thinking:

"Mr. Li is so young? He's even younger than I imagined."

"Just as the news said, he is a super genius who only appears once in a century."

"He's very handsome, and he fits my aesthetic perfectly." Many women secretly thought to themselves.

"Good music knows no borders, and neither does a beautiful face. Someone as beautiful as Mr. Li is truly captivating to both East and West."

"..."

The scene was filled with amazement and admiration. After scanning the extremely cool Li Heng with eyes like X-rays, everyone began to look at Yu Shuheng and Zhou Shihe, and then they were all stunned: Why are they both so beautiful?
Why are they all so elegant?
Is this the profound cultural heritage of the East over 5000 years?
As Europeans, many men were unconvinced and began to secretly compare the two women with Isabelle Adjani, France's most beautiful woman, a César Award winner, and a Cannes Film Festival Best Actress winner.

After comparing the results, the men fell silent.

Isabelle Adjani is indeed stunningly beautiful, comparable to Yu Shuheng, but she lacks Yu Shuheng's noble temperament, a quality that is fatal to the elites present.

They could tell at a glance that this Miss Yu came from an extraordinary background.

As for Zhou Shihe, she's practically a celestial being.

Even Isabelle Adjani herself, sitting in the audience, was quietly comparing herself to the two women, glancing at Yu Shuheng for a while, then at Zhou Shihe for a while, before finally focusing her attention on Zhou Shihe.

My friend next to me whispered, "You are both great beauties, why are you looking at those two? Look at Mr. Li, he is the main character today."

Isabelle Adjani has indeed turned her attention back to Li Heng.

A friend asked, "So? Do you like it?"

Adjani said, "She's a bit too young."

Her friend glanced at her sideways and asked, "Is it really just a matter of being a little young?"

Adjani asked, "Are you interested?"

My friend said, "The moment he appeared, Cupid's arrow struck me."

Adjani laughed and said, "With your qualifications, you can give it a try."

My friend was intrigued, but then became discouraged: "I'm not pretty enough, and the report says he's rich, so I'm afraid it'll be hard for me to pursue him."

Compared to a stunning beauty like Isabelle Adjani, my friend certainly falls a bit short, but she comes from the Arnault family, one of the most influential business families in France. She herself is also a core member of the family.

Adjani glanced at her and teased, "We've known each other for years, and this is the first time I've heard you say something so insecure."

"It's not that I lack confidence, it's that I lack confidence because I'm moved," my friend explained.

Adjani thought there was some truth to it.

A friend asked, "To be honest, what do you think of this Mr. Li?"

After thinking for a moment, Adjani expressed her feelings: "Apart from being a little young, I can't find any other flaws."

A friend asked, "If, and I mean if, this person were to pursue you, would you be tempted?"

Isabelle Adjani gave Li Heng one last look, and said before she finished, "If this were a hypothetical situation, I might cancel my filming schedule and try dating him."

Hearing this, the friend looked at Li Heng and became more and more attracted to him. Suddenly, he said, "Why don't we go find him together afterward? Whoever he takes a fancy to, the other one can back off?"

Adjani: "..."

Li Heng and his two companions crossed the stage to their designated positions, then faced the audience and bowed in accordance with international custom.

The audience responded enthusiastically, once again returning the applause with thunderous applause.

Amidst the continuous applause, Li Heng was quite surprised to see a familiar face in the crowd behind him: Zhou Min.

Students from the Statistics Class 1 at Fudan University.

Wasn't Zhou Min supposed to be studying at Cambridge University? What's she doing here today?

Confused, his gaze lingered on Zhou Min for two seconds.

Zhou Min smiled and raised her right hand in front of her chest, waving slightly.

The applause lasted for more than ten seconds. When it ended, the scene fell silent again as everyone stared intently at Li Heng and his two companions on the stage, at the short ocarina in his hand.

Although this was his first performance in Europe, in such a prestigious venue as the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, with the Philharmonic Orchestra accompanying him, Li Heng, who had lived two lives, was not flustered at all. Facing thousands of eyes, he felt quite good. The fear and tension that others felt were nowhere to be found in him; he felt nothing at all.

