Chapter 33
She likes people with musical talent.
Shi Qiyue raised her hand from the side: "Brother Shi! I'm here!"
Seeing Shi Ziqian approach, Shi Qiyue waved the pomegranate juice in her hand, which was mostly drunk, and said, "Sister invited me to drink pomegranate juice."
When Zhan Xinyue met Shi Ziqian's gaze, she subconsciously said, "What would you like to drink? I'll treat you to something too."
Shi Ziqian shook his head. "No need."
Shi Qiyue, biting her straw, tilted her head and whispered, "He's a really boring guy. He doesn't like to drink anything, just plain water."
Shi Ziqian frowned at her, and Zhan Xinyue quickly smoothed things over: "How about I order you a coffee with an iced top, the same as mine? This place is pretty good."
Because of the coffee, Shi Ziqian sat down as well. As he sat down, he pursed his lips and asked Zhan Xinyue with an unnatural expression, "What did she just say to you?"
Zhan Xinyue said, "She didn't say anything. She got lost and happened to run into me, so she borrowed my phone to call you. We chatted for a bit."
Shi Ziqian hummed in agreement: "I'm sorry to have troubled you."
"No, your sister is very well-behaved."
Shi Ziqian's gaze shifted to Shi Qiyue, scrutinizing her for a few seconds. Shi Qiyue smiled.
Because she had previously mentioned to Shi Qiyue that she had a good relationship with Shi Ziqian, Zhan Xinyue tried to find a topic to talk about: "You two siblings have a really good relationship, you even go out to play together."
“Yes.” Shi Qiyue glanced at Shi Ziqian’s face. “We’re very close. Right, brother?”
As they were talking, a girl walked past them. Zhan Xinyue didn't pay much attention, but the girl suddenly took two steps back and moved closer, calling out to her, "Hey, Zhan Xinyue? What a coincidence."
Zhan Xinyue then recognized the person in front of her as Dai Yun. This area was the liveliest part of the city, so it was normal to run into acquaintances.
"You..." Dai Yun wanted to say something, but her gaze turned to the side and she suddenly met Shi Ziqian's dark eyes. She was clearly stunned. "Ah, Shi Ziqian, you're here too."
Shi Ziqian nodded.
Dai Yun, who was originally about to walk towards Zhan Xinyue, stopped in her tracks, glanced back and forth between the two of them, and silently changed direction: "What a coincidence, you two have fun, I'm leaving, bye-bye."
What does it mean to take your time?
Zhan Xinyue suddenly felt a bit overwhelmed. How could she explain that her encounter with Shi Ziqian was actually just a chance meeting?
Beside them, Shi Qiyue asked, "Are these also your classmates?"
“Yes,” Zhan Xinyue replied, her mind wandering.
Shi Qiyue curled her lips and asked in a low voice, "Sister, didn't you say that my brother gets along well with everyone? Why do I feel like you're lying to me?"
Zhan Xinyue didn't know how to reply, but luckily her phone rang suddenly, rescuing her. Pang Yun's name flashed on the screen, and she quickly answered. She heard Pang Yun ask, "Yueyue, where are you and Wanwan playing? It's almost lunchtime, your dad and I are getting ready to go out for dinner. Shall we drive over and pick you up?"
"I'm over here at the central square," Zhan Xinyue added. "Xie Wanzhi has already gone back."
"Okay, then find a place to wait by the roadside for a bit. We'll be there in about ten minutes."
After hanging up the phone, Zhan Xinyue stood up and said to the brother and sister, "My parents are coming to pick me up, so I'll be going now."
Shi Ziqian hummed in agreement, while Shi Qiyue waved enthusiastically at her, saying, "Bye-bye, sister, see you next time."
Zhan Xinyue waved to her with a smile, "See you next time." Then she felt that this might be a bit of a differential treatment, so she turned to Shi Ziqian and said, "See you at school."
After Zhan Xinyue walked away, Shi Ziqian finally withdrew his gaze from her retreating figure and took a sip of coffee. The snow on the roof had completely melted, blending with the coffee and creating a smooth, sweet taste.
"What's the point of staring at someone when they're here if you don't say anything when they're gone?" Shi Qiyue watched his movements and lazily leaned back in her chair.
Shi Ziqian raised his eyes and looked at her solemnly: "Don't interfere in our affairs."
