Feng Yehong’s lips curled up unconsciously, without disturbing her, just leaning against the wall beside her.
Noticing his return, Lu Xingzhi’s eyes curved, like a crescent moon in the starry sky.
However, her fingers did not stop.
After finishing a piece, she closed the piano lid and walked towards Huo Jincheng with a bright smile, "You’re back."
Huo Jincheng kissed her forehead, "Why did you come back today?"
"The teacher is going to check my work from the past few years tomorrow." Lu Xingzhi looked up at him, "The teacher is going to hold his first piano concert in Hua Country, and he wants me to perform. Uncle, I’m so lucky that the teacher hasn’t given up on me all these years."
"You deserve it." Huo Jincheng patted her head. Such an extraordinary girl—if it were him, he wouldn’t give up on her either, even after years apart.
"So, I have to work hard and not let the teacher down." Lu Xingzhi believed that rumors didn’t matter; as long as one had the ability, they need not fear rumors.
"You don’t want to disappoint your teacher, but you shouldn’t tire yourself out either. I only want you to be happy." Huo Jincheng had no demands on Lu Xingzhi; his only hope was for her to live joyfully, following her heart.
"I won’t tire myself. I know what I’m doing. Practice is for strengthening, but piano, besides technique, requires its own unique flavor. You too are one of a kind in this world." The last sentence made Huo Jincheng feel overjoyed.
These words of praise, he loved most coming from Lu Xingzhi.
When listening, it felt immensely pleasant.
"Does our Zhi Zhi also know how to sweet-talk?" Huo Jincheng, in a good mood, wanted to tease her.
"Was that sweet-talk?" Lu Xingzhi countered.
"If you think so, then it is!"
Helian Xi was planning to go home today, but while walking down the campus pathway, she unexpectedly saw someone.
He was wearing a white shirt and black casual pants. Such a simple outfit made him stand out in the crowd, with many girls secretly watching and discussing him.
Cheng Zhiyan, why is he here?
Helian Xi frowned. After their last meeting, she hadn’t seen him again.
Recalling Cheng Zhiyan’s sudden confession last time, seeing him now brought an unavoidable awkwardness.
She stopped, unsure whether to walk towards him.
But unexpectedly, Cheng Zhiyan was already walking towards her.
"Cheng Zhiyan, why are you here?" Helian Xi asked, then vexedly scratched her head, "I seem to have asked the wrong question. You’re a student of Jing University, so it’s normal for you to be here."
"What if I say I came specifically to see you?" Since his confession, Cheng Zhiyan had deliberately avoided contacting Helian Xi, neither calling nor texting her.
He had thought Helian Xi would eventually reach out to him first.
But that wasn’t the case.
Seeing her silence, without any hint of surprise in her eyes, he frowned lightly, then relaxed and said, "You used to call me Zhiyan."
"That was before. Wasn’t it you who told me not to call you that anymore? You said you were tired of me, told me to stop clinging to you. You even said not to call you so intimately. Have you forgotten all of this?"
Helian Xi did like Cheng Zhiyan, but she couldn’t forget these hurts.
It’s not something that can be erased with a single word of affection.
"Even if you’ve forgotten, I still remember."