With everything ready, Li Heng first exchanged a glance with Teacher Yu on his left, then looked to his right.

Zhou Shihe also looked at him in tacit agreement.

Their eyes met, then looked away. One sat gracefully before the piano, her delicate white hands resting gently on it. The other slowly closed her eyes, preparing herself for the perfect moment.

Just then, all the stage lights went out at once, plunging the stage into darkness.

After a long 20 seconds of darkness, just as everyone was filled with anticipation, the stage lights came on again one by one. The blue and yellow main lights, combined with the star-like spotlight wall, made the stage extremely mysterious.

After a brief silence, Zhou Shihe's hands began to move. Her slender hands moved rhythmically on the black and white keys with great grace, and a soothing and melodious tune came out, like a spring breeze sweeping across the entire packed concert hall.

With just that one look, the knowledgeable principal conductor and music director of the Philharmonic Orchestra exchanged glances, both reading the same thing in each other's eyes: this piano playing was already worthy of a master.

As the piano prelude began, at a certain moment, Li Heng opened his eyes, quietly placed the ocarina to his lips, and gently blew on it amidst the attention of everyone.

Instantly!

A series of soul-stirring notes exploded in the air in an instant, filling the entire Xiang Concert Hall in the next second.

Blast!

Absolutely mind-blowing!
It's not noisy; on the contrary, it's very pure and melodious, but the effect it brings is swift! Dizzying!
Everyone present, from the conductor and music director of the Philharmonic Orchestra, to all the members of the Philharmonic Orchestra, to the Queen of the Netherlands, the Prime Minister of the Netherlands, members of parliament, and dignitaries, celebrities, and business leaders from all over Europe, fell silent and relaxed at this moment. Their minds were focused, and their souls seemed to leave their bodies and be elevated by the sound of the ocarina.

Everyone seemed frozen in place, all eyes fixed intently on Li Heng, afraid of missing a single note.

Their heads were buzzing, and their whole bodies felt tingly as if they were being electrocuted, collectively sinking into an unprecedented bliss.

As I always say, good music may not be something you understand, but it will definitely understand you.

As Li Heng's mournful and profound melody of "The Original Scenery of My Hometown" continued, everyone in the concert hall was transported into a desolate and lonely world, experiencing a weary and bleak mood far removed from the hustle and bustle of the world.

It reminded everyone present of their past struggles, of the tranquility and simplicity beyond their wanderings, and of the places where their dreams and hopes once resided.

I resonated with it!
Thousands of people resonated with the sound of the ocarina!
At this moment, their eyes were glazed over, their expressions intoxicated, as they stared at Li Heng on the stage like stone sculptures, their movements perfectly synchronized and remarkably uniform.

The president of Inter Milan thought to himself: "The experience of being there in person is completely different from listening to the album at home. The ticket I bought for six times the price was totally worth it! Mr. Li truly is a legend."

Adjani stared intently at Li Heng, her eyes no longer on Yu Shuheng or the stunning Zhou Shihe; only on Li Heng.

The young lady of the Arno family secretly vowed in her heart: No, I must find a way to get to know Li Heng.

Gazing at the radiant Li Heng on stage, Zhou Min was utterly awestruck: Is this really Li Heng? Has he truly reached this level? Any one of these audience members could easily be a renowned member of royalty, a billionaire, a high-ranking government official, or a celebrity, but now they were all Li Heng's devoted listeners, his devoted fans. Amazing! Li Heng is truly incredible!

Yu Shuheng glanced at the young man several times, thinking he had a truly strong heart, born for big occasions. In this situation, he not only showed no fear but also performed beyond his usual level, impressing her.

As time moved on, when Li Heng played the last note, the deeply cherished "The Original Scenery of My Hometown" came to an end.

The song is over.

Before he could even put down the ocarina, a round of applause erupted from the audience.

"Clap clap clap!"

"Clap clap clap!"

