MTMIO Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Almost Indulgent

When I got home, the house was dark. Grandma and Auntie Liu were already asleep. Lu You opened the door slowly. The little Bichon Frise had already alertly run from its doghouse and was squatting in the entryway, sniffing around her after she entered.

Lu You changed her shoes, patted the Bichon’s head, and tiptoed back to her bedroom, using the brightness of her phone screen for light.

Closing the bedroom door, Lu You took off her fanny pack and took out her phone. She opened WeChat to report her safe arrival to Yue Yunxi.

Suddenly, a voice call request popped up at the top, startling Lu You.

The contact was listed as “Investor,” which was how she had saved Lu Huai’an’s name.

Ever since she became an adult, Lu Huai’an was like a completed project, and he would never look at the old files again unless he needed them.

Such voice calls used to be common.

When she was younger, it was to tell her that he had to work overtime and that she should go to her childhood friend Bo Mingyan’s house for dinner; later, after moving next door to Tao Xin’s house, it was to say that he was going on a business trip and that she should stay at Tao’s house for a few days; later still, after Grandma came to the city, it became arranging a time to take her to meet the woman who might become her stepmother…

She didn’t want to answer, but she was afraid it was something important.

Lu You took a deep breath, pressed answer, and turned on the speakerphone.

Lu Huai’an spoke first on the other end: “I heard from Grandma that you’re back living in Lanwan?”

His tone was unkind, sounding very much like a question. Lu You retorted, “Do you have a problem with that?”

“I don’t have a problem, oh, what problem could I have? I’m just asking,” Lu Huai’an cleared his old smoker’s throat, then turned the tables on her, “That’s not the right attitude, talking to your dad like that?”

Lu You opened the closet to get a change of clothes, too lazy to argue with him, and said in a flat tone, “Anything else? If not, I’m hanging up.”

“How could there be nothing! Would I call you if there was nothing?” Lu Huai’an was afraid she would really hang up, so he sped up his speech and asked, “Are you free tomorrow?”

Lu You paused: “No.”

Lu Huai’an arranged in no uncertain terms: “Then next week, just in time for Father’s Day. Clear your schedule for your old father.”

“For what?”

Entering the bathroom, Lu You placed the phone on the sink and removed her makeup bit by bit in front of the mirror, hearing Lu Huai’an vaguely reply to her:

“Just you, me, and Wanwan having a meal together.”

The makeup cotton rubbed into the palm of her hand, as if to knead her emotions into it. After a moment, Lu You released her hand and threw the crumpled makeup cotton into the trash can: “Who?”

Probably not knowing how to introduce her, Lu Huai’an was silent for a while, his anxious tone tinged with impatience: “Aiya, you’ll know when you see her. Just next weekend–”

Lu You hung up the phone directly, turned on the faucet, and stretched out the little finger of her left hand, letting the water flow over it and seep into the ring.

It felt as if she could still feel the burning pain when her little finger was severed from her body.

It was preserved so clearly in her memory, and had never been smoothed out by time.

ˉ

After drying her hair, Lu You turned on the air conditioner and sat on the edge of the bed, her legs too long and leaning against the ground.

Unlocking her phone, the screen was still on the WeChat interface.

“Investor” was at the top of the message list. She hadn’t explicitly agreed to the meal, and Lu Huai’an hadn’t sent any more messages to confirm with her.

Obviously, once the order was given, he assumed she had agreed.

Lu You breathed a sigh of relief, her eyes naturally falling on Yue Yunxi’s profile picture below.

It was a very atmospheric picture—

The girl squatted in the green field, kissing a book, the black hair messed up by the wind covering her eyebrows and eyes, the sun shining diagonally between the corner of the book and her lips, casting a piece of piety.

Lu You first noticed this profile picture at a camping trip organized by Tao Xin. It was the first time Yue Yunxi had attended a party event.

The girls around her had no resistance to the experienced, calm, and gentle older sister, and seized the opportunity to strike up a conversation. Chen Feifei, that social butterfly, directly asked for her WeChat.

When adding her as a friend, Chen Feifei said excitedly: “I’ve seen the movie in your profile picture! I really like this actress, but I didn’t expect her to marry such an ugly old man.”

Lu You was setting up a tent behind Chen Feifei, so she turned her head and glanced at the profile picture.

She remembered that the movie title was mentioned at the time, but she was busy and felt that it wasn’t a genre she liked, so she didn’t pay much attention and forgot it.

Since then, when she occasionally scrolled through Yue Yunxi’s Moments, she always saw this profile picture.

It had been at least three or four years without changing.

Clicking on the profile picture to enter the chat window, Lu You typed in the input box.

Before she could finish typing, the phone suddenly vibrated, Yue Yunxi had initiated a voice call.

Lu You was stunned. The finger that was about to press on the QWERTY keyboard landed directly on the answer button.

Sitting up and holding the phone to her ear, Lu You caught the sound of someone calling a waiter in the noisy background on the other end. Then Yue Yunxi asked, “Are you home?”

The low, light, and clear tone, like a wisp of light mist passing over a mountain stream, bypassed the bustling world and gently penetrated the ear.

Her throat itched inexplicably, Lu You cleared her throat: “Yes.”

She glanced at the digital clock on the bedside table, it was 11:32.

“It’s good that you’re home,” Yue Yunxi pondered for a moment, “What time did you get home?”

It was in the tone of a casual question.

