Dazzling

Qing Ye thus followed the young man downstairs and walked straight to the center stage. Many eyes focused on her, and numerous guests from the VIP booths stepped out to lean against the railings. After all, while singing and dancing performances were commonplace here, piano recitals were unheard of. Such highbrow entertainment didn't quite fit the venue's atmosphere, and this shabby county town hardly had anyone who could play piano well. Had it not been for that pretentious Manager Jia's insistence on flaunting his refined tastes today, they'd never have witnessed a live piano performance.

Qing Ye didn't sit down immediately upon reaching the piano. She scanned the surroundings - the entire venue had dimmed its lights, and the DJ had stopped mixing, now leaning over his console watching her intently.

A spotlight suddenly illuminated Qing Ye, making her white high-neck wool dress glow. A thin black belt at her waist accentuated her perfectly proportioned figure, while softly curled dark hair cascaded beside her delicate cheeks, shimmering under the light. Her brilliant eyes appeared cleansed by rain, radiating pure clarity. With each blink, her gaze remained tranquil and composed. Though her frame seemed delicate, standing alone on stage she exuded a unique presence that made it difficult for anyone to look away.

Qing Ye turned slightly toward the exclusive VIP booth upstairs, offering a smile and nod of acknowledgment to show proper respect for Boss Jiang's esteemed status.

Then she calmly took her seat, opened the piano lid, and lightly touched the black and white keys, suddenly experiencing a long-lost sensation.

For someone like her who'd achieved the highest piano level before elementary school and started competing nationwide afterward, piano was merely an essential buff in the ruthless competition of life - nothing extraordinary. Nearly all her former classmates could play several instruments.

Thus Mozart's classic pieces were already deeply ingrained in her muscle memory. However, since her mother's departure, she'd lost all motivation to practice. Truth be told, it had been ages since she last touched these keys.

Her fingers descended on the keyboard, producing a sudden "ding" that sounded rather abrupt. She then placed her left hand and played another key. Boss Jiang grew anxious, glancing back at Xing Wu: "Wu Zi, can your friend actually play?"

Xing Wu leaned against the second-floor railing, watching the scene below with complete composure.

Just as Boss Jiang finished speaking, a series of cheerful, fluid melodies burst forth from the stage. Qing Ye opened with Mozart's universally recognizable "Rondo Alla Turca," the eighth notes flowing seamlessly as lively variations danced through the rapid tempo, instantly capturing everyone's attention. Her hands moved with agile speed across the black and white keys, almost magically. During the second section's sixteenth notes, her fingers accelerated like an unstoppable torrent rushing downstream, continuously building toward climax before leaping across several octaves directly into another of Mozart's compositions - the "Sonata in C Major."

Uncertain which Mozart piece this Manager Jia preferred, Qing Ye opted for a grand medley. As she played, her fluency increased. Though the piano was terrible - who knew where they'd dragged it from - her musical intuition gradually returned, and she found herself playing with growing feeling.Without sheet music and no time to prepare online, she had to rely on memory for her blind performance. For the parts she couldn’t quite recall, she improvised freely. To outsiders, it sounded seamless—her graceful posture and fluid piano melodies created an utterly enjoyable experience.

Xing Wu lowered his head to light a cigarette, his figure standing in the shadows as the intensity in his eyes deepened. He remembered how Da Hei had dated a vocational school girl last year—a girl so unattractive it was almost painful to look at. Hua Bi and the others would tease Da Hei whenever they saw him, joking that he’d rather close his eyes and imagine a beauty than face reality. Eventually, Da Hei became too embarrassed to bring his girlfriend around, feeling she wasn’t presentable.

Xing Wu had always believed that as long as he liked the woman he chose, that was enough. But at this moment, he finally understood the pride of having a girlfriend who truly stood out. As the lively melody flowed from Qing Ye’s fingertips, filling every corner of the room, Xing Wu felt an unexpected surge of pride for her.

Qing Ye concluded with a melody from Mozart’s opera La finta giardiniera. Truthfully, she couldn’t remember the exact score, but she was certain no one in this venue could distinguish whether it was Mozart’s work or something composed by their elementary school music teacher. So, she improvised based on the fragmented melodies in her memory. As for why she chose La finta giardiniera to end her performance, she lifted her hands after the final note and cast a sarcastic smile toward Boss Jiang.

Thunderous applause followed. She rose gracefully, bowed her head slightly, and calmly walked back to the booth. The moment she entered, Boss Jiang enthusiastically said, “Wu Zi, your friend really saved the show. Introduce us.”

Xing Wu stood up, took his coat, and walked around to Qing Ye’s side. He draped the coat over her shoulders, took her hand, and led her to Boss Jiang. “Qing Ye, this is Boss Jiang.”

Qing Ye greeted him with neither humility nor arrogance, “Boss Jiang.”

Boss Jiang’s gaze, however, lingered on Xing Wu’s hand holding Qing Ye’s. Suddenly, he smirked playfully and said, “Oh, since when did Wu Zi start dating?”

