The piano gallery was immense, its storefront decorated with an air of elegance and nobility. The overall color palette was based in white, with sections of transparent glass revealing several expensive pianos positioned inside.
The clerk stationed at the front desk area had already noticed the commotion at the entrance. However, maintaining high professional standards, he controlled his gaze, refraining from staring while quietly pricking up his ears to listen.
There was a moderate flow of pedestrians passing by. Curious passersby would cast glances in their direction, though they couldn’t grasp the content of the conversation; they simply found the tall, handsome man pleasing to the eye. Even though one could tell he was no longer young, he remained exceptionally charismatic.
Xu Qingfeng rarely felt embarrassed, but this was one of those infrequent moments. Even if those glances lacked a gossipy nature, they still triggered that association in his mind.
In his past environment, such “straight-ball” pick-up attempts simply didn’t happen strictly speaking, the very concept of being hit on didn’t exist. Furthermore, being approached by a member of the same sex on the street!
Meeting a partner was usually handled through parental introductions. He had tried to get to know the opposite sex, but firstly, he was busy managing the company, and secondly, he had never met someone who truly made his heart flutter.
What he was certain of, however, was that emotionally, he did not wish to be involved with the same sex.
“I’m sorry, I already have someone I like,” he chose this tactful way to decline.
Upon hearing this, the young man’s attitude remained generous and natural. Before retreating, he simply handed over the milk tea in his hand, stating that he had gone to buy it specifically the moment he laid eyes on Xu Qingfeng.
Not wanting to rebuff the boy’s kindness, Xu Qingfeng accepted it with a smile.
Milk tea was a novelty to him; he had tried it not long ago, but it was basic common sense not to drink things given by strangers, so he didn’t intend to try it this time.
Just as the boy left, Xu Qingfeng spotted the long-awaited Huo Xiu across the street.
Even through the flow of traffic and the crowd, his eyes automatically locked onto that tall, slender figure. The wind stirred Huo Xiu’s parted hair, leaving his face completely unobstructed a face as beautiful as carved jade.
When their gazes suddenly met, it was Xu Qingfeng who looked away first.
It felt a bit strange…
He wondered how long the man had been watching.
As the man crossed the zebra crossing and walked toward him, Xu Qingfeng tossed the milk tea into the trash can.
Huo Xiu’s voice, unheard for a long time, was as deep and magnetic as ever. Just hearing it made one’s ears tingle. A faint smile played on his cold, handsome face. “Why throw it away? It was a gift from the heart.”
This was the first time he had shown a smile to Xu Qingfeng, even if it was only a slight one.
Xu Qingfeng’s heart skipped a beat. After a pause, he explained slowly, “Sorry, I don’t really like sweet drinks. Let’s not talk about that let’s go inside and pick out a piano.”
As he spoke, he glanced at Huo Xiu’s hand, which was encased in a black leather glove. A sliver of disappointment flickered in his heart. Perhaps it was because of the drop in temperature, or maybe because a pianist’s hands are precious and need protection?
It was such a pity he couldn’t see them.
But…
“I’m really happy you were willing to come.”
These were Xu Qingfeng’s sincere words, and his tone was equally earnest.
Huo Xiu had his back to him, his expression unreadable.
From the second he saw Huo Xiu, the clerk’s mouth had dropped open and stayed that way for a long time. He even rubbed his eyes vigorously to confirm whether he was dreaming or seeing things!
Heavens, a living, breathing Huo Xiu has actually appeared in our piano shop! In the future, I can brag to every customer even Huo Xiu thinks this piano is good, so why aren’t you buying it?!
With an excited heart, he scurried back and forth to serve them, even slightly neglecting the guest his ears had been so focused on earlier.
“He is the one who needs to buy a piano.”
Reminded by Huo Xiu, the clerk finally realized who today’s primary client was.
“I am so sorry, I’m usually not like this. It’s mainly because I’m so happy to see my idol, I find it hard to restrain myself.” The clerk apologized, then turned his focus to Xu Qingfeng. “Is this gentleman your friend?”
Huo Xiu lowered his eyes. His gloved hand brushed over a row of keys as he gave a low “Mm” in response.
While Xu Qingfeng appeared calm on the surface, his heart was bursting with joy his excitement was no less than the clerk’s.
Two months of persistent daily messages had finally paid off! This indicated that their friendship had been confirmed; at the very least, he had secured a proper place by Huo Xiu’s side.
From now on, their friendship would only grow deeper! It had to be.
After all, if Huo Xiu didn’t view him as a friend, why would he show up here to help him choose a piano?
Xu Qingfeng couldn’t suppress the upward curve of his lips. He moved closer to the piano Huo Xiu had touched, narrowing the distance between them.
“How about this one?” Xu Qingfeng quite liked the look of it; the white color was somewhat similar to the one he had seen at the concert.
With the sudden proximity, the faint woody scent radiating from Xu Qingfeng drifted into Huo Xiu’s nose. It was a masculine scent that was pleasant, easy to accept, and relaxing. Huo Xiu, who was already a head taller than Xu Qingfeng, only had to cast his eyes down slightly to see the fine skin on the back of the other man’s neck.
Soon, Xu Qingfeng straightened his back and pulled away, listening intently to the clerk’s introduction.
“Sir, if you’d like, you can play a piece to get a feel for it. That way, you’ll know if it suits you,” the clerk suggested professionally.
