I've already said this isn't a life simulator!

After a moment of silence, he savored the melody played by Xi Wang, took another puff of his cigarette, and casually exhaled a smoke ring.

"...Never mind, he's a newbie after all. I'll just give him a warning later and make sure it doesn't happen again."

Li took out a wet tissue, stubbed out the cigarette butt, wrapped it up, and muttered to himself. Then he fell silent, closed his eyes, and lay back in the chair, quietly listening to Xi Wang's performance... This guy has quite a bit of talent, but why would someone like that want to stay here with me...?

"...Tsk."

Li thought of something, then clicked his tongue in disgust, opened his eyes, and glanced at Xi Wang's room again.

"I hope it's not what I think," Li frowned, suppressing the unpleasant thoughts in his mind.

…………

………………

Meanwhile, Eden, returning home, was wearing headphones, listening intently to the music playing. Her beautiful eyebrows were slightly furrowed, and her golden pupils occasionally flashed with a hint of doubt.

"What's wrong? Child?"

A middle-aged woman who bore a striking resemblance to Eden approached, gently embraced him from behind, and softly asked, "What do you mean?"

"Mother……"

Eden quickly took off his headphones and greeted him softly.

"What's wrong? You seem to be having some trouble?"

"Well, I just have some... doubts."

Eden nodded, then disconnected the headphones and restarted the music playing on the terminal.

"........."

Soon, the song was over, but Eden's mother also frowned, revealing a puzzled and thoughtful expression.

"Is this a sample piece that your school teachers found for you?"

"No, it belongs to one of my classmates."

"……classmate?"

Eden's mother was somewhat surprised... because if this piece was played by Eden's classmate, it would be far too "standard," so "standard" that it lacked any "personal touch."

To draw an analogy, it's like the "realism" school in painting. But while painting can be realistic for the sake of realism, doing the same thing in music... well, to put it nicely, it's called "faithfulness to the original music," but to put it bluntly, it's "rigidity."

Moreover, this kind of performance that completely erases "personal color"... frankly speaking, is very bad. It will severely stifle, or even sever, the performer's future creativity.

“You can talk to your classmate and explain that if he continues to use this method, he probably won’t go far in music. Of course, if he insists, don’t try to dissuade him too much.”

"That's not how it works, Mom... listen to this again."

Eden shook his head, then picked up another piece of music. This one was completely different from the previous one. The music had a very distinct personal touch, and you could even feel the performer's mood and emotions from the rhythm and melody... It was a relaxed and cheerful mood, and it gave people the illusion that their mood was slowly getting better.

At the same time, the piece retains the original atmosphere very well. The altered rhythm and melody are handled appropriately, preventing the listener from wondering, "Is this piece no longer related to the original?"

"Hmm? This piece...hmm...is it played by the same person as the previous one?"

"Mom, how did you know?"

"You specifically emphasized this before, doesn't that mean you're telling me that both pieces are played by the same person, darling?"

He gently tapped Eden's cheek with his finger, then hesitated for a moment before speaking softly.

"It seems you're really lucky to have met a child with similar talent to you... But for some reason, he always restrains himself when he plays, even going so far as to erase his own 'color' from his performance... So you find it strange?"

"Um……"

"Then why don't you go and ask them yourselves? With the talents you two have shown, you should have a lot in common."

"I looked, but... I'm late..."

"I see... Oh, if Mama Rong is so bold as to ask, is the child a boy or a girl?"

"...It's a male student."

"I see... then it's not surprising."

Eden's mother nodded as if she understood.

"Don't be too shy, just speak up! If all else fails... you can communicate through music. I believe he'll be willing to talk to you. If he can't understand... well, that's another story~"

"Mother……"

Eden was somewhat speechless.

"I really was just... a little late..."

Eden murmured softly... and at the same time, the image of that person who would help others from time to time appeared in her mind.

Listening to the music still playing on the terminal and feeling the lighthearted mood conveyed by the music, Eden's lips curled up slightly.

