Chapter Sixty-Two: The Piano Lesson

Sitting side by side with Ram on the steps of the staircase, Liu Yunfei felt it was time to impart a bit of education to this girl. "You've heard it quite a few times, haven't you? At least three times, right? Aren't you ashamed? You really shouldn't be doing this."

"Awashid brother, so you knew all along? I thought you didn’t notice. Why didn’t you ever say anything?" Ram’s cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

Liu Yunfei, too, felt a little embarrassed. He couldn’t quite explain what twisted psychology motivated him at the time—perhaps it was the thrill of it—but he hadn’t chased Ram away, even though she listened in once and found it exciting, and after that, she came almost every night.

"Anyway, you’re not allowed to eavesdrop anymore, understand? You’re still young—these are things only adults can do. When you’re older, then you can do them."

"Do I really have to wait until I’m grown up before I can do those things with Awashid brother?" Ram seemed anxious.

"Not with me, but with someone you love," Liu Yunfei patiently explained, giving the little girl a lesson in sex education, though he himself was only four years older than Ram.

But Ram’s attention was elsewhere, her gaze fixed on the phone Liu Yunfei held in his hand. "What a beautiful lady! Is she the one Awashid brother loves?"

Liu Yunfei glanced at the phone—it was the charm he’d made with Park Minji at Times Square, a sticker of their faces. Ram’s voice was small: "Did Awashid brother do it with this lady too? I’ve never met her before. Who’s the Chinese boy beside her? Is he Awashid brother’s rival?"

It seemed all women had a penchant for gossip, even from a young age; Ram’s questions came with renewed vigor.

"This is Park Minji. She’s studying at university in New York—you’ll meet her one day. I haven’t done that with her. The boy is her younger brother. All right, I’ve answered your questions. Go to your room and sleep," Liu Yunfei said, not forgetting to pat Ram’s backside—a bit grown now, with a pleasant feel.

But Ram took two steps away, then ran back. "There’s still the most important question left unanswered."

"Hm?"

"Is she the one Awashid brother loves?"

"Well..." Liu Yunfei didn’t know how to answer. To say no felt dishonest; to say yes, it seemed unfair to Qing. He hesitated, and with a mischievous grin, Ram dashed away for the first time.

---

He dialed Park Minji’s phone. "Minji? It’s me." Hearing Liu Yunfei’s voice, Minji was excited—whether from days without contact or the beauty of that golden rose, he couldn’t tell. "Xiaoyunfei... thank you."

Her voice on the line was stretched and sweet, almost coy—a trait in Korean speech, drawing out the final syllable. Liu Yunfei suddenly felt an urge to kiss her. "Do you like it?"

"I love it. It’s beautiful. I especially like the flower granite base."

"Silly girl, the base is just stone—the least valuable part."

"But it has the words I most wanted to hear. Even though we’re just good friends, I still like what you engraved there." Liu Yunfei felt a sweetness in his heart. Minji continued: "Today, I made a new friend at the restaurant where I work, another Chinese girl from Shanghai who married and moved to New York. Chinese people are so warm—I spilled soup all over her today, haha, and she said it was fine, then..."

Liu Yunfei listened as Minji chattered on. Her gentle voice and tone made it feel like she was telling a story, or perhaps speaking to herself. Liu Yunfei leaned back, murmuring his assent as he listened, thinking: Why do I find her chatter so enjoyable? When his mother rambled at home about work, he always felt annoyed, but with Minji, he didn’t mind at all, even though he didn’t care much about what she was saying. He simply enjoyed the atmosphere, the way her words seemed to relax his body and mood completely.

He wondered: If he married this loquacious woman, after a tiring day, coming home to her chatter would be a comfort. But after many years, would he find her annoying? Suddenly, Liu Yunfei understood why the middle-aged men in Korean dramas always shouted at their wives—it was the strain of enduring decades of constant chatter.

"Hey, are you listening?" Minji sounded a little dissatisfied.

