That afternoon, the truck delivering Zhou Mingshi’s belongings finally arrived. They did not stay long. After unloading everything and carrying it into the house, they headed back.
Zhou Mingshi worked in his room while Lin Yi’an curled up in a rocking chair with a book in her arms. Liu Zhengying, meanwhile, led Assistant Chen and Ye Lingzhi in unpacking and organizing everything that had been delivered.
After they finished, Ye Lingzhi washed some fruit and brought it over. She handed one plate to Assistant Chen and placed the other on the round tea table beside Lin Yi’an. “Sister Yi’an, have some fruit.”
Lin Yi’an gave a soft hum. “Did you take some to Zhou Mingshi?”
Ye Lingzhi nodded. “Assistant Chen is taking it in to him.”
Meanwhile, Assistant Chen carried the fruit into the room. “President Zhou, have some fruit and take a break?”
Leaning back in his chair, Zhou Mingshi shut down his computer. “Take it outside. I’ll go out and relax.”
Assistant Chen grinned. “Makes sense. Miss Lin is outside. Sitting with her, eating fruit, drinking tea, and whispering to each other, now that’s the way to enjoy yourselves.”
Zhou Mingshi closed his laptop. “You seem to know a lot about this.”
Assistant Chen replied, “I was born with high emotional intelligence.”
“If you’re so perceptive, why are you still single?” Zhou Mingshi stood up, tossed out the question, and strode toward the door.
“…”
Following after him, Assistant Chen protested, “I… I just haven’t met my true love yet.”
Zhou Mingshi said, “You’re twenty-eight and still haven’t met your true love. What makes you think you’ll meet her in the future?”
Assistant Chen replied, “Maybe my destined romance is just taking its time.”
Zhou Mingshi nodded. “That’s as good an explanation as any.”
Assistant Chen chuckled.
Zhou Mingshi sat down on the sofa beside Lin Yi’an. She looked over at him. “Finished with work?”
“Mhm.”
Ye Lingzhi poured him a glass of water. “President Zhou, you’re taking herbal medicine, so you can’t drink tea.”
Zhou Mingshi said, “Plain water is fine.”
Lin Yi’an pointed at the fruit platter. “Have some fruit after you finish your water.”
Holding his glass, Zhou Mingshi nodded.
Assistant Chen walked over. “Miss Lin, I noticed there’s an erhu over there?”
Lin Yi’an smiled. “That’s my dad’s erhu. He learned to play from an old master in a local opera troupe.”
Assistant Chen said, “President Zhou can play the erhu too.”
Lin Yi’an turned to look at Zhou Mingshi. Even Ye Lingzhi’s eyes widened in surprise. It was hard to imagine someone like President Zhou playing the erhu.
Zhou Mingshi set down his glass and said to Lin Yi’an, “My maternal grandmother was an erhu performer. I learned from her.”
Assistant Chen grinned as he suggested, “President Zhou, why don’t you play an erhu piece for Miss Lin?”
The day after tomorrow, they would be returning to the Imperial Capital. Since they still had some free time, this was the perfect opportunity for President Zhou to win Miss Lin’s favor and deepen their relationship. Otherwise, once they both went back and got busy, they might end up forgetting about each other again.
For the sake of his boss’s future marriage, he had truly been worrying himself sick.
Zhou Mingshi looked at Lin Yi’an. “Would you like to hear it?”
Lin Yi’an replied with interest, “I’d love to.”
Zhou Mingshi straightened in his seat. “All right.”
No sooner had he finished speaking than Assistant Chen scampered off to fetch a chair and the erhu for him.
Zhou Mingshi got up, sat down on the chair, adjusted the erhu, and asked Lin Yi’an, “What would you like to hear?”
From behind him, Assistant Chen chimed in, “Of course The Butterfly Lovers! I’ve heard Miss Lin play it before. She must like that piece.”
Lin Yi’an was speechless.
Ignoring him, Zhou Mingshi looked at Ye Lingzhi. “Assistant Ye.”
“Yes, President Zhou?”
With perfect courtesy, Zhou Mingshi said, “Could I trouble you to escort Assistant Chen downstairs?”
Assistant Chen looked utterly bewildered. Ye Lingzhi turned to him. “Assistant Chen, this way, please.”
Assistant Chen glanced at Zhou Mingshi before following Ye Lingzhi downstairs with a dejected expression.
Lin Yi’an smiled as she watched the two of them leave.
Once they reached the ground floor, Assistant Chen said meaningfully, “President Zhou must not want us upstairs interrupting his time alone with Miss Lin.”
