Not far away, Father Qin was chatting with Feng Wang. Well, it was more like Father Qin was trying to curry favor with Feng Wang rather than having a genuine conversation.
Feng Wang’s attention was entirely drawn to the two people in the distance. Although it was a banquet, it wasn’t particularly noisy. Many were curious about the young master who had been mistakenly identified for years, so they deliberately kept quiet, eager to eavesdrop on the conversation between Qin Nian and Gu Huai.
Even though they had only known each other for less than half a day, Qin Nian had left an impression on Feng Wang as a very quiet young man, indifferent to everything.
He wouldn’t go out of his way to talk to others, but if someone spoke to him, he would answer every question.
Feng Wang rarely interacted with other families, but that didn’t mean he was ignorant of the families and businesses in Ning City. He knew about Gu Huai, the youngest son of the Gu family, spoiled to the point of being unruly. The Gu family was closely connected with the Qin family, and Gu Huai was good friends with Qin Jiaxu. Feng Wang could almost guess that Gu Huai was standing up for Qin Jiaxu.
Feng Wang assumed that with Qin Nian’s quiet nature, he would surely be bullied by Gu Huai.
However, just now, during the confrontation between Qin Nian and Gu Huai, it was as if he saw a gentle little rabbit suddenly lash out and bite the fierce wolf hard.
After biting, he even taunted and mocked his opponent.
“So it’s settled then? Mr. Feng, you must come tomorrow, and we can discuss the specifics then.”
Feng Wang’s attention was entirely on Qin Nian in the distance, so he didn’t pay attention to what Qin Ru was saying beside him.
Qin Ru assumed that Feng Wang’s silence meant agreement, and he was overjoyed. He hadn’t expected Feng Wang to attend the banquet today, and since nothing was prepared, any talk of cooperation was superficial. The contracts and other documents weren’t ready, so he had to arrange another time, and the sooner the better. Qin Ru took it upon himself to choose the next day.
Feng Wang snapped back to reality, having a rough idea of what had happened. He didn’t say anything, but gave Qin Ru a meaningful look and said, “Of course.”
He walked over to Feng Yuanyuan, where the young man was now in a corner sharing two strawberry cream pastries with his niece. The boy’s fair skin and fluffy black hair made him look particularly well-behaved.
Qin Nian picked out the strawberries and gave them to Feng Yuanyuan, who looked delighted. Her cravings, often restricted at home, were now being thoroughly satisfied. As she ate, she exclaimed, “When I grow up, I’m definitely going to marry you as my boyfriend.”
Feng Wang, standing nearby: …
He had just arrived and was already hearing his niece’s outrageous declaration.
Feng Wang cleared his throat twice, and the two heads, one big and one small, turned to look at him with curiosity.
“Yuanyuan, it’s time to go home. Your mom wants you in bed by ten-thirty.”
Qin Nian stood up. “I’ll see you off.”
Feng Yuanyuan was a bit reluctant, but remembering her mother’s instructions, she ran from Qin Nian’s side to Feng Wang’s. She looked up and asked, “Uncle, can we come back to play with the handsome brother again?”
Father Qin, who was following closely behind Feng Wang, heard this and immediately beamed like a flower, eagerly chiming in, “Of course you can. Miss Feng, you’re welcome anytime.”
Feng Yuanyuan looked at the overly enthusiastic, strange uncle and said nothing.
The atmosphere grew a bit awkward again.
While the hall was filled with the clinking of glasses, the courtyard of Qin Nan Villa was quiet, tinged with a hint of melancholy.
In the end, it was Qin Nian who saw Feng Wang out. As the car started, Qin Nian remembered something. “Mr. Feng, don’t forget to send me the bill for the clothes, so I can pay you back. And also—”
Qin Nian paused. “Thank you very much for today.”
The young man’s eyes, like ink and wash, were like autumn waves under the moonlight. Though his expression was sincere, it somehow seemed full of emotion.
Feng Wang’s car window was still open. He smiled slightly. “No need to thank me. If anything, I should be thanking you for tonight.”
Qin Nian watched the car leave, and only when it disappeared from view did he turn and walk back into the Qin residence.
He didn’t know that on the second floor of the Qin residence, two people were watching him.
Gu Huai stared intently at the figure downstairs. He had been thwarted by Qin Nian today, but he didn’t mind. What concerned him more was how Qin Nian, having been at the Qin family for only a few days, dared to be so bold. He wondered how Qin Nian would treat his friend in the future.
Qin Jiaxu stood on the balcony, his eyes calm, lost in thought.
Gu Huai’s phone rang.
Whatever the person on the other end said made Gu Huai’s eyes light up. “The variety show starts in half a month? They’re short one ordinary person? I have a recommendation.”
The person on the other end was puzzled. “Who? Are you sure?”
Gu Huai grinned. “The country bumpkin who just rolled back from the countryside to the Qin family, Qin Nian.”
Qin Nian looked at his bank account balance with some concern.
