Chapter 29

3:00 PM (1)

The ringtone interrupted Deng Yun’s breathing, but it quickly rang again, breaking the original tranquility of the room.

Deng Yun looked at Xu Muzi, waiting for her to make a decision.

Rationality gradually returned with the ringing.

Usually, aside from telemarketers and delivery people, there’s no one who would suddenly call Xu Muzi.

However, she had a performance in a few days, which was quite important, making her think that this call might be related to the performance.

The stimulation from their earlier entangled lips made her cheeks flush, and in these few minutes of stopping, the warmth still lingered.

Xu Muzi’s reflexes hadn’t returned to normal, and she was breathless, unable to answer immediately, her eyes only drifting toward the source of the ringtone.

Xu Muzi had just noticed the bathrobe on the floor when Deng Yun already understood the meaning in her gaze.

He released his tight hold on her and even raised his hand to use his thumb to wipe away a bit of smudged lip balm from the corner of her lips before stepping back.

The ringtone was the default one on her phone, a simple marimba rhythm ringing incessantly, urging her to answer.

Xu Muzi stepped down from the entryway cabinet, picked up the bathrobe, and found her phone in the pocket.

She misjudged; it was her mother’s call.

Before answering, Xu Muzi glanced at Deng Yun.

Unsure if he misunderstood, after their brief eye contact, he walked straight toward the terrace, opened the glass door, stepped into the howling wind and rain, and closed the door behind him, showing no intention of listening to her phone conversation.

Only then did she realize the room had never been quiet.

The thunder continued to rumble, and bolts of violet lightning crackled like rips in the sky.

Xu Muzi answered the phone.

Her mother’s voice came through: “Muzi, are you busy right now?”

Xu Muzi held the phone, her eyes fixed on Deng Yun’s back.

“Mom, I’m not busy. Is there something you need?”

Xu Muzi’s mother didn’t have anything urgent; the content of the call mirrored the questions her cousin had sent her at dawn.

Even though she had clearly stated at the dinner table the night before that she had deleted the contact information of her matchmaking target, her mother still called to ask again.

Xu Muzi’s mother knew that Xu Muzi didn’t like discussing these topics, so she tried to keep her tone casual: “Mom remembers you quite like interacting with your peers, and you have friends who specifically play the violin.”

“Mom…”

“I don’t mean anything by it, just asking. You see, so many people around you have introduced you to others, and this guy is the one who is most similar to you in experience. It’s rare that you’re both studying abroad at a music academy and plan to return to develop your careers. Aren’t you reconsidering?”

“Um, I’m not considering it.”

Xu Muzi was still watching Deng Yun.

The person most similar to her experience was clearly standing outside on the terrace, wearing a black short-sleeve shirt, enjoying the breeze.

Each terrace had different flowers and plants; this side had more larkspur and bellflowers, swaying in the wind and rain, creating a warm and romantic atmosphere.

The wooden lounge chair was wet from the rain, and Deng Yun stood next to the flowers, giving off an air of coldness, as if he were lost in thought.

Xu Muzi thought that Deng Yun might light a cigarette.

She also thought her mother might mention the “good news” she had previously brought up in her messages.

Perhaps the intense kissing had left her feeling a bit breathless, as Xu Muzi’s mind wasn’t quite clear at the moment.

Neither of her guesses turned out to be true.

Deng Yun did not light a cigarette.

Her mother also didn’t mention introducing her to a new match; after a few casual remarks, she could tell Xu Muzi was a hundred percent sure she had no interest in the previous one. She simply reminded her to dress warmly before going out in the rain and hung up the phone.

After putting down the phone, the screen showed the call had ended, and the time in the upper left corner was exactly 3:00.

Xu Muzi realized a bit late that her mother was probably making a final confirmation.

It seemed that she would definitely meet the new match.

Perhaps that “good news” guy’s parents were sitting in her rented living room, munching on freshly fried sunflower seeds brought up from downstairs, listening to her mother bragging after hanging up.

She could probably guess what her mother was saying.

It would be something like, “My daughter Muzi, we’ve introduced her to so many excellent guys, but she hasn’t liked any of them. I really don’t know what she’s looking for. Well, we can only let the kids meet and see if it works out; I can’t guarantee anything.”

