“By the age of ten, I had already performed ‘Paganini’s Caprice No. 24’ no less than a hundred times.”
Upon hearing this, a peculiar sparkle flashed in Sofia’s eyes.
She turned her head, her gaze resting on Walker.
This young man was at the same table as William!
As the saying goes, “Birds of a feather flock together.” If William played that well, his friend would naturally be equally talented.
Playing ‘Paganini’s Caprice No. 24’ a hundred times by the age of ten? What does that signify?
He’s undoubtedly a prodigy!
Even if he couldn’t match William’s otherworldly aura, he couldn’t be far off.
Walker approached Sofia with a smile, saying, “May I borrow the violin, miss?”
At this moment, Sofia’s eyes shimmered brightly, looking at Walker with an expression filled with admiration.
If she could have achieved Walker’s level at the age of ten, it was unimaginable.
“Of course!” Sofia gracefully stood up, nodding slightly with a smile towards Walker.
Walker chuckled to himself. Indeed, any beautiful woman would naturally be this impressed by someone as handsome as him.
After sitting down, Walker smiled at Sofia and began tuning the violin strings…
Sofia was taken aback. William had just tuned it, specifically for ‘Paganini’s Caprice No. 24’. Why was he adjusting it again?
Did he employ a different technique than William?
Noticing her confusion, Walker explained, “Tuning is essential for ‘Paganini’s Caprice No. 24’. The strings must be adjusted just right.”
Sofia nodded weakly. Of course, she knew that ‘Paganini’s Caprice No. 24’ was extremely challenging for violinists. She had practiced it countless times in music school. Thus, she had her understanding of bowing techniques and finger placement, without needing guidance from Walker.
After his brief explanation, Walker began to draw the bow across the strings. A series of notes sounded, causing Sofia’s left eyelid to twitch.
What on earth?
Was this ‘Paganini’s Caprice No. 24’?
Was he serious?
After listening for a few more seconds, Sofia’s expression became even more animated.
He was completely off-key, and this was supposed to be ‘Paganini’s Caprice No. 24’?
Compared to William’s recent performance, this was…
This was a refreshingly “innovative” take! (Said with a heavy dose of sarcasm.)
Sofia desperately wished Walker would stop his performance and step down from the stage immediately. Was this the same man who’d boasted about performing ‘Paganini’s Caprice No. 24’ over a hundred times by age ten?
However, she held her tongue. After Walker finished playing, she looked at him with an impassive face.
“So, how was it? My performance was pretty good, wasn’t it? Want to exchange WhatsApp numbers?” Walker stood up, pulling out his phone to introduce himself. “I’m Walker. And may I know the name of the beautiful lady before me?”
“No need to exchange WhatsApp.” Sofia picked up her fidula and turned to leave the French restaurant.
Watching Sofia’s retreating figure and inhaling the faint fragrance she left behind, Walker chuckled to himself, “Girls can be so shy. The next time we meet, she’ll naturally give me her WhatsApp.”
All the while, William refrained from commenting. Although Walker’s performance was lackluster, it reminded William of a time he taught a child how to play the violin. His skill level was similar to that of a five-year-old. Quite amusing.
Returning to his seat, Walker looked at Alice with a playful smile. “Alice, how was my playing?”
Alice wasn’t well-versed in musical nuances. To her, aside from William’s performance, Walker’s seemed okay. “Not bad,” she remarked, chuckling. After hearing Walker, and then comparing it with William’s rendition, she finally realized how talented her mentor was.
Walker grinned proudly and sat next to Lila, looking at her expectantly.
Lila: “…”
He continued to gaze at her.
Lila shot him a quick glance before finally saying, in a neutral tone, “It was alright.”
Once more, Walker grinned proudly and turned to William. “William, want to learn? I can teach you.”
William simply smiled, saying nothing. The naive audacity reminded him of that child from before. Teach William how to play the violin?
Lila, even without drinking water this time, choked. She coughed continuously, holding her mouth.
“Waiter, bring some hot water.” Seeing Lila cough, Walker loudly called for the waiter, as if reminding Lila that she’s on her period.
Finally catching her breath, Lila clenched her fists, barely restraining herself from physically confronting Walker.
At this point, she began to seriously doubt her luck for the day. It was one thing to deal with William, the ever-exasperating character, but to also encounter Walker, who seemed off his rocker?
“Oh my God! Why is this happening to me?” Lila was already regretting her decisions.
She had made a mistake, a real mistake.
Of all the times to discuss streaming matters with William, why did she choose to do it over dinner?
She should’ve stayed in today.
Couldn’t she have just reached out via WhatsApp or made a call?
“Lila, do you want to head to the restroom together?” Alice noticed Lila’s distressed expression and was trying hard not to burst into laughter at that moment.
Earlier today, in William’s backyard, Alice couldn’t get the better of Lila. Yet now, Lila was taken aback by someone like Walker.
Without another word, Lila got up and, grabbing Alice’s hand, headed toward the restroom.
The moment Alice turned around, she struggled to contain her laughter, her whole body shaking with mirth, tears forming in her eyes.
They hadn’t taken more than a few steps when Walker shouted from behind, “Did you bring your stuff?”
Both Lila and Alice turned to look at him.
Walker glanced around and then mouthed a word silently.
Alice couldn’t hold back any longer. She erupted in a fit of giggles, sounding almost delirious with laughter.
Lila pulled Alice into the restroom without looking back.
As they walked, Alice’s laughter continued, tears streaming down her face. “He… hahaha… was referring to… hahaha… sanitary pads, wasn’t he? Hahaha…”
“Can you stop laughing? Is your sense of humor really that childish?” Lila clenched her fist, cracking her knuckles, and shot Alice a fierce glare.
Alice laughed for a while longer, then wiped her tears, saying, “I just didn’t expect him to be so weird. My grandfather even considered hiring him as my bodyguard.”
Lila retorted, “I suspect you brought him here just to annoy me.” 𝑜𝑣𝘭.𝘯𝑡
Alice finally managed to suppress her laughter, though a smile still lingered on her lips. “I didn’t ask you to come. You chose to be here. This is an employee gathering. Walker works at my bookstore. It’s only natural for him to be here.”
Lila turned on the faucet and washed her hands, commenting, “How have you managed to keep someone like him around without getting infuriated to death?”
“Alice commented, “He just came from some secluded retreat. Heard he’s a Soulmancer, and hasn’t really been around people much. Makes sense he’s a bit out of touch. Just takes some getting used to.”
“I swear he fried his brain meditating or something,” Lila grumbled. “William said he’s also fresh off some mountain retreat… Birds of a feather! Seriously wondering if they had the same mentor.”
“Could be,” Alice replied aloud. Internally, she scoffed, ‘How can that idiot Walker even compare to my master?’
She’d never voice that out loud, though. Let Lila have her issues with her master; the more she stayed away, the better.