Chapter 14: The Astonishing Bet

  On that day, Class 3's classroom seemed a bit empty, with only Hu Bin and a few others studying inside.

  Fang Xiaoqin had just finished practicing the piano and returned, feeling lazy and not wanting to study. She leaned over to Hu Bin's side and said: "Hu Bin, I have a question for you, how is it?"

  Hu Bin raised his head and smiled: "A great beauty asks a question, how dare I not answer?"

  "Can't you be less disgusting? What great beauty?... Uh, I'm asking you, why do you always protect that stinky Wu Xin? It seems like not many people like him."

  Hu Bin smiled slyly and said: "You're not fond of him, are you? I've seen you staring at him in a daze lately! Don't deny it, honestly, he's absolutely worth getting to know!"

  Fang Xiaoxin's face turned red and she said, "You're talking nonsense! Who would want to be friends with him? How could I possibly like him?" Daughters always have thin skin, they obviously love someone but won't admit it.

  Hu Bin said seriously and softly: "Don't tell others, I'm telling the truth! Among so many friends of mine, only he is taken good care of! He is temporarily unwilling to socialize with others. If he wants to, I guarantee that he will show his new side!"

  Fang Xiaoqin saw that he was speaking confidently, so she deliberately expressed her surprise and said: "Why are you so confident in him? I really can't see what's worth your maintenance!"

  "His abilities are absolutely many! You can see it when he studies!"

  "Is he talented? Can he play the piano?" Fang Xiaoqin giggled and said, the piano being her strong point.

  "It's not necessarily not! Maybe I'm even stronger than you!" Hu Bin felt a bit embarrassed, knowing he had exaggerated.

  Fang Xiaoqin suddenly became extremely interested and laughed: "You're bragging! How about we make a bet?"

  "When did I brag? I just said he might, maybe..."

  "You dare to bet?" Fang Xiaoqin didn't wait for Hu Bin to finish, urging him strongly, and in her heart, she also had some expectations, hoping to understand that "proud rooster" through Hu Bin.

  Hu Bin smiled with a red face: "What do you want to bet on?"

  "Let's make a bet! If he plays the piano better than me, I'll treat you two to dinner at the restaurant by the school gate. Otherwise, you can treat me to dinner instead! How about it? Are you up for it?" Fang Xiaoqin smiled triumphantly.

  "Isn't it just a meal? Deal!" Hu Bin said with a bright smile, but his heart ached: My money! This is definitely going to be a loss!

  "Wait a minute! We're betting on whether he can play the piano or not, not on who plays better than you. This win/lose condition needs to be changed..."

  "Do you want to back out?" Fang Xiaoqin burst out laughing, clapping her hands and saying: "You agreed, so don't back out now! Who told you not to listen carefully earlier? Arguing with a girl over this is a bit petty! Don't ruin the pretty good impression you have in everyone's minds!"

  "Hu Bin let out a bitter laugh and said: 'Ah! I'm no match for you, how can I prove it?'"

  The two of them started discussing in a low voice.

  In the afternoon, in the classroom, during class meeting, the teacher is absent. Wu Xin is reading a book.

  "Wu Xin!" Hu Bin walked over to Wu Xin's side, excitedly shouting out loud, attracting the attention of all his classmates. Wu Xin was also startled and shouted: "We're in self-study! Keep your voice down!"

  "Hu Bin didn't care about anything else: 'Will you accompany me to play the piano this evening?'"

  "Play piano? Can you? I still have things to do at home..."

  Hu Bin immediately cut him off, "You won't even help with this small favor? I'll help you with your family matters later, but if I don't learn to play the piano, I'll have no face to see my dad and mom!"

  "What did you say?" Wu Xin said with a faint smile.

  "Cough, it's a long story, I made a bet with my dad and mom... forget it, anyway if I don't learn I'll have to listen to them obediently, then I won't have any freedom at all! Will you accompany me?"

  "But what's the use of me going? Whether I go or not, it's all the same." Wu Xin said with a faint smile.

  "You're going, I'm a little better!" Hu Bin said, his face turned serious and asked: "You say, go or not?"

  "Alright!" Wu Xin sighed helplessly with a bitter smile.

  "This is what good brothers are like!" Hu Bin said and walked away, giving a wink to Fang Xiaoqin behind Wu Xin, sharing a knowing smile.

  In the late afternoon, the school music room was quiet and deserted.

  "I know you like it quiet, so I specially told Music Teacher Du that this afternoon there would only be the two of us, isn't that more relaxing? Now you should know that I still consider your feelings! Is this your first time coming here?" Hu Bin said with a hurried smile as he saw Wu Xin looking somewhat strange.

  Wu Xin nodded and smiled: "This is actually my first time coming to this building too!"

  "You've missed out on a lot of good things! Hu Bin said with a sly smile: "You know, this building is specially for art students, there are many beautiful girls, and many boys come here just to try their luck at romance!"

  "Go ahead and have your grand spring and autumn dreams! At such a young age, you don't know how to study properly, all you know is to daydream! I'll tell your dad and mom about this, they'll skin you alive!" Wu Xin burst out laughing, looking much more relaxed.

  "Alright! I won't say much, just take a look at my piano skills! I'm quite talented, you know. I learned the score last night and managed to remember quite a few things!" Hu Bin said, then solemnly sat down in front of the piano, shook his hands a few times, and awkwardly pressed down on the keys.

  Because he was a beginner, Hu Bin was not familiar with the piano keys at all. After pressing one key, he searched for half a day and finally found the next key with great excitement, then continued to search for each subsequent key...

  This string of awkward and unpleasant sounds made Wu Xin feel very uncomfortable - just look at his furrowed brow and restless appearance as proof.

