"Banana allergy?" John Young laughed, "Youāre the third person Iāve heard of with a banana allergy, the first was your Mr. Carter, the second was Mr. Carterās mother. Iāve heard of allergies to mangoes and eggs, but banana is quite rare."
"Mr. Carter canāt eat bananas too?" Jane Sampson glanced at James Carter, covering her mouth to stifle a light laugh, "Looks like Iām not alone. Before, whenever anyone offered me a banana, I never dared to say I was allergic, afraid of being laughed at. I just said I didnāt like bananas."
After saying this, Jane Sampson smiled again with a bend in her eyebrows, "Luckily, I really donāt like bananas anyway, otherwise, Iād be tormented with cravings!"
"Yes." James Carter also seemed surprised, "I inherited it from my mother, weāre both allergic to bananas."
"I donāt know who I inherited it from." Jane shrugged, then moved on from the topic and passed the menu to Johnās hands, "You two have been here before and are familiar with this place, you pick the vegetables, Iām not picky with food."
John Young and James Carter didnāt mess around declining back and forth with Jane. They were all easy-going people, and with no one else around, there were no pleasantries or formalities.
After ordering, John Young spoke to Jane Sampson about the premiere event, "The premiere is set in the largest opera house in City Smytheton. Iāve personally inspected all the audio equipment on site. Itās definitely one of the top-quality setups in domestic opera houses. My plan is that after the movie screening, you two will take over for a live performance. There will be a piano on scene for James Carter, and all youāll need to do is focus on singing."
As he spoke, John Young sighed, "I went back to review your competition and performance videos, and originally I wanted both you and James Carter to have a duet with the piano, but James said you havenāt touched the piano for some time and have become a bit rusty. Itās a pity because the premiere was scheduled perfectly. Otherwise, if you could pick up the piano again, right after the movie ends, both of you performing live would definitely make a profound impression on the audience."
"Indeed, I havenāt touched the piano for too long, and picking it up again in a short time isnāt likely." Even Jane Sampson herself felt regretful, "If I had known there would be this opportunity to perform alongside Mr. Carter, I would have never given up playing the piano back then."
Jane Sampson sighed, "Whatās most regrettable is that I met Mr. Carter too late."
If she had met James Carter before she became fixated on her troubles, with his guidance, Jane Sampson surely wouldnāt have given up the piano after so many years.
And she wouldnāt have the heart to do so.
But, the meeting came too late and what shouldnāt have been given up has been let go.
The path walked can no longer be retraced.
"No worries, there will be plenty of opportunities in the future. Isnāt James Carter holding a comeback concert? Let him reserve a spot for you as an honored guest." John Young comforted Jane Sampson, who truly seemed regretful.
Whether someoneās emotions are genuine or not, John Young, who has met all sorts of people, can see right through them.
Jane Sampsonās fondness for James Carter was real, but it had nothing to do with romantic love. It was a kind of faith, a spiritual reliance and admiration.
Every time Jane addressed Mr. Carter, she did so with a particularly respectful tone, with no hint of insincerity or disdain.
Even though James Carter had changed somewhat from before, in Jane Sampsonās eyes, he was still that James Carter. What she cherished was his talent, the soul and meaning he gave to music.