Chapter 95

Gu Cunxi hadn't played the piano since that injury. Four years had passed, and Jiang Rao's suggestion today left her somewhat bewildered. Besides her inner resistance to the piece, she also felt the condition of her right hand. Perhaps it wasn't as flexible as it had been four years ago...

She pursed her lips, looked at Jiang Rao, drank a sip of coffee and asked, "Why do you want to listen to this song?"

“!”

"Because... I like it!" Jiang Rao stirred the coffee in front of him and said calmly.

She knew Xiao Peiyin was sitting on the second floor at the moment, and she wanted her to hear that the song four years later was played by Gu Cunxi for her! From the moment she walked in, Jiang Rao's possessiveness couldn't let her do anything...

"Boss Gu promised me, you are not allowed to go back on your word!"

"Just one song... I'll play it for you!" Gu Cunxi smiled and nodded.

She stood up, took off her suit and put it on the back of the chair, then turned and walked towards the center. Every step she took seemed like she was walking back four years ago, making her imagine that the person sitting behind her was not Jiang Rao, but Xiao Peiyin!

…

Pei Yin sat quietly by the stairs on the second floor, her eyes occasionally glancing at the piano downstairs, her eyes dark. In fact, coming to this restaurant took courage for her, because every time she came here, her heart would feel dull and painful, like a kind of self-abuse or self-punishment...

Just as she was losing consciousness, a familiar figure came into her sight.

“!!”

The person downstairs sat in front of the piano, unbuttoned her cuffs. The white shirt on her was clean and cool, forming a sharp contrast with the black of the piano. She was absolutely beautiful just sitting there quietly!

After not seeing her for a few days, she seemed to have lost a lot of weight... Pei Yin's heart seemed to be twisted together, and her chest couldn't breathe. For a moment, she wanted to rush downstairs and hug her in her arms... In order to ease the pain of being separated from her for four years. No one would know how much effort and time she spent in the years since Gu Cunxi left before she could accept the fact that she had really lost her.

Cheng Sheng, who was drinking juice at the side, also saw the people downstairs. She was so shocked that she forgot to swallow the cold orange juice in her mouth for a long time.

"Sister Pei...Sister Pei Yin!" Cheng Sheng put down the cup in his hand, looked at the person opposite in astonishment and asked: "Isn't that...Sister Cunxi?"

"Oh my god! You guys can even meet here!!" Cheng Sheng shook Pei Yin's arm, his words full of joy.

Pei Yin ignored Cheng Sheng's words. It wasn't intentional, but the moment she saw Gu Cunxi, everything around her was no longer pleasing to her eyes or ears...

A melodious tune rang out in the restaurant. The moment Gu Cunxi struck the piano keys, Pei Yin recognized it as the "Love Concerto." Memories suddenly surged back like waves, as if she had returned to four years ago, when they were still in love and inseparable...

In the center of the stage, Gu Cunxi closed her eyes, picturing the scene of that day in her mind. She had given Pei Yin this song to cheer her up. The thought of this made her heart ache and bitter. She increased the strength of her hands. As her right hand raised and lowered, the tapping movements began to become painful and slow...

"Sister Pei Yin... do you feel that something is wrong?" Cheng Sheng looked at the people downstairs, frowned, and looked puzzled. Although she didn't understand piano, she could hear that the rhythm just now was obviously chaotic.

Pei Yin kept staring at the people downstairs, her face heavy and her gaze unwavering. Of course, she could tell something was wrong, and she even saw Gu Cunxi's expression of endurance as she pursed her lips and occasionally paused with her right hand... Her heart ached, and her eyes became sore and warm...

The song ended, and there was applause all around. Gu Cunxi sat on the piano chair, looking dejected... She brushed her aching and trembling right hand and clenched it gently. The playing just now made her feel very upset. She was angry with herself for having difficulty playing a complete song... It was Chen Feng who made her like this, but the person she really hated in her heart was herself. Even after four years, when facing Xiao Peiyin, she would still feel moved and heartbroken... This was the price to pay!

