Chapter 21 Chapter 21 The last note fell on the piano keys...
The last note fell on the piano keys, with two ding-dong sounds.
Except when he was teaching Lu Zhi, Lu Yanlin rarely played the piano at home. It was unclear whether he didn't like it or was unwilling to do it. In Ms. Yan Qiong's impression, Lu Yanlin had never performed in front of the public when he was still a child.
His grandfather didn't force him, saying that playing the piano was just to temper his temper and it didn't matter how he played.
So it was just in time for me to hear the sound of the music today.
Ms. Yan Qiong wanted to listen, and Lu Yanlin, as was his usual character, would not refuse her request, which was rare after her illness.
"You are very talented," the man said.
Lu Yanlin's face showed no joy. He thanked him calmly and stretched out a hand toward Lu Zhi. The child immediately ran toward him, hugged his arm hopefully, and kissed him on the cheek: "Dad, I was wrong. I will never do this again."
Lu Yanlin was surprised by his closeness. After a moment, he frowned slightly and asked calmly, "Who taught you that?"
Wen Lusheng smiled and said, "I've been noticed. Mr. Lu's tutoring is really strict. Little friend, it seems that it's useless to act coquettishly and apologize. You can only accept the punishment."
Lu Zhi's face tightened with disappointment. He didn't admit that he wanted to go home. He felt that he just couldn't bear to leave the whale in the house. The bed here was too soft and he couldn't sleep.
But grandma wouldn't help him, and Aunt Yu couldn't help him either. In the family, no one could object to his father's decision. It had been like this since he was a child.
Lu Zhi idolized his father, who was as omnipotent as a god. Yet, beneath the towering mountains, he would also miss that small warmth: someone catching him in a gentle yet irritating embrace, lifting him high, smiling and asking, "Do your fingers really hurt?" Or touching his cheek and saying, "Let's go out and play together. Don't be afraid, broken toys can be fixed."
He has a father whom he needs to look up to all the time, and another father who is always forgotten.
Sometimes I also feel that person is lonely, because Lu Zhi seems unable to admit that he has done a good job. Those intricate little things are scattered all over the ground, like sesame seeds, and none of them can prove his greatness.
His mediocre and ordinary background, which is so different from his father, always makes people feel that they are not a match, and that they cannot understand or empathize with his humility.
In the world that Lu Zhi was accustomed to, there was no song that could be used to praise the brilliance of ordinary people, so he never understood it.
He can say: "I don't want a daddy."
It was because Lu Zhi knew that his father would never be away. The sun would rise every day and the moon would set every day. In countless gaps in his daily life, he could see that shadow, which was neither tall nor handsome. He would bend down to break the branches of the tree and raise his hand to brush away the dust on the piano keys. He was always smiling, and there seemed to be a clear spring in his eyes, silently looking at him.
He was not a very remarkable person, nor had he done anything great. He was even a little clumsy and pitiful.
But just being looked at by him sometimes creates an illusion of being very good and happy.
So even though he didn't hate his grandmother's house, he wanted to go back even more.
But his father was not moved. He made a mistake the first time and then made a mistake the second time in front of him. If his father would depend on the eyes of others, be swayed by the attitudes of others, and be easily shaken, then he would not be a father.
"Have you really figured it out?" The tone wasn't even accusatory.
Lu Zhi lowered his head in shame. He hugged his whale backpack and whispered, "I'm sorry."
Lu Yanlin reached out his hand, touched his head calmly, and politely passed by Wen Lusheng.
At this time, footsteps were heard at the door.
Xin Mihe walked in carrying a few bags of supplements, with a puzzled look on his face, as if he had caused trouble.
"Auntie, are you feeling better?"
"Xiaozhi, come here and give uncle a hug. Uncle will buy you a sports car."
"Uncle Wen is here too, it's so lively."
"that……"
Xin Mihe livened up the atmosphere with a smile. He was a natural charmer, and could say a few words to anyone. With three parts fake and four parts sincere, it was hard for anyone to dislike him: "Aunt Yan, this is from Brother Jin Man."
Yan Qiong's face changed and she was a little unhappy, but after looking at those supplements, she found that they were all good things. She thought, since he was so unfriendly to her, how could he still send her things?
"Where are the others?" Lu Yanlin suddenly raised his eyes and asked.
