After Lila gave a brief introduction, Lana invited William and her to sit on the guest sofa nearby.
“William, you look very young. How old are you this year?”
William replied calmly, “Twenty.”
“Excellent!” Lana nodded in approval, “I heard from Lila that you’re a virtuoso on the violin.”
William offered a modest smile, “I have some basic skills.”
Lila chuckled awkwardly, thinking to herself: If what William considers “basic skills,” then perhaps there are no true musicians in the world. She had mentioned to Lana yesterday that William’s violin playing was top-notch, but she didn’t go into the specifics of his expertise.
Lana understood that in this day and age, appearance and talent were equally important. With a little branding, someone with William’s looks and skills could easily become a trending topic. His expertise with the violin was the cherry on top, even if not many people truly appreciated classical music nowadays.
She curiously asked, “Do you have any other talents or skills?”
“As for musical instruments, I’ve dabbled in most of them,” William replied.
“So versatile! Can you play the guitar?”
“Of course, but it’s been quite a while since I last played.” William paused, recalling his travels. Though the music of ancient Babylon and Persia greatly differed from modern instruments, he still had vivid memories of the melodies from those eras. In medieval Spain, he had witnessed the blending of Moorish and local Spanish musical cultures, which by then had instruments resembling the guitar.
“I have a guitar here. Can you play Taylor Swift’s ‘Love Story’?” Lana was visibly eager, keen to gauge William’s proficiency.
William looked puzzled, “Taylor Swift? Who is she?”
Lana was taken aback, “You don’t know Taylor Swift?”
William replied nonchalantly, “Why should I necessarily know her?”
Lana pondered for a moment, recognizing that differences in eras or cultural backgrounds might lead to varied interests and preferences. However, as an ardent fan of Taylor, she felt a tinge of disappointment upon hearing William’s unfamiliarity. “Do you have any favorite celebrities?”
“None in particular,” William responded. While he occasionally came across celebrity gossip in the news, he wasn’t interested in it. What surprised him was the immense stature celebrities held in this era.
“So what songs can you play?”
“For the guitar, I know a few.” William remembered some of the guitar tunes he had heard in the past. They weren’t challenging to play but were quite pleasant.
Lana called the receptionist and had a guitar brought in.
William took the guitar, paused momentarily to gather himself, and then began to play.
He played a piece from Spain in the 13th century, a melody unheard of in modern times.
The song was light-hearted and joyful. While simple, the atmosphere it created was relaxing. Lana and those present felt at ease listening to it. Even though it wasn’t mainstream, it was undoubtedly a classic. The lively rhythm and melodious tune seemed to envelop the entire room. .𝙘𝙤𝙢
When the secretary brought in the guitar earlier, she hadn’t closed the door entirely. Employees from the outer office area were drawn to the music, unable to resist pausing their tasks to listen. A copywriter, who had been working overtime and was utterly exhausted, felt an instant relaxation, and his fatigue seemed to melt away.
William was aware that his performances could have a profound effect on ordinary people. Just the day before at a restaurant, he had played so intently that everyone had been drawn into a trance-like state, a product of his powerful intent. Today, he had deliberately toned down this force, but even so, the music still had an extraordinary impact.
As the piece concluded, Lana couldn’t help but ask, “What song was that?”
William replied truthfully, “I don’t know its name.”
He had merely heard the tune while wandering the streets of Spain and had never asked anyone about its title.
Although Lana had majored in business management in college, she still had an appreciation for good music. After all, her hearing was impeccable. Lila, sitting nearby, was internally reeling from the impact of William’s talents. Could he genuinely be this gifted?
“You mentioned you play various instruments. Can you play the piano?”
“I know a bit about it.”
Lila thought to herself: “Know a bit about” again? She had grown increasingly skeptical of William’s modesty. How could anyone else compare with his level of “knowing a bit about”?
A gleam appeared in Lana’s eyes as she inquired, “Can you sing?”
“As for singing, I don’t do it often.” In the past, William might have hummed along to some American pop or country songs, but he had no intention of singing now, and so he deflected the question.
Lana encouraged him, “It’s okay, your voice sounds quite good. With some practice, it would certainly be melodious. If you’re open to it, you could absolutely try your luck in the New York music scene.”
William responded with mild surprise, “Didn’t I come here today for a live streaming audition?”
Excitedly, Lana exclaimed, “With your talent, do you even need to live stream?”
William firmly stated, “I just want to live stream!”
“Alright, if you say so!” Lana agreed, “If you wish to stream, I’ll arrange a professional agent for you. But given your unique talents, I’d like to personally help you strategize. Let’s exchange contact details. Do you have Instagram or Snapchat? Also, you’ll need to download platforms like Twitch or TikTok for live streaming. We’ll set up an account for you and then think about your online presence.”
Pulling out his phone, William handed it to Lila, “Could you help me download those? Thanks.”
Aware of William’s unfamiliarity with modern tech, Lila took the phone to help him download and sign up.
Who else would have such an honor?
Eyeing the phone William handed over, she cautiously said, “William, your phone might not be up to the task. Let me get you a new one, consider it a work phone from the company.”
She then took out a brand-new iPhone 14 from her desk drawer.
Lana always kept two spare phones in her office. If one broke or faced issues, it could be instantly replaced, avoiding unnecessary hassle.
Using the pretext of a work phone was something William could accept. He thanked her and passed the phone to Lila, “Could you set it up for me? Thanks.”
“Sure!” Lila said with a smirk, “Transfer your SIM card too. I’ll help you log back into WhatsApp.”
Lana curiously watched Lila, a hint of intrigue in her eyes.
Though Lana was three years older than Lila, they had known each other since childhood. Lana had never seen Lila being so patient with any man.
Helping him download apps and even logging him back into WhatsApp?
What on earth was going on?
If one were to suggest they were just ordinary friends, Lila would never believe it.
Could there possibly be… some untold story between them?