"I’m listening. It’s pleasant, like a lullaby," Liu Yunfei replied with a goofy smile.

"What time is it there? Are you tired from work? Sorry, I forgot about the time difference. You should get some sleep."

The next day, Liu Yunfei stayed in bed until after ten. He thought the old prince would surely call him for a talk about the traitor, but unexpectedly, the old prince had gone out early. Instead, Owari kept pestering him to go sightseeing. Annoyed, Liu Yunfei sent him off to religious class.

At noon, the old prince returned but didn’t seek Liu Yunfei out for a private talk. Instead, he announced that things were unsettled—Hadi might continue to kidnap Owari or others. Everyone was advised to stay inside the Knight’s Castle; there would be more agents and security around, and the safest place was within the castle.

That afternoon, Liu Yunfei drove the two beauties to piano class. Qing had no idea Liu Yunfei had visited this place before, nor which teacher or which girls were the prettiest. He’d scoped it out last time when following Qing. So, upon entering, he took a seat at the very back, admiring the Italian women. Their skin was pale, their figures tall and voluptuous, their bare shoulders and lovely legs enticing. Liu Yunfei’s gaze lingered, his mouth watering. He suddenly remembered the last time he transformed and hid in Bettia’s underwear—it was intoxicating. Why wasn’t Bettia here today? It would be nice to reconnect.

"The gentleman in the last row, please come up and demonstrate the third section for the class. Hey, you in the last row," the piano teacher, a white-haired old man, called out to Liu Yunfei.

Liu Yunfei was busy admiring a beautiful woman in the same row, his mind filled with images of Bettia, and didn’t notice he was being addressed. When the teacher called, everyone’s eyes turned to Liu Yunfei. Qing spun around, furious and anxious, shouting, "Awashid!"

---

"Hey, what is it?" Liu Yunfei snapped back to reality as the shout jolted him; the whole classroom burst into laughter.

The teacher was a white-haired old man, bald at the front but with a thick ponytail at the back. Being a renowned pianist, he carried himself with a bit of arrogance. Earlier, as the old man played a demonstration, everyone listened, captivated—except Liu Yunfei, who not only seemed unaffected but stared fixedly at a woman’s chest. The teacher deliberately called him out to make a fool of him.

"Gentleman in the last row, please come up and demonstrate the passage for us," the old man repeated.

Liu Yunfei glanced at Qing, hoping she’d explain he was just a driver or bodyguard, not a student. But Qing and Ram were embarrassed to be associated with him, annoyed by his ogling, and pretended not to notice, offering no rescue.

Left with no choice, Liu Yunfei had to bite the bullet. There were two pianos in the classroom: one for the teacher, the other for students to practice. He approached the student piano, scratching his head. "I can’t play, never have. I can’t even read sheet music." Laughter erupted again, even the stern teacher was bent over, laughing.

After the laughter subsided, Liu Yunfei said, "Please let me watch you play it once. I’ll get it after that."

"You think you’re a prodigy? Someone who can’t even read music, and just by watching once, can play it? Go to hell, get off," shouted a white man below—the woman Liu Yunfei had been staring at was his crush, the reason he attended every day.

Liu Yunfei shook his head—rude people abound everywhere. He ignored the man and struck his most handsome pose, looking at the teacher. Perhaps, charmed by Liu Yunfei’s stance, the old man nodded and began to play, swaying his head to the music.

It was a famous piece, the Symphony of Fate, played with stirring passion. Even Liu Yunfei couldn’t help but lead the applause when the teacher finished. The old man, for reasons unknown, stood up and gestured for Liu Yunfei to use his own piano, a precious instrument he never allowed students to touch.

Liu Yunfei sat, briefly recalling the old man’s every movement. With his photographic memory, he could remember every note even if the old man played for hours. Just as Liu Yunfei was preparing himself emotionally, the rude man shouted again, "Stop pretending, get down, don’t embarrass yourself."