Chapter 148 IF: Past (Part 3) (Unlocked with 80% subscription): Fei Jia Arrives in the World of Ye Yihe
Thus, starting with this part-time job, Ye Yihe and his new neighbor began to interact.
This poor old house is not soundproof, and weekends are the rare moments of respite that everyone has had from their busy lives. No matter how exquisite Mr. Fedia’s cello playing skills are, to ordinary residents who are not music connoisseurs, it is nothing more than slightly pleasant noise.
It sounds nice, but it's still noise.
Fortunately, Mr. Fedia was not only handsome; he was also very courteous to others and never played the cello at home.
When inviting Ye Yihe to listen to a melody demo, she would first take him to a nearby practice room.
According to Fei Jia, although it was a bit far away, the soundproofing was good and the environment was nice, so no one could disturb them.
"Nobody is here...?"
Ye Yihe frowned slightly, sensing that the other person's pronunciation of the sentence was somewhat...subtle.
"Yes, there is no one."
Fedia simply smiled at him and repeated it again.
When those deep, dark red eyes met Ye Yihe's gaze as he turned his head, and were quickly looked away by the latter, Ye Yihe heard Fei Jia let out a low, slow chuckle, followed by a more specific definition.
"—Only you and me."
The practice room was very elegantly decorated, and Fedia himself was the indispensable absolute center in creating this oil painting-like scene; it was as if even the afternoon sunlight shining in from the window favored him, casting a warm halo over his thin shoulders.
Ye Yihe, who only comes here to earn extra money, is sitting in the chair opposite Fei Jia.
He had been here many times before, and his posture was no longer cramped; he even seemed a little distracted.
However, Ye Yihe really couldn't understand music.
Perhaps even the comments made casually by the cleaning lady sweeping the floor in this music store are far more valuable than his.
But at this moment, only Ye Yihe could see that Fei Jia, who was already outstanding in appearance, had a smile on her lips, lowered her eyebrows and eyes, and skillfully pressed the few thin and tight strings with her fingertips—with just a light back and forth of the bow, she could play a smooth and melodious tune.
So, this time he lost focus.
His gaze became somewhat unfocused, and his ears seemed to no longer be able to hear the melodies; but Ye Yihe's attention remained fixed on Fei Jia. Before he could even react, his eyes, which were extremely sharp when observing the enemy's movements, were instinctively driven to trace the slender outline of the other's every move.
Quiet and gentle, like a string of sandalwood beads, carefully held in the palm of your hand, reflecting a warm luster in the light.
Amidst a jumble of chaotic thoughts, Ye Yihe suddenly remembered the devout old woman downstairs who chanted Buddhist prayers—at certain moments, he even felt a slight sense of déjà vu with Fei Jia's expression, as if the old woman was also pitying something.
Or perhaps they are believing in something...?
"how?"
When the bow stopped, Fedia asked Ye Yihe.
This kind of "music appreciation" was not the first time, but Fei Jia was basically talking to a brick wall. All he could hear from Ye Yihe were dry comments such as "very soothing", "quite nice", and "a bit exciting".
But he still enjoys it, and can even schedule appointments with Ye Yihe on every free weekend.
This time, Ye Yihe was still in a daze, completely forgetting what Fei Jia's question actually referred to—"Very beautiful," he blurted out, a comment completely unrelated to the music.
But as soon as he finished speaking, Ye Yihe, who had finally come to his senses, looked extremely annoyed.
They invited you to critique music, and you went and critiqued their appearance!
Superficial, even he thought it was far too superficial!
After Fei Jia's slight pause and the smile that gradually appeared on her lips, Ye Yihe could only turn his gaze away to stare intently at the potted green ivy on the windowsill.
"Well, um... yes, it's really good. I've never heard such a beautiful cello performance before."
Unable to think of any professional, expert, or romantic and poetic adjectives, Ye Yihe's praise was exceptionally simple. Even when he talked a lot, it was only to skip the topic and quickly dispel the awkward atmosphere from before.
“I still don’t know where you’re from, cough, I mean, which place? Your Chinese has no accent at all, I can’t tell.”
"Me? I've been wandering from one land to another, traveling alone from one country to another. It wasn't until recently that I was finally able to settle down here."
