Zhao Lifei felt her heart slowly rise with familiarity when her eyes landed upon the sleek piano. It reminded her of the one she used to own in Sky Arc Complex. The older one was resting in Cerulean Water Pavilion and the one in her current house was the crystal piano gifted by her grandfather. With all of the momentous events spinning in her life, she hadn't found the opportunity to play the piano as of now. And the last time she played... she was distracted from the pain of her heart.
Every pair of eyes centered upon her. No one dared to negatively talk about her, not that they had any flaw to find in her relaxed posture. When she folded the end of her dress and sat down, a few keen eyes took note of how fluid her actions were. It was as if she had done this numerous times before.
Breathing in deeply, Zhao Lifei's ten fingers hovered over the piano for a couple of seconds. The song she planned on playing was often accompanied by violins and a choir to bring the piece into a different level. She didn't need that.
Zhao Lifei was confident in her ability to succeed. She would never allow the music piece to be drowned out by other instruments.
Yang Feng stared intently upon her, his eyes never missing a single detail. He could see her chest rising when she breathed in to calm her nerves. He could see the way her eyes glanced at the keys. She was calm and in control. He had never seen her play the piano before and knew she could do so.
No one, except the walls in Zhao Lifei's condo, had ever heard her play or touch the piano.
Finally, four fingers slammed down upon the white keys and black keys, the powerful sound stringing a chore within everyone's heart. The people trembled at the raw emotion from the dark and echoing sound.
Schubert's Piano Sonata No.18 in G Major, D.894
The beginning note started gentle, yet profound with slow rhythms like the soft fall of rain on a sunny day.
Zhao Lifei could distinctly remember the day she first held Zhao Linhua in her small little arms, a baby whose face was graced by the angels. At that moment, nothing mattered more than her younger sister. She was devoted to protecting her from the dangers of her parents. She was unaware that her parents would treat this angel better than her.
The notes began to build up in power as the tranquility fades into the background and the rhythm becomes undefined. The soft drizzle of rain became heavier, drumming the hearts of the audience.
Despite Zhao Lifei's closed eyes, one could see the pain painted over her face. From the knitted brows grimacing from the betrayal to the way, her fingers slammed upon the piano. The discorded sounds shook the ground.
When her parents chose Zhao Linhua's side and placed Zhao Lifei in the shadows for the demons to grab, terror seized her heart.
A moment of relief seemed to have washed upon her, when her hand slowed into a benign pace, gliding upon the black and white keys. Like a beam of hope, a man whose face is not distorted by sinister intentions had approached the disregarded child. A colorless world where each day felt like survival. Every moment up until now had been lonely for Zhao Lifei, whose parents couldn't recognize her talents.
In some aspects, she was relieved they didn't shelter her. By unknowingly pushing her into the corner, they had gifted her into the hands of a man who didn't put her capabilities to waste.
"Xiao Fei, follow me." His hands, unruly and menacing, were offered to her. His face was gloomy and crumpled into a permanently disapproving scowl. His expression didn't drive her away. His eyes reflected tender affection, unrivaled to the emotions he felt with his other grandchildren.
A meek voice asked, "Where are we going?" Her face was beautiful and innocent, like one of those porcelain dolls meant to be shown off in sidewalk windows.
Using his other hand, Zhao Moyao soothingly stroked the back of her head. "Your safe haven." Although the word that Zhao Lifei wished to finally hear was "home," she had still placed her tiny hand upon his. "Home." She had never understood this word, regardless of the lavish houses she lived in.
The moment was tender and sweet — it was a memory forever engraved into her. Despite that, the piano piece was powerful, as if there was an unveiled layer of agony that could not be expressed through words. The beautiful melody was laced with eerie undertones that caused the people's breath to hitch.
Just as Zhao Lifei's life was becoming better and better, it all crashing down again — like the unmatched and wild notes of the piano that continued to dance and dance. It slowed down, as if the dancer was tired, only for the shoes to pick up speed. The notes to crash upon the ears, violent like a tsunami. It forced the deafening silence to quiver under her force.
Zhao Lifei had already faced betrayal from her family, the last betrayal she hadn't expected was from Zheng Tianyi. He had brought beauty into her world, only for it to be cruelly shattered. All of it was fake. Nothing he said or did came from his heart. The piano notes became even more dark, her face twisting to match the tormentful notes. Every note, despite its high or low octave, was strung perfectly together.
Yang Feng.
The playing ceased. The notes became more timid, barely recognizable from its previous swift and erratic pace. Slowly, the piece became louder with subtle hints of hesitation that could only stem from her uncertain heart. It was almost as if she was…scared. It wasn't of his character or behavior, but more of what he could do to her if she allowed him through the thick, unscalable walls of her heart.
Her playing became incredibly calm, yet each note was impactful, regardless of how small it was. She thought he would knock her walls down, forcibly and without warning. Like the gentle piano, he had patiently removed the bricks one by one.
Each sound was heavy on the heart, regardless if it was heart-shakingly painful or mesmerizingly beautiful. It evoked some form of emotion from the audience who could only hold their breath and admire the genius before them.
It was time to end.
For the longest time, Zhao Lifei didn't know what she was clamoring to break free from. And today, she learned. It was time for her to move on. She shouldn't wallow in the past any longer.
The small, barely noticeable strings that were always tied around her heart and throat were invisible at times. It was enough for her to believe she had truly moved on from the sorrow she had endured. Sadly, it wasn't as she believed. Up until this moment, it was still there.
The last note sliced through the atmosphere, as it did with the string. Whatever connection that tied her back to her past was severe. It didn't mean she had abandoned it. It just meant she was finally freed from it.
Silence.
No one could speak. No one could recover from the one woman symphony they had witnessed. Her movements were astronomical and none of it had gone to waste. A lone tear slid down from Zhao Moyao's eye to he wiped away before anyone had seen it. Like everyone occupying the garden, he was shaken with unspeakable emotions.
The piano piece was already emotion-evoking, but she was able to put a different tone and life into it. When Zhao Lifei vividly remembered a fond moment, Zhao Moyao didn't. He couldn't forgive himself for what had happened. He couldn't dare to reminisce all of their cherished moments.
A memory flashed before his eyes: in particular, the loud plea of his granddaughter while she fought against the captors dragging her to the memory altering facility. Twinges of pain shocked his body and senses. Grabbing his heart, he could feel it burning and heavy with guilt.
Their eyes met and even with the distance between them, he could see the gentleness of her eyes, clear and sharp. It softened when she noticed the results of her actions. Everything happened in slow motion. Her lips parted to whisper something before it curved upwards into the kindest expression he had ever seen on her face.
'Don't torture yourself.'
He could've sworn that was what she was saying, and before he could catch her attention again, it was diverted.
His body jolted when thunderous claps, loud cheering, and pleas of 'Encore' rang through the gardens. Its force could shake the soil and force the grass to flee. So many people were choked with emotions, but everyone shared mutual respect towards Zhao Lifei. Today, they had seen the difference between a prodigy and a genius.