Rose Manor: Tycoon's Relentless Chase-Chapter 281 - 263: Meeting Again

In late October, Shen Jianian fully immersed herself in the orchestra’s tour, flying to different cities, with no time to think about anything else.

During this time, she made a call to Pei Che. He had already left Jiang City with Zhou Ruo, heading to Switzerland, settling in Vigis Town.

Pei Che didn’t sell the villa at Jade Heaven and left it for Shen Jianian to live in. But he thought that once the tour ended, she might not return to Jiang City and would probably settle in Beicheng, which is her hometown.

The Beicheng performance was the final stop of the tour, scheduled for November 20th.

Shen Jianian set aside two tickets for Bai Changxia and her husband. Later, she received a message from Zhao Shunyi, who had just returned from wrapping up a film and was back at her home in Beicheng to watch her performance. Shen Jianian then reserved a ticket for her as well.

On the evening of the 20th, Shen Jianian, as usual, prepared backstage with the other orchestra members. Today she was using the cello she brought from Yunding Palace, the one she had used the most since childhood.

Manager Yan Hong came in after taking a call outside, her face glowing with excitement: "I just got word from a friend. Do you know who is coming tonight?"

The orchestra members chimed in all at once.

"Yet another big star?"

"There have been big stars at previous performances too. It’s not that surprising, is it?"

"We’ve seen quite the spectacles before. A lot of elites attended the Ning City performance."

"We can’t help it; our fame speaks for itself."

Yan Hong rolled her eyes. This orchestra was filled with young blood; they had the skills but were generally not very stable. With the tour nearing its end, everyone’s mind was drifting, their tails raised high, except Shen Jianian, who was more composed and rarely joined in their bragging.

"Yan Qiusheng is here."

As the discussions reached their peak, Yan Hong dropped a bombshell.

The chattering backstage instantly fell silent. Shen Jianian’s gaze lifted from her cherished cello and glanced at Yan Hong, who was watching their expressions with arms crossed and a delighted face.

After three seconds of silence, the orchestra exploded with chatter.

"Yan Qiusheng? The world-class cellist?"

"What breeze could have brought him here?"

"Excited heart, trembling hands. I’m afraid if I see him on stage, I’ll be so excited I’ll play a wrong note."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, can’t you say something more auspicious? Weren’t you just claiming that we’re people who’ve seen the world? How quickly you’ve shown your true colors."

"But that’s Yan Qiusheng! My idol! My phone’s alarm is all his played pieces."

Yan Qiusheng was also Shen Jianian’s idol. Although she appeared calmer than the others, her heart was already boiling.

Moreover, she was Yan Qiusheng’s disciple. This shouldn’t be the first time Yan Qiusheng’s watched her perform, but she didn’t remember previous occasions, so tonight felt like the first time performing in front of Yan Qiusheng.

"Quiet," Yan Hong clapped her hands. "I won’t say more. Just perform well."

The concert started at seven-thirty. Shen Jianian took several deep breaths, adjusting her emotions to make herself less nervous. The previous ease seemed to disappear at this final performance.

When she went on stage, she was very nervous, forcing herself not to look at the audience but couldn’t resist a glance.

Strangely, the first person she noticed wasn’t Yan Qiusheng but the man beside him.

That man appeared to the public always in a proper suit. The difference today was it wasn’t a business occasion; he wasn’t wearing a tie. The top two buttons of his white shirt were undone, and his stern features seemed less distant due to the slight smile at the corners of his lips.

He was looking at her, tilting his head slightly as he whispered to Yan Qiusheng.

Their gazes briefly met for a second. Shen Jianian looked away, steadied her mind, and threw herself into the performance. As she raised the bow, all the tension faded, leaving only the cello.

Yan Qiusheng watched Shen Jianian on stage, gradually sitting up straight. Fu Jichen told him it was Shen Jianian, but he had his doubts. He suspected Fu Jichen was overtaken by longing, losing his rationality. However, when he saw for himself how she played, shock overshadowed his doubts.

One’s habits in playing the cello are formed since childhood and aren’t easily changed. He hadn’t taught Shen Jianian for a long time, but long enough to understand her habits.

Muscle memory can be more formidable than expected. Fu Jichen told him Shen Jianian lost her memory in a car accident, but the techniques she now displayed were those he had taught her, and she hadn’t forgotten them.

The entire performance went without a hitch, marking a perfect conclusion to the tour.

Shen Jianian’s hand holding the bow slowly dropped, and only then did she notice her arm was a bit sore, probably because she had been too focused during the performance.

Applause erupted from the audience, like waves rushing into her ears.

