CHAPTER 1539: CHAPTER 39: THE YOUNG GIRL PLAYING THE PIANO (PART 2)

The stubbornness and unease once evident due to youthfulness and anxiety are now completely gone, hidden deep within her eyes. The blue floral cuff covering her hand emerges from the black dress, resembling the stamen of a night orchid, highlighting the slender charm of a young girl’s wrist.

At this moment, she gently pressed a hand to her chest, bowed to everyone to express her thanks, and then spoke: "Thank you all for coming to my birthday party."

Then, the room echoed with a burst of light applause, followed by lively chatter as everyone gathered around Tilan, talking. Her gaze slowly swept over each classmate present today, matching them with the names in her memory.

Tilan still looks no different from her high school days, her figure is beautiful and carries the gentle grace of a young girl. However, many people present have drastically changed from the past: some have gained weight, some have undergone a change in temperament, some appear plain and reserved, while others are full of spirit—each different in their way.

Seeing classmates who have changed so much from her memory, Tilan felt a lot of emotions. The last time she saw these classmates was ten years ago, and by the next time, their children might be as tall as she is.

Thinking of the children who look her age calling her "aunt," Tilan felt a bit odd. She wondered how the veteran Songstresses got used to it. Although unlike her, they don’t remain unchanged at around 18 years old due to special reasons, the Federation’s current technology and numerous Extraordinary Creations indeed significantly delay the arrival of aging, allowing many Songstresses to look as young at sixty as they do at twenty.

Well, there are also Elves who are naturally blessed, like those who are still in adolescence in their seventies.

Her mind raced with thoughts as Tilan nodded to a few classmates in front of her, then moved through their circle, continuing to greet those seated farther away. After all, this rare gathering is not something she wants to miss, and she wants to remember how each person looks now.

If childhood memories are like a jigsaw puzzle, while she holds the largest piece, many detailed fragments fall on the people she spent her childhood with. Every time a face appears before her, the associated memories surface, and those shared experiences once again enrich the picture of memories, reminding her of often forgotten things.

Watching these former classmates grow and change, she felt her own state of mind change significantly.

Everyone’s experiences are limited, but through familiar peers, we see other possible branches of life, thereby enriching our understanding of the world. Yet in understanding, there is often the sorrow that comes with the irretrievability of time.

"Tilan, do you still remember everyone here?" Yilin asked, picking up a glass of sweet soda and handing it to Tilan who had been playing for a while.

"Yes, I remember." Tilan took the glass, cradling it in her palms, her eyes blinking in response.

Whether as a Songstress or a high-ranking Transcendent, both have endowed her with an excellent memory, naturally not forgetting anyone here.

"How about I test you?" Yilin said, tilting her head with a playful smile toward the young girl.

"Sure."

Tilan replied with a light smile. She understood that Yilin wanted to liven up the atmosphere and lighten everyone’s mood, knowing her current status is too high, making even her once closest classmates nervous in her presence.

"Then I’ll start." Yilin took Tilan’s hand.

With that, her childhood best companion led Tilan to meet one slightly unfamiliar classmate after another.

The two first stopped in front of a classmate with a round, plump figure. His white shirt could hardly conceal the body tending to balloon out.

"Do you still remember this one?" Yilin asked, turning her head back, while the other held a wine glass, smiling at them both.

"He might be Mackey?" Tilan thought for a moment.

"That’s right." The other chuckled in response.

"Tilan still remembers me. That makes me so proud, haha." Now, he runs a small company, living a decent life, with two daughters in their teens, though he didn’t bring them along.

"Mackey used to be clumsy in class, always saying he wanted to be a chef when he grew up," Yilin recalled a funny story from elementary school.

"Back then, Mackey wasn’t chubby, very energetic," Tilan’s eyes flickered, recalling the boy in class who was lively and animated.

Then Mackey talked about his current situation. Though he didn’t become a chef, he runs a catering company, fulfilling his childhood aspiration in some sense.

"Next is this one." Yilin pulled Tilan forward again, stopping in front of a slender man in a purple shirt.

He was slim, with shoulder-length hair and a long face, a pearl on one earlobe. With one hand in his trouser pocket and the other holding a wine glass, he seemed caught off guard by Yilin bringing Tilan over.

"Do you remember him?" Yilin tilted her head and winked at Tilan.

"This should be Horry, right." Tilan placed a slender finger on her chin, looking at the man who avoided her gaze.

"Yes, the same Horry who used to bully you," Yilin said with a teasing tone.

"Uh, Yilin, Yilin classmate, those were times of being young and reckless," the man said, shifting uneasily, even avoiding Tilan’s eyes.

In Tilan’s memory, Horry was the classmate who sat at the back, somewhat clever but fond of little scheming to embarrass others. Because Tilan was timid, he once teased her to tears, and it was Yilin who comforted her.