  After several minutes, Hu Bin finally got a sentence familiar and smiled with pride: "Wu Xin, how is it? Not bad! I learned a sentence in just a few minutes, soon I'll be able to learn the whole song! Wait and see my masterpiece!"

  Wu Xin smiled wryly and said softly, "Hu Bin! I suggest you'd better... just listen to your dad and mom, you really don't seem to have any talent, it's hard to bear listening to!"

  "You're really discouraging me! I've just started learning, of course I'm slow, but I'll get better slowly. I'm actually learning pretty quickly! And you're my friend, you should be helping me, not saying things that make me lose heart!"

  Wu Xin didn't expect Hu Bin to be so short-tempered today, and thought that he had hurt his self-esteem. He smiled faintly and said: "Why are you so angry? I'm just telling the truth! As a friend, I'm only saying this because it's true. When it comes to learning this stuff, talent is key. Without talent, no matter how hard you try, it's all for nothing! Don't take it to heart!"

  "Talent? I think talent is just sweat plus inspiration! I don't have much inspiration, can't I just add more sweat?" Hu Bin said with a chuckle.

  Wu Xin was at a loss for words, and hastily said: "If you spend half a year learning to play one song, I think it's better to spend that half year on something worthwhile! Life is short, and it's only right to spend time and sweat on things that are worth it!"

  "Alright! I give up! I've only learned one piece, so help me out and see how I do, okay?" After saying that, she added with a giggle: "It's the first time, after all, it can't be helped!" And then she started playing again.

  After a while, Wu Xin couldn't bear it anymore and stood up saying: "You really only learned one song?"

  "Of course! Just pretend to them and fool them a bit, it's okay! You just help me out and patiently listen, give me some advice!"

  "Alright, I actually understand a bit too! Let me help you!" Wu Xin furrowed his brow and smiled: "This piano sound is not quite right, can't you tell that the effect of your playing is slightly different from what you usually hear?" After speaking, Wu Xin walked to the front of the piano, pressed down on the keys with his hand, as if injecting a powerful force, and immediately a clear and long-lasting sound rang out. Wu Xin listened carefully, tried again, and said: "It's almost there!"

  "Sit properly!" Wu Xin said calmly: "Both hands naturally hang above the piano!" After finishing, he stretched out his hand from the side and grabbed Hu Bin's hand, saying: "Pay attention to the feeling of the whole piece, both hands follow the feeling, rely on the feeling to associate with the pitch high and low, long and short, both hands move naturally, want to be light and agile..." After finishing, he pressed Hu Bin's hand down and moved quickly again, and a light and elegant melody flowed out from the piano strings...

  Hu Bin seems to have found that light and natural feeling, himself playing more and more comfortably, following the feeling, after several repetitions, he had some of his own natural feelings, and was surprised again.

  "Hurrah!" The applause erupted, and a person pushed open the door with a smile all over his face, with kind eyebrows and eyes, it was Teacher Du!

  "Excellent! It turns out that you are indeed a hidden master! Although it's just teaching piano, the realm of freedom and vastness is something that many talented students who have studied music for years cannot match! Xiao Qin, now that you have such a classmate with whom you can communicate through music, why are you still hiding?"

  Just after speaking, a beautiful woman with a slightly red face and a bashful expression walked in, her appearance was so captivating that even a cold-blooded man would be moved - it was none other than the lovely Fang Xiaoxin.

  Wu Xin took a look at the two of them, then looked at Hu Bin again, let go of his hand and said calmly: "Teacher Du, please don't laugh at us, we were just messing around. You guys chat, I still have things to do at home, can I leave first?" After saying that, he looked at Hu Bin.

  Hu Bin knew Wu Xin was angry, his face turned red, and he hastily said: "Wu Xin, don't be angry, okay? I didn't intentionally deceive you, it's just that I didn't expect you to have such high musical attainments! If you insist on being angry with me, I sincerely apologize to you, but my heart will ache, you are my best friend!" His words made Wu Xin feel embarrassed instead.

  Fang Xiaoqin blocked the doorway, her eyes shining with an unusual light as she said softly: "Don't blame Hu Bin, let's just say I'm being naughty. I thought it would be fun to trick him into treating me to a meal, but I didn't expect you really had such skills. I never thought that teaching someone who doesn't understand music to play the piano could produce such an atmosphere... those jumping notes seemed to have magic, seemed to have life, falling gently with your hands, dancing together with your emotions... I can only admit defeat and invite you both to dinner tonight, how about it?"

  Fang Xiaoxin was a very innocent and emotional girl, who was in the prime of her youth, at an age when she loved to fantasize and daydream. At this moment, her bright eyes were shining with fiery passion, and she had a look of infatuation on her face.

  Wu Xin smiled and said softly, "Alright! I'm not as good as you guys say. It was just a moment of urgency, and I randomly played a few notes, which unexpectedly caught your attention! It's actually quite funny, who in school doesn't know that your piano skills are exceptional?"

  "Where? I'm so clumsy, I don't have any talent at all, and I dare not show my face again! I really don't know how you can play so well, it makes me so envious!"

  Mr. Du listened and laughed, saying: "You two don't need to compliment each other, you're both great, it's just that we didn't expect Wu Xin to be so hidden and reserved, leaving a masterful skill! I still have one thing unclear, how did Wu Xin correct the piano sound? I saw you press the piano keys, and it was actually corrected, really strange! You tell me!"

  For a moment, several people laughed and looked at Wu Xin.

  Wu Xin said with a smile: "Actually, I just pressed the piano keys and felt it randomly, but didn't really fix it. Well! Today, let's all go together, I'll treat everyone to dinner, okay? It's also an apology for my recklessness earlier! However, don't tell anyone about these few awkward moves of mine!" After saying that, he pulled everyone out, making Fang Xiaoqin speechless.