153. A Man with Cheats: My Teacher is a Divine Artifact

If a pianist has extensively played Chopin's études, tackling a new Chopin etude becomes relatively effortless.

Actively exploring other works allows us to perceive the fundamental contrasts and connections inherent in every creative piece.

Without a doubt, this is a form of insight.

To attain such insight, pianists must never restrict their vision to a single line of musical notation.

Li An is not a pianist, nor has he practiced many of Mozart's piano concertos, yet this does not prevent him from viewing K. 466 as an integral part of Mozart's entire corpus.

Lacking profound scholarship, he cannot truly evaluate the piece within a specific historical context, but he still possesses a modest amount of knowledge.

At the same time, he considers himself reasonably proficient in reading sheet music.

Through a mere afternoon of studying the full score, the insights he gained were considerable, but the questions raised were even more numerous.

Take, for instance, the horn, bassoon, and oboe parts entering successively at the eighth, tenth, and twelfth measures.

The three wind instruments, appearing one after another in sustained tones, engaged in a dialogue with the string section. By following the score, he discerned the unusual elements of the orchestral prelude.

Those sounds he had previously overlooked now leaped off the page, becoming exceptionally clear in his vision.

This initially helped him establish a framework and structural thread, showing how the music progressively unfolds step by step.

Such a harvest was sufficient for him to integrate himself into this framework as a single branching path.

No longer feeling isolated, he opened Maestro Uchida’s recorded version on his phone. Listening to the prelude while analyzing the counterpoint and developmental motifs among the various orchestral sections, he waited until the piano part was about to enter. He braced himself, then cautiously pressed down the very first note as he envisioned it.

The slightly melancholic sound emerged at the exact moment that coincided perfectly with the first note played by Maestro Uchida on the CD.

Although the two notes sounded simultaneously with slightly different nuances, it must be said that they both belonged firmly within the music.

Both were deeply absorbed into the flow of the sound.

Li An privately thought that this opening was perhaps the final opening he had played all week.

However, it was merely an opening.

As the orchestra pushed further forward, his mental analytical capacity could no longer keep pace.

Listening to seven, eight, or even more instruments sounding simultaneously while playing was a capability he currently lacked.

Thus, this exposed his underlying problem.

A deficiency in listening and analytical experience.

There were several other issues of a similar nature; every insight gained was immediately followed by a cluster of problems.

It could be described as both joyous and painful.

The joy stemmed from his belief that his direction was correct regarding how to further refine the first movement of K. 466.

Music does not lie; a few passages of his performance had genuinely moved him—though, of course, it might simply have been self-deception.

The pain stemmed from his own inadequate ability.

Had he possessed Qin Yong's intimate familiarity with various musical instruments, some of these problems would likely have been trivial—

Yet, was it truly that painful?

Heh.

An indescribable chuckle suddenly broke the silence in Classroom Four.

When all affectation receded, the stark truth remained brutally real.

Even if he remained grounded, he was, after all, someone who carried a cheat system.

With a suave snap of his fingers, a delightful panel suddenly materialized before Teacher Li.

In his inventory, the long-dormant *Fundamentals of Western Orchestration* still radiated a deep blue light.

This Tier-3 reward had previously helped him assist Chen Xuan in completing her arrangement of the *Kiki's Delivery Service* flute octet, and incidentally earned him a trace of Chen Xuan's admiration.

Ever since he decided to study the full score, Li An had been mulling over this matter.

Deep down, he admitted that this prop was what gave him the confidence to undertake such an endeavor.

When Li An used to practice piano concertos, he had considered studying orchestral scores, but it had never progressed beyond the realm of consideration.

After all, reading a full score is fundamentally a conductor's job; for someone without systematic training, it is far too vast and complex.

Being able to read various key signatures and clefs does not mean one can read a full score; the profound subtleties within are entirely concealed beneath the texture of the notes.

Without even a detailed understanding of the instruments in each section, how could one dare to speak of studying a full score?

Li An arrived at this conclusion after a single afternoon of experimentation.

Studying a full score must be built upon the premise of unifying knowledge and action if it is to yield genuine results.

Perhaps even geniuses are no exception.

