This Was No Longer the Past

"Bai Yunsheng!"

Bai Yunsheng rubbed his ears. "Why are you shouting so loudly?"

Panic had already appeared in Feng Tingfan's eyes. "Do you know what you're doing?"

Bai Yunsheng nodded. "I didn't know the answer to your question. Seeing how curious you were, I asked Mr. Meng for you. Is there a problem?"

"Feng Tingfan, I thought you would have gotten smarter after everything that happened before. I didn't expect you to still be so stupid," Bai Yunsheng said with a smile.

Feng Tingfan froze for several seconds, already imagining every possible consequence once Feng Yanshan found out. "Bai Yunsheng! If I tell Dad you did this on purpose, what do you think will happen?"

The servants in the room were so frightened that they barely dared to breathe, not even daring to glance over from the corners of their eyes.

Bai Yunsheng was utterly unconcerned. "So what? Even if I was the one who said it, so what?"

Feng Tingfan looked at him in disbelief. "So what?"

Bai Yunsheng said, "Do you think Father would punish and scold me for your sake? Mr. Meng only needs to make a casual phone call to Father, and you, Feng Tingfan, will become the culprit."

Bai Yunsheng took a few steps toward Feng Tingfan. "This is no longer the past."

It was no longer the time when you could raise your hand and slap me.

After saying that, Bai Yunsheng stepped back to where he had been standing. "Is everything packed?"

The servants lowered their heads. "Everything is packed."

Bai Yunsheng said, "Thank you for your hard work."

The servants hurriedly shook their heads, then filed out of the room one after another.

Before closing the door, Bai Yunsheng gave Feng Tingfan one last look and said mercifully, "I lied to you. But there won't be a next time."

Feng Tingfan stood there for a long time without reacting. After who knew how long, he finally understood what Bai Yunsheng's last sentence meant. But what came before relief was anger.

How could someone who had long held a high position possibly tolerate being climbed over by someone he had once considered beneath him?

Wu Shanye lived in the mountains, quite far away. The driver took an hour to get there, and the person who opened the door for Bai Yunsheng was a stranger.

Bai Yunsheng was still wondering how to address him when the man who had opened the door said, "You're Bai Yunsheng?"

Bai Yunsheng nodded.

A smile immediately appeared on the man's calm face. "Hello, my name is Han Chen. Teacher is already waiting for you inside."

Han Chen led Bai Yunsheng inside.

Han Chen?

Bai Yunsheng felt like he had heard that name somewhere before.

But he simply could not remember.

Bai Yunsheng looked at Han Chen. His hair was slightly long and curled at the ends. He was fairly good-looking, though not the kind that stunned people at first glance. Unlike the feeling his name evoked, he seemed comfortable and gentle.

Like a leaf floating on a lake.

Han Chen noticed Bai Yunsheng's gaze and turned to ask, "What is it?"

Bai Yunsheng immediately looked away and shook his head. "I just feel like I've seen you somewhere before."

Han Chen thought for a few seconds. "Probably at the Spring Dawn competition. My hand was injured then, so I only won a silver award."

At the mention of Spring Dawn, Bai Yunsheng immediately remembered. It had happened a long time ago, but Han Chen had left a deep impression on him because after he finished playing the piano, blood had stained the keys. There had been quite a controversy at the time. Some people thought he was incredible for winning silver even with his hand injured so badly. Others believed that the blood he left behind had, to a certain extent, affected the contestants who performed afterward. In any case, it had caused quite a stir.

Bai Yunsheng said, "I watched that competition. You were amazing."

Han Chen said, "Amazing?"

Bai Yunsheng nodded seriously. "Amazing. If it were me, with my hand injured like that, I definitely wouldn't have won anything."

Han Chen looked at Bai Yunsheng for a while. "Thank you."

As they chatted, they arrived at the piano room.

Han Chen said, "Go in first."

Wu Shanye might have seemed easy to get along with, but once it involved the piano, he was incredibly strict. His teaching style was completely different from Teacher Jiang's. By the time Bai Yunsheng came out of the piano room, several red welts from a wooden ruler had appeared on the back of his hand.

As soon as Bai Yunsheng left the piano room, he saw Han Chen waiting outside.

Han Chen glanced at Bai Yunsheng's hand. "I'll apply some medicine for you."

A little embarrassed, Bai Yunsheng hid his hand behind his back. "It's fine. I don't need any medicine."

As though he had not seen it, Han Chen said, "Come with me." Then he turned and walked toward the end of the corridor.

Bai Yunsheng had no choice but to follow. Only after entering did he realize it was a tea room, with a pot of tea brewing on the tea table.

Han Chen came over carrying some medicine. "Will you apply it yourself, or should I help you?"

Bai Yunsheng could not possibly ask someone else to apply it for him. He reached out and took the medicine. "I'll do it myself. Thank you, senior brother."

Han Chen paused halfway through turning around, his movement a little stiff. "What did you call me?"

Bai Yunsheng lowered his head and applied the medicine, answering naturally, "You're also Teacher's student, and you came before me. Naturally, you're my senior brother."

Han Chen said, "How did you know I'm Teacher Wu's student?"

Bai Yunsheng looked confused. "Because you kept calling him Teacher."

Han Chen's expression changed slightly, but he said nothing more. He sat down at the tea table, picked up the tongs on it, lifted a teacup, and began rinsing it with tea. "Teacher has always taught his students this way. You're the third."

"The third?"

Han Chen set the warmed teacup aside. "Mm. There were two before you. Although many people wanted to become Teacher's students, Teacher's standards and expectations are quite high. Over all these years, he has only taken a liking to four students. Six years ago, he took in one student, but that student left after only one day."

Bai Yunsheng placed the ointment he had finished applying on the table. "Why?"

Han Chen said, "Because they believed that a pianist's hands were the most important thing and should not be beaten like this. Teacher is too strict. When he teaches, he speaks harshly too. He likes using a suppressive teaching style." He glanced at Bai Yunsheng. "Sit."

Bai Yunsheng sat across from Han Chen.

Han Chen continued, "That person believed that if someone could not play well, other methods could be used. There should not be physical punishment and suppressive teaching."

"The second one came three years ago. He also left after one day."

Bai Yunsheng asked, "What was the reason this time?"

"It was the same reason." Han Chen poured the steeped tea into the teacup and moved it in front of Bai Yunsheng. "Try it. It's very good."

Only through the steam rising from the tea did Bai Yunsheng clearly see the long scar on the back of Han Chen's right hand. It was like a long centipede. Bai Yunsheng did not look at it for long; the moment his gaze touched it, he immediately looked away.

As if he had not noticed Bai Yunsheng's gaze, Han Chen continued, "You're the third, and besides me, the only one who came out without crying. I hope you can persevere."

"Our country has not won an award in an international competition for a long time."

Bai Yunsheng picked up the teacup and took a light sip. "I'll persevere. No matter what happens, I'll persevere."

Han Chen smiled. "There are too many talented people in this world. Many people think they stand out from the crowd, but once they reach a broader stage, they realize they are not the crane—they are the chicken squatting beside it."

"Then they begin to doubt themselves and grow disgusted. People who have never been struck down are all like that. They stand high and fall hard." Then he changed the subject. "How is it? The tea I made?"

Bai Yunsheng knew nothing about tea, so he could only say politely, "It smells wonderful."

After a few seconds, Bai Yunsheng added, "As long as you don't fall to your death, you can always try again."