Deadly Trap.

Chapter 36. Thas
The melody is plaintive and sorrowful.

"Silly boy, Afei, why can't you learn it? This is how you do a glissando. Come on."

She gently stroked the tip of his nose with her tender fingertips, and chuckled softly.

He was somewhat dazed, momentarily unsure whether he was an adult or a child. But cool fingers had already grasped his hand. A ruby ​​ring sparkled on his mother's hand. She led him, the bow drawing out almost endless glissando.

Incredibly, he looked up from the piano.

But when I focused intently on him, his warm face became a blur.

As if time had deliberately concealed her true face, only the playful curve of her lips remained exceptionally clear, etched into his heart with a piercing pain.

A gentle sea breeze swept in from the balcony, ruffling his and his mother's hair, as well as the white gauze curtains. Sunlight streamed across the walls and floor, its warmth seeping into his heart.

Not far away, a chubby little face giggled. Plump hands grabbed the sheet music and crumpled it haphazardly, causing two little tufts of hair to tremble.

"Oh my! Fanfan! Mom's sheet music!"

Hurriedly, her long skirt brushed against the violin bow as the mother rushed toward Xiaofan.

"...Mu Fei?"

In the distance, his mother's voice softly called, "One more time, Afei. You can do it!"

"...Mu Fei!"

"Didn't we do it? Ah Fei..."

Su Li's voice was almost right next to her ear: "Mu Fei!"

"...like a good older brother."

Suddenly, Gu Mufeng woke up with a start.

Like the last memory, the ruby ​​ring fell into his palm; the memory shattered reality, plummeting from a great height, and he crashed to the ground.

Suddenly sitting up, Gu Mufeng gasped for breath, the icy chill of losing everything gripping his heart. The summer sea breeze and the blurred smile had both vanished years ago.

Gu Mufeng was stunned. The illusion vanished in an instant, leaving him feeling dizzy.

The music flowed quietly. In the darkness, only Su Li knelt beside him. Her cool hands, silk, and familiar scent enveloped him, like the only reality in his world.

Unable to resist, he greedily grabbed her wrist as she leaned closer and buried his nose deep into Su Li's neck.

"Mu Fei?" Su Li frowned, her expression worried. "What's wrong? You look terrible. Ouch!"

A rustling sound. Su Li winced in pain and couldn't help but cry out, "Mu Fei, you're hurting me!"

Her voice was very low. Even though it was just the two of them in the dimly lit private room.

Originally, Su Li was engrossed in the violin solo of "Meditation on Thaïs." The andante was long and melodious, like a soul that could live and die without end. Whether she liked it or not, Su Li had been strictly trained by her mother since childhood, and she was naturally sensitive to music.

But when she turned her head, she saw that Gu Mufeng had his eyes closed.

His skin was already fair, but now it appeared almost translucent. His golden hair was disheveled around his eyebrows, which were furrowed; his beautiful hand pressed against his brow. Beads of sweat glistened on his handsome face.

"...Am I the only one who feels particularly stuffy here?" Releasing Su Li, Gu Mufeng forcefully wiped his forehead with his fingers, as if trying to peel his consciousness away from his mind.

"I'm going to get some fresh air."

Without saying a word, he turned and left.

"Eh?"

Turning her head, Su Li saw that the violin solo was still going on, but her heart was beating strangely fast: she had never seen Gu Mufeng so eager to get away.

Almost without hesitation, Su Li bit her lip, hurriedly got up, and simply chased after him.

>>>>>
Following closely behind Gu Mufeng's already somewhat distant figure, Su Li arrived at the VIP lounge of the concert hall.

This time, as if determined to shake off everything, Gu Mufeng strode away quickly. Su Li, wearing ten-centimeter stilettos, practically ran the whole way and almost couldn't keep up.

Following closely behind, Su Li pushed open the door to the lounge. Gu Mufeng remained silent. He took two steps back, but still managed to steady himself, and sat heavily on the sofa. Covering his tightly closed eyes with one hand, he seemed to be trying his best to resist the surging dark tide in his heart.

