The Music for You
In the corner of the dressing room, there was a cylindrical object about one meter tall. A stream of blue light rushed into its back, and it transformed into Yisong. It opened its eyes, extended its mechanical arm, took the suitcase, and entered and categorized the clothes and jewelry one by one.
Yu Zou crossed his arms and watched Yi Song bustling around, saying smugly, "Impressive, isn't it?"
Next, Yu Zou meticulously demonstrated the main functions of Yi Song to Du Pianjian. Du Pianjian went from curiosity to thoughtfulness, and followed Yu Zou to the bedroom. Under the semi-circular balcony was a blue garden, with clusters of small flowers leaning against sturdy flower stems, like a piece of the sky torn off and spread on the ground.
Yu Zou leaned against the railing, taking a deep breath as the faint floral scent filled his lungs. He asked, "Do you still like it? Is there anything else you'd like to change?"
Luxury is subtly concealed in simplicity; the furniture is neatly arranged, blending ancient charm with modern design, creating a harmonious and natural ambiance. The modern structure within a traditional style balances classic and avant-garde elements without appearing jarring or discordant.
Du Pianjian's brows furrowed slowly as she voiced the suspicion that had been lingering in her mind: "You don't live here, do you?"
Yu Zou scratched his forehead sheepishly: "I have to go back to the old villa. I know this isn't good for you, but this house is very safe. Yi Song can monitor the surrounding one-kilometer radius around the clock, so that kind of thing will never happen again."
“Then I’ll go there too,” Du Pianjian interrupted him. “Being killed is much better than being ridiculed.”
"How could you think that? Who would dare to laugh at you?"
"Why wouldn't they dare? If you dare to treat me like this, why don't they dare to laugh at me?"
"Who are they? I'll handle it."
“My colleagues in the orchestra, they outwardly bless our marriage, but secretly they’re jealous. If they find out you separated from me as soon as you came back, I’ll be in big trouble.” Du Pianjian lowered her eyes, and as she looked up at the flowers, the petals trembled slightly, as if it was about to rain. “Besides, I’m here alone, and I’m even more afraid.”
Yes, still shaken, that's why Yu Zou wanted Du Pianjian to stay here. But now his idealized image of art has shattered completely. Even the lofty halls of art are filled with petty squabbles. He said weakly, "Who cares what they say?"
"Gossip is a fearsome thing. Especially for me, no matter what I do, if anything is abnormal, it will be linked to my past. How are you going to solve this? Do you want me to quit my job? Stay here all day and not go out for a moment?"
“That won’t do either.” Yu Zou hesitated. He didn’t want to restrict Du Pianjian’s personal freedom, but, “I’m also worried about leaving you under Shao Yuan’s nose. Let me think about it.”
This also reminded him that no matter how meticulous he was, he couldn't be by Du Pianjian's side 24 hours a day. Yi Song was the best protection, but he couldn't put Yi Song's core in front of Shao Yuan.
Du Pianjian ran her fingers along her ear, tucking stray hairs behind it: "There's still a little vacation left, we can discuss these things slowly."
Yu Zou looked at the bracelet on Du Pianjian's wrist and had a flash of inspiration. Why not put Yi Song's core on him? Reduce Yi Song's size and focus on defense and protection. Combine the light points to form a small barrier that is sturdy enough to stop bullets.
"Did you hear me?"
When Yu Zou came to his senses, he couldn't help but take a step back. In front of him was Du Pianjian's enlarged face, looking at him with a puzzled expression.
"Excuse me, what did you say?"
"Where to now? Going back to the old villa?"
"No, we'll stay here. They don't know we're back yet. We're home now. Tell me what you need me to help you with."
Du Pianjian smiled and said, "Where is the piano?"
"The music room, I'll take you there."
Why not put it in the living room?
"Should I contact someone to move now?"
"Forget it."
Yu Zou opened the door to the bright and spacious room, which was fully equipped with all kinds of protective gear. He said, "You can also use this as your studio in the future. There are two doors on the left and right, each leading to a room. You can use either one to put things or turn it into a bedroom so you can rest when you're tired."
