Chapter 158: A Stunning Pipe Organ Performance

Qin Yi, Lu Zhou, and Ye Fangfei arrived at the private music room on the third floor of Elder Qin's residence.

Qin Yi had cleared out the entire third floor, specially designing and decorating it as a dedicated music room.

Step inside, and one would truly discover that Elder Qin was a man deeply obsessed with musical arts.

Almost all commonly used instruments were present in his music room, predominantly wind and string instruments. What truly revealed his fanaticism was that he actually had a pipe organ installed in his own home—and a professionally designed one at that, not just some casual setup for amusement.

This was the work of a true audiophile, utterly extravagant.

Upon seeing the pipe organ, Lu Zhou could not help stepping forward to gently run his hand over it.

Qin Yi silently observed his every move from behind.

He was extremely curious about just how proficient this young man was at playing the pipe organ.

Qin Yi was a towering figure in China's piano world, having taught world-renowned pianists who made him immensely proud.

Yet, in truth, his passion for the pipe organ was no less than that for the piano, and his own prowess in the pipe organ domain was equally formidable.

Pursuing art was an expensive endeavor.

Let alone playing the pipe organ.

With its massive bulk, exorbitant manufacturing costs, and demanding maintenance, the pipe organ was a scarce resource in the artistic realm.

Consequently, very few people studied the pipe organ, and finding a high-level talent among them to properly nurture was no easy task.

Elder Qin had always wanted to take on a devoted disciple to study the pipe organ under his tutelage, but alas, he had never managed to scout a student who met his standards.

Tonight, Lu Zhou had proactively suggested that his piece "Void" was better suited for a pipe organ performance. Clearly, he had considered the pipe organ's sonic effects while composing, meaning he was undoubtedly someone well-versed in the instrument.

A faint sense of anticipation toward Lu Zhou quietly took root in Qin Yi's heart.

Just how strong was this young man's grasp of the pipe organ? He was truly eager to find out.

As a bystander, Ye Fangfei lacked Elder Qin's elaborate psychological activity, as her understanding of the pipe organ was far from professional.

When she was still young, Elder Qin had actually tried to coax her, asking if she wanted to try studying the pipe organ under him.

At that time, Qin Yi probably figured she had considerable financial backing and a certain degree of musical talent, making her someone who could recklessly smash resources into such an instrument without fear.

However, back then, Ye Fangfei could not yet appreciate this instrument, finding it overly complex, and thus never pursued specialized studies in it.

Even so, she knew it was an intensely formidable instrument.

The charm of the pipe organ lay in the fact that a single person playing a solo in real-time could produce the sonic effect of an entire orchestra. With high professional skill, the resulting impact was utterly breathtaking.

She found a chair and sat down, quietly waiting for Lu Zhou's performance to begin.

Meanwhile, after inspecting the pipe organ, Lu Zhou kicked off his shoes and sat before the console.

Playing the pipe organ required not only both hands but also both feet.

All four limbs were brought into play; thus, if a person could not flexibly coordinate all four limbs simultaneously, there was no point in even learning this instrument.

"The soundproofing here is up to par, right? It's getting a bit late... I hope I won't disturb the neighbors." Lu Zhou turned his head with a smile and looked at Elder Qin.

The forte volume of a pipe organ could be massive. If the soundproofing failed, he would likely be flooded with complaints from neighbors in all directions tonight.

"Play with peace of mind," Qin Yi said, giving him a reassuring anchor.

Lu Zhou nodded, turned his attention back to the pipe organ, and began tuning.

First, he casually played a melody to test the acoustic effect, then played another to double-check.

To a layperson, they only heard the notes and detected nothing amiss.

An insider, however, would know that sound-checking meant the performer had a very clear vision of the precise acoustic effects they wanted to achieve for the piece they were about to play, and was making fine adjustments.

Lu Zhou's tuning process looked quite practiced. He tested different melodies to confirm details, and anyone who knew their craft could tell he was no half-baked amateur.

Uncle Qin's eyes were already beginning to glow as he looked at Lu Zhou.

Noticing Elder Qin's expression, Ye Fangfei couldn't help but chuckle secretly; she was far too familiar with that look on him.

