Chapter 147 IF: Past (Part Two) (Unlocked with 80% subscription): Fei Jia Arrives in the World of Ye Yihe
Although Ye Yihe was suspicious, his beast-like intuition told him that the person with such a subtle aura must be very dangerous, but the other party never made any outrageous moves, as if he were just a nice new neighbor.
"You saw him?"
During the meal, Ye Yihe's adoptive mother, Xiang Lingwei, smiled and gently nudged him with the end of her chopsticks.
"How is she? Isn't she pretty? Old Xu's daughter next door is staring at her like a head-on."
“…”
Unexpectedly, she suddenly brought up such a gossipy topic. Ye Yihe was speechless for a moment before replying, "I didn't pay attention to his appearance."
"Oh dear, that's a bit heartless. It's not easy for someone to go out of their way to wait for you after your evening self-study session."
“…”
Wasn't it you who praised that guy so much that you aroused his curiosity?
Ye Yihe remained silent, staring intently at his adoptive mother with his dark eyes until she felt embarrassed and turned her head away, clearing her throat dryly.
“You can’t blame me for this; he was already very interested in you,” Xiang Lingwei explained.
“He doesn’t even know me, so why would he be interested in me?” Ye Yihe said quietly.
"Of course, I invited him in for a cup of tea, and he just happened to see your trophy and photo."
Xiang Lingwei pointed with the tip of her chopsticks at the row of shiny trophies and medals on the cabinet, as well as several award ceremony photos.
In this dimly lit and cramped old building, only the trophies were kept spotless and meticulously cared for, like six-sided stars falling into the palm of her hand.
Including those photos, he was a little younger in that moment, with tight lips, an indifferent and sharp expression, as if this celebration of the championship had nothing to do with him.
But as his coach, she was extremely happy, her arm around his shoulder, and her smile was much brighter than his – not only because she was proud of him, but also because she was genuinely proud and joyful for him.
Now, as Ye Yihe sits at this rickety old wooden table, when his gaze meets that image of himself in those photos, the cold indifference has faded, like frost slowly melting after a harsh winter.
After staring at it quietly for a while, Ye Yihe finally looked away.
"Don't invite strangers into your home next time," he said slowly, before starting to eat again.
"Hmm? Are you worried I'll be attacked by bandits?"
Hearing words of concern from her own son, Xiang Lingwei's eyes immediately crinkled into crescents as she reached out and vigorously ruffled his hair—Ye Yihe kept a straight face but did not show any resistance or rejection.
“Alright, alright,” Xiang Lingwei said, “Anyway, she’s just a new neighbor who’s obviously not very strong. Her posture and way of walking are all problematic… I’ve been holding back from correcting her.”
It seems that even Xiang Lingwei thinks that Mr. Fei Jia's body is really not very resilient.
If Ye Yihe could see the problem, Xiang Lingwei, as a combat coach, could see it even more clearly—her professional instincts almost kicked in, and she repeatedly hesitated to speak during the conversation, nearly suffocating from holding it in.
In any case, it's impossible for them to threaten her.
Ye Yihe understood Xiang Lingwei's implied meaning, and after thinking for a moment, he concluded that she was right.
In the eyes of this mother and son, Mr. Fedia, who inexplicably moved into this kind of house that could be demolished at any time as a dangerous building, was extremely weak.
"I don't know what he does,"
After finishing dinner, Ye Yihe cleared the table and went to wash the dishes, while Xiang Lingwei muttered as she wiped the table, "She seems to be the pampered type, the kind of aristocrat who would dance with a glass of red wine."
"Nobles don't hold wine glasses when they dance, do they?" Ye Yihe replied without looking up from washing the dishes.
"Who knows? Didn't you also have the requirement to hold a horse stance with a bowl of water on your head during training and not let it spill out?"
Xiang Lingwei shrugged, ending the topic that none of them really cared about.
Ye Yihe didn't really care what the new neighbor did for a living, and he was still somewhat wary of him.
After all, under normal circumstances, someone who doesn't seem to lack money would not be willing to live in an old house that could be deemed a dangerous building at any time.
