14.3

For many days afterward, Zhou Yunsheng was guiding Xue Jingyi to tell the truth, but disappointingly, no, perhaps I should say expectedly, she slowly became numb from her tangled pain, and her flickering gaze became more and more sedate.

She quietly called her personal doctor and asked him if she could actually live without the surgery, and the doctor gave her a negative answer after a long silence.

“Can’t I just take care of myself, not get too angry or too happy, and live my life in peace and quiet? I don’t want to use someone else’s heart.” She cried out with a sobbing voice.

The doctor answered her with a long sigh.

She was tired of crying, and only then did she hang up the phone, as her heart began to throb again, one after another, due to her previous emotional ups and downs. At first she held on, but within a few minutes she collapsed, calling out breathlessly, “Uncle Fu, Xiao Deng, medicine, my medicine!”

Nurse Deng did not go far, rushed over to give her medicine, and in time to flatten her, undo the top button, holding her head so that she could keep breathing.

The old housekeeper immediately dialed the phone number of the private doctor, the other party felt bad and was already on the way, the party carried Xue Jingyi back to her room for treatment. Fortunately, the Xue family is rich and powerful, the family has all kinds of medical equipment, and even in order to help his daughter change her heart unknowingly, Xue Rui also set up one of the underground garages as a very advanced operating room.

After working until eight or nine o’clock in the evening, Xue Jingyi’s condition began to improve. The doctor didn’t tell the old housekeeper about her call to cry today and left after a few words of explanation, bumping into the teenager who looked exactly like Xue Jingyi on his way downstairs, his gaze oozing coldness like a scalpel.

Zhou Yunsheng nodded slightly and sidled over to let the doctor go first. He placed a bowl of white congee on Xue Jing Yi’s bedside and said softly, “Are you feeling better, Jing Yi? Eat something when you’re better, or your body won’t be able to take it.”

The old butler brought the bowl of congee up and asked expressionlessly, “Mr. Huang used the kitchen without permission?” Currently there were only him, nurse Xiao Deng and a male assistant in the house, so naturally the cooking duties all fell on his head. He didn’t even know when Huang Yi had learned to use the kitchen supplies, and felt very annoyed and uneasy. He would never let the young lady touch even a single bite of the food that Huang Yi cooked.

“I didn’t do it, it was Mr. Assistant.” Zhou Yunsheng waved his hand with a very innocent expression.

The old butler’s face was still very stern as he admonished, “You don’t need Mr. Huang to do these things in the future, it’s our responsibility to take care of Miss.”

“But am I not her brother?”

The butler did not reply, but only laughed contemptuously and picked up his bowl and left. He must prepare a new dinner for the young lady.

Xue Jingyi lay on the bed, staring woodenly at the gorgeous crystal lamp overhead. She knew that if she didn’t have the surgery, her hope of survival was very slim. Her blood type is the very rare Hh, commonly known as Bombay blood, the entire Chinese population of more than a billion people, only thirty-four people with the same blood type as her, in addition to the teenager, she may not be able to find a second person who can match with her successfully.

“Jing Yi, I feel like your family doesn’t like me, I want to leave here.” Zhou Yunsheng wrinkled his eyebrows and complained.

“No, don’t leave!” Xue Jingyi instantly snapped out of her numb state and forcefully tackled the teenager’s thin wrist, her nails pinched deep into his flesh as she pleaded, “Don’t leave, stay with me! You’re the only family I have left!”

The closer she got to the hope of life, the more she feared death, and she had to admit that she was a selfish coward.

I don’t know anything, I really don’t know anything, I never saw that report! She kept hypnotizing herself, her sad and painful expression slowly becoming calm.

Zhou Yunsheng realized that she had already done her mental construction. Thinking about it this way, the same situation had happened in his last life, Xue Jing Yi had been very well adjusted, but she had an inexplicable attack, woke up and tugged on his hand, staring at him with eyes full of hot tears, as if she owed him a lot.

Did she also discover the truth at that time? Human nature is indeed selfish. Zhou Yunsheng gently patted the back of her hand to pacify her, “Okay, I’m not leaving, I’m just talking casually because Uncle Fu is always gloomy when he speaks to me, and the assistant and Xiao Deng both ignore me.”