"Some of the dynamic volume ranges on this pipe organ of yours are simply too loud for the piece 'Void'; the resulting effect might deviate somewhat from the sound I want."

At that moment, Lu Zhou spoke up as he continued tuning.

Hearing this, Ye Fangfei chimed in with a question: "Can't it be adjusted?"

"It can be adjusted, but there's not enough time tonight. Adjusting this would probably require adding larger reeds and controlling them with expression pedals," Lu Zhou replied.

As he spoke, his hands were busy adjusting the stops on the pipe organ.

What Lu Zhou was talking about fell squarely into Ye Fangfei's blind spot of knowledge, leaving her unable to help. She looked at Qin Yi and noticed that the corners of his mouth were curved upward, his eyes fixed intently on Lu Zhou.

Ye Fangfei couldn't help raising an eyebrow. Was he taken with him?!

"Just make do and play it once tonight. Another day, I'll have someone come install the reeds, and once it's properly tuned, you can come try it again," Qin Yi replied.

Ye Fangfei: "..."

Alright, judging by that tone, he was indeed taken with him.

"Okay," Lu Zhou responded casually without looking back, giving it little thought as his focus remained entirely on the tuning.

"Are there any other parts that need primary adjustment?" Qin Yi asked.

"Others? Some can be adjusted right now. For instance, for this passage, I want a smoother crescendo..." Lu Zhou replied, casually playing another melody as he continued,

"We can start from the pipework and the 8' stop, and when a louder sound is needed, switch over to the 4' and 2' stops..."

"The effect will be much better that way."

"And this section..." Lu Zhou played yet another melody, saying, "The current effect sounds like this: the 18th interval in the major scale is tuned too loudly; we can incorporate the swell pedal."

As Lu Zhou rattled off these technical details, the corners of Qin Yi's mouth blossomed into a wide smile.

Following a round of pipe organ adjustments, Lu Zhou finally prepared to begin his official performance.

Qin Yi pulled a chair over and sat down beside Ye Fangfei, the two of them acting as the audience.

The first piece Lu Zhou played was one Ye Fangfei had never heard before; it was clearly a new suite he had written for "Void".

The opening began with a set of harmonics—very soft, very long, carrying a trace of trembling sensation. Immersed in it, one felt as though their soul was undergoing purification, and the mind began to empty itself.

One could sense an ethereal quality, a true tranquility, with no one else around, inviting deep contemplation.

luego, the pitch began to shift, moving from soft to loud with extreme smoothness, until reaching the sensation of the bellows being pulled at the end. The volume swelled, grand and majestic, causing a roaring sensation in the ears as if the scene was about to burst open. At this point, the musical sense reached a climax.

In an instant, it shifted back to a low, mournful wail, returning once again to serenity.

Ye Fangfei silently watched Lu Zhou. From the melody of this newly played suite, she finally heard the exact sensation he had described earlier.

The melody painted a picture of intense inner struggle.

It was as if two versions of "herself" within her soul were tearing at each other, and the passage that surged to a climax was the most violent manifestation of that agonizing struggle.

Finally, it faded into a slow, monotonous silence—presumably meaning one of the "selves" had won? "I" had made the final decision.

The auditory experience produced by the pipe organ was intensely shocking.

Too brilliant; once again, Ye Fangfei's eyes grew moist.

Qin Yi was likewise shaken by the performance, his hands resting on his knees even beginning to tremble slightly.

By this time, Lu Zhou had transitioned into playing the second suite—the one he had previously played for Ye Fangfei on the dating reality show.

The tempo at the start of this piece was much faster than the previous suite, with a joyful rhythm carrying a touch of earthly warmth. The melody was immensely soothing, capable of melting one's ears.

Then it entered what felt like a revolving loop of notes, as if one had left this earth entirely and stepped into a completely new world.

A profound sense of loneliness and insignificance once again invaded the heart.

To view the universe as a mere mayfly, a solitary grain of sand in a vast sea.

The sound came from far to near, from soft to loud, and the story entered its next rhythm.

The sound of the wind swept in once more, the scene expanding grandly before rapidly transitioning into another suite. It utilized a similar score, yet poured immense effort into different melodic details, creating an effect suitable for entirely different scenes and emotional states.

