Chapter Fifty-Five: Waning Enthusiasm

"Han, I just can't believe it—does Ren Qian really know how to play Western instruments too?"
"I have to agree with Odie on this one," Qian Feng chimed in. "Mastering so many traditional instruments is already the limit. Any more and he wouldn't be human."
Odie and Qian Feng were grumbling on the side, while Ren Qian only smiled calmly. The piano had always been essential for composing and practicing in his past life. Though not on par with Yundi Li or Lang Lang, he at least held a Level Ten certificate.
How could he possibly not know how to play?
With that thought, he sat at the piano without a care, let his hands fall gently onto the keys, and as the notes began to flow, the melody unmistakably revealed itself as "Beneath the Cherry Blossom Tree."
The moment the music spilled out, thunderous applause erupted. Odie and Qian Feng fell silent, standing to one side. Once again, they had been reduced to mere foils, and this time, in a most humiliating fashion.
"I've said from the start, I never fear Ren Qian growing arrogant. The truth is, he's astonishingly talented. I even want to recruit him into the Everyday Brothers," Wang Han said, pulling Ren Qian to his side and giving him an encouraging pat on the shoulder.
"Han, think twice," Odie interjected. "If Ren Qian joins 'Day Day Up' as a host with all his talent, we'll all be out of a job.
He looks tired, too. Let him take a break, and let's continue interviewing the other members of the crew."
Odie was quick to butt in. If someone with such star power joined their show, their already limited screen time would be robbed even further—how could they survive?
So he immediately tried to shift the topic. The original script hadn't called for the spotlight to be on Ren Qian; Han had simply gone off-script on a whim, and no one had expected this segment to be so spectacular, leaving the audience wanting more. The production team probably wouldn't cut it, but at least they could reduce Ren Qian's appearances, right?
Thus, Odie played his trump card.
"Fine, I now announce Ren Qian as the substitute member of the Everyday Brothers. Give him a mic and let him stand over here to do the show with us."
But Wang Han went against him, handed Ren Qian a microphone, and continued the interviews with the Dream of the Red Chamber cast.
Jia Baoyu was a handsome young man, a local from Jiangnan.
"Baoyu, your skills at charming the ladies are impressive—look at all those girls in the Grand View Garden, all wanting to be close to you. Come on, teach us a few tricks."
Baoyu smiled at the comment. "That's just in the script. In reality, I have no idea what I'm doing—I'm still single…"
The female audience erupted in cheers and applause. A single handsome guy! Even if they couldn't have a shot at him, it couldn't stop their daydreams.
"Well, at least show us Baoyu's flirting skills as written in the script.
But let's make it harder for you. Lin is coming over—if your lines and actions can't move her, don't expect her to give you any face. Pretend the two of you are strangers, and you're just some infatuated guy trying to pick her up."
Wang Han was ruthless; he knew exactly what the show needed to spice things up. Watching Baoyu stumble in front of Lin would be the best entertainment.
The flirtation began.
Baoyu looked around nervously as Lin entered, graceful as ever.
He hurriedly blocked her path. "I've seen you before, miss!"

Ren Qian let out a wry chuckle. Clearly, Baoyu was a novice at this. That line might be romantic in Dream of the Red Chamber, but to trot it out now was just stale and foolish.
As expected, Lin shot him a cold glance and turned away, causing the audience to burst into unrestrained laughter.
Baoyu retreated, crestfallen.
A failed attempt—exactly what the crowd wanted to see.
"Come on, Ren Qian, your turn,"
Wang Han grabbed him, whispering in his ear, "You must succeed, not fail. Bring honor to the Everyday Brothers."
Lin was notoriously hard to please; Odie's attempts had been met with indifference, and even Baoyu had only received a cold look.
What would become of Ren Qian before Daiyu?
The audience was eager to see him make a fool of himself. The applause grew ever more enthusiastic. They couldn't help but feel a little resentful—good looks were one thing, but he was also so talented. And as if that weren't enough, he could play so many instruments!
Comparisons are odious, and they were itching for the satisfaction of seeing Ren Qian trip up.
From the start, Ren Qian had noticed "Lin"—her beauty was breathtaking, no wonder she'd been cast as the female lead in Dream of the Red Chamber.
But if one looked closer, it was clear Lin belonged to that rare type—admirable, yet not to be trifled with. She was aloof, cool, never warm nor cold, standing apart from everything.
Even Wang Han had stumbled when interviewing her. If Ren Qian didn't handle this well, she might offer only a fleeting glance before moving on—end of story.
"I really don't know what to say," he began. "How about a joke…
So, one night, there's a sudden fire at Kaifeng Prefecture.
Lord Bao, with not a stitch on, dashes out of the burning building, still in shock as he stares at the blaze.
Just then, a firefighter walks over, claps him on the shoulder, and says, 'Man, you're impressive. Even burned like that, you can still run so fast!'"
Lin couldn't help but laugh out loud. The joke was so funny, she couldn't hold it in.
The hosts were dumbfounded.
The audience went wild—Ren Qian had made Lin smile with just a joke—
Handsome, multi-instrumentalist, composer, lyricist, and now a master at making girls laugh. How was anyone supposed to compete?
But Ren Qian wasn't done making everyone uncomfortable.
"Indeed, the loveliest girls are those who smile. Sister, you should frown less from now on."
Half in modern speech, half in classical diction, his words carried the flavor of a TV drama.

But more than that, they were devastatingly charming.
Lin lowered her head in shy embarrassment.
Wow…
The crowd whooped it up, the young women in the audience mentally replacing Daiyu with themselves, savoring the thrill of being wooed by Ren Qian.
Ren Qian offered Lin a gentleman’s bow and stepped aside. He let out a gentle sigh, feeling that coming to record the show today had been reckless.
The audience wasn't there to improve their artistic appreciation or expand their knowledge. They treated those on stage as jesters, eager to see them make fools of themselves. Only such moments could truly ignite their emotions.
As for the hosts, they weren't as harmonious as they appeared. Beneath the onstage antics, there was scheming and rivalry at every turn.
But Ren Qian also knew that once you reached a certain level, you had to adapt to that world.
The higher the level, the dirtier the circle. It was impossible to remain unsullied. The people in such circles would never tolerate outsiders, so you had to go along with them.
If you refused to go with the flow, you’d soon be dragged down by petty people.
Realizing this left him somewhat disenchanted. Even after being granted a new life, he still couldn't escape the mundane. At that moment, glancing at Lin, who was quietly looking down, he suddenly understood.
Perhaps Lin had seen through all this as well, which was why she remained so aloof, even indifferent in her answers.
If that truly was the case, she was indeed a remarkable person.
As if by coincidence, Lin seemed to sense Ren Qian's gaze and lifted her head to return it.
Her eyes held a note of sorrow; her delicate presence exuded a pitiful charm that tugged at a man's heartstrings. Perhaps this was the result of years spent playing Lin Daiyu—too deeply immersed in the role.
Ren Qian smiled faintly, and Lin Yuzhu pressed her lips together; her smile was as pure as a gardenia blossom trembling in the wind…
Suddenly, Ren Qian gave his head a small shake, as if shivering. A stray thought had flashed through his mind—a vision of the nurse dashing over, only to slap him sky-high.
He could almost feel the sting.
"Focus, focus," he told himself, lowering his head to avoid the affectionate gaze of Lin Yuzhu, and began humming one of his favorite songs instead. As he hummed, a new understanding came to him.
Even if he couldn't escape the world’s ways in this life, he could still rise above the crowd, striving to be someone open-minded and detached.
With that realization, the recording of the entire show finally came to an end…