As if afraid that this surge of emotion might slip away, Ye Nan instinctively stepped forward, a rare flicker of urgency flashing across his usually gentle face."Wait a moment!""Why don't we exchange contact information? It'll be easier to keep in touch." Xia Kelan hooked her finger at him.Ye Nan immediately handed her his phone.After inputting her number, she returned it, her fingertip brushing lightly against his palm.Ye Nan's Adam's apple bobbed slightly as he forced down the restlessness within him."When this is over… would you like to have dinner together?"Xia Kelan teased deliberately, "Aren't you afraid your girlfriend might get upset?""It's just dinner. She's not that unreasonable.""Alright then."
At that moment, in the secluded piano rehearsal room backstage, the sound of their duet resonated softly.As it was their first time collaborating, a few minor flaws were inevitable.Time ticked away rapidly.After their final rehearsal, Su Wanwan let out a long breath."That was excellent."Fu Liangmu glanced at the time and said coldly, "It's just about time.""Mm."Su Wanwan stood up, intending to stretch a little.But she rose too quickly; darkness clouded her vision, dizziness followed, and she fell backward uncontrollably.Fu Liangmu reacted swiftly, catching her in his arms. Beneath the mask, his face was etched with concern."What's wrong?"As her vision cleared, Su Wanwan quickly stepped out of his embrace, her entire body flushed with warmth rising to her forehead."Probably just a bit of low blood sugar. Nothing serious. I just need a moment."Still worried, Fu Liangmu asked directly, "Didn't you have breakfast? How could your blood sugar still drop?"Su Wanwan looked up, slightly startled.How did he know that?Realizing he had let something slip, Fu Liangmu hastily added, "The professor mentioned he called you earlier.""Oh."Su Wanwan's suspicion eased.Indeed, Luen had called to ask where she was. At that time, she had barely taken a few bites before putting down her chopsticks in a rush, afraid the old man was waiting.Unexpectedly, the driver took the main road, which was jammed for nearly half an hour.
"Sit still."Fu Liangmu pressed her onto the sofa and poured her a cup of warm water before quickly leaving."Hey! Where are you going? It's almost our turn!"But by the time she finished her sentence, Fu Liangmu was already out of sight.
He returned swiftly, carrying a bowl of millet porridge, a bamboo basket of soup dumplings, and a handful of candies."Eat a little—replenish your energy."Su Wanwan's heart quivered faintly."You… you went out just to buy this for me?"She looked toward Fu Liangmu's face, trying to read his expression—only to be met with the cold, unreadable silver mask."Mm. Hurry up and eat."Fu Liangmu placed the food on the table, broke the chopsticks apart, and handed them to her."Thank you…"Su Wanwan bit her lip, awkwardly taking a seat.As she ate, she would occasionally steal glances at the strange man before her.It seemed… this was just his personality—not directed at her specifically.
"Why is your name simply 'F'?""The piano is merely a hobby. I don't wish for it to dominate my life."Su Wanwan nodded thoughtfully.It appeared F's sentiments aligned closely with her own.
With her stomach now satisfied, Su Wanwan popped two pieces of candy into her mouth.A staff member approached to inform them that Luen was delivering his closing speech. It was almost their turn.
She and Fu Liangmu sat before the television, watching the live feed.Luen stood tall on stage, shoulders square, the hand holding the microphone trembling slightly."Xicheng… is the final stop of my national tour.""There are two people here who hold immense importance in my life.""One is my student.""The other is the genius I spent over a decade failing to recruit.""They possess rare musical gifts that fill me with pride and awe.""And yet, they remain humble.""So let this farewell be my final gift to all of you."
The moment he finished, the stage lights abruptly went dark!Gasps echoed through the 2,000-seat music hall.No one had known that Luen had taken on a student.Even fewer imagined there existed someone he had failed to recruit!
At that moment, Su Wanwan and Fu Liangmu rose in unison.As they reached the backstage entrance, they saw Luen walking in with reddened eyes, forcing a smile toward her.Su Wanwan stared at him in silence, her lips curling into the faintest of smiles.In her almond-shaped eyes shimmered nothing but gentleness.Softly, she called out,"Teacher."Luen's body trembled as he stared at her in disbelief, as though he had misheard.Fu Liangmu extended his long, slender fingers to her. His voice was low and steady:"Shall we go?""Yes."Su Wanwan raised her delicate hand.Their fingers intertwined as the two figures slowly disappeared into the darkness.Behind them, tears streamed down Luen's face.
In the audience, hushed whispers spread—no one knew what was truly happening.Just as the murmurs grew louder, a crisp, pure piano note suddenly rang out, silencing the crowd.
A single spotlight descended from above.A man and a woman sat side by side at the piano.The man was dressed in a black suit, spine straight, face obscured by a silver mask.The woman wore a floor-length gown; black lace veiled her flawless upper body, tiny crystals scattered across it like stars.Her slender waist was cinched by a narrow belt, from which a gradient of black to white flowed like liquid light.Her hair was styled into loose waves, cascading casually over her shoulders.She kept her gaze lowered, long lashes trembling, crimson lips lifting in quiet confidence.The spotlight dusted them in silver, casting a cold, ethereal glow over every inch of their skin.
Their very presence drew audible gasps from the crowd.It was… breathtaking.A beauty so intense it stilled the air, sent shivers down spines.
The most stunned among them—Ye Nan and Su Nian."Su… Su Wanwan?"Ye Nan rubbed his eyes furiously, thinking he must be mistaken.But after two years together, how could he not recognize her?So… Luen's words just now—were they about her?
Before the crowd could recover from their shock, the piano began to sing.Their hands danced across the keys, fingers flying, crafting the most exquisite melody.Each note rang out pure and bright, delicate and light.The tempo, the pitch—every detail was flawless, leaving no room for imperfection.Their music filled the hall, enveloping every soul.And everyone—everyone—was utterly entranced.