Walking through the stone-paved courtyard, the sound of raindrops hitting the leaves gradually faded. Huo Qing turned to Chen Bai and said, “Erbai, you’re really helping a lot.”
She explained that her mother loved listening to the piano. In previous years, her father used to play on her birthday, but she never learned. After her father passed away, her brother took over the tradition.
Madam Huo was in poor health and needed rest. She never celebrated her birthday, preferring a quiet family gathering. But with her brother away this year, the house would be too lonely. Hoping to brighten her mother’s day, she decided to find someone who could play the piano.
She didn’t know any pianists, but while browsing a live-stream, she heard a familiar voice and thought of this idea.
And now, here they were.
Under the eaves, a housekeeper took their umbrellas. Huo Qing gestured toward him. “This is Uncle Wang, our housekeeper.”
Then she introduced, “This is my friend, Chen Erbai.”
Chen Bai and Uncle Wang nodded in greeting. He handed over the flowers he had brought.
The manor was as vast inside as it appeared from the outside.
One wing of the house was dedicated to the living room, with grand crystal chandeliers hanging from ceilings several stories high. The room was brightly lit. Huo Qing took a quick glance around and, confirming no one was there, whispered, “The piano room is on the second floor.”
She moved with the caution of someone sneaking in rather than a homeowner.
The housekeeper, long used to her antics, merely said, “Madam is in her room and won’t be coming down for now.”
Relieved, the “thief” quickly led Chen Bai upstairs.
The piano room was in a well-lit part of the house, ensuring the space was bright on clear days.
Stepping inside, Chen Bai’s eyes landed on the grand piano in the center of the room.
Huo Qing hesitated. “This piano hasn’t been used for a long time. Can it still be played?”
Chen Bai lifted the cover, his fingers gently pressing a few keys. After testing the sound, he replied, “It’ll take about an hour to tune.”
Huo Qing didn’t fully understand, but she nodded. “My mom won’t hear anything from here. I’ll keep her occupied and bring her downstairs in an hour.”
True to her nature, she dashed off immediately. Even her dress didn’t slow her down.
Now, only the sound of rain outside filled the quiet room.
Seated before the piano, Chen Bai pressed the keys again, his light-colored pupils moving slightly under his pink hair.
This piano was identical to the one he had used for over a decade. The keys had just the right weight and rebound speed, though the tuning was slightly off due to disuse.
Tuning was a meticulous and time-consuming process, but Chen Bai was patient, adjusting each note carefully.
Uncle Wang soon returned and asked if he needed any assistance. Learning that he didn’t, the housekeeper simply observed the process.
The pianist’s movements were precise and practiced. Key by key, he restored the piano’s perfect pitch. Finally satisfied, he stood up, turned around, and casually advised, “If the piano isn’t played regularly, it should be tuned once a year or every six months.”
It wasn’t a strict rule, just a suggestion for those who played often.
Uncle Wang nodded. “I’ll pass that on.”
Exactly one hour later, hurried footsteps echoed in the hallway. Huo Qing appeared in the doorway, gripping the frame for balance. “Is it ready?”
Chen Bai sat down on the piano bench, smiling. “It’s ready.”
Outside, the rain intensified, dark clouds gathering. Inside, the lights grew warmer.
From the elevator, a woman in a wheelchair was pushed out.
The vast living room was empty except for Uncle Wang, who was descending the stairs. She turned to him and asked, “Where’s Xiaoqing?”
The housekeeper pointed upstairs.
Then, the sound of a piano drifted down.
The music was neither too loud nor too soft, resonating clearly through the house.
The only one in the family who could play the piano was Huo Chuan, and he was away. And even though he had learned later in life, his playing was far from perfect.
Zhang Ling, the woman in the wheelchair, hesitated as the housekeeper approached. She wanted to ask something, but as the familiar melody filled the air, she lowered her hand.
It was a song she knew well.
The piano room was located above the living room, designed in such a way that the sound carried effortlessly downstairs, crisp and undistorted.
Zhang Ling could no longer play, but she could still listen.
As the melody swelled, she raised her eyes slightly.
The piano’s tone was different from before, fine-tuned with expert precision. Both the tuning and the pianist’s skill were remarkable.
The song was calm yet filled with an unmistakable warmth and tenderness.
As the final note faded, Zhang Ling broke the silence with a soft smile.
“Lage’s ‘Lilacs’.”
She exhaled lightly and added, “This must be Xiaoqing’s doing.”
Turning to the housekeeper, she finally asked, “Who’s playing?”
Rachmaninoff’s Lilacs, Op. 21 No. 5—one of her favorite pieces.
