The Piano Prince

Poor Liu Xizhen had no idea that Zhang Hupan was just a freshman. Did she really need to be so nervous?

While washing the dishes, Liu Xizhen was still filled with regret over her earlier loss of composure. However, women tend to blame others for their mistakes, and Liu Xizhen was no exception. Within fifteen minutes, she was mentally cursing Zhang Hupan: "You stinky Hupan, it's all your fault for making the wine so delicious and the food so tasty, causing me to make a fool of myself! You must have done it on purpose!" Thinking this, Liu Xizhen scrubbed the plate in her hands with extra force.

"But I really can't tell, Hupan's cooking is really good! How nice would it be if Feifei and I could eat his cooking every day!" Even though she was cursing Zhang Hupan just moments ago, Liu Xizhen's face was now beaming with a happy smile.

Steinway pianos have always been the princes of the piano world, the rulers of high-end pianos. From the very selection of materials, each piano uses eight types of wood. Steinway has always insisted on sending wood experts to logging bases to select suitable wood, which cannot have holes or knots, and the trees must not grow too fast, otherwise the grain spacing would be too wide. After the wood is transported to the Steinway factory, it is further screened, and the materials finally chosen by Steinway may only account for 20% to 30% of the wood purchased from the logging sites. To ensure that the piano will not deform or have problems in any environment after it reaches the user, computers monitor and calculate the dehydration and casting processes. Afterwards, craftsmen use hand clamps to fix the 17 layers of hard maple rim in place. The arched soundboard made of Alaskan spruce is also handmade, thicker in the middle and gradually thinning towards the edges. Piano craftsmen assemble the 12,000 parts produced by machines (all made from wood cut from the same large tree) entirely by hand, a process that takes nearly a year. The price of a Steinway piano in China ranges from 300,000 to 1.3 million yuan, yet they are still in short supply.

In Liu Xizhen's living room, a Steinway piano, the prince of the piano world, sat quietly by the stairs. With Zhang Hupan's discerning eye, he could naturally tell that this piano was extraordinary; the wood used was flawless, and the craftsmanship was extremely fine. Since he had systematically learned about the music of the world, Zhang Hupan had never encountered such a high-end piano before. He felt a sudden urge to play and couldn't help but sit on the bench behind the piano. Placing his hands gently on the keys, pieces of human classical music he had once read about surfaced in his mind.

For Zhang Hupan, who could arrange intricate and complex immortal formations on a small stone, understanding the structure of a piano and its playing techniques was as simple as a glance. Of course, if it were a new electrical appliance with the latest technology, Zhang Hupan might need a little time to understand it.

Legend has it that Beethoven's timeless piano piece, "Für Elise," was composed out of love and was a birthday gift from Beethoven to his beloved Therese. Beethoven never married, but he relentlessly pursued sweet love throughout his life. The creation of "Für Elise" is steeped in such a romantic story.

Beethoven was one of the few musical masters in this world that Zhang Hupan could appreciate. Therefore, Zhang Hupan naturally began to play "Für Elise." Instantly, beautiful notes flowed from his fingertips like flowing water. If Beethoven were alive to hear Zhang Hupan's performance now, he would surely believe it to be the most perfect interpretation of his music. It was such beautiful music, melodious and graceful, filled with tender emotion, reaching directly into the deepest soul of the listener.

The beautiful piano music filled the entire villa. Liu Xizhen, who was washing dishes in the kitchen, naturally heard the beautiful sound and her footsteps involuntarily led her towards the source of the music. When she saw Zhang Hupan sitting there completely engrossed in playing, with the beautiful notes flowing from his fingertips, Liu Xizhen was utterly stunned. She dared say she had never heard such moving and beautiful piano music, such fluid playing, such skillful technique. Everything was simply magical. This young man before her had brought Liu Xizhen so much shock; she was completely captivated by the Zhang Hupan in front of her, wondering what surprise this young man would bring her next!

Though the music had stopped, Liu Xizhen couldn't snap out of the beautiful, emotionally resonant melody for a long time. It wasn't until Zhang Hupan walked over to her that she finally came back to her senses.

"Can you play a few more songs for me? I like Richard Clayderman's piano pieces!" Liu Xizhen said softly to Zhang Hupan, her eyes hazy.

