Chapter 3. What sins have I committed to deserve falling in love with you in this life?

The summer night breeze blew in his face, completely dispelling Bai Xiao's drunkenness. He then fully sobered up and realized what had just happened.

The moment he opened his eyes, he was met with Song Huai's amber eyes—Song Boyu also had amber eyes, his pupils like precious gems, clear and dazzling. When those eyes blinked, Bai Xiao's heart would skip a few beats—Bai Xiao had dreamed of those eyes countless times over the past three years, and when he opened his eyes today and saw them, he almost thought he was still dreaming.

He thought Song Boyu had returned, and couldn't wait to kiss the person he had been longing for day and night. However, after hearing Song Huai's almost desperate cry, he realized that the man in front of him who looked so much like Boyu was Boyu's older brother, Song Huai, and also his new husband.

Song Boyu died three years ago.

Realizing this, a surge of frenzied rage welled up within him. He uncontrollably grabbed Song Huai's neck, as if this could alleviate the guilt of mistaking his lover for someone else. He transformed into a demon beyond his control, inflicting violence on innocent people until he was scalded awake by Song Huai's tears.

When the person in front of him looked at him with those amber eyes brimming with tears, filled with sorrow and despair, he was at a loss for what to do and could only flee in panic.

--

Song Huai woke up on the floor the next day.

Yesterday was a busy and tiring day for the wedding, and last night I was almost strangled to death by Bai Xiao. My emotions fluctuated too much in one day. After enduring the stomach pain, I actually fell asleep on the floor.

He stared blankly at the unfamiliar house before him, the events of yesterday flashing through his mind one after another: marrying Bai Xiao, kissing Bai Xiao, being choked, Bai Xiao slamming the door and leaving... It wasn't until he saw the bruises remaining on his neck in the mirror that Song Huai realized that everything he had experienced yesterday, like a drama, was not a dream, but something that had actually happened.

Then, he felt a wave of nausea wash over him, his head spun, and everything in front of him seemed to be doubled. Song Huai didn't want Bai Xiao to return to find a corpse—that would be too embarrassing, and a corpse would certainly be ugly. So, he suppressed his discomfort, quickly tidied himself up, and staggered out to see a doctor.

Inside the hospital—

The usually composed Dr. Chen was so angry he almost jumped out of his chair: "Song Huai!" Chen Mingqing stabbed the report in front of him hard with his hand, "I think you're courting death! It hasn't been long, and your condition has worsened again. If this continues, you'll get stomach cancer sooner or later!"

"And another thing," Chen Mingqing sneered, "if I remember correctly, you got married yesterday, right? On the second day of your marriage, you managed to get a fever of 39 degrees Celsius. It's like a knife cutting into a butt—it's eye-opening!"

Song Huai was dizzy and unable to refute, so he chuckled and said, "I was just not paying attention... but I'm here, Dr. Chen, so I'll definitely be fine."

Chen Mingqing glared at him: "If you don't take care of your health, even if I were Hua Tuo reincarnated, it wouldn't be of any use!" After saying that, he sighed, feeling disappointed in him, "If it weren't for that... I wouldn't bother with you at all."

Song Huai knew what Chen Mingqing was going to say. Chen Mingqing and Song Boyu had been classmates since high school and later went on to the same university. They were very close, and Song Huai had heard Boyu talk a lot about Chen Mingqing back then. After graduating from university, Chen Mingqing became a doctor at a top-tier hospital in the area. When Song Huai suffered from stomach problems, Song Boyu often asked Chen Mingqing to treat him. Over time, Song Huai and Chen Mingqing became acquainted and friends. Later, even after Song Boyu passed away, Song Huai still habitually went to Chen Mingqing for treatment of his stomach ailments.

At this point, the two fell silent for a long time, their hearts heavy.

Song Huai broke the silence. He stood up, said goodbye to Chen Mingqing, picked up the prescription, and prepared to go to the pharmacy to get stomach medicine and antipyretics.

