MTMIO Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Even If I Lose, It’s All on Me

A feeling flashed through her intuition, like a fleeting glimpse, gone in an instant. Lu You didn’t delve into it.

Because Yue Yunxi’s tone was very calm.

As if it were just a casual mention.

Lu You smiled and followed up, “No partner, but someone you like. Are you pursuing them?”

Yue Yunxi said softly, “Not yet.”

She lowered her head, bit the straw, and took a sip. The iced sparkling water had a chilling coolness.

In the past and present, she was insignificant to her. Some words, even if spoken, wouldn’t have their deeper meaning explored.

That’s why she had the courage to say it.

Lu You kept a sense of propriety and didn’t dig deeper into the topic. Seeing Yun Zhu get up from the high stool on stage, she said, “Yun Zhu seems to be finished singing, shall we go back too?”

Yue Yunxi nodded, almost imperceptibly exhaling a breath.

Both relieved and disappointed.

Like that night when she retracted the inappropriate message, afraid she would continue to ask and notice those shameful thoughts.

Yet, for some unknown reason, she wanted her to notice.

The four chatted for a while, and because Yun Zhu was drunk, they called it a night.

Lu You had to discuss the event with Chen Feifei, so she didn’t leave with them, only saw them to the car.

Before parting, she handed the paper bag containing the earring gift box to Yue Yunxi, saying, “Thank you, Sister Yunxi, for recommending me to Teacher Zhong, and for your care last time. I’ll treat you to a meal when I have time. Here’s a little gift, I hope you like it.”

“Okay,” Yue Yunxi said, taking it.

“Be careful on the road,” Lu You waved and turned back to Lost Deer.

Only when she could no longer see her slender figure did Yue Yunxi turn on the car’s dome light and take the velvet gift box out of the paper bag.

Opening the box, the earrings were gradually revealed.

“What’s this?” Yun Zhu, who had been lying down in the back seat, sat up, leaning forward over the seat to look. “Moonlight comes from the sun. It looks pure on the surface, but it’s actually very cunning, just like you.”

“So awake, want to take a taxi back yourself?”

Yun Zhu immediately sat back down and closed her eyes, pretending to be asleep.

Yue Yunxi closed the gift box lid, her fingertip slowly stroking the edge, using the slight prickling sensation to suppress her racing heartbeat.

She inexplicably recalled their conversation while playing billiards, and her hand pressed down harder, causing another slight ache.

She turned her head to look out the car window.

The moon hanging on the branch looked as if she could reach out and scoop it into her arms.

But it was a distant object in the sky.

–

The next afternoon, Lu You traveled to Shen City in Yue Yunxi’s car.

They arrived at the dock just after five o’clock.

The clouds overhead had cleared, and the sun was shining down, leaving a mottled pattern of the recent rain.

At the end of the mottled area, many yachts were docked. Yue Yunxi carried her cello and led her to Yun Zhu’s boat.

Yun Zhu was waiting by the boarding ladder. Seeing Lu You carrying a large bag of snacks, she smiled and said, “Miss Lu is a timely rain. The little brat was just complaining that I didn’t prepare any snacks for her!”

Lu You smiled and asked, “Are there children too?”

Yun Zhu led them into the cabin, replying, “Teacher Zhong’s daughter. Oh, right, you’ve met her, that little mixed-race girl who was always clinging to you at the last public rehearsal.”

Lu You raised her eyebrows, a little surprised, but not much.

Entering the lounge, she saw Chen Feifei hugging a pillow, lounging on the left side of the U-shaped sofa, playing Switch with the mixed-race girl Lu You had met last time.

Two people were standing by the mahjong table on the right, studying the mahjong tiles.

One had a ponytail and wore black-rimmed glasses, looking a bit like a student. The other had a middle-parted, permed bob, looking capable and sophisticated.

Seeing them come in, the short-haired woman took the initiative to speak, “Teacher Yue, you were the first to arrive last time, but this time you’re the last. Was the scenery along the way too beautiful?”

As she said “scenery,” the short-haired woman noticed Yue Yunxi letting Lu You put down her backpack and snacks, and her gaze naturally fell on Lu You.

