101. An Unexpected Reward

After a brief silence, Chenguang Ji finally spoke up.

"Teacher Li, what do you think we should do next?"

He believed that since Li An had shared so much with them, no matter how dire the situation seemed from the other side, there must still be a way.

"Practice the piano."

"Nothing else."

"As long as she can play a piece in front of Teacher Wei, and Teacher Wei nods in approval, half the battle will be won."

"It's that simple."

Li An said calmly, "But Jiyang's state these past two days has been off—very off."

"What did she play today?"

He admitted frankly, "Last week, Jiyang told me she wants to apply to Rongcheng Music Conservatory. I was quite happy."

"It's good for a child to have a goal."

"And I believe with her talent, she can achieve that goal, and I'm willing to help her do so."

"But she must completely adjust her mindset. The old practice routine from Professor Yu no longer suits her current stage."

"Just grinding away won't help; the right method and plan are the key."

Li An sighed deeply and looked at Jiyang’s mother as he explained, "Perhaps I was a bit harsh with her today, but I only want her to get her state back. Every day ahead is crucial."

"We can't afford to delay."

"If she continues like this, honestly, you can forget it. I already mentioned this to those above earlier."

The couple could sense the urgency in Li An’s tone, which moved them deeply and also filled them with guilt.

They had previously underestimated the problem, and since Jiyang stopped taking classes with Professor Yu, they noticed she had become a bit restless.

But they hadn’t taken it seriously, thinking that with Li An coming three times a week, the child wouldn’t have issues.

Chenguang Ji picked up a teacup and placed it in front of Li An. "Thank you for your hard work, Teacher Li. These past days, it’s been our oversight."

Li An took the cup, sipped, and his tone softened considerably. "Jiyang is willing to practice and serious about it, which is great. She just hasn't developed a good practice habit."

"Then what do you think her next step should be? How should we cooperate?"

Hu Rong spoke up.

Li An put down the cup and took out a 30-day practice plan he had prepared for Jiyang from his bag.

He placed it on the table.

"I’ve already prepared the practice plan for the coming days."

He paused, "Mid-September, I’ll take her to see the teacher."

"Whether she can get past the teacher then depends on her efforts during this time."

Chenguang Ji’s eyes flickered, and he looked at the thick stack on the table. Then he raised his voice toward the second floor, "Yangyang, come down!"

Jiyang, who had been hiding at the stairway listening, quickly brushed her fringe away from her forehead, picked up the prepared fruit plate, and hurried downstairs.

The three adults watched her approach. She offered the fruit plate to Li An, lowering her head and softly saying, "Teacher, please eat."

Li An laughed at the scene, and with his smile, the atmosphere in the living room instantly lightened.

"Thank you."

Li An accepted the fruit plate and set it aside, gently saying, "Sit down."

---

Jiyang obediently sat to the side and her gaze fell on the booklet on the coffee table.

"Take a look."

Jiyang flipped through it. Seeing the dense handwriting and circled key practice points on each page, tears welled up in her eyes.

She had thought Li An wouldn't continue teaching her, and overhearing earlier only made her feel worse.

The teacher had worried so much about her behind her back, while these past days, she had been leisurely daydreaming about college life at Rongcheng Music Conservatory.

After a turbulent emotional storm, she looked again at the practice plan Li An had carefully prepared for her.

She couldn't quite describe what she felt.

"Do you understand it?" Li An asked.

Jiyang nodded.

"Have you realized what true effort means?"

Meeting Li An’s encouraging gaze, Jiyang gave a heavy nod.

Li An smiled, "Then it all depends on your performance from tomorrow onward."

He picked a piece of kiwi from the fruit plate, popped it into his mouth, and chewed twice. "This is sweet."

He stood up. "Alright, I won’t keep you any longer. We’ve said about all we needed today."

Chenguang Ji stood quickly when he saw Li An preparing to leave. "Teacher Li, there’s one more thing."

"Go ahead."

Chenguang Ji said, "No matter whether Teacher Wei accepts Jiyang or not, we plan to hire you as her full-time piano teacher before the art entrance exam."

"Let’s not talk about main or supplementary lessons anymore. You can schedule three lessons a week based on Jiyang’s situation and your availability."

"For lesson fees, let’s put previous payments aside. Starting tomorrow, it’ll be ten thousand a month."

Li An’s heart skipped a beat. "Don’t—"

"Teacher Li, just listen to me."

Chenguang Ji firmly grasped Li An’s outstretched hand and squeezed it, then sincerely said, "We’ll need your dedication for Jiyang’s future. Let’s settle it this way for now."

Li An lowered his shoulders and nodded.

At this moment, he couldn’t say much or make any promises.

But he felt their sincerity.

As always, money gets things done.

Ten thousand a month—these parents knew how to handle things, and he wouldn't be left out.

"Teacher, where should I start practicing tomorrow?"

Jiyang suddenly interrupted.

Li An looked at her, "Why did I get angry with you today?"

Jiyang replied, "Because of the right-hand posture."

Li An hummed. "Look at the first sentence on the first line on the first page of the practice plan I wrote for you."

Jiyang glanced and then puckered her lips, blowing her fringe upward with effort.

"Got it!"

—

After Li An left, Jiyang immediately rushed upstairs to start practicing.

This was the advantage of a detached villa—she could practice anytime she wanted.

"Is it going well?"

Only then did Chenguang Ji look toward his wife.

Hu Rong sighed, "Isn’t it obvious? As long as Jiyang’s exam goes smoothly."

They had originally planned to raise Li An’s lesson fee to 700.

But after the recent discussion, considering Jiyang’s current situation and Li An’s dedication, Chenguang Ji made a new decision on the spot.

He believed this money was worth spending.

After a moment.

Hu Rong asked, "Do you think Teacher Li might have exaggerated the situation on purpose?"

Chenguang Ji said, "It’s better this way. It means Jiyang won’t face such overwhelming pressure during the exam."

Hearing this, Hu Rong agreed.

Chenguang Ji sighed, "I don’t think Teacher Li is overstating anything, so we need to prepare for both outcomes. If Teacher Wei really doesn’t accept Jiyang, at least she can continue learning with Teacher Li. And if all else fails, there’s always Rongcheng Normal University."

"Let’s go out for a walk, too."

He then picked up his phone and transferred ten thousand yuan to Li An.

—

At the bus stop on the street.

Yezi: What, are you coming to see me?

Eighty Thousand One: Forget it, forget it. It would be bad to interrupt your private time.

After sending the message, he swiped away the chat with Chen Xuan.

A pinned transfer notification caught his eye.

Li An stood up and hailed a car.

No need to take a taxi today?

Honestly, Li An didn’t think the money was excessive.

But it did surpass his expectations.