I was born and listened to my neighbor's older sister talk about her family of origin.

Chapter 27 Breaking the Cocoon

Jiang Ye withdrew his hands from the piano keys and scratched his cheek with his fingers. In Zhou Xiao's eyes, he looked very shy.

"It's a letter to a friend of mine. She... has some kind of mental barrier, and I want to help her."

"If possible, I would like to go on stage with her."

"Oh?"

Zhou Xiao's expression carried a hint of sarcasm.

"Your friend is Xu Zhiyu, right?"

Jiang Ye was taken aback: "Teacher, how did you know?"

"Who doesn't know that? Xu Zhiyu is a good student, beautiful, an excellent dancer, and a very polite child. Sigh, I wish I could have a daughter like her someday..."

As they talked, Zhou Xiao realized she had gone off-topic and continued, "Plus, you two are always at the top of the grade rankings, and you go to and from school together every day. Actually, several of us teachers are quite into your relationship... cough..."

Towards the end, Zhou Xiao suddenly stopped and changed the subject.

"By the way, you said you wanted to go on stage with Xu Zhiyu, right?"

"To be precise, it's one in front of the other."

"You, a fourth grader, want to cut in line for the sixth graders' performance list?"

Jiang Ye: "This...is it not allowed according to school rules?"

Zhou Xiao's lips twitched, but there really wasn't such a rule.

"Okay, I'll go talk to the organizing committee."

"However, I have one condition."

Zhou Xiao looked at Jiang Ye with a sly smile, a hint of mischief in her eyes.

Jiang Ye blinked: "What are the conditions?"

"I'll rearrange this piece for you, and we'll upload it to QQ Music later. You can add my name to the arrangement, just to take up a small spot, how about that? If it becomes popular, I won't need any commission, and I can even help you with external negotiations."

Jiang Ye stroked his chin.

Anyway, he didn't expect this piece to become popular. He thought it was just so-so. It would be best if a professional music teacher could help with the arrangement.

If the story becomes popular after being adapted, Zhou Xiao will naturally deserve some credit.

It seems like a sure thing, with no risk of loss.

"Okay, it's settled then."

Zhou Xiao immediately cheered and clapped hands with Jiang Ye.

Then she checked the time and said, "Class is about to start, you should go back now. We can study it properly again at this time tomorrow. You don't even have a proper sheet music."

Zhou Xiao stayed in the music room to start working, while Jiang Ye turned around and left the music room.

But he bumped into Ji Xiaoxiao.

She was holding two lunchboxes, panting, and her forehead was covered in sweat.

"Ah Ye! You haven't had lunch again! I got you some! Braised pork ribs and scrambled eggs with tomatoes!"

Jiang Ye stared at her flushed face for a moment, then subconsciously took the lunchbox.

How did you know I was here?

"I've been following you for three days."

Ji Xiaoxiao stood with her hands on her hips, completely self-righteous.

"..."

"What are you doing sneaking around here every day at noon? Are you doing something secret?"

"Practice the piano."

"Practicing the piano?"

Ji Xiaoxiao's eyes widened. "You can play the piano?"

"I just learned it."

"You're kidding! I just heard it at the door, it sounds amazing! Even beginners can't play that—that—"

She racked her brains for a long time before finally finding a word.

"That feeling that makes your nose sting!"

Jiang Ye looked down at her.

Ji Xiaoxiao is academically hopeless, but her intuitive understanding is sometimes frighteningly accurate.

He put a finger to his lips and said, "Don't tell anyone yet."

Why?

"surprise."

Ji Xiaoxiao tilted her head and suddenly revealed a knowing smile.

"It's for Sister Little Fish, right?"

Jiang Ye didn't say anything, picked up his chopsticks and started eating.

Ji Xiaoxiao didn't ask any further questions. She sat beside him, swinging her legs, and quietly kept him company.

A rare moment of peace and quiet.

Just as Jiang Ye was feeling that this peace and quiet was hard-won, his phone rang again.

News about Xu Zhiyu.

Little Fish: [I agree.]

Jiang Ye swallowed the pork rib in his mouth and replied with a single word.

JY: [Yeah. (＾ω＾)】

He thought about it again and typed an extra line.

JY: [This seems to be the first time I've ever seen you dance under the stage lights.]

There was a long silence on the other end.

Jiang Ye thought she wouldn't reply anymore.

Then the screen lit up.

Little Fish: [Ah Ye, my mom knows about the graduation party.]

She said she wanted to come and see.

Jiang Ye paused for a moment while holding the chopsticks.

