Chapter Fifteen
"What are you? How dare you talk back?!"
"Young Master Xu, I didn't, I... Ah—"
A crisp slap abruptly cut off the girl's explanation.
Covering her red, swollen cheek with one hand, the young, pretty girl's eyes brimmed with aggrieved tears.
His eyes nearly popping out of their sockets, Xu Wenyan glared at the omega girl before him. "Kneel!"
The girl's pupils contracted instantly, her face turning deathly pale.
She was a domestic worker, not some servant from the old days.
It was bad enough that she had been slapped for no reason. How could he demand that she kneel?
"You dare look at me like that?"
A vicious glint flashed through Xu Wenyan's eyes. Just as he raised his hand again, He Yiming's voice came from behind him.
"Tsk, what's got you so angry?" He Yiming asked, giving the girl a look as he entered. "You, leave first."
The girl did not dare linger. With tears in her eyes, she hurriedly ran out.
Xu Wenyan snorted. "She's just a servant. Why are you protecting her?"
"What, are you jealous?" He Yiming reached out and pinched Xu Wenyan's chin.
The omega, who had looked so vicious just moments ago, gave another coquettish hum at He Yiming. "Brother He, when can I go to the Imperial Palace?"
Was He Yiming even capable of this? It had been so long, yet he still hadn't taken him to the Imperial Palace.
Pinching Xu Wenyan's chin as though teasing a little bird, He Yiming smiled. "I'll take you tomorrow."
The girl who had just been verbally humiliated and slapped by Xu Wenyan ran crying out of the building.
"Xiaolan, did that Xu bully you?"
The girl looked up at He Lanxue's concerned expression, and tears immediately streamed down her face.
"Miss He... I can't do this job for another day. Please help me settle my wages. I won't come tomorrow." The more Xiaolan spoke, the sadder she became. "I may only serve tea and run errands, but I'm still a person!"
He Lanxue comforted her gently for a while longer and told her she would not need to work for Xu Wenyan tomorrow, finally persuading the girl to stay.
"Mom, can't you make Brother throw that Xu Wenyan out?!"
He Lanxue ran to complain to Mother He.
Mother He shook her head with a bitter smile. "You know your brother's temper."
He Lanxue fell silent for a moment. Of course she knew her brother's temperament.
He was extremely self-centered and arrogant. Unless he wanted something himself, he never listened to anyone else.
The only person who could change He Yiming's mind was their father.
Unfortunately, Father He thought it was no big deal for an alpha to keep a few omegas.
"My brother has terrible taste. He doesn't like someone well-bred and talented, yet he likes a scheming petty man like Xu Wenyan, who only has a pretty face."
The image of Ye Nanxun playing the piano that day surfaced in He Lanxue's mind. Not only had many alphas been captivated that day, but quite a few omegas like them had also been stunned.
Unfortunately, after asking around for several days, she still could not find anyone who was Ye Nanxun's friend.
As usual, Ye Nanxun practiced piano under Teacher Xu's guidance all morning.
Near noon, Teacher Xu's eyes showed appreciation and affection. "Nanxun, starting tomorrow, you can practice at home. You don't need to come here every day. Teacher Jiang is nearly done with his work too. He'll probably contact you this week."
Ye Nanxun acknowledged him.
After lunch, he leaned against the sofa in the practice room and took a nap.
The wind outside was strong today. The cold wind cut across his face like blades, painfully so. There was no way he could go stroll through the garden.
He wondered whether that person would come by.
Thinking about it, Ye Nanxun unknowingly fell asleep.
When a steady, even knock sounded at the door, Ye Nanxun was still half-asleep, unable to distinguish dream from reality.
He finally realized someone was outside the door.
Without even having time to tidy himself up, he ran over and hurriedly opened it.
A familiar figure stood in the corridor outside.
The long black coat made him look even straighter and taller, as though he were a living clothes hanger.
"I'm sorry, I accidentally fell asleep just now."
Embarrassment flashed across his delicate face, and Ye Nanxun hurriedly stepped aside from the doorway.
The room was warm. He wore a creamy white turtleneck sweater, and his uncombed hair was slightly messy.
The cheek and ear that had been pressed against the sofa were rosy red, like a steaming peach.
Yan Beiyou's gaze swept over Ye Nanxun's reddened earlobes. "I interrupted your rest."
For a moment, Ye Nanxun did not know how to respond. Though he had read many simple dialogues about socializing, he truly lacked practical experience.
Fortunately, Yan Beiyou continued on his own. "Your scarf was bitten apart by the dog. If you don't mind, please accept this scarf."
An exquisite paper bag without any logo was held out before Ye Nanxun.
"It's all right. I'd used that scarf for a long time already. It was quite old."
Yan Beiyou said, "After all, your scarf was damaged while it was in my care."
Ye Nanxun opened his mouth as though to say something. Looking up, he met the alpha's handsome, calm face, and in the end, accepted the bag the man offered him.
As he turned to put the bag beside the sofa, Ye Nanxun slowly raised a hand to smooth out the hair he had messed up in his sleep.
"Have you considered working in the Court Orchestra in the future?" the man behind him suddenly asked.
Without much hesitation, Ye Nanxun shook his head. "I really like playing the piano. It would naturally be wonderful if I could join the Court Orchestra, but while I'm still young, I want to see more of the outside world."
To see the world that he had not had time to see in his previous life.
Ye Nanxun tilted his head and smiled faintly at Yan Beiyou. "Let me play for you."
Yan Beiyou sat down on the sofa some distance away. "All right."
The tall young man walked to the piano and sat down, his long, fair fingers settling on the black and white keys.
Outside, the cold wind rustled, and the sky was dark and overcast.
Inside, the lights were bright. Accompanied by the melodious piano music, the room felt especially warm and comfortable.
Yet all the light in the room seemed to gather upon the person before the piano, his eyes slightly lowered.
And even all that warmth combined could not compare to the gentle warmth radiating from the young man absorbed in playing.
Yan Beiyou listened quietly, his gaze resting on Ye Nanxun, calm and attentive.
The piece ended.
Ye Nanxun slowly let out a breath.
He turned to look at his sole listener, only to see a pair of deep, calm eyes focused intently on him.
This alpha looked as though he had slipped away from work midway just to listen to the piano.
After listening to Ye Nanxun's piano piece, he prepared to rise and leave.
Ye Nanxun walked him to the door.
The alpha, already outside, suddenly stopped and turned around. "Will you still be practicing piano here tomorrow afternoon?"
Ye Nanxun pursed his lips and said, "Starting tomorrow, I won't be coming to the Imperial Palace anymore."
Yan Beiyou gave an "Mm" and asked again, "May I know your name?"
The fingers hanging at his side, hidden within his sweater sleeves, curled slightly. Ye Nanxun said, "Ye Nanxun."
"Yan Beiyou."
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