Chapter 1320: The Ball

"This piece..." Liu Zheng listened, entranced.

He did not recognize who was playing this piece, but the music was indeed very beautiful.

At this moment, a waiter brought over two cups of coffee and gave a faint smile to the entranced Liu Zheng: "Sir, your coffee."

This voice pulled Liu Zheng back to reality; he took a Gold Coin from his pocket and handed it to the waiter as a tip.

Upon receiving this Gold Coin, the waiter was incredibly excited; one Gold Coin—she couldn't even earn one in a month.

There were very few customers this generous.

"Sir, is there anything I can help you with?"

Liu Zheng was very satisfied with the waiter's attitude and said: "Who is that Violin artist in your shop?"

The waiter was stunned, looking at the one playing the Violin, her eyes making no effort to hide her disdain.

"Him? He's just a vagrant who comes here to sponge off our food and drink."

"Our boss saw he could play the Violin, so he let him stay here to attract customers."

Liu Zheng nodded; so that was it. He knew that Vienna had birthed many famous people, some of whom might leave a profound mark on history.

And some, no matter how talented they were at the time, had no one who knew how to appreciate them, and they would never become famous until they died.

Sigh, history doesn't have that many Van Goghs.

"I would like to buy him a cup of coffee."

The waiter was stunned; this vagrant could only play the Violin, so how did he earn the appreciation of this generous customer?

The waiter walked over to the vagrant who had just finished playing the Violin with a look of annoyance and said disdainfully: "Yousefu, you're in luck; the customer over there wants to buy you a cup of coffee."

Yousefu was wiping his Violin and acted as if he hadn't heard.

The waiter suppressed her anger and said again: "Yousefu, did you hear me? Are you deaf!"

Only then did Yousefu lift his head, looking past the furious waiter directly at the customer she had mentioned, who looked like a Noble.

He lowered his head again and continued to wipe his Violin.

"I'm not going. I won't drink coffee with someone who doesn't understand music."

The waiter could no longer hold back and burst out: "Don't be ungrateful! A customer wants to buy you a cup of coffee; it's your honor!"

"If you offend him, I guarantee you'll be fired and back on the streets begging for food."

Yousefu remained unmoved.

But the sound of the waiter's arguing reached Liu Zheng.

He walked over, seeing the waiter red-faced and Yousefu calmly wiping his Violin.

"What's wrong?"

The waiter looked at the man approaching, her attitude doing a 180-degree turn, and said respectfully: "Sir, I am truly sorry; I didn't handle the task you entrusted to me well."

"Yousefu doesn't want to have a cup of coffee with you."

Yousefu still didn't speak. Liu Zheng looked at the waiter and immediately understood what had just happened.

He ignored the waiter and instead looked at Yousefu, taking a handful of Gold Coins from his pocket, and said calmly: "This is my recognition of your art; I hope you can accept it."

Yousefu only glanced at Liu Zheng, and he didn't even look at the Gold Coins in his hand.

The waiter on the side, however, had her eyes fixed on the handful of Gold Coins.

At the same time, she looked at Yousefu with a mix of envy and jealousy; why should he be the one to get such a handful of Gold Coins? This could keep him living comfortably for a long time.

But Yousefu showed no appreciation at all and said bluntly.

"Sir, please do not insult this great art with filthy money."

Liu Zheng was stunned and then laughed; no wonder this artist was reduced to playing music in a coffee shop.

Being so rigid and stubborn, it was a miracle he hadn't starved to death yet.

Liu Zheng sighed; no wonder most artists have such integrity.

Putting the handful of Gold Coins back, the waiter

felt like she could die.

Is this hateful Yousefu so poor he doesn't even know what a Gold Coin is? You deserve to be this poor, and you deserve to have no money.

If you don't want them, give them to me.

Now it's done; he has completely offended such a generous customer.

"It was my presumption." Liu Zheng apologized; he had developed some appreciation for Yousefu.

Yousefu looked indifferent; his eyes held only his Violin.

Liu Zheng smiled, but seeing the Violin, he suddenly remembered the Erhu he had once learned, and the piece he had learned, "Moon Reflected on the Second Spring."

"Sir, could I borrow your Violin? I have thought of a melody and would like you to play it."

Liu Zheng could not play the Violin, but thanks to his amazing memory, he still remembered that piece, "Moon Reflected on the Second Spring."

Upon hearing this, Yousefu looked up at Liu Zheng; this time, a glimmer of spirit flashed in his eyes.

"You can write music?"

Liu Zheng did not answer, but asked: "Do you have paper and a pen?"

The waiter fawningly brought them to Liu Zheng.

Xie Chan also ran over at this time, watching Liu Zheng scribbling on that piece of paper; she hadn't studied European music, so she couldn't understand it.

In less than half an hour, Liu Zheng stopped writing, looked at the piece, and nodded.

"Yousefu, I'll trouble you."

Yousefu took the piece of music and was instantly lost in it.

Xie Chan was very curious and asked quietly: "What did you give him? He's so mesmerized."

Liu Zheng grinned, leaned into Xie Chan's ear, but said nothing at all.

"What on earth is it?"

"I won't tell you."

At this moment, Yousefu suddenly had a gleam in his eyes, and his gaze toward Liu Zheng was full of fervor.

"This piece of music, this piece of music..."

With an excited heart and trembling hands, Yousefu looked just like a man who hadn't seen a woman in many years.

The waiter and Xie Chan were startled; was it really necessary to be this excited over just a piece of music?

Liu Zheng expressed his understanding.

"Your Excellency, do you really want me to perform it?"

Liu Zheng nodded.

Yousefu was overjoyed and immediately raised his Violin, the beautiful notes attracting everyone in the coffee house.

In this era, coffee was also a product that only wealthy and powerful families could afford to consume.

In a corner of this coffee house, Count Austin, who had just come in and sat down, immediately cast his gaze over upon hearing these moving notes.

"Who is performing this?"

Another waiter answered him, "Respected Count, this is Yousefu; it is said that this piece of music was written for him by a merchant from Longyan."

Count Austin nodded. A merchant from Longyan?

He had no good feelings toward the Longyan people; their Austria was currently in conflict and hostile with Longyan, yet Austria did not forbid Longyan merchants from coming here.

It was simply because the Yinzhou Drunk, Perfume, Soap, and other items produced by Longyan were the best in the world.

They, these European Nobles, had long since been unable to live without them.

Count Austin became more and more engrossed as he listened; tonight he had a party at his own castle, and Grand Duke Theresa was coming to visit, and she was a person who loved music.

But at this moment, Count Austin had not yet found a candidate to perform music for his party.

However, it seemed he had found one now, and Count Austin revealed a smile.