CH 25

How about I give you a gift in return?

Luo Lingsheng finally agreed to the dinner request.

The restaurant selected by Shi Yunnan was located in the city center. The owner was a French couple, and the food they cooked was authentic French cuisine.

The two came early and chose the window seat.

Compared to the hall where people come and go, it was relatively more secluded, and very close to the performance stage. It was an excellent dining location.

Shi Yunnan shook his wine glass and took the initiative to raise it, “Luo Lingsheng, may I give you a toast? Consider it a thank you for this period of time.”

“Thanks?” Luo Lingsheng recalled the word.

“En.”

Shi Yunnan was a person who must take his revenge, but he was also a person who remembered gratitude.

Although in the mouths of outsiders, Luo Lingsheng was an inhuman controller, Shi Yunnan didn’t think so, “You’ve helped me leave the Shi house and defended me at the Zhao banquet, I…”

“You don’t need to thank me, even without me, you can still handle those things very well.” Luo Lingsheng readily stopped him.

Perhaps due to this relatively comfortable environment, his usual coldness had eased a lot.

Shi Yunnan showed a clear smile, and raised his glass to propose a toast.

After a simple appetizer, two exquisite clear and fish soup were served.

“When I studied abroad, there was a French restaurant near the school that made a very good fish soup.”

Shi Yunnan scooped the rich fish soup with a spoon, and tasted it after the heat dissipated slightly.

He nodded contently, “This restaurant is not bad, why don’t you give it a try?”

Luo Lingsheng didn’t really like the smell of fish.

Seeing Shi Yunnan’s approving look, after hesitating for half a second, he took a small sip, “It’s quite fresh.”

Shi Yunnan took another sip of the soup and indifferently mentioned the past, “When I was a child, I was afraid that the fishbone would get stuck in my throat, so I couldn’t swallow even after holding it in until my face turned red…”

He was not a person who liked to air out his grievances, and felt that there was no need to chase the past. But in front of Luo Lingsheng, he just wanted to talk about irrelevant and trivial things.

“I have an unpleasant experience with fishbone stuck in my throat, but I really like the taste of fish, so I can only drink fish soup to relieve my cravings.”

Luo Lingsheng asked in a gentle voice, “If you like it, why not learn how to cook it by yourself?”

“No, I’m afraid of blowing up the kitchen.” Shi Yunnan had a clear understanding about himself.

While he was chatting with Luo Lingsheng, he drank the soup without missing a single bite.

When Luo Lingsheng saw his gluttonous appearance, the corners of his mouth rose up slightly. Suddenly he felt that the fish soup seemed to be quite delicious.

The two of them chatted casually like this until the main course was served. By then, melodious music came from the side.

Shi Yunnan moved his line of sight——

On the small stage not far from them, a young foreigner in a white suit was playing the violin with dim lights shining on his head, passionately enthralled by the instrument.

Shi Yunnan carefully and earnestly looked at this scene, showing a rare trace of nostalgia, “…This melody seems to be ‘Souvenir’.”

Luo Lingsheng captured the complex expression revealed by the other party. Recalling the musical ability of the Wen family, he guessed, “Have you learned anything related to music before?”

“Yes, when my mother was still alive, she taught me and my brother.” Shi Yunnan moved his eyes back and answered faintly.

“My brother learns the cello, and I learn the violin. On our seventh birthday, she also gave each of us a big and small violin.”

“My violin is pure white with my own name engraved on it.”

Luo Lingsheng’s mind was clamoring, “What about later?”

“There is no later. That violin is broken.”

“After my mother died, I was sent abroad. While I was busy adapting to the new life, I lost that violin.”

Shi Yunnan played with the handle of the spoon, and pressed down the pain at the bottom of his heart. He deliberately concealed some facts.

The year when Shi Yunnan first went abroad, old man Shi arranged him into a completely closed off school, saying that he wanted him to integrate into foreign language environment as soon as possible.

But how could an eight year old child possibly adapt when he was suddenly sent abroad?

Whenever it was quiet at night, Shi Yunnan used to hold the violin and recall the time when his mother was still alive, and when he and Wen Yibei always had to learn the same piece of music.

Whoever finished the training first would get a fruity candy as a reward.

When he was a child, Shi Yunnan didn’t dare to play at night for fear of disturbing his classmates. He was concerned about other people, but they might not necessarily think of him.

One day, when he returned to the dormitory after class, he found that his classmates were smashing his violin with a fat senior student. They deliberately mocked him for being a poor Chinese kid with no parents.

