Chapter 133
"Life is Short" tells a classic tragic love story.
The story is about a Gypsy girl who falls in love with a local young man, but the young man believes that he has a higher social status than the Gypsies and chooses to abandon her. In despair, the Gypsy girl eventually dies at the feet of her lover.
"Night in the Spanish Garden" is the dance music used in the wedding scene of the first act of the opera.
For some reason, Liang Xiaoxiao felt a little envious of that Gypsy girl who met a tragic end.
If she could, she would rather face certain death than not have a brief period of love with the person she loved.
The origins of orchestral music are drawing ever closer.
It was a door slightly ajar, and sounds flowed through the gaps in the sunlight, as if a babbling brook where white deer drink water could be heard from time to time.
Liang Xiaoxiao's gaze lingered on the sign for 309. Like someone feeling apprehensive about returning home, she stood motionless at the door, quietly listening to the orchestral music playing in theme B.
The melody becomes increasingly emotional and somber, as if implying that the wedding will end in tragedy. It slowly changes key and moves towards the high register.
At this point, she finally made up her mind, mustered her courage, and slowly pushed open the door.
Suddenly, a vast expanse of summer sunlight pierced my pupils, creating ripples of pure white light that spread across my retina, obscuring the real scenery like flowers in a mirror or the moon's reflection in water, revealing a beautiful vista.
A breeze stirs the soft, pure white curtains, causing them to billow high like a skirt. Light filters through the delicate material, casting a hazy silhouette of a graceful figure within, while the piano music, dancing with the orchestra, suddenly becomes clear.
The window curtains slowly and gently fell back down.
Chu Yuanqing sat upright at the piano, her profile as if a gift from God, the shadows of her eyelashes reflected in her clear pupils, her slender fingers like butterflies flitting among flowers, shuttling back and forth on the black and white keys, her fingering becoming faster and faster in sync with the strong A major chords, playing notes that were both passionate and sorrowful.
Liang Xiaoxiao was stunned.
This was not a fateful encounter, but a blessing intentionally arranged by the Dream Weaver Rabbit.
Even so, upon seeing familiar faces, I couldn't help but feel overjoyed. The beating of my heart was like a drumbeat, accompanying the orchestral music that heralded the end, creating a wondrous melody in my ears.
After a long while, the music ended.
Chu Yuanqing lowered his eyes to look at his fingertips resting on the piano keys, feeling a pang of nostalgia.
How long has it been since I last played the piano?
She remembered that she first learned these instruments because Charlotte kept pestering him to accompany her.
But so many years have passed in the blink of an eye. Various musical instruments are now displayed in the peaceful city, and the memories of the past have been covered in dust, no longer shining brightly.
Chu Yuanqing intentionally ignored everything about her, continuing to lose himself in the torrent of curses, yet fragments of connection with her flickered in every moment, tracing back to memories and love.
Perhaps because she had forgotten too much, Charlotte gradually became the guiding light for her to anchor herself.
Chu Yuanqing reached out and gently touched the piano keys, familiar yet unfamiliar. With somewhat awkward technique, she played a children's song from her childhood. A smile played on her lips, and a gentle yet sorrowful ripple appeared in her eyes as she began to hum softly:
"Edelweiss, edelweiss (Edelweiss, Edelweiss)".
Every morning you greet me (as the morning sun shines upon my blooming).
"Small and white."
"Clean and bright."
You look happy to meet me (shaking happily towards me).
Liang Xiaoxiao stood still.
If "Night in the Spanish Garden" only touched her heart...
This song, "Edelweiss," which originated from Chu Yuanqing's inner feelings, transcended the definition of a conventional stage. As the lanterns turned pure white, it stirred up an extremely large Heart Tide phenomenon, as if recreating the original stage.
Loneliness, nostalgia, childhood, separation, sorrow, happiness...
It's just an ordinary melody, a classic children's song that's not particularly remarkable, yet the emotions within it are so vivid. With a cool, pale blue base, it's wrapped in warm orange, illustrating a gentleness that embraces all blades.
It was like a tranquil prose poem, or like the sunshine that blesses all beings every day, seeping into the depths of our breath, swaying our souls, and resonating with a profound sense of emotion.
That's strange.
Liang Xiaoxiao's eyes filled with tears, her expression blank, and a deafening sound of shattering echoed in her ears.
Deep within the soul, with a hissing sound, the soil transformed by negative emotions was melting and evaporating. The illusory sprouts buried within were forcibly drawn away from the filthy mist and merged into strands of pure white radiance, receiving a baptism as if bestowed with grace.
Crackle, crackle.
The nascent form of the pitch-black cocoon continued to collapse, while the blooming buds continued to grow, absorbing the radiant afterglow of the Savior and weaving a clean, new outer shell.
In a daze, a refreshing sense of ease filled my soul.