Opening the Orchestration manual, the name border of every instrument category under the three tables emitted a faint white glow.

Next, Teacher Li only needed to expend teaching points to unlock them one by one.

Alas.

Sighing softly, he glanced at his teaching points.

493.

This represented the culmination of his blood, sweat, and tears over the past few months.

Behind every single point lay the symbolic progression of the children's improvement, containing not only laughter but perhaps also moments of stubborn defiance.

The journey of learning the piano is not always a joyous one.

From the moment Li An walked out of Wei Sanwan’s home carrying the full score, he had foreseen this exact scenario.

Given sufficient time, he believed his own abilities would allow him to master the aforementioned contents in batches according to a plan.

Yet time waits for no one; at this moment, he had to leverage the convenience before him to test whether he could glimpse the dawn of this piece before the registration deadline.

His gaze fell upon the string section directory, locking onto the bronze marker for the violin, whereupon the system prompt sounded.

"Would you like to expend fifty teaching points to unlock Elementary Violin Orchestration?"

After two seconds of hesitation, his gaze drifted back to his teaching points.

Followed by a slight sigh, he made his choice.

The next second, the bronze violin icon on the screen before him slowly rose, and the four strings on its rusted surface suddenly flashed with a deep gray light.

"Hum!!"

Immediately afterward, a violent portamento sound exploded in his mind.

His consciousness felt as though it had been torn open, and a vast torrent of information concerning the violin surged inward like a breaching floodgate.

'The violin is the highest-pitched and most agile instrument in the string family, developed from early rebecs, lyres, and viols...'

'Notation...'

'Tuning...'

'E-A-D-G...'

'Range...'

'Positions...'

'Fingering...'

'Scales...'

'Harmonics...'

'Double stops...'

'Chords...'

'Staccato...'

'Pizzicato...'

'Vibrato...'

...

"Would you like to expend fifty teaching points to unlock Elementary Viola Orchestration?"

...

"Would you like to expend fifty teaching points to unlock Elementary Cello Orchestration?"

...

"Would you like to expend fifty teaching points to unlock Elementary Clarinet Orchestration?"

...

"Would you like to expend fifty teaching points to unlock Elementary Trumpet Orchestration?"

...

——

Fifteen minutes later, Li An stood up.

Stretching his waist and turning around the classroom a few times, having sat all afternoon left his lower back slightly sore and fatigued.

Returning to the piano, he picked up the orchestral score for K. 466 once more.

There was no sudden sensation of entering a new world.

Yet those rows of musical notes, which had previously felt somewhat unfamiliar, now resembled familiar old friends.

'Hi—'

However, this was not without cost.

He had been hoarding teaching points, falling just 7 points shy of reaching 500.

These were the exact 500 points he needed to unlock the advanced guide for Ji Yang.

Ever since the teacher-student index with Ji Yang reached 99 in the stairwell at Wei Sanwan’s house, more than a month had passed.

It was just one point shy of 100.

As for what triggering Ji Yang's teacher-student index to 100 might bring, he did not care all that much.

What he cared about was Ji Yang's somewhat sluggish learning progress lately; he wondered if he could deduce her recent psychological state through the unlocked informational content.

November was just around the corner, leaving a little over two months until the art exams—fewer than nine weeks, roughly sixty days.

Although she had basically managed to play *Moonlight* the third movement, it was merely played through.

Compared to the other three children he coached, she still lagged a bit behind even the weakest among them.

Thus, Li An felt anxious.

Ji Yang’s remark in the stairwell—'You're my introductory piano teacher anyway'—was something Li An would remember for the rest of his life.

Therefore, he had hesitated for a fleeting moment.

Yet he was merely an ordinary person.

Even if given a hundred more chances to choose, he would not have changed his decision.

Be that as it may.

There remained a faint trace of... something indescribable deep within his heart.

Only he knew that well over half of these teaching points originated from Ji Yang.

-

He would put in 120 percent effort from now on to help little Ji.

Packing his backpack, Li An set off for Ji Yang's home, calling Teacher Chen while waiting for the bus.

"Let's go see a movie after Ji Yang's lesson ends."