There was no scenery on the highway. That teasing remark, combined with that glance, became meaningful.

Yue Yunxi explained with an unchanged expression, “I just don’t like waiting for people.”

Yun Zhu clicked her tongue. “Are you implying that I was late last time?”

Yue Yunxi gave a faint smile and introduced Lu You. “Li Can, a flute player. Jian Yanzhi, a viola player.”

Jian Yanzhi pushed up her glasses and nodded reservedly.

“Just call me Lizi, and call her Zhizhi,” Li Can was clearly more skilled at socializing. She looked at Lu You and asked with a smile, “What’s your name?”

“My name is Lu You, you can call me Xiao Lu.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Lu You felt someone tug at the mesh cardigan she was wearing. She turned her head and saw the mixed-race girl twisting around and leaning on the sofa back, introducing herself with a beaming smile, “My name is Zhong Mi, call me Mimi. It’s the ‘Mi’ in ‘Fangfei Fiqi Mi Zhang.’ I study violin.”

Zhang…

Lu You was momentarily dazed.

The girl smiled and said, “We meet again, Big Sister~”

Lu You came back to her senses and smiled lightly. “We do.”

After that, Yun Zhu took them to tour the yacht.

The yacht had three levels. The bottom level had three bedrooms, the middle level had a dining room, entertainment area, lounge, and observation deck, and the top level had a rooftop salon.

On the observation deck was a Steinway piano. As dusk approached, a few rays of sunset fell on the piano. Lu You couldn’t help but reach out and touch it.

The piano lid was suddenly opened. Lu You followed that slender hand and lifted her eyelids, meeting Yue Yunxi’s gaze.

Filled with warm light, like amber wine rippling in a glass.

Drenching the person being looked at.

So when Yue Yunxi said, “Want to try it out?”

Lu You, as if slightly tipsy from drinking, pressed a key, listened intently, and said with certainty, “It’s been finely tuned. The sound is very accurate.”

“Hmph~” Chen Feifei said proudly, “Looks like my skills haven’t gotten rusty.”

“Such a beautiful view, such a great piano, shouldn’t we play a song?” Li Can suggested. “How about we play ‘Kiss the Rain’ together?”

It sounded like a casual suggestion, but it was such a coincidence that everyone knew it, including Lu You.

“Kiss the Rain” was one of her favorite songs, especially on rainy days. Nowadays, when tuning pianos, she would occasionally play a section.

But every time, she would have to give up miserably because she couldn’t control her little finger.

“Then Mimi, Zhizhi, and I will go get the instruments.” Yun Zhu glanced at Lu You. “You guys decide who’s going to play the piano.”

Yue Yunxi looked over, her eyelashes lowered, noticing Lu You hiding her left hand behind her.

Her heart clenched, a throbbing pain.

She raised her eyes, meeting Chen Feifei’s equally sympathetic gaze.

Chen Feifei nodded slightly. Then, Yue Yunxi spoke the words she had typed when she contacted her a few days ago, saying softly, “Feifei, can you play with Yoyo?”

“No problem!” Chen Feifei nudged Lu You with her shoulder, urging, “Want to try it?”

Lu You’s heart stirred. After hesitating for a moment, she said, “Then let’s try.”

Hearing this, Yue Yunxi’s shoulder and neck muscles slowly relaxed.

After the instruments were brought up, the group practiced for a while, and then rehearsed many times.

Stars dotted the night sky, and the bright neon lights of the steel forest on the riverbank burned through the mist and onto the fingertips and piano keys, falling with the notes like burning foil on the river’s surface.

The cello’s soft humming, like a gentle caress.

Then came the violin and viola, the string trio playing a lingering, tender melody. The flute’s ethereal sound weaved in a graceful poetry.

Lu You couldn’t decipher her feelings at this moment. Although Chen Feifei was helping, it was the first time she had played a song completely after her finger injury.

Her left hand, hanging by her side, clenched tightly, her slightly upturned little finger caressed repeatedly by the soft melody.

Like experiencing a romantic slow torture, all the blood in her body was boiling.

