MTMIO Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Isn’t There Still You?

Play the piano again?

Lu You’s long eyelashes trembled as if they couldn’t bear the weight, and she twirled the pinky ring on her left little finger.

The scar hidden underneath intruded into her vision in a hideous posture. As if burned, she immediately looked away.

Before separating to get their cars, Lu You confirmed the rehearsal time with Yue Yunxi for tomorrow, planning to come early to listen to the piano’s sound.

ˉ

The next day, it started to rain when she went out.

The world was enveloped in a damp, transparent veil.

Yue Yunxi drove the car out of the garage. She should have turned right, which was closer to the entrance of the residential area. But she turned the steering wheel and turned left.

From a distance, Yue Yunxi saw Lu You holding a transparent umbrella, standing in front of the garage.

She was wearing a gray-green ramie blouse with a draped collar and matching pleated wide-leg pants, with a small beige woven bag slung across her shoulder and a toolbox in her left hand.

This outfit was light and elegant. In the misty rain, she looked like a forest fairy who had strayed into the human world.

Yue Yunxi took a deep breath, calmed her racing heart, stopped the car in front of her, lowered the car window, and called out, “Youyou.”

Lu You looked up, a little surprised, and came closer to say hello.

Yue Yunxi asked, “Why are you standing here?”

“The car hasn’t been driven for too long, and the battery is dead.” Lu You canceled the ride-hailing service, which still hadn’t found a driver, and asked, “Are you going to the Grand Theater, Yunxi-jie?”

Before she could ask if it was convenient to give her a ride, Yue Yunxi opened the car door lock and said, “Get in. You can put the tools and umbrella in the back.”

Lu You opened the car door, and her ear, hidden under her long hair, twitched slightly.

Huang Zhixu’s clear and melodious singing voice flowed gently in the car.

It was her favorite song.

After putting her things away, Lu You sat in the passenger seat, pulled the seat belt and fastened it. When she looked up, she saw Yue Yunxi handing her a box of tissues.

“Wipe off the rain on your body, so you don’t catch a cold.”

“Okay.” Lu You took the tissues and lowered her head to wipe the rain from her arms.

She glanced at Yue Yunxi and saw her turn up the air conditioner two degrees. Then she heard Yue Yunxi ask in a gentle voice, “Would you like to continue listening to the music or let your ears rest?”

Lu You couldn’t help but sigh in her heart, Yue Yunxi was so considerate.

“If we rest, won’t you find it boring to drive?”

“No.” Yue Yunxi turned off the radio directly, put her hand on the steering wheel, and slowly gripped it. “Isn’t there still you?”

Perhaps the voice was too soft, like rain hitting banana leaves outside the window, Lu You’s heart trembled suddenly.

“Don’t want to chat either?” Yue Yunxi pondered softly, “Then it might be a little boring.”

The tremor was fleeting, so fast that it felt like an illusion. Lu You smiled and said, “I do want to chat.”

The two started chatting idly.

The car drove out of the residential area and merged into the traffic on the main road. Outside the car window, the tall buildings and roadside trees were receding at a constant speed.

When they arrived at the parking lot of the Grand Theater, the rain was heavier, rubbing against the humid air and steaming up a hazy mist.

After getting out of the car, the two of them held umbrellas and walked towards the Grand Theater.

Millions of raindrops fell from the gap between the two umbrellas, like a curtain of crystal beads.

So close, yet so far.

Yue Yunxi tightened her grip on the umbrella, looked at the dark sky, and blinked lightly.

She wondered if the rain would stop by the end of the concert.

The tiles on the steps were wet. Before Lu You stepped on them, she heard Yue Yunxi remind her in a casual tone, “Be careful, it’s slippery.”

Walking on the corridor leading to the concert hall, Lu You saw that the members of the orchestra had all changed into black formal attire. Lu You asked with interest, “Yunxi-jie, what does your dress look like?”

“I’ll change into it after the rehearsal and show you.”

“Okay.”

After entering the concert hall, Yue Yunxi went on stage for rehearsal. Lu You turned her phone to silent and sat down in the audience.

