Symphony's Romance Episode 8 Recap
> Symphony's Romance Recap
Fang Xiaowo attempted to make dumplings with Li Zhenyan in the kitchen, despite his initial reluctance. She found his dumpling-wrapping skills to be quite poor, asking how he managed to seal the wrappers so ugly, contrasting it with her memory of being good at it. Li Zhenyan remained largely silent and preoccupied during the exchange. Soon after, the competition drew near, and Tian Yisong, conductor of regiment A, made a surprising decision to change their competition piece.
He also introduced a new member, Ji Mo, whose technical prowess was flawless. During a rehearsal, Tian Yisong acknowledged Ji Mo's perfect technique in the piece, particularly from bars 7 to 17, but noted a lack of emotional depth in his playing, especially in places that required a stronger presence. Lan Bo interjected, describing Ji Mo's playing as stiff and wooden, devoid of emotional experience.
Lan Bo suggested that to grasp the melancholic tone of the composer, one needed "the feeling of falling in love," specifically "girly pink," implying Ji Mo's lack of romantic experience was hindering his musical expression. Tian Yisong sighed but didn't refute Lan Bo, only expressing his anticipation for Ji Mo's next improvement. Meanwhile, Qin Fen was provoked by someone who claimed he was inferior to Lin Qingshang.
Unable to tolerate the slight, Qin Fen entered Lin Qingshang's practice room to challenge her to a musical duel. They played competitively, their skills proving to be evenly matched, leading to a mutual respect. Both affirmed that they would not hold back during the actual competition. Regiment S had ordered custom team uniforms, but Zhuo Yin made an error in her count, accidentally omitting Fang Xiaowo.
This left Fang Xiaowo feeling disheartened, as if she didn't truly belong to the team. Another member remarked that it didn't matter since Fang Xiaowo wouldn't be on stage anyway. As regiment S began their rehearsal, Fang Xiaowo quietly left, retreating to a practice room to ponder her feelings. At the same time, Director Meng continued to press Fisher for an interview with Editor Bay, hoping to promote the music academy.
Fisher grew irritated, dismissing interviews as "not fun" and claiming he had "no time." Director Meng emphasized Fisher's importance as the "golden signboard" for recruiting talented students. Fisher, however, argued that students should be treated equally and that the school’s role was to provide growth opportunities, not just recruit already exceptional students. He then found Fang Xiaowo troubled in the practice room and struck up a conversation with her.
He playfully called her "little mascot" and asked about her ideal, to which Fang Xiaowo replied she wanted to teach piano to children and be with Li Zhenyan every day. Fisher warned her that everyone else was striving hard on their musical path, and she might be left behind. Later that evening, Fang Xiaowo noticed Li Zhenyan was deeply engrossed in orchestra matters, neglecting to rest. She pulled him out for a meal.
Over dinner, Fang Xiaowo brought up the team uniforms, mentioning how beautiful they were but how it was pointless since she couldn't wear one on stage. Misunderstanding her underlying sentiment, Li Zhenyan offered his uniform, saying he wouldn’t wear it on stage either. Fang Xiaowo then directly expressed her desire not to be a "mascot" anymore. Li Zhenyan, still not grasping her deeper feelings, casually suggested she shouldn't be a mascot if she wasn't happy, adding it was "useless anyway."
Angered by his dismissive attitude, Fang Xiaowo abruptly left. Alone, she mused that her only chance to perform with the orchestra would be if the repertoire was a piano concerto, as she felt powerless to help otherwise. Elsewhere, Lan Bo was trying to teach Ji Mo the intricacies of love, believing it would help him infuse emotion into his music.
He told Ji Mo that he needed to find "that feeling of being haunted by dreams," like an unexpected encounter with a lovely junior. As they spoke, Zhuo Yin approached Lan Bo and confessed her feelings for him through a letter. Lan Bo, amused by the old-fashioned approach, found her incredibly cute. He revealed he did have a girlfriend, which was her, and accepted her confession.