She remembered the heart-wrenching pain when her little finger was crushed by the piano.

She also remembered the first time she played the piano, the thrill of feeling the notes jump from under her fingertips.

She remembered the original intention of enduring the dryness and boredom of practicing the piano diligently, regardless of summer or winter.

It was the stage dream she had given up on…

When the music ended, applause was carried by the wind to her ears, from tourists on a sightseeing ferry next to them. Some were clapping, some were recording, and some were using their hands as trumpets, shouting at them, “So beautiful—!”

Lu You’s fingertips trembled slightly, gently stroking the keys.

She could still faintly feel her heart, washed by the music, throbbing wildly in her chest.

“Ugh, Yoyo.” Chen Feifei sniffed and hugged Lu You tightly, indignantly, “If I could time travel, I would chop that woman up for you!”

Lu You’s nose tingled. She patted her shoulder and said, “It’s okay, it’s all in the past.”

A soft, comforting tone.

Chen Feifei immediately started sobbing.

“Really crying?” Yun Zhu craned her neck to take a look. Chen Feifei lowered her head, unable to see her face at all. So she glanced at the side.

Yue Yunxi was staring at the two people hugging, her expression like ink bleeding on rice paper, faint and translucent.

Flickering light in her eyes, impossible to make out the emotion.

“Jealous?” Yun Zhu asked in a whisper.

Yue Yunxi didn’t speak.

She was jealous, even though she knew that Lu You treated her friends equally well.

Like a bright moon, gentle and soft, illuminating the darkness of many people.

But she still had a desire, with desires growing wildly inside.

She wanted to be the favored one.

Yun Zhu poked Chen Feifei. “Hey, get up and see if Miss Lu has a big painted face on her body.”

Chen Feifei released Lu You, looked at her, and realized Yun Zhu was teasing her. She said angrily, “I use waterproof cosmetics!”

“Really? You’re already crying black tears. Anyone who didn’t know would think you were poisoned.”

“Get out of here!”

Lu You smiled lightly, watching them bicker. Suddenly, she heard Yue Yunxi call her.

“Yoyo.”

She turned her face in the direction of the voice.

Through the moisture-filled orange-yellow light, she saw the river wind gently lifting Yue Yunxi’s curly hair, revealing her amber eyes.

Their eyes met. The light in Yue Yunxi’s eyes rippled, and her red lips parted slightly, overflowing with an even softer voice.

“If there was an opportunity for you to play the piano with both hands, would you be willing to seize it?”

Lu You’s long eyelashes trembled slightly, without answering.

Yue Yunxi saw the tears in her eyes, like containing a struggling, shimmering star.

–

In the evening, they ate at an open-air restaurant with a view of the river. Chen Feifei and Jian Yanzhi were pulled by Zhong Mi to play Switch online. Li Can and Yun Zhu’s mahjong addiction came over them, and they asked Lu You and Yue Yunxi to play mahjong together.

Lu You hesitated. “I only know a little bit.”

“It’s okay, it’s just for fun, no money involved.” Yun Zhu brought over the game coins from Monopoly. “Use these to keep track first. The person who loses the most at the end has to drink a shot of concentrated lemon juice, and the one who loses the most has to fulfill one request for each of the other three.”

Lu You thought, it would be better if money was involved.

Just hearing the words “concentrated lemon juice” made her feel like she couldn’t bear the sourness.

In contrast to her, Li Can was immediately excited when she heard there was a punishment. She immediately pulled Yun Zhu to prepare the lemon juice.

Lu You took the opportunity to move closer to Yue Yunxi.

Their shoulders lightly touched. She didn’t notice, only focused on asking for help, “Sister Yunxi, what should I do? I’m terrible at it, please save me.”

The so-called knowing “a little bit” was just that her grandmother had taught her a little to pass the time.

The only time she had actually played was with Tao Xin and her band friends, and she had lost from beginning to end.

As a result, she had no interest in playing mahjong.

Lu You’s voice revealed a bit of helplessness.

A numbness spread from their touching shoulders, causing Yue Yunxi to tense her entire shoulder, but her heart sank into a soft and tender place.

