Symphony's Romance Episode 29 Recap
> Symphony's Romance Recap
Li Zhenyan returned to the apartment and informed Fang Xiaowo and the others about the critical state of the Lumalie Orchestra. He explained that the orchestra, despite its century-long history, was facing imminent dissolution. Due to low salaries, many musicians were moonlighting as taxi drivers or chefs, leading to a severe lack of regular players and financial overdrafts, yet a concert was still scheduled for the following Saturday.
Fang Xiaowo felt a pang of disappointment, as her own recital was also set for that same Saturday. While Li Zhenyan was her biggest motivation for the recital, she didn't want to burden him and kept the information to herself. Knowing the orchestra needed an oboe chief, Fang Xiaowo recommended Ji Mo to Li Zhenyan, who agreed to consider it.
Seeing Li Zhenyan immersed in his work, Fang Xiaowo decided not to disturb him further and instead sent Ji Mo a text message, asking if he was interested in joining the Lumalie Orchestra. The next day, Li Zhenyan arrived at the Lumalie Orchestra to formally lead the first rehearsal. This marked his first time conducting an international orchestra, and he felt a mix of nerves and anticipation. He began with an introduction, suggesting they introduce themselves through their instruments.
He felt that Prokofiev's Cinderella suite, with its fairy tale shell and underlying dramatic tension, was a fitting piece for their new beginning, symbolizing the expected friction and excitement of a new team. However, midway through the rehearsal, Li Zhenyan noticed numerous basic errors across different sections. He was perplexed by such mistakes from a renowned orchestra.
He proposed starting the rehearsal from the beginning, but Shelly, the chief musician, vehemently disagreed, insisting they continue from where they left off to avoid wasting time. The musicians looked conflicted. Li Zhenyan realized where the orchestra's problems lay but, as a newcomer, chose to follow Shelly's lead for the moment. Upon returning to the apartment, Li Zhenyan was visibly troubled, sighing repeatedly.
He confessed that the Lumalie Orchestra was completely different from what he had imagined, mentioning that many good musicians had been poached by Dieshang Orchestra, which was led by the new conductor Tian Yisong. Fang Xiaowo saw his distress over the orchestra's situation and, despite her own worries, still refrained from mentioning her upcoming recital. After Li Zhenyan left, Song Ran happened to discover Fang Xiaowo's recital plans.
With good intentions, she offered to share her experience, but Fang Xiaowo curtly refused, stating she was busy with a game. Meanwhile, Lan Bo sought out Zhuo Yin and handed her a letter. Zhuo Yin, still somewhat affected by Lan Bo, opened the letter. In it, Lan Bo sincerely apologized for his past actions, acknowledging his past mistakes and explaining his difficulty in refusing others' kindness, which inadvertently caused her pain.
He urged her not to give up the opportunity to return to the RS Orchestra, mentioning the valuable experience of reuniting. The letter also included an old group photo of the RS Orchestra, which Zhuo Yin looked at with mixed emotions. On Saturday, the day of both the Lumalie Orchestra's concert and Fang Xiaowo's recital, Li Zhenyan and the Lumalie musicians were preparing backstage when Ao Tai rushed in with bad news: the pianist had abruptly resigned.
Li Zhenyan immediately thought of Fang Xiaowo and called her, urging her to come and perform Prokofiev's Cinderella suite, a piece he knew she had practiced. Fang Xiaowo hesitated, reminding him it was the day of her own recital, but Li Zhenyan urgently pressed her, saying she was the only one he could think of. While Li Zhenyan anxiously waited, Song Ran suddenly arrived at the orchestra.
Song Ran explained that Dalia had informed her about Li Zhenyan's performance, and she wanted to give him a surprise and help out. Shelly and Ao Tai, recognizing Song Ran as a famous pianist, mistakenly assumed she was Li Zhenyan's requested replacement, believing the concert was saved. Li Zhenyan found himself in an awkward situation, unable to explain. Just then, Fang Xiaowo arrived and, seeing Song Ran being lauded, felt utterly disheartened.
Li Zhenyan tried to pull her onto the stage to clarify, but Fang Xiaowo refused and left. The delay at the Lumalie Orchestra meant Fang Xiaowo not only couldn't help Li Zhenyan but also missed her own recital entirely, arriving to an empty auditorium. The Lumalie Orchestra's concert was far from smooth. Audience members expressed disappointment in the orchestra's declining standards, vowing not to return. The musicians themselves erupted into arguments, blaming each other for the errors.
Li Zhenyan watched the chaos, at a loss. While deep in thought, he received a text message from Lin Qingshang, which made him realize it was Fang Xiaowo's recital day. This added to his distress. Back at the apartment, Li Zhenyan struggled to find the words to speak to Fang Xiaowo. She ate only a few bites before announcing she was going out for a walk. Worried, Li Zhenyan followed her.
He expressed his deep apologies, but Fang Xiaowo simply replied that she didn't blame him, only herself, and asked him not to worry about her. At the RS Orchestra, He Shengliang's collaboration with the musicians was flourishing, and rehearsals were progressing smoothly. After a successful session, Qin Fen offered to treat everyone to noodles. To their surprise, Zhuo Yin arrived.
She told them she had read Lan Bo's letter, accepted his apology, and expressed her desire to return to the RS Orchestra. The team enthusiastically welcomed her back, emphasizing that RS would always have a place for her. Jiang Caiwei also made a surprise visit to the RS Orchestra. Her friends were delighted to see her and excitedly reminisced. They even suggested collaborating on a commercial performance.
However, Jiang Caiwei's mood darkened as she shared her predicament: she had been diagnosed with vocal nodules, which prevented her from singing high notes. She also revealed that she had dropped out of school, asking her friends not to tell Fang Xiaowo to avoid worrying her. The news cast a somber mood over the group.
Qin Fen offered words of comfort, acknowledging that her condition was serious, but encouraged her to explore new avenues, like pop music, reminding her that what truly matters is music that touches people's hearts. Inspired by their support, Jiang Caiwei decided to pursue her dreams in pop music. She later received a phone call from someone who encouraged her to confront her vocal issue and offered her an address for a new beginning in music.
That evening, Song Ran and Fang Xiaowo chatted in their room. Song Ran confided that from the first time she saw Fang Xiaowo, she envied her, feeling that the path of music had caused her more loss than gain. Seeing Fang Xiaowo made her realize how absurd her own perspective was. She revealed that her mother had forced her into piano practice since childhood, depriving her of a normal life.
When Fang Xiaowo asked if she had a dream, Song Ran mused that perhaps one doesn't necessarily need a dream, admitting she truly didn't know what her own dream was. Midway through the conversation, Fang Xiaowo drifted off to sleep. The next morning, as Song Ran, Fang Xiaowo, and Li Zhenyan were walking down the street, Song Ran's mother suddenly appeared. Seeing Song Ran with Li Zhenyan, she immediately slapped Song Ran. Fang Xiaowo instinctively stepped in front of Song Ran to protect her.