Du Pianjian casually agreed, walked straight to the piano, opened the lid, and the flowing notes stopped abruptly after only ten seconds: "How was it?"
"It was beautiful." Yu Zou turned the chair back, straddled it, and leaned against the backrest, still wanting more. "And then?"
“That’s all.” Du Pianjian pressed a few more keys casually, then turned to face Yu Zou. “I want you to help me finish the rest of the piece.”
"Is this what you asked me to do?" Yu Zou was flattered and sat up straight. "But you know I'm tone-deaf."
"Of course, it has other uses besides that."
"What?"
Du Pianjian smiled and said calmly, "Be obedient."
Does this really inspire you?
The silk tie clung tightly to his eye sockets, completely depriving him of his vision. The sound of heels tapping on the floor swirled around him. A "rip" sound, which he guessed was from a roll of duct tape, followed by his shirt being pressed against his chest, creating a slight indentation. That bit of isolation was almost nonexistent, causing him to tremble uncontrollably. With each wrap, the slight stinging pain from the tugging at his skin and the strange sensation of the restraint amplified, and he heard his breathing become heavier.
"Kneel upright."
Du Pianjian's voice rang out from above. Yu Zou involuntarily tilted his head back, then felt his knee being kicked and the tape being torn off. He knelt down as instructed, his hands behind his back also wrapped in tape, which tightened even more as he moved, drawing out the veins.
“You know the term ‘sight and sound unity,’ right? What I see, what I create, what the audience hears. The metronome of vision will find the skeleton of the melody, don’t move.” Du Pianjian stepped back to the piano bench and sat down, his right leg elegantly crossed over his left knee, his fingertips naturally curled to support his chin, just enough to cover the mole and the curve of his mouth.
Yu Zou immediately stopped, but in his mind he wondered if the audience would be able to hear him kneeling. The strange sense of exposure seemed to strip his clothes off, giving rise to an uncontrollable discomfort and shame.
“Very good, this struggle is exactly what I wanted to see.” Du Pianjian’s voice rang out at the right time, reminding Yu Zou of the reason why he was so obedient at this moment. The heavy, oppressive, and discordant chords suddenly exploded, making his blood boil and crash against his chest, only to be tightly choked by the tape.
The notes are rapid, high-pitched, and intense, like the struggle of a trapped beast; pauses and skips create suffocating silences that make one anxious and restless.
In the interplay of light and shadow, Yu Zou's body is divided into sections by transparent tape, resembling blurred black and white piano keys, reacting only subtly to the movements of her own hands. She savors the absolute vulnerability and astonishing sensuality born of complete trust, bringing it to an abrupt halt in a soft passage requiring ultimate control.
"That's enough for today, I need to tidy up the music."
Yu Zou relaxed, his shoulders slumped, and his attempt to break free of the tape failed. He could only wait for Du Pianjian to untie it for him: "Have you finished writing?"
“No, according to the traditional length of a movement, it’s only about one-tenth.” Du Pianjian noticed that Yu Zou seemed to be deep in thought, and continued, “On June 28th this year, for the orchestra’s 40th anniversary celebration performance, I plan to use it as the premiere of this piece.”
Yu Zou, his hands bound behind his back, was so excited that he forgot his predicament. He stood up from his knees, but stumbled a couple of steps due to numbness before regaining his balance. He knew, of course, the significance of Du Pianjian's words; it meant that he was involved in a piece of music that would soon be performed by the principal singer to millions of people in more than sixty regions.
Am I fortunate enough to be the first listener?
“You already are.” Du Pianjian casually pressed a key on the piano. Yu Zou, listening to the sound, groped his way over, his calves touching the piano bench, and slowly sat down on the floor, leaning against it. His hearing was becoming more and more sensitive; he could hear the rustling sound of a pen scratching across paper.
The phone in her pocket suddenly rang, and the bracelet vibrated. Yu Zou moved slightly but immediately froze. Her soft fingers traced her thigh through the fabric. Du Pianjian asked, "Shao Yuan, should I answer it?"