"Sister, is this your bet?" Jiang Shu suddenly appeared from nowhere, sat in Gu Cunxi's seat, and looked at Jiang Rao with a smirk on his face.

“…”

Jiang Rao ignored her, his eyes fixed on Gu Cunxi. She could hear the longing hidden in the music, and the person on the second floor kept looking down. For a moment, she even felt that even after four years, the extra person would still be herself, and never Xiao Peiyin...

Seeing the person opposite her was indifferent, Jiang Shu cursed Jiang Rao in her heart for being so ruthless. She curled her lips and said, "This beautiful sister's playing level is not as good as before..."

“!”

This sentence brought Jiang Rao back to his senses. He glared at Jiang Shu and said in a louder voice, "I think she played very well! She hasn't regressed!"

"..." Jiang Shu was speechless. She had only told the truth, but her sister had reacted so strongly. She rolled her eyes at Jiang Rao, curled her lips, and said, "I finally understand what it means to protect your child..."

“…”

Gu Cunxi originally wanted to play only one song, but at this moment she couldn't calm down and was full of resentment. She was unwilling to accept that her right hand could only do this... So she raised her hand and played the second song, as if she was playing a game with herself!

The originally noisy environment in the restaurant became quiet again because of the sound of the piano. Everyone was quietly enjoying the piano, but Pei Yin and Jiang Rao were the only ones who saw it, feeling even more sad. They both noticed that Gu Cunxi was abnormal at the moment. The piano sound was full of anger and anxiety. Because Jiang Rao was closer, she saw that Gu Cunxi's right hand sometimes paused and sometimes trembled with such force, as if it was carrying a secret resentment and venting. The notes became increasingly incoherent, as if the black and white keys were about to leave the piano body, making a strange and dull sound.

Even Cheng Sheng, who was sitting on the second floor, could see that something was wrong at the moment. A trace of worry appeared between her eyebrows. She turned her head to look at Xiao Peiyin opposite her and found that her eyes were red and tears were streaming down her cheeks.

"Sister Pei Yin..." Cheng Sheng handed over a tissue: "Sister Cunxi... seems to be in a bad state! Do you... want to go and see her?"

Pei Yin turned her head away, looking away, unable to bear to watch any longer. She took the tissue from Cheng Sheng's hand, clenched it tightly in her hand and said, "Her hand is hurting... I saw her shaking!"

"She loves music! She used to play the piano very well..." Pei Yin's eyes became empty when she said this, and the corners of her mouth were full of bitterness. She covered her eyes and her shoulders trembled.

"..." Cheng Sheng sat aside, not knowing how to comfort her. She knew that Sister Pei Yin was silently holding back her tears...

…

Accompanied by a burst of deep bass, the music suddenly stopped, and the piano's sustained sound echoed in the restaurant. It was the roar caused by Gu Cunxi hitting the keys...

She sat on the piano chair and smiled bitterly, her hanging right hand feeling tingling and sore... She couldn't help but think back to these years. Although she had money, she didn't keep any of what she really wanted!

Playing the piano again after four years only made her sad... She closed her eyes resignedly, took a deep breath, and just as she was about to get up, she felt a warm sensation on her shoulder.

"!! She turned her head and saw Jiang Rao standing beside her.

Jiang Rao walked around the piano chair and sat next to Gu Cunxi. The hand on her shoulder slid down to her arm and finally fell into her palm. She held Gu Cunxi's hand tightly, interlaced her fingers, and clasped her trembling right hand. She tilted her head and looked at Gu Cunxi with extremely gentle eyes, whispering in her ear: "I can be your right hand...Gu Cunxi!"

"Don't be sad. Even after four years, your piano playing is still the most moving I've ever heard!" Jiang Rao placed his right hand on the piano keys, smiled, and said, "Cunxi, play another song with me?"

At this moment, Jiang Rao no longer had the playful look he had before, and his tone was filled with comfort and heartache.

"!" Gu Cunxi struggled with her right hand, but it was held tighter. She looked up at Jiang Rao. Her beautiful phoenix eyes made her look cold and charming. Her eyes were full of persistence that could not be refused.