She was quite happy because she had met someone "just like her".

Chapter Eleven Eden: Caught! (6839)

With the teacher's help, you have found a place to stay off-campus and a place to practice the piano. Although this has come at the cost of some extra expenses, fortunately, Li has introduced you to some jobs that will help you solve this financial problem.

Gradually, you even had some spare money. You happily bought some trinkets and gave them to Mother Teresa, who had been very kind to you... Although Mother Teresa accepted them, she hoped that you would keep the extra money to improve your own life in the future.

"If you really want to repay her, come to the church and play a piece sometime—that's what Mother Teresa said."

You naturally obeyed her instructions and saved the extra money, planning to buy yourself a musical instrument.

Meanwhile, as you stayed longer, you gradually became familiar with Li and got to know the other people living here... and relying on your identity as a "record player"... no, it's your beautiful music and diverse songs, you quickly became acquainted with everyone and soon became friends.

Somewhat surprisingly, most of the people living here are students, including Li, who is a university student majoring in languages.

[Besides, the girl who left a deep impression on you was named "Yin." She studied computer science and was also... uh... girlfriend of Li? However, she rarely spoke and rarely showed any expression. She was usually either in her room taking online classes or following Li around. It was rare to see her at other times.]

[And you've noticed some issues... It seems like everyone living here has tattoos, and their appearance... well, most of them don't seem particularly approachable; they have a kind of "bad" stereotypical beauty.]

At first, you thought it was some kind of peculiar ritual here, something everyone living here had to do. You even went to ask Li about it... But when Li heard this question, his lips twitched, and after exchanging glances with the others, he shook his head, saying it was just their own interest, not necessary. He also implied that you didn't have to be like them, and most of the others also said that you didn't have to, seemingly unwilling for you to become like them.

Although you don't quite understand, you can sense their kindness towards you, so you don't do anything that might upset them... However, you still feel a little guilty, so you help others in your spare time and play or sing more songs whenever you have the opportunity, as a kind of alternative "compensation," which also gives you time to practice your instrument.

And everyone was happy with this, and as time went on, you stopped playing those overly "standard" pieces in front of them, and instead played more spontaneous pieces that followed your heart and mood... When they discovered this, they were even happier, and sometimes they would specifically tell you that they hoped you wouldn't practice in your room, because they couldn't hear you anymore.

"Listening to your songs while studying or working... I always feel more energetic, or rather, more relaxed? We never used to do this, but now we feel a bit uncomfortable if we don't listen to music while doing things. This is all your fault, Xiwang, you have to take responsibility." — That's what everyone is saying.

Although their words seemed like a complaint, their tone and expression indicated that they enjoyed the feeling and didn't reject the "habit" they had developed because of you... You were happy because the situation resonated with your past experiences.

Indeed, music has power—you think to yourself.

Of course, most importantly... although everyone looks like a "delinquent," surprisingly, most of them are actually good students. They generally attend classes on time, and their grades are surprisingly good, except for Yin and Li. They seem to be very free and have never been to school, and they don't seem to have any intention of attending classes.

[After you got to know everyone, you specifically asked this question, and you received an unexpected answer—Yin had excellent grades, and due to her personality, she applied to the school for online classes and didn't have to attend classes in person; Li was even more straightforward, directly applying to the school for the privilege of not attending classes based on her exam scores... and it was approved.]

[You seem a bit surprised; you didn't expect Li to be so capable... no, you should say everyone here is quite capable.]

You are very happy and grateful to the teacher who brought you here and to Li, who was willing to let you stay and gave you a lot of help. Gradually, your mood returned to normal, and you were surrounded by a pleasant and relaxed atmosphere. With your ever-present smile and your increasingly handsome face, you became more and more charming, and you were often teased by the teacher and Li.

Meanwhile, the attitudes of other students at school towards you are gradually changing... not for the better, but rather "easing".

