Chapter 041: A Melody of Greatness

Xara’s attention was also pulled back. She looked at Julian, then at Seraphina. "What's going on?"

Seraphina withdrew her gaze and smiled. "Nothing. I’m not looking for anyone."

The first half was addressed to Xara, the second to Julian.

Xara blinked and exchanged a glance with Julian; clearly, neither believed her. Scanning the surroundings, Xara felt she had guessed something.

She teased, "Seraphina, are you looking for Silas Sterling?"

"Silas Sterling?" Julian looked at Seraphina strangely. "I thought it was just a rumor. I didn't expect it to be true... tsk tsk."

Last time at the Pierce residence, Julian had wanted to ask Seraphina about this, but with other members of the Fang family present, he had held back. He had only dropped hints about the possibility of Silas Pierce returning to the country.

This was because both the Silas from the Pierce family and Silas Sterling were from the capital and shared the same surname; he thought there might be a connection. Since then, he had been busy with company matters, and any free time was spent resting, so he hadn't had a chance to ask properly until now.

Xara gave Julian a side-eye. "You have some nerve. Every time I invite you out, you say 'busy, busy, busy.' This has been news for ages. As Seraphina's friend, you’re only just realizing it's more than a rumor?"

Julian rubbed his nose. "My fault. I won't be as busy in a few days; I'll host a gathering and invite you all out to play."

As a best friend, Seraphina’s blind date was a major event. The fact that he hadn't even asked a question made him feel quite guilty for appearing so indifferent toward her.

Xara rolled her eyes at him again, too lazy to deal with him further.

"Anyway, Seraphina, are you

truly

looking for Silas Sterling?" Facing Julian and facing Seraphina, Xara had two completely different countenances.

Julian was long used to it and remained unfazed.

"No, I’m just curious which people the school invited and who among them I might know," Seraphina said with a calm face.

But if one looked closely, they could see her eyes flicker ever so slightly. Perhaps because she was too composed, both Julian and Xara subconsciously believed her. However, learning that she wasn't looking for Silas left them both a bit disappointed. After knowing her for so many years, they had finally found a topic they could use to tease her.

What the two didn't see was that Tina Wu, who was from their same class and year and sitting right next to them, did not look pleased.

It wasn't just because others spoke of Silas and Seraphina as such a natural pair, but also because Silas hadn't even shown up for the anniversary!

Tina had only seen Silas once or twice from a distance at public events. Most of what she knew came from hearsay. Silas was exceptional—that was undeniable. Previously, Tina had only a slight favorable impression of him. After all, few people wouldn't be moved by such a high-quality man.

But it had only been a "slight" impression. It was nowhere near as intense as it was now.

Ever since she learned that Silas might be a scion of a great family from the capital, Tina had become determined to have him. She disliked hearing others pair him with Seraphina so casually. Furthermore, her main reason for attending this anniversary was to find an opportunity to contact him—at the very least, to let him see her face.

But he hadn't come. This made Tina’s already poor mood even worse.

While the others didn't notice the change in Tina’s expression, Seraphina saw everything. Her eyes narrowed slightly before she calmly withdrew her gaze and looked back at the stage.

The school leaders gave their speeches one after another, followed by the distinguished alumni. For a centennial anniversary, there were plenty of senior, highly accomplished graduates; though Seraphina was a legend at First High, she wasn't yet senior enough to speak on stage.

Her father, Sheldon Pierce, did go up, however. He was the very first alumni representative to speak. This was understandable; the head of Sea City’s top family held a pivotal position in the city.

Looking at Sheldon speaking on stage, Seraphina’s expression softened significantly. Both she and Leo had inherited the best features of Sheldon and Xenia. With the siblings being so striking, it was clear their parents were also good-looking. Xenia still possessed her charm, while Sheldon cut the figure of a mature, successful man.

Overall, the whole family was very easy on the eyes.

But that wasn't the most important part. What Seraphina saw now was a spirited Sheldon standing confidently under the spotlight—no longer the man who had lost his children, looking decades older in an instant. Once again, Seraphina felt immensely grateful.

Perhaps because her gaze was too intense, Sheldon paused slightly on stage and looked toward her. Seraphina didn't look away; she gave him a radiant smile. Sheldon was stunned for a moment before returning a shallow smile of his own. As for what Sheldon was thinking at that moment, no one knew.

Once the alumni speeches concluded, the performances began. The programs were prepared by the students. Seraphina didn't have much interest; after watching a few acts, she used the excuse of going to the restroom to get up and leave.

At this time, almost all students and teachers were gathered in the auditorium. Walking through the campus, Seraphina saw almost no one. It was very quiet. She walked slowly along a tree-lined path.

Coming to a certain spot, she stopped and looked up. Not far away was the school sports field. She had attended both middle and high school at First High. Back in middle school, the auditorium wasn't this large and couldn't hold so many people; any large-scale events were held on the field.

She remembered clearly that during her second year of middle school—when she was fourteen—the school held a campus music festival. A stage had been set up on the field. She had a solo performance: a Konghou piece she had composed at thirteen, titled

"The Greatness (Jing Hong)"

.

The reason she remembered it so clearly was because

"The Greatness"

had won her the National Youth Instrumental TV Competition championship for plucked instruments when she was thirteen. She had played it in the finals. The campus festival was the only other time she had performed it in public.

Her thoughts slowly returned to the present.

Seraphina continued walking. Perhaps because she had suddenly thought of the song, she felt a sudden, strong urge to play it again. In her memory, playing this piece felt like something from a lifetime ago.

The school had students who specialized in the arts for the college entrance exams, so there was a dedicated Arts Building. Seraphina was not a stranger to it. During her few days actually spent at school while skipping grades in high school, most were spent in a certain classroom in that building.

She followed her memory toward the Arts Building. The music classrooms were on the first floor, three in total. Each was filled with various instruments. She headed toward the one containing a Konghou.

In truth, even in a place like a school, it was rare to find a Konghou, an instrument few people choose to learn. Sea City First High had one only because it had produced a national-level performer like Seraphina.

However, that Konghou had been provided by Seraphina herself. After she graduated early, she left it to the school as a memento. So, strictly speaking, this instrument was hers.

She pushed open the familiar classroom door. The Konghou stood in the very center of the room. Being on the first floor, green vines could be seen crawling across the window and the outer walls. Flowers bloomed among the vines, and occasionally birds flew by, their crisp chirps audible from inside.

In such a setting, Seraphina sat down before the Konghou and closed her eyes to play, creating a scene that felt somewhat dreamlike. Even after years of not playing

"The Greatness"

, she wasn't the least bit rusty.

As the piece ended, Seraphina slowly opened her eyes and looked up. Outside the vine-covered window, amidst the brilliantly blooming flowers, stood a man.

A man Seraphina knew intimately, the one she had been longing to see. She looked at him, and he was looking at her. Their eyes met.