He desperately needed money. He wanted to move out of the Qin family, pay back Feng Wang for the clothes he bought, and he also needed tuition fees.
Just as he was feeling troubled, his phone suddenly vibrated.
Qin Nian glanced down at an unfamiliar number. He had no memory of this phone number, and although he thought it was likely a wrong number, he decided to answer.
The voice on the other end was a particularly sweet-sounding girl.
“Hello, is this Mr. Qin Nian? We’re from a production team for an upcoming variety show called ‘Brilliant Stars.’ I wonder if you’ve heard of it.”
Brilliant Stars? A variety show?
Qin Nian thought back and recalled that in his previous life, there was indeed a wildly popular variety show called ‘Brilliant Stars.’ It featured a group of second-generation rich kids and celebrities living together for half a month. He remembered that Gu Huai participated as a famous second-generation rich kid influencer.
But in his previous life, he had nothing to do with this show.
“We’re looking to invite you as a guest on the variety show. If you’re interested and have the time, would you consider it?”
Qin Nian was puzzled. “How did you find me?”
The person on the other end laughed. “Our producer attended the Qin family’s banquet. If you’re interested, we can discuss it further.”
Qin Nian thought of his invisible debts and asked the question that mattered most to him. “Is there a payment?”
“Yes, there is. If you’re interested, could you provide your email? We’ll send you the details and contract to review.”
Qin Nian browsed through the documents and details sent by the production team.
A six-figure contract fee, with additional advertising fees if the show performed well.
Qin Nian tried to recall what the variety show was about in his previous life. He struggled to remember, as he wasn’t interested in the entertainment industry, leaving his mind almost blank.
Qin Nian called back the number from earlier, expressing his willingness to participate in the variety show.
“Great, let’s set a time to sign the contract. How about the day after tomorrow? It’ll be on the fourth floor of Huaguang Building. I’ll inform the front desk in advance.”
Having resolved this matter, Qin Nian felt temporarily at ease.
There were still two months until school started, and once it did, he could temporarily leave the Qin family.
He lay down on his bed and closed his eyes peacefully.
Qin Nian was awakened by the noise outside.
He groggily got out of bed and glanced at the clock on his phone.
It was exactly eight-thirty.
Outside, the sounds of people coming and going, moving things, and shouting mixed together, creating a lively atmosphere.
Qin Nian no longer felt sleepy. After washing up, he left his room.
Just a few steps from his room was the second-floor hall of the Qin residence. At that moment, the butler was directing a group of people to move a Crystal Piano upstairs.
Qin Nian remembered that a month before he arrived at the Qin family, Qin Jiaxu had just won a city-level piano competition.
At the time, Father Qin and Mother Qin were delighted and had a Crystal Piano custom-made from a piano brand.
As he looked at the piano gleaming in the sunlight, Qin Nian’s thoughts drifted far away.
Liu Baixu was born into a scholarly family in a mountain city and had been interested in piano and painting since childhood. She herself was a pianist. In her youth, she wanted to pursue her dreams, but due to a family-arranged marriage, she married Father Qin during her prime. Father Qin’s family was wealthy, and naturally, they had some of the bad habits of the rich. For instance, Qin Ru’s parents at the time disliked their daughter-in-law performing piano in public.
Liu Baixu’s dreams were abruptly cut short. Before marriage, she had repeatedly won second place in international piano competitions. Unwilling to accept defeat, Liu Baixu always wanted to win first place to prove herself. Unfortunately, marriage snuffed out that ambition.
Liu Baixu’s obsession with international awards shifted to her son.
However, in Qin Ru’s eyes, the eldest son of the Qin family was meant to inherit the family business. Father Qin feared Qin Jiawei would lose himself in hobbies and firmly forbade him from learning piano.
Liu Baixu suffered greatly while pregnant with Qin Jiawei. When she gave birth to him, she secretly vowed never to have another child. However, for the sake of her piano dreams, she chose to have another child. She longed for that golden trophy.
Liu Baixu doted on Qin Jiaxu because he had won many piano awards at a young age. Although Qin Jiaxu hadn’t yet won an international award, it seemed inevitable that he would claim the international piano competition’s gold cup if he continued on this path.
Qin Nian remembered how in his previous life, he tried to please Liu Baixu by learning about her interests and practicing piano diligently. He sought out renowned music teachers and spent countless nights with his hands trembling and aching from over-practicing. His once slender hands became bony from excessive practice, leaving him with numerous ailments.
When he wanted to play for Liu Baixu, she disdainfully flipped through his sheet music and then tossed it back to him. “The ‘June Boat Song’ is indeed my favorite piano piece, but remember, Qin Nian, Jiaxu mastered it at the age of eight. While piano isn’t entirely about talent, it does require a strong foundation from a young age. There’s no need for you to learn piano just to fit into the Qin family. Starting now is, frankly, a waste of the piano. I won’t listen to you play because it would be an assault on my ears.”
No need to doubt, all the piano content is purely fictional.