It finally concluded with an ultra-long fortissimo note.

As the music ceased, the room plunged into a dead silence.

Qin Yi and Ye Fangfei remained unable to snap out of the lingering resonance of the music for a long while.

Lu Zhou withdrew his hands from the keys and, after a long moment, slowly turned to look at his only two audience members.

Their gazes were fixed upon him. Though they didn't speak, their eyes conveyed that they seemed to have a thousand things to say, yet didn't know where to begin.

"I'm a bit rusty," Lu Zhou offered an awkward smile, breaking the silence. "I made a few mistakes and missed a couple of beats just now."

Qin Yi finally snapped back to reality. He let out a heavy, long breath to ease the sensation in his chest, then smiled, raised his hands, and began to applaud. "Shocking! Truly shocking, exceptionally brilliant!"

"We didn't see your new score, so even if you played a wrong note, we wouldn't have noticed," Ye Fangfei also recovered from her deep immersion in the music and smiled.

Lu Zhou stepped down from the pipe organ and slipped his shoes back on.

He looked at Ye Fangfei with a smile and teased, "You didn't cry when listening this time? It seems my playing was just mediocre."

Ye Fangfei let out a soft "snort" of laughter, then turned serious as she recalled the sensation of listening to his performance and analyzed her experience as a listener:

"The feeling of listening this time was completely different from before. Probably because you enriched the melody, and coupled with the pipe organ performance, the resulting effect felt like a very complex, progressive blend of emotions intertwined together."

"One minute you want to cry, and the next second you've already transitioned into another emotion. In the end, all that remains is that lingering, uncalmable shock deep within the soul."

"Who has the spare capacity to cry?"

Qin Yi nodded in agreement. "Indeed, these suites are written exceptionally well—both delicate and grand, with smooth and natural emotional progression and transitions."

Being praised always brings a pleasant mood, no matter how many times one receives it.

Lu Zhou smiled and said, "Thank you for your recognition. This means a great deal to me."

"Did you complete this suite entirely on your own?" Qin Yi suddenly asked with a serious expression.

Lu Zhou: "Yes."

Qin Yi nodded thoughtfully, eyeing Lu Zhou. Suddenly thinking of something, he said with a hint of annoyance:

"Someone like you should be entering the classical music circle and taking the international concert halls by storm! What are you doing messing around with entertainment industry idol trainee shows? Who sent you there? What terrible taste, you're practically burying a talent!"

Lu Zhou: "..."

Ye Fangfei: "..." She had the lingering illusion that she had somehow been caught in the crossfire of scolding.

"He's immensely talented; I wish I had discovered him ten years ago!" Qin Yi shook his head and sighed toward Ye Fangfei.

"It's not too late for you to discover him now," Ye Fangfei smiled.

"Still found too late..." Qin Yi muttered, before suddenly turning his eyes back to Lu Zhou, looking at him brightly as he asked, "Which master did you study the pipe organ under?"

"Huh?" Lu Zhou paused slightly. "My teacher..."

Who was his teacher?! His teacher was a top-tier grandmaster from another world...

That obviously couldn't be said.

Seeing Lu Zhou hesitate for ages without dropping any notable names, Elder Qin guessed that he must have learned from some obscure pipe organ teacher. Otherwise, with such immense talent, how could he have never heard of him in the industry?

This implied that the teacher lacked the discernment to recognize talent, letting such a prodigy slip through the cracks. Lu Zhou's current pipe organ proficiency probably stemmed from his own personal interest, coupled with hard work and extra practice to achieve such fluent playing today.

Lu Zhou's current level was indeed professional, but there was still plenty of room for further elevation.

"Though boasting about oneself might be a bit shameless, my skin is rather thick."

Elder Qin didn't wait for Lu Zhou to reply before continuing.

"In the domestic pipe organ field, I, Qin Yi, am considered part of the top echelon; my influence in the piano field goes without saying—I believe you've heard of it."

"Do you want to continue refining your pipe organ and piano skills? If you have the desire to reach the next level, I, Qin Yi, would like to take you on as my disciple. Are you willing?"

As soon as Qin Yi uttered these words, Ye Fangfei raised her eyebrows in excitement, looking at Lu Zhou and frantically signaling him with her eyes.