Fortunately, Fei Jia only teased him with a smile, considerately not exposing the fact that he had been daydreaming and had presumptuously commented on the other person's appearance—Ye Yihe secretly breathed a sigh of relief, feeling a sense of closeness to this unfamiliar and mysterious Mr. Fei Jia after a period of relaxation.
But Fei Jia's answer brought Ye Yihe even greater confusion... and perhaps a little bit of resonance.
He was once an orphan, and every step he took was without direction; but unlike Fedia, he just wandered aimlessly in one place until he met her.
At that time, Ye Yihe was filthy and starving, but he was extremely resistant to being sent to the orphanage, thinking that if he left, they would never be able to find him again... He refused to admit that he had been deliberately abandoned and was so wary that he was extremely aggressive towards anyone who tried to take him away.
She had to beat him into submission many times and patiently feed him little by little before she was able to successfully bring him home.
Later, he was given a new name.
Now, Ye Yihe no longer dwells on that unpleasant past experience—after all, back then, he wasn't called "Ye Yihe".
However, Fedia's answer at this moment stirred up a sense of shared suffering in him, and he subconsciously wanted to ask more questions.
"So, what is your homeland...?"
Fedia did not hesitate on this issue.
"If you ask me where I was born, my answer is Russia."
Ye Yihe was a little surprised, but not particularly shocked. "You don't have any family left in Russia?"
“Yes,” Fedia replied politely, placing her right hand on her chest, “it’s been a long time since I’ve been back.”
Only then did Ye Yihe notice a faint pattern flashing across the palm of the other person's right hand, its color dark, resembling... a tattoo?
He usually saw Fedia wearing gloves, only taking them off when playing the cello; and Ye Yihe never stared at strangers' hands, so he never noticed.
Although I don't think Feja would be the type to be enthusiastic about tattoos... there might be some special reason.
Ye Yihe didn't think much of it, but felt apologetic for bringing up the other person's painful memories.
"Excuse me……"
Not good at comforting people, he fidgeted with his fingers for a long time before finally managing to say, "I was in the same situation as you, but I've found a new family now. You can definitely do it too."
At least his tone was exceptionally sincere, which made the smile on Feyia's face become more pronounced again.
“I’m not sure,”
Fei Jia's voice was very soft, and he spoke at a moderate pace, yet his pronunciation carried a special rhythm that drew people in attentively to listen.
"Perhaps it's true, as you say. Well, at least I'm trying."
"Ah, um... Good luck."
Having run out of words, Ye Yihe was left with only dry, empty words of comfort.
Fortunately, after this "accident," Ye Yihe and Fei Jia's relationship finally took a step closer, so that neither of them—mainly Ye Yihe—felt too restrained when they were together.
He later agreed to Fei Jia's invitations several more times, so many times that Xiang Lingwei finally found it hard to understand.
"With your mouth that can't even sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star properly, do you think people need your opinion on music?"
Her gaze swept back and forth between the stack of cash in front of her and her own child who only knew how to fight, and she couldn't help but raise her eyebrows and ask a question.
Ye Yihe: "..."
Ye Yihe couldn't refute it, so she could only silently chop vegetables for a while before finally speaking up indignantly, "Maybe they just like me because I don't understand music."
In response, Xiang Lingwei let out two twitching "haha" sounds, as if to say, "You're kidding me."
She may not understand music, but she at least understands some social etiquette.
“He probably thinks we… mainly that you have a pitiful background,” Xiang Lingwei thought for a moment, “so he’s trying to find ways to give you money.”
"..." Ye Yihe's eyebrows furrowed immediately, and his voice turned cold. "I don't need his pity. I'll pay it all back right now..."
He was about to take off his apron and knock on the door to return the money when Xiang Lingwei grabbed him by the back of his collar and pulled him back.
“Oh, don’t rush,” she said. “It could also be that he empathizes with you and wants to find a reflection of his past in you. Didn’t you just tell me that you two have similar past experiences?”
"Being good to you is like redeeming your past self... This mindset is reasonable. If you just repay him like this, it will only hurt him."
These words made a lot of sense, causing Ye Yihe to pause in his struggle, and after a moment he turned to ask her.
"Then what should I do? Should I stop agreeing to it in the future?"
