Questions and Piano / The Inscription of [Gold]

At this moment, the little tiger had to admit that Pardofelis was right. The elegant beauty in front of him was indeed very much to his liking.

At that moment, her innate elegance combined with her beautiful appearance made her seem like a radiant, walking work of art, making her irresistible to admire.

Damn it, I actually got manipulated by that Pardofelis! Wait, where did she even meet such a perfect beauty?!

"Heh~" Eden chuckled softly, calmly accepting Swire's address. "My name is Eden, you can just call me by my name. And what about you, Miss?"

"You can call me Swire, but since Miss Eden doesn't seem to be from Yan, you can also call me by my real name Beatrix Swire." Facing the elegant and composed Eden, Swire surprisingly used her real name, which she hadn't used in a long time.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Swire."

Without hesitation, Eden quickly made her choice and extended her slender, snow-white hand towards her. "Although I am not from Yan, judging from the order in which you introduced things, Miss Swire, I suppose you are more accustomed to the former."

"Both names represent me, so you can choose whichever you prefer." With that, Swire gently grasped Eden's outstretched hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you too, Miss Eden."

"I'll need Miss Swire's help to show me the way." After the handshake, Eden calmly withdrew his hand and smiled at the person in front of him.

Although the singer was quite familiar with this place, she didn't mind giving the young lady in front of her a chance to shine.

"It was nothing, Miss Eden, please come with me." Swire gently shook her head, then turned and led the way. At the same time, she couldn't help but mentally grumble again, "Where did Pardofelis even get to know this person...?"

Seeing Swire already taking action and leading the way, Eden's eyes flashed with a smile. He picked up his things from the car and followed her.

"Oh, Eden, you're here! Welcome, welcome! Now everyone's here." Pardofelis, who had just finished serving the dishes and then been kicked out of the kitchen, quickly greeted the wine-red figure following Swire with a smile.

Upon hearing this, everyone else present also began to observe the person discreetly.

"Heh~ Good afternoon, Felis." Eden smiled gently at Pardofelis's words and then handed her the gift he had prepared in advance. "I was a bit rushed this time and couldn't find a suitable gift for you right away. This is one I picked out from my collection. I believe you will like it."

"Wow, thank you, Sister Eden!"

Although there were no secrets between "themselves" because of their mutual understanding, and Pardofelis already knew what was in the gift box, she still couldn't help but feel a little excited.

After all, Eden's collection consists of large items!

With a joyful heart, the cat gently wagged its tail, accepted the gift from Eden, and unwrapped it.

As the packaging was opened, a flawless, exquisitely cut sapphire was revealed under the light, refracting a dazzling brilliance.

"This gem is called the Tear of the Water God. It's the purest one in my collection. Its color really resembles one of your eyes, so I chose it as this gift." As Pardofelis unwrapped the package, Eden's gentle explanation followed.

"Sister Eden, you're practically our goddess!"

Looking at the sparkling gem in her hand, even the prepared Pardofelis couldn't help but show her starry eyes, almost ready to pounce on Eden and give him a loving hug.

"Oh, whatever you like."

After exchanging a few more pleasantries with Pardofelis, Eden turned to the others and slowly began to introduce himself.

Although everyone present was an old acquaintance, they weren't Eden's acquaintances, so a systematic introduction was still necessary.

After the introductions, Eden was fully integrated into the gathering.

Afterwards, Chen and the others were also surprised that Pardofelis, the "Lungmen Thief," would know someone as elegant as Miss Eden, who looked like a young lady from a prominent family.

However, because I wasn't familiar with them and wasn't particularly interested, I didn't try to strike up a conversation.

Only Swire, whose interest had been piqued beforehand, remained intensely interested in and curious about Eden. She couldn't help it; she was genuinely curious about certain things, such as how they had met.

This alone has baffled the little tiger. How could these two people, with such different personalities, temperaments, and family backgrounds, possibly know each other?

What, you're asking how Swire knew about Eden's family background? Well, she figured it out through analysis. Putting aside his demeanor, which clearly indicated he came from an ordinary family, just look at how casually he gave her that expensive gift – his family was definitely well-off.

Finally, because she was just too curious, Swire couldn't hold back any longer and invited Eden aside for a chat.

"Swire, Eden Swire with a smile, swirling the golden goblet filled with wine in his hand as he looked at Swire beside him, who seemed to be hesitating to speak.

"Cough..."

Upon hearing this, Swire lightly, feeling a little awkward, then composed herself and said gracefully, "It's nothing serious, I'm just curious and wanted to chat with you, Miss Eden."

"Besides that, I also wanted to get to know you. After all, this is the first time I've met someone as elegant and with such a unique temperament as you."

Although the little tiger can be a bit arrogant at times, she usually considers herself to be straightforward enough, like right now. Since the person next to her is indeed to her liking and she wants to get to know them, she naturally won't act coy or hesitant.

