Chapter 36: "To Tang Jiayi"

Before Su Chen could respond, the man introduced himself, "My name is Abner, and I am a pianist."

"I truly meant nothing else earlier; I only noticed that this young lady is very beautiful and wished to invite her to perform a duet."

After the earlier commotion, Su Chen also realized that this golden-haired man named Abner likely harbored no ill intentions. Furthermore, Abner had not done anything particularly out of line. It was simply that his invitation to Tang Jiayi had struck a nerve, coupled with his direct manner of expressing himself, which had made Su Chen instinctively suspicious. That was why he had reacted so sharply.

After apologizing, Abner hesitated for a moment, as if gathering his resolve. "Though I know this request is rather presumptuous, may I ask if you would grant us permission to perform this piece?"

Su Chen was not surprised by the man's request. He had already discerned from earlier that Abner must be a highly professional pianist. Any pianist encountering a piece of this caliber would be delighted, regretting only their own lack of inspiration to have composed such a work themselves.

Su Chen did not mind in the least. "Of course, if you are willing," he replied. "However, if it is for commercial purposes, I would require some remuneration."

Abner was overjoyed at this. "Oh my God, you are truly remarkable, thank you! Thank you so much!" He moved as if to embrace Su Chen, but Su Chen deftly sidestepped him. Abner smiled awkwardly, then hastily ushered Su Chen and his companion back to their original seats.

"Please wait here. I'll go fetch my teacher; he will be delighted to meet you," he said, and hurried toward the upstairs elevator.

Su Chen and Tang Jiayi returned to their seats. Tang Jiayi gazed at Su Chen with curiosity. Just as Su Chen expected her to question him, she looked at him with an expression of awe and admiration.

"Su Chen, you’re amazing!"

Hm? That was not the reaction he expected. Shouldn't she ask him why he could play the piano, or how he played so well? Or perhaps how he composed that piece? Oh well, Tang Jiayi's imagination had always been unpredictable.

"What’s the name of that piece?" she asked. "It sounded so beautiful!"

Su Chen teased her, "The name of the piece is 'For Tang Jiayi.'"

Her eyes sparkled, the corners of her eyes curving into crescent moons as she smiled. "Hehe, now I have my very own piano piece!"

Such was his relationship with Tang Jiayi—he was responsible for making up stories, and she for believing them. It was rather delightful.

Soon, Abner emerged from the elevator with a robust but silver-haired Western gentleman. Abner whispered a few words into his teacher's ear, and together they approached Su Chen and his companion.

"Honored guests, thank you so much for coming to our restaurant," the old man said in heavily accented Mandarin, struggling even with common phrases. Seeing that the speaker was an elder, Su Chen stood up to show his respect.

"Please, no need for such formality. We are just here for a meal," Su Chen replied.

The old man smiled and waved his hand. "Forgive me, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Andre, a pianist, and this is my student, Abner. I heard from my student that you played a most wonderful piano piece just now. I apologize for intruding, but may I ask if you could play it once more?"

Su Chen hesitated briefly, then rose and walked toward the stage. When others showed him respect, he reciprocated in kind—this was his principle in life. All the more because the man before him was an elder, reminding Su Chen of his own teacher in a previous life. He had loved music, and after earning enough money, had learned many skills related to it, including piano. At that time, he had studied under a world-class foreign pianist, who had taught him much. The scene today was unexpectedly evocative of those memories.

Su Chen sat before the piano, closed his eyes, and waited in calm for a few seconds. When he opened his eyes, his demeanor had transformed. A glint of admiration flashed in Andre’s eyes; this young man seemed to have become one with the piano—graceful and noble.

As the notes flowed, Andre grew more and more excited. He seemed to see, within the music, the figure of a gentle and beautiful woman, with endless words the composer wished to say to her. At first, the music was soft and intimate, then gradually grew joyful and lively, the melody becoming increasingly animated. Soon, the piece burst into cheerfulness, like the crystalline laughter of a young maiden. The composition built layer upon layer, like an uncontrollable flame of love gradually taking hold. At last, as the music softened, it was as though two lovers held hands and gazed into each other’s eyes, their moment preserved in the fading notes.

Andre sat quietly amid the music, as if witnessing his own youth, recalling the days when he fell in love with his wife. So many years had passed that those memories had begun to fade, growing hazy with time. He had not expected that this music would rekindle such beautiful recollections.

When the piece ended, Su Chen rose from his seat. Andre quietly wiped a tear from the corner of his eye and bowed deeply to Su Chen in heartfelt gratitude. Su Chen hurriedly helped him up—such gestures, after all, were considered inauspicious in his homeland.

"It would shorten one's life," he thought.

"Sir, may I know the name of this piece?" Andre asked.

Su Chen glanced at Tang Jiayi, hesitated, but then answered truthfully, "This piece is called 'For Elise.'"

Tang Jiayi tried to stifle a laugh at his side. Even Su Chen, thick-skinned as he was, felt a bit embarrassed, as if he had been caught red-handed.

"Are you the composer of this piece?" Andre inquired.

Su Chen nodded. "That's right. My name is Su Chen."

Andre was visibly moved. "Mr. Su, are you truly willing to authorize us to perform this piece?"

Su Chen shrugged, went to the front desk, borrowed pen and paper, and wrote out the score, handing it to Andre.

"Of course, I have no objections. But only for non-commercial occasions."

Andre received the sheet music as if it were a priceless treasure. He was about to bow once more, but Su Chen quickly stopped him.

"Mr. Su, I truly don't know how to thank you!" Andre said, after a moment's thought, whispering something to Abner, who then departed. A few minutes later, Abner returned. Andre took something from him and respectfully presented it to Su Chen.

"Mr. Su, thank you for your generosity. We have nothing to offer in return but this bank card as remuneration for the authorization. Please, you must accept it! I hope you will not think me vulgar."

Su Chen shook his head and did not take the card. "If it is for free performances, then there’s no need. But if it is for commercial performances, please inform me."

After some discussion, Su Chen declined Andre’s payment. He would never charge for the use of his music at non-commercial events—that was his principle. In the end, after much insistence, he accepted only a VIP card for the restaurant, which allowed him to dine free of charge. Su Chen even suspected Andre had made this card just for him.

Andre handed over his business card with both hands and smiled at Su Chen. "Mr. Su, if you ever come to France, please do contact me. I may travel the world, but most of my time is spent in France. Should you visit, I will make sure to welcome you properly."

Su Chen nodded with a smile.