"Answer." Yu Zou swallowed hard. When he put the phone to his ear, he tried to tilt his head and hold it between his shoulder and ear, but he bumped into Du Pianjian's leg. Du Pianjian must have misunderstood him. He moved the phone to the other ear, and Yu Zou leaned his head down.
When the phone rang, Shao Yuan delivered shocking news—due to improper operation, one student in the experimental team formed by the Climate Garden technology was killed and three others were injured.
Shao Yuan turned off his phone and placed it face down on the table. Through the wisps of smoke, he looked at Shao Jinfeng kneeling on the ground, still looking resentful and confused about what he was doing.
"So you've really become Luo Zangrui's lackey?" Shao Yuan mocked coldly.
One sentence immediately ignited Shao Jinfeng's anger. He shouted, "You look down on everything I do! Yu Zou can hang out with Li Kuo, so why can't I cooperate with Luo Zangrui?"
"Cooperate? You have the nerve! If you could really be on equal footing with him, I wouldn't need to bother with you." Shao Yuan stood up abruptly, his chair spinning behind him. "Why did I send you abroad? Wasn't that money enough for you? What are you doing, making such a fuss!"
"I don't understand! What did I do? You sent me away just so you could divorce my mother?"
"Bullshit! You lost a bet and that's why we're in trouble. If I hadn't sent you away, would you still be standing here alive?" Shao Yuan slammed his hand on the table, the loud noise making the teaware clang. Shao Jinfeng was startled and stammered, "Lost a bet?"
Shao Yuan closed his eyes and pulled out a photo from his bracelet to give to him: "I've been carefully maintaining my relationship with the Luo and Li families, not getting involved with either of them and not offending either. But you, you just came up here and revealed the Luo family's biggest secret to the Li family. How could I have such a stupid son like you!"
Shao Jinfeng still looked puzzled, staring at the photo of himself holding a vial of reagent, unable to recall what it was.
Shao Yuan was so angry he couldn't be angrier anymore, and instead fell into an eerie calm. He pointed to a person in the corner of the photo and said, "Li Hong, Li Kuo's younger brother, you didn't even know who would be attending your birthday party."
Shao Jinfeng said, "I didn't talk to him. What secret could it be?"
"Ask your partner!" Shao Yuan had no patience to talk to him anymore. He had been cautious in his words and deeds all his life, and Shao Jinfeng had not inherited any of his traits in achieving his current status.
Shao Jinfeng looked at Omega sitting next to him in the photo, holding chips and smiling happily.
In the end, Shao Yuan dared not gamble anymore and told him directly: "Artificially synthesized addictive pheromones, commonly known as addictive substances."
Shao Jinfeng was shocked. He gripped the photo tighter and stood up abruptly to leave, but Shao Yuan stopped him and asked, "What are you doing?"
“I’m going to find him and get to the bottom of this. This has nothing to do with me. He’s the one who brought it out and it was his way of making a bet. I don’t know Li Hong, and I didn’t invite him. If anyone is involved, it’s everyone in that room that day.”
Shao Yuan sneered and said, "Even now, you still haven't figured it out?"
Shao Jinfeng turned around, thought for a moment, and shook his head. Shao Yuan sat back down and lit another cigarette: "It was the Luo family who deliberately sent someone to leak the addictive substance in the presence of you and the Li family, just to control me."
What are they going to do?
"To annex and annex Long."
Shao Yuan took a deep drag on his cigarette, the smoke blurring his face. Sending Shao Jinfeng abroad was merely the first step in his plan: to have Shao Jinfeng use Yulong's mature technology and substantial funds to replicate Yulong on another continent. He hadn't expected Shao Jinfeng to produce such a blank answer despite having the standard solution, nor had he anticipated Yu Zou's immediate solution. By utilizing Xiyanba, a location coveted by all sides, and cooperating with the Zhao and Li families, they could slow the Luo family's advance, allowing Yulong to catch its breath amidst the pincer movement.
"But they didn't intend for us to live either."
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