Chapter 24 The Kid Shows Off His Piano Skills
Everyone at the table was shocked.
He Ling immediately brought over a glass of cold water, "Quickly rinse your mouth with cold water and clean the inside of your mouth."
Lu Yuan took the cup and fed Lu Yinzhao water, "Hold it in your mouth for a moment, then spit it out, and rinse your mouth several times."
Children's skin is very delicate, especially their mouths, which cannot withstand the heat that adults can touch. Even a slight burn can cause injury.
Lu Yinzhao obediently listened to his third brother and quickly rinsed his mouth with cold water.
When he was burned, his mouth reacted quickly and he spat it out immediately, so now that it's been soaked in cold water, it doesn't hurt anymore.
After giving Zhao Zhao some emergency treatment, Lu Yuan observed the inside of her mouth. There was no redness or blistering, and he breathed a slight sigh of relief.
"I'm going to buy medicine." He Ling took a step to leave.
Lu Yuan stopped her, saying, "It's alright, no need to trouble yourself, Zhao Zhao isn't hurt."
He Ling felt very guilty, as he was the one who put that piece of meat into the little guy's bowl.
He was a rough, uneducated man who had never taken care of children before and had no idea that the child might get burned.
It's understandable that a child is greedy and eager to eat meat; the problem is that he didn't think things through.
"I'm sorry, Lu Yuan, I wasn't paying attention..."
“You don’t need to blame yourself. It’s actually my fault. I should have taken care of Zhaozhao’s meal first,” Lu Yuan said.
Seeing the two arguing, Lu Yinzhao looked up and said, "I'm sorry, brother. I'll blow on it before eating next time. Mom said that we should chew slowly and carefully. I was wrong just now."
Seeing how well-behaved the little one was, He Ling's heart softened.
He reached out and patted Zhao Zhao's little head. "You're a good baby. It's just that your older brothers are too careless. It won't happen again."
Lu Cheng ran over from the opposite seat, "Why don't you let me take care of Zhao Zhao? I'm a very meticulous person... wait, what's with those expressions?"
After Lu Cheng finished speaking, he saw that Lu Yuan and Zhao Zhao had the same speechless expression, which was full of disbelief in him. Lu Cheng almost lost his temper.
What's wrong? You don't like me?
Just then, a child's voice rang out, "I'll do it."
Bian Ji stood up and sat down next to Lu Yinzhao. He picked up a small shrimp and put it in Lu Yinzhao's bowl.
"I've already cooled it down, so you can eat it directly."
"Thank you, Brother Ji!" This time, Lu Yinzhao was smarter. He first touched the food with his lips to make sure it was warm before putting it in his mouth.
The shrimp were bouncy and refreshing, with tender meat; Lu Yinzhao ate several in a row.
After what just happened, Lu Yinzhao has now become a key person to protect.
Bian Ji sat on the left, and Lu Yuan sat on the right.
They took turns feeding him, one on the left and one on the right.
The two were very meticulous, and would let the food cool down to lukewarm before serving it to Zhaozhao.
Children's stomachs are ultimately smaller than adults', and eating too much is not good for them. Lu Yinzhao put down the small spoon in her hand after she felt she could not eat anymore.
"Third brother, I'm full." The little boy raised his face and looked at his third brother.
"Then I'll pick you up, and you can play here for a while." Lu Yuan picked Lu Yinzhao up from the baby chair. As soon as the little guy's feet touched the ground, he ran around like a chick released from its coop.
The private room that He Ling prepared for them was quite large, and there was even a children's play area next to it.
Lu Yinzhao climbed up the small slide, which was more than a meter high, sat on it, and slid down with a push.
Not long after Lu Yinzhao finished eating, Bian Ji also left the table.
Looking at these recreational facilities that were clearly designed for three-year-olds, Bian Ji had absolutely no interest in them.
Lu Yinzhao could understand the big boss's thoughts; what he was doing now was indeed very childish.
He played with it for a while and then got bored.
But there's nothing else in this private room, so just sitting there will only make it more boring.
Adults can at least play with their phones, but he's just a little kid with nothing. When he's bored, all he can do is stare blankly and chew on his hands.
I should have brought my camera with me.
Lu Yinzhao really liked his new camera, but thinking that he was just going out for a meal and might not have time to take care of his belongings, he didn't bring it.
"Third brother, can I go out to play?" The little boy looked at Lu Yuan longingly.
Lu Yuan couldn't bear to refuse his adorable younger brother, so he put down his chopsticks and simply stopped eating.