“…A little after ten.” Lu You weakly defended herself, “Actually, I remembered when I came back, but I was distracted by my dad’s voice call. But I remembered just now and was typing a message to you.”

Yue Yunxi softly said, “I see, I called too quickly.”

The content was like a joke, but her tone was not joking or teasing at all. It really seemed like self-reflection.

The tone was gentle, almost indulgent.

Lu You was even more embarrassed, listening to the noisy background sounds, she changed the subject and asked, “Is Yunxi-jie still in Shui City?”

Yue Yunxi was silent for a moment: “Yes.”

Her clear voice fell lightly into the noise, seeming a little ethereal.

Lu You pulled over the little deer doll on the bed, shook its limp ears, and asked, “Are you… having supper?”

Deliberately avoiding the topic.

After a slightly longer silence than before, Yue Yunxi replied, “I’ve already finished eating.”

Lu You nodded, remembering that Yue Yunxi couldn’t see her, she “Oh”-ed.

Guessing that Tao Xin had organized a late-night snack after the concert and had brought Yue Yunxi along, her mood unconsciously sank. Lu You wanted to hang up.

Before she could open her mouth, she heard Yue Yunxi ask curiously, “How did you know I was having supper?”

“I could hear it,” Lu You was pulled out of her emotions by the question, propping up her ears and repeating the people’s voices on the other end, “‘Waiter, bring a plate of stir-fried clams, waiter, bring two bottles of beer, right?'”

“Right,” Yue Yunxi asked softly, “Are the ears of all piano tuners so sharp?”

“Probably. After all, we have to make a living with our ears.”

“I see,” Yue Yunxi’s voice paused slightly, “I saw on your Moments before that you’re not taking orders for the time being?”

Keenly aware that Yue Yunxi had something to say, Lu You thought for a moment and said, “I’m not taking orders openly, but I can open the back door secretly.”

Yue Yunxi gave a soft hum, like a slightly heavier breath or a very light sigh.

Very light, so light that it was like the wind wrapped in heat in midsummer, muffled, brushing past her ear like an illusion.

But Lu You still heard it and couldn’t help rubbing her ears.

She thought, it should be a sigh.

Because in her memory, she had never seen Yue Yunxi smile. Many times, Yue Yunxi gave her the feeling of the misty rain of Jiangnan, the thin mist of the early morning, the round moon hanging on the desolate branches…

A faint melancholy permeated the clear coldness.

She couldn’t even imagine what Yue Yunxi looked like when she smiled.

“A very good friend of mine told me a few days ago that the tuner she recently hired is always unable to satisfy her,” Yue Yunxi asked warmly, “Can I recommend you to her?”

“Of course.”

The atmosphere of the conversation was relaxed, Lu You also gradually relaxed. She hugged the doll and leaned lazily on the bed, “But, just in case, if I also can’t satisfy her, will it have an impact on you?”

“No,” Yue Yunxi asked, “With your professional level, is there such a possibility?”

If she were younger, Lu You would confidently say: Of course not! I am the most professional!

But now, her confidence seemed to have been shattered by events, large and small, in the process of growing up.

She didn’t know when it started, but she became cautious when it came to things she considered important.

She replied ambiguously, “I’m just saying, just in case.”

“Don’t anticipate results that haven’t happened yet,” Yue Yunxi’s tone was gentle and firm, “I believe in you, there won’t be any just in case.”

Lu You’s heart was touched, and she was very encouraged, she solemnly said: “Okay! I will definitely not let you down.”

Yue Yunxi paused for a while before responding, “Mm.”

“Then give her my WeChat, and I’ll arrange a time with her to go tune the piano.”

“Okay,” Yue Yunxi said, “I’ll give it to her tomorrow, she should be asleep now.”

Lying down was comfortable, Lu You couldn’t help but yawn.

“Are you sleepy?” Yue Yunxi softened her voice.

These days, she would uncontrollably fall into a difficult and depressed mood every night. Even if she was sleepy, she couldn’t sleep. But Lu You consciously felt that continuing the call would waste Yue Yunxi’s time, so she touched the tip of her nose and hummed vaguely.

Yue Yunxi replied softly, “Then go to sleep, I won’t disturb you… See you tomorrow.”

“Mm, see you tomorrow.”

Ending the call, Lu You immediately searched for Jiangnan Restaurant on the mini program, estimated the time, and booked a private room. Then, she forwarded the link to Yue Yunxi.

YoYo: [We’ll go to this one tomorrow. Take a look at the recommended dishes in the reviews first, write down the ones you’re interested in, and we’ll try them tomorrow]

At this time, Yue Yunxi had already returned to the barbecue restaurant’s private room, where they were discussing the next activity. The atmosphere was noisy, and the notification sound of the phone fell into it, seeming even more subtle.

She almost thought she had misheard.

Seeing the content sent by Lu You, the light in Yue Yunxi’s lowered eyes softened a little.

Tao Xin, sitting next to her, glanced over and only saw a black blur reflected by the anti-spy film. She reluctantly withdrew her gaze and asked with a smile, “Want to go to karaoke together later?”

Yue Yunxi pressed the screen and typed in the input box: [Okay.]

Then, she replied to Tao Xin, “No, I have to go back. Tomorrow there’s still–”

“Rehearsal and dinner party, right?” Tao Xin interrupted her unhappily, pouted and asked, “What dinner party? Can’t you really turn it down?”

The internet wasn’t very good. Yue Yunxi watched the little gray circle spinning in front of the green box disappear before replying to Tao Xin, “No, it’s very important.”