As Song Huai reached the door, he was stopped again. Chen Mingqing looked at him intently, his words devoid of the previous hostility, only filled with earnest advice: "Song Huai, take good care of yourself. Bo Yu will be heartbroken if she knows you've ruined yourself like this."

"Don't worry, I will," Song Huai said with a smile.

Song Huai returned to his home with Bai Xiao and swallowed the bitter medicine with difficulty. He lay in bed for several days in a daze. During that time, the villa was empty, and Song Huai survived on food he bought on his way back from the hospital. This was nothing unusual. Since starting university, Song Huai had almost always lived alone. Apart from Song Boyu visiting him, he had always taken care of himself whenever he was sick, and he was used to it.

After Bai Xiao slammed the door and left that day, several days passed without her appearing again.

Song Huai wasn't particularly surprised—the villa was located in the suburbs and was quite deserted. Bai Xiao was busy with countless affairs every day, so it was naturally more convenient for her to live in a house in the city. Besides, given how much Bai Xiao hated him, to the point of wanting to strangle him, it wasn't surprising that she didn't want to come back here to see him.

Song Huai, you absolutely must not have any illusions about Bai Xiao. Bai Xiao used to be your brother's lover. There was never any possibility between you two. Moreover, they made it very clear that day that his marriage to Bai Xiao was just a nominal marriage that could end at any time. All he had to do was play the role of Bai Xiao's partner in front of outsiders. Yes, Song Huai, you already knew that. You are not disappointed, not at all.

A week later, Song Huai felt better and finally had time to take a good look at the house.

The house was quite large, and it took Song Huai quite a while to see it all. At the end of the second-floor corridor, there was a small door that Song Huai wouldn't have noticed if he hadn't been so observant. He immediately became curious, pushed the door open, and went inside.

Upon seeing the scene before him, Song Huai felt a "boom" in his mind. His eyes widened, and he stood there stunned.

This is a grand piano. The black lacquer has a restrained luster, both stunningly beautiful and understated, like a beautiful woman living in seclusion in a corner isolated from the outside world.

Song Huai had seen this violin before. Many years ago, when he was still in school, Song Boyu dragged him to an exhibition. The moment Song Huai saw the violin, he was captivated. He immediately went up to try it out, and its tone, like its appearance, possessed a charm that defied description. Song Huai impulsively wanted to buy it, but the exorbitant price tag ultimately deterred him.

Later, Song Huai earned some money through composing music, and he wanted to buy the piano back. Unfortunately, the piano had already been ordered by an unknown buyer, and Song Huai was disappointed for a long time.

A string of questions appeared in Song Huai's mind: How did it get here? Could it be that Bai Xiao bought this piano? But Bai Xiao doesn't play the piano, so why would he buy it? And why is this piano just abandoned in a storage room like this? For a moment, Song Huai was completely puzzled, and his brain almost crashed.

Song Huai's heart pounded, a mixture of shock and the joy of regaining what he had lost. He put aside the many questions in his mind, and the piano in front of him seemed to have a magnetic pull, drawing him forward and making him sit down on the piano bench.

Song Huai placed his slender fingers on the piano keys and slowly pressed down the first chord. Gradually, a melody, both tender and deeply sorrowful, flowed from his fingertips—it was a children's song, a tune almost every child had heard in their childhood. Song Huai was now a renowned pianist and composer, having played countless world-famous pieces and composed many well-known works. Yet, for some reason, upon seeing his beloved piano again, this long-forgotten melody popped into his mind. The melody leaped into Song Huai's heart without warning, and he played it naturally, as if it were meant to be.

It's like a spring flowing gently, flowing over the beach, washing the pebbles, flowing over the soil, watering the flowers, and flowing into people's hearts, soothing their weary souls.

"The stars in the sky don't speak, the children on the ground miss their mothers, the eyes in the sky blink and blink, the mother's heart is like a lupine flower..." Song Huai couldn't help but hum along softly to the piano music—just like when he used to coax Song Boyu to sleep when he was a child.