Xin Mihe didn't dare to lie: "Uh... he only came to the door, listened to you play the piano for a while, and then left."
Ms. Yan Qiong snorted and said unhappily, "Where's Aunt Yu? Let her go and take a look. I don't need him to eat a meal here. Since he's already here, why is he running away?"
Lu Yanlin got up and went downstairs. Aunt Yu was just walking up with some fruit in her hand and met him head-on.
She smiled and said, "Yanlin, I just saw Manman. He brought me my usual things. I asked him to stay, but he refused, saying he had something else to do when he got home."
"This child came and went quickly. We can't keep him here."
If you say that, you've probably already gone far away.
Lu Yanlin did not go downstairs. He walked upstairs with an indifferent expression, and his haste just now seemed a little inexplicable.
Jin Man walked out of the beautifully decorated house and looked up to see the trees covered with lush green leaves.
He walked through the dense shade of the trees, and mottled spots of light squeezed out from the gaps between the leaves and fell into his palms, like a pool of cool and transparent water.
In the past, he was like a seed that fell under a tree, growing desperately, stretching out his leaves, and straightening his back. Only when he was occasionally illuminated by the setting sun, he thought the sun looked like that.
He never regretted anything, but when he saw that kind of happiness, he would think that it would be better if he had been born into a wealthy family.
If you have everything you need, can you live a good life?
But when I thought about it this way, I felt very sorry. I felt very sorry for the person who gave birth to him and raised him. Many years later, his bones were lying in the dust, and I had to blame him again.
That doesn't make sense.
He raised the corner of his mouth slightly, walked away along the shade of the trees, without looking back, but feeling a little lonely.
Jin Man only told a good friend that he was leaving Bincheng. At that time, a group of people were playing mahjong and the noise was too loud, so he said a few words quickly and hung up.
Jin Man started working at 16 and knew a lot of people, but they were all so far apart that they didn't meet often. He only had a few close friends, but life wasn't easy for everyone, so he couldn't express his complaints or unhappiness.
He sat alone on the bench and took out the documents prepared by his lawyer and read them again.
Not long after, the phone rang again. My friend's voice was gruff, and after a cough, he said in a normal tone: "Your sister-in-law's birthday is today. Are you coming?"
Someone cursed on the other end, followed by a woman's voice: "Jin Man, are you free today?"
"some……"
"Then you must come over to play. Old Xu misses you."
"That's not true, you're just talking nonsense!"
The words were spoken bluntly, but there was a hint of awkwardness in the tone. People who hadn't been in touch for a long time felt a little at a loss over the phone.
Jin Man smiled and said, "I understand. I will definitely come over."
After hanging up the phone, he stood there in a daze with his hands in his pockets for a while before going to look for the mall.
Later that night, he bought some things and knocked on the door carrying bags.
The door opened quickly. The room was clean and tidy. The hostess was generous and took his hand: "Don't take off your shoes, come in."
Jin Man entered the house. It was hot inside and a big fan was on. A strong smell of hot pot filled his nose, and along with the aroma came the noisy voices of people.
Friends who hadn't seen each other for a long time gathered together. I don't know who noticed him first, but shouted in surprise. Then the others started laughing one after another, threw down their cards and started to catch him.
Xu Wen is a straightforward person with a sharp tongue but a soft heart. He always remembers to send gifts to Jin Man every year. However, after something happened at the Lu Mansion, the two of them had less contact and their friendship gradually faded.
But Jin Man knew that Xu Wen was afraid of troublesome him.
The two of them looked at each other through the others, and Jin Man took the initiative to call out: "Brother Wen."
Xu Wen's expression changed, he snorted, and asked him to sit down and play together.
You are not allowed to drink alcohol when eating at Xu Wen's house. Not many of Jin Man's friends are fond of smoking and drinking. Everyone gets together to have fun, play cards, post notes, eat hot pot and brag.
In this atmosphere, he calmed down a little. Xu Wen's little daughter lay on his knees, and Xu Wen picked up some peanuts for her. The little girl took a watercolor pen and hugged her father's arm to draw.
There are a bunch of hearts and a dinosaur excavator painted on Alpha's big and strong arms.
It was obviously not the first time for the little girl to do this. She was bored so she plucked her father's leg hair, which made Xu Wen grimace in pain and he wanted to beat her, but he couldn't bring himself to do it, so he handled her gently like a cowardly mother.
