Lewis had no choice but to squeeze in from the right side."Henry, my man, I didn't expect you to be so impressive. You can even join this event. But how much do you know about piano? Do you even understand piano pieces?""Not much, but definitely no less than you." Henry could tell Lewis was upset and becoming a little confrontational, even in front of Lydia.Lewis was frustrated; he indeed did not know much about the piano."Stop boasting; it's really annoying.""I'm not boasting. I know a little, for real." Henry chuckled."Let me test you, then.""I'd rather not. I don't like being tested by others." Henry refused immediately.Lydia rolled her eyes at Henry, who was bragging again. He seemed to be easily caught up in his own lies.However, she always felt lighter and more at ease with him, as if everything was natural and comfortable.It was unlike being with Lewis, where she felt constrained and cautious.Lewis noticed that, too.It irritated him even more, and he foun
Lewis did not understand much about playing the piano, but he knew how to toy with others, which gave him the courage to question Henry.According to his assumption, anyone who could go up first at such a concert and represent Aurelia must be an exceptionally gifted pianist who played extremely well. How could their performance be average?Did he not see everyone applauding the pianist?"Ignorant!" Henry shook his head. He did not explain further.That made Lewis particularly uncomfortable.Lydia could not bear it anymore. She scolded Henry. "Can you stop being so aggressive, Henry?""Forget about it. Maybe he was embarrassed because I exposed his lack of knowledge of the piano and used provocation to deflect the embarrassment. This is a common reaction for ordinary people," Lewis said.Some people actually did that. They did something wrong and then attempted to cover it up through anger or other means.Lydia was dumbfounded, staring blankly at Lewis.Henry was right. Lewis d
"No, absolutely not!"So, in my opinion, this piano piece must have been created by a pianist from Westin."However, people from Aurelia are more boastful, turning our compositions into their own."The entire venue went into a frenzy!Anyone with a little historical knowledge knew that the piece was from Aurelia's ancient times, and it even included an anecdote—difficult to find an appreciative listener.Many people were furious, standing up and glaring at the stage.Even Lydia, who had been excited at first, became angry.She had only seen Mandez on TV and did not expect him to say such offensive things the first time she saw him.She would never like someone like him, regardless of his talent.Henry shook his head discreetly. Mandez was, as Jimmy had described, discriminatory toward Aurelia.It seemed that he needed to teach Mandez a lesson."The bastard! He's just talking nonsense. This piece has been passed down by our ancestors.""Yeah, even if he plays well, he can't
Lydia was taken aback and yelled, "What are you doing, Henry?"Her voice was quite loud, and when combined with Henry standing up, it immediately drew the attention of many people.Everyone turned to look at them.However, Henry remained calm and smiled. "I'm helping you vent.""Helping me vent?""Yeah, aren't they making you angry? I'll go up and beat them in their face for you.""No, don't beat up anyone," Lydia said anxiously.She thought Henry was particularly violent, and he was always up for a physical confrontation.Henry paused for a moment before smiling and saying, "I will not use my hands but my skill!"Don't worry, just sit back and enjoy the show."Henry paid no more attention to Lydia and leisurely walked toward the stage."You! Are you crazy?" Lydia was dumbfounded, unable even to stop him in time.That scene completely stunned everyone."What does he want to do?""Didn't you hear him? He wants to go up and beat them up!""Oh, my god! No way! He's not tryi
The crowd was taken aback by Henry's audacity.However, no one blamed Henry for being rude. On the contrary, they exclaimed, "Good!"Even though everyone thought he could not possibly play the piano as well as Mandez, they still applauded his courage. Owing to his youth, he was incapable of defeating the other."How dare you?! For someone from a country claiming to be the land of etiquette, I can't believe you have no manners at all!" Mandez said angrily."Etiquette is for friends, not for trash like you who look down on our country just because you have some talent," Henry said. His expression was calm, but his words were razor-sharp.Henry's response elicited a thunderous response from the audience, who cheered enthusiastically. However, they soon felt helpless. His words were eloquent, but how well could he play the piano?Mandez was furious. He glared at Henry, expecting him to embarrass himself. No matter how eloquent his words were, it would eventually come down to his abil
The entire venue fell silent as everyone remained immersed in the beautiful melody of the piano piece.Finally, one person came to their senses and applauded wildly. That action sparked applause from everyone else."It's amazing!""So incredibly beautiful!""Simply perfect, beyond perfection!""I swear on my life—that was the most enchanting and perfect piano piece I've ever heard, hands down!""Incredible, absolutely incredible!""Take a good look, you shameless Westin pianists. Who are you to say that we don't have top-notch pianists?"The venue was completely ignited. The quiet concert hall had become like a bustling market.Meanwhile, Lewis was dumbfounded. He had thought Henry was extremely foolish, but it looked like he was the clown instead.He could not believe that a bumpkin like Henry not only had profound knowledge but also outperformed the world's best pianist, earning everyone's respect.How was that possible? Should that not be exclusively for the higher class
"Have you heard of this saying? Arts are borderless—Westin or Eastin, it's completely universal,'" Henry said calmly."So, Mr. Mandez, I'm surprised to hear such ignorant words from you. After all, it's an insult to your reputation as the world's greatest pianist.""Humph, nonsense," Mandez retorted, his face flushing red. He resorted to rudeness."Enough! If you insist on making yourself even embarrassed, then so be it," Henry said dismissively.He sat back at the piano and smiled faintly, surrounded by stunned looks."I'll be playing Despair, a dedication to Mr. Mandez."The venue fell silent once again.Despair was Mandez's signature piece, which he considered to be the most perfect and challenging piece to play. He even boasted that no one would be able to beat him in a hundred years.Mandez was stunned, and then he sneered. He assumed Henry was driven insane by his own rage by selecting the most difficult piece to play. It was even Mandez's most beloved piece.Lydia, who
"Yes, I'm convinced, totally convinced!" Mandez muttered, looking utterly lost.He had never imagined someone could play a piece so perfectly and flawlessly, especially someone from Aurelia.It appeared that his old friend had not lied to him. Aurelia was truly a magical, ancient land.Aurelia had created numerous legendary figures and things throughout history.Lydia was ecstatic. She had never had such strong feelings for Henry before. However, she was embarrassed that she used the piano as an example to demonstrate that they were from different worlds. Perhaps he had been mocking her for saying that.On the other hand, Lewis was furious, especially when he saw Lydia looking at Henry with excitement.'No, this can't go on. Something has to be done,' Lewis thought.Then, Henry approached Lydia and whispered, "I'm leaving, Lydia. You coming?"He feared that staying would only cause more problems."What's the rush? Is something wrong?" Lydia asked."Nothing, but I'm leaving,"