Chapter 27.2

“Xiaoxiao!”

Liang Shuangqi just came out to fetch water, and he was surprised to see Chu Xiaoxiao, so he decided to call out to her.

Chu Xiaoxiao was equally surprised. The foreign teacher kindly said, “Is this your friend? I’ll wait for you in the classroom. Can you find your way back?”

The foreign teacher clearly didn’t have the habit of eavesdropping on others’ privacy or engaging in idle chatter. After receiving a confirming nod from Chu Xiaoxiao, he walked back to the classroom.

Liang Shuangqi was curious, “What are you learning?”

Chu Xiaoxiao replied, “Latin, but I’m the only one in the class.”

Liang Shuangqi suddenly realized, “So, that’s the Latin class. I thought there was no one there. I’m in Room 7014 practicing the piano. You can come visit me.”

Encountering a fellow classmate, Chu Xiaoxiao also felt intrigued, “Do you also have fixed breaks?”

“No, after the orchestra practice, we all return to our rooms. When your class ends, you can just push the door and find me.”

Liang Shuangqi thought for a moment and then tilted his head, “Although the door is a bit heavy, I don’t know if you can push it open.”

Liang Shuangqi had just participated in an orchestra rehearsal in the large room. After the group rehearsal, they would return to their individual practice rooms.

Not all of his companions played the cello; there were also violinists, violists, pianists, and others. The seventh floor was basically the headquarters of the orchestra, while the Latin class seemed like a guerrilla operation, surviving amidst the many practice rooms.

Chu Xiaoxiao nodded thoughtfully, then heard the bell for class and bid farewell to Liang Shuangqi, returning to her classroom. The kids from the orchestra seemed to have a rather long break; they were unfazed by the bell and continued chattering in the pantry.

Chu Xiaoxiao’s first Latin class went smoothly. Her language learning progress was rapid, and the teacher also shared many interesting stories, given the close connection between Latin and classical literature. Latin wasn’t just a language; it held the history of the Roman Empire, its expansion, and decline.

Faced with the bright-eyed gaze of the little girl, the foreign teacher was a bit vexed, “We can only cover this much for today. I’ll bring some extra materials for the afternoon. Would you like to take an early break?”

The foreign teacher had a curriculum standard to follow. He couldn’t rush through the lessons, considering the progress of new students later on.

He could only provide additional materials for Chu Xiaoxiao, but he couldn’t combine several classes into one; that wouldn’t meet the institution’s requirements.

Glancing at the time and realizing it was still early, Chu Xiaoxiao bid goodbye to the foreign teacher and went to Room 7014 to find Liang Shuangqi. She approached the practice room, gazing at the portraits of numerous musicians on the wall.

In the dim corridor, she shivered inexplicably. She wasn’t sure whether to turn back or not; it felt like the portraits were staring at her.

The corridor was eerily quiet, giving off an eerie feeling like a haunted house, completely different from the lively atmosphere during break time. Chu Xiaoxiao stood at the entrance of Room 7014, looking at the heavy soundproof door.

She finally understood what Liang Shuangqi meant; this door was completely different from the small wooden door of the Latin class.

Liang Shuangqi had mentioned that they often couldn’t hear knocking, so he told her to just push the door open when she arrived.

After a moment of hesitation, Chu Xiaoxiao summoned her courage and pushed the heavy soundproof door. Thankfully, it wasn’t as heavy as she had imagined. As she cracked the door open, the melodious and elegant sound of the cello flowed into her ears. The silent world was instantly awakened, and the space behind the door seemed to come alive.

Liang Shuangqi had his back to the door as he played the cello. Seated gracefully on the chair, he controlled the massive instrument. He pulled the strings with ease, his body moving along with the melody. Barefoot, he tapped his feet on the floor in rhythm, completely immersed in the music. Sunlight streamed into the room, creating a solo realm for himself.

It was the first time Chu Xiaoxiao had seen Liang Shuangqi play the cello. She had been curious about the cello’s sound before, but Liang Shuangqi had politely declined her request. He would rather knit than play the cello, and he had a quirky style as a knitting music master.

After watching him finish a piece, Chu Xiaoxiao clapped in admiration, “You’re amazing.”

Although Chu Xiaoxiao knew nothing about music, she seemed to understand the emotions in the melody. She felt that Liang Shuangqi’s skill level was quite high.

Upon hearing Chu Xiaoxiao’s voice, Liang Shuangqi turned to see the little girl dressed in white. He quickly set the cello down properly and went to put on his shoes.

He sighed, “You actually managed to push the door open.”

Chu Xiaoxiao watched as Liang Shuangqi put on his shoes, blinking curiously, “Why did you take off your shoes?”

Liang Shuangqi replied, “I’m more focused when I play the cello barefoot.”

Chu Xiaoxiao asked, “Then why did you put them back on?”

Liang Shuangqi answered, “A gentleman can’t be barefoot in front of girls.”

Chu Xiaoxiao seemed to understand and yet not quite. She didn’t quite grasp the fashion requirements for boys. Liang Shuangqi’s behavior was somewhat similar to her older brother’s insistence on wearing jeans with holes. Both of them seemed to have some inexplicable convictions.

Seeing Chu Xiaoxiao approaching, Liang Shuangqi’s interest in playing the cello instantly wilted.

He took out a calculator from his pocket and suggested, “Let’s play with the calculator!”

Chu Xiaoxiao asked, “Aren’t you playing the cello anymore?”

Liang Shuangqi lowered his gaze at her question. Unhappy clouds seemed to gather in his dark eyes.

He complained, which was quite rare of him, “I don’t like playing the cello. I have to play it every Wednesday afternoon, on weekends, and even during weekdays at night. I’m just short of playing it in my dreams…”

“Have you ever seen Jack Ma playing the cello every day? It’s completely unrelated to my goals.”

Liang Shuangqi felt that playing the cello didn’t align with his life plans and naturally had a psychological aversion to it.

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