The hostess couldn't stand it any longer, so she came over with a fierce face and took the little girl away. After a few steps, she couldn't help but slap the child's bottom a few times, and smiled through gritted teeth: "You wait for someone to leave."
When they were almost done with their meal, Xu Wen called Jin Man to the balcony. He took two puffs of his cigarette, took out a black plastic bag from behind the flower bed, and handed it to Jin Man.
Jin Man opened it and took a look. There were several bulging red stacks of banknotes, some new and some old. He raised his head and asked, "Brother Wen?"
Xu Wen said, cigarette in hand, "You're leaving so suddenly, kid? Did something happen? Did you borrow money from a loan shark? Or do you owe someone money? Or did you offend someone?"
Jin Man said nothing. He patted Jin Man's shoulder, and the ashes fell down. Xu Wen put the cigarette into the flower pot and said, "It's not much money. You can use it first. I know you have no one at home. It's really difficult to do anything when you go back. Just come to me. You can make do with whatever is salty or light. It's no problem to eat enough."
Jin Man looked at the bag and then at Xu Wen.
During such a long silence, Jin Man held the bag and said nothing. Alphas were also used to silence when getting along with each other.
An unknown amount of time passed before Jin Man returned the bag to Xu Wen. A small dimple formed at the corner of his mouth. He said to Xu Wen, "I haven't encountered any problems. I'm just...getting a divorce."
"divorce?"
Xu Wen's cigarette fell to the ground.
He was half surprised and half puzzled, and the words of comfort came to his lips, but he couldn't open his mouth when he saw Alpha's depressed expression quickly subsided.
"Is he cheating on me?"
"Nothing like that, we just don't get along."
"It's impossible for couples not to quarrel. If he hasn't done anything wrong to you, you should think about it again for the sake of the children. Otherwise, what will happen in the future?"
Yes, what should we do?
It seems that we should think carefully for the sake of our children.
But Jin Man is not an impulsive person. He is used to adapting and enduring in life, no matter whether he is in pain or hungry. He will not stand up and wave goodbye until he has no other choice.
Xu Wen saw his sadness and embarrassment, so he stopped trying to persuade him.
He raised his hand and rubbed Jin Man's head. His short hair tangled with his rough palm, and under his thin skin, even the blood vessels seemed to be trembling slightly.
"never mind."
He smiled at Jin Man and said, "Think about it, there is nothing in this world that cannot be overcome."
The hostess knocked on the balcony glass and said loudly: "Hey, Xu Wen, you have another friend coming!"
Xu Wen quickly picked the cigarette butt out of the flowerpot: "Here it comes."
Jin Man was alone on the balcony again. He listened to the noise in the house and the children's laughter, and thought for a long time. So long that the moon was about to rise, he took out his cell phone and called Lu Yanlin, intending to make things clear with him. He wanted to try again, for the sake of his family.
This time the call was connected quickly. The man's indifferent voice came from the other end of the phone, making Jin Man feel dazed.
He paused for a moment and said, "Lu Yanlin, will you come back tonight? I have something to tell you."
Lu Yanlin's voice was unhurried, gentle and cold: "Is tomorrow okay?"
Jin Man didn't want to wait any longer: "I want to see you."
The man on the phone fell silent because of this sentence. After a moment, he smiled softly and whispered: "Okay."
Jin Man wanted to say goodbye to Xu Wen. He pushed open the glass door and walked into the living room. He unexpectedly saw a slender figure from behind. He was wearing a fashionable white thin sweater and his hair was dark and smooth. When he looked back, the smile on his face stiffened a little.
"Bai Ning."
Beta, who used to work with him in the milk tea shop, also recognized him. After being stunned for a moment, he suddenly knelt down.
…
Lu Yanlin put down his phone, picked up the newspaper again, and moved closer to him, poking his head out from behind the newspaper: "Dad, I've finished my homework."
Lu Yanlin was checking his homework when he heard him ask halfway through, "Is that Dad?"
Lu Yanlin said nothing. He put down the rice paper, held Lu Zhi's hand, and led him to carefully rewrite the words. Then he put down the brush and said to him, "Go change your clothes."
Lu Zhi went there happily, and soon came down after changing his clothes, carrying his whale-shaped backpack.
