Lu Xi’s eyes lit up instantly. “Really? You can play the piano? How come I didn’t know that?”
Xie Yizhao gave her a meaningful glance. “You never asked me.”
Lu Xi : “……”
She suddenly remembered.
This conversation felt oddly familiar.
Back when she revealed her design skills, Xie Yizhao had asked her the same thing, and she had responded to him in exactly this way.
Lu Xi glared at him in amusement.
Xie Yizhao, however, simply smiled, his gaze carrying a hint of innocence. He casually plucked at the guitar strings with his fingertips, then, unable to resist, reached out and lightly tapped the tip of her delicate nose.
Then, his expression became serious as he explained, “I’ve been learning piano since I was a child. My family hired a well-known piano teacher. The reason I never told you… is because I didn’t really like it back then. I learned it just for the sake of learning.”
Lu Xi understood.
Xie Yizhao had received elite education from a young age, trained in multiple disciplines—there was no way he had only studied business.
Curious, she pressed on, “Then, what other surprises do you have for me?”
Her tone was playful. Xie Yizhao’s lips curved slightly. After thinking for a moment, he said, “Quite a few. Golf, equestrianism, Go… and waltz.”
When he mentioned the last skill, his voice became slightly vague, as if he was reluctant to bring it up.
Lu Xi, however, couldn’t help but collapse into his arms, rubbing her eyes as she tried to hold back laughter. “You can dance? Oh my god—”
She just couldn’t picture Xie Yizhao dancing. It was completely out of character for him!
Xie Yizhao chuckled softly. In a low voice, he said, “If I had known you’d react like this, I wouldn’t have told you the truth.”
Lu Xi narrowed her eyes.
She found Xie Yizhao’s helpless yet indulgent expression quite amusing. The contrast between his usual composed demeanor and the idea of him learning to dance was just too adorable. She tried hard to suppress her laughter.
“Sorry, I shouldn’t have made fun of you…” Lu Xi thought for a moment, then asked, “Do you dislike all of them?”
Xie Yizhao: “Most of them. Equestrianism is okay, but the rest—I don’t like.”
To be precise, he hated them.
But he had understood early on what responsibilities awaited him in the future. He also knew that sometimes, learning something had nothing to do with personal preference.
A mental image suddenly popped into Lu Xi’s head—a young Xie Yizhao, forced to learn countless things he disliked, his face expressionless yet still focused on his studies.
She suddenly felt a little sorry for him.
Looking at him with sympathy, she said, “That must have been tough for you.”
Xie Yizhao pressed his lips together. “Thank you for your concern, Madam. I managed to survive.”
Lu Xi raised an eyebrow.
Not bad. President Xie had even learned how to crack jokes now.
Since he was joking, she decided to play along. Smiling mischievously, she poked his shoulder with her finger. “When will you dance for me?”
No one but Lu Xi would dare tease him like this. Xie Yizhao chuckled, catching her playful finger and giving it a light squeeze. “Don’t worry. We have plenty of time for that.”
Lu Xi blinked slowly, her cheeks turning slightly red.
Whenever Xie Yizhao looked down at her like this, his deep gaze carrying a hint of amusement, it was especially captivating.
She felt a bit flustered.
Staring directly at him, she lightly tugged at his tie, loosening it slightly, and asked, “Then when will you play the piano for me?”
Xie Yizhao smiled. “Are you free tonight?”
She nodded immediately.
Free, absolutely free. Even if she wasn’t, she would make time for this.
“Then, tonight.”
Lu Xi was a little confused. There was no piano at home. Was Xie Yizhao planning to have one delivered on short notice?
Hmm… actually, that wasn’t impossible.
If he paid now, a piano shop could probably send one over immediately.
When dinner time arrived, Lu Xi and Xie Yizhao went to the dining room together. Sitting down, she couldn’t help but voice her question.
Xie Yizhao simply smiled and, without hiding anything, said, “I’ll take you to another one of my apartments later. There’s a piano there.”
At that moment, Xie Heng stepped out of his room. He was about to head to the elevator when he heard his Dad’s words from downstairs.
His footsteps paused.
He couldn’t resist eavesdropping for a few more seconds.
Lu Xi laughed happily, agreeing enthusiastically. Then, after a brief pause, she suddenly said, “Wait, Xiao Heng is still at home. Leaving him behind while we go out for fun. Doesn’t that seem a little bad?”
Xie Heng exhaled in satisfaction.
As expected, Madam Lu had a heart.
