Сhaptеr 3: Gоing tо Неr Concеrt
Тhe neхt day, whitе сlоuds driftеd lаzilу aсrоss thе skу, and the sun shоne brightly.
After sеnding Аn Mаnling hоmе уеsterdау, Нe Yu Zhou didn’t rеturn tо his own аpartment. Instеad, hе stayed оvernight аt the fаmilу estatе.
At the momеnt, drеssеd in сasual lоungеwеаr, he sat аt the dining tаble while thе househоld staff busily аrranged dishes fоr him.
Не held his рhоne in one hаnd, scrоlling thrоugh the stoсk market сharts оn thе sсreеn.
The trаnsparеnt рhоne case had a photо tuсked into the cаrd slоt on the baсk.
Аlthough his slender fingers partially obscured the image, it was still recognizable—the person in the photo was a girl.
When An Manling came downstairs, she saw the young master leisurely enjoying his breakfast.
She glanced at the wall clock: 9:30 a.m.
“He Yu Zhou, why haven’t you gone to the company yet?”
He was either late or left early.
He Yu Zhou picked up the espresso beside him and took a sip. “The company is mine. Can’t I decide when to go to work?”
To that, An Manling truly had nothing to say.
His current company was founded entirely by him; he hadn’t taken over the family business.
During his years abroad, with his exceptional business acumen and remarkable stock-picking skills, he navigated the capital markets effortlessly.
The initial funds in his hands snowballed rapidly, creating quite a stir in the American business world at the time. His reputation soared, and every move he made was precise and flawless.
Two years ago, he relocated the company back to China. Now, its valuation was on par with the family enterprise, even showing signs of surpassing it.
He appeared carefree and nonchalant, but when he set his mind to something, he would accomplish it without fail—unyielding until he achieved his goal.
In certain aspects, he held extremely high standards, bordering on harsh.
Beneath his laid-back exterior, only formidable strength or a prominent background allowed him to act so freely and arrogantly.
As it happened, he possessed both.
An Manling pulled out a chair and sat down, casually mentioning, “En En has a performance at the Grand Theater next Friday. I managed to get two tickets. Are you going?”
“Tickets for En En’s concert are incredibly hard to come by; they’re sold out online.”
He Yu Zhou’s breakfast movements paused almost imperceptibly. He turned off his phone, tossed it aside, and uttered two words: “Not going.”
Seeing his stubborn act, An Manling couldn’t help but kick him under the table. “You really are something.”
“I wonder who it was that skipped class just to watch En En’s performance.”
She had stumbled upon this incident years ago when she flew to the United States to attend Yin En Yu’s concert.
Still, this was exactly the kind of thing he would do. Skipping class was among the least noteworthy of his rebellious antics.
Whether he was full or had lost his appetite, He Yu Zhou set down his chopsticks and leaned back lazily in his chair. “Times have changed. A proper ex-partner should disappear without a trace, not suddenly come back to life.”
An Manling scoffed, “You weren’t even a qualified boyfriend, yet now you remember how to be a qualified ex.”
Regardless of whether he would go, she still handed him one of the tickets, placing it in front of him. “You’d better mean what you say. Don’t let me run into you at the Grand Theater.”
She was going, no matter what. Even though Yin En Yu had parted ways with her son, An Manling still liked her very much.He Yuzhou glanced over expressionlessly, then quickly averted his gaze, crossing his arms. “Don’t worry, I won’t set foot in that place even half a step.”
“If I couldn’t be a decent boyfriend, can’t I at least be a decent ex-boyfriend?”
“Suit yourself.” An Manling stood up and left.
After she left, He Yuzhou also prepared to change clothes and head to work.
He turned and took a step, then suddenly stopped, turned back, picked up the ticket on the table, smoothed it out, and neatly tucked it into his pocket.
Friday night, neon lights flickered endlessly, and the river surface shimmered with ripples.
The originally tranquil night sky suddenly began to drizzle with fine raindrops, adding a veil of mist to the bustling night scene.