After the rehearsal, the orchestra members went backstage to change into their dresses. Lu You checked the piano again.

Zhong Shuyun didn’t go backstage, but stood aside and watched her with a kind smile, “I didn’t expect such good after-sales service.”

Lu You smiled and said, “It’s a must, to ensure everything is correct.”

“If next time I need tuning in other cities or other countries, can I take you with me?” Zhong Shuyun asked.

Lu You replied readily, “If you need me, I can accompany you.”

After chatting casually for a few sentences, Zhong Shuyun was called to change clothes. Lu You put away the toolbox, took out her mobile phone from her small bag, and saw a WeChat message prompt on the screen.

Clicking in, she saw an address sent by Lu Huai’an.

It was a very popular online celebrity restaurant. Lu You had recently seen photos of scantily clad internet celebrities checking in on short videos.

Holding the phone with one hand, Lu You sent a voice message, “I’m not going, I have things to do.”

Switching to the food delivery app, she bought two bouquets of flowers. Less than two seconds after placing the order, Lu Huai’an called her.

Lu You went out of the concert hall and answered the phone at the window at the end of the corridor.

As soon as she answered, she heard Lu Huai’an’s annoyed voice, “I’ve already booked a private room, and you’re telling me you’re not coming? Do you know how hard it is to book a table at that restaurant?”

Putting the toolbox on the windowsill, Lu You wearily brushed her hair and said, “I didn’t ask you to book it, and I didn’t promise you that I would go. Whoever asked you to book it, go yell at them.”

Lu Huai’an choked, cleared his throat, and asked, “What things do you have to do?”

Lu You said indifferently, “Something more important than eating with you.”

Lu Huai’an fell silent again, and after a moment, he opened his mouth and said, “I say one sentence, and you choke me with one sentence, right?”

Lu You laughed, “Isn’t that just right? If I’m choked full, I don’t need to go to dinner.”

“The older you get, the more disobedient you become. Talking to your dad like this, let me tell you, don’t think that just because you’re grown up now and your wings are strong, I can’t control you anymore!”

Lu Huai’an’s tone became serious, bringing out a bit of a frightening aura.

Perhaps because she had been beaten and scolded so much when she was a child, even though she was an adult now, she still felt a moment of shrinking back.

But it was only for a moment.

Lu You calmed down and said, “Shouldn’t you be happy that my wings are strong?”

Lu Huai’an sneered, “What do I have to be happy about?”

“Now that you’re getting older and older, with a lot of problems, when you’re old and paralyzed, you’ll have strong wings to rely on. I’m also not that child who would let you beat and scold me for living expenses and a place to live. Even if the woman you bring home wants to do something to me, I have the ability to protect myself, and there won’t be any tragedies beyond your expectations and control. Isn’t that something to be happy about?”

Lu You looked at the scratches and dents on the toolbox, “You can marry whoever you want, you don’t need to let me see, and you don’t need to ask for my opinion.”

The time when I needed you to respect my opinion has long passed.

After this silence, Lu Huai’an didn’t speak again. He hung up the phone directly.

Lu You puffed out her cheeks and slowly sighed.

Her heart was pounding like a drum, unable to calm down.

She couldn’t smoke here. She lowered her eyes and put her phone back into her woven bag, then took out a piece of chocolate and put it in her mouth.

The fast-melting chocolate had the texture of fatty meat.

Her mood was even worse.

Catching the sound of high heels hitting the ground, getting closer and closer, as if walking towards her, Lu You turned her eyes and looked over.

J brand crystal chain high heels, the delicate, shimmering chains lightly circled her slender ankles.

The black dress had a high-slit design, and the outer layer of mesh was layered, with porcelain white vaguely visible between the ink-colored tulle.

Lu You raised her eyelids and saw that Yue Yunxi was wearing a halter dress, with delicate diamonds inlaid on the neck and waist. Her long hair was pinned up, with a strand of hair tucked behind her ear and another strand curled beside her cheek, setting off her grand face with a bit of clear and charming tenderness.