"What are you playing?" She gave up struggling and let Jiang Rao lead her.

Jiang Rao curled his lips in satisfaction: "Adilina by the water!"

This scene downstairs happened to fall into Pei Yin's eyes, and it was like a knife stabbing her and hurting her. She wanted to get up and escape, but her body was too stiff. Seeing Gu Cunxi holding hands with someone else and looking at each other, she felt like she was being tortured. She suddenly realized... She could not give Gu Cunxi to anyone else, and she could not bear the possibility that she might fall in love with someone else!

Cheng Sheng was on pins and needles. She recognized the woman downstairs, the one she had seen in the coffee shop last time. She couldn't help but worry about Xiao Peiyin.

Just as she was about to say something, a soft cry from downstairs interrupted Cheng Sheng's words. She turned her head and looked, her heart suddenly skipped a beat. She remembered that Gu Cunxi had always disliked excessive physical contact with others... But seeing this scene before her, he didn't refuse or push away when being hugged by that woman. Cheng Sheng couldn't help but start to doubt the relationship between these two people...

"Sister Pei Yin..." Cheng Sheng called softly, with a complicated expression.

Pei Yin sat opposite them. The moment she saw them hugging, she turned her head away. Her heart seemed to be pulled out of her chest...even breathing became extremely difficult.

"Sister Pei Yin, you...don't you want to say something, do something?" Cheng Sheng looked at the person opposite him with empty and desperate eyes, and his heart was filled with bitterness.

Pei Yin smiled bitterly and shook her head desperately: "I pushed her out with my own hands. I deceived her. What right do I have to ask her to love me back now? Her hands are like that because of me!!"

"!" Cheng Sheng opened her mouth but could not make a sound. She heard the regret, self-blame and guilt in Xiao Peiyin's tone.

She hates herself!

"They...are a good match!" Pei Yin laughed at himself, turned around and looked at the people downstairs, his eyes full of despair.

"..." Cheng Sheng was powerless to refute. It seemed that they were indeed a good match...

…

After the song ended, Jiang Rao couldn't control her inner throbbing. The minty scent filled her body and penetrated her nose. For a moment, her mind lost control. In front of everyone, she leaned over and hugged Gu Cunxi, patting her back gently, trying her best to make this hug look more like a comforting hug between friends. She didn't dare to reveal too much because she knew that with Gu Cunxi's personality, if she didn't love him, she would definitely not force herself to accept him. Even being friends would be difficult...

She let go of her hand and revealed a hint of playful smugness. She looked at Gu Cunxi, raised her eyebrows and said, "Well, my right hand is quite suitable for Mr. Gu, isn't it?"

"Hmm... good cooperation! The tacit understanding is beyond my expectation." Gu Cunxi nodded and smiled.

"Of course!" Jiang Rao raised his head and looked towards the corner of the second floor, where his gaze met Xiao Peiyin's.

"Let's go..." Gu Cunxi stood up and said to Jiang Rao, then turned and left.

Jiang Rao hastily retracted his gaze, stood there hesitantly for a moment, then turned around and said, "Cunxi... I'm going to the bathroom! Go back and wait for me."

Gu Cunxi nodded and walked towards the corner.

Seeing her walk back to her seat and sit down with her back to him, Jiang Rao walked to the second floor with confidence. She stood by the stairs, and Xiao Peiyin was sitting there, looking at her.

Jiang Rao walked over with a smile and said, "It's been three years since we last met. What a coincidence!"

"Well, what a coincidence..." Pei Yin forced a smile and said nothing more.

"Can I sit here?" Jiang Rao pointed to the empty seat next to him.

"It's inconvenient!" Cheng Sheng refused decisively before Pei Yin could speak.

"..." Jiang Rao smiled without showing any embarrassment. She turned to look at Pei Yin with a questioning look in her eyes.

"Please sit down..." Pei Yin nodded

After getting Xiao Peiyin's consent, Jiang Rao pulled out the chair beside him and looked downstairs. Gu Cunxi was sitting there quietly with his back to him.

"Is there something wrong?" Cheng Sheng frowned and looked at Jiang Rao with an unhappy expression.

