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n“By the age of ten, I had already performed ‘Paganini’s Caprice No. 24’ no less than a hundred times.”

nUpon hearing this, a peculiar sparkle flashed in Sofia’s eyes.

nShe turned her head, her gaze resting on Walker.

nThis young man was at the same table as William!

nAs the saying goes, “Birds of a feather flock together.” If William played that well, his friend would naturally be equally talented.

nPlaying ‘Paganini’s Caprice No. 24’ a hundred times by the age of ten? What does that signify?

nHe’s undoubtedly a prodigy!

nEven if he couldn’t match William’s otherworldly aura, he couldn’t be far off.

nWalker approached Sofia with a smile, saying, “May I borrow the violin, miss?”

nAt this moment, Sofia’s eyes shimmered brightly, looking at Walker with an expression filled with admiration.

nIf she could have achieved Walker’s level at the age of ten, it was unimaginable.

n“Of course!” Sofia gracefully stood up, nodding slightly with a smile towards Walker.

nWalker chuckled to himself. Indeed, any beautiful woman would naturally be this impressed by someone as handsome as him.

nAfter sitting down, Walker smiled at Sofia and began tuning the violin strings…

nSofia was taken aback. William had just tuned it, specifically for ‘Paganini’s Caprice No. 24’. Why was he adjusting it again?

nDid he employ a different technique than William?

nNoticing her confusion, Walker explained, “Tuning is essential for ‘Paganini’s Caprice No. 24’. The strings must be adjusted just right.”

nSofia nodded weakly. Of course, she knew that ‘Paganini’s Caprice No. 24’ was extremely challenging for violinists. She had practiced it countless times in music school. Thus, she had her understanding of bowing techniques and finger placement, without needing guidance from Walker.

nAfter his brief explanation, Walker began to draw the bow across the strings. A series of notes sounded, causing Sofia’s left eyelid to twitch.

nWhat on earth?

nWas this ‘Paganini’s Caprice No. 24’?

nWas he serious?

nAfter listening for a few more seconds, Sofia’s expression became even more animated.

nHe was completely off-key, and this was supposed to be ‘Paganini’s Caprice No. 24’?

nCompared to William’s recent performance, this was…

nThis was a refreshingly “innovative” take! (Said with a heavy dose of sarcasm.)

nSofia desperately wished Walker would stop his performance and step down from the stage immediately. Was this the same man who’d boasted about performing ‘Paganini’s Caprice No. 24’ over a hundred times by age ten?

nHowever, she held her tongue. After Walker finished playing, she looked at him with an impassive face.

n“So, how was it? My performance was pretty good, wasn’t it? Want to exchange WhatsApp numbers?” Walker stood up, pulling out his phone to introduce himself. “I’m Walker. And may I know the name of the beautiful lady before me?”

n“No need to exchange WhatsApp.” Sofia picked up her fidula and turned to leave the French restaurant.

nWatching Sofia’s retreating figure and inhaling the faint fragrance she left behind, Walker chuckled to himself, “Girls can be so shy. The next time we meet, she’ll naturally give me her WhatsApp.”

nAll the while, William refrained from commenting. Although Walker’s performance was lackluster, it reminded William of a time he taught a child how to play the violin. His skill level was similar to that of a five-year-old. Quite amusing.

nReturning to his seat, Walker looked at Alice with a playful smile. “Alice, how was my playing?”

nAlice wasn’t well-versed in musical nuances. To her, aside from William’s performance, Walker’s seemed okay. “Not bad,” she remarked, chuckling. After hearing Walker, and then comparing it with William’s rendition, she finally realized how talented her mentor was.

nWalker grinned proudly and sat next to Lila, looking at her expectantly.

nLila: “…”

nHe continued to gaze at her.

nLila shot him a quick glance before finally saying, in a neutral tone, “It was alright.”

nOnce more, Walker grinned proudly and turned to William. “William, want to learn? I can teach you.”

nWilliam simply smiled, saying nothing. The naive audacity reminded him of that child from before. Teach William how to play the violin?

nLila, even without drinking water this time, choked. She coughed continuously, holding her mouth.

n“Waiter, bring some hot water.” Seeing Lila cough, Walker loudly called for the waiter, as if reminding Lila that she’s on her period.

nFinally catching her breath, Lila clenched her fists, barely restraining herself from physically confronting Walker.

nAt this point, she began to seriously doubt her luck for the day. It was one thing to deal with William, the ever-exasperating character, but to also encounter Walker, who seemed off his rocker?

n“Oh my God! Why is this happening to me?” Lila was already regretting her decisions.

nShe had made a mistake, a real mistake.

nOf all the times to discuss streaming matters with William, why did she choose to do it over dinner?

nShe should’ve stayed in today.

nCouldn’t she have just reached out via WhatsApp or made a call?

n“Lila, do you want to head to the restroom together?” Alice noticed Lila’s distressed expression and was trying hard not to burst into laughter at that moment.

nEarlier today, in William’s backyard, Alice couldn’t get the better of Lila. Yet now, Lila was taken aback by someone like Walker.

nWithout another word, Lila got up and, grabbing Alice’s hand, headed toward the restroom.

nThe moment Alice turned around, she struggled to contain her laughter, her whole body shaking with mirth, tears forming in her eyes.

nThey hadn’t taken more than a few steps when Walker shouted from behind, “Did you bring your stuff?”

nBoth Lila and Alice turned to look at him.

nWalker glanced around and then mouthed a word silently.

nAlice couldn’t hold back any longer. She erupted in a fit of giggles, sounding almost delirious with laughter.

nLila pulled Alice into the restroom without looking back.

nAs they walked, Alice’s laughter continued, tears streaming down her face. “He… hahaha… was referring to… hahaha… sanitary pads, wasn’t he? Hahaha…”

n“Can you stop laughing? Is your sense of humor really that childish?” Lila clenched her fist, cracking her knuckles, and shot Alice a fierce glare.

nAlice laughed for a while longer, then wiped her tears, saying, “I just didn’t expect him to be so weird. My grandfather even considered hiring him as my bodyguard.”

nLila retorted, “I suspect you brought him here just to annoy me.” 𝑜𝑣𝘭.𝘯𝑡

nAlice finally managed to suppress her laughter, though a smile still lingered on her lips. “I didn’t ask you to come. You chose to be here. This is an employee gathering. Walker works at my bookstore. It’s only natural for him to be here.”

nLila turned on the faucet and washed her hands, commenting, “How have you managed to keep someone like him around without getting infuriated to death?”

n“Alice commented, “He just came from some secluded retreat. Heard he’s a Soulmancer, and hasn’t really been around people much. Makes sense he’s a bit out of touch. Just takes some getting used to.”

n“I swear he fried his brain meditating or something,” Lila grumbled. “William said he’s also fresh off some mountain retreat… Birds of a feather! Seriously wondering if they had the same mentor.”

n“Could be,” Alice replied aloud. Internally, she scoffed, ‘How can that idiot Walker even compare to my master?’

nShe’d never voice that out loud, though. Let Lila have her issues with her master; the more she stayed away, the better.

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