Anyway, he had eaten almost all of his food. He wasn't like Lu Cheng, who was a glutton. Eating until he was about 70% full was enough for him.
“I’ll go out with you,” Lu Yuan said, standing up.
He Ling quickly said, "You haven't eaten much. Eat some more, and I'll help you take care of the child."
He Ling really wanted to make up for his previous carelessness. His good friend had finally brought his family to have a meal at his place, and he had to make sure they had a good experience.
“I’ll show Zhao Zhao around the restaurant. You’ve arrived quite early, there aren’t many customers yet. Your brother and the others can go out, but Lu Yuan, you can’t.”
"I can't do it?"
"What I mean is, your face!" He Ling exclaimed. "If you just walked out and got recognized, my restaurant would be packed with people today."
Lu Yuan is incredibly popular these days; who among young people doesn't know him?
Lu Yuan was wearing a mask when he arrived. He was quickly led into a private room, and since there weren't many guests at the time, nothing happened.
In a while, the restaurant will become more and more crowded, especially since Lu Yuan is still filming a show. If he goes out openly, it will be impossible for him not to be recognized.
Lu Yuan understood He Ling's meaning, thought for a moment, and said to his cameraman, "Is that enough footage for today? Go follow my brother."
Lu Yuan felt more at ease with a cameraman following Zhao Zhao.
The cameraman hesitated and said, "I have to ask Director Guo."
Guo Hong saw the scene through the control room and immediately told the cameraman via the internal communication system, "Do as he says."
Guo Hong sighed humbly, momentarily unable to tell who the director was.
...
Today was He Ling's first time meeting Lu Yinzhao. He felt that this child was very different from the children he had imagined. He was very well-behaved and easy to communicate with.
How could Lu Yuan, who always has such a grumpy face, have a younger brother whose smile is so sweet it could kill?
He Ling led the two children out of the private room and saw the little guy walking forward blankly.
He Ling deliberately pointed towards a platform in the restaurant, "Zhao Zhao, how about your brother takes you to play the piano?"
"Piano?" Bian Ji spoke first, before Lu Yinzhao could. The little boy, who had been calm all along, showed a flicker of emotion in his eyes.
Lu Yinzhao tugged at He Ling's trouser leg, "Brother Aji can play the piano, and he plays it so beautifully!"
He Ling asked in surprise, "You can play the piano?"
Bian Ji nodded: "I know a little."
Lu Yinzhao thought to himself, "The big boss is still too modest."
He Ling thought that Bian Ji's claim of knowing a little bit meant playing something like "Ode to Joy" or "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star".
“There’s no one up there now, you can go play, it’s okay, don’t be shy,” He Ling encouraged.
Bian Ji's expression remained calm. He turned to Lu Yinzhao and asked, "What kind of music would you like to hear?"
He could play almost any of the non-improvisational pieces; he had the scores memorized long ago.
"I don't know." Lu Yinzhao genuinely didn't understand music. "Brother can play whatever he wants!"
"good."
Bian Ji calmly walked onto the platform, sat down at the piano, tried a few notes, and found the tone acceptable.
The quality of the piano was better than he had imagined.
He Ling specially bought the piano and placed it here. When he's not busy, he sits here and plays a few pieces. Although he has retired from the music scene, he still can't live without music in his daily life, and the piano is the only instrument he is relatively good at.
Suddenly, several heavy syllables fell.
The boy's right hand quickly tapped across the keys, and his left hand immediately followed with chords. With each breath, a smooth piano melody filled the space.
First, the rhythm shifts from heavy to light, then from fast to slow, with a sudden half-second pause in the rhythmic intervals. Then, the fingers slow down, and the notes flow from the boy's fingertips.
The boy didn't look down at the piano keys at all; instead, he would sometimes close his eyes and sometimes stare at a blank light, like a poet telling a story.
Looking at the dazzling boy on the stage, Lu Yinzhao felt that he looked like a prince at that moment.
He Ling, standing to the side, was so shocked that his jaw almost dropped.
Is this what the kid meant by "knowing a little"?
He Ling had studied piano and knew that Bian Ji was playing the Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2, a piece for piano students at the tenth level.
To say that this kid was showing off his skills would be too superficial. He Ling could see that Bian Ji was completely enjoying himself, which was on a completely different level.
There's a rather urgent section in the middle of this piece, requiring your fingers to nimbly follow each note.
Lu Yinzhao only saw the boss's fingers moving like springs, sometimes interlacing, sometimes jumping to another span, leaving afterimages.