"I'd be happy to!" Zhang Hupan sat back down on the bench and began to play. "Romeo and Juliet," "A Comme Amour," "Concerto pour une amour," "La Vie en Rose"... The beautiful pieces and the exquisite piano sound completely immersed Liu Xizhen in the music. The figure of Zhang Hupan, playing with intense focus not far away, gradually blurred, seeming to transform into the Prince Charming of her childhood dreams, while she herself became Cinderella in the prince's eyes! Everything was so beautiful, so happy. Unfortunately, the gradually fading piano music awakened Liu Xizhen from her fantasy, and the harsh reality deeply pierced her heart.

Zhang Hupan was still just a freshman, while she was already a mother. There was a chasm between them that was difficult to cross, Liu Xizhen sighed deeply in her heart. As someone who had experienced love before, Liu Xizhen knew very well that in that moment, she had fallen deeply in love with Zhang Hupan, who was ten years younger than her. However, it was precisely this ten-year age difference that made Liu Xizhen fearful and timid!

"Clap, clap, clap!" When Zhang Hupan's music finally stopped, Liu Xizhen used her applause to mask the inner panic she felt while captivated by the young man before her.

Although Zhang Hupan was a master of the Nascent Soul Stage, he could not understand the complex emotions within a woman. Seeing Liu Xizhen applaud and praise him, he happily stood up, and as described in books, placed his right arm across his abdomen, bowed to Liu Xizhen very gentlemanly, and said with a smile, "Thank you for your appreciation!"

Looking at Zhang Hupan, who came from the countryside but was so outstanding, Liu Xizhen felt the need to be alone and sort out the emotional impact Zhang Hupan had just had on her.

"Thank you for spending such a perfect birthday with me!" Liu Xizhen said softly. "But I'm a little tired now and want to rest!"

Although Zhang Hupan found it strange that Liu Xizhen, who had been happy and enthusiastic just moments ago, had suddenly become somewhat melancholic and weary, he could only choose to leave since Liu Xizhen had said so.

"Then get some rest! I'll be going back now!" As Zhang Hupan stood up to leave, he suddenly remembered the birthday gift he had prepared for Liu Xizhen. He took out the unique perfume from his pocket and said, "Happy birthday, Sister Xizhen!" He then handed the perfume to Liu Xizhen.

The container, crafted from Ten-Thousand-Year Crystal, was visually striking, not to mention its unique, intoxicating fragrance that was utterly irresistible. It was enough to drive any woman wild. Liu Xizhen was completely captivated by the perfume in her hands. She could hardly imagine that such a perfectly crafted container and such an elegant, fragrant perfume existed in this world!

Clutching the birthday gift from Zhang Hupan tightly, she watched through the window as Zhang Hupan slowly rode away on his bicycle, tears like pearls sliding down her cheeks. At this moment, Liu Xizhen felt an unprecedented sense of helplessness. How she wished she could hold onto the young man riding away, even for just a moment, but age and her child were like thorns deeply embedded in her heart. Never before had she hated herself so much for not managing her youth well, nor had she ever felt such deep affection for Zhang Hupan as she did at this moment! Picking up the crystal bottle, Liu Xizhen gently kissed it and said to herself with a heavy heart, "Forget this absurd feeling! You and he are from two different worlds!"

As he left, the faint sadness in Liu Xizhen's eyes kept replaying in Zhang Hupan's mind. Although Liu Xizhen had hidden it well, for the highly perceptive Zhang Hupan, even the most skillful disguise was futile. Zhang Hupan didn't know what was wrong with Liu Xizhen. He could clearly feel the joy Liu Xizhen had felt when they were together initially, but for some reason, she had suddenly become a little sad.

"Why am I worrying about these things? Maybe she suddenly remembered something unhappy! Ah, the heart of a woman is truly like a needle at the bottom of the sea!" Zhang Hupan shook his head and sped up his cycling. However, after a short while, he began to worry about Liu Xizhen again.

Liu Xizhen was a very strong woman, otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to raise a daughter and run a bar so successfully. Since she had come to terms with the fact that a relationship with Zhang Hupan was impossible, Liu Xizhen decided to genuinely regard Zhang Hupan as her younger brother! Having made up her mind, and after a night of pain, Liu Xizhen quickly returned to her normal self. Although there was always a faint, lingering pain deep in her heart, it no longer affected her mindset. Seeing Liu Xizhen regain her cheerful mood and talk and laugh with him, Zhang Hupan, who had never experienced emotional entanglement, finally put his worried heart at ease. (To be continued)