Chapter 1 The Cello "Won't he get jealous if you look at me like that...?"

-

Inside the elegant, golden concert hall, the symphony orchestra, dressed in black and white formal attire, sat in the center of the stage, performing solemnly and with great passion.

The final piece of the concert was Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4 in F minor.

The exquisite music resonated throughout the rotunda, coupled with the dazzling crystal chandelier overhead, creating an undeniably magnificent visual and auditory experience.

As the last stirring note faded, the magnificent piece came to a close.

The thunderous applause lasted for a long time before it stopped.

The orchestra took its final bow, and the audience dispersed.

He stepped down from the stage.

Liang Yizhi took her violin and returned to the lounge.

The lounge is not large, and it has to accommodate dozens of people. With the addition of various large musical instruments, it feels even more cramped now.

Liang Yizhi gently put down her cello, found her cello case, took out a cello cloth, and carefully wiped the strings to remove the rosin dust that had fallen on them.

"—Yizhi!"

Liang Yizhi looked up at the sound and saw Wu You walking towards her: "Yizhi, how are you going to get back later? How about I give you a ride, and we can go get some late-night snacks together?"

Liang Yizhi and Wu You are both cellists in the Yucheng Symphony Orchestra. They are close in age and have similar personalities, so they naturally felt a connection. Before long, they became the best of friends in the orchestra.

Wu You's family recently bought her a new car. Although they don't live close by, Wu You is a kind person and often drives her home.

Liang Yizhi smiled and said, "Thank you, but I won't trouble you today. Xie Yun said he will come to pick me up."

Upon hearing this, Wu You revealed a malicious smile: "I came to pick you up so late, are you two going to spend the night out?"

She moved closer to Liang Yizhi and nudged her gently with her elbow, making Liang Yizhi a little embarrassed.

"No, that's not true, they just took me home."

"What's there to be shy about?" Wu You laughed at her, her face turning red before she could even finish a few words; her skin was as thin as paper.

As soon as she finished speaking, she spotted the person they were talking about walking into the lounge, a dark head peering around in the crowd.

Wu You had met Xie Yun a few times. He had a handsome appearance and dressed neatly and appropriately. He was as clean and gentle as the winter sun.

In terms of appearance, he is indeed a good match for Liang Yizhi's pure and lovely looks.

Wu You often heard about Xie Yun's many outstanding deeds from Liang Yizhi, who described him as a model boyfriend.

Men who are not only of excellent character but also upright and honest are so rare in today's society that Xie Yun's existence sometimes feels somewhat unreal to Wu You.

Anyway, have a wonderful night!

Wu You slung the violin case over her shoulder, pointed in the direction, and said, "Your darling boyfriend is here, I'm leaving now. Remember to bring me the sheet music I told you about last time."

"no problem."

Liang Yizhi responded, quickly putting away the violin, closing the lid, and looking up to find someone.

As if by telepathy, the moment she looked up, Xie Yun also looked over.

He raised his arm and pulled her into his arms, whispering affectionately in her ear, "You've worked hard today, my musician."

Liang Yizhi felt a little shy about making such intimate gestures in public. She nudged him with her hand:

"Let go quickly! There are a lot of people here, and the band will laugh at us if they see this."

"Why are you afraid of them? They're just jealous that you have a boyfriend." Although Xie Yun said this, he still let go of Liang Yizhi and pinched her cheek instead.

"You look really beautiful today." Xie Yun put his arm around her shoulder. "I took several pictures of you on stage just now, do you want to see them?"

Liang Yizhi opened her mouth, but didn't respond to him immediately.

According to regulations, taking photos or videos is not allowed during a concert. This is a sign of respect for the symphony orchestra and a basic etiquette for attending a concert.

However, Liang Yizhi did not say this directly.

Xie Yun didn't often attend concerts and couldn't understand these profound classical music pieces. He only came into contact with them after he got together with Liang Yizhi.

He doesn't understand music or art. And concert halls in China don't have strict regulations on these things, so there's no need for her to discourage him and end up making things unpleasant.

"Let me check it." After thinking it over, Liang Yizhi still reached out her hand.

Xie Yun chuckled and playfully pinched her nose, then took out his phone and started scrolling through it.

The lounge was bustling with people coming and going.

At that moment, another figure appeared at the doorway.

The man stopped and stood outside the door.

The long black trench coat, reaching to his calves, accentuated his tall and slender figure. He wore a matching black turtleneck underneath; the dark color further elongated his proportions, making him appear even broader.

This outfit, though not particularly eye-catching among the band's formal attire, was enough to draw all eyes to that person's handsome and refined face.

He raised his chin slightly, as if searching for someone.

