Picking Up Fragments

After wandering around for a while, Jiang Siming arrived at the teaching building for the second-year junior students.

Jiang Siming remembered Zhao Xuan telling him that Zhao Xiaoxiao was in the second year, in Class One.

He walked curiously into the building, where each floor was designated to one grade level and only had four classes.

Apart from the classrooms, the building was filled with piano rooms, music rooms, dance studios, art rooms, computer rooms, and even Taekwondo and Judo studios.

All the facilities inside were high-end; the piano room alone had no less than ten pianos, each worth over a million, rivaling the one in his own home.

The computer room had only two brands: Alienware and Apple, and there was even a VR experience room.

This really was the kind of place that made people envious to the point of frustration.

Jiang Siming was filled with admiration, recalling his own school days. His middle and high school years were spent in a single, run-down school in a poor area.

They crammed all three grades of middle school students, totaling thousands, into an old, nearly abandoned building.

The entire building was used as classrooms; there wasn't even a restroom, so after every class, students would rush to the public toilets and compete with older students for stalls.

There was no such thing as a piano room, and the school didn't even have a computer. Whenever they had computer class, the teacher could only teach theoretical knowledge, leaving the kids envious, dreaming of one day seeing what a computer actually looked like.

The first floor was for first-year students, so Jiang Siming went up to the second floor.

At the far end was Class Four, currently in session. An English teacher was enthusiastically speaking English, but Jiang Siming felt that the teacher's accent was not as good as his own and had a hint of his hometown dialect, making it sound less authentic.

English, in fact, has many variations, something Jiang Siming learned after becoming proficient in the language.

Many foreigners speak English with regional accents, just like people in some Chinese provinces speak Mandarin with an accent.

Although the teacher's accent wasn't too strong, Jiang Siming felt they could still have a better one—like himself, for example.

Classes Three and Two were also in session, so Jiang Siming went straight to Class One, only to find the classroom empty.

A bit puzzled, Jiang Siming continued walking and eventually heard a gentle, soothing voice like an oriole singing from inside the piano room on the second floor.

"Class, remember that piano technique isn't difficult. You just need to memorize the keys, understand the music sheets, and practice to continually improve yourself. Now, let's have Tian Yucheng play 'Canon' for everyone."

The speaker was likely the piano teacher. Jiang Siming leaned against the back door, curiously peeking in.

He immediately spotted the piano teacher, whose voice was as lovely as a songbird's; he hadn't expected her appearance to be even more stunning.

She was tall and slender, wearing a blue silk blouse with a unique cut that gave her a noble yet relaxed and graceful aura. Her lower half was clad in a lace pencil skirt that struck the perfect balance of modesty and allure.

Her facial features were delicate, and her sleek hair was tied in a neat ponytail.

Her skin was fair as snow, making her attire look even more refined against her complexion.

She had an elegant, otherworldly air about her; years of working with the piano had given her an intellectual, graceful charm that was captivating.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"Damn, if I had a teacher like this back when I was in school, I wouldn't have just aimed for Fudan. I'd be starting with Tsinghua at the very least."

Jiang Siming remarked enviously, feeling it was indeed true what people said online about "teachers from other people's schools."

"Excuse me, who are you looking for?" The female teacher noticed Jiang Siming peeking from the back door and asked immediately.

The students also stopped what they were doing, curiously looking over.

Zhao Xiaoxiao saw that Jiang Siming had arrived and was so happy she was about to shout out.

But Jiang Siming improvised, saying, "Ahem, I'm the new piano teacher for the third-year junior students. I'm new here, so I got lost and ended up in the wrong place."

If he had said he was a student's parent, the teacher would likely have called security, making things awkward for both him and Zhao Xiaoxiao.

"You're a piano teacher too?" The female teacher was skeptical. Although Jiang Siming looked dashing with his sharp brows and bright eyes, he didn't exactly give off a piano teacher vibe.

"Yes, we're colleagues! If you don't need anything else, I'll be on my way," Jiang Siming said, turning to leave immediately.

Zhao Xiaoxiao covered her mouth, stifling a laugh. Beside her, Tian Yucheng asked curiously, "Xiaoxiao, do you know this teacher?"

"He's not a teacher at all; he's my dad. Shh, don't tell anyone," Zhao Xiaoxiao whispered in response.

"Wow! Xiaoxiao, your dad is so handsome! And here Xiaolei and the others keep saying you don't have a dad. Guess they were talking nonsense," Tian Yucheng exclaimed in surprise.

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Zhao Xiaoxiao tilted her head arrogantly and said, "Of course, my dad is super handsome, unlike their dads—all middle-aged men with beer bellies. So unattractive~"

"Hehe, luckily, my dad doesn't have a beer belly."

"Your dad is a world champion, and he's also quite handsome. Not bad, not bad," Zhao Xiaoxiao responded as if she had a prized treasure worth showing off to the whole world.

"I think your dad is way more handsome than mine," Tian Yucheng replied bluntly, without considering how her dad might feel hearing that...

Just as Jiang Siming was about to leave, the female teacher called out to him.

"Excuse me, Mr. Teacher. Since you also teach piano, could I trouble you to perform a piece on the spot? If you can't, it would suggest you're not a piano teacher, and I would have to question your identity, possibly asking the security guard to handle it." The teacher stood in front of Jiang Siming, her elegance mixed with authority and diligence.

When it came to student safety, she would take full responsibility and would never let a stranger wander freely within the school.

"Well...alright, I'll play," Jiang Siming replied reluctantly, knowing she would definitely call security if he refused.

Not wanting to be escorted off school grounds by the security guards, Jiang Siming decided to comply.

Thankfully, he did have piano skills; otherwise, this would've been quite the ordeal.

Walking straight to an empty piano, Jiang Siming casually ran his hand across the keys, exuding confidence.

As he sat on the piano bench, Jiang Siming's entire demeanor transformed!

This skilled warm-up move caught the female teacher's attention, and a hint of trust flickered in her eyes; maybe he really could play the piano.

The kids in the classroom gathered around him, intrigued.

Zhao Xiaoxiao leaned against the piano, winking at him playfully, to which Jiang Siming responded with a glance before refocusing on the keys.

"What piece would you like to hear?" he asked the teacher with a smile.

"The *Piano Concerto No. 3*. Can you play it?" The female teacher purposely chose a particularly challenging piece from the piano repertoire.

This piece was extremely difficult—even those who passed the Level 10 piano exam might not be able to play it well.

She could manage it, but even then, it was challenging. Playing it once left her sweating and exhausted, and she struggled to capture the piece's essence and elegance.

She didn't believe Jiang Siming could play it, thinking he'd feel troubled, and then she'd suggest a simpler piece instead.

But Jiang Siming didn't hesitate. He nodded calmly and turned back to the keys.

The teacher was stunned. Was he really going to play *Piano Concerto No. 3*?

Then, the music pulled her out of her astonishment.