[After all, ever since you moved out of the school dormitory and started living off-campus, even practicing your piano off-campus, other students haven't had much time to bother you... You don't even come back to school to practice on weekends; instead, you go straight to work and save money. Others simply can't find you, let alone bother you.]

Meanwhile, as time goes by, the malice people have towards you has gradually faded... Although it still exists, it's at least not as fierce as before.

[It seems like everything is going well... just kidding.]

While your actions have made your life better and you no longer have to deal with trouble from other students,... some people aren't so happy.

This person is Eden, who has been searching for you all along.

Ever since discovering your "secret," Eden has wanted to talk to you, to understand why, even though you could have made the music even better, you deliberately erased your own "color" from the music in your subsequent performances... You could have become someone like her, someone hailed as a "genius," so why...?

[Of course, more importantly, she sensed from your usual way of doing things that you were similar to her... especially your name. Although others might find the pun on "Xi Wang" (曦望/希望) funny, Eden really likes it.]

Because "hope" is indeed a good word, isn't it? Even better than her "Eden."

Therefore, although Eden hasn't had much interaction with you yet, she seems to have a good impression of you... but it's hard to say for sure right now.

[Even though she rushed here as fast as she could, even though she left the classroom right on time several times, and even waited for you at the school gate a few times... but in the end she still couldn't find you, as if you were avoiding her.]

[Moreover, Elga, who claims to be your "friend," would occasionally "interfere" with her, causing her to miss her meetings with you... Eden once suspected that Elga might be your "accomplice," and that you were deliberately trying to avoid seeing her.]

She was somewhat confused, wondering what she had done to offend you... At the same time, her pride as a "golden girl" was also stirred up.

She definitely wants to have a serious talk with you and find out why you're avoiding her.

--------

????~

"Hmph~?"

The melodious sound of the piano echoed in the room. Xi Wang immersed himself in the moment, releasing his inner emotions and blending them into his singing, adding his own unique "color".

Although he has a teacher's recommendation and the music store can let him rent a practice room at a very low price for long periods of time, he still needs to make the most of his time.

After all, since leaving school, there are so many things I need to think about and deal with, and I need more money... Although I can manage even if I'm a little frugal, just like Mother Teresa said, I need to make sure I live a good life so they don't have to worry about me.

If I save up a little more money, I can buy a cheap cello~ Then I can play it in the dorm, which will also give Brother Li and Yin a change of pace.

Ah, speaking of which, I haven't visited all the people who helped me in the community in a long time. I should ask Mother Teresa to help me, but unfortunately I haven't achieved anything yet, so I can only record a few songs to take back... I'll go back and visit them after I get into university!

And what about the kids I used to hang out with in church? I wonder how they are... And Wright? I wonder if he's doing well in his studies... I'll try to get in touch with him sometime.

And the teacher… Father Enrique… everyone…

Xi Wang's eyelids drooped slightly, her thoughts drifting away with her memories, longing for the past.

Unbeknownst to them, their fingertips, resting on the piano keys, began to change, and the originally intended melody began to deviate. A few notes were changed in a certain measure, and then, like a babbling brook, the melody was gently carried to another piece.

The tempo slows down, and the fingers striking the keys become lighter, making the tone long and gentle. You can feel the longing hidden in the sound, like autumn leaves, gently carried away from the treetops by the warm wind and placed in your hand. Twisting the leaves, you carefully examine their dim yellow color and clear veins, and your thoughts unconsciously flow back in time to those happy times in the past.

A gentle breeze swept past, carrying the fallen leaves that had accumulated on the ground, making a "rustling" sound. In a daze, it seemed as if the wind itself had become tangible, like a gentle girl, bringing past memories and fallen leaves to my side.

"........."

Suddenly, as if sensing something, Xi Wang stopped playing, her hands hovering in mid-air, her previously lowered eyelids lifting slightly. After a pause, Xi Wang slowly withdrew her hands, sat upright in her seat, and remained motionless.

"........."

knock --

After a while, as if they had noticed something, a polite and crisp knock sounded on the door.