In their youth, Song Chengping and Song Boyu's biological mother, Qin Wanyi, was often busy with work and traveling, so Song Huai and Song Boyu were mostly raised by a nanny. When the nanny wasn't around, Song Huai was usually the one taking care of his younger brother. Song Boyu especially loved listening to his older brother play the piano. Whenever Song Huai played, Song Boyu would abandon his usual playfulness, bring a small chair, rest his chin on his hands, and quietly listen to his brother's music, sometimes even tapping his fingers to the rhythm. In Song Boyu's heart, his brother's piano playing was the most beautiful sound in the world. He would even often act like a brat, demanding that his brother play for him, otherwise he wouldn't go to sleep. Helpless, Song Huai would try various ways to play many songs for him, among which Song Boyu's favorite was "Lupin Flower." At that time, this song was almost always on Song Boyu's bedtime playlist every day.

"Song Huai, your mother has become a star in the sky, right?" At that moment, Song Boyu heard the gossip outside, and he vaguely began to understand the meaning of death.

Children speak without thinking. Song Huai chuckled upon hearing his younger brother's innocent words: "Yes, my mother turned into a star and is always watching over me from the sky."

"Then I want to be the biggest and brightest star in the sky, and I want to stay with Song Huai forever!"

Song Huai couldn't help but reach out and flick his younger brother's forehead: "Little brat, you're just talking nonsense."

Song Boyu covered his forehead and said angrily, "Song Huai! I've already told you I'm not a little kid, you're not allowed to flick me anymore!"

Later, Song Boyu asked Song Huai to teach him to play the piano, but at that time, Song Huai himself hadn't even completed his own apprenticeship, so how could he be so embarrassed to take on a student? But there was no way to stop him; Song Boyu was stubborn and only wanted Song Huai. Unable to resist Song Boyu's persistent pleading, Song Huai slowly began to teach his younger brother to play the piano. To Song Huai's surprise, Song Boyu, who was usually as energetic and energetic as a monkey, was actually willing to calm down and practice patiently again and again. Coupled with his quick learning ability, under Song Huai's tutelage, although his piano skills weren't particularly outstanding, he played the piano quite well.

"Every night I think of my mother's words, my eyes glistening with tears..." The music gradually slowed, softened, and faded until Song Huai gently pressed the last note—the music ended, and the audience dispersed.

All was silent, with only the lingering sound echoing for a long time.

Even the most moving music has an end, and even the most beautiful memories have a moment of conclusion.

Song Huai was bewildered. How could there be water droplets on the piano keys? It wasn't until he touched his wet cheeks that he smiled bitterly—he realized that he had been in tears all along.

Song Huai closed the piano lid and was about to leave the room when he turned around and saw Bai Xiao, who had been missing for many days.

Song Huai hadn't closed the door to the room. Bai Xiao stood outside the door for an unknown amount of time, gazing at Song Huai with deep and intense eyes. If you looked closely, you could see tears welling up in his eyes.

Song Huai felt a pang of guilt: "Bai Xiao, I...I'm sorry, I didn't mean to touch your piano."

As if just coming to his senses, Bai Xiao remained silent for a long time, his eyes gradually turning cold. He coldly said, "Don't practice the piano at home anymore."

After saying that, Bai Xiao strode away and returned to his room, leaving Song Huai standing there at a loss.

Everything happened so suddenly that Song Huai couldn't react for a moment. When he finally understood, his heart sank to the bottom. Song Boyu was the bright moonlight in Bai Xiao's heart, and no one was allowed to touch him. In this family, nothing related to his younger brother could appear.

Song Huai felt a deep sadness. In this family, the person most closely connected with Song Boyu was actually himself. However, there was a marriage certificate between them, and the only person Bai Xiao couldn't let go of in this whole house was himself.

Bai Xiao, oh Bai Xiao, what sins have I committed to deserve falling in love with you in this life? Song Huai thought helplessly.