A Real Heiress Quits (GL) - Chapter 21

Yin Hongfei was there to discuss business with a client and hadn’t expected to run into his wife.

His expression turned cold. Acting as if he hadn’t seen Ji Zhaohua, he walked away in the opposite direction.

Ji Zhaohua huffed. “Hmph.”

Qin Qing asked politely, “And that is?”

“That’s my ‘fly-away-at-the-first-sign-of-trouble, fickle-minded, sharing-the-same-bed-but-different-dreams’ husband,” Ji Zhaohua replied.

The resentment in her tone was practically overflowing.

The smile on Qin Qing’s face was polite yet inevitably awkward.

Ji Zhaohua continued, “Ignore him. Let’s keep chatting.”

Qin Qing nodded, but her gaze shifted to the girl—

She was bathed in the warm, bright sunlight, her fair skin glowing brilliantly like a porcelain doll.

Ji Zhaohua picked up her coffee cup. “The coffee here is quite good. I like adding a lot of milk and sugar; my grandfather used to tease me for not being able to handle bitterness… Miss Qin? What are you looking at?”

Qin Qing withdrew her gaze, feeling slightly guilty. “No… nothing.”

She found herself inadvertently looking at the girl, looking past the beautiful exterior to see the sparkling soul within.

Ji Zhaohua didn’t take it to heart. She continued talking about the green grass, cedar trees, and clouds of the ranch from her childhood. As she spoke, she noticed her listener was a bit distracted, her eyes drifting off somewhere again. “Miss Qin?”

Qin Qing snapped out of it. “What?”

Ji Zhaohua tilted her head. “What is so interesting that it’s so good to look at?”

Then, her niece’s figure appeared in her line of sight.

Ji Zhaohua’s expression turned cold. In an instant, she became alert, eyeing Qin Qing warily as if looking at a “beast in human clothing.”

This woman is terrifying, she thought. We’ve only talked for a little while and I was almost corrupted by her. No, no, this person clearly has designs on my little niece!

“Yueyue is still a child. You,” Ji Zhaohua frowned, putting down her coffee, her expression suddenly turning frosty. “How did you two meet?”

Her tone sounded like a teacher interrogating a student about a secret romance.

Qin Qing smiled helplessly, her temper exceptionally good. “The day before yesterday.”

Ji Zhaohua’s eyes widened. “Only the day before yesterday?”

It seemed she had misunderstood something.

Yueyue had already started writing songs. Since they only met the day before yesterday, did that mean the song wasn’t written for the woman in front of her? Was “Qing Qing” truly just a wonderful misunderstanding?

Qin Qing nodded and continued to watch the girl.

For some reason, even though they hadn’t known each other long, it felt as if they had known each other for many years.

Ji Zhaohua observed her quietly. She thought, Her gaze is so blatant; perhaps she really is being perfectly upright, and her relationship with Yueyue is just that of friends?

“Zhaohua, has Xinyue always lived in Hanjiang?”

Ji Zhaohua replied, “No, she was always… out of town before. She only moved back three or four years ago.”

Qin Qing nodded slightly, stirring her black coffee with downcast eyes.

Ji Zhaohua was curious; the woman before her seemed shrouded in a layer of mist, making her impossible to read. “What are you thinking about?”

“When You And I Were Young, Maggie.”

Ji Zhaohua didn’t react for a moment, so Qin Qing placed a finger to her lips. “Listen. They are playing it.”

A few minutes earlier.

Yu Xinyue had a look of longing, gazing longingly at the piano, unable to move her feet.

The pianist tilted her head and smiled. “Want to join?”

Yu Xinyue nodded eagerly.

The two sat on the bench together.

The solid wood adjustable piano bench was just big enough to accommodate two people.

The pianist asked, “Have you studied piano before?”

Yu Xinyue replied, “I’ve self-taught a little.”

The pianist smiled, assuming the girl was a student who had attended a few cram classes and had a basic foundation. She intended to play a simple introductory piece, but in the next second, she realized she had underestimated her.

The piece proceeded at nearly double speed. A lyrical song was played in the style of Croatian Rhapsody.

The pianist had to concentrate fully just to barely keep up with the girl’s rhythm.

The song finished.

The pianist was panting slightly, fine beads of sweat breaking out on her forehead.

This is too intense, she thought. I can’t take it. Playing one song felt like running an 800-meter dash followed by finishing three hundred math problems. It’s a dual devastation of body and mind.

Before she could catch her breath, the nimble music started again.

A-again?

The pianist was drenched in sweat.

“That child plays the piano really well,” Yan Yuan said, pausing his work and smiling slightly.

Yin Hongfei’s expression was ugly. He looked at Ji Zhaohua with annoyance, not understanding why she had brought a child to this kind of place.

At such a young age, without any real ability in her belly, she had already learned to show off like an actress.

Yin Hongfei’s eyes darkened. Unfortunately, because of his big client, he couldn’t take the child away immediately.

Yan Yuan asked, “Do you know that child?”