“Don’t be angry, I’ll talk about them.” Xue Jingyi gave a weak smile.

From that day onwards, Xue Jing Yi’s attitude towards Zhou Yunsheng changed in essence. She was no longer defensive of him, but did everything she could to be kind to him, as if she was making up for something. She communicated with Uncle Fu and the others, asking them to treat their brother as kindly as possible.

There was no doubt that her efforts had made Zhou Yunsheng’s life very comfortable, and there was nothing less than satisfactory only except for the clothes she wore that were becoming more and more feminine.

Probably because of her cheerful mood, Xue Jing Yi’s physical condition slowly improved, and after a month she was occasionally able to walk around the garden. Zhou Yunsheng tried to assist her and was stopped by her.

She subconsciously didn’t want Zhou Yoon Sung to appear in the same place as herself, that would make the nearby residents suspicious. But in order to make up for this apology, she agreed when Zhou Yoon Sung suggested that he wanted to take a stroll around the golf course.

While he was jumping and skipping around on the lawn, Xue Jingyi stayed in her room, observing him through the gaps in the curtains. She envied him for having a healthy body, a radiant smile, and a bright future. Yet she was originally supposed to have these things as well.

“Miss don’t look, you will definitely get better.” Fu Bo closed the curtains all the way and walked outside the house to call Zhou Yunsheng back, handing over the forged household registration and ID card, “Mister has already helped you with your household registration, but there is still a month left before the school starts its summer vacation, so to go to school it’s best to wait for the next semester.”

“Well, I know, I can’t keep up with the class even if I go in now.” Zhou Yunsheng nodded his head obediently and picked up his ID card and glanced at it with a somewhat surprised expression.

“Xue Jin Yi, is that my new name?”

“Of course, mister adopted you, you naturally have to take mister’s surname Xue, please forget your original name completely. I’ll keep the account book and ID card for you first, lest you lose them.” The old butler took the things back and left with an unhurried pace, not thinking for a second about the teenager’s willingness to discard his past.

Zhou Yunsheng stared at his slimmed down back and smiled like a demon. Of course he knew why the Xue family wanted to give him a name that was pronounced exactly like Xue Jing Yi. The Xue family was at least a hundred years old and had a huge influence in China, the Xue Rui trio was naturally quiet when they weren’t there, and once they came back, they would inevitably organize all kinds of banquets and invite celebrities from all walks of life.

In case the guests inadvertently bumped into the teenager and aroused suspicion, they made all the preparations. Not only did they remodel his appearance, they also took away his name and made him live in Xue Jingyi’s shadow. When Xue Jingyi needed him, he would disappear completely.

Zhou Yunsheng chewed on his new name, full of violence that he could not suppress.

——————-

Xue Jingyi learned that the teenager had changed his name to Xue Jinyi, and became more and more responsive to him, often gazing at the side of his face out of focus, her eyes filled with tears.

On this day, she was practicing her fingering in the piano room, feeling a bit rusty because of her long bed-ridden condition, and had to stop several times to adjust her form.

“What are you doing?” Zhou Yunsheng leaned against the doorframe.

“I’m practicing the piano. Do you want to learn, I’ll teach you.” Seeing the teenager reveal a curious look, Xue Jingyi smiled and beckoned.

“Why don’t you play it once for me to see, I’ll know it once I see it.” Zhou Yunsheng moved a chair to sit beside the young girl and said loudly.

“Good, then look carefully.” Xue Jingyi pursed her lips and smiled.

The cheerful piano music tinkles and resounds through the piano room, calling people to listen to it in a happy mood. Zhou Yunsheng at first sat obediently, heard the back of the head bobbing, upside down, very happy in it.

Seeing his lively little appearance, Xue Jing Yi played more and more vigorously. It had been a long time since she’d been this quick.

The two of them were so engaged in playing that they didn’t even realize that Xue Zixuan was standing quietly at the door. He had just arrived home today and had wanted to go to his room to take a hot bath, but he was attracted by the sound of his sister’s zither.

