Xu Qingfeng’s somewhat unusual attitude immediately drew a suspicious glance from Gu Tianze.
However, Gu Tianze didn’t care much for beating around the bush in front of him. Perhaps it was because one doesn’t feel the need to maintain a facade in front of someone they dislike, making him all the more blunt.
“What’s so strange about knowing who he is? Besides, the fact that Huo Xiu is coming to our school for a masterclass soon makes him even harder to ignore.”
Gu Tianze stared at Xu Qingfeng with a look of disdain and continued, “I really think you should go and learn a thing or two from him. Oh, wait a tone-deaf person like you is probably beyond saving. Do my ears a favor and just give up.”
Xu Qingfeng: “…”
He was truly speechless. Since he couldn’t refute the verbal jab, he could only express himself through action.
From that day forward, he fixed his piano practice schedule from nine to ten in the morning. For him, it wasn’t particularly early, but for a certain someone else, it certainly was.
Right now, what mattered most to him was the masterclass.
From Gu Tianze’s words, he gathered that Huo Xiu would be arriving at their school within the next day or two. In other words… the opportunity for An Yan and Huo Xiu to officially meet had arrived.
In the original novel, after their first encounter at the concert, the two were reunited here on campus. It seemed that, at the very least, the plot hadn’t drifted too far off track yet.
In the original story, An Yan devastated by heartbreak hadn’t eaten for two consecutive days, leading to hypoglycemia. He ended up fainting on a secluded campus path! If Huo Xiu hadn’t discovered him and carried him to the infirmary on his back, who knows what would have happened.
That incident sparked a deeper connection between the two, and Huo Xiu’s interest in him evolved beyond just a fan.
It was also during this event that Huo Xiu learned of Gu Tianze’s existence. Even without meeting him face-to-face, he already felt a sense of loathing toward Gu Tianze.
Meanwhile, An Yan who had just been lashed out at by Gu Tianze over a trivial matter found his wounded heart soothed by Huo Xiu. In his state of confusion, his feelings for the man climbed to another level.
All of this could only be blamed on Gu Tianze being too much of a jerk. He essentially handed his rival the opportunity on a silver platter, acting as a stepping stone to facilitate the protagonists’ emotional growth.
Current Gu Tianze knew none of this, but Xu Qingfeng did.
The smile vanished from Xu Qingfeng’s face as he asked in a serious, stern tone, “Did you have a fight with An Yan yesterday?”
Gu Tianze’s eyes practically screamed ‘none of your business,’ but then he remembered that all his credit cards had been frozen. He had already spent his monthly allowance in advance and had no choice but to hold out his hand to this annoying guy for money. Often, he just had to endure it.
Gu Tianze told himself: Endurance is a knife over the heart!
“Yeah, we fought. Isn’t it normal for couples to bicker?” Gu Tianze was completely unaware of the gravity of the situation. A “green hat” (symbol of infidelity) resulting from An Yan’s emotional straying was already being woven for him.
Whether it would be finished or not depended on fate.
Hearing his words, Xu Qingfeng felt a heavy ‘thud’ in his heart. He compared his “scumbag son” to Huo Xiu.
Calling them rivals felt like an insult to Huo Xiu; this brat was truly going to ruin a winning hand.
But since the two of them were now in the same boat, bound for life or death, he had to ensure things didn’t unfold like they did in the original novel.
At the very least, he couldn’t let Huo Xiu develop a sense of loathing toward Gu Tianze. Otherwise, when Huo Xiu eventually found out about their relationship, it would inevitably implicate Xu Qingfeng himself.
“Why did you fight?” Xu Qingfeng’s own love life was a blank slate, yet he was forced to untangle the emotional problems of this “son” he’d picked up. He knew one thing for certain given An Yan’s sensible personality, it was likely a one-sided argument.
“He wasn’t being good; he didn’t listen to me. I told him not to go out with that brat Wang Han, but he insisted on going! I just told him not to do it again what’s wrong with that?”
For some reason, when Xu Qingfeng wore a cold face, Gu Tianze blurted everything out in one go, even though he didn’t have to.
The moment he finished, Gu Tianze regretted it. His expression turned into a defiant, sour pout.
Xu Qingfeng clenched his fists. This kid, who was the real “brat,” actually had the nerve to call someone else one? He really wanted to haul him up and give him a thrashing, especially since his recent gym sessions were starting to show results.
However, he suppressed the urge. Instead, he pulled out his phone and began fiddling with it.
Thinking he was finished, Gu Tianze gave the eyesore of a piano a hard kick and turned to leave, only to be called back…
He whipped around fiercely: “What now?!”
Having put away his phone, Xu Qingfeng finally managed to curl his lips into a smile. He said warmly, “I ordered a cake for An Yan. Carry it over to his place in a bit.”
It was a command that brooked no argument.
“I’m pissed off at him right now. If you want to go, go yourself! Why involve me?” Gu Tianze frowned deeply, thinking Xu Qingfeng was having another episode. Who would even like that kind of sugary, sticky stuff?
“You have to go.” Xu Qingfeng cracked his knuckles with a beaming face, the popping sound accompanying his next words: “Otherwise, you won’t be able to handle the consequences if he faints.”
Gu Tianze: !
Although Gu Tianze felt the last sentence was cryptic and hard to grasp, a sudden sense of dread made him follow Xu Qingfeng’s instructions.