Everyone applauded, their faces filled with admiration, cheering him from the bottom of their hearts.

The applause lasted for about half a minute, then quieted down again as everyone listened intently, because the second song, "The Street Where the Wind Dwells," was about to begin…

If the first song is desolate, then the second song is serene.

Zhou Shihe played "The Street Where the Wind Dwells" first as usual.

Sitting quietly at the piano, Zhou Shihe perfectly embodies the phrase "one glance could topple a city, a second glance could topple a nation."

Her captivating and exquisite beauty caused all the men present to hold their breath involuntarily, and made the women look on with envy.

Her hands moved rhythmically across the black and white keys, full of spirit. Whenever she played this piece, Zhou Shihe would break down a little, because the image of Li Heng would suddenly pop into her mind, making her involuntarily immerse herself in the emotion.

She knew that she had fallen in love with him without even realizing it.

This wasn't something I said in anger when arguing with Teacher Yu.

Rather, it was the despair she felt after realizing her true feelings.

"The Street Where the Wind Dwells" is mainly composed of piano and erhu. When Li Heng's erhu music joined in, Zhou Shihe felt a tremor in her heart. She could almost see his face when she lowered her eyes, feel his infatuated eyes, and see him kissing her and embracing her.

It was as if I could hear him whispering in my ear: Shihe, I fell in love with you at first sight.

The perfect pairing of the piano and erhu provided the audience with a truly spectacular auditory feast.

But the lovely girl in front of the piano was in a terrible situation.

The more she immersed herself in the music and the better she played, the more her spirit trembled, and the more she couldn't help but think about everything related to him.

The two met in the cafeteria, and their connection began with the cafeteria meal fee. He didn't have any money with him at the time, but in a daze, he took her rice noodles.

Their first formal meeting was in the dressing room backstage at Xianghui Hall, which marked the beginning of her "nightmare." What followed was the Spring Festival Gala rehearsal, living together in the same room, skiing in Northeast China... He was like a slow-acting poison, numbing her along with time, eroding her heart little by little.

By the time she realized it, it was too late; she was already terminally ill.

Just like the note he wrote after kissing himself at the Raffles City Hotel in Singapore: Shihe, I've fallen for you.

Wasn't she also attracted to him?
Otherwise, why would she do something so absurd? Why would she make him write a note?
Otherwise, why would she have chosen to reconcile with him twice after he kissed her twice?

Recalling her past with him, Zhou Shihe bit her lip with her pearly white teeth, her eyes slightly sore. As the piano music continued, her feelings for him reached their peak. Her emotions were very complicated, with inexplicable joy, grievance, fear and hesitation... and an uncertain future that she did not know. She cried out with the piano music: Why do people who have no future meet?
why?
Why did I run into him?
Does loving him for a while mean being trapped for a lifetime?

Yu Shuheng thought the piano music was very beautiful today, but when she glanced at Zhou Shihe's condition, a sense of crisis suddenly rose in her heart.

The audience was equally captivated by the pianist and erhu player's music, listening with rapt attention.

Many people think that listening to "The Original Scenery of My Hometown" will make their ticket price worthwhile; but listening to "The Street Where the Wind Dwells" will make them a huge profit.

Looking at Li Heng and Zhou Shihe on the stage, Zhou Min suddenly felt that the two were a perfect match. She also suddenly realized that if things continued like this, Xiao Han's situation would be precarious.

Li Heng also noticed Zhou's unusual behavior and couldn't help but turn his head to look at her.

Zhou Shihe, as if by telepathy, looked up and met his gaze.

In that one glance, Zhou Shihe's carefully maintained Dao heart completely collapsed, as if the Yellow River's waters were surging in, shattering her heart into pieces, leaving it utterly broken.

In that instant, Zhou Shihe, looking pitiful, questioned him with her eyes: You clearly understand my heart, you clearly know my current state of mind through the music, so why are you still disturbing me?

In that instant, she silently accused Li Heng: Since you love me, why don't you give me complete love?

