Chapter 8: Playing Chopin’s Nocturne for You

Fang Xing strode over to the piano at the scene's live band, sat upright, and tried out the scales. Then he looked at the chief director, Tong Fei. "I'm ready," he said.

Tong Fei gestured, signaling the cameras to move in for close and medium shots, capturing Fang Xing and the piano.

Hashim stood to the side of the stage, lips curled in disdain. Arrogance, brashness, and a sense of invincibility radiated from him, the vices of a certain circle writ large. He was supremely confident in his instruments and his rap, certain that all the trainees of "Tomorrow's Star" combined could not match his mastery of instruments.

He thought Fang Xing’s challenge—a musical performance—would only humiliate Fang Xing himself.

Once the cameras were in position, the directing team signaled to begin.

Fang Xing had originally thought winning the competition would suffice, but now he’d changed his mind. With the glory of an ancient civilization behind him, if he was to win, he would do so in the other’s strongest field, crushing him utterly.

So he went straight for the trump card.

Facing the microphone, Fang Xing announced, "This song is called ‘Nocturne.’"

There’s a saying in the music world: “When the prelude plays, you step up to claim your award.” It refers to this classical rap, "Nocturne."

"Nocturne" was written by Vincent Fang, composed by Jay Chou, arranged by Michael Lin, and included in the album "Chopin of November." The song won multiple awards, including the Chinese Music Pioneer Chart’s champion, and the Top Ten Golden Songs at Hong Kong's Ten Chinese Golden Songs Ceremony.

On streaming sites, when a song is exceptional, the comments overflow with “bowing at the first note.” Yet for "Nocturne," the comments all say “prelude kills.” Indeed, the prelude alone establishes the song’s excellence.

Fang Xing inhaled slowly, his fingers pressing the piano keys.

Clang, clang, clang, clang, clang, clang, clang...

The prelude began, its elegant melody leaping from the piano and piercing the ears of everyone present.

In an instant, all the mentors and critics unconsciously sat up straight. The prelude was simply divine, gripping every listener before the main verse even began.

Even Hashim’s expression froze. Compared to the piano prelude, his previous electronic music was worlds apart.

Still, Hashim refused to admit it. He strained to find flaws in the melody, hoping to convince himself to remain arrogant.

But Fang Xing’s piano playing was far more professional than his guitar; from the first note, there was not a single flaw.

Twenty-four seconds of prelude ended, and Fang Xing began to sing the dark, rap-infused lyrics:

“A swarm of bloodthirsty ants, drawn to decaying flesh.
I watch the lonely scenery, expressionless.
Losing you, love and hate become distinct.
Losing you, what else is there to care about?
When doves no longer symbolize peace, I’m finally reminded
That the ones being fed in the square are vultures.
With beautiful rhymes, I describe love plundered to emptiness...”

Hearing rap with classical undertones, the mentors and critics collectively raised their brows. "Rap? Really?"

"This style is so unique..."

Even the most caustic critics found themselves thinking: compared to this, what was that previous performance even supposed to be?

Chen Chaonan’s eyes shone with delight. He hadn’t intended to come to this kind of talent show—based on previous seasons, such shows prioritize looks over vocal talent. Take last season’s "Tomorrow’s Star" for example: apart from Shen Xiyin, the rest of the group debuted with only bronze-level vocals, some even plastic-tier.

So Chen Chaonan had little interest at first, but attended as a favor to Tong Fei, an old schoolmate. Tong Fei had promised him one thing: if Chen Chaonan wanted to quit, he could leave anytime, as long as he gave the production time to find a replacement.

Now, though, Chen Chaonan felt the show was intriguing—at least, he’d heard an outstanding voice and a world-class, even beyond world-class, song.

Fang Xing reached the chorus, his fingers playing the Em chord on the piano:

“For you, I play Chopin’s Nocturne, to commemorate my dead love...
A voice like the night wind, heartbreak sounding beautiful.
Fingers tapping the keys softly, I cherish my longing with care; the place you buried is called the Netherworld.
For you, I play Chopin’s Nocturne, to commemorate my dead love.
And for you, I hide my name, playing beneath the moonlight.
The heartbeat I feel for you is still so warm, so close, still remembering the crimson imprint of your lips...”

As the last lyric faded, the piano’s final chord followed.

After a quiet moment, Fang Xing rose, holding his chest with one hand to bow in gratitude to the band’s teachers, then stepped down from the piano.

The music had ended, yet the silence lingered.

Because this song, this piano performance, had far exceeded the level of an ordinary talent show. It was the caliber of a concert.

Even those in the audience who couldn’t distinguish the technical level of the piano could sense the song’s beauty, its melody captivating.

Host He Hao could hear the song’s strength, his mood lifted, and he spoke with excitement: "Thank you, Fang Xing, for this musical feast.

"But the competition isn’t over yet. The four mentors need to give their final verdict.

"Before the results, do any mentors have something to say?"

This time, Chen Chaonan actively spoke first: "Fang Xing, I looked over your profile—you’re a student at East Sea Conservatory of Music."

Fang Xing nodded. "Yes, I’ll graduate this June."

Chen Chaonan continued, "Have you ever attended my classes?"

He was amazed tonight by Fang Xing’s vocal and compositional skills, but had no impression of Fang Xing from his time at school, so there was much he wanted to ask.

"I’ve attended a few open lectures in the large classroom," Fang Xing replied.

Chen Chaonan was a doctoral advisor at East Sea Conservatory, rarely teaching undergraduates except for a few open lectures at the start of each year.

"If you’re interested, feel free to drop by my small classroom lectures in the future," Chen Chaonan offered.

The other mentors and critics all cast astonished glances at him.

"Certainly, I’ll come whenever I can," Fang Xing agreed.

Chen Chaonan smiled again, asking, "Have you considered applying for graduate studies at East Sea?"

"Well... I haven’t started preparing, so it might be too late," Fang Xing admitted, surprised by the suggestion.

Graduate applications require preparation starting at least in junior year; now in senior year, graduating in half a year, it seemed too late.

Chen Chaonan laughed. "No matter, there’s no rush to apply this year. You’re busy with the show now, not much time to prepare. Go ahead and explore the entertainment industry, and when you feel your vocal skills need further refinement, come back to study—there's never a wrong time to apply."

The other mentors and critics exchanged looks.

Anyone with ears could hear that Chen Chaonan was both hinting and outright stating he wanted Fang Xing as his graduate student.

This meant Chen Chaonan truly wanted to be Fang Xing’s mentor—not just on the show, but at the school itself.

It was worth more than any critique.

Mentors in talent shows can praise contestants to the skies, but it might be scripted or edited. Yet here, Chen Chaonan, a distinguished doctoral advisor, was recruiting a student on the spot—wasn’t that proof enough?

Fang Xing nodded, "Certainly, I’ll return to my alma mater for further studies when I have time."

...

...

(When this chapter is released, music will be played during the lyrics in the chapter’s audio commentary. However, only the Qidian app supports it. When the protagonist starts singing, tapping the audio will let you hear the melody—a delightful reading experience, I imagine.)