On Sunday, Ye Mingxuan visited several physical stores offline, carefully selecting items. He calculated that the air conditioner, washing machine, and some small appliances would cost around three thousand yuan in total.
Ye Mingxuan calculated that working his part-time job for a week would cover the 3,000 yuan. He’d make up the rest later. Stepping out of the store, he glanced up at the bright sunshine overhead and felt hopeful about the days ahead.
The next day, he returned to school in high spirits. Spotting Lin Jiale entering the classroom, he flashed a smile and greeted her.
But Lin Jiale merely gave him a faint glance before walking past, choosing a nearby seat instead.
Ye Mingxuan froze. He gathered his backpack and walked over to Lin Jiale’s desk, placing the snacks on his table. “Jiale, want some cookies?”
Lin Jiale propped his chin on his hand, looking displeased, and pushed the cookies back. “No, thanks.”
Ye Mingxuan didn’t know what was wrong with Lin Jiale, assuming he’d just stayed up late last night. He pocketed the cookies: “Just tell me if you get hungry.”
“Ye Mingxuan,” Zhang Shushu tapped him from behind, “Can I have some? I overslept and skipped breakfast. I’m starving.”
Ye Mingxuan nodded and shared some cookies with him.
Zhang Shushu’s eyes lit up. “Thanks! I saw these cookies online—they’re so expensive! Ye Mingxuan, you’re really generous.”
Ye Mingxuan scratched his head awkwardly. They were just sitting in the fruit bowl on the coffee table; he’d grabbed a few at random. Ye Mingxuan chuckled twice, glancing at Lin Jiale. The latter didn’t turn to look at him, and Ye Mingxuan sheepishly suppressed his smile.
After the class ended, Ye Mingxuan wanted to talk to Lin Jiale, but Lin Jiale had already grabbed his thermos to refill it.
Ye Mingxuan’s eyes followed him: “Jiale…”
Zhang Shushu, oblivious to their tension, played games nearby.
Ye Mingxuan clearly sensed Lin Jiale was in a foul mood—likely worse than mere sleep deprivation. All morning, Lin Jiale had been listless, barely speaking to him.
To cheer Lin Jiale up, Ye Mingxuan made a special trip to the milk tea shop after class.
Lin Jiale emerged from the library restroom and sat down to read. Suddenly, a cup of milk tea appeared within his line of sight. Ice melted inside, seeping through the plastic cup’s outer wall, forming droplets that rolled down.
Ye Mingxuan sat down: “New flavor from Heytea. Try it and see if you like it.”
Lin Jiale forgot the scorching sun outside the window. Seeing Ye Mingxuan’s hair slightly damp with sweat, a peculiar feeling stirred in her heart: “You went out to buy this?”
Ye Mingxuan pursed his lips: “Yeah.”
Lin Jiale puckered her lips: You… you’re crazy! Running out in this heat to buy milk tea? What about your stomach…” He stopped mid-sentence.
Ye Mingxuan: “?”
He finally asked the question that had been on his mind: “Jiale, why aren’t you happy?”
“…” Lin Jiale snapped, “I’m not unhappy at all.”
Ye Mingxuan: “But you barely spoke all morning.”
Lin Jiale gripped the iced milk tea in his hand, its coolness dispelling the day’s stifling heat. He looked at Ye Mingxuan again, unable to muster anger but still feeling stifled, caught between frustration and resignation: “Mingxuan, are you hiding something from me?”
Ye Mingxuan froze, bewildered. “What?”
Lin Jiale snapped, “Don’t play dumb! That day… I saw everything!”
Ye Mingxuan remained confused until Lin Jiale continued, “That day I followed you to an apartment complex. I saw your mother.”
Ye Mingxuan’s head buzzed, his face instantly draining of color. “What?”
Lin Jiale: “Fine, I admit it. Following you was wrong. Eavesdropping on your conversation was wrong too. But you actually… you actually lied to me!”
Ye Mingxuan: “You heard everything?”
Lin Jiale: “Every word.”
“So I’m done talking to you. Take your milk tea back.” Lin Jiale pushed the drink back toward him and started walking toward the stairs.
Ye Mingxuan scrambled to his feet and chased him to a deserted staircase corner. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to lie to you. I can explain.”
Lin Jiale pouted: “What do you have to explain?”
Ye Mingxuan pressed his lips together: “Since you already know, I’ll tell you everything. Please don’t be angry, okay?”
Lin Jiale sighed: “Go ahead.”……
“Aaaaaaah!”
Lin Jiale screamed, immediately covering her mouth and glancing around to see if anyone was passing by.
Ye Mingxuan jumped in surprise: “But you already knew?”
Lin Jiale: “Hearing it from you is completely different!”
“Tan Sizhe? Oh my god, you actually married Tan Sizhe?” Lin Jiale clutched her heart. “So that means I’m friends with Mrs. Tan? Friends?!”
Ye Mingxuan: “That’s how it is. I’ve told you now. Are you still angry?”
“Angry!”
“Ah…”
“You’re telling me this earth-shattering news only now?! I wasted my trust in you as a friend!”
Ye Mingxuan: ??
Lin Jiale: “Doesn’t it sound like a spy thriller? You marry Tan Sizhe in place of Ye Yufan, and to survive in the Tan family, you have to keep this secret. Sounds pretty cool!”
Ye Mingxuan: “But what if one day I get exposed? I’d die a horrible death…”
Lin Jiale: “Then do your best to keep him from finding out.”
“Besides, you’re already married. You’re carrying his child now. How could Tan Sizhe not feel any affection for you?”
Ye Mingxuan: “But…”
“No buts,” Lin Jiale said. “Don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone.”
Ye Mingxuan: “Are you still angry?”
Lin Jiale smiled: “Not anymore.”