She said softly, “It’s okay, even if you lose, it’s all on me. Just play as you like.”

Such a gentle, reassuring tone.

Lu You’s anxious heart returned to its original place with Yue Yunxi’s clear, cool voice. “Sister Yunxi, aren’t you afraid of sourness?”

Yue Yunxi glanced at her. “Not as afraid as you.”

Lu You was slightly surprised. “How did you figure that out?”

“Because it’s pretty obvious that you’re afraid of sourness.”

Lu You muttered to herself, “Is it?”

She couldn’t help but feel lost. She had been in love for a year, and Tao Xin hadn’t even noticed, she had to say it directly.

Yue Yunxi turned her head, her gaze brushed over her face and then fell into the void, her thoughts a little distracted.

She remembered the first time she noticed, Lu You sitting on the sofa, obediently taking the orange that Yue Shao handed her, peeling it, and carefully removing the white pith.

Taking a small bite, her little face immediately wrinkled into a ball, and she stuffed the whole segment into her mouth, swallowing with difficulty.

Then she handed the rest to Tao Xin.

Tao Xin loved sour things, and smiled, rubbing her face against Lu You, saying, “Yoyo is the best.”

They had always been so close.

And she had unconsciously grown accustomed to the sour taste.

“Why are you still standing? Come sit down,” Yun Zhu said, carrying a pot of lemon juice.

Yue Yunxi came back to her senses. “Let’s go over.”

Lu You sat down at the mahjong table with a steady heart, and Yue Yunxi followed, sitting in the seat to her left.

After playing a round, Lu You felt that her luck was pretty good. She was always able to get the tile she needed to eat, pong, kong, or win, not as miserable as last time.

On the other hand, Yue Yunxi had only one game coin left in front of her.

Amidst the clatter of the tiles, Yun Zhu joked, “Old Yue, are you using all your tile-counting skills on other people, neglecting yourself?”

Lu You was startled.

She belatedly realized that it wasn’t about luck, Yue Yunxi was feeding her tiles.

The feeling of being fed tiles was nice, but she didn’t want Yue Yunxi to become the biggest loser because of her.

Lu You twirled the flower on the tile in her hand, smiled, and said, “Thank you, Sister Yunxi, but, later on, please don’t deliberately feed me tiles, okay? I want to see how my luck really is today.”

On the surface, it was a gentle and soft request, but in reality, it was a polite refusal.

Yue Yunxi lowered her eyes and replied, “Okay.”

In the next round, Lu You won the game, and the most crucial tile came from Yue Yunxi. She leaned over and whispered, “Are you sure it wasn’t deliberately fed to me?”

“No,” Yue Yunxi’s expression remained unchanged. “It’s just your good luck.”

In her mind, Yue Yunxi never lied.

So Lu You deeply believed in those words, and smiled brightly.

Yue Yunxi’s gaze touched that smile, and ripples spread through her eyes.

Two hours later, the mahjong game ended, and Yue Yunxi still lost the most.

The biggest winner, Yun Zhu, revealed a malicious smile and began pouring lemon juice into shot glasses. She first handed a glass to Li Can. “I haven’t thought of what request to make yet, Lizi, you go first.”

“Then, help me drink a glass of lemon juice~” Li Can pushed the lemon juice over to Yue Yunxi.

“Pfft, good one,” Yun Zhu gave Li Can a thumbs up, and then picked up a glass and handed it to Lu You. “What about Xiao Lu?”

Lu You looked at the concentrated lemon juice swaying in the glass, and unconsciously gulped. Then, she saw Yue Yunxi reach out and take the glass.

Yun Zhu “eh?”ed. “No, that’s how we’re playing.”

Yue Yunxi explained, “She can’t handle sour things, I’ll drink it for her. The request still stands.”

“Tsk tsk…” Yun Zhu received a warning look and swallowed the teasing words back in time, changing the subject. “Then what request does Xiao Lu have?”

Lu You thought for a moment, tilted her head, and looked at Yue Yunxi, smiling, “Satisfy my curiosity.”

Yue Yunxi had a premonition and her heart suddenly jumped.

“What did you retract that night?”