As a cheerful melody came to an end, Lu Yunze finally snapped out of his own world.
The sweat on his fingers stained the black and white keys, and the lingering charm of the music seemed to remain in the air.
He had clearly intended to refuse in his heart, yet his hands had disobeyed his commands and began to play on their own. Recalling Jiang Sui’s demon-like whispers, Lu Yunze couldn’t help but feel a lingering fear.
Forget it. What’s done is done and cannot be undone.
At least he had fulfilled Jiang Sui’s wish and made her happy.
“Jiang Sui, what did you think of the piece I just played…”
Lu Yunze turned his head as he spoke, only to be stunned.
The Little Maid, who had been leaning on the piano, had actually fallen asleep at some point! Hearing his voice, her brows furrowed slightly as she stretched her body, rubbing her eyes and making a dazed sound:
“What’s wrong, Young Master? Are you about to start playing?”
“It’s already over.” Lu Yunze’s eyebrows twitched, and his expression turned rather ugly.
“Huh?” Jiang Sui widened her eyes and then gave an embarrassed laugh. “Hehe, I’ve been very tired from work these past two days, so I accidentally fell asleep. Young Master, you won’t blame me, right?”
“I won’t blame you, but you were the one who brought me here. Falling asleep while listening is a bit too much, don’t you think?”
“It’s because the new song Young Master played was really dull… I mean, I was just really too tired.”
Faced with Lu Yunze’s questioning, the Little Maid stuck out her tongue, trying to act cute to get away with it.
It was dull?
Lu Yunze thought for a moment and felt that her words made sense.
The pieces he played today were all newly practiced; therefore, his technique wasn’t that refined. He had even felt nervous during the process due to his own mistakes.
It might actually be a good thing that Jiang Sui didn’t hear it.
“Since no one has come for so long, Young Master should play a little more.” Jiang Sui winked at him.
Lu Yunze didn’t speak, but he agreed with her idea.
For the next piece, he should play something he was good at. Which one should he choose?
Just as his hands were placed on the keys, the door to the bedroom opened silently.
Accompanying the sound of clapping was the deep and slightly raspy voice of a middle-aged man:
“Like a fine painting flowing, or stepping through water. It’s just that the lack of proficiency and the frantic movements ruined the beauty of the entire piece.”
The person who entered was a tall man wearing gold-rimmed glasses and holding a cane. His face was covered in deep furrows from years of weathering, and he had a graying beard on his chin. If there was a place on his body that still brimmed with spirit, it was surely his eyes. From the moment he stepped through the door, he had quickly scanned the surroundings, taking in everything.
“You…”
Lu Yunze was first stunned, then he stood up.
“When did you arrive?”
“I heard the sound of the piano as soon as I returned. I was wondering who it was; it turns out it’s you, Lu Yunze.”
Who is this person?
Jiang Sui’s Soul Tether moved back and forth between the two of them. She discovered that Lu Yunze became exceptionally well-behaved upon seeing this man, like a child caught doing something wrong by his father.
It’s really annoying. Lu Yunze should only be a coward in front of me.
While Lu Yunze and the middle-aged man were talking, hurried footsteps came from outside. This time, it was the Old Servant who cleaned the piano room.
As soon as he saw Lu Yunze and Jiang Sui, his face turned red with anger, and the wrinkles on his face almost exploded.
“It’s you two again! This is truly insolent! I’m going to report this and dock all of your Salary!”
“Forget it. Young people like to play; let them have some fun.”
The middle-aged man’s voice immediately caught the Old Servant’s attention. After the latter took a closer look, his expression instantly became respectful and fearful. He bowed low, and his tone of voice turned muffled and humble:
“The Old Master is right. I will do as the Old Master says.”
Old Master?
Jiang Sui was stunned for a moment, then she took a deep breath.
The person in front of her was actually the head of the Zhu Family!
The major villain in the original work, and the person Lu Yunze would face in the final battle—Luo Tianyu!
Luo Tianyu took off his hat and smiled gently.
“It seems there was some friction between you. He didn’t make things difficult for you, did he? Although you are my foster son, I cannot be biased. If there’s anything, feel free to say it.”
These words were addressed to Lu Yunze, but the one trembling on the scene was the Old Servant. Seeing Luo Tianyu and learning that the person he had scolded was actually Young Master Lu Yunze, his entire body was shaking.
Lu Yunze originally wanted to say it was nothing, but after glancing at Jiang Sui and hesitating for a moment, he spoke up:
“I don’t like his loud shouting, and his work attitude isn’t right either.”
He even mentioned the fact that the Old Servant was sleeping in the piano room.
“You were sleeping?”
Luo Tianyu’s voice suddenly became cold.
“Lu Yunze has already pointed out your mistake. For the sake of your hard work, your Salary will be withheld for now. Once you have corrected yourself and apologized to me, it will be paid out.”
“Yes… I understand, Old Master.”
The Old Servant left unsteadily. Forget about being loud; he would have to live frugally for a long time.
Once the troublesome person had left, Luo Tianyu looked at Jiang Sui. His heavy and oppressive gaze made her heart race, but she still crossed her hands in front of her and bowed:
“Greetings, Old Master.”