Ye Lingzhi rolled her eyes. “You’re really something.”
Assistant Chen asked, “Aren’t you worried at all?”
“Worried about what?”
“We’re President Zhou’s and Miss Lin’s assistants. Of course we should be concerned about their future married life. If they’re happy, life will be much easier for us as their subordinates. So the two of us should do our best to create opportunities for them to spend time together and develop their relationship. In the future, whenever they’re together, we should try not to get in the way…”
Ye Lingzhi replied, “They have their own pace. As long as you don’t make a mess of things, that’s enough.”
Assistant Chen declared confidently, “I would never make a mess of things.”
Upstairs, Zhou Mingshi sat naturally yet with impeccable posture in the chair. He did not ask Lin Yi’an again. Instead, he simply began to play.
As soon as the music began, Lin Yi’an recognized the piece. She closed her book and rested it on her lap.
Lin Yi’an enjoyed listening to music, but only as a listener. She was not particularly familiar with different instruments. Even so, she could tell that Zhou Mingshi’s erhu skills were exceptional.
Relaxed in the air-conditioned room, he wore black trousers and a white long-sleeved shirt. His eyes were lowered as his left hand pressed the strings, his well-defined fingers gliding slowly along the neck of the instrument. His right hand held the bow, his wrist turning gently as it drew across the strings. His expression was focused and intent.
Watching him, she found herself gradually calming down, quietly immersed in the music.
Downstairs, Assistant Chen listened to the faint melody drifting from above and said to Ye Lingzhi with a grin, “It’s The Butterfly Lovers.”
As he said this, he felt rather pleased. His boss’s emotional intelligence was still quite high. Since he had already suggested the piece, if President Zhou hadn’t played it, wouldn’t Miss Lin have been left feeling awkward?
Ye Lingzhi recognized the tune as well, but unlike Assistant Chen, she did not read so much into it. It was only a song. She couldn’t understand what there was to be so happy about.
Seeing the blank look on her face, Assistant Chen lost all interest in sharing his thoughts with her. He sat down on the sofa and popped a grape into his mouth.
It seemed Zhou Mingshi was enjoying himself. After finishing one piece, he immediately started another.
Once again, it was a familiar melody. Both were pieces Lin Yi’an had played that morning. She had not expected him to know them as well. The surprise made her genuinely happy.
When he finished the second piece, she said, “Why don’t you take a break?”
Zhou Mingshi carefully set the erhu aside and sat down beside her. Lin Yi’an handed him a glass of water.
Taking it from her, he said, “Thank you.”
Lin Yi’an smiled. “That was beautiful.”
Zhou Mingshi smiled. “It’s been a long time since I last touched an erhu. I’m a little rusty.”
Lin Yi’an said, “It still sounded wonderful.”
Just as Zhou Mingshi was about to reply, the phone on the table rang. He picked it up and glanced at the screen. It was his mother calling.
“I’ll take this.”
Lin Yi’an nodded. “Okay.”
Zhou Mingshi went into his room, answered the call, and greeted, “Mom.”
Tan Qingwen’s voice came through the phone. “Your father just called me.”
Zhou Mingshi frowned. “Why’s he calling you again?”
Tan Qingwen replied, “He said you yelled at him and hung up on him. He wants me to keep you in line.”
Zhou Mingshi said, “Even when he’s in the wrong, he still has to stir up trouble. What’s the point of paying attention to him?”
Tan Qingwen laughed. “I know your temper. Would you really yell at him for no reason?”
Zhou Mingshi said, “For no reason? Most of the time, I don’t even remember he exists.”
Tan Qingwen asked, “So what did he do to upset you this time?”
What she was really worried about was whether her husband had made their son angry. As for her son upsetting his father, her son was such a good child. If his father still wasn’t satisfied with him, then being angered served him right.
Zhou Mingshi said, “Don’t worry. I’m not angry. After all these years, when has he ever actually managed to make me angry?”
Tan Qingwen said, “You’re my son. No matter how old you are, a mother can’t help worrying about her child.”
Zhou Mingshi’s tone softened. “I know.”
Knowing her son hadn’t been upset, Tan Qingwen changed the subject. “How are things going with An’an?”
Zhou Mingshi replied, “Very well.”
Tan Qingwen smiled as she teased, “Really well, or are you just saying that?”
Zhou Mingshi answered, “Really well.”
Her son had never lied to her, so Tan Qingwen felt reassured. “I still have a few things to take care of. Go keep An’an company.”
Zhou Mingshi said, “Okay.”