The only person at home who knew this was her daughter.
No wonder the girl had suddenly come to chat with her—she had been preparing this.
Zhang Ling hadn’t expected her to actually find someone.
For the past two years, she had mostly heard her son’s off-key attempts at Lilacs. She had almost forgotten how soothing and beautiful the piece was.
Uncle Wang placed the bouquet in her hands. “This is from the young lady’s friend.”
Zhang Ling lifted the flowers gently.
Instead of the usual carnations or roses, the bouquet was a mix of white and purple gladiolus, fresh and in full bloom. A faint fragrance drifted from the petals—not overwhelming, but light and pleasant.
She lowered her gaze, tracing the gradient hues with her fingers before handing them back.
“Find a vase for these,” she instructed with a soft smile. “They’ll look perfect in the living room.”
As the song ended, a figure appeared in the second-floor corridor—Huo Qing, dressed in a flowing white dress.
She waved toward the living room and asked what song they wanted to hear next.
So it turns out there was a song request system in place.
Huo Qing positioned herself as the self-appointed messenger between the listeners downstairs and the pianist upstairs.
As the piano music filled the house once more, outside in the courtyard, a sleek car drove through the heavy rain and stopped at the entrance.
When the servants recognized the person inside, they hesitated momentarily, then turned to inform the household. However, they were promptly stopped.
The driver stepped out, umbrella in hand, but the passenger in the back seat declined it.
Several figures walked through the gray curtain of rain.
The entrance doors opened again, and a man stepped inside, his suit jacket draped casually over one arm. He cast a glance at the woman in the living room before his ears caught the soft melody drifting from the second floor.
Noticing the movement, Zhang Ling, who had been adjusting the flowers in the vase, paused in surprise. “Why are you back?”
Huo Chuan handed his slightly damp jacket to the butler and replied, “The rain was too heavy at our destination. The flight was delayed.”
Since the storm showed no signs of letting up, he decided not to wait and canceled the trip altogether to avoid further delays.
His gaze shifted to the flowers in the vase. “Has someone visited?”
Zhang Ling followed his line of sight toward the second floor and smiled. “Xiaoqing brought a friend over. She’s upstairs. If you want to meet her, go take a look.”
She had originally intended to go upstairs but realized there was no difference between listening to the music from here or up there. Since climbing the stairs was troublesome, she decided to stay put.
—She seemed to be in a good mood.
Huo Chuan withdrew his gaze and ascended the stairs.
Before he even reached the corridor, he spotted Huo Qing standing outside the piano room, her phone held up at an odd angle as she took photos or videos inside.
Hearing his approach, she quickly turned around, raised a finger to her lips in a silent gesture to keep quiet, her eyes filled with rare excitement.
Huo Chuan didn’t speak, simply following her gaze.
Outside the window, tree shadows swayed, raindrops streaking down the glass. Inside, a lone figure sat at the piano. His posture was straight, his head slightly lowered, pink hair partially veiling his pale eyebrows. Slender fingers glided across the black and white keys, each note falling heavily before rebounding smoothly.
The melody, once gentle, gradually built in intensity. The vibrating strings layered upon each other, yet the pianist’s hands remained steady—no hesitation, no faltering, just absolute control and precision.
Huo Chuan’s eyes drifted to the light-colored knit jacket the pianist was wearing.
A jacket he had seen once before.
And just like that, he recognized him.
Some people seemed entirely different when they weren’t speaking.
Or rather, everything about them seemed different.
“…”
After a long stretch of silence from her brother, Huo Qing finally pulled her eyes away from the phone screen and turned to look at him.
Huo Chuan, who rarely showed any emotion, was leaning casually against the railing, his eyes locked onto the pianist in the room. His fingers reached up to loosen his tie.
Something about this felt… strange.
But since he hadn’t actually done anything out of the ordinary, Huo Qing decided to let it slide and turned her attention back to her recording.
The final note of the song lingered before fading into silence.
The pianist slowly withdrew his hands from the keys, bracing himself slightly against the bench as he leaned back. Then, he turned toward the doorway—
And locked eyes with the man standing there.
Chen Bai immediately understood.
He had felt an extra presence outside the door while he was playing. And now, it turned out his intuition was correct.
So, the God of Wealth had failed to secure a business deal today.
What a pity.
Chen Bai sincerely thought it was a wasted opportunity for Huo Chuan to make money.
Still, he didn’t let his regret show. Instead, he simply smiled, nodded, and greeted politely.
Huo Chuan replied, “Long time no see.”
Instantly, Huo Qing, who had been trying to remain invisible, perked up, ears twitching in curiosity.