Though, he didn’t stop cursing under his breath the whole time.
When the cake was delivered, Gu Tianze realized that An Yan looked terrible. His cheeks were sunken, as if he hadn’t eaten in a long time.
He originally intended to keep giving An Yan the cold shoulder to make him realize his mistake, but seeing that gaunt little face, he couldn’t stay angry.
Instead, he awkwardly forced An Yan, who had no appetite, to eat the cake.
He only breathed a sigh of relief after watching him take small bites until a large piece was gone.
Most of that awkwardness stemmed from wanting to show concern but being unable to express it.
This was the first time Gu Tianze had ever taken the initiative to make amends after a fight. An Yan, who was already feeling weak, was moved. Even though he had no appetite, he was willing to eat for Gu Tianze’s sake.
While moved, he also felt a bit strange. Not long ago, Gu Tianze had been in a towering rage, nearly smashing things in his house. That terrifying image was still vivid in his mind.
However, such loss of control was rare. Gu Tianze didn’t lose his temper often; most of the time, he was still the perfect “god” in An Yan’s heart.
The cake was exquisitely decorated with layers of fruit inside. Plump, fresh blueberries were sandwiched between the soft sponge cake. The sweet and tart flavor was refreshing and stimulated the appetite.
After a few bites, An Yan couldn’t stop. He looked up and asked, “Did you know I like blueberries?”
It was indeed quite a coincidence. Out of all the possibilities, he had happened to choose a blueberry cake. An Yan couldn’t help but overthink it, feeling a warm current flow through his heart.
Gu Tianze didn’t think much of it and answered honestly, “Xu Qingfeng bought it. It’s probably just a coincidence. Is it that good? Let me try.”
If he were more calculating, he would have claimed he bought it himself to improve their relationship. Even Xu Qingfeng would have encouraged him to do so. But Gu Tianze’s occasional honesty was truly…
After taking a bite, he commented, “It’s not all that. I’ll buy you a better one next time.”
An Yan’s foul mood had already been soothed by the cake. He savored it and whispered a soft rebuttal, “It… it’s really good. Thank Xu-shushu for me.”
Receiving no reply, An Yan looked up and met those focused eyes.
Gu Tianze’s gaze was fixed on the cream at the corner of An Yan’s lips. His Adam’s apple bobbed slightly… and finally, he simply used his thumb to wipe it away.
“Why be polite with him? This is what he should be doing.”
If Xu Qingfeng knew his “wonderful son” said that, he would probably be unable to resist the urge to swear.
He’d likely add: ‘Your servant obeys.’
Fortunately, Xu Qingfeng didn’t know. At that moment, he was sitting in his office chair, deep in thought…
Even if he had prevented An Yan from fainting, it didn’t mean he had severed the connection between An Yan and Huo Xiu.
It was likely that this connection was something he couldn’t stop entirely. He could only try a “curved road” approach indirectly managing their relationship to ensure it didn’t deepen.
Eliminating a rival for his scumbag son was equivalent to helping himself.
In that case…
He had to attend this masterclass as well. He had to ensure that any “derailing” events didn’t happen outside his field of vision.
Considering this, Xu Qingfeng had to use his status to take a shortcut, directly securing a seat for the masterclass.
One didn’t even need to guess if he hadn’t made arrangements in advance, there wouldn’t even be a tree branch left for him to perch on outside the classroom window.
The branches would likely be packed with a row of students.
Xu Qingfeng took a quick photo of the green plant in his office and sent a message to Huo Xiu.
The Asparagus Fern I’ve been tending to. The little guy is in great spirits and looks very beautiful.
Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow.
He didn’t receive a reply from Huo Xiu, causing him to press his lips together in disappointment.
At the same time, he reflected on what he might have done wrong during their last meeting. Was it because his playing was so terrible that Huo Xiu couldn’t stand it and didn’t want to talk to him anymore?
That shouldn’t be it. How could he have failed to trigger Huo Xiu’s “urge to rescue”?
Shouldn’t there be a great sense of achievement in teaching a tone-deaf person who knows nothing about music?
Xu Qingfeng had not yet fully realized that, in the realm of music, he was utterly beyond saving.
Time flew by, and it was soon time for the masterclass to begin.
Gu Tianze’s university was one of the top institutions in the country, boasting a vast campus. It gathered the best and brightest students from across the nation and had produced many pillars of society. Consequently, the threshold for entry was extremely high, with very demanding admission scores.
Yet, even a school like this pulled out all the stops to welcome Huo Xiu for a single masterclass.
Surrounded like a star among the clouds, Huo Xiu kept his eyes slightly lowered, his expression indifferent. He was completely unaffected by the bustling atmosphere around him, always maintaining an air of cold detachment.
A dozen bodyguards followed him, carving out a safe distance. The space inside and outside that line felt like two different worlds.
Those outside the line were not just students from the school, but also fans who had flocked there from elsewhere. Among them were faces of all kinds, creating a noisy and crowded scene.
Xu Qingfeng, looking down from a high point on the second floor with his arms crossed and his back straight, marveled inwardly at the scene. However, on the surface, he only wore a faint, ambiguous smile.
If anyone else had caused such a stir, he might have found it exaggerated. But since it was Huo Xiu, it felt expected hardly worth making a fuss over.
His downward gaze suddenly collided with Huo Xiu’s eyes as the man looked up from amidst the sea of people…