Shen Jianian finally could look at the audience without hesitation. Yan Qiusheng was also applauding, giving her an appreciative smile. Shen Jianian took a bow with the other members of the ensemble, her heart beating fast, reminiscent of the time she received an award on stage in elementary school.

Even when she returned backstage, she felt a bit dizzy, as if her feet couldn’t find solid ground.

"Jianian!"

Bai Changxia’s voice came from the crowd.

Shen Jianian had just put her cello back into its case and hadn’t had a chance to change out of her performance attire. She followed the voice, her eyes lighting up: "What brings you here?"

"You were amazing today!" Bai Changxia gave her a strong hug, patting her back. "We’ve prepared a celebratory dinner for you. I was worried you wouldn’t see the message, so I came to tell you."

Shen Jianian was momentarily stunned: "Our ensemble also organized a celebratory dinner tonight."

"Ah? What should we do then?" Bai Changxia’s eyes flickered evasively as she fished out her phone from her bag. "Hold on, let me make a quick call and ask."

Bai Changxia turned away and walked a bit farther. Shen Jianian didn’t know whom she was going to ask, so she didn’t disturb her and went to change clothes.

In November, Beicheng was already very cold. Shen Jianian wore a white wool sweater, her down jacket hugged against her chest, with a cello case strapped to her back. Surrounded by her ensemble members, they were discussing where to have a cost-effective and delicious hot pot.

Bai Changxia returned with her phone, smiling innocently: "Why not invite your ensemble friends, and we’ll all eat together?"

Shen Jianian had planned to discuss something with Yan Hong during the ensemble’s dinner, so seeing Bai Changxia come to invite her to eat was unexpected. She didn’t want to let anyone down and hoped they could all go together.

But she couldn’t decide alone: "Let me ask them first."

Bai Changxia made an OK gesture.

Shen Jianian slightly raised her voice, forcing her way into the lively discussion about where to eat: "Everyone, hold on a second. My friend prepared a celebratory dinner for me tonight. Can we all go together?" 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

The pianist in the ensemble, about two years younger than Shen Jianian, raised her hand to speak: "I have a question. Is it a treat?"

Bai Changxia wrapped her arms around Shen Jianian’s neck from behind and said, "It’s a treat! Eat as much as you want!"

"Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go, I’m starving."

Yan Hong shook her head. She really couldn’t handle this group of kids. She walked up to Shen Jianian, and as the manager, she needed to keep things organized in such moments: "We’ll treat. We have more people on our side."

Bai Changxia hurriedly waved her hands: "No need, no need."

Everyone packed up and left the theater, each carrying their own instruments. The pianist had it easiest, not needing to carry a piano everywhere.

Several luxurious business vehicles were parked at the exit, and everyone stopped in their tracks, turning to look at Yan Hong walking behind them. They called out, "Mrs. Yan, did you win the lottery? How could you afford to rent such expensive cars for us?"

During their stay in Beicheng for the past few days, they had been renting cars for travel, though those were business vehicles, much lower in grade than these.

Yan Hong stepped forward in her high-heeled boots: "These aren’t the cars I rented. I was wondering how to get all of you to the restaurant because the driver of the car we rented can’t make it."

"It’s a car... my friend arranged. Everyone, get in," Bai Changxia said, her tone still somewhat guilty, her eyes avoiding Shen Jianian. "The restaurant is at Qingping Xuan, and the driver will take you there."

Some were visiting Beicheng for the first time, pulling out their phones to check Qingping Xuan on reviews, and seeing the average cost per person was three thousand, their mouths dropped, adjusting the glasses slipping down their noses.

Bai Changxia pulled Shen Jianian to sit in the car at the front.

Exiting the theater, the indoor-outdoor temperature difference was significant. Shen Jianian put on her black down jacket and wrapped her neck with a red cashmere scarf, with half her face buried in it.

The car door slid open, and Shen Jianian lifted her eyes, immediately seeing the man sitting inside. A black coat draped over his legs, and the seat next to him held a beautifully wrapped bouquet of pink and white roses.

Shen Jianian, with her mouth hidden in the scarf, tightened her lips, narrowing her eyes to look at Bai Changxia clutching her arm.

Bai Changxia became more guilty, touching her nose and slowly raising her head to look at the sky. Suddenly, something cold and chilly hit her face, and she nudged Shen Jianian: "Get in the car quickly; it’s raining. Oh no, it’s snowing."

Fu Jichen picked up the bouquet from the seat. As Shen Jianian climbed into the car with her cello case, he placed the flowers in her arms, his deep gaze resting on her snow-white face accentuated by the red scarf. His voice was low and ethereal, as if coming from a distant place: "Congratulations on your successful performance."