This piece... must be quite difficult.
Lu Yinzhao looked up and asked the stunned He Ling, "Brother, can you play this piece?"
He Ling: "..."
He used to be able to play a piece by looking at the sheet music, but now he can't play it completely without it.
This piece has many leaps of more than an octave, requiring the repeated use of the technique of playing consecutive octaves. There are also several measures with leaps of twelfths.
This requires a lot of dexterity from the player's fingers, and playing for a long time can cause the wrist to become tired and stiff.
He Ling knew that Bian Ji was Lu Yuan's neighbor's younger brother and a good friend of Zhao Zhao.
But I never expected a child to unleash such a powerful move so easily. Doesn't that leave any chance for adults?
Are all kids these days so curly-haired?
It takes fourteen minutes to play this piece. The first half is melancholic and lonely, while the second half is passionate and unrestrained.
The moment Bian Ji's fingers stopped moving, he slowly opened his eyes, looked around, and was slightly taken aback.
He saw people around him taking pictures with their phones.
Lu Yinzhao clapped enthusiastically from below the stage, "Brother Aji, you played so well!"
Bian Ji had been surrounded by such amazement and praise since childhood, so he was actually no longer bothered by it.
But the way the little one was jumping and hopping around made him smile.
Being with Lu Yinzhao always seems to make me feel exceptionally good.
"Whose kid is this? He's amazing!"
"I have to record this so I can show it to my son when I get back!"
"This child is good-looking and plays the piano very well. He doesn't look like he was raised in an ordinary family."
"Didn't you see that little rascal next to him? He's even cuter. The one playing the piano must be his older brother, right?"
"That must be true. Both children are so beautiful, their parents must be incredibly good-looking."
“I’ve heard this piece before. My daughter practiced it a while ago and complained to me that it was really difficult. I didn’t expect this little boy to play it so easily.”
"..."
At this point, more and more customers began to arrive; they had also been drawn in by the music.
The general public loves to join in the fun, and when they saw that the person playing the piano was such a young boy, they couldn't help but stop and watch.
Several regular customers asked He Ling, "Boss He, do you know these two children? Whose are they?"
He Ling nodded and said, "I know them. They are my friend's children. They came to my place for dinner today, and now that the two little ones have finished eating, I brought them out for a stroll."
"Your friend... can't be someone important, can he?" The regular customer looked at Bian Ji and Lu Yinzhao's clothes and felt that they were not from an ordinary family.
He Ling dodged the question by saying, "No, no, their family is just relatively well-off. They are quite attentive to their children's upbringing."
"You guys eat, keep eating, call me if you need anything!"
After dismissing the regular customers, He Ling quickly led the children back to their private rooms, one in each hand.
Little did he know that even without Lu Yuan, the king of traffic, there was a hidden talent in Xiaohai Ge!
Lu Yuan and Lu Cheng had finished eating by now. Seeing He Ling bring the children back, they asked, "What's wrong?"
He Ling whispered in Lu Yuan's ear, "You never told me that your neighbor's kid was a piano prodigy, did you?"
"Was that him playing the piano outside just now?" Lu Yuan had vaguely heard the piano music, but he didn't think of Bian Ji.
Thinking back to the time Bian Ji improvised on his electronic keyboard, Lu Yuan couldn't help but admire it.
This child is truly musically talented.
"Yes, I was stunned. Is this something someone his age can play? He's already playing like this; he'll be even more amazing in the future," He Ling exclaimed in amazement.
"Would you believe me if I said he's better at improvisation than either of us?"
"I believe you. After seeing how he played the piano today, I'll believe whatever you say." He Ling couldn't help but sigh. "It's true what they say, the new generation surpasses the old, and the old generation dies on the beach..."
"I'm not dead. I'm still making my albums. This is something I'm going to do for the rest of my life," Lu Yuan said casually.
Seeing the determination in Lu Yuan's eyes, He Ling was happy for his good brother.
He was the one who got off halfway, which was a pity, but He Ling didn't regret his decision. Everyone has their own path. Some people just want to enjoy the scenery as they please, while others keep rushing towards the distance. Different lives, different ways of living.
*
On the way back.
Lu Yinzhao fell asleep shortly after getting into the car.
She's still the same carefree baby with excellent sleep quality.
Logically speaking, when Bian Ji is a guest at someone else's home, she wouldn't allow herself to be completely relaxed.
But today, he also fell asleep in Lu Yuan's car without any precautions.