That was Shi Yunnan’s first fight in his life, and without a doubt, he lost very miserably.

With a bruised nose and a swollen face, he hugged the broken violin, and finally had a through realization—

His mother died, his brother was not around, and his father was having a new family. He was no longer a carefree young master, and no one could protect him all the time.

He could only work hard to sharpen his claws and learn to be strong to protect himself.

“What are you thinking about?”

Luo Lingsheng saw Shi Yunnan’s rapidly sinking emotions, and made a noise to bring him back.

Shi Yunnan returned to his senses and habitually used a smile to cover it up, “I was thinking it’s a pity that I gave up violin halfway. I’m too embarrassed to show my incompetence side.”

He looked at Luo Lingsheng’s handsome face that he couldn’t get tired of seeing, and the sadness in his heart suddenly dissipated a lot.

“Otherwise, I can go up and play a song for you alone tonight, and let you be my audience.”

Luo Lingsheng knew that this was mostly a joke, but recalling Shi Yunnan’s lonely look when he was deep in his memories, he responded—

“If you still like it, you can pick it up and learn it at any time. No matter how good or bad the performance is, I can be your audience in the future.”

The wine soaked voice was particularly deep, giving people a sense of stability that had never been felt before.

Shi Yunnan met his deep gaze, stunned for two seconds, and then laughed heartily.

“Luo Lingsheng.”

“There’s no need to wait til the future, I’ll play it for you now.”

Shi Yunnan suddenly felt the itch to get up and twirl his fingers, but he didn’t forget to give a warm reminder with a smile.

“You should prepare yourself, I’m going to get on stage and pollute your ears.”

Luo Lingsheng showed a pleasant look in return, “Okay.”

Shi Yunnan took advantage of the gap between the performances and came on stage. He and the foreign brother briefly communicated, and the other party agreed to give him the violin in his hand.

Shi Yunnan took the other party’s musical instrument and bowed politely to thank him.

After the other party stepped off the stage, he stood facing Luo Lingsheng’s direction to meet the man’s gaze.

When their eyes met, it seemed as if the surroundings had quieted down.

The inertial memory hidden in his bones allowed Shi Yunnan to set up a good posture. He closed his eyes slightly for four or five seconds in preparation and pulled out the first note smoothly and fluently.

On the small and simple stage, only a slanted light scattered on the flower wall behind him.

Shi Yunnan was immersed in light and shadow, even the scattered hair showed a thin layer of light.

His slender fingers were pressing the strings and pulling the bow, and even if the melody occasionally paused, it was difficult to prevent him from being in a quiet and beautiful state at the moment.

Like a bewitched hunter, Luo Lingsheng stared at him without blinking, until his breath burnt with the melody, until his repressed and closed heart shook with a trace of emotion called ‘possession’.

Until the brief melody ceased—

Shi Yunnan on the stage looked at him again, as if he was asking silently with his eyes: How was it?

For the first time, Luo Lingsheng wasn’t stingy with his own smile in front of outsiders, and gave the applause a qualified audience should have done.

…

Shi Yunnan hadn’t played violin for many years. This melody was the one he remembered the most, but in less than a minute, he still made too many mistakes and paused too many times.

The always fearless Shi Yunnan was so nervous that his palms were sweating. Even so, Luo Lingsheng’s response gave him the best compliment.

Shi Yunnan couldn’t hide the smile on his brows. He stepped off the stage and handed the violin back to its owner, “Little brother, thank you for lending me your instrument.”

“You’re welcome, sir, your music is excellent.”

Shi Yunnan raised his eyebrows in surprise, “With my on and off performance?”

“But there is love in your melody, and my ears can tell it apart.” The foreign brother still insisted on his praise, and said bluntly, “And you are very good-looking.”

Shi Yunnan was stunned. He caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of his eye, the next second, he showed a generous smile.

“Thank you, I like your performance too.”

Shi Yunnan’s eye shape was very good-looking, especially his smile that always gave off an indescribable sense of temptation.

He had always recognized his own excellence and made no secret of his use of it, just like now——

The little foreign brother blushed at the sight of his smile, and immediately expressed it in broken Chinese.

“Sir, can I ask for your contact information? If you like, I can teach you to play the violin in the future.”

As soon as he finished speaking, there was an unpleasant refusal behind him, “He shouldn’t be able to give you his contact information.”

