Chapter 18 "Stop dreaming. You're not even worthy of carrying his shoes."
The autumn rain drizzled, hitting the glazed tiles of the Lu family's old house, making a crisp sound.
Lin Che carried Lu Yu'an through the corridor. The podocarpus trees on both sides of the red brick path were washed shiny by the rain, and the air was filled with the scent of moss and sandalwood.
"Uncle Che, look!" Lu Yu'an suddenly pointed at the eaves. "Those are the little lions that Grandpa had carved. There are eight of them!"
Lin Che followed the child's chubby finger and saw a row of exquisite stone carvings on the corners of the eaves.
He was about to respond when Lu Yu's deep voice came from behind him: "The Lu family's ancestral home was built in the 17th year of the Republic of China. These stone carvings are the work of Suzhou craftsmen at that time."
Lu Yu had walked to his side without him knowing, and tiny raindrops were on his black leather jacket.
He reached out and gently brushed away the non-existent raindrops on Lin Che's shoulders, his fingertips brushing the skin on the side of his neck.
"Ayu" A gentle female voice came from the other end of the corridor.
Lu Yu's mother, Song Wanzhi, was standing at the end of the corridor wearing a well-fitting light-colored cheongsam, a cashmere shawl draped over her shoulders, and her hair was neatly tied up.
As she walked towards the three of them, Song Wanzhi first touched her grandson's head before turning her gaze to Lin Che.
Her eyes were exactly the same as Lu Yu's, except that they were less sharp and more gentle.
"Is this Xiaolin?" Her voice was soft, yet somehow made people want to listen carefully. "We finally meet."
Lin Che subconsciously stood up straight: "Hello, Auntie."
"Call me mom." Lu Yu gently pinched his waist from behind.
Song Wanzhi pretended not to notice her son's little action, but just smiled and took Lin Che's hand: "Don't be nervous, just treat it like your own home."
Her hands were soft, gently holding Lin Che's hands.
"Uncle Che's hands are so cold."
Lu Yuan suddenly interrupted, "Just like my uncle, always cold and icy!"
Upon hearing this, Song Wanzhi immediately held Lin Che's hand tighter and said, "It's autumn now, why don't you wear more clothes?"
The koi pond was shimmering after the rain, and dozens of red and white carp were swimming among the lily pads.
Lu Yu'an leaned on the railing and yelled, while Song Wanzhi stood beside Lin Che, "Xiao Che, are you getting along well with A Yu?"
"He... takes good care of me." Lin Che replied softly, her voice almost drowned out by the sound of running water.
Song Wanzhi's eyes were gentle and penetrating, as if she could see through people's hearts.
She reached out and smoothed Lin Che's hair that was messed up by the wind. This intimate gesture reminded Lin Che of his long-lost mother.
"Ayu has never been good at expressing himself since he was young." Song Wanzhi's voice was as gentle as autumn rain.
"Xiao Che, if he did anything wrong..."
"That's not true." Lin Che hurriedly shook his head, but saw Song Wanzhi suddenly smile.
.........
This was my old room." Lu Yu pushed open a carved wooden door at the end of the corridor.
The room is simply furnished, with a few old books neatly placed on the dark brown desk and a few ink paintings hanging on the wall.
The most eye-catching thing is the black grand piano by the window, with its lid slightly shiny.
Lin Che walked to the piano and gently stroked the keys, but didn't press them. "Can you play the piano?"
Lu Yu stood behind him, his hands resting on the piano lid. "I learned it when I was a kid, but then I got too busy and gave up."
Lin Che's eyes swept across the photo frame on the desk. It showed Lu Yu as a teenager, standing at the school gate in his school uniform, looking as cold as ever.
.......
The rain slid down the ribs of Lin Che's umbrella and formed a small puddle at his feet.
He looked up at the brightly lit villa in front of him. The three-story European-style building emitted a warm light in the rainy night. Figures were dimly seen in the floor-to-ceiling windows, and cheerful music could be faintly heard.
"You've got me delivering something again..." Lin Che complained softly, but still took out the neatly ironed shirt from his backpack.
There was a note tucked into his shirt pocket. It was written in Lin Yang's scribbled handwriting: "Send it here immediately, and don't embarrass me in front of my friends."
Lin Che's fingers turned pale as he clutched the note. If it weren't for the small amount of living expenses his father sent him regularly every month, he would have wanted to completely cut off all ties with his family.
The doorbell rang three times, and a uniformed housekeeper opened the door. His gaze lingered on Lin Che's washed-out school uniform for a second, and his brows furrowed slightly.
"I'm here to deliver some clothes to Lin Yang." Lin Che spoke first, her voice even lower than expected.
The butler stepped aside to let him in, but had no intention of guiding him.
Lin Che tactfully walked along the wall to avoid disturbing the well-dressed guests in the hall.
The light from the crystal chandelier stung his eyes, and the mixed smell of perfume, alcohol, and desserts in the air made him feel dizzy.
"Yo, finally here."
Lin Yang squeezed out of the crowd and snatched the shirt away. "So slow, did you crawl here?"
Lin Che did not defend herself.
He noticed that there were several boys in private school uniforms standing behind Lin Yang. One of them was particularly eye-catching - tall with a well-defined profile. He was looking down and playing with the champagne glass in his hand, and seemed to have no interest in what was going on here.