Looking through the rearview mirror, Lu Yuan saw two heads, one big and one small, nestled together, sleeping soundly.
As the car approached his home, Lu Yuan saw a familiar figure in the distance from inside the car.
"Big brother?"
Lu Xun seemed to have just returned as well. Hearing the voice, he turned around and asked, "Xiao Yuan? You guys went out? Where's Zhao Zhao?"
Lu Yuan parked the car and said in a low voice, "Shh, they're all asleep in the car."
"Lu Cheng, can you help me hold Zhao Zhao... Fourth Brother?" Lu Yuan seemed to realize something, turned around and saw that the boy was sleeping soundly like two children.
Lu Xun smiled and said, "Let me carry Zhao Zhao."
The little guy almost never wakes up during his sleep. When Lu Xun picked him up, he just pouted slightly, then twisted his body and continued sleeping.
Lu Yuan didn't want to hug Lu Cheng, so he slapped his arm, waking the boy up.
When Lu Cheng woke up, he shuddered, "Ah, the barbecue! My barbecue!"
"You've finished eating, and you're still talking about barbecue? Wipe your drool," Lu Yuan said. "We're home, get out of the car."
Bian Ji woke up just as Lu Xun was carrying Lu Yinzhao out of the car. He didn't need to be carried and got out of the car quietly on his own.
Director Guo Hong's face lit up with a wide smile when he saw the person he had been longing to meet.
"I'm Guo Hong, hello, hello, Teacher Lu Xun, have you finished your work?" Guo Hong approached her solicitously.
Lu Xun knew that the person in front of him was the director of the program that Lu Yuan and the others were recording. He nodded and smiled, "Yes, I'm done for now. I have to go out again in a couple of days."
"Then... would it be convenient to wear a microphone?" Guo Hong asked, his eyes crinkling as he rubbed his hands together.
"Okay, I'll take Zhaozhao back first."
Lu Xun understood Guo Hong's intentions perfectly well. He clearly wanted Guo Hong to appear more often on camera. Once he put on the microphone, every word he said would be clearly recorded and used for the program's editing.
Guo Hong walked into the monitoring room, secretly overjoyed: This show's ratings are absolutely, positively, guaranteed to be a smash hit!
With a renowned director, a movie star, and a top celebrity... plus such an adorable baby who brings so much entertainment value, this show is packed with highlights.
After parking the car, Lu Yuan and Lu Xun went into the house together.
When Lu Xun carried Lu Yinzhao into the room to sleep, he asked Bian Ji, "Xiao Ji, do you want to sleep next to Zhaozhao for a while? You looked sleepy just now."
Bian Ji hesitated for a few seconds, then nodded in agreement.
The main problem is that he has nothing to do right now, and he's not very familiar with the older brothers in the Lu family.
He came to the Lu family just to play with Lu Yinzhao, but now that Lu Yinzhao is sleeping like a little pig, he can only accompany her.
After settling the two children in, Lu Xun quietly closed the door.
Bian Ji was already awake, but after lying down next to Lu Yinzhao and staring at the little one's sleeping face for a few minutes, she started to feel sleepy again.
He blinked a few times, then closed his eyes heavily.
...
Bian Ji didn't know how long he had slept, but he felt warm all over.
Especially the front of the chest.
As soon as he moved slightly, something nudged him from his arms.
The moment Bian Ji opened his eyes, he saw Lu Yinzhao nestled in his arms, the little one drooling on his chest, wetting the front of his shirt.
Lu Yinzhao's little face was rosy from sleeping, and there was a smile on her lips.
Bian Ji stared at that round, chubby face and couldn't resist poking it twice.
It leaves a dent with a single poke, and when released, it quickly bounces back, giving a wobbly thud.
The little one seemed to feel an itch on his face, scratched it a couple of times, and then continued sleeping with his little mouth open.
Bian Ji felt as if he had found something new and wanted to reach out and "play a trick" again.
As a result, the little one suddenly turned to the side, and Bian Ji missed his target, instead poking Lu Yinzhao's open mouth.
Bian Ji instinctively shrank back, but was bitten by the cub in front of him.
Bian Ji: "..."
The little guy used his fingers as teething toys, grinding his small, white teeth on them, getting saliva all over them.
Lu Yinzhao's bites didn't hurt. Just like his little orange cat, when it bites someone's finger, it's light and itchy, and its little tongue will occasionally flick a couple of times.
Bian Ji let the little guy fool around for a while before withdrawing his hand.