Smirking smugly, he strolled into the elevator in his slippers, then walked leisurely to the dining room. Pulling out a chair, he sat down and acted as if nothing had happened.
Xie Yizhao remained composed. “How’s your recovery today?” he asked.
Xie Heng touched the bridge of his nose, then the spot where he had undergone surgery, and sighed dramatically. “Not great.”
“What’s wrong? Is your wound hurting?” Lu Xi tensed up, almost reaching out to lift his shirt for a check.
Xie Heng quickly explained, “It’s not the wound. It’s my heart.”
Raising his chin, he tapped the floor with his long legs, looking extremely proud. “I already know—you two were planning to ditch me and go listen to some piano music.”
Lu Xi : “……”
This little rascal—he lost his appendix, but his ears only got sharper. Nothing in this house could be hidden from him.
Even Xie Yizhao hadn’t expected this. Slightly surprised, he paused before asking, “You want to come along?”
Xie Heng nodded, speaking righteously. “I’m a patient and still a child. How could you just leave me home alone?”
He looked at the two of them with wide, innocent eyes filled with silent reproach.
And he managed to say ‘alone’ with a completely straight face.
The butler instinctively took a step back, retreating into the shadows and pretending he didn’t exist, afraid of ruining the young master’s good fortune.
Lu Xi : …Why do I suddenly feel guilty?
Like most women in the world, Lu Xi had a weakness. She couldn’t resist a good-looking boy acting coy.
And this boy happened to be her own son.
Faced with a double-layered attack, Lu Xi blinked at Xie Yizhao and said, “Take him along, look at him—he’s so pitiful.”
Xie Heng, having learned without a teacher, also turned to his father and blinked.
Xie Yizhao let out a silent sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose.
In this world, he had only two weaknesses.
Now, both of them were acting spoiled at the same time.
Even he couldn’t resist. Amused, Xie Yizhao relented, “Alright, you can come. But if you get bored, you can’t whine about wanting to leave.”
Xie Heng was momentarily stunned.
How could he possibly get bored?
Lu Xi noticed his confused expression and realized he had only caught the word ‘piano’ and rushed down without listening to the rest. Feeling kind, she explained the situation to him.
Only then did Xie Heng grasp it. His Dad was going to play the piano himself?
That… was shocking!
His Dad could actually play the piano?
Seeing the identical expressions on the mother and son’s faces, Xie Yizhao’s demeanor softened even further. He chuckled and looked at his rebellious son. “So, if you regret it, there’s still time to back out.”
Xie Heng scoffed, stretched out his long legs, and declared, “No way, I’m coming. No one can stop me.”
Lu Xi couldn’t resist ruffling his hair.
The boy was already used to it and didn’t even try to dodge. Instead, he looked pleased and ate faster than usual, to the point where Lu Xi worried he might choke.
After dinner, the family of three prepared to leave.
Since they were just going out together as a family, Lu Xi and Xie Heng didn’t bother changing clothes, opting for casual comfort. Lu Xi, in particular, was feeling giddy. She was about to hear Xie Yizhao play the piano, and that was all she could focus on.
The driver, who lived in the Xie household, rushed out mid-meal when he saw Xie Yizhao preparing to leave.
But Xie Yizhao simply took the keys from him and said calmly, “I’ll drive. You can clock out.”
The driver was briefly stunned, while Lu Xi turned to Xie Heng with a smile. “Tonight, your Dad is our driver. Let’s see how good his driving skills are.”
Xie Heng, feeling at ease, watched as Lu Xi opened the passenger-side door before getting into the backseat himself.
He had never seen his Dad drive before, let alone ridden in a car his Dad was driving. He assumed that, since Xie Yizhao didn’t often touch the steering wheel, his Dad would be a bit rusty. To his surprise, his Dad’s driving was smooth, with a steady pace—neither too fast nor too slow. His Dad held the wheel with one hand, effortlessly in control.
A thought took root in Xie Heng’s mind.
As soon as he graduated high school, the first thing he would do was learn to drive.
Better yet, he’d earn some money on his own and buy a car.
Lu Xi sat in the front passenger seat. She had a special skill—no matter where she was, she could always pull snacks from her tiny handbag.
Even Xie Heng suspected that her bag contained a black hole. How else could it fit lipstick, a phone, snacks, a notepad, and even a pen for jotting down inspiration?
This mystery could be added to the Xie family’s top ten unsolved cases—right alongside the question of how his Dad had managed to win over Ms. Lu in the first place.