Ye Mingxuan breathed a sigh of relief: “That’s good.”
Lin Jiale: “Mingxuan, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped at you. To make it up to you, I’ll treat you to a movie this Saturday. How about it?”
Ye Mingxuan quickly declined: “No need…”
Lin Jiale insisted: “Yes, you are! I actually owe your husband a debt of gratitude. I made a decent profit buying shares in his company. It’s not a huge sum, but it’s more than enough to treat you to a movie. This way, I’m essentially paying back your family, haha! It’s called spending money where you earn it.”
Ye Mingxuan couldn’t argue with that and smiled in agreement.
He had no classes this afternoon, but there was a club activity. Ye Mingxuan had previously agreed to play a four-hand piano piece with Huang Xiaochu, and now it was time to start practicing.
Huang Xiaochu had chosen the ending theme from Spirited Away, “Always With Me.”
Ye Mingxuan was assigned the lower part, but he could only play Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. So Huang Xiaochu had to teach him his part first.
Xu Liang was playing with his phone nearby. Huang Xiaochu couldn’t stand it anymore and tossed a piece of chalk at him: “What are you doing? If you’re not performing, don’t mess around here. Go play somewhere else.”
Xu Liang flopped onto the table. “Just bored. Came to watch you practice. By the way, how many performances did our club sign up for? It’s not just the four-hand piano duet, is it?”
Xu Liang: “What? Poetry recitation? Great, we’re really screwed now.”
Ye Mingxuan looked up: “Why?”
Xu Liang: “The president only recruits two types of members: those with looks but no talent—meaning zero skills, including singing and reading scripts—and those with looks and some talent. Our only two members with both looks and talent are in that four-hand piano piece. The rest with no talent are in the poetry recitation. The moment they open their mouths, it’s a screeching disaster. How could we not be doomed?”
“So what if they sound like a broken gong? We still have a month. Practice more. Our club got warned last year for low activity. If we don’t get on the show this year, that’s when we’re really done for.”
Huang Xiaochu turned to Ye Mingxuan: “Don’t worry about it. Just keep practicing.”
Ye Mingxuan obediently nodded: “Okay.”
Hearing their conversation, Ye Mingxuan felt anxious about the radio station’s future. This thought suddenly ignited his determination to contribute whatever he could to the club.
He picked things up quickly, making significant progress after just a few practice sessions. Huang Xiaochu was particularly surprised: “Mingxuan, you’re so smart!”
Ye Mingxuan smiled shyly.
“By the way, what’s your major?”
“Civil engineering.”
Huang Xiaochu: “Oh, civil engineering? With your demeanor, I’d have guessed you were into the arts.”
Ye Mingxuan paused, chuckled, then lowered his head to continue practicing.
Dusk gradually enveloped the city as the moon crept silently upward, waiting for nightfall.
Ye Mingxuan pressed the keypad lock, opened the door, and stepped inside. The aroma from the kitchen wafted toward him. He walked toward the kitchen. “Aunt Fu.”
Aunt Fu responded with a mysterious tone: “Hurry upstairs to see the master. He’s brought back something special.”
Ye Mingxuan nodded, wondering what Tan Sizhe had brought back this time. His demeanor didn’t suggest a work trip but rather a hunting expedition, with Ye Mingxuan as the kitten waiting hungrily in its den.
As soon as he reached the second floor, piano music drifted from a room that had been empty before. Ye Mingxuan’s eyes flashed as he remembered something, quickening his pace toward the sound. “Sir?!”
Tan Sizhe sat before the antique piano, looking up at him. “Come here.”
Ye Mingxuan thought he was dreaming: “Sir, how did you bring it here?”
Tan Sizhe raised an eyebrow, ignoring the question as he motioned for him to sit beside him: “Do you still remember how to play?”
Ye Mingxuan nodded vigorously. He remembered everything the teacher had taught him before, and having practiced at school earlier today had cemented the memory.
Tan Sizhe narrowed his phoenix eyes slightly. “Now the teacher will spot-check to see if you play correctly.”
Ye Mingxuan blinked twice. “Right now?” Did the teacher mean he had to play for him immediately?
Tan Sizhe: “Mm.”
Ye Mingxuan took a deep breath, closed his eyes to recall the sheet music, and placed his hands on the keys once he was ready.
Playing with both hands was still challenging for this beginner. Though Ye Mingxuan learned quickly, he still missed a few notes. Overall, however, he managed to play “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” fairly smoothly.
After finishing, Ye Mingxuan looked up at the man with delight, like a cat seeking affection. But he quickly snapped back to reality, realizing he’d overstepped. Fearing criticism, he lowered his head.
He gradually came to understand that to find peace in the cramped maid’s quarters, he must never score higher than Ye Yufan on exams, never display exceptional talent in any area. Slouching was the optimal posture; a servant should look the part—docile, lowly, and mediocre.
Ye Mingxuan suppressed the bitter tears welling up, slumping silently into his seat.
“Nice.”
Ye Mingxuan’s misty eyes met the man’s.
Tan Sizhe clapped his hands together. “Little pianist.”
Ye Mingxuan’s ears flushed crimson. Little pianist?! It was the first time anyone had ever praised him like that, and he’d only played an imperfect piece!
“Thank you, sir.”
Tan Sizhe: “In that case, this room is yours as a practice space. You may use it to rehearse.”
“…” Ye Mingxuan froze. “Rehearse what?”
Tan Sizhe: “Aren’t you performing a four-hand piano duet at the alumni gala?”
Ye Mingxuan: “! Sir, how did you know?!”
Tan Sizhe let out an “Ah”: “Didn’t I tell you?”
He spoke as if stating the most ordinary fact, the corners of his eyes crinkling with amusement: “I’m an honorary alumnus.”