She goes after what she wants; that's the Swire.

"Miss Swire also has a special charm in my eyes." Eden smiled gently at Swire before continuing, "Alright, tell me what it is. I'll let you know if I know."

"Hmm." Upon hearing this, Swire nodded gently, then began to organize her thoughts.

Chapter 169 Inquiry and the Piano

"Although it may be presumptuous of me to ask such a question right away, I am indeed very Eden met and became friends with Pardofelis?" Swire carefully asked the question that had always intrigued her.

"You two look like you've known each other for a long time..."

Upon hearing this, Eden, who was sipping his wine, slowly put down his glass and smiled, saying, "So this is what Miss Swire wanted to ask."

"It's because my identity seems so different from Felis's that you're curious about me." Although it sounded like a question, the singer's tone was quite certain.

Looking at Eden's smiling, delicate face, Swire nodded gently and said truthfully, "Yes, I know a little about Pardofelis's past, but that's precisely why... I'm curious about her having such an elegant friend as Miss Eden."

"Actually, according to the original trajectory, Felis and I would not have had any interaction, Swire thinks. But it is precisely under these circumstances that the wonder of fate is even more evident."

Eden glanced back at Pardofelis, who was chatting and playing with the others, before continuing, "Let me think about how to tell you about that past, but I think the story will be much more mundane than you imagine."

On this point, Miss Singer did not deceive Swire; in her memory, the acquaintance between "Eden" and "Pardofelis" was not anything dramatic.

While Eden was reminiscing with Swire about some "past" events, Pardofelis, who was chatting with others not far away, glanced over and then, as if struck by a thought, smiled and said, "I knew it! Swire and Eden really do get along well."

"I can see that Swire rarely shows such interest in someone, but more than that..." Hearing this, Lin Yuhsia looked up, raised an eyebrow at Pardofelis, and said, "I'm more curious about how Miss Pardofelis knows such a person."

"You two don't seem like you'd have anything to do with each other..."

Although Lin Yuhsia no longer harbors any animosity towards Pardofelis (otherwise she wouldn't have accepted the invitation), some prejudice still remains.

She can't help but wonder how this guy and that elegant lady met in such an "abstract" way...

"Well, it's probably because of fate." Upon hearing this, Pardofelis narrowed her eyes slightly, showing no intention of explaining in detail.

"If you're really curious, you can ask Swire later. I'm 100% sure she asked Eden the same question you did."

"By the way, you guys shouldn't get any ideas. We've never really bought anything from Sister Eden, and that's not how we met."

"..."

Pardofelis's words only fueled the curiosity of the three "outsiders" present.

"Is Miss Pardofelis treating this as preferential treatment?" Lin Yuhsia said, glancing at the two people in the corner, and added meaningfully, "Miss Eden's family background seems to be no less impressive than Swire's."

"Well... you can't really say that. The two are incomparable." Padmasambhava paused slightly, "And there's absolutely no need for Sister Eden to stock up on their products!"

To be honest, if that lousy system hadn't been so problematic, I wouldn't have bothered to exploit Swire so many times! We can't put all the blame on her!

"Hmm?" Upon hearing this, Lin Yuhsia's eyes flashed with curiosity as she awaited Pardofelis's explanation. Not only her, but the other two felt the same way.

"What's there to be curious about? Didn't you all see it just now? Sister Eden is a super generous big boss, the kind who can just give away her collectibles like it's nothing."

"Is there any need to go and buy goods? Besides, we're not buying goods entirely for the money, okay?" Pardofelis glanced at the three of them and then said "righteously."

"..." After learning the real reason, Lin Yuhsia and the others couldn't help but twitch their lips. But they also had to admit that what Pardofelis said made some sense.

After all, if someone is willingly giving you "money," why would you steal it?

"Never mind." Lin Yuhsia composed herself, suppressed her curiosity, and then spoke again, "Miss Pardofelis, would you mind if I went to the kitchen to help out?"

Lin Yuhsia had been quite curious about the chef in the kitchen, who had yet to show his face, ever since she had seen the delicious-looking dishes that Pardofelis brought out from the kitchen.

Although she didn't see the person, she deduced from the vague conversation that the person in the kitchen was probably also a friend of Pardofelis, and a woman at that.

"Although there's probably nothing in the kitchen that needs help right now, Lin Yuhsia, if you'd like to go take a look, then go ahead."

In response to Lin Yuhsia's question, Pardofelis raised an eyebrow and then replied with a smile, "Maybe you'll get along well with the people inside, just like Swire and Sister Eden!"

After receiving an affirmative answer, Lin Yuhsia wasted no time. After nodding to Pardofelis, she stood up and curiously walked towards the kitchen.

Among the dishes already served were many that she had never seen before. Now she wanted to see what kind of person had made these dishes...

Meanwhile, on the other side --

Having received an answer from Eden, Swire felt a sense of satisfaction, yet not complete fulfillment. Just as she had initially said, their meeting hadn't been as "exciting" as she'd imagined.