Yin Hongfei sighed and rubbed his forehead. “She’s my niece, brought here by my clumsy wife. She’s ignorant of the world; please excuse the joke.”

Yan Yuan’s face showed appreciation. “Ignorant? You are too modest.”

Yin Hongfei frowned, thinking Yan Yuan was just being polite. This child had always been the target of dislike and criticism in the family, especially when compared to Yin Jianghan; everything she did seemed so out of place.

Shortly after bringing the child home, Yin Hongfei had taken them to a dinner party.

Yin Jianghan was poised and well-behaved, winning a chorus of praise, while the other child hid timidly in a corner, refusing to say a single word. Those who didn’t know better would have thought the Yin family was mistreating her.

It seemed that from that moment on, he had an instinctive dislike for the girl.

Even though he knew she was his sister’s child, her temperament was nothing like his sister’s; in comparison, Hanhan was more like her.

Yan Yuan followed the rhythm, lightly tapping the table. “Moonlight Sonata. Beethoven practically carved rebellion and freedom into the music. Listen, every note is screaming.”

Yin Hongfei felt ashamed. “I don’t really understand music.”

Much less how to appreciate it.

Yan Yuan was surprised. “To raise such an excellent child, I thought you had been nurturing her interests since she was small.”

Yin Hongfei was stunned.

He had never heard anyone use the word “excellent” to describe Yu Xinyue. Furthermore, the man opposite him was the young and promising CFO of Tianhui, known for his famously critical eye; it was rare to find a word of praise from his mouth.

“She is self-taught,” Yin Hongfei paused, then changed his phrasing. “She started learning at age ten.”

Yan Yuan shot Yin Hongfei a surprised look. “She’s only been learning for a few years?”

Yin Hongfei nodded. “About three or four years.”

Thinking back to the past, Yin Hongfei fell into deep thought.

The first time she entered the Yin house, Yu Xinyue headed straight for the piano. Thinking about it now, it was strange; she clearly hadn’t had the conditions to access a piano at the Yu house. Where did this almost frenzied passion come from?

Yan Yuan stood up and shook Yin Hongfei’s hand again. “Congratulations. Your family will soon have a pianist.”

“A pianist?” Yin Hongfei snorted. “That’s just for fun. I don’t plan on letting her study music; she should study economics in the future to help the family.”

After saying that, he saw Yan Yuan’s expression become very complex, looking at him as if looking at an idiot.

The sound of the piano was like the intense summer sun, making everyone smile along.

Yu Xinyue played a recent pop song, exchanging a smile with the pianist.

The pianist was sweating profusely but her smile was incredibly bright; she was completely immersed in the music.

At some point, an extra hand appeared on the piano.

A white-haired old grandfather was behind them, his hunched body swaying as he joined in, humming softly as he played, as if he were still that passionate youth of years past. Yu Xinyue’s movements paused slightly. Taking advantage of a slower moment in the music, she shifted positions and gave her seat to the old man.

Not long after, a young man squeezed in beside her.

He was tall with fine eyebrows and thin lips—gentle and handsome, carved from the same mold as Yan Ji.

Yu Xinyue recognized her best friend’s older brother, but Yan Yuan didn’t seem content to just provide accompaniment; he constantly tried to take the lead and seize the “C-position.”

She had heard from Yan Ji before that this brother also loved music and had a very strong personality, unwilling to be beneath anyone. Seeing him now, it was indeed true.

However, Yu Xinyue didn’t intend to be the accompaniment either.

The two of them showed off their skills against each other; it could almost be called a piano duel.

Eventually, the pianist stopped, and the old grandfather, lacking physical strength, also stopped and went to dance in the back.

The pianist stared at the piano in distress, trembling.

Looking at this severely overloaded piano, she hugged herself in sympathy.

What sin had she committed to be forced to watch a “battle of the gods”? She had to admit she couldn’t even outplay a child.

Waaah, are kids these days all this terrifying?

You… you guys stop fighting!

The musical attainments of the two were extremely high, but neither was willing to back down. Both wanted to outshine the other, so the music they played was like a fierce collision of water and fire—not harmonious at all, but rather like a hair-pulling fight for the MVP title.

After a long while, Yan Yuan sighed and finally backed down.

Yu Xinyue revealed a smile. Her bone-soft fingers slid across the keys, and music as gentle as flowing water slowly poured out.

The final solo was like the calm after a storm. It moved away from the previous intense and generous tone, turning soft and lyrical, like a gentle breeze brushing against everyone’s face.

When it ended, everyone stood up and applauded.

Yu Xinyue immediately looked at Qin Qing. Only after meeting her appreciative gaze did she break into a smile. She suddenly realized how precious it was that someone of Qin Qing’s caliber was willing to obediently cooperate with her as an accompaniment.

Yan Yuan praised her sincerely, “You play the piano very well.”

Yu Xinyue replied, “You too.”

However, both were thinking the same thing in their hearts:

Yan Yuan: I’m never playing with her again. I don’t like being second.

Yu Xinyue: That was too tiring. This person is going on the blacklist; from now on, I have to take a detour whenever I see A-Ji’s brother.