On the other end of the line, Chen Xuan had just finished her club activities at Mingde Middle School and was on the bus ride home. Holding a recipe book and pondering what dishes to make to feed Li An that evening, she received his call.

While feeling happy, she did not forget to ask: "Not practicing the piano?"

Li An replied: "Teacher Chen has worked hard during this period; let's go out and relax tonight."

Indeed, to ensure Li An's piano practice efficiency, Chen Xuan had lived a remarkably full schedule lately—so much so that she was even learning how to cook.

However, pondering on the other end, Chen Xuan decided that going out tonight was still inappropriate. She hadn't completed her classroom logs for the two club classes this afternoon; she had to teach over the weekend and submit them by Monday. If she didn't finish writing them tonight, she wouldn't feel at ease.

"How about we go tomorrow night instead?"

Considering that Li An had a full day of teaching tomorrow and would likely lack the energy to practice afterward, going out to relax then made more sense.

"Alright, don't worry about dinner tonight. Grab some snacks to tide yourself over when you get home, and I'll pick something up on my way back after my lesson."

If he waited until he got back to cook, it would definitely be too late, so buying something simple was best. Li An's original intention was to spare Chen Xuan the trouble, but he underestimated the mindset of a young woman.

"What do you mean?"

Chen Xuan sounded displeased over the phone, demanding: "Is what I cook not as delicious as what you buy outside?"

Such a question—did it even need to be asked?

When asked, the answer was, "Naturally, Master Chef Chen's skills are superior. I just didn't want you smelling like cooking oil."

Then why didn't you mind yesterday? Or the day before? Or three days ago?

Fortunately, Teacher Chen didn't dwell on that logic, knowing full well that Li An's opening remark was pure nonsense.

Even she herself thought her cooking tasted terrible.

Still, everything required a process.

"Hmph, I'm making Coca-Cola chicken wings for you tonight."

Li An's expression shifted slightly as he watched an approaching bus slowly grind to a halt right in front of him.

My chicken wings... twenty-five yuan a jin...

A moment later.

"Looking forward to it..."

One should speak softly of the things one loves.

-

Schubert once instructed young music workers that when you complete an entire musical exercise and feel saturated, do not continue to drain yourself; music also needs to preserve its fresh vitality.

Combining work with rest suited Li An perfectly at this moment; he had no intention of touching the piano for the remainder of the week.

Not touching the piano did not mean he was slackers off; he would use this interval to re-acquaint himself with his old friends within K. 466.

Just as he took out the sheet music, his phone lit up again.

Thinking it was Chen Xuan, Li An unlocked it only to find a message from Ji Yang.

*YangYangYangYang*: Teacher, are you on your way?

*Eighty-1*: Just got on the bus, speak.

*YangYangYangYang*: I'm sorry, Teacher, I want to ask for leave today. I feel extremely unwell and can't sit still anymore.

*Eighty-1*: 'What happened? Did you go to the hospital? You can skip lessons, but your health comes first. Are your parents home?'

After sending the message, Li An checked the backend log; Ji Yang had already practiced the piano for eight hours today.

This child, alas.

*YangYangYangYang*: Thank you, Teacher, mom and dad are both home. I don't need to go to the hospital, taking some medicine will help.

Li An faintly recalled the scene from two days ago when Ji Yang kept holding her lower back during the lesson, and roughly guessed what was going on.

A moment later.

*Eighty-1*: Alright, practice tomorrow depending on how you feel. Let's tentatively schedule our lesson for the night after tomorrow.

*YangYangYangYang*: Teacher, what were we going to cover today? Tell me so I can practice when I feel better tonight.

*Eighty-1*: Don't think about any of that today. Just get some proper rest.

Perhaps the emotional weight of those 500 points resurfaced, prompting Li An to quickly add: Ji Yang, don't put too much pressure on yourself. You've been practicing very well lately.

'Trust me, you have no problems at all.'

He paused.

'There are still a little over two months left, right? We'll work hard together.'

'With me here, you can rest easy.'

Click send.

Little Ji, who was wrapped in a blanket on her bedroom bed holding her stomach, saw the final message on her phone screen. Her pale little face instantly streamed with tears as they burst forth uncontrollably.