They walked off together, much to Ji Mo's silent contemplation, as he watched them with a hint of budding emotion. Ji Mo later encountered Fang Xiaowo at a convenience store. When Fang Xiaowo’s payment failed due to insufficient balance, Ji Mo discreetly paid for her items. Fang Xiaowo, embarrassed but grateful, struck up a conversation with him.
She introduced herself as a piano student and expressed her frustration about being the orchestra's "mascot," feeling useless while everyone else worked hard for the competition. Ji Mo patiently listened. Fang Xiaowo asked if he knew Li Zhenyan, to which Ji Mo said he had a slight impression. Realizing Ji Mo was from regiment A, she jokingly declared them enemies but then, for his patience, decided they could still be friends, urging him to keep their conversation a secret.
Ji Mo found himself feeling a "heartbeat" during their interaction, and the next day, his performance in rehearsal showed significant improvement. Lan Bo noticed his changed demeanor, playfully asking if he was in love. Ji Mo replied with a cryptic "Perhaps." Fang Xiaowo prepared a late-night meal for Li Zhenyan, but he was too absorbed in the orchestra’s scores to notice her or the food. The next morning, Li Zhenyan finally saw the meal on his desk.
To honor Fang Xiaowo's effort, he ate the salty fried rice for breakfast, forcing it down. At the S-Regiment rehearsal, Li Zhenyan arrived to find the members confident, assuring him they had practiced their individual parts repeatedly and mastered the score. They promised not to disappoint him. As the rehearsal began, Li Zhenyan observed their initial improvements, feeling a flicker of satisfaction. However, he soon noticed a problem: everyone was meticulously staring at their sheet music, completely ignoring his conducting.
The performance quickly became disorganized again. After the piece concluded, the room fell silent, the members looking expectantly at Li Zhenyan. He, however, said nothing, simply telling them to take a ten-minute break. When the break ended, Li Zhenyan initiated another round of rehearsal, instructing everyone to try and avoid looking at their scores, focusing instead on his hand gestures. Shortly after they began, Li Zhenyan suddenly clutched his stomach in pain and collapsed.
The team rushed him to the hospital. Upon waking, Li Zhenyan learned he had food poisoning. He realized it was likely from Fang Xiaowo's late-night meal. Fang Xiaowo, hiding at the doorway, was filled with guilt. Li Zhenyan, however, apologized to her, acknowledging that he had neglected her feelings. He understood that her distress over the team uniform was not about the clothing itself, but about her inability to perform on stage with the rest of the orchestra.
Despite the competition being just two days away, Li Zhenyan insisted Fang Xiaowo help him return home, unwilling to let his illness disrupt their final preparations. Back at his place late that night, as Li Zhenyan couldn't sleep, Fang Xiaowo began to casually play the S-Regiment's competition piece on the piano. To Li Zhenyan's surprise, her spontaneous and expressive interpretation breathed new life into the familiar tune.
She described it as "like lightning, darting everywhere," with the instruments "dancing on dark clouds." Li Zhenyan realized that although she played freely, her interpretation captured the essence of the movement beautifully, transforming it from a conventional piece into "her own hero." He had a sudden epiphany, understanding the true potential of his team and how to approach the upcoming competition. The next day, Li Zhenyan announced a radical change to Regiment S's performance approach.
He told them to forget all the techniques and "useless nonsense" he had previously taught, and instead, adopt a more distinctive and expressive style, similar to what Qin Fen had suggested earlier. The team was surprised by this audacious decision, especially with the competition so close, but they ultimately agreed to follow his lead, aiming for more vigor and liveliness in their performance.
On the day of the competition, Editor Bay arrived, showing keen interest in Regiment S, as it was personally coached by Master Fisher. Prior to the performances, Tian Yisong and Li Zhenyan exchanged sharp words. Tian Yisong stated he looked forward to competing against Li Zhenyan on stage, confident that Regiment A would win. Li Zhenyan retorted that his focus was on a good performance, not solely on winning against Tian Yisong. Regiment A took the stage first, leaving the members of Regiment S backstage, their nerves beginning to fray as they heard the audience's applause for their opponents.