"If you entered the classical music circle, you'd know just how hard it is to become Elder Qin's disciple. His standards for accepting students are extremely high."

"With all his achievements, he has only ever officially taken on two disciples to this day."

"One is Wang Yanhua, and the other is Song Yi."

"You don't follow classical music, so you might not have heard of Song Yi, but surely you've heard of Wang Yanhua, right?"

Ye Fangfei explained excitedly to Lu Zhou.

Lu Zhou had naturally heard of Wang Yanhua's reputation, so he nodded. "I've heard of him. He's very famous."

Wang Yanhua was currently the most prestigious new-generation pianist in the country, sweeping up awards in domestic and international competitions large and small, crowned as a "piano prodigy."

"He is Elder Qin's first disciple," Ye Fangfei said. "For so many years, Elder Qin has only taken two disciples. Countless other piano students in the industry rack their brains trying to apprentice under him, but he refuses them all. So you understand..."

She left the rest unsaid, but the meaning was abundantly clear.

It meant he should hurry up and agree, rather than wasting such a wonderful opportunity!

In truth, Lu Zhou had already made up his mind long ago.

However, he deliberately decided to play a bit coy. He joked with Ye Fangfei, "If you wanted to apprentice under him, would Elder Qin refuse you too?"

Ye Fangfei: "..."

Hearing this, Qin Yi let out a low snort and glanced at Ye Fangfei with an expression that clearly conveyed a sense of "spite over iron failing to become steel."

"I would refuse! Setting aside technical skill, just her lazy work ethic when practicing isn't qualified to be my disciple," Qin Yi declared.

The corners of Ye Fangfei's mouth twitched. "Heh! How am I lazy? I just spend my energy in other places."

"Being half-hearted is just another form of laziness. Look at how your cello practicing is coming along," Qin Yi continued to roast her.

Ye Fangfei scratched her forehead. "..."

For some reason, Lu Zhou found this scene rather heartwarming and couldn't help laughing.

Ye Fangfei shot him a glare, causing him to chuckle even more merrily.

"So, what's your verdict? Or do you want to go back and think it over before giving me an answer?" Qin Yi looked at Lu Zhou and asked seriously.

"Don't let my old age fool you; I still believe I have plenty of knowledge left in my belly to pass on. Take your piece 'Void' for example—I can help you further enrich the arrangement."

At that moment, Qin Yi was acting rather like the legendary granny selling melons, enthusiastically hawking her own wares.

Lu Zhou reined in his smile and nodded. "It would be my greatest honor to apprentice under you. Of course I am willing."

A radiant smile finally bloomed on Qin Yi's face. He gave Lu Zhou's shoulder a heavy pat and beamed, "Good! Excellent!"

Ye Fangfei smiled as well, raising an eyebrow at Lu Zhou. "Aren't you going to call him teacher?"

Qin Yi laughed heartily. "No rush, no rush. It won't be too late to call me that once we hold the official apprenticeship ceremony another day."

...

The three of them chatted happily at Elder Qin's home. As the night grew deeper, Ye Fangfei and Lu Zhou took their leave.

While waiting for the car.

Ye Fangfei suddenly asked Lu Zhou, "The fish pond at your house must be huge, right?"

Lu Zhou paused, "Huh?"

"Since you're able to play so many instruments, if the fish pond at home wasn't big enough, I'm afraid it wouldn't be able to afford to fund all these hobbies of yours?"

She raised her eyes with a half-smile, spelling out the underlying meaning of her previous remark.

Only then did Lu Zhou realize what she was referring to. He pressed his lips into a smile and said, "Not exactly huge, but certainly not small."

Ye Fangfei nodded understandingly. "When you first said your family raised fish, given that depressed tone of yours, I actually thought your family was dirt poor."

Lu Zhou: "..."

True to form, Ye Fangfei's sarcasm was as smooth as ever.

"Poverty has always been relative; it mainly depends on who you're comparing yourself to. Back then, my comparison object was you, so my family's fish pond truly didn't look like much," Lu Zhou laughed.

Ye Fangfei looked slightly surprised. "You know about my background?"