At the moment, Lu Xi was munching on finger biscuits. She opened a small packet, ate two, when the man beside her suddenly asked, “Are they good?”
Without thinking, Lu Xi held one up to Xie Yizhao’s lips.
The man smiled slightly and bit down on it, eating it bit by bit. When he took the last bite, his lips brushed against her fingers.
Lu Xi felt a jolt, as if electrocuted, and quickly withdrew her hand.
“*Ahem*—” Just as the atmosphere was turning delicate, a boy cleared his throat from the backseat. “What about mine?”
Lu Xi was exasperated.
This little glutton. After eating so much, he could still eat more?
She seriously suspected that he would grow to be 1.9 meters tall and be able to take on ten people at once.
Since she had fed Xie Yizhao, she couldn’t play favorites. Rolling her eyes, she handed a biscuit to the backseat.
Xie Heng wasn’t as refined—he chomped down on it in one go, snatching it away instantly.
As he chewed on the milky-sweet biscuit, a delayed realization hit him.
Why did his action just now feel so much like a puppy?
Oh well, a puppy it is.
After all, I had tagged along just to eat dog food. Xie Heng thought to himself.
Half an hour later, the car pulled up in front of a villa.
Lu Xi recognized this property—nestled against the mountains and water, with a beautiful environment. According to the documents she had read, one of its many features was a hot spring pool on the west side of the first floor, fed by natural hot spring water. Perfect for relaxation.
Too bad it wasn’t close to Xie Heng’s school. Otherwise, it would have been a great place to live.
Following Xie Yizhao inside, they passed through the entrance, a hallway lined with artwork, and entered the living room. By the floor-to-ceiling window stood a black grand piano.
Lu Xi walked up, lifted the lid, and gently ran her fingers over the keys, feeling the exquisite texture.
She turned to Xie Yizhao with a playful smile and made a ‘please’ gesture, then plopped onto the sofa with Xie Heng, both eagerly watching him.
Xie Yizhao pressed his lips together.
With this level of anticipation, anyone with weak nerves would probably be too flustered to play.
But he had performed in public countless times since childhood, and by now, he was used to all sorts of occasions. Calmly, he took a seat at the piano, his fingers resting on the keys. He glanced at Lu Xi and Xie Heng.
“I’ll just play something random.”
Lu Xi enthusiastically began to applaud.
To avoid standing out, Xie Heng had no choice but to follow along with her clapping rhythm, though his applause was somewhat perfunctory.
Even at this moment, Xie Heng still found it hard to believe that his Dad could play the piano.
Maybe his Dad could… but probably just in a last-minute, cramming sort of way—not professionally. It was difficult to imagine that someone as serious as his Dad could have any connection to something as romantic as the arts.
Xie Yizhao had no idea that his son was mentally dousing him with cold water.
He simply familiarized himself with the keys for a moment before beginning to play.
As the pleasant melody flowed from his fingertips, Xie Heng, despite not understanding piano music, couldn’t help but widen his eyes slightly.
Wow… it sounds amazing!
His Dad could actually play the piano? And play it this well? But… when did he learn?
Xie Heng was so stunned that it took him a minute or two before he remembered to pull out his phone and open the song recognition app.
A few seconds later, the app identified the piece—
A sonata by Schubert.
He couldn’t quite understand the English title, but it looked impressive!
The Dad playing the piano; and the distant, indifferent Dad he knew; seemed like two completely different people.
Although Xie Heng always acted nonchalant, deep down, he truly admired his Dad. But his Dad was too great, too distant. Xie Heng could only watch his back, never knowing how to get closer. Yet he knew just how outstanding his Dad was, not just in his own eyes, but in the eyes of many.
But today, his Dad was dazzling.
From the corner of his eye, Xie Heng saw Lu Xi taking out her phone to record a video. He turned to look and found that her eyes were practically glowing.
He whispered, “Don’t you think my Dad looks really handsome today?”
Lu Xi’s gaze remained fixed on Xie Yizhao. “Of course. When is your Dad not handsome?”
She felt overwhelmed.
She couldn’t focus—was she supposed to listen to the music, admire Xie Yizhao’s elegant hands, or stare at his handsome profile? She had always been drawn to talented people, and she was both a hand and face control. It was safe to say that this time, Xie Yizhao had hit all her weak spots, perfectly.
In short—so handsome!
Xie Heng : …Sorry to interrupt.
A realization suddenly hit him, and he swallowed hard.
Was he being a third wheel again?
Was it too late to make a run for it?