Hearing a faint commotion nearby, Liang Yizhi looked up—

It wasn't surprising that they recognized the person.

She was already used to his low-key yet flamboyant way of making an entrance.

Upon seeing the person, she happily raised her arm and waved in that direction.

And the other person's gaze fell on her.

It had been a long time since I'd seen her, but she didn't seem to have changed much; her face still held that naive, genuine smile.

The black dress she wore made her skin glow in the crowd. Her long hair was styled in soft, loose waves that cascaded over her slender, snow-white shoulders.

Only then did he see the hand covering it.

She saw another man standing next to her.

Gu Yinyan glanced at it indifferently.

Just as Liang Yizhi was about to wave him over, she saw Gu Yinyan raise his hand, first pointing outside, then moving his index and middle fingers back and forth alternately.

Liang Yizhi understood his meaning at a glance.

She gave an OK sign and watched through the crowd as the man at the door turned away with a flourish.

As he left, the open hem of his trench coat and the ties hanging behind him fluttered with each step, a glimpse of his silhouette disappearing behind the wall.

It's a bit like a snake's tail winding through the grass and suddenly disappearing.

Xie Yun noticed her movement, and just then looked up, asking softly, "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing," Liang Yizhi smiled, dispelling his concerns. "I mistook you for someone else."

Liang Yizhi felt a little guilty, secretly criticizing herself for not being a good friend.

After she started dating Xie Yun, her relationship with Gu Yinyan became much less frequent.

They hadn't seen each other for over two months before this performance. He rarely came backstage to see her, but she barely exchanged a few words with him, using a few gestures to hastily send him away.

But there was nothing she could do. Liang Yizhi glanced at the man beside her.

Xie Yun is here.

At this moment, Xie Yun had already picked out the photos from tonight and handed her his phone, saying, "Take a look."

Liang Yizhi accepted it.

Xie Yun's photography skills are truly exceptional.

In the picture, she is sitting on the right side of the stage. Whether it's Xie Yun's good composition or she is just naturally eye-catching, she stands out immediately in the photo.

She wore a long black dress and had black hair, with a wooden cello leaning in front of her. Her head was slightly lowered, and her brows were unconsciously furrowed because she was so focused, completely immersed in every note under the bow.

Liang Yizhi is very suitable for this kind of large area of ​​dark color blocks. She doesn't need any fancy details or elements. Her temperament is naturally rich and elegant.

My mother often said that she loved watching her play the violin. Only then did she appear truly composed.

Liang Yizhi wanted to say something, but in the end she only said, "Your photography skills are really good."

"Of course, I'll send you the pictures." Xie Yun lowered his head to operate the machine, while carrying the cello case for her and taking Liang Yizhi's hand to go out.

The two walked out of the theater hand in hand.

Xie Yun doesn't own a car, so he usually picks her up by taxi. He drops Liang Yizhi off at home first, and then takes a taxi back himself.

The late autumn night was so cold it made people shiver, and the withered yellow leaves on the ground swirled low in the wind.

Xie Yun escorted the person to the apartment building.

Deeply in love and reluctant to part, the two embraced. After a while, Xie Yun's voice sounded above her head:

"Aren't you going to invite me up for a seat?"

Liang Yizhi let go of his hand, took a step back, and pretended to raise her hand to hit him: "I won't invite you. You have ulterior motives!"

Xie Yun laughed and dodged away, then grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his arms.

As the evening breeze blew by, he gently rested his chin on the top of her head and said nothing more.

Liang Yizhi originally thought that Xie Yun would deliberately ask her a couple more questions, such as why he never invites her to his house after dating for so long.

But he didn't.

It's always the same; they stop short of getting to the point.

Liang Yizhi and Xie Yun have been dating for six months, and their relationship has been very stable. She has a rather conservative personality and hasn't deliberately thought about anything in that direction over this long period of time; she just wants everything to take its natural course.

Liang Yizhi disliked those relationships that were too purely driven by sexual desire.

Fortunately, Xie Yun and she seemed to have similar ideas.

Since they started dating, Xie Yun has never done anything excessively inappropriate or said anything offensive to her.

He has always respected her.

They hugged quietly downstairs for a while until Xie Yun's phone suddenly rang, breaking the silence.

He took it out to look at it.

Liang Yizhi asked, "What is it?"

"...Nothing, just work messages." Xie Yun glanced at it briefly, then turned off the screen and put the phone back in his pocket.

Liang Yizhi looked at him sympathetically: "You still have work-related messages at this hour?"

“Of course, Princess,” Xie Yun laughed. “Do you think working for a big company is so easy, where you can be online anytime and anywhere and stay in touch?”