"Who is this? Your servant?" a boy asked with a smile.
Lin Yang sneered: "My brother is just like a servant."
He turned to Lin Che and said, "Alright, now that the things have been delivered, let's get going. Don't be an eyesore here."
Lin Che turned to leave, but was stopped by Lin Yang: "Wait, help me take this to the room upstairs."
He casually took off his wine-stained coat and threw it over.
The coat fell at Lin Che's feet. As he bent down to pick it up, he heard the boy who hadn't looked up suddenly say, "Lin Yang, is it your birthday or Zhou Xubai's today?"
The voice was low and cold, but it instantly quieted the surroundings.
Lin Yang's expression froze: "Of course it's Mr. Zhou's..."
"Then don't steal the show."
The boy finally raised his head, glanced at Lin Che, and then quickly looked away. "Let the guy who delivered the clothes go."
Only then did Lin Che see his face clearly: his sharp jawline, slightly drooping eyes, and an innate sense of alienation in his eyes.
Even when sitting, it gives people a sense of oppression from a superior position.
Lin Yang immediately put on a flattering smile, "Brother, you go back first."
Lin Che then realized that the boy in front of her was the legendary Lu Yu, the one that even a playboy like Lin Yang wanted to curry favor with.
He quietly withdrew from the crowd, but didn't leave immediately. There was a grand piano in the corner of the banquet hall, and not many people were around. Lin Che hid there, his eyes unconsciously following Lu Yu's figure.
Wherever Lu Yu went, the center of the crowd moved there.
He doesn't talk much, but everyone listens attentively to his every word. He doesn't need to show off, but naturally becomes the focus.
This effortless temperament made Lin Che both envious and fascinated.
"Lu Yu is going to play the piano!" someone suddenly shouted.
The crowd automatically made way. Lu Yu unbuttoned his suit and sat down at the piano. Without glancing at the music, his slender fingers hovered over the keys for a moment before dropping them.
The moment the first note sounded, Lin Che held his breath.
It's Chopin's Nocturne.
Lu Yu's performance wasn't flashy, but it possessed a restrained power. His back was straight, his shoulders rising and falling slightly with the melody, and the light cast varying shades of shadow on his sharply defined profile.
The entire banquet hall fell silent, and everyone stared at the figure in front of the piano.
Lin Che leaned against the wall, her heartbeat accelerating uncontrollably.
He had never seen anyone combine grace and control so perfectly.
The way Lu Yu plays the piano is just like the way he does everything else - calmly and leisurely, as if the whole world is moving to his rhythm.
The last note dissipated into the air, and there was thunderous applause.
Lu Yu stood up and nodded slightly, still without much expression on his face.
His gaze swept across the crowd, and for some reason, paused for a second in the direction of Lin Che.
Lin Che hurriedly lowered her head and pretended to pack her backpack.
When he looked up again, Lu Yu was surrounded by the crowd and became the unreachable focus again.
"Are you engrossed in watching this?" a teasing voice rang out beside him. Lin Che turned around and saw Lin Yang standing beside him.
"No, I was just about to leave." Lin Che took a step back.
Lin Yang narrowed his eyes and lowered his voice, "Don't dream, you're not even worthy of carrying his shoes."
Lin Che did not refute, he knew that Lin Yang was right.
"I'll go to the bathroom and leave soon." Lin Che said, and left quickly.
The bathroom was at the end of the corridor, more luxuriously decorated than Lin Che's entire home. He washed his face and looked in the mirror at his ordinary face and plain school uniform. Suddenly, he felt an indescribable sense of loss.
When Lin Che walked out of the bathroom, she almost bumped into someone.
He looked up and met a pair of cold eyes.
Lu Yu.
"S-Sorry." Lin Che stuttered, stepping back subconsciously.
Lu Yu was half a head taller than him, and his facial features were more distinct from a closer look. He frowned slightly: "Were you the one who just delivered the clothes?"
"Yes... yes." Lin Che didn't expect Lu Yu to remember him. "I'm Lin Yang's... brother."
"Lin Yang mentioned you." Lu Yu's tone was emotionless. "He said you were in No. 1 Middle School?"
Lin Che nodded in surprise. He hadn't expected Lin Yang to mention him in front of their friends, and he hadn't expected Lu Yu to remember such a detail.
"How are your grades?" Lu Yu suddenly asked.
"It's...it's okay." Lin Che didn't understand why Lu Yu cared about this.
Lu Yu seemed to want to say something, but was interrupted by a distant voice calling: "Master Lu! Master Zhou is looking for you!"
"knew."
Lu Yu responded, his gaze falling on Lin Che again. "No. 1 Middle School is not bad."
After saying that, he turned and left.
Lin Che stood there, her heart beating like a drum.
The simple words "One China is good" echoed in his ears, making him happier than any other praise.
He knew it was just a polite remark, but he couldn't help but repeatedly recall Lu Yu's tone and expression when he spoke.
Lin Che quietly left when the banquet was nearing its end.
At that moment, Lin Che truly felt for the first time what it meant to fall in love at first sight.
It wasn't Lu Yu's appearance that caught his attention, but his innate composure and control. That was a quality Lin Che could never possess, yet one he yearned for immensely.
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