Cheng Jinglan is coming.

This means that when Xu Zhiyu stood on that stage, the people sitting below were not ordinary audience members, but the person who evoked her conditioned reflex of fear.

Ji Xiaoxiao noticed his expression had changed, leaned over to look at the screen, and her smile disappeared.

Over the years, she has learned a little about Xu Zhiyu's family affairs.

She had met Xu's mother before; she was a mother that no one could like.

Her controlling nature towards Xu Zhiyu was so strong that it made Xu Zhiyu feel suffocated.

"Ano."

"Um."

"Do you need any help?"

Jiang Ye glanced at her and suddenly realized that this girl was quite reliable when she got serious.

He thought for a moment: "Maybe it really is necessary."

He put his phone away and his gaze fell on the blinding sunlight outside the window.

This graduation party is truly a stage for Xu Zhiyu.

He wouldn't let Cheng Jinglan bother her.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Over the next few days, Jiang Ye's schedule was even fuller than the CEO's.

I attend classes in the morning, spend my lunch break in the music room working on sheet music with Zhou Xiao, do my homework after school in the afternoon, and then practice extra on my own in the evening.

As expected of someone with formal training, Zhou Xiao rearranged the harmony of Jiang Ye's "semi-original" piece, adding a few key changes in the middle section, instantly elevating the overall listening experience to a higher level.

"Here, your left hand shouldn't compete with your right hand for the beat. The bass range is for support; just think of it as the foundation."

"Understood, Teacher Zhou."

"And this transition section, you wrote it too hastily. Give the audience a breather, slow down a couple of beats, and then push it up again. The effect will be doubled."

Jiang Ye revised it accordingly, and it was indeed much better.

Zhou Xiao nodded in satisfaction, then took out a printed sheet music from her bag and handed it to him.

"It's finalized. Have you decided on a title yet?"

Jiang Ye stared at the densely packed musical notes on the score and remained silent for two seconds.

Let's call it "Breaking the Cocoon".

Zhou Xiao read it aloud and smiled: "It's great, a million times better than the 'Untitled' you mentioned before."

The sheet music is done; there are only four days left until the graduation party.

Jiang Ye felt that everything was going according to plan.

Then the plan went awry.

On Thursday afternoon, after the last class, Jiang Ye went to the third floor to pick up Xu Zhiyu, as usual.

When they arrived at the classroom door, they found that the person had already left.

Xu Zhiyu's deskmate only then realized that Cheng Jinglan had already picked her up.

anecdote.

Cheng Jinglan actually came to pick up Xu Zhiyu in person?

Jiang Ye opened his phone and saw that Xu Zhiyu had sent him a text message a dozen minutes ago, saying that she had already gone back.

There was nothing Jiang Ye could do but go home by himself today.

As for Ji Xiaoxiao, Ji Yue enrolled her in a martial arts class starting from the third grade. Every day after school, Chen Mei would pick her up and take her to the martial arts class, so she had no time to go home with him.

Rarely having the chance to be alone, Jiang Ye strolled through the campus with his hands in his pockets, enjoying the evening glow, a relaxed posture on his face.

Just then, his ears twitched, and he suddenly heard the voices of the sixth-grade students on duty on the road.

Did you just see Xu Zhiyu?

"I see her, she's really beautiful."

"Tsk, that's not what I meant. Isn't Xu Zhiyu's family very poor? How come I saw her get into a luxury car just now?"

Jiang Ye paused in his steps.

"Huh? Is that a luxury car? I don't recognize it..."

"Wow, that's a Maybach, a car worth several million!"

"Could it be that she...?"

Jiang Ye narrowed his eyes.

Don't let him hear the rumors about Xu Zhiyu.

But then the man said, "She's actually a rich second-generation heiress who likes to play dumb to get ahead?!"

"Possibly! Judging from her demeanor and appearance, she doesn't look like she comes from a poor family at all. And she studies dance; dance is very expensive!"

Jiang Ye: "..."

Okay, he's overthinking it.

Elementary school students, after all, haven't been completely corrupted by society yet.

Jiang Ye turned and left.

But he was thinking about what the two people had just said.

Luxury car?

Jiang Ye racked his brains but couldn't figure out what Xu Zhiyu could possibly have to do with luxury cars.

I'll ask them later.

He weighed his schoolbag in his hand and walked straight to the school gate.

But as soon as we passed through the grove of trees next to the playground, we found the road blocked.

There were three people standing in front.

Upon seeing him approach, the three men immediately stood up straight, all six eyes fixed on him.