The little one suddenly felt empty in his mouth and smacked his lips, as if he hadn't had enough.
His gaze softened as he looked at Lu Yinzhao. "Lu Yinzhao."
I wish you were my younger brother...
Bian Ji wasn't very close to his older brother. To be precise, he rarely saw his brother; in his memory, his older brother was always busy.
Seeing how the Lu brothers interacted, it was impossible for Bian Ji not to be moved at all.
He wasn't born cold-hearted.
He was the only young child in the family.
Furthermore, when his mother took him to see other unruly children, he couldn't empathize with their thought processes.
Later on... I gradually became all alone.
But Lu Yinzhao is different from those other children.
She won't cry or make a fuss, she won't fiercely snatch toys from others, and she certainly won't lie to her parents, saying that she fell down because her older brother pushed her.
He was like a little sun, always smiling sweetly. Bian Ji had never told anyone that he found Lu Yinzhao's voice very pleasant when he called him "brother".
It's warm, like it has inexhaustible energy.
Bian Ji was quite willing to spend time with Lu Yinzhao, who was like this.
He thought that if Lu Yinzhao were his younger brother, he would treat him with the utmost kindness, protect him from any harm, and present him with all the good things in the world.
As long as Lu Yinzhao wants it.
Bian Ji admitted to himself that he did indeed like this younger brother quite a bit.
His mother won't have any more children, so...
Treating Lu Yinzhao like a younger brother is also acceptable.
"Lu Yinzhao, how about I be your older brother?"
Lu Yinzhao, who vaguely heard what sounded like someone talking, was speechless.
His curly eyelashes trembled, and he slowly opened his eyes. Seeing the big shot in front of him, he grinned and said, "Brother Aji!"
"Then I'll take that as a yes."
Lu Yinzhao: "?"
What did you promise?
Lu Yinzhao didn't understand.
Bian Ji reached out and pinched the baby's chubby cheeks again. "Lu Yinzhao, besides your family, only I can treat you like this from now on. Do you understand?"
Lu Yinzhao nodded in confusion, seemingly understanding but not quite. "Brother~ what?"
"Don't let anyone pinch your cheeks," Bian Ji repeated.
"..." Is the big boss treating him like a plaything? That's pretty domineering.
The whole family loves his chubby cheeks, even the boss does. Ugh, his darn baby fat!
Lu Yinzhao thought that the big boss was just a kid now, and it was normal for kids to play around like that, right?
In return, he also pinched the big boss's face.
Lu Yinzhao was already very close to Bian Ji, and now he reached out and pinched him.
He chuckled like a string of bells, and Bian Ji frowned slightly, but did not immediately push away Lu Yinzhao's hand.
This kid really shines when given a little sunshine...
He immediately turned to the side and tickled Lu Yinzhao's little belly, hitting the little guy's ticklish spot.
Lu Yinzhao rolled away, laughing maniacally.
Bian Ji was afraid he would roll to the ground, so she quickly reached out and grabbed the baby's clothes.
Lu Yinzhao is very ticklish, and his reaction is quite intense; he bounces around on the bed like a lively little fish.
Bian Ji frantically tried to pull him down, and before she knew it, the little boy's pants were pulled down, revealing two white, bare buttocks...
Lu Yinzhao felt a chill on his bottom and quickly reached out to cover it.
Oh no! My pants!
Boss, you've gone too far!
Bian Ji was a little embarrassed and quickly pulled up the boy's pants.
Lu Yinzhao, with a serious expression, said, "Brother Aji, you can't take off my pants."
This shows a complete lack of martial ethics!
"I didn't mean to," Bian Ji said frankly. "I'll be more careful next time."
"..." There will be a next time?!
Luckily, he's only a two-year-old, so being naked won't cause any problems.
"Brother, I need to go to the toilet." Lu Yinzhao simply told Bian Ji, preparing to get out of bed and go to the toilet himself.
However, Bian Ji misunderstood that he needed help to go to the toilet.
Bian Ji thought about it and agreed. Lu Yinzhao was only two years old and probably couldn't go to the toilet by himself yet. It was only right for him, as the older brother, to help.
"Okay, I'll carry you over."
Bian Ji got out of bed and, imitating how Lu Xun had held the baby before, wrapped her arms around the little one's waist.
Lift it up with all your might!
Bian Ji: "..." Ha, it's solid.
-----------------------
Author's Note: Bian Ji now: Can I be your older brother? [glasses]
Future thoughts: Will you be my sweetheart? [Sunglasses]
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