There would definitely be an air of helplessness about their daughter having such high standards, without admitting that they were the ones anxious to find a son-in-law.

Before leaving the house last night, Xu Muzi had heard her mother complaining to her relatives.

Her mother said she only knew how to practice the piano and had spent her entire life in the practice room.

“A few years ago, our family’s financial situation was poor, and she was busy working to pay her way through school, so she had no time to meet boys. Our Muzi hasn’t even been in a relationship yet; she has no experience and doesn’t even know how to get along with guys.”

Xu Muzi thought:

Her emotional intelligence was indeed not high, and she couldn’t be described as particularly adaptable.

But when it came to interacting with the opposite sex, she wasn’t entirely inexperienced.

After all, just moments ago, hadn’t she been kissing a guy passionately?

How intense it was; they had kissed until her hair came loose.

Xu Muzi shook out her thick bathrobe, draped it over herself, and bent down to pick up the hair tie that had fallen on the floor.

As she pondered, she slowly gathered her long hair and secured it with the hair tie.

Being with Deng Yun didn’t require any experience.

They were like tacit partners, secretly scheming together, plotting mischievous ideas behind their elders’ backs while pretending to be obedient and unfamiliar in front of them.

There had been a time when they found themselves at the same dining table.

It was a large hotel table that could accommodate more than twenty people, and the dishes were abundant. Xu Muzi’s eyes were fixed on a chicken wing that looked delicious.

Taking advantage of the elders chatting, she turned the table, finally managing to bring the chicken wing in front of her. Just as she was about to grab it with her chopsticks, someone carelessly turned the chicken wing away.

Xu Muzi raised her chopsticks and scanned the table, only to find that it was Deng Yun who had moved the chicken wing.

She thought he didn’t see her reaching for it and that it was an unintentional act, so she didn’t argue. When there was a moment where no one was reaching for the food, she turned the chicken wing back to her side.

As soon as she extended her chopsticks, the chicken wing was turned away again.

Xu Muzi glared at Deng Yun.

Deng Yun had a smile on his face, his head down, focused on his phone.

Xu Muzi quickly received a text from him:

“Want to throw up again?”

“There’s pineapple in the chicken wing.”

Fine.

But when Xu Muzi tried to grab another dish, Deng Yun moved the table again.

What could possibly be in the salt and pepper ribs that she was allergic to?!

She immediately picked up her phone and messaged him, “What’s wrong with you?”

Deng Yun replied with a laugh, “I misread it.”

The elders were enthusiastically discussing some actors from popular TV dramas during prime time, completely unaware of the interaction between them across seven or eight seats.

Xu Muzi took a deep breath and gave Deng Yun a fierce sideways glance.

It meant: Deng Yun! You! Get over here!

Deng Yun smiled and lowered his head, giving her an OK gesture.

Xu Muzi excused herself to go to the restroom, stood up, and left the dining table, quickly followed by Deng Yun.

She confidently asked him if he was deliberately teasing her.

Deng Yun silently looked in the direction behind Xu Muzi and suddenly dropped his playful demeanor, politely calling out, “Uncle Xu.”

Xu Muzi was startled and stiffly turned her head, only to find the corridor decorated in a Chinese style empty.

She had been tricked again.

She abruptly turned back to see him laughing, stomped her foot, and slapped him on the back: “Deng Yun!”

After calling him, she nervously covered her mouth and repeatedly asked, “Did I speak too loudly just now? Can they hear us in there?”

“Should I take a hit and be your lookout?”

“Stop messing around. I’m asking you something.”

Deng Yun chuckled, “You didn’t speak loudly, but your hitting strength is pretty strong.”

Thinking back, the elders had frequently talked about the TV series and actors, which should have indicated that they were making a wrong investment.

Just six months later, the once-vibrant businesspeople in the hotel’s private room, drinking and toasting, had almost all turned into homeless failures.

On the day Xu Muzi moved out of the villa, she and Deng Yun had their last meeting.

They could no longer afford a moving company and had to pack everything themselves, moving box after box of belongings into a bread van they had borrowed with great difficulty, transporting it to their newly rented home.