The foreign little brother was stunned for a moment, then turned to face Luo Lingsheng who was controlling the wheelchair. Suddenly, he felt an unspeakable fear because the other party was looking at him with scrutiny and a powerful aura that wasn’t really friendly.

Shi Yunnan couldn’t help but narrow his eyes with a smile, as cunning as a little fox who had accomplished some amusing trick.

He quickly bypassed the foreign brother and walked back to Luo Lingsheng’s side, “Sorry, my husband seems to be jealous.”

The foreign brother immediately understood the relationship between the two, and after feeling embarrassed for two seconds, he put on a sincere smile, “I’m sorry, I was too rash.”

“You two look like a good match, I wish you happiness!”

“Thanks.”

Shi Yunnan naturally accepted this blessing.

Luo Lingsheng sat in the wheelchair without saying a word. Shi Yunnan was not afraid to anger him, he pushed his wheelchair out.

While pushing and walking, he also teased him.

“Luo Lingsheng, that foreign brother said that we are a good match, what should we do?”

“What do you mean?”

Shi Yunnan walked around in front of him with an inexplicable complacent look, “It is said that after being together for a long time, we’ll look more and more like a pair of husbands.”

“The longer we’ve been together, the more compatible we are in the eyes of outsiders?”

Husbands, together, a good match.

Luo Lingsheng’s eyes shimmered, and the unspeakable jealousy was dispelled by these three words.

He didn’t agree, but didn’t refute either. There was just a subtle upward tick at the corner of his mouth, “Alright, let’s go home.”

“Ok.”

…

A week later.

Shi Yunnan stayed in his room to study the new season jewelry design.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door, accompanied by a milky excitement, “Little uncle, I’m Little Goldfish, are you taking a nap?”

“No.”

Shi Yunnan immediately approached with a smile.

As soon as the door was opened, Little Goldfish sprawled on his legs, his round bright eyes were filled with uncontrollable excitement and thrill.

Shi Yunan squatted down and maintained a head-to-head communication with him, “Have you finished your study session? What are you so happy about?”

Although he didn’t have to go to school on weekends, like other rich little young masters, Little Goldfish was arranged by Luo Lingsheng to train in equestrian and other courses.

Looking at the time, it should not be long after the private lesson ended.

“Little uncle, are you busy?” Little Goldfish took his hand and shook it.

“Not busy.”

“Then why don’t you come downstairs with me? Uncle is waiting for us on the first floor.”

Shi Yunnan raised his eyebrows in surprise, “He’s back already?”

Didn’t Luo Lingsheng usually have to be busy until five or six o’clock before he could come home? Why did he come back so early today?

Little Goldfish nodded his head like pounding on garlic, looking forward to it, “He just brought back a big treasure. He said it’s up to you to dismantle it! Little uncle, hurry up.”

“Big treasure?” Shi Yunnan became curious and simply hugged Little Goldfish, “Okay, I’ll go down with you to take a look.”

Little Goldfish put his arms around his neck obediently, and huddled in his arms without moving, “En!”

They went to the big living room on the first floor.

Luo Lingsheng sat quietly on the sofa. On the coffee table in front of him was a rectangular white box, which should be the ‘big treasure’ in the mouth of Little Goldfish.

“What’s this?” Shi Yunnan put Little Goldfish down and looked at Luo Lingsheng in surprise.

Luo Lingsheng raised his chin slightly, “It’s for you, open it and take a look?”

“Really for me?”

On the sideline, Little Goldfish was so anxious that he stomped his feet, “Little uncle, hurry up, hurry up.”

“Okay, I know, why are you in such a hurry.” Shi Yunnan rubbed the child’s head and opened the box with a smile.

The moment his sight touched the inside of the gift box, the smile on his face completely froze—

Resting in the box was a brand new pure white violin, only the symbols on both sides of the surface were golden. Its upper side panel was engraved with a line of golden letters.

Y.NAN.

It was an abbreviation of his name.

Shi Yunnan was stunned in place for a while. When his smile recovered, a gleam of water suddenly filled his eyes.

The current violin was almost no different from the one he received when he was seven years old!

How did Luo Lingsheng know? Where did he get this?

Shi Yunnan couldn’t hide his visibly touched emotion. For a moment, he didn’t know how to express it, so he had to ask dryly.

“You, what did you give me the violin for?”

“Because I saw that you had fun at the restaurant last time. Consider it as a return gift for the watch you gave me.”

Luo Lingsheng paused for a moment, then added deliberately, “If you don’t like it, you can just leave it alone.”