Emotional grasp is precise, it’s just the technique that leaves a lot to be desired. But it didn’t matter, skill could be made up for through training, comprehension and emotional commitment required talent. His sister was very talented, this was the point he was most satisfied with her. Xue Zixuan nodded secretly in his heart and waved his hand for Uncle Fu to carry the luggage back to the room first.

“Does it sound good?” After the song was played, Xue Jingyi asked with anticipation.

“Good to hear.” Zhou Yunsheng nodded his head.

“So did you learn?” Xue Jingyi deliberately teased him, she didn’t think the teenager could learn to play the piano just by watching it once, unless he was a genius.

But unfortunately, Zhou Yunsheng was just such a genius. Playing the piano is like writing a program, you only need to use the fixed keys to create a regular combination of several segments, not to mention that he also has an unforgettable memory.

“Sit over there, I’ll play for you.” Zhou Yunsheng helped Xue Jingyi to her place, then sat down in front of the piano and pressed two random keys.

Xue Jingyi covered her mouth and laughed, but soon, she couldn’t laugh anymore as a string of extremely familiar melodies overflowed from the teenager’s fluttering fingertips, even more brisk and soulful than the ones she had played before.

His eyelids slightly closed, his expression intoxicated, long fingers in the black and white keys jump, the sound of the piano is sometimes as melodious as the kingfisher cries, sometimes gentle and slow like flowers bloom, sometimes lively like dew rolled down, the first bar played, into the faster rhythm of the second bar, he bowed his back, tinkled and tumbled the keys, as if there are countless raindrops fell on the green grass, blue lake, stirring up a small A small splash of water.

The early morning in early summer, the scenery was as beautiful as a fairyland. The young man sketched out such a living, breathing, beautiful fairyland with his unseen zither.

Not only was Xue Jingyi dumbfounded, even Xue Zixuan was mesmerized.

When the song ended, Zhou Yunsheng laid his hands on his knees and asked, “Did I play it wrong?”

“You’ve learned piano before?” Without waiting for Xue Jingyi to reply, Xue Zixuan came over in large strides, and for the first time, he surveyed the teenager in front of him with a focused gaze.

“I haven’t learned it, I’ll know it after watching it once.” Zhou Yunsheng stared at his hands, remembering his last life.

In his previous life, it was also on the day Xue Zixuan came back that Xue Jingyi taught him to play the piano. At that time, he was still only reincarnating for the second time, and hadn’t mastered any skills other than hacking. However, he prided himself on being extremely intelligent and thought that playing the piano was just a piece of cake, and he had copied Xue Jingyi’s playing perfectly after watching it only once.

However, Xue Zixuan’s attitude was completely different from now. He walked over and fiercely pressed down the lid of the piano, nearly crushing his ten fingers that were still placed on the keys.

When he cried out in pain, he warned, word for word, “Your piano sound is like a soulless walking corpse, giving off the sickening odor of decay. Touch the piano again in the future and I’ll break your hands.” With those words he turned away and never looked at him again.

At that time, Zhou Yunsheng secretly cursed Xue Zixuan for being perverted and picking bones out of eggs, and firmly believed that there was no problem with his playing. It wasn’t until much later, when he finally got rid of the villainous system’s control, dared to pour out his joys and sorrows in reincarnation, and sincerely fell in love with someone, that he truly understood the meaning of Xue Zixuan’s words.

The sound of his zither had no emotion, so it was a walking corpse that lacked a soul, perhaps outsiders couldn’t see the problem, but Xue Zixuan felt discomfort when the first note rang out.

Xue Zixuan is extremely cold in reality, with no empathy, no sense of morality, no sense of right and wrong, like a grotesque character living in a black and white silent movie. That’s why when Xue Rui asks him to bring Huang Yi back, he can’t feel any problems knowing that his father wants to rip out the teenager’s heart.

The only thing that could make his life vibrant and searing was music. Once enough moving music is poured into his eardrums, his cold heart becomes softened to the core, and conversely, anyone who taints the music sends him into a frenzy. He would never be jealous of musicians more talented than himself; they were, in his opinion, the most valuable treasures in the world. He worshiped them, defended them, and subconsciously learned from them.

As a result, Xue Zixuan had a great reputation and excellent connections in the music industry. He donates a large sum of money to music organizations every year so that more talented musicians can be nurtured.

