Chapter 18

Richard Clayderman's fingertips flowed on the piano keys, and "Starry Sky", "Wedding in a Dream", "Adelina by the Water"... one familiar melody after another filled the entire concert hall.

Lin Qi listened very carefully.

She leaned forward slightly, her hands clasped in her lap, completely lost in memories of her middle school days. Back then, the first thing she did every day after school was turn on her tape recorder and put in the tape she'd listened to until it was almost worn out. Those beautiful, slightly melancholic piano pieces were the most gentle background music of her entire teenage years.

But Chen Yan was not as devoted as she was. Or rather, his way of devotion was different from hers.

He sat in a relaxed position, leaning back quietly in his chair, his eyes calmly gazing at the stage. But if you looked closely, you'd notice that half of his attention was actually on Lin Qi, who was standing beside him.

He could see the soft nostalgia that unconsciously flashed in the corners of her eyes and eyebrows when those familiar melodies sounded.

He could also feel the silent and gentle tapping of her fingertips on her knees when the passionate music sounded.

He didn't disturb her, but quietly shared her immersion. He felt that having the opportunity to participate in her past was something that moved him more than the music itself.

Finally, when the host announced in elegant French that the next song was "A me Amour" (Autumn Whispers), Lin Qi subconsciously turned his head and looked at him.

In the darkness, their eyes met precisely.

In her eyes, there was excitement and anticipation of "Listen, this is the song."

He understood.

He didn't say anything, but nodded to her very slowly and solemnly, like a silent promise: Don't worry, I remember.

A gentle melody, like a stream under the moonlight, slowly flowed out from the piano in the center of the stage.

Lin Qi closed her eyes and gave herself completely to this most beloved song that she had listened to countless times.

Just when the music was halfway through and the emotions were pushed to the most gentle climax, Chen Yan very gently and slowly placed his hand on her hand on the armrest.

This action was very sudden and very natural.

His palm was dry, yet warm. He didn't clench it tightly, but simply covered the back of her hand quietly and completely, enveloping the coolness of her fingertips and the subtle tremor caused by excitement.

Lin Qi's body stiffened for a moment.

But she didn't pull her hand away.

The music continued, but at that moment, she seemed to no longer be able to hear the piano. All her senses, all her attention, were focused on the warm, calloused, steady touch on the back of her hand.

That touch, like the most stable anchor, instantly pulled her from the torrent of memories and returned to this real, hot present that belonged only to the two of them.

When the song ended, the audience burst into applause.

Chen Yan loosened his grip, as if nothing that had just happened had happened.

They clapped along with everyone else, no one looking at each other.

But they all knew that some things were completely different.

After the concert, the audience stood up one after another, and thunderous applause and conversation filled the magnificent hall again.

The lights came on, illuminating everything.

Chen Yan and Lin Qi finally had their first formal eye contact since the poem "Autumn Whispers".

His expression was calm, no different from before the concert, still composed and restrained. But his eyes were deeper and more focused than before. There was a certainty in them, an unquestionable certainty that had settled everything.

He did not mention what happened just now, but talked about the concert itself naturally, as if that was the protagonist at the moment.

"'Autumn Whispers'..." He first whispered the name before commenting, "It's really special."

He spoke calmly, but Lin Qi instantly understood his unspoken subtext.

——Because of you, it is special.

He stood up, took her coat and shopping bag, and handed them to her.

"Let's go."

They followed the crowd as they slowly walked towards the exit.

The aisles were crowded, people were jostling each other, and the air was filled with the unique, excited noise after the performance.

When Lin Qi was suddenly squeezed by the crowd and almost lost her balance, Chen Yan stretched out his hand. This time, he did not just protect her back like he did on the street before.

Instead, he held her hand very firmly and without question.

His palm was just as she remembered it: dry, warm, and covered in a thin, reassuring callus. That warmth, penetrating her skin, instantly spread throughout her limbs.

Chen Yan said nothing, but held her hand tightly in his own. He naturally pulled her to his side, using his body to separate her from the crowded crowd, and walked out of the theater steadily, step by step.

Standing in the square outside the theater, the cool evening breeze dispelled the heat from the concert hall. The crowds around us gradually dispersed, and the space became more open.

But Chen Yan's hand still did not loosen.

This action has transformed from a necessary protection in the crowd into a silent and clear declaration.

Lin Qi's heart was like a pool of spring water rippling with the night breeze, creating dense and sweet ripples.

"It's very late." Chen Yan looked at her and said in a declarative tone.

"I'll take a taxi and take you home."

This is not a question, but a decision that is full of protection and cannot be negotiated.

"Um."

Lin Qi responded softly, his voice so soft that it was almost blown away by the wind.

She lowered her head, not daring to meet his eyes. Her gaze fell on their tightly clasped hands. His fingers were long, with distinct joints, and he held her hand tightly in his palm with a complete, protective gesture.

She looked and looked, and finally couldn't help it, and a very subtle, shy, and unconcealable smile appeared at the corner of her lips.

Then, she let him lead her hand, pretending to be calm, and followed his footsteps.

The traffic was a bit heavy at night, but he waited patiently by the roadside. When an empty car approached, he gestured with his free hand, and the car stopped steadily in front of them.

He first opened the car door for Lin Qi, holding the top of the door with his hands, and waited for her to sit in before going around to the other side to get in the car.

The car door was closed, isolating the noise from the outside world.

The space inside the car was so small that their knees almost touched. Their hands, which had just separated outside, naturally clasped them together again in the middle of the seat.

"Could you please send me the address?" he asked softly.

Lin Qi sent him the address, and he clearly told the driver the location.

The car merged smoothly into the traffic flow. The neon lights of the city outside the window swept back one by one, casting bright and dark shadows on their faces.

No conversation along the way.

But this kind of silence is more comforting than any words. They just sit quietly, holding hands, feeling each other's warmth, and listening to the blurry night outside the window.

It's like it's been done many times before.