Chapter 45: Cool Refreshment

A piece of music ended, and Jiang Sui took a deep breath—her playing just now had been truly exhilarating.

“Young Master, how was my performance?”

Hearing Jiang Sui’s voice, Lu Yunze finally snapped out of his daze.

“Ah…”

“So, how was it? Did I improve?”

“Yes, you improved.”

To make her happy, and also so she’d let him off sooner, Lu Yunze had no choice but to say something against his own conscience.

“How much of an improvement is it?” Jiang Sui pressed on, relentless. “Is it just a little bit, or a huge leap? I think it’s a big improvement, right? Although there are still mistakes, there are way fewer than before, aren’t there?”

“Ahaha, whether the improvement is big or small, you shouldn’t get cocky. Who knows, maybe you’ll regress next time.”

“Really?”

Jiang Sui pondered for a moment and decided he had a point.

Lately, whenever Lu Yunze came to the Music Club, Jiang Sui would seize the chance to ask him for piano tips. Of course, she didn’t cling to Lu Yunze the whole time—she knew when to stop.

But here, she wouldn’t be disturbed by Luo Yao, and she could use the opportunity to get closer to Lu Yunze, gradually taking over the territory that once belonged to Luo Yao.

Occasionally, something like what happened that morning would occur, sparking Luo Yao’s suspicion, but overall, things were moving in the direction Jiang Sui had hoped for.

Without Luo Yao even realizing it, Jiang Sui was slowly replacing her as Lu Yunze’s piano audience, nibbling away at his heart step by step, aiming to become the most important woman in his life!

Just imagining Lu Yunze coming only to her to play the piano, while Luo Yao could only eavesdrop at the door, made Jiang Sui almost want to slap her thigh in delight.

As for Luo Yao’s comment about Lu Yunze looking haggard, Jiang Sui observed him for a while and found it was indeed the case.

“Young Master, are you tired? Should we take a break?”

“Ah, I’m not tired.” Lu Yunze shook his head at once. “You go rest first. I still need to practice—there’s not much time left.”

“All right, but Young Master, you have to do your best.”

Lu Yunze was definitely preoccupied—he looked so pale, even Luo Yao had noticed, so there was no way Jiang Sui could ignore it.

Could something bad have happened recently?

No, that couldn’t be.

Jiang Sui kept a close eye on Lu Yunze’s whereabouts at all times. Even if she couldn’t be there herself, the Black Cat was there in her stead. If anything had happened, the Black Cat would have reported to her right away.

That made it even stranger—what could be the reason for his current state?

As Lu Yunze practiced, Jiang Sui crossed her legs, propped up her chin, and kept her eyes fixed on him.

His expression was serious, but not the same as when he fought. His gaze was locked on the keys, and his fingers danced across the Piano like a graceful performer.

Whenever a discordant note popped up, Lu Yunze’s brows would knit together, but in the next second, he’d relax, never letting a momentary mistake throw off the overall rhythm.

Sunlight streamed in through the window, spilling over Lu Yunze and the Piano, creating a rather picturesque scene.

Just watching his focused profile, Jiang Sui couldn’t help but lick her lips.

He was probably like this because the Celebration at Lancheng Academy was approaching, and the pressure from practice was building up. Even so, he could still calm his mind and work hard.

How she wanted to shatter that composed look, to make him so lovesick for her that he’d lose his appetite, and then savor his delicious tears.

Even if he was exhausted, Lu Yunze could only be exhausted because of her—he mustn’t think of any other woman.

Now that she understood the reason for Lu Yunze’s state, Jiang Sui began thinking about how to lift his spirits.

Noticing the fine beads of sweat on his forehead, Jiang Sui couldn’t help but complain inwardly about the increasingly hot weather, tugging at her shirt.

But that very gesture sparked a sudden inspiration in her mind.

She had just thought of a plan that was bound to work.

“What, Miss wants some dessert soup?” The Head Chef was stunned when he heard Jiang Sui’s request.

“That’s right. Otherwise, why would Miss have me prepare all the ingredients?” Jiang Sui lifted the bag in her hand. “Chef Uncle, please reimburse me!”

Faced with her ingratiating smile, the Head Chef didn’t respond right away and instead pondered for a moment.

“That’s odd. I remember Miss doesn’t like sweet soups.”

Jiang Sui’s heart skipped a beat.

“Miss said not to prepare high-sugar, high-calorie foods for her if possible. Girls want to keep their figures and look pretty. Why would she suddenly want dessert soup today?”

Jiang Sui’s expression didn’t change. Even when the Head Chef’s gaze landed on her, she showed no sign of fear or panic.

“Well, the real reason is…”

She glanced around, then leaned forward and lowered her voice.

“Miss only said she wanted some as an excuse.”

“Huh?”

“Miss noticed that Young Master has been worn out from piano practice lately, so she’s preparing some dessert soup for him.”