Liang Xiaoxiao felt completely refreshed, and the pent-up stress of the past half month vanished. Her vision suddenly cleared, and the strong synesthetic effect even distorted her sense of time.
This is precisely the phenomenon caused by cocoon-like fetal movement.
It is neither purely genuine nor purely counterfeit.
In this extraordinary encounter, Liang Xiaoxiao was able to forge the prototype of the [Cocoon of the Heart].
This is not Flower of Evil blooming with the help of [Calamity Species], but a pure white sprout nourished by the afterglow of the Savior.
Even though both are fakes, they are worlds apart.
Liang Xiaoxiao was still unaware of what had happened, but as she listened to the melody of "Edelweiss," she felt reborn, and as tears streamed down her face, an indescribable smile appeared on her lips.
For a long, long time.
The light in Liang Xiaoxiao's eyes flickered and then faded, as if her thoughts were churning within a dozen seconds, filled with countless emotions. She smiled, but it was as if she were scorched by the sun, and dared not approach any further. She averted her gaze from Chu Yuanqing and chose to turn away without saying goodbye.
The girl came quietly and left quietly, unnoticed and unseen by anyone along the way. Just like her ordinary life, where even her struggles were less than a fraction of charity, this was the fate of a supporting character.
Three minutes later, indoors.
Chu Yuanqing stopped playing the piano, stood up, took the vinyl record given to her by her Little Cotton-padded Jacket from the record player, carefully put it back in her Small backpack, then picked up the record player she had secretly taken from her dormitory, blinked, and smiled, feeling great.
Well, I've finally finished listening to the vinyl record Xiao Shu gave me. Now I'm not afraid to bring up this topic next time I meet him as his father.
Although I considered using it in the dormitory, my daughter is there, and it doesn't seem safe enough. Going to the music room in the entertainment complex is indeed troublesome, but it's safer, and it wouldn't seem strange if someone heard it.
"The break is almost over, it's time to go back to training."
Chu Yuanqing glanced at the time, walked out of the music room, took the central axial elevator, and embarked on the road back to the dormitory. Her steps were light and quick, completely unaware of the entanglements that had arisen because of her.
At the same time,
The Dream Weaver Rabbit observed Liang Xiaoxiao's data. Its scarlet eyes, gleaming with an inorganic, mechanical quality, gleamed as it rapidly processed the massive data stream. It murmured in awe:
"This is... a method different from using [Calamity Species] to forge the [Cocoon of the Heart]?"
In that instant,
Dream Weaver Rabbit recalled the scene when Xie Qingxuan first plundered Shan Guang inside the car.
The same was true back then. Luo Chan, whose brilliance had been stolen, returned to normal simply through Chu Yuanqing's embrace and words. This was a stark contrast to the large number of players in the C1 area who were still in a daze.
The reason this Super AI did that before was simply because it saw through Liang Xiaoxiao's feelings for Chu Yuanqing and hoped that their meeting would give the former a positive stimulus, but it never expected to produce such a terrifying chemical reaction.
The Dream Weaver Rabbit smiled happily and couldn't help but celebrate:
"Simply by virtue of one's own brilliance, one has endowed a substance different from that of the [Calamity Species] with a completely new path for forging the [Cocoon of the Heart]?"
"Incredible, this is simply a miracle."
This Super AI once again recognized Chu Yuanqing's immense significance; she was like a treasure bestowed upon humanity by [Pure White].
It can be said that as long as this person doesn't die prematurely, the Kindling Project is already halfway to success.
The Dream Weaver Rabbit murmured expectantly:
"I really look forward to the day you truly grow up, the future... Savior."
Volume 1: 133. [Flower Bloom], Parent-Child Bath. (5K)
That night.
Area A1, detached dormitory building.
Chu Yuanqing put on a cat paw apron, her pretty face delicate and youthful. Even with her hair up, she had a pure and innocent charm. Her cooking rhythm was perfect, like flowing water. Her serene profile, bathed in the lamplight, exuded a gentle, maternal glow.
Tang Liuli put down the sheet music and peeked out from the kitchen doorway, looking at the back of that person. Her emerald green eyes blinked, and her delicate nose twitched occasionally, like a little glutton.
Hmm, I just don't know if this cat is craving the now very youthful Chu Yuanqing, or the delicious-looking dishes in the kitchen.
Chu Wangshu sat at the dining table, picked up a book, and absentmindedly memorized mathematical formulas. Occasionally, she couldn't help but glance into the kitchen, a feeling of happiness welling up inside her as her mother prepared to feed her, and she secretly smiled.
Although I felt ashamed at first and felt very sorry for Xiao Qing, this intense feeling of happiness and being pampered spread like honey deep in my soul, washing away all the shame and remorse, leaving only the decadence I wanted to enjoy.
After all...
Even though Xiao Qing is a minor, and it's strange and shameful for her to treat the other person as her mother, she should be fine as long as she keeps it to herself and doesn't tell anyone, right?