Xue Zixuan rarely looked anyone in the eye, but now, he walked up to the teenager and stared at him condescendingly, his gaze burning horribly.

“I haven’t learned piano, my family is poor, I don’t have that condition.” Zhou Yunsheng stood up, his appearance was uneasy, but in reality, he was very much enjoying the other party’s gaze. Arousing Xue Zixuan’s interest was precisely his main purpose today. If one wanted to make a game more fun, then one must constantly create contradictions and conflicts, and Xue Zixuan was exactly the leverage he had to disrupt the Xue family.

Xue Zixuan nodded in understanding, his gaze burning a few more points. Huang Yi’s family conditions he was aware of, I’m afraid he hadn’t even seen a piano before, let alone playing it, if he could play it to this extent after only hearing it once, then I’m afraid his talent in music was still above his own.

Realizing this Xue Zixuan was not controlled by narrow-minded jealousy, quite the contrary, he felt very pleasant, no, perhaps excitement would be a more apt description. He was happy to immerse himself in the beautiful music, it made him feel like his heart was still beating and his blood was still flowing. He hoped that mankind would create more and better music, and make the world a better place.

He broke into a smile and asked, “What did you feel when you played that piece just now?”

Zhou Yunsheng said in a slightly dry voice, “It’s like, it’s like the feeling of waking up early in the morning and taking the first breath of fresh air, happy and motivated.”

Xue Zixuan reached out his hand to try to pat the top of the teenager’s hair, and when he saw that the other party inclined his head to avoid it, his pleasant mood was not affected at all.

“You’re feeling right, and that tune is called ‘Early Morning’. I’ll play another tune, and you watch.” He settled down at the piano, took off his pure white silk gloves, and played carefully.

There is no doubt that his playing is far superior to that of his contemporaries. His understanding of life is morbid and grotesque, but precisely because of this morbidity and grotesqueness, his music carries a certain ineffable impact, which is able to penetrate directly into the listener’s soul.

He achieved more and more and went further and further until he left everyone behind. Yet no one knew how strong the loneliness in his heart was, and how he longed for a companion who could resonate with him, a being who could shake his soul with music.

The atmospheric sound of the zither echoed in the air for a long time, and when the song ended, he withdrew his hands and looked towards the teenager, “Have you learned it?”

“Learned.”

“Now play it again for me.” Xue Zixuan made way.

Xue Jingyi sat on the sidelines and watched the interaction between the two, her slightly bruised fingertips pinched the hem of her coat hard. Knowing full well that she shouldn’t, she still hoped that the teenager wouldn’t be able to finish playing, so that her brother wouldn’t cast his gentle and focused gaze on him.

She remembered that when she was a child, her brother would never look at her, but one day, when she played a minuet for him with excitement, he picked her up for the first time and laughed, “This is our Xue family.” Because of a song, he identified with her existence, thus showing how much he favored people with musical talent.

If the teenager’s talent surpassed her own, perhaps her brother would like him more than herself. A heavy sense of crisis tumbled in her heart, and she grabbed the hem of her shirt and cried out, “Brother, my chest hurts.”

Xue Zixuan immediately picked her up and headed to the bedroom, not forgetting to explain, “Wait for me in the piano room tomorrow.”

Zhou Yunsheng nodded his head and followed suit.

Xue Jing Yi’s heart literally ached when she heard this, yet she could stop it once but not for a lifetime, and even more so, she couldn’t show her selfishness, that would incur her brother’s disgust. She lay on the bed, uneasiness and haste coming through in her tired demeanor.

When the doctor left, Zhou Yunsheng quietly pulled open the door of the room and slipped in, asking, “Jing Yi, what kind of disease do you have, why do you always faint?”

“It’s nothing, I didn’t nourish myself well as a child, my body is weaker.” Xue Jingyi’s skill at lying was getting deeper and deeper, and although she still felt guilty when facing the teenager, it was getting thinner and thinner every day, especially after today.

“Then you rest well.” Zhou Yunsheng lovingly touched the young girl’s pale cheeks, feeling her instantly stiffen her muscles, a mocking darkness slipped through his eyes.