"Heh~"

Looking at Swire's expression, Eden couldn't help but smile gently and said, "Miss Swire, you must have had an interesting encounter with Felis to be making such an expression."

"No... I don't think that could be considered interesting at all." Swire recalled her past with someone, a hint of gloom on her face, and shook her head.

"By the way, I have another question I'd like to ask Miss Eden."

"Hmm?" Faced with the question again, Eden paused slightly, his hand about to bring the glass to his lips. He calmly replied, "Go ahead and ask."

"Pardofelis gave you a piano before, didn't she?"

"Hmm, what's wrong? Is that piano important to Swire? If so, I can return it to you."

"No, no, that's not it." As soon as Eden said this, Swire quickly waved her hand in denial.

"Although I don't particularly like the method, Pardofelis has already paid for the piano. The reason I said that is because my question is related to this."

"Miss Eden, why do you merely collect that piano instead of using it?"

P. S.: It's a little early. Actually, I didn't want to stay up late, but I was really stuck at the end of this volume, and I also wrote Eden. I was writing it sentence by sentence, pondering it as I went, like squeezing toothpaste. I'll try to finish earlier and adjust my sleep schedule. Thanks for your concern.

Chapter 170 [Golden] Inscription

"Miss Eden, why do you merely collect that piano instead of using it?"

Thinking about the information that Pardofelis had inadvertently revealed earlier, Swire still asked the question about the piano.

"Hmm... Did Felis tell you?"

"Yes, that's why I'm a little curious about it. Is there something wrong with that piano? Or has it aged a bit because no one has played it for a long time?" As soon as she finished speaking, Swire subconsciously began to recall the configuration of the piano that was placed in her home in Dagu Square.

"Heh~ Miss Swire, you're overthinking it. It's not for these reasons that I don't use it. It's just that it's a gift, and I haven't had the opportunity to use it yet..." With a sigh, a complex look appeared in Eden's beautiful eyes that Swire couldn't understand.

"No chance..." Swire immediately grasped the key phrase, confirming her suspicions. "So Miss Eden is indeed very skilled at the piano."

"But why would you say there's no chance? With your financial resources, you should be able to perform on any stage you want, or even put on your own concert, right?"

"I wouldn't call myself an expert, I'd only say I have a smattering of knowledge." Hearing Swire's words, Eden shook his head helplessly and said, "As for Miss Swire's suggestion of performing on stage, that's certainly true, but perhaps I still have some doubts..."

To be honest, just as the young lady next to me said, if Eden wanted to, she could "return" to the dazzling stage, whether through her own abilities or her money.

However, gazing upon this land filled with suffering... she hesitated, a rare occurrence for her.

"Doubts...?" Upon hearing Swire paused slightly, then asked uncertainly, "Is it that you haven't decided where to develop your career next? Popular music is indeed more popular among young people these days..."

As soon as she finished speaking, the little tiger couldn't help but glance at the person beside her. To be honest, she couldn't imagine this elegant lady, who was like a perfect work of art, singing pop music... their temperaments were completely mismatched.

"Where to develop is indeed a problem, but it's not important..." Eden said, shaking his head slightly. He then took a few steps forward to the balcony and looked out at the slightly dilapidated and old houses in the slum.

Actually, Ms. Singer is still carefully considering her future choices.

Whether from her own experience or from the memories in her mind, everything showed her the suffering of this continent... making her hesitate between the identities of singer and warrior.

Can her singing truly heal the wounds in the hearts of people on this continent?

Eden didn't know the answer to this question, and that's why she hesitated between the two choices. Singer Eden took to the stage, her voice soothing the wounded; Warrior Eden threw herself into the role, helping others with her own actions...

Actually, during this time, Miss Singer also wondered if "Eden" would be able to make a decision quickly if it were facing this problem.

Unfortunately, although she now uses the name Eden, she is not herself, at least not entirely.

"Not important?" Swire took a few steps forward and came back to Eden's side, then leaned on the balcony railing and said softly, "Although it may be presumptuous, Miss Eden, could you tell me what your doubts, or rather, what is holding you back?"

"Ahem... Although we haven't known each other for long, maybe I can help you out of your predicament."

"Swire is really kind of you, but before that, may I ask you a question?" Eden said, gently swirling his wine glass and chuckling.

"Of course, I will tell you the truth if I know."

"Heh, there's no need to take it so seriously, it's just a small problem."

Eden chuckled softly, then slowly posed his question, "Miss Swire, do you think songs can truly soothe the pain of the people on this land?"

Since they had happened to meet by chance, the singer naturally wouldn't hesitate to ask questions, as she wanted to hear the insights of the young lady beside her.

"Oh, I didn't expect Miss Eden to be thinking about such a question." Swire was surprised as soon as Eden asked the question. She then pondered for a moment before giving her answer.