“Oh, so that’s it.”

The Head Chef’s face lit up.

“That makes sense. That makes perfect sense.”

Everyone in the manor knew about Luo Yao and Lu Yunze’s close relationship, and how the former especially liked to look out for the latter.

That also explained why Jiang Sui couldn’t just state the real reason. Girls, especially young ladies from wealthy families, cared about their image—it was normal.

“I knew there had to be a reason for Miss’s sudden change of heart.”

The Head Chef enthusiastically helped Jiang Sui carry the bag of ingredients.

“Come to think of it, Young Master is lucky indeed, to have such a good girl who cares about him.”

“Thank you for the compliment. I mean, thank you on Miss’s behalf for your praise, Uncle.”

Jiang Sui had never made dessert soup before, but that was fine—she had an experienced chef by her side. He’d worked in all sorts of restaurants before, never quite finding his place, until he came to this manor.

Elsewhere, he was just one cook among many, but here, he could serve as Head Chef, and he didn’t feel his talent and hard work were being wasted.

With Chef Uncle’s help, Jiang Sui soon made a pot of fragrant, sweet dessert soup. Before sending it out, she put it in the Refrigerator to chill overnight, then packed it in a thermal container to take to school the next day.

There were quite a few people in the club room today. Some were fiddling with their beloved instruments, others chatting with friends—the atmosphere was lively and warm.

Jiang Sui visited often, so no one was surprised to see her anymore. Some even greeted her proactively.

Among them was the club president, Wu Xuan. When he saw Jiang Sui carrying something, he paused for a moment, then realized what was going on.

“Lu Yunze went to see our advisor. You can sit here and wait for him.”

“All right.”

The wait wasn’t long, but to Jiang Sui it felt especially drawn out. Luckily, Lu Yunze didn’t keep her waiting too long.

“What brings you here?” Lu Yunze saw her stand up and walk toward him as soon as he entered. “I thought you weren’t coming today.”

“Young Master, you’re so mean. I’m just a little late, and you’re already forgetting about me?”

“No, not at all.”

Another day to endure in the club room? She seemed completely absorbed in her art. Maybe it was better to just tell her directly.

Lu Yunze scratched his head and looked down.

“What’s that?”

“A special gift just for you, Young Master.”

The thermal container felt cool to the touch—he wondered what was inside.

Could it be a prank?

Until he opened it, Lu Yunze couldn’t help but suspect.

The moment the lid came off, a sweet, fragrant aroma wafted out, instantly clearing Lu Yunze’s sweat-soaked mind.

“This is… dessert soup?”

“Tapioca and Taro Ball Dessert. I just learned how to make it—try it, Young Master.”

Jiang Sui handed him a spoon, still smiling.

Lu Yunze didn’t dig in right away. Instead, he found a nice spot to sit down.

Floating in the fragrant Coconut Milk were translucent Sago pearls and colorful Taro Balls.

In this sweltering weather, just holding such a big, icy bowl of sweet soup in his hands brought a wave of cool relief.

Feeling the envious stares around him, Lu Yunze scooped up a spoonful and put it in his mouth.

“Mm!”

That first bite made his eyes light up.

As expected of Jiang Sui’s handiwork—even dessert soup was this delicious.

As the Coconut Milk slid down his throat, the coolness spread through his whole body. The soft-cooked Sago and Taro Balls had a great texture and didn’t stick to his teeth at all.

In no time, all the dessert soup was gone. When he finished the last mouthful, Lu Yunze even felt a bit reluctant to be done.

“Here, Young Master, let me wipe your mouth.”

“Ah, I can do it myself…”

Before Lu Yunze could refuse, Jiang Sui leaned in and wiped his mouth with a tissue.

Her pale violet eyes were less than ten centimeters away, her lashes trembling softly as she blinked.

The girl’s fresh scent completely overpowered the lingering sweetness at the rim of the cup, wrapping around his nose.

Watching her purse her lips and focus so intently, Lu Yunze couldn’t help but feel guilty for even thinking of driving her away.

At the very least, she knew how to take care of people, and she wasn’t deliberately trying to make trouble.

After she finished wiping his mouth, Jiang Sui straightened up again. “All done. Young Master, are you satisfied with my service?”

“Satisfied, of course I’m satisfied.”

“Since Young Master is satisfied, don’t let me down next.” Jiang Sui’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“What now?”

“What do you think? Teach me more piano, of course.” With that, Jiang Sui turned and walked toward the Grand Piano.

Watching her long hair sway as she walked away, Lu Yunze let out a wry smile. He thought, I really can’t win against her.

Oh well, indulging his little maid’s whims a bit wasn’t so bad.

At least, now when he had to endure Jiang Sui’s violent piano playing, Lu Yunze wouldn’t lose sleep over it anymore.