Xing Wu didn’t respond directly. Instead, he pulled Qing Ye closer to his side. Shu Han looked up at them, her brows furrowed with lingering unease. She never expected Xing Wu to actually get involved with this girl. Though he was younger than her, she had always known him to be mature beyond his years—outwardly indifferent to everyone, yet deeply perceptive and cautious in his dealings. While the girl might hold some appeal for him, Shu Han never thought Xing Wu would act so impulsively and recklessly. It was completely unlike him. Watching him protectively shield Qing Ye now, she felt an inexplicable irritation.

She pulled out a cigarette and lit it, her hand trembling slightly—whether from drinking too much or some other reason, it was hard to tell. Quan Ya placed a firm hand on her shoulder, pressing down heavily.

Qing Ye wasn’t one to stir up trouble unnecessarily. Xing Wu knew exactly why she had stepped in. Without hesitation, he made his stance clear: “If we’re talking about saving the show, it’s not the first time I’ve done it for you here, Boss Jiang.”

Boss Jiang immediately understood. Xing Wu’s people had just bailed him out—it would be unwise to cause them any more trouble.Boss Jiang's business had flourished over the years primarily because he understood human nature, always giving face where it was due.

Perhaps earlier, Boss Jiang had mistakenly assumed Xing Wu was defending Shu Han with ulterior motives. But with Qing Ye's arrival, he suddenly dropped his guard and resumed addressing Xing Wu like a brother.

Qing Ye sat quietly beside Xing Wu, listening. She could tell Boss Jiang genuinely admired Xing Wu—even urging him to work under him after graduation, promising a leadership position and fair treatment. Xing Wu brushed it off, saying graduation was still far off and they'd discuss it later.

After sharing two drinks with Xing Wu, Boss Jiang stopped giving them trouble. Soon after, Xing Wu stood up, citing other matters as he prepared to leave.

As they were leaving, Boss Jiang suddenly remembered something and remarked, "Wu, didn't you beat up Little Cao from the shooting range this morning?"

Xing Wu frowned. Boss Jiang, seated on the sofa, said meaningfully, "People from the Dark Hall have been asking around here. Find a chance to settle things with that Little Cao."

Xing Wu nodded without a word and turned to leave. Quan Ya and Shu Han also stood and followed him out.

Outside Le Zhi Xing, the sky had darkened completely. Though it was still evening, fierce winds whipped through like midnight, stirring clouds of dust from the distant ground that stung the eyes. Qing Ye immediately covered her nose and mouth.

Shu Han, wearing knee-high boots, lit a cigarette while turning away from the wind and glanced at Xing Wu. He turned to Qing Ye and said, "The wind's strong. Wait inside with Quan Ya. I need a word with Sister Shu."

Qing Ye glanced at Shu Han's vacant expression but said nothing, simply nodding at Xing Wu.

She and Quan Ya retreated to the lobby of Le Zhi Xing. Through the floor-to-ceiling glass, they saw Xing Wu and Shu Han talking by the alley entrance. Even the hem of Xing Wu's leather jacket flapped wildly in the wind. He never wore much in winter, yet never complained of the cold—his sharp, lean silhouette stark against the gale.

Qing Ye watched them for a moment before suddenly asking Quan Ya, "What exactly is this county sports meet that Da Cao mentioned last time?"

Quan Ya casually pulled out a cigarette and replied tonelessly, "The county's youth games. Held every March."

"Why does he want Xing Wu to participate?"

Quan Ya glanced sideways at Qing Ye. "Their feud has lasted years. If Da Cao's insisting he join, it won't be straightforward."

Qing Ye frowned, her gaze lingering on Xing Wu. "Will he go?"

Quan Ya exhaled a wisp of smoke that fogged the glass, his eyes cool. "Some things are beyond our control. Avoiding it won't bring peace. His rivalry with the An Zhi crew started in middle school. Da Cao grew up at the shooting range—he's backed by the Dark Hall. Wu has known Boss Jiang since childhood. The Dark Hall needs money, so they won't easily cross Boss Jiang."

"But Boss Jiang's earlier words weren't without reason. Sooner or later, Wu will have to settle things with Da Cao. After all, two tigers can't share one mountain. If Wu doesn't plan to work for Boss Jiang after graduation, then Boss Jiang won't protect him anymore. That's just how reality works."

Suddenly, Qing Ye understood the subtext of Boss Jiang and Xing Wu's conversation—the invitation to work after graduation, the urgency to resolve things with Da Cao. What seemed like casual chatter was actually every word carefully steering Xing Wu.So it turned out that Qing Ye had been too naive before. She thought Xing Wu could swagger around Zhazha Pavilion because he was tough, fierce, and no one dared to provoke him. But only today did she realize this was just part of the reason. As one grows older, fists carry diminishing weight in the adult world, replaced by the influence that grants you a voice.

And the power behind Xing Wu was Boss Jiang. However, this mountain could shield him temporarily, yet vanish without a trace if he chose the wrong path. Just as Quan Ya said, many things were simply this harshly realistic. Qing Ye instantly felt an lingering worry cloud her heart.

Right then, she saw through the glass that something had sparked a dispute between Shu Han and Xing Wu. Suddenly throwing away his cigarette butt, Shu Han shoved Xing Wu’s recently injured arm. Xing Wu’s face tightened, but he stood firm and unmoving. Qing Ye’s face instantly turned pale, and she spun around to rush out.