In that instant, she asked Li Heng through her eyes: Am I not perfect enough? Am I not worthy of your complete love?

In that instant, she asked Li Heng through her eyes: If I give you my heart completely, can you keep it from getting hurt?
In that instant, she told him through her eyes: I don't mind your rich romantic history, nor do I mind that you've been entangled with several women, as long as you quit drinking for me, I'm willing to love you even more from now on, to bear your children, and to spend the rest of my life making it up to you. Can you do that for me?

"Can you?" she asked finally.

Li Heng seemed dazed, his eyes fixed on hers, and he played the erhu even more melodiously.

Hearing the heavy, sorrowful erhu music, Zhou Shihe immediately became more alert, and then, with tears welling up in her eyes, she looked away.

She lowered her head and continued playing, unable to help but think: In the end, is there anything more romantic than playing this piece with him?

In that instant, she asked herself: In this life, can I escape the web of love woven by this man?

Even the most beautiful music has an ending.

When the second piece ended, the entire audience stood up, everyone with satisfied smiles on their faces, and clapped their hands together.

"Clap clap clap!"

"Clap clap clap!"

These heartfelt applause are for the wonderful performance, for the three performers on stage, and for the classic music.

Despite their reluctance to part, the performance eventually came to an end. After Li Heng and his two companions stood up to thank the audience, their performance came to a close.

A perfect ending.

It was truly perfect. Perhaps it was the piano that inspired it, but he swore he had never played the erhu so well in his past or present life.

To everyone's surprise, the applause lasted for a full minute, expressing their highest respect for them.

As soon as she stepped off the stage and arrived backstage, Zhou Shihe left the group and hurried to the washroom.

She doesn't want to see Li Heng now, nor can she see him, because she doesn't know how to face him. She's afraid of bringing her intense emotions offstage and asking him for things she shouldn't.

Most importantly, Zhou Shihe was afraid of losing her composure and pride, and afraid that she would shamelessly express her admiration and affection to him.

This performance won the heart of Zhou Shihe, who was about to turn 20.

A erhu was more powerful than his kisses and hugs, more infectious than love notes, forcing the talented Miss Zhou to finally admit her feelings: she had fallen in love with him.

Li Heng himself was caught off guard; it was completely an unexpected turn of events.

It was all a complete coincidence.

Watching Pingting's figure disappear, Yu Shuheng narrowed her eyes, feeling a pang of unease. She turned her head and said with a half-smile:
"Little man, what a clever trick! You turned a perfectly good international performance into a love chase scene."

Li Heng vehemently denied it: "Teacher, stop joking, it's just a normal performance."

Yu Shuheng asked meaningfully, "Then what about your spiritual connection?"

Li Heng countered, "The highest level of performance is the fusion of spirits. Don't you think we performed better today than in the past?"

Yu Shuheng took a step closer, her eyes burning as she asked, "Is that so? Then why don't you merge with me spiritually?"

Li Heng argued: "In 'The Street Where the Wind Dwells,' the piano and erhu are the main characters. Would it make sense to make the violin the main character?"

Teacher, you're a full member of the Music Association, don't embarrass yourself.

Yu Shuheng stared intently at him with her deep eyes, and after a long while, she said softly, "You're so talented, you've captivated all the women in the audience. Write me a song too. A song that can be the lead."

Li Heng: "..."

Not receiving a reply, Yu Shuheng brushed her hair aside with her right hand, raised an eyebrow, and asked, "Unwilling?"

Li Heng replied, "It's not that I'm unwilling. There's a saying you should have heard: 'A good article is born of nature, and a skillful hand may occasionally bring it to fruition.'"

Composing music and writing articles are the same principle, teacher, why do you need to…”

Yu Shuheng waved her hand to interrupt, smiled slightly and said, "Little brother, go ahead and try to fool the ghosts, don't try to fool me."

I remember you once said that there were still many pieces in your mind that you hadn't organized yet. You said you'd organize them when you had time, and that your teacher would be waiting. Otherwise…”

Li Heng casually asked, "Otherwise, what's wrong?"

