Song Shi'an glanced at the script in his hand and flipped through a couple of pages. It was roughly about the night the male and female leads broke up peacefully, and the male lead played a violin piece for the female lead to end their relationship.
The more passionate they were in love, the more carefree they were when they broke up. These two seem to have similar views on love, no wonder they could get along so well.
After changing her clothes, Ye Qinghe walked over and, seeing him watching intently, casually said, "Call me anytime if you don't understand anything. I'm leaving now."
Song Shi'an waved his hand and said with a smile, "Okay, thank you, Senior Ye."
Ye Qinghe shook her head helplessly. "We've been partners for so long, and you still call me Senior Ye? It makes me sound so old. Just call me Sister Qinghe like Jiang Yue does."
Song Shi'an nodded a little shyly.
Ye Qinghe suddenly moved closer and whispered in his ear, "Or you can just call me by my name, I don't mind."
Song Shi'an reflexively took several steps back, rubbing his ear. Why are you talking so close!
Seeing his reaction, Ye Qinghe smiled, her eyes crinkling. "What's with your reaction? I'm off, I'm leaving now."
Song Shi'an nodded and smiled, watching Ye Qinghe leave.
Lin Fan appeared from the side carrying a bag. "Brother, what did Teacher Ye just say that made you react so strongly?"
Song Shi'an closed the script and patted Lin Fan on the shoulder. "It's nothing, he just told me not to call her Senior Ye, it makes her sound old."
Lin Fan blinked in confusion. Was there any necessary connection between the two? Without thinking too much about it, he packed his things, and the two left the filming location, driving towards the villa.
As they passed a music store, Song Shi'an suddenly called for them to stop. Lin Fan stepped on the brakes and turned around. "Brother, what's wrong?"
Song Shi'an pointed across the street. "The music store, let's go take a look."
Lin Fan found a good spot to stop, and the two of them pushed open the door and entered the music store.
Song Shi'an looked around, wondering to himself, "Is business really that bad for music stores these days? How can they even break even in this prime commercial area..."
The shop assistant immediately came over with a smile, "Hello sir, welcome! Our shop specializes in Italy handmade violins. Our contemporary luthiers have inherited the 300-year-old craftsmanship of the Cremona School, and each violin comes with an independent acoustic test report."
"The instrument in front of you is a replica of the Guarneri style, with an Alps spruce top and a Bosnia maple back, naturally air-dried for twenty years. It has a rich and warm tone, with a bright and clear high register and a deep and powerful low register, making it very suitable for discerning players."
Song Shi'an could tell from the beginning that this zither wasn't cheap; he wondered if turning around and leaving now would make the purchase...
The salesperson seemed to read his mind and changed the subject, "Of course, we also have advanced models suitable for beginners, with equally outstanding sound quality and high cost performance. This one costs 180,000; you can try it out, teacher."
Song Shi'an, observing her silver tongue, reasoned with her and appealed to her emotions, explaining everything from the craftsmanship of the luthier to the density of the wood's annual rings, from the nuances of tone to the potential for appreciation in value...
By the time he came to his senses, the bank card had already been swiped.
When Song Shi'an walked out the door carrying the violin case, he was still a little dazed.
Lin Fan followed beside him, muttering, "He should have taken the best one; that would be more worthy of him, brother!"
Song Shi'an inwardly cried out, "What the hell happened?! He just bought it like that! This is 180,000, not 18 yuan!!!"
And Lin Fan, what kind of outrageous talk are you spouting? The most expensive one costs over five million; even if he emptied his pockets, he still couldn't afford it...
For a moment, he couldn't tell if Lin Fan was joking or not...
Back at the villa, Song Shi'an placed the violin case on the table, opened it, and stared intently at the violin inside.
It looked so good when I saw it in the store, but now it looks a bit off. I feel so bad for wasting his money.
After taking a shower, he started thinking about how to practice. He'd already bought it, so he had to put it to use; otherwise, the 180,000 yuan would have been a complete waste.
He searched for a beginner's practice video online, set up his violin, picked up his bow, and struggled for a while before he finally got it right.
He pulled twice, the sound so sharp it made him frown.
He muttered to himself, "How can someone like this look good on camera? There's no professionalism whatsoever. I hope I don't get criticized..."
After three hours of effort—or rather, torment—the residents passing by Villa No. 7 were subjected to physical attacks.
A young couple heard the sound from afar, and the wife asked her husband a thought-provoking question, "Didn't they say this was a cook?"
The husband thought about it for a moment with doubt, "Yes, that Luo Yang said he's a second-generation heir who likes to make snacks."
The two exchanged a glance, shook their heads, and hurried away.
Song Shi'an was so engrossed in his plea for love that he seemed to have lost all sense of urgency, as if London might not be as sorrowful as he was...
After enduring three agonizing hours, the system finally gave in and popped up a notification: [Congratulations, host, you have completed two-thirds of your phase task. Rewards are now being distributed to you.]
Upon hearing the system's voice, Song Shi'an immediately stopped his physical attack and excitedly asked, "What reward? A billion or even tens of billions?"
[Ding~ Congratulations, host, you have purchased the Swan Song Talent points!]
Song Shi'an's face darkened. "System, is this right? What is this? We've accomplished so much, and there's not a single tangible reward!!"
[Yes, host, but you've already maxed out your rewards, so there's no need to issue any more. They've been automatically converted into Affection Points...]
Song Shi'an looked completely bewildered. "How come I'm full? Where am I full?"
[Our Performance System's primary reward is to maximize the host's various appearance thresholds. As long as it's visible to the naked eye, we'll prioritize maximizing it for you. Haven't you noticed any changes in the past few months, host...?]
Speaking of this, Song Shi'an suddenly remembered that he had been saying something felt different lately, but upon closer inspection, it didn't seem to have changed at all. Was there even a difference? Garbage system!
[Host, please don't curse the system!]
Song Shi'an was shocked. "You were eavesdropping on people's thoughts! I'm going to report you!"
[This system only makes judgments based on the host's facial expressions.]
Having run out of ideas, Song Shi'an plopped down on the sofa. "Then tell me, what is this 'Swan Song Talent '?"
[ Swan Song Talent: The host will gain a musical perception that transcends mere technique. No arduous practice or theoretical accumulation is needed; the strings will resonate spontaneously with the host's will. Even those completely unfamiliar with the violin will experience a profound resonance, a sense of oneness with the music. In other words, the music played by the host touches the very heart.]
Song Shi'an stared at the ceiling for a while, processing what he was thinking, "... So, I can play the violin now?"
[The current problem the host is facing is that the playing is a bit agonizing. The Swan Song Talent has been activated. Please play it again.]
With some skepticism, Song Shi'an set up the zither again. This time, the moment the bow touched the string, his wrist seemed to find a certain angle on its own.
When the first note came out, even he was stunned for a moment.
The sound seemed to dissolve into the night.