"Uh..." Lu Zhou's Adam's apple bobbed up and down, nearly letting slip a secret. He cleared his throat and covered by saying, "I can guess a thing or two."

Ye Fangfei offered a faint smile and dropped the subject, not mentioning what her family actually did as she steered the conversation elsewhere.

"Elder Qin is half a master to me. Although I never formally apprenticed under him, my piano skills were actually taught by him. Since you've entered his tutelage, we can be considered half fellow disciples."

Ye Fangfei suddenly thought of this connection.

Everything that happened tonight felt somewhat dramatic.

"It seems I still couldn't escape the fate of becoming your junior fellow apprentice?" Lu Zhou teased.

Ye Fangfei pressed her lips together. "..."

Why did this dialogue sound so familiar?

Oh... right...

Good grief.

Sure enough, Lu Zhou's very next sentence was: "Senior sister."

Ye Fangfei: "..."

Noticing her expression, Lu Zhou couldn't help laughing out loud.

At that moment, the other chauffeured car she had arranged to pick her up arrived.

She pointed to the car they had arrived in and said, "Let's take separate cars. Tell the driver your destination, and he'll take you back."

Lu Zhou didn't refuse her arrangement and expressed his gratitude.

"You're welcome, junior brother."

Ye Fangfei pulled open the car door and ducked inside.

Lu Zhou: "..."

The two of them boarded their respective vehicles and sped off in different directions.

On her way home, thinking about tonight's events, Ye Fangfei smiled. She truly hadn't expected that bringing Lu Zhou to meet Elder Qin tonight would result in him being directly scouted and taken in as a disciple.

On a whim, she took out her phone and sent a message to Wang Yanhua: [What are you doing?]

A reply came not long after.

Wang Yanhua: [???]

Wang Yanhua: [On a sweet date with my wife. Why are you suddenly messaging me? Wanting to eat some dog food?]

Ye Fangfei: [Picking nose.GIF]

Ye Fangfei: [Tell me, if I ruin your dating mood, will sister-in-law hate me?]

Wang Yanhua: [You can't ruin it. There's only room for my wife alone in my heart.]

Ye Fangfei: [Smiling face.GIF]

Ye Fangfei: [Your master announced he's taking a new disciple tonight.]

After this message was sent, the other end fell silent for a long time.

Wang Yanhua: [???]

Wang Yanhua: [I didn't even catch wind of this. Where'd you get this fake news?]

Ye Fangfei: [You're welcome, I just walked out of Uncle Qin's house.]

Wang Yanhua: [...]

Wang Yanhua: [Really?]

Wang Yanhua: [Who?!]

Ye Fangfei: [The very same young male celebrity you said was getting cozy with me on that reality show!]

Wang Yanhua: [???]

Wang Yanhua: [What the f*ck!]
Wang Yanhua: [What gives him the right?]

At that point, Ye Fangfei purposely stopped replying to him, hugging her phone and giggling softly to herself.

Fine, she admitted it—sometimes she could be quite mischievous.

Meanwhile, Wang Yanhua on the other end of the phone was losing his mind. He completely lost his mood for a date and immediately contacted Song Yi.

Wang Yanhua: [Did you hear the news about Master taking a new disciple?]

Song Yi: [???]

Song Yi: [Haven't heard a thing. Who is Master taking?]

Wang Yanhua: [Can't remember his name, that male celebrity who went on the dating show with Ye Fangfei!]

Song Yi: [Don't know him. Who's he think he is? Is his piano playing that amazing?]

Wang Yanhua: [I don't think so! I've watched clips of him playing, it's just mediocre. Is Master taking students so rashly? Isn't he afraid of ruining his lifelong reputation at the end?]

Song Yi: [Where'd you get this info?]

Wang Yanhua: [Ye Fangfei just told me.]

Song Yi: [She's probably pranking you to get back at you for spreading rumors about her a while back.]

Wang Yanhua: [...]

Wang Yanhua: [Quite possible. She stopped replying to my texts and isn't answering my calls.]

Song Yi: [I'll ask Master another day.]

Wang Yanhua: [Suddenly feeling like this can't possibly be true.]

Wang Yanhua: [If it is true, I'll have to go meet him in person.]