He didn't get angry even when Ms. Yan Qiong and Aunt Yu teased him.
Next to the sanatorium is a very famous shopping mall, which is a landmark building in Bincheng. However, after the new urban area was built, the flow of people here has been declining, but both the facilities and functions are complete and comprehensive.
Lu Yanlin did not take Lu Zhi to wait in the sanatorium, but went to this shopping mall.
But for some reason, Alpha still didn't show up after the agreed time. Lu Zhi was so sleepy that he was about to fall asleep. He lay on Lu Yanlin's lap, looking at the colorful game facilities in the children's area of the mall, full of curiosity.
"Go ahead."
Lu Yanlin bought a ticket and sent him in to play.
He sat in the parent waiting area outside and watched for a while. For some reason, he frowned with a hint of uneasiness. After a long time, he heard familiar footsteps behind him.
He turned around and saw a face with red eyes caused by the wind.
"Lu Yanlin."
Alpha's voice was not only trembling, but he was also just a shell, filled with terrifying anxiety inside, like a bird whose nest was smashed in a stormy night.
He walked all the way here, and finally sorted out the mess in his mind so that he could speak.
"Why did you marry me in the first place?"
Lu Yanlin was stunned and looked at him. He didn't answer immediately, but asked: "Do you know anything?"
His voice was calm and steady, trying to get closer to the Alpha. He looked at Jin Man's slightly trembling appearance, and his tone could even be described as gentle: "You don't look well."
Jin Man's fingers were clenched until their knuckles turned white. The emotions that had nowhere to go seemed to tear his body apart. Even breathing became an excessive burden. He couldn't calm down the emotions. He just wanted to ask clearly: "Why?"
"Gold full."
"Lu Zhi is Bai Ning's child."
Lu Yanlin suddenly stopped, his slender figure standing silently, like a mountain pressing down on him. He asked in surprise, "Did you see Bai Ning?"
"So, why did you marry me in the first place?"
He asked this question a second time, and there was no way he could turn around. Lu Yanlin looked at him and finally stopped trying to get closer: "The reason I married you back then... was to save my mother."
The huge rock that Jin Man had been weighing on his heart fell to the ground with a loud bang, falling empty.
He remembered Bai Ning crying and begging him to let her see Lu Zhi, and he said that Lu Zhi was his child.
"I was the only witness in his mother's case. I promised him that if I testified in court, he would adopt Lu Zhi."
"I can't support him. His health is too poor."
"I haven't been able to come back in the past five years. I never thought about seeing him again, but I always dream about it. I finally see you. Please, Jin Man, can you let me see him, even if it's just a photo."
Beta cried so sadly, with endless tears in his body. He begged the Alpha in front of him, but he didn't know that this Alpha was actually as pitiful as he was.
They both exchanged themselves, but one did it to save his child, and the other thought he had met someone he could love.
They are all stupid and foolish. They submit to the fate that they cannot resist. They think they have encountered great things, but in fact they have lost something very important in their lives.
He took the wrong thing seriously for five years and loved someone who never loved him for five years.
All the things that were wrong had been explained at this moment, and he couldn't even blame anyone involved in this matter. Even he, who seemed innocent, had to exchange some money to save his relatives.
Lu Yanlin suddenly stepped forward, his tone no longer confident: "Jin Man."
Jin Man felt his face was wet and he realized that he seemed to be crying. He wanted to wipe it away, but the more he wiped, the more tears came.
Lu Yanlin's calm demeanor was broken, and he finally stopped being so relaxed: "I'm sorry, I can make it up to you."
Jin Man shook his head desperately. He wanted to say, it wasn't your fault, and it wasn't you who should compensate. It was his fault. He thought they were marrying out of love, that Lu Yanlin would have some feelings for him. But he was wrong from the start, and the outcome certainly wouldn't be good. He shouldn't have agreed, shouldn't have let his impulses run wild, shouldn't have overestimated himself and thought it was worth it.
but……
Jin Man said: "It's okay, it's understandable."
He has never had a family, so it is understandable that he is obsessed with family. It is also understandable that Lu Yanlin chooses to get married and adopt a child in order to save his mother.
No one is wrong, and everyone should return to their place.
He smiled at Lu Yanlin and said, "Let's get a divorce."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
