Chapter 280 Buried Memories
James stared at Lyle with a cold look, his mind already wandering off somewhere else.
When James was a kid, his mom taught him how to play the piano. But after she passed away, he stopped playing. Still, there was this old, beat-up piano at his place. Every now and then, he'd play it to remember her.
That was why James looked so serious when he got to the ArtScape Center; the piano music there brought back memories of his mom.
Only Jennifer knew James could play the piano. But she thought it was a waste of time and that he should just get a job delivering food to make ends meet.
When James hit rock bottom, he considered using his piano skills to get a part-time gig. But all the jobs required some kind of piano certification, which he didn't have, so he gave up on that idea.
He never thought he'd actually get to use his piano skills one day.
Lyle was staring at James, totally shocked. He couldn't believe James picked Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. He surely could play it, but as for the true essence of it, even his teacher couldn't nail it perfectly.
He figured James was just trying to scare him and probably couldn't play it for real. Plus, with so many people watching, Lyle didn't want to admit he couldn't play it well.
"Alright, the Ninth Symphony it is!" Lyle gritted his teeth and said.
James turned to Lily and asked softly, "Lily, can I borrow your piano?"
"James, the Ninth Symphony is really tough. Are you sure you can handle it?" Lily asked, worried.
"Yeah, James, don't push yourself. Even if you lose today, it's not a big deal. But if you can't play the piece you picked, that'll be super embarrassing," Laura added.
"Don't worry, I've known this piece by heart for ages. No problem at all!" James said with a faint smile.
"Okay then," Laura agreed reluctantly.
James walked over to Lily's piano, sat down slowly, and gently touched the keys. Everyone could feel a change in him like he was a whole different person when his hands touched the keys.
Lily watched James with bright eyes, curious about his piano skills.
"He's just a delivery guy. No way he can really play the piano," Thalassa scoffed.
"Honey, you have to show James who's boss today," Vivienne said to Lyle.
"Got it," Lyle nodded and walked to his piano, sitting down slowly. But he looked at James and suddenly felt a bit tense.
James seemed really confident. If he could actually play the Ninth Symphony, Lyle might lose.
Lyle took a deep breath and told himself, 'He's just a poor delivery guy. How could he possibly play the Ninth Symphony? I just need to stay calm...'
Madeline stepped up and asked softly, "Mr. Phillips, Mr. Smith, are you both ready?"
"I'm ready," James replied calmly.
"Alright, begin!" Madeline shouted.
James started playing, and his speed was noticeably faster than Lyle's. Lyle hadn't even gotten into the groove yet. When he heard James' piano, he quickly placed his hands on the keys, feeling flustered by the sudden start.
James, on the other hand, was completely immersed in the music, like nothing else mattered. Memories from his childhood started flooding back. Back then, he wasn't an orphan or a poor guy everyone looked down on. He had a family and parents. But everything changed because of an accident.
The music filled the entire ArtScape Center, and everyone stared at James with wide eyes. Even Lyle, his opponent, stopped playing after less than a minute, just staring at James in disbelief.
No one could have imagined that this seemingly ordinary young man could play such an astonishing piece.
Laura realized she knew very little about James. The more time she spent with him, the more secrets she discovered. If she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, she wouldn't have believed that James was actually a piano master.
Nancy and Lily were at a loss for words. Especially Nancy, who had brought James to the ArtScape Center today, thinking she would find someone who knew even less about the piano than she did. But she never expected to have invited a true piano master.
Lyle looked at James with a mix of envy and jealousy. He had heard many people talk about the Ninth Symphony, but no matter how great a pianist was, they couldn't perfectly express the emotions of the piece. Without experiencing Beethoven's tragic fate, it was impossible to capture the true essence of the piece.
For James, tragic experiences were all too common. He had experienced the beauty of wealth and the bitterness of poverty. Many people thought James was a pushover with no temper. But he simply didn't care to argue with them. The world's richest man would never care about a beggar's insults because they lived in completely different worlds.
Vivienne, Dorian, Thalassa, Elowen, and others were all dumbfounded. At this moment, James seemed like a reincarnation of Beethoven, perfectly blending his emotions with the music. All of this was thanks to James' talented mother. His piano talent was largely inherited from her.
Laura closed her eyes. Although she didn't know much about the Ninth Symphony, she could feel the emotions James wanted to convey through the music—dissatisfaction with life, helplessness with his fate, and disdain for everything in the world.
Laura couldn't understand what James had gone through over the years. How could a young man in his early twenties have such deep and complex emotions?
She couldn't help but think, 'Maybe I don't understand James at all.'
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