“I haven’t seen you before. Did Luo Heng bring you here?”
“I followed Young Master Lu Yunze back.”
“I see. A Maid from Lan City should be able to handle the working atmosphere in The Clan.”
“Thank you for your concern, Old Master. I can do it well.”
When he moved his gaze away, Jiang Sui breathed a sigh of relief, glad that Luo Tianyu hadn’t developed an interest in her.
To avoid causing suspicion, Jiang Sui took the initiative to say goodbye, leaving the space to the two of them.
But as soon as she stepped out of the room, she flashed behind a nearby wall.
Only two people were left. Lu Yunze scratched his head:
“I’m sorry, Uncle Luo. I think I messed up your piano.”
“It’s fine. It’s been used for many years. Now that it’s been unsealed and accepted by someone again, it’s a good thing.”
Luo Tianyu nodded with a smile.
“But you, brat, I haven’t seen you in half a year, and your skills have improved quite a bit.”
“It’s nothing.”
Lu Yunze laughed sheepishly.
“Uncle Luo, I have a question. I’ve never seen you play the piano since I was a child. Why is there one here?”
Not surprised by the question, Luo Tianyu walked to the side of the piano and pulled back a red curtain covering the wall, revealing a hidden portrait.
It was a painting.
There was a young couple in the portrait, looking very much in love.
Lu Yunze’s eyes widened as he realized something.
Though many years had passed and time had left many marks on the man’s face, he could still tell that Luo Tianyu was one of the people in the painting.
Then the other person must be the Madam of the Luo Family whom he had never met?
“Let’s talk while we walk.”
“Okay.”
The two of them left the piano room and strolled down the Corridor. Luo Tianyu took the initiative to start the conversation.
“The one in the painting is my second wife, the mother who gave birth to Luo Heng and Luo Li. She was my true love.”
“Did she pass away because of an illness?”
“No.” Luo Tianyu’s gaze became sharp as he looked ahead. “It was because of The Disaster back then.”
So that was it.
Speaking of The Disaster, both of them thought of the same thing.
A disaster that swept through Lu Yunze’s Ancestral Home. It not only destroyed his family but also took away Luo Tianyu’s wife.
Lu Yunze was only nine years old at that time, and nearly ten years had passed in the blink of an eye.
Due to the passage of time, Lu Yunze could no longer remember the full details of The Disaster, only a few blurred images.
People seemed to go mad; their bodies began to convulse, and they became violent and bloodthirsty, attacking one another until the entire city turned into a sea of fire.
Subsequent reports on The Disaster claimed that the Henghuai Organization had released Nerve Gas in the city, causing those who inhaled it to lose their sanity.
This was surely a sanitized explanation. As for the Truth, Luo Tianyu had never told Lu Yunze, but it certainly had something to do with a Secret Arts Practitioner.
“Ten years ago, because your father and I were close friends, I adopted you.” Luo Tianyu continued, “In these ten years, because of the nature of my work, I’ve paid less and less attention to you, causing you to suffer a lot of grievances.”
“Not at all. I am already very grateful that Uncle Luo was willing to take me in and give me a place to stay.”
“You didn’t disappoint me. I have been observing you, and your performance in Lan City was very satisfying to me.”
“Huh?” Lu Yunze was stunned. “How did you know about the events in Lan City?”
“I have acquaintances in the Execution Division. Knowing your situation is quite easy.”
“That’s true.”
As the leader of a Great Family, his connections were bound to be vast.
Luo Tianyu went silent for a moment before speaking again:
“Lu Yunze, you are an adult now. There are some things I can tell you directly.”
“Please speak, Uncle Luo.”
“Your father was once a great comrade of mine; he was an excellent Secret Arts Practitioner. I believe you inherited his superior genes. Although you were unwilling to use your Secret Art for a long time, after the case in Lan City, I am certain of my judgment.”
“Stop suppressing yourself. Your father wouldn’t want his son to be content with being an ordinary person and let the Lu Family’s Secret Art inheritance disappear.”
“Uncle Luo, I…”
“I have high expectations for your performance, and I look forward to the surprises you will give me in the future.”
Luo Tianyu patted his shoulder with a smile.
“As long as you are willing to stay here, you will always be a part of the Luo Family.”
Looking into his eyes, a flame ignited within Lu Yunze’s heart, and he nodded vigorously:
“Since it is Uncle Luo’s expectation, I will not let you down.”
“Haha, you truly are a member of my Luo Family. Lu Yucheng’s son has the same spirit as he did.”
Though he was a foster son, the way the two interacted was more like father and son, filled with laughter along the way.
Jiang Sui, who had been eavesdropping from behind the entire time, reached several conclusions.
Lu Yunze trusted Luo Tianyu deeply; it was almost impossible to make him turn against the Luo Family now.
Luo Tianyu was a cunning old fox; he hadn’t shown his tail at all.
“Obviously, the reason Lu Yunze became an orphan was because of you, yet you still put on such an act.”
The Little Maid crossed her arms and sneered, a flash of murderous intent crossing her light purple eyes.
“What do you mean ‘your’ Lu Yunze? He should belong to me.”
With that, she walked in the opposite direction, moving further away from the two of them.