“No need, the amount of money he gave wasn’t unusually large,” Xiang Lingwei thought for a moment, “it’s about the same as your current living expenses… Well, let’s just consider it his living expenses.”
Ye Yihe was taken aback. "What?"
“Go and call him over for dinner,” Xiang Lingwei loosened her collar and patted his back with a smile. “He must be lonely eating alone at home, right? I’ve never even heard him cook. Let’s invite him to eat with us as a way of thanking him for his help.”
This approach is indeed much more tactful than directly rejecting someone's kindness, and it can also bring neighbors closer. Ye Yihe couldn't think of a reason to refuse, so he cooked more rice and added an extra dish.
When Ye Yihe went to knock on Fei Jia's door, he secretly decided that if Fei Jia didn't like his cooking, he would find another way to thank her, at least to return some of the money...
Just then, the other person opened the door, seemingly curious as to why he had come to see him—this was the first time Ye Yihe had ever taken the initiative to knock on the door outside of his part-time job.
"Iher?" Fedia turned her head slightly, still wearing a friendly and composed smile. "What happened?"
Perhaps he still carried the so-called "aristocratic elegance" in his every move, but the moment Ye Yihe's gaze fell on his hands, all the words he wanted to say turned into a pile driver, making his pupils almost tremble.
"...What are you holding in your hand?"
"Hmm? It's my lunch."
Feda looked down, puzzled, at the bowl of salad in her hand—crushed hard-boiled eggs mixed with figs, walnuts, blueberries, raisins, banana slices, and other ingredients, all stirred into a light-colored paste by thick yogurt, making it difficult to discern the original ingredients.
This is what we're having for lunch?! Is this even considered food?!
Ye Yihe, who had long been in charge of the family's meals, had never seen such infuriating food in a long time. She grabbed the man's wrist and pulled him toward her house with a firm attitude, brooking no refusal.
"Come with me."
"Huh?"
"Let's go eat."
"--good."
Fei Jia, who had followed with a leg up, responded with a smile, offering no objection; but when his gaze was fixed on Ye Yihe's back, and when he was in a blind spot where the other could not see him, the smile in his eyes gradually changed.
That more aggressive, gloomy, and cold possessiveness has gradually surfaced from the deep sea.
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A little tip: Don't be fooled by Fedia's appearance; he's a cunning and clever little mouse!
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Also, I want to promote my new idea! It's a pairing of Ayatsuji Yukito and Ayatsuji. Yes, it's getting colder and colder (wiping sweat), but I caught a cold and couldn't resist. Besides, Ayatsuji is really beautiful; I've already spent a fortune on a cover shoot (hopefully I can at least recoup the cost...). If you're interested, please check out my column and add it to your favorites! *kiss*
After the doll detective was sentenced to life imprisonment
Copywriting:
A sharp-tongued detective with a brilliant mind and a penchant for collecting dolls, Ayatsuji Yukito, 22 years old, was classified as a Level 1 Dangerous Ability User by the government after experiencing a heinous murder on Prison Island and sentenced to life imprisonment.
The verdict was brought by Shuichi Takatsukasa, an agent belonging to the Special Abilities Division, who personally pronounced the sentence to him.
"You want to imprison me?"
Amidst the gently exhaled swirling smoke, the pale-skinned detective gazed at the unfamiliar-looking supervisor, his eyes behind the light brown glasses displaying a half-smile.
“I helped the government solve the case of the mastermind behind the incident, and instead of thanking me, they made this judgment. It’s outrageous.”
“Yes,” Shuichi Takatsukasa, who met his gaze, put away the verdict with a cold expression. “Therefore, I submitted a report to my superiors requesting a transfer.”
"Oh? Where to?"
"Here you are."
Shuichi Takatsukasa, who once worked as an assistant to the Puppet Detective while concealing his identity and later faked his death to escape, now becomes a secret agent responsible for 24-hour supervision of the Puppet Detective, with no rest and no "parole".
—Until that day.
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*The plot contains original settings, but you can understand it even if you haven't read the original work, so feel free to jump in;
*Male protagonist is the dominant one, paired with Yukito Ayatsuji;
Opening a niche market is my destiny (wiping sweat);
*A happy ending story of a highly capable and ambitious special agent and a sharp-tongued, intelligent detective who fall in love and hate each other, with a touch of atypical reconciliation.
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