Kiriwake Yayoi appeared very reserved, but she had just been intimate with Chu Yuanqing today, and while coaching him on dance moves, she had taken advantage of the situation by rubbing his buttocks, back, slender waist, and long legs quite a bit.
Although it was passive and quite serious, sticking on the sticker was a win, and a winner should have the composure of a winner!
Despite thinking this way, Little Sakura still kept glancing into the kitchen.
Even though I've seen Chu Yuanqing's limited-edition wedding dress skin, it was ultimately just an advertisement, and it was too dreamy, with a sense of being out of touch with reality. The current limited-edition cook/wife skin is not only very down-to-earth, but it also feels very approachable, giving the illusion that you can get close to the other person at any time.
Simply put, it's beautiful! I love watching it! I want to watch it a lot!
Especially that seemingly dangerous single braid, so aloof and simple, with a subtle understated charm.
Kiriwake Yayoi glanced at that scene, seemingly slightly tipsy, her pure face dazed, her innocent drooping eyes tinged with a hazy quality, and her pupils tinged with a captivating cherry blossom pink.
Chu Yuanqing has so many wonderful qualities, like a dish with extremely rich layers of flavor. Once you take a bite, you can only indulge in the pleasure of devouring yourself, completely unable to distinguish which aspect is the best. You can only savor it later and count the wonderful details bit by bit.
So...
I wish I could live like this forever.
Even if the relationship remains at its current level, just being able to eat Xiao Qing's cooking every day, see Xiao Qing, and be close to her is already more than I can imagine.
Unfortunately, even if Flashdance completely stabilizes the team, they can only stay here for a few months at most.
Happy times are always so fleeting.
If I become so immersed in this happiness that I lose all ambition and fail to make any progress in my relationship with Chu Yuanqing, I will definitely regret it in the future.
Every stage of life is irreplaceable, and some opportunities are not like the gacha pool in a game that will eventually be re-released. Once you miss them, you can never hold onto them again.
The format of "Flash Dance" dictates that the only time the two individuals can compete without any conflict of interest is likely during the current team formation phase. Once they reach the second Public Performance stage, they will inevitably have to start competing, and the subsequent competition format will be even more predictable.
In other words, now is the best time to plan your strategy!
Little Sakura secretly cheered herself up.
Yayoi, you have to work harder! You can't be satisfied with such petty gains. You must find an opportunity to show your strengths and make Xiao Qing like you even more!
Tang Liuli was also pondering the same question. She suspected that Qing Mom was starting to treat her like a daughter. Lately, even when they didn't empathize with each other, she could occasionally see the way Qing Ma looked at children.
The Green Eyed Cat frowned. This won't do!
She's very honest; she just wants to have sex with Chu Yuanqing.
But if she goes from being a pet to a daughter who needs care, she definitely won't be able to develop a similar emotional bond anymore. It'd be better to just be a cat asking for kisses! Wouldn't that mean completely losing out?
I'm furious! Why is this happening?
Tang Liuli was very distressed; she had clearly proven her progress on stage.
But subtly, in Qing Mom's eyes, this was like a child who had just gotten a perfect score showing off to their parents. Instead of re-evaluating and looking at them with new respect, she would pat them on the head, praise them, and earnestly encourage them.
Damn it, even though I was happy and completely forgot about it at the time, this wasn't the reaction she wanted at all!
Tang Liuli was very frustrated; she felt she had been fooled by that Sakura Girl.
If Qing Mom doesn't re-evaluate herself after becoming more dazzling, then she should have been given to Qing Mom's team in the first place. After all, the Great Demon King is just a naturally Stupid Dog, definitely easier to deal with than Kiriwake Yayoi.
Of course, that's just what they say.
Green Eyed Cat did indeed figure out a lot of things because of that Sakura Girl, but she was too proud to admit it even in her heart.
Chu Wangshu didn't have so many bad intentions. As a top student with strong concentration, she glanced at Chu Yuanqing's slender back a few times before burying herself in her book again, immersing herself in the ocean of mathematics with a serious look in her eyes.
Time passed quickly, and a sumptuous dinner was soon served.
Because we need to control calorie intake, the only dish that's relatively high in calories is a small side dish.
Tang Liuli picked up her chopsticks first. She dipped the slightly crispy, soft-in-the-heart rice cake in the sauce made with mashed foie gras, then wrapped it in seaweed, and chewed it in her mouth, savoring the complex textures and flavors that exploded on her taste buds. Her eyes narrowed slightly.
After a hard training session, being able to enjoy delicious food is a great pleasure in itself, let alone when the person cooking it is Chu Yuanqing.
Whether it was Kiriwake Yayoi, who usually had little appetite, or Chu Wangshu, who was very precise about the calories in the dishes, they both enjoyed their meals very much.
After lunch, it was training time again.