Yue Yunxi observed her expression and asked with concern, “Did something happen?”

“No, I just received an unpleasant phone call.” Lu You didn’t want to say more, and changed the subject, “Yunxi-jie looks very beautiful in this.”

The compliment with the added honorific had a hint of avoiding suspicion, making it hard not to guess that the unpleasant phone call was from that person.

Yue Yunxi’s eyes darkened, and she unconsciously clenched the object in her hand behind her back.

“Lao Yue! Time to enter!”

Not far away, Yun Zhu held Yue Yunxi’s cello in one hand and pointed to the concert hall with the other.

Yue Yunxi turned her face and reached out from behind, saying, “I have to go prepare for the performance. I can only let it accompany you first, be happy.”

The giraffe pendant on the piano case sat in her soft palm.

The furry little giraffe looked very simple and cute, making it irresistible. Lu You took it in her hand.

Not long after Yue Yunxi left, Lu You received a call from the delivery man asking her to pick up the flowers at the entrance of the Grand Theater.

She had a toolbox in her hand and had to hold two bouquets of flowers, so Lu You hooked the pendant onto her woven bag.

When she came back with the flowers, the performance was about to begin. Lu You sat down in the seat according to the location on the ticket.

The performance was more skillful than the public rehearsal, with the complete Rach 3 in the second half.

The piano inherited the loneliness and sorrow of the strings, like the mournful wind on a snowy night. The cluster of fire that was about to go out struggled alone in the bleakness. The orchestra handled this part very specially, more decisive and more resolute, so the transition to the major key was not abrupt and even more touching – the wind stopped and the snow ceased, and it ushered in its own light.

The people on the stage were dancing even with their hair, able to spare no effort to express passion, and also able to express delicate emotions in a tactful and melodious way.

Lu You’s nose couldn’t help but feel sour.

If she could, she would also like to.

Unfortunately, there was no if…

After the concert ended, Lu You packed up her emotions and went backstage to give Zhong Shuyun and Yue Yunxi the bouquets of flowers.

Zhong Shuyun asked her, “How did you feel listening to it?”

Lu You couldn’t describe her feelings at this moment in straightforward language. She pondered, “Music is really the life-saving pill for the heart.”

Zhong Shuyun raised her eyebrows and was delighted with her answer, and a smile bloomed on her lips, “That’s right, it’s very healing and can bring people infinite power.”

After that, because it was still raining outside, the members of the orchestra discussed celebrating another day and said goodbye to each other and left.

Before leaving, Yue Yunxi handed the umbrella to Yun Zhu.

Yun Zhu was confused, “What do you mean?”

Yue Yunxi said in a flat voice, “Didn’t you bring an umbrella?”

“It’s okay, I can share Caroline teacher’s umbrella.” Yun Zhu asked, “And if you give it to me, what will you use?”

Yue Yunxi looked at Lu You.

“Oh~” Yun Zhu suddenly understood and immediately took the umbrella, “Then I won’t be polite!”

Yue Yunxi picked up the piano case, put it on her back, and walked towards Lu You, who was waiting at the door, saying, “Let’s go.”

The little giraffe on the side handle swayed into Lu You’s sight.

She lowered her head and looked at the one hooked on her woven bag: “This…”

Yue Yunxi explained, “That was an extra one, I gave it to you.”

When she was listening to the performance, she was touching this little giraffe. She really liked it, so she accepted it generously, “Thank you.”

Then she saw the one on Yue Yunxi’s piano case again.

It seemed like a couple’s pendant.

Lu You’s hand touched the pendant, wanting to take it off, but suddenly stopped.

Taking it down seemed even more subtle, giving the feeling of protesting too much.

So her hand just held the little giraffe for a moment, quickly let go, slightly hooked the strap of the woven bag upwards, and made no more movements.

Yue Yunxi quietly withdrew her eyes, falling into the rich and colorful flowers in her arms, as if she could feel the fragrance and color flowing into her chest.

The clenched fingers slowly relaxed, and the fingertips gently twisted.

It was actually a layer of delicate thin sweat, soaking her carefully restrained joy.