Shi Yunnan’s eyes returned to the violin, his thoughts were in disorder.

He had dreamed of becoming a ‘violinist’ when he was a child, but it had long since disappeared as he got older.

When Shi Yunnan occasionally passed by the music instrument store, or when he saw other people playing, he still felt nostalgic. But after working and earning money, he never bought another one for himself.

Because the skills were unfamiliar, because no one would listen, and because he couldn’t turn back.

But at this moment, because of his shabby performance at the restaurant, Luo Lingsheng gave him such a gift.

Shi Yunnan would be lying if he said he wasn’t surprised and moved.

Shi Yunnan had received gifts from many people, but only this violin had landed heavily on his heart.

“Wow! So beautiful!”

Little Goldfish approached with envy on his face.

He reached out his little hand cautiously into the box, and stopped just in time for fear of breaking it.

Little Goldfish turned around and grabbed Luo Lingsheng’s wrist, his cheeks puffing with anger—

“Uncle, you are biased. You only buy gift for little uncle.”

“In your heart, you like little uncle the most!”

The child’s sonorous voice pierced that little-known fact.

“……”

Indeed, the ‘biased’ Luo Lingsheng was silent for a second and changed the subject without making it too obvious.

“You haven’t learned the violin, what do you want this gift for?”

Little Goldfish raised his head and answered, “I can learn, can little uncle be my teacher?”

Shi Yunnan fiddled with his small hand and shook his head, “I’ve almost forgotten everything, I can’t teach our clever Little Goldfish.”

Little Goldfish quickly thought of a solution, “Then let uncle find a teacher for us, and you can accompany me to study, okay?”

His eyes moved back and forth between the two adults’ faces, eager to get their approval.

“If you really want to learn, I will ask Grandpa Qin to find a teacher for you.”

Luo Lingsheng responded with rare indulgence.

He met Little Goldfish’s instant happy gaze and gave him a hint with his eyes.

Little Goldfish was very smart, and immediately hugged Shi Yunnan’s thigh, “Little uncle, shall we learn together?”

“Little uncle! Little uncle! Little…”

Shi Yunnan was defeated by this coquettish child, his heart was also vaguely moved, saying, “Good, you clingy slime, I’ll accompany you ok?”

“Little uncle, pinkie promise!”

“Pinkie promise.”

Seeing that his wish was fulfilled, Little Goldfish immediately ran to the housekeeper to announce the good news, looking like a short-legged corgi.

Shi Yunnan looked back with a smile and suddenly caught a glimpse of the watch on Luo Lingsheng’s wrist. After the initial stirred emotion, his thoughts became lively again——

Since Luo Lingsheng had the heart to give him the violin, did that mean the other remembered what he liked when he accidentally blurted it out?

“Luo Lingsheng.”

“En?”

Shi Yunnan gave him a charming smile, “Thank you for your gift, I like it very much.”

“It’s good that you like it.”

Shi Yunnan got his answer and slowly approached the man.

Luo Lingsheng sat quietly on the sofa, letting the other party shorten the distance little by little, the back hidden under the shirt was tuat.

The two were so close that even their breath collided, and the ambiguous and blurred factor exploded in the air.

Shi Yunnan’s eyes wandered to Luo Lingsheng’s thin lips, and every breath carried a provocation, “How about I give you another gift in return?”

Luo Lingsheng’s well suppressed heart finally began to fluctuate, and a deep sense of possessiveness appeared in the depths of his pupils.

Suddenly, the phone rang, dissipating the romantic atmosphere.

Shi Yunnan, who was interrupted, had to get up and blow his bangs a little irritably, wishing to throw away the phone that was in the way.

Luo Lingsheng frowned indistinctly, his back almost stiffened, and he watched in silence as Shi Yunan picked up the phone.

“Hello?”

“Hello, Mr. Shi, I’m Lou Yuan. I’m sorry for taking the liberty to disturb you, but the matter is urgent, I can only contact you directly.”

Shi Yunnan’s eyes changed slightly, realizing that something was wrong, “Miss Lou, you can tell me if you have something.”

“Mr. Shi, I believe that the appearance of the products you designed for our Lou company is original, but just half an hour ago, Zhao Group launched a new series of air cushion foundations for pre-sale.”

“I looked at their product concept art, the air cushion appearance and your design…”

Lou Yuan paused for two seconds, then selectively said, “From my personal point of view, it’s very likely that they’ve plagiarized your original design.”

The author has something to say:

#Little Fox: Relationship and career are both snatched!