A Night of Confession
"Merry Christmas, Mycroft." Sherlock raised a separate toast to his older brother, whose expression suggested Britain was doomed, making everyone struggle not to laugh.
"Has the country passed a new law?" Mycroft had not planned to come when he received Sitangna's invitation. Since the brothers had grown up, they had rarely spent Christmas together, only managing to gather when they occasionally both returned home.
"Cake, cake, I want cake!" Emily had come tonight for this very treat. She had tasted all kinds of delicious things in her life, but she wanted something Sitangna had made herself.
Sitangna was about to go upstairs to fetch a manuscript book and copy out the music. Candy had found her the scores, but she no longer had a max-level skill trial card and could not read electronic sheet music ten lines at a glance.
She struggled to read staff notation, so copying it out would give her a chance to memorize the notes.
"I'll serve it. Nana, you go ahead and write." Watson and Janet divided the cake onto small plates. The ten-inch cake was just enough for nine people to have a large slice each.
The Holmes brothers, both lovers of sweets, were already too occupied to speak. They sat together eating in silence as everyone gathered around, enjoying the pleasure of good food.
"It's so delicious. Who do you think invented a cake this good?" Emily, the foodie, narrowed her eyes blissfully. The rich milky flavor and fresh scent of lemon blended perfectly in her mouth, sweet without being cloying.
"Please, teach me how to make it. I want to learn too. It's so delicious!" Janet liked making little desserts and cookies herself, but this cake easily beat every other cake she had ever eaten.
"Follow my blog. I posted detailed instructions there." Sitangna continued copying the music.
Candy had found her two very famous modern pop pieces, "A Night of Confession" and "I Love You," both by a violinist named Ayasa. Sitangna happened to have heard and practiced the piano versions of both, so it should not be difficult to pick them up again in a little while.
"A Night of Confession" had nothing to do with romance. It was composer Ayasa's confession and farewell to her parents after growing up. The entire piece was filled with emotion, expressing both gratitude for her parents' care and upbringing and reassurance that she had grown up and was leaving them to live on her own, as well as anticipation for the future.
"I Love You" was more straightforward. Its opening was at the level of a god-tier track, leaving a deep impression that made it unforgettable after a single listen. It, too, was a piece expressing deeply felt emotions.
Sitangna suddenly looked at Sherlock, who was still eating cake. "The two pieces I prepared were both originally written for violin, and they're beautiful. Would you like to play them with me?"
Sherlock raised an eyebrow and put down the empty plate in his hand. "Let me see the scores."
She had just finished copying them, so she handed him the book, hoping the two pieces would move Sherlock, who only played classical music.
Everyone watched the two of them expectantly. Some had arrived late and missed Sherlock's violin performance, especially Molly. Apart from work, she had almost no contact with Sherlock in her daily life, and even after all this time, she had never heard him play.
"The expression of the mood is quite novel. The music is well written. Where did you find it?" After a few glances over the pages, Sherlock had already memorized the scores. "I'm ready. Are you?"
"I found them online. I'm ready, so let's begin." Sitangna even went to wash her hands. After drying them with a paper towel, she sat upright on the piano bench.
[Aside: I highly recommend searching Bilibili for the version performed on the streets of Shanghai by the original artist Ayasa and Uncle O. The piano and violin duet in this version is simply breathtaking, and it was also the model for Sitangna and Sherlock's performance. At 2:32, the real magic begins!]
Seeing how ready the two of them looked, everyone's anticipation shot up. Watson took the camera from Emily and hurriedly set it on the table to start recording.
"The first piece is called 'A Night of Confession.' We dedicate it to everyone here." Once Sherlock had positioned his violin and given her a look, Sitangna understood and began the prelude.
The original piece also included some other instruments and synthesized sounds, all of which Sitangna had converted into a piano arrangement. The soft notes gently brushed everyone's ears, and when Sherlock's violin joined in, their eyes lit up.
The original "A Night of Confession" had been tailor-made for the violin. No other instrument could have suited the piece better.
The piano and violin complemented each other, one hailed as the king of instruments and the other as the queen. Even more admirable was the rapport between the two performers.
The piano's melody was like velvet spread across a deep night sky, steady and embracing, enveloping the violin notes that danced upon it.
The violin then sounded like silk brushing against skin, tender and lingering as pouring moonlight. The two melodies intertwined, and with every breath, it was as though souls were conversing and dancing together.
The gently unfolding music brought back warm memories of time spent with family and friends. Everyone already thought it sounded wonderful, but as the melody developed, the emotion it conveyed grew ever more intense, until it reached the chorus.
Heaven and earth paled before it.
Although the people in the room often teased Sherlock for being cold and unfeeling, his first-rate playing more than made up for it. They listened intently to the instruments answering each other, unable to keep their eyes from filling with tears.
Even after the final string of notes ended, it took everyone a long time to come back to themselves. Even Sherlock, who could usually freeze them to bits, seemed to be surrounded by a soft radiance after the performance.
"Why don't you two quit your jobs and pack your bags for the Royal Orchestra?" Lestrade patted his chest. It had truly been an exceptional performance. He did not know whether it was the piece or the alcohol, but his heart rate still would not come down.
"That-that was amazing. I could hardly breathe." Watson let out a deep breath. He had fairly good control over his emotions and blinked back his tears.
But his girlfriend Janet clearly did not have the same control. She was so moved that her eyes had turned red. She and Emily, whose eyes were just as red, had both cried too soon, unaware that the next piece would be even more devastating.
"The next piece is called 'I Love You.'" After speaking, Sitangna looked at Sherlock. She had meant to wait for his signal that he was ready, but when their eyes met, his turquoise-blue pupils struck her heart like searchlights.
Her thoughts were in disarray, but she did not let it show. She turned away and took two deep breaths, pretending to make adjustments, then began.
This piece made an even more powerful impression. As soon as the piano interlude ended, the violin launched straight into the chorus.
At first, the notes were like falling dewdrops, sparse and cool. The vibrato that followed seemed like unfinished whispers between lovers, soaking the scattered darkness of the night.
With slides and a crescendo, the piano grew ever more passionate and splendid. The violin, taking up the main melody, retained a trace of lingering tenderness in its flowing notes.
When the piece ended, Emily stood where she was, murmuring to herself. Giving the piano to Sitangna had been the right choice; her performance was entirely worthy of such a fine instrument.