"Of course..." Jiang Rao looked at Xiao Peiyin, paused, and said in a calm and distant tone: "I don't want to beat around the bush. I came here because of Cunxi's matter!"

"You said..." Pei Yin chuckled softly, trying to appear calm, but with Jiang Rao's arrival, her heart was gradually breaking apart...

"I know that meeting here today was just a coincidence. I didn't tell Cunxi because I didn't want her to know you were here!"

"Although today is just a coincidence, I know you have met before! Right?" Jiang Rao asked

"Yes..." Pei Yin looked away and responded softly with her head down. She kept clasping her index finger with her nails to relieve the sourness and pain in her heart.

"I still remember what you said that night four years ago! I came here to remind you not to forget your resolute departure!"

"And... I also said, if you really want to give up, then you can't hold on, I will stick to it to the end!"

"I did what you asked me to do. I stayed by her side from the time she was admitted to the hospital until she recovered. Of course, I had my own selfish motives, but no matter what, I won't return her to you four years later just because you showed up!"

Cheng Sheng rolled her eyes in anger. She had been fuming since a while ago, and the arrival of this woman made her even more furious. She had a seductive look, but her words were so unpleasant...

"Sister Cunxi is not an object, there is no need to return it... When it comes to feelings, it's just love or not, okay!" Cheng Sheng curled his lips and drank a big sip of ice water to calm down.

"Are you... already together?" Pei Yin asked with a choked voice. This was the only thing she wanted to know.

"This has nothing to do with you!" Jiang Rao frowned, paused, and said, "I hope you won't appear in her life again. You can't give her anything except pain..."

"You..." Cheng Sheng put the water cup in his hand heavily on the table, glared at Jiang Rao and said, "Sister Pei Yin is gentle and polite to others, so she lets you sit here. Don't be so harsh!"

"Cheng Sheng!" Pei Yin stopped him.

"I'm just stating the truth!" Jiang Rao ignored Cheng Sheng's anger. He turned to look at Xiao Peiyin and continued, "I know you were sincere four years ago, but you know better than anyone how it would end. In these four years, what have you left behind besides hurting her?"

"What were you doing when your husband hired someone to beat her so badly? You only saw her after the surgery. You can't imagine how horrifying the scene of her lying there covered in blood was! All this was caused by your husband!"

"She didn't believe you would leave. The first thing she did after waking up was to look for you, but how did you treat her? You threw the ring away and walked away, leaving her like a fool, ignoring the risk of post-operative infection, to jump into the pool to look for that ridiculous ring!"

"!! You...what did you say?" Pei Yin looked at Jiang Rao in astonishment, her eyes filled with fear: "You mean...it's Chen Feng!"

"My dashcam clearly captured the entire process of your husband beating her. I have a backup copy. Do you want to see what she looked like at the time? The pain of having her right hand broken is something neither you nor I have ever experienced. This is the price she paid for loving you!"

Jiang Rao's words were like a knife stabbing into Xiao Peiyin's heart. In an instant, she lost all her color, her face turned pale as paper, and she sat slumped to the side, her hands shaking uncontrollably. The doubts that had been in her heart for many years were confirmed!

"I don't want to be mean... I just want to remind you! Stay away from her. I love her as much as you do! I don't want to see her suffer, and I don't want to see her drink for you again!"

Jiang Rao saw Xiao Peiyin's pale and painful face, pursed his lips and sighed: "I have finished what I want to say, goodbye!"

"Bad woman!" Cheng Sheng stood up and blocked Jiang Rao's way, glaring at her.

"If I can keep her away from Cunxi, I don't mind being a bad guy!" Jiang Rao curled his lips and sneered.

"you…"

"Cheng Sheng! Don't do this!" Pei Yin struggled to stand up, walked to the side and held her

"Has she... been doing well these years?" Pei Yin's voice trembled as he said this, his expression filled with pain that was difficult to conceal.

"She is already the general manager of Nansheng Group and can live a good life! Without you...it will be better!" Jiang Rao's tone was cold and he looked at Xiao Peiyin's paleness and pain.