Who knows what his intentions are?
Ye Yihe thought this way, but then felt that the other person had nothing to do with his life, and that as long as he didn't deliberately try to contact them, there would be no intersection.
Besides, that guy really did look weak; even if he robbed someone at knifepoint, he wouldn't be a threat at all.
However, Ye Yihe soon discovered that the young man who introduced himself as "Fei Jia" was indeed not good at handling a knife.
He is a cello player who is proficient in playing the cello.
On many occasions when he left early and returned late, Ye Yihe would always see him carrying a huge cello case, his shoulders bent slightly under the weight—fortunately, the cello was made of wood and was hollow, so it wasn't so heavy that this slender young man would have trouble even lifting it.
“I come here to find inspiration,” Fedia would even explain with a smile when they traveled together, “It will turn into a string of delicate and beautiful notes that flow in my new music.”
He speaks in such a literary style.
The first thought popped into Ye Yihe's mind.
Thankfully, she's not a pianist.
Then a second one appeared.
But in the end, Ye Yihe only uttered, "Oh."
He seemed uninterested and had absolutely no interest in music.
Those cellos and such are definitely things only rich people are keen on tinkering with—even if you gave them to him, he wouldn't understand them, and it would be more efficient to just swing them around and smash them against someone.
Slightly distracted, Ye Yihe kicked a small pebble away, unaware that as Fei Jia looked at him, the subtle smile in her eyes deepened, her dark eyes curving slightly, as if she were particularly interested in it.
“I recently wrote a melody, but I’m struggling to find an audience to comment on it.”
As they stopped at the crossroads where they were about to part ways, Fei Jia took the initiative to invite him, "I wonder if Iher would be willing to help me with this? When you're free this weekend."
He was very polite in his speech and quite elegant in his manners, but I always felt that when Fei Jia pronounced words, there was a subtle stickiness between each syllable that revealed a smile.
Like a snake slowly slithering through the forest, those raised vertical pupils had locked onto their target, and their tongues were hissing softly—and his back felt as if the snake was crawling over him, causing him to feel a slight, indescribable tremor and palpitation as those eyes stared at him.
This feeling was so unfamiliar that Ye Yihe subconsciously took a half step back, appearing even more disheveled than when facing an enemy in the ring.
Or perhaps it's some kind of unfounded resistance caused by a sense of vigilance.
"I don't understand music."
Ye Yihe glanced at the guy who always seemed strange to him and replied curtly.
He only knows how to fight, not how to play the cello, and he can't understand the joy, sorrow, and passion hidden behind those melodies.
"It doesn't matter,"
Just as Ye Yihe turned around, preparing to part ways with this guy who had inexplicably invited him to a music appreciation session and continue his day's jail time at school, the other person spoke up behind him.
"Just tell me your true thoughts, Iher. As a thank you, I will pay you."
—Rewards, that is, money.
Ye Yihe stopped in his tracks.
Their family was short of money. He had seen her sitting under the dim light more than once, resting her chin on her hand, frowning, and writing and drawing on paper, calculating whether the month's expenses were balanced.
This is why he strives to win first place in every competition – the champion receives the most prize money.
If you can get paid just by listening to this guy play the cello in your spare time... Ye Yihe was a little tempted.
Fei Jia stood there with a smile, patiently waiting for the boy to make his decision.
How much are you prepared to pay?
He finally saw the other person turn around, their dark eyes staring straight at him, much more wary and colder than any he had ever seen before, like a tiger sharpening its claws.
It's very interesting, extremely interesting.
Fedia smiled and stated a number, adding as the other party's attitude suddenly softened, "This is the price for one listen."
Hearing it once was worth a week's living expenses, and Ye Yihe's eyes widened suddenly.
In other words, listening to it more times will give you more feedback?
"good."
He immediately agreed decisively, as if afraid the other party would change their mind, "I'll play the cello for you if you want."
Fei Jia's smile froze slightly.
“No,” he said, “that’s not necessary.”
"...?"
These words sounded strangely somber, causing Ye Yihe to look at him with confusion.
What, it's like you've heard him play the cello before, he's never even touched one of those things.
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