She felt both moved and aggrieved, while also feeling disappointed in herself.

At this moment, she felt as though her teacher was the only person standing on her entire piano journey.

My teacher is the absolute best in the entire world!!!

The high school girl suffering from dysmenorrhea was indeed under excessive pressure, primarily because she had run into several other art exam candidates from the same cohort when attending a lesson at Teacher Wei's place last week.

She hadn't understood before, but hearing them play made her blood pressure spike.

Previously, when Li An told her things, she hadn't felt it deeply.

Only after hearing it with her own ears and seeing it with her own eyes did she realize that every single one of them was much better than her.

Amidst her fluctuating emotions and the watchful eyes of her peers, when her turn came to sit at the piano, she failed to play well.

After she finished playing, Teacher Wei was very gentle, saying it was not bad.

Then she heard the girl behind her give a slight cough, resembling a scoff.

At that moment, she wished she could crawl into a crack in the ground.

She didn't dare tell Li An, feeling that she had brought shame upon him.

Fine.

Since the gap was so large, if they practiced for one hour, she would practice for two; if they practiced for four, she would practice for eight.

If they practiced for ten hours, she dared not sleep!

Thus, hovering back and forth between self-doubt and self-determination, student Ji Yang had recently plunged herself into a frenzy of piano practice.

Yet a child was still a child; practicing like this simply would not do.

Little Ji quickly realized this wasn't working, feeling as though her playing deteriorated the more she practiced. Amidst her anxiety, her period arrived.

Amplified by the dysmenorrhea induced by immense pressure, her internal anxiety exploded instantly like ammonium nitrate struck by impact.

Had she not been in genuine pain severe enough to prevent her from sitting still, she would never have asked for leave.

Her bout of crying was loud enough to reach Ji Chengping downstairs.

Old Ji hurried upstairs to check on her, only to be amused by her tearful yet smiling declaration:

"I'm fine! I just feel like I can do this again!"

My teacher is a blood-replenishing artifact!!

*YangYangYangYang*: I can do it!!!!! Thank you, Teacher!!!!!

After sending this message, Ji Yang also sent Li An a red envelope.

-

At an anonymous bus stop.

"Mhm mhm, you're the second one, just arrive by seven-thirty. Alright, go get some dinner."

"Okay, Senior Brother, bye."

Li An had gotten off the bus five minutes ago. Since Ji Yang asked for leave, he decided to use tonight to give lessons to the other three art exam candidates for this week. That way, he wouldn't have to make a special trip tomorrow afternoon, leaving his evening free to focus entirely on accompanying Chen Xuan.

Li An hung up and dialed a third number.

Li Muyan.

The phone rang three times before being picked up, greeted by an indifferent "Hello," devoid of any politeness.

Li An didn't mind: "I'm coming over tonight. The lesson starts at half-past eight."

The voice on the other end remained cold and distant: "I don't have time tonight."

Li An smiled: "Tell Teacher Wei that if we don't have it tonight, I won't have time tomorrow or the day after."

Emotion flared in the voice on the phone this time: "Then let's skip it."

Li An: "Fine."

Take your damn lessons if you want, skip them if you don't.

She wasn't the one taking the college entrance exams.

With that, he hung up.

Skipping it was fine anyway; he could go back earlier and eat chicken wings.

Had Teacher Wei not specifically instructed him to pay special attention to this girl, he wouldn't even have bothered tutoring her.

No manners to speak of.

No proper attitude toward studying.

Every lesson she pulled a long face.

Was it because she got reprimanded twice during her very first lesson?

If you play a wrong note, you played a wrong note. Why argue with the teacher?

Her playing was mediocre at best, yet she always fancied herself incomparably brilliant and above criticism.

A spoiled heiress temperament.

Children like this deserved a harsh dose of reality from society.

Alas.

Still... two hundred and fifty yuan less earned.

Hold on!

He wasn't that hard up for cash right now.

Heh.

Li An checked the time and raised his hand to hail a taxi.

Just as he got in and prepared to send Chen Xuan a WeChat message about his schedule change, he noticed Ji Yang's red envelope.

He tapped open the chat box.

*YangYangYangYang*: Teacher, take a taxi back!