On the following day, Zhou Yunsheng was scooped up by the old housekeeper early in the morning and brought to the piano room, Xue Jingyi was already sitting in front of the piano, playing the piece that Xue Zixuan had played yesterday, and at the end of the day, she asked expectantly, “Brother, have I made progress?”

“More practice is needed.” Xue Zixuan’s tone was indifferent. This level of zither sound was not able to impress him yet, but it was not so much that it annoyed him either. Although this sister was not related to him by blood, she miraculously possessed the unique musical talent of the Xue family, and if her physical condition permitted it, a few years of hard practicing should result in considerable achievements.

“Come over here and play it again.” He beckoned to the teenager standing in the doorway.

Xue Jingyi slowly made way for her seat and subconsciously rubbed her chest, she couldn’t pretend to be sick anymore today.

Zhou Yunsheng wiped his palms with the hem of his coat and slowly placed his fingers on the corresponding keys. Maybe once Zhou Yunsheng didn’t know anything about playing the piano, and even more so because he was controlled by the system and didn’t dare to show his true inner feelings, destroying the most moving and beautiful things in the world with his hard imitations, but now Zhou Yunsheng is not the same anymore.

He has shaken off the shackles of the system, broken down the barriers in his heart, experienced the deepest sorrow, and received the most extreme joy. No matter what kind of feelings you want him to express with his music, he can vent it to the fullest, like the rainstorm in summer, the ice and snow in winter, the warm sun in spring, the breeze in autumn, he can construct an unreal but real world with his music.

The tune was called ‘Sea’, describing the scene of a group of fish playing in the deep sea. Zhou Yunsheng closed his eyes and regulated his emotions to the best state before starting to play.

Brilliant daylight lingered around the young man, his fingertips lifting and falling, tracing a dappled light, as if countless small silver-white fish were swimming around him. He pressed hard to create a choppy sea tide, and gently struck it, again letting the tide quietly fall. His nimble fingertips darted and slid from one end of the keys to the other, as if white dolphins were chasing schools of delicious sardines, chirping and tumbling in the whirlpools they created.

He recreates unparalleled views of the deep sea with beautiful melodies.

Xue Jing Yi kept her palm over her chest. The more melodious the sound of the teenager’s zither was, the more uneasy she felt, and she would always be unable to resist peeking at her brother’s expression, realizing that he was gazing at the teenager with an indescribably burning gaze, and her heart twilightedly throbbed.

Zhou Yunsheng’s fingertips moved more and more slowly until they were completely still, the tide slowly receded, revealing the soft, golden sandy beach, and the playing ended.

Xue Zixuan walked over to the teenager and asked in a mute voice, “Do you like playing the piano?” He would never accept a negative answer, the teenager possessed such an amazing talent, and should have been born for music.

“Of course I like it.” Cho Yoon Sung stood up in a fidgety manner.

“Very well, starting tomorrow, you will learn to play the piano with me and be here every morning at six o’clock sharp.” He said in a commanding tone.

“Okay.” Zhou Yunsheng nodded his head with reddened cheeks.

“What’s your name?” It wasn’t until this time that Xue Zixuan really put the teenager on his mind.

“My name is Xue Jin Yi.”

“Xue Jingyi?” Xue Zixuan frowned.

“It’s this Xue Jin Yi.” Zhou Yunsheng gestured in his palm.

Xue Zixuan nodded his head and realized that he still had to go to the academy to teach today when he found his assistant waving at the door. He put on his jacket and straightened his tie, suddenly remembering something as he walked to the door, he softly spoke, “My name is Xue Zixuan.”

Zhou Yunsheng nodded his head stupidly.

The black limousine drove out of the gravel-paved path, Xue Jingyi stood by the window and looked into the distance until the body of the car was hidden in a large area of woods before turning back towards the teenager, her voice hard, “Brother likes you a lot.”

Zhou Yunsheng reddened his face and stammered to speak, “Is that so? But I didn’t feel it at all.”

He wanted exactly what Xue Zixuan liked, and he liked it more and more until it was hard to stop himself.

Of course, this relationship had nothing to do with love, but was about faith. Xue Zixuan’s faith is in music, and all he has to do is show him his talent in music to be part of his faith. What’s the best way to choose between family and faith? This is a big dilemma for Xue Zixuan, who loves music.