After her parents’ first trip left, Xu Muzi was left alone in the messy living room of the villa, sorting and moving items.

Deng Yun had come by; he took the cardboard box from her hands and teased, “Didn’t you say you’d learn to insure your hands like those pianists after you make it big? Why are you willing to move things now?”

Xu Muzi felt a bit disheartened, “What chance is there to make it big anymore?”

Deng Yun, like that time in the piano room, tapped her forehead with his knuckles.

Then he asked her, “So, what are your plans?”

Xu Muzi said she still wanted to continue her studies.

But her scholarship hadn’t come through yet, and she was short on tuition, currently looking for ways to earn money.

The plan was suggested by Deng Yun.

It was as if he had anticipated her predicament; he helped her send her resume to a hotel abroad that was hiring pianists.

Xu Muzi had enough awards, and the school was well-known, so the hotel replied via email, agreeing to an interview.

“When did you help me send my resume?” she asked.

“Before you returned to the country.”

“But those awards…”

“Your mom repeats them every time she drinks too much; it’s not surprising that I know about them.”

Xu Muzi’s nose felt a bit sour.

Deng Yun said, “Don’t be so emotional; hold it in. If you cry in front of me, I won’t be able to sleep.”

That day, Deng Yun said that no matter how busy he was, he couldn’t help much; she just had to work hard.

Before her parents returned, Deng Yun left.

Just like those days when they would sneak out to meet each other, it felt like they would see each other again soon. When they parted, they didn’t say formal goodbyes like “see you later” or “take care.”

Their communications, whether it was rebellious activities late at night, playful banter, or serious discussions about their futures, had always felt natural.

Unlike now, even though they had just been intimate, there was still a hint of awkwardness.

Xu Muzi walked to the door of the terrace and knocked on the glass twice.

After Deng Yun turned around, she opened the door a crack: “I… finished the call.”

Deng Yun stepped inside.

He was fresh from the rain, walked past her, and sat in the chair at the computer desk.

Both of them had regained their composure.

Just moments ago, their hearts were pounding, as if driven by impulse.

Deng Yun calmly asked, “What were you thanking me for just now?”

Xu Muzi found her hair tied up uncomfortably, her scalp hurt. She tugged at a strand to adjust it while mentally organizing her words.

She spoke, “At the end of last year, I received the birthday gift you had prepared earlier.”

She recounted her reconnection with that boy’s family, omitting his disrespectful comments about Deng Yun’s family, simply stating it was because her family’s business was struggling and that’s why they hadn’t received the gift in time.

Years ago, Xu Muzi had asked Deng Yun if he had forgotten her birthday because of those changes.

At that time, he hadn’t said anything.

He never mentioned the existence of the dress, nor did he explain anything.

That dress was a runway piece from a niche brand.

Before their families went bankrupt, spending tens of thousands on a dress might not have seemed like a big deal to Deng Yun.

He had some ways of making money and savings; at most, it could be considered a somewhat larger-than-usual expense, but it was definitely not excessive.

However, after all they had been through, in the present context, the price of the dress was evidently too expensive.

“Thank you, the dress is beautiful.”

When Xu Muzi said this with such seriousness, she suddenly felt a strange sensation.

Expressing such gratitude seemed almost like a farewell?

She started to panic.

She didn’t know how to explain that she didn’t mean it that way.

After recalling everything about Deng Yun at the inn, as well as the kiss they had just shared…

None of it, she didn’t want it to be a goodbye.

In her flurry, Xu Muzi worried that Deng Yun might say something similar, like apologizing for their impulsive act.

She dreaded hearing “sorry” or “I apologize,” and hurriedly looked up—

Deng Yun was sitting calmly in the computer chair.

The person who had been frowning while kissing her just moments ago now looked at her with calm, his hesitation and doubts gone, as if he had settled on some kind of decision.

Xu Muzi didn’t know about Deng Yun’s internal struggles regarding morality; she only sensed he had returned to that easy-going demeanor he once had.

Deng Yun showed no remorse for his previous actions and candidly brought up the questions they had been avoiding since they met.

He asked, “Xu Muzi, have you been well these past few years?”