Almost any other guest would have accepted such a suggestion, but Xu Qingfeng refused immediately.
“It’s alright. My friend knows a lot about pianos. If he says something is good, it definitely won’t be bad.” Xu Qingfeng emphasized the word “friend,” his eyes sparkling with irrepressible joy.
He felt as though he had come back to life. If they were friends, surely he wouldn’t be sent to life imprisonment in the future, right?
The clerk found it a bit odd but said nothing. After all, Xu Qingfeng’s words were convincing; it was normal to forgo a trial out of trust. Probably.
However, Huo Xiu suddenly spoke up: “You can try it.”
His eyes, framed by thick lashes, gazed quietly at Xu Qingfeng.
I probably need a physical exam; these heart palpitations are happening too frequently, Xu Qingfeng thought.
He could manage to decline the clerk’s suggestion, but it would be inappropriate to refuse a second time when it was Huo Xiu asking.
He sighed heavily in his heart, finally understanding the feeling of being “pushed onto the stage like a duck to a perch.”
Clearing his throat, he said, “I’m just a beginner, so I’ll probably make a fool of myself.”
By the end of a classic Minuet, if one calculated time as “each second feeling like a year,” those brief two minutes had felt like 120 years to Xu Qingfeng.
He maintained a facade of composure, showing no sign of embarrassment. Looking toward the beautiful hand that was currently pinching an earlobe, he asked, “How is this piano? I can’t really tell the difference.”
He didn’t have the nerve to ask how his playing was, because he knew himself that it was quite terrible.
This was the result of his studies during this period, and it was exactly why he had been reluctant to perform in the first place.
“The piano is fine,” was Huo Xiu’s brief evaluation. He didn’t say anything more, simply letting go of his earlobe with his beautiful hand. His gaze carried the polite restraint of a gentleman who was hesitating to speak.
Perhaps for someone like Huo Xiu, criticizing others was considered impolite, which is why he said nothing else.
The clerk, however, was different. He had more to say, though he spoke in a subtle and veiled manner that wasn’t offensive.
“Sir, you probably haven’t found the right key yet. Perhaps you aren’t familiar enough with the piece. It’s very normal; just practice more.”
“Yes, I just wanted to have a piano at home so I’d have more time to practice.” Xu Qingfeng took the offered exit without a blush or a skipped heartbeat. He knew his situation perfectly well: he was tone-deaf.
Listening to music was no problem, but whenever he tried to play or sing himself, it was like “magic music piercing the ears.”
He was born lacking those specific musical cells.
His hard work during this period only further proved that this was unchangeable. He had realized it the moment he first touched a piano. The reason he continued to practice was, of course, because of…
Huo Xiu.
That was his original intention for learning the piano.
The clerk usually dealt with customers who were proficient in piano; after all, people who weren’t skilled typically wouldn’t choose such a high-end instrument under these circumstances.
Even though he masked his emotions well, he still found that series of out-of-tune, unrecognizable notes a bit hilarious. It sounded like a cat jumping randomly across the keys.
However, even though the clerk hid it well, Xu Qingfeng still caught a glimpse of it. He didn’t mind, though; it was a fact that he played poorly.
And since the person who played exceptionally well was right beside him, his performance was the very definition of “showing off one’s slight skill before a master.” It seemed that in the future, he wouldn’t be able to use “discussing the piano” as an excuse to bother Huo Xiu.
Given his skill level remained this poor after so much time, anyone could guess there was no point in discussing it.
The facts aligned with his prediction. After purchasing the piano, all his attempts to contact Huo Xiu were met with silence. A full week had passed without any reply.
Is this friendship a bit too fragile…
He played the brand-new, beautiful piano, but his thoughts were elsewhere. This resulted in his already poor musicality vanishing entirely; not only was the sound unpleasant, but it also intensified the listener’s irritation.
Gu Tianze, who was being forced to come home every day, shoved open the door to the music room.
“What the hell are you doing so early in the morning? Are you going to let people sleep or not!”
The room, which had been temporarily cleared out specifically to hold the piano, had become a makeshift music room. Its soundproofing was not very good.
However, Gu Tianze’s claim of it being “early morning” was nonsense, as it was already nearing lunchtime.
Stopping his movements, Xu Qingfeng turned around. Already in a bad mood, he replied with a stern face, “Stay up late less often, then you won’t have your days and nights reversed. Besides, isn’t this special wake-up service from ‘Dad’ good?”
After speaking, he forced a fake smile.
Gu Tianze muttered under his breath, “You really have no idea what your own playing sounds like.”
In his former arrogance, he would have definitely retorted against Xu Qingfeng’s title and would have violently smashed Xu Qingfeng’s piano!
He couldn’t do that now. His economic lifeline was controlled by the other party, but Gu Tianze believed there would eventually be a chance for revenge…
“With that playing of yours, if that guy Huo Xiu heard it, he’d laugh his head off. Stop playing; throw it away today.”
Gu Tianze was actually quite handsome, but his mouth was so obnoxious that Xu Qingfeng had no time to notice his looks.
Xu Qingfeng really wanted to tell him that Huo Xiu hadn’t laughed his head off, but hearing that name come out of Gu Tianze’s mouth made him notice something unusual.
He stood up from the piano bench and approached. “You’ve seen Huo Xiu? Why would you suddenly mention him?”