"Tch, I don't care. It's all because you're so useless." Shi Qiyue pouted. "You're really ungrateful. I have an important discovery today, but since you've said so, it seems I don't need to tell you."
Shi Ziqian's eyes flickered, but he didn't say anything.
Shi Qiyue stood up and said, "Shouldn't we go eat McDonald's now?"
The two entered the McDonald's. Shi Ziqian watched her slowly finish her meal and stuff the Doraemon toy that came with the meal into her pocket. Just as he was about to say something, he saw her stand up straight and say, "I'm leaving. I'm going back. Aren't you going back to school? I'm going home by myself."
"Shi Qiyue," he suddenly called out to her, "Wait a minute."
Shi Qiyue turned around hesitantly, and then heard Shi Ziqian ask hesitantly, "What discovery are you going to talk about today?"
“I’ve discovered—” Shi Qiyue drawled, blinking her eyes, “If you’re going home tonight, I’ll tell you.”
"……Why?"
Shi Qiyue said lazily, "I just wanted to upset Zhu Qing."
Shi Ziqian remained silent for a long time before finally giving in: "Let's go. Can we talk now?"
“Alright, then I’ll tell you.” Shi Qiyue smiled contentedly. “This older sister likes boys with musical talent, which is a very important piece of information, right? Although I haven’t figured out if she has any other feelings for you, I’ve noticed that she at least doesn’t dislike you.”
Shi Ziqian was slightly taken aback, somewhat lost in thought.
Shi Qiyue continued, "So, the question you asked me the other day... girls need to be pursued. If you like someone, just be proactive. Do I have to teach you that?"
Shi Qiyue called him home, saying she wanted to upset Zhu Qing, but when they arrived, Zhu Qing wasn't there. She immediately felt bored and retreated to her room after dinner.
Shi Ziqian went back to his room, took a shower, dried his hair, and then came out of the room.
The house was quiet. Shi Yuesheng hadn't returned yet. Aunt Chen took Shi Qiao and the other two children to play in the garden.
Looking down from upstairs, you can see a grand piano standing quietly behind the sofa in the living room. Apart from Aunt Chen occasionally wiping it down, this piano hasn't been touched in a long time.
Shi Ziqian casually dried his hair as he went downstairs, stopped in front of the piano, and stared at it expressionlessly.
When Zhu Qing returned, she heard piano music coming from inside the house as soon as she entered the courtyard, and her expression immediately showed some surprise.
She stood there for a while before opening the door, and sure enough, she saw Shi Ziqian sitting at the piano playing.
Hearing the door open, Shi Ziqian did not move, his gaze remaining fixed on the piano keys.
"Ziqian is playing the zither, that's rare to see," Zhu Qing exclaimed.
Shi Ziqian did not respond, it was unclear whether he did not hear or did not want to pay attention.
Zhu Qing put down the small bag she was carrying, walked over and stood beside him to look at him.
Shi Ziqian continued playing the zither with his eyes lowered, the soothing melody flowing from his fingertips. He had hands perfectly suited for playing the zither, and even after so many years without touching it, he showed no signs of rustiness.
"It's been a long time since I've seen you play the piano. You seem to be in a good mood today." Zhu Qing leaned against the piano, smiling. "I remember you loved the piano when you were little, but it's a pity you haven't touched it all these years."
"I'm so happy to see you playing the piano again today." A hint of regret appeared on her face. "Speaking of which, I was the one who taught you piano, remember?"
Shi Ziqian finally stopped typing, glanced at her with his eyelids, and without saying a word, reached out and closed the keyboard cover.
Zhu Qing didn't notice his actions, and continued with a nostalgic look in her eyes: "You were so little back then, just this tiny little thing, so well-behaved, sitting by the piano with your feet barely touching the ground..."
The crystal chandelier in the living room shone brightly, casting a cool, luminous light on Shi Ziqian's face. He suddenly stood up, his movement so forceful that the piano stool he was carrying overturned with a loud crash.
"What's wrong again? Why are you angry?" Zhu Qing's face showed a hint of helplessness, but she still smiled. "Children really aren't as cute as they were when they were little as they grow up."
Shi Ziqian suddenly took a step forward, his tall figure forcing her to tilt her head back and take a step back.
His usually indifferent face showed an unusually strong expression of disgust. His cold gaze lingered on her face for a moment before he quickly looked away in annoyance, squeezing out two extremely irritated words.
"Get out of here."
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