Xie Yun works at a major internet company as a project manager in the product development department. He's very busy, and it's not uncommon for him to pull out his laptop to work while on dates.

He wasn't from Jade City, but if he wanted to stay in this glamorous city, he had to put in several times more effort than others.

Liang Yizhi understood his relentless pursuit of success and nodded, saying, "Thank you for your hard work."

"Oh, right." Xie Yun remembered something and brought it up with Liang Yizhi, "Zhao Ling is having a birthday party next week, would you like to come with me?"

Upon hearing the unexpected name, Liang Yizhi asked in confusion, "She invited me?"

Xie Yun had a small group of about five or six people in high school, and Zhao Ling was one of them. After graduation, everyone went their separate ways and gradually lost contact. Only Xie Yun and Zhao Ling were still working hard in Yucheng, and that's when they became closer.

Xie Yun often mentioned her and introduced Liang Yizhi to his friends. She had met Zhao Ling a few times.

Xie Yun said, "Of course. Zhao Ling said she likes you a lot, and even praised you for playing the cello like a fairy. She calls you her goddess every day."

"Don't think too much about it. If you go, I'll prepare the gifts for you. Just have some fun."

Although Liang Yizhi knew Zhao Ling, that was all; they had exchanged no more than five sentences in total. This flattery from the other side truly made her feel apprehensive.

Liang Yizhi said, "Forget it, I don't know many people in your circle, so I won't go. Just tell them I have a performance, and I'll pick you up when it's almost over, say hello, and then we'll leave."

Xie Yun didn't say much, knowing she didn't like that kind of occasion, so he agreed.

After saying goodbye to Xie Yun, Liang Yizhi went upstairs.

She lives alone in a large, single-level apartment her parents bought for her—spacious, with a great view, and nicely furnished. After washing up, Liang Yizhi heated up a glass of milk for herself and, after confirming that Xie Yun had arrived home safely, went to bed.

I slept until I naturally woke up the next day.

After breakfast, Liang Yizhi remembered last night and took out her phone to send a message.

【Are you busy? 】

She had just sent it when she realized it was inappropriate. The meaning of that sentence was no different from "Are you there?" She knew that Gu Yinyan hated such inefficient communication, so she quickly added the next sentence.

"I'm not busy, I'll come find you for lunch. You left too quickly yesterday."

Gu Yinyan neither said it was good nor bad:

I definitely will.

Liang Yizhi readily replied: 【No problem. I'll definitely be there by 11 o'clock.】

-

It was already midnight when Liang Yizhi was led into Gu Yinyan's office by his secretary.

When she entered, Gu Yinyan was standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window answering a phone call.

He was dressed in a formal suit as usual today, and the tailored fit of the high-end suit made his shoulders look broad and straight.

Gu Yinyan had one hand in his pocket, and the light from the window pierced through, casting his dark gray silhouette in a haze of light.

Seeing the person who came was not surprising. Gu Yinyan turned his head slightly and gave her a look.

Liang Yizhi knew he was talking about work, so she waved her hand and said, "You're busy, you're busy."

She sat down quietly on the sofa by herself.

Gu Yinyan's office was large and private, ensuring no one else would intrude. In this tranquil atmosphere, Liang Yizhi unconsciously relaxed, leaning back on the sofa.

Located on the 32nd floor of the building, the view from the window reveals rows upon rows of skyscrapers. Under the sunlight, the building's exterior reflects a cold, silvery light, appearing exceptionally impersonal.

Liang Yizhi looked for a while and felt dizzy, so she turned her gaze back to the man in front of the window.

Gu Yinyan lowered his head slightly, his expression impatient, but his tone remained calm and gentle.

Liang Yizhi knew that his behavior meant he was already bored with the content of the call. The call would end in less than a minute.

She watched his retreating figure, mentally calculating the time and making predictions with utter boredom.

Sure enough, when Liang Yizhi counted to forty-five seconds, Gu Yinyan put away his phone and hung up.

When he turned around, he met Liang Yizhi's eyes.

The light around the sofa wasn't as intense as by the window; the sunlight was soft, like a light golden veil draped over her body.

She kept staring in his direction, her gaze direct, with a mysterious smile on her face.

Gu Yinyan glanced at her, tossed his phone onto the table, and asked in return:

"Won't Xie Yun get jealous if you look at me like that?"

A note from the author:

----------------------

May your article be published with great success!

It's probably a story about a man who's been lurking in my life, always considering himself a friend, who suddenly develops inappropriate feelings for "me".

Please save this post and leave a comment! Thank you! [Sprinkling flowers][Kissing][Loud-eared bunny head]