The grand theater was brilliantly lit, with a steady stream of people at the entrance. A roadside billboard read:
“Yin Enyu Piano Solo Concert”
Inside the elegant and solemn concert hall, the audience gradually filed in. As the performance time approached, the seats gradually filled up.
Led by the organizers, An Manling found her seat and sat down.
She glanced at the empty seat beside her. This kid, can he really resist coming? Has he grown such a backbone?
Forget it, it’s better if he doesn’t come to annoy me. Let him stay single for the rest of his life.
An Manling turned her gaze forward, quietly waiting for the performance to begin.
At exactly seven o’clock, the lights in the venue gradually dimmed, and the spotlight focused on the center of the stage. The gleaming black grand piano shone as if meticulously polished.
An Manling focused intently on the stage ahead when suddenly, a slight movement came from beside her. A tall, slender figure quietly took the seat next to her.
Tiny raindrops still clung to his suit jacket.
An Manling spared a glance, then curled her lips into a teasing smile. “Well, well, who do we have here? It’s my son who loves to have his face slapped.”
“Didn’t you say you’d never set foot here even half a step?”
He Yuzhou remained calm and composed. “I didn’t take half a step.”
He had taken hundreds of steps.
An Manling saw right through him. “And why are you still wearing a hat and mask?”
A black baseball cap and a black mask covered him completely. Anyone who didn’t know better might think he was an international superstar.
However, his demeanor and appearance were no less impressive than those in the entertainment industry—if not even more outstanding.
An Manling continued to guess, “Afraid En’en might see you?”
“You’re overthinking it. Her attention definitely won’t be on you.”
Their seats were in the tenth row.
He Yuzhou pulled off his mask, revealing a handsome face. “Ms. An, your connections aren’t that great either, only managing to get seats in the tenth row.”
Earlier, he had only noticed the name on the ticket, not the seat location.
“What do you know? This is actually the best spot for viewing,” An Manling retorted. “If I sat in the first row, I’d have to crane my neck to watch. By the end of the concert, your mother’s neck would be ruined.”
He Yuzhou didn’t respond, his casual expression replaced by focus as his gaze fixed on the stage.
On stage, the star of the evening, the center of attention, gracefully walked into the spotlight.
Wearing high heels and a shimmering custom-made fishtail gown that accentuated her graceful figure, her collarbones were fair and beautiful, and her waist was as slender as a willow branch.
Her lush, long hair was elegantly swept up into a high bun, adorned with a dazzling diamond hairpiece, exuding an aura of noble purity and allure.Her every movement exuded a lethal charm. Noble and precious, she was born with a radiance that made everything around her pale in comparison.
The light shone upon her, and everyone in the audience had come solely for her.
Yin En Yu stood at the center of the stage and bowed to the audience below.
Then she turned, smoothed her skirt with both hands, and took her seat at the piano.
Her beautiful face wore a calm and composed expression, without the slightest hint of nervousness or anxiety, as if everything was under her control.
For others, this might be a grand performance, but in her eyes, it was as ordinary as a daily routine.
Yin En Yu’s delicate, flower-soft hands rested on the keys. As her slender fingers gently descended, the vast concert hall instantly filled with a soft, exquisite melody, piercing the silent air and reaching the ears of the audience.
Her elegantly shaped shoulders were naturally relaxed, and her fingers danced lightly across the black and white keys like agile dancers.
Every note was crisp and clear, the melody layered and distinct.
He Yu Zhou’s gaze was fixed intently on her shining figure on stage, deep emotions swirling in his eyes.
It was unclear whether he was captivated by the piano piece or by the person playing it on stage.
Beside him, An Manling glanced at him and whispered in admiration, “En En is truly amazing, possessing both beauty and talent.”
He Yu Zhou’s eyes didn’t waver, nor did he speak, but his expression said it all.
He agreed with her words.
An Manling shook her head at his hopeless state.
“But En En seems to have lost weight. Look at how slender her waist is.”
He Yu Zhou gave a low hum of agreement.
She had indeed grown thinner. She had always been picky with food, and she must not have been eating on time.