Yu Shuheng took another step closer and whispered in her ear, "When I get back to Shanghai, I'll sleep with you and get pregnant with your child."

Think about it carefully. If I really used my charm, could your body resist it?

Think about it carefully. Will Song Yu cause a rift with you after I get pregnant? Will the person you have today still be able to connect with you spiritually through music in the future?

Li Heng was stunned and speechless.

He really couldn't resist this beautiful teacher with her refined and scholarly demeanor.

Li Heng said, "Teacher, you are not that kind of person."

Yu Shuheng's eyes were strange as she said, emphasizing each word, "You little man, flirting with other women right in front of me, guess what kind of person your teacher will become?"

Li Heng rolled his eyes.

Just as the two were talking, the music director of the Philharmonic Orchestra came over.

The director gave Li Heng a warm hug and said sincerely, "Mr. Li, Ms. Yu, your performance today was perfect! So moving! Thank you for your wonderful performance."

Faced with the praise, Li Heng and Yu Shuheng politely declined with a few words of modesty.

The director asked, "Where is Ms. Zhou? She plays the piano exceptionally well, and I believe she will have a place among the world's leading piano performers in the future."

These words resonated with both of them.

Even though Zhou Shihe was one of her strongest rivals in love, Yu Shuheng had to admit the undeniable fact that Zhou Shihe had a great talent for the piano. No wonder Wu Yili valued her so much and spared no effort in cultivating her.

Li Heng said, "She went to the washroom."

Upon hearing this, the director stopped asking questions and instead started chatting with the two of them to foster their relationship and increase their personal connection.

For someone as accomplished as Li Heng, who stands at the pinnacle of the music industry, even as the music director of the Philharmonic Orchestra, there's a genuine desire to befriend him.

After chatting for a few minutes, the director remembered something and said to Yu Shuheng, "Ms. Yu, would you please come with me to the finance department to settle the performance fee?"

Yu Shuheng handled all these matters, and Li Heng never interfered.

Yu Shuheng nodded, gave Li Heng a meaningful glance, and then followed him to the finance department.

Accompanying them was Liu Bei, a bodyguard who was both overt and covertly following them.

Li Heng pretended not to see Teacher Yu's gaze, paused for a moment, and then quickened his pace toward the washroom.

Although Zeng Yun was following behind Miss Zhou as her bodyguard, he was still a little worried about her.

...

the other side.

After leaving the group and entering the washroom, Zhou Shihe closed the door and stayed inside alone.

Seeing this, Zeng Yun outside the door did not force the door open, but simply waited dutifully at the door.

Arriving at the washroom, Zhou Shihe turned on the tap and splashed cold water on her face with both hands. She splashed several handfuls of water until she felt a little better. Then she slowly raised her head, stared at herself in the mirror, lost in thought.

In the mirror, strings of water droplets slid down her hair, forehead, and cheeks, down to the tip of her delicate nose, to the corner of her mouth, then down her chin to her smooth, white neck, across her jade-like collarbone, and finally disappeared into her chest…

What's wrong with me?
Should I ask that womanizer for affection?
If he really gives it to you, would you willingly accept it if it wasn't a complete expression of love?

He has three women: Xiao Han, Sui Sui, and Teacher Yu. He must be too busy to handle them all. Is he busy dealing with Teacher Yu right now?

Thinking of this, Zhou Shihe's heart pounded uncontrollably. Her right index finger unconsciously dipped in water and traced a dot, a horizontal line, a vertical fold on the mirror...

Just as she was making a decision, there was a knock on the door.

"Dong dong dong...!"

"Dong dong dong...!"

Hearing the doorknob turn and the conversation between Li Heng and Zeng Yun outside, Zhou Shihe, who was writing in the middle, suddenly woke up without having time to think about what she was doing.
I didn't even have time to think about whether I was going crazy.

She hurriedly wiped the mirror with her right hand, erasing the words she had written halfway, then bent down and splashed two handfuls of water on her face again…

P.S.: Follow first, then revise.

(End of this chapter)