He carelessly discarded his midnight blue tuxedo; his bow tie and shirt were also haphazardly ripped open. The snow-white collar was wide open, revealing his chest, which was heaving with fine sweat beneath his collarbone. Without any attempt at concealment, the long scar on the left side of his neck was fully exposed.

At this moment, Gu Mufeng felt more than just a headache.

He felt a dull pain in his chest, as if an old yet fresh wound had been brutally torn open, and everything that had been suppressed was breaking free uncontrollably.

...Perhaps, those memories are distant, yet like a deep, still pool; a gentle touch is enough to saturate them with heartache, stirring up an overwhelming bitterness.

Before attending the banquet, he carefully checked the concert program. The piece "Thaïs" was definitely not on the program.

His heart suddenly ached as if it were being ripped apart.

Pressing a hand to his chest to calm his racing heart, Gu Mufeng forced himself to concentrate. "Thaïs" was too small a piece; it wasn't up to the standard for the Minzhou All-Business New Year's Eve Concert. It could only be that this was a last-minute change of program.

Gritting his teeth, Gu Mufei was drenched in sweat.

This piece, which someone once taught him personally as a beginner, was once a household name in Minzhou. Unique and unparalleled, she is the best violinist; she is the "contemporary Ysaÿe." No one can compare to her. Gu Fangran.

Rather, it's more accurate to say that someone else knew about this past and deliberately arranged for him to hear it tonight.

In that case, there is only one option:

Gu Mufeng clenched his fist, veins bulging:

A person.

A slight noise came from the doorway. Su Li cautiously pressed herself against the door, touching the teeth marks Gu Mufei had just left on her neck. She looked awkwardly at him, who sat silently on the sofa, not daring to approach him.

She didn't know what to do.

Gu Mufeng has always been in control, aloof and domineering. Faced with his sudden struggle, Su Li was at a loss.

After hesitating for a while, she finally spoke softly: "...Mu Fei?"

“Su Li,” he said in a hoarse voice, keeping her at arm’s length, “leave me alone.”

Gu Mufeng gritted his teeth and forced out the words, but his heart was in unbearable pain: if he allowed her to get close at this moment, he might really lose control and vent his anger on her.

Su Li hesitated. Almost instinctively, she wanted to move closer to him, as he had just vulnerablely needed her. But then, she humiliated herself, being harshly pushed away by him.

Just as his attitude towards her had remained consistent since they met, she should know that Gu Mufeng didn't need her comfort. He didn't need anyone to get close to his heart.

Ultimately, she shouldn't have naively assumed she was special just because of his impulsive confession tonight.

Su Li lowered her eyes, her fingertips gripping the hem of her skirt. She simply opened the door and went out.

The concert was just past the halfway point, and the dressing room was deserted—a perfect place for solitary reflection. However, Su Li felt a profound emptiness within her.

She had jogged to catch up with him, and her feet in her high heels were aching slightly. Su Li lingered, confused as to why Gu Mufeng's reaction was so complicated. Didn't he occasionally play the violin, as his only hobby?

However, Gu Mufeng had indeed never played "Thaïs." In Su Li's memory—

Standing before the floor-to-ceiling windows, he effortlessly embodies Vivaldi or Paganini, his white shirt loosely draped over his broad shoulders, his long scars framing his figure bathed in the soft light of the winter rain.

On the bow, the glissando lingered.

She lay in bed, lost in thought.

Suddenly, she felt that he and she were both strangers and familiar, like a family.

Startled, Su Li withdrew her thought; yet she was both afraid and craving it.

……

Unbeknownst to her, Su Li realized she had wandered quite a distance. Standing at the bathroom door, her cheeks felt burning hot.

Maybe. Gently touching her burning face, she thought she should wash her hands, put on makeup, and try to stop overthinking.

In the pool, she absentmindedly alternated the water in her palms, letting it slip through her fingers. The mirror reflected only her hesitant face: the expensive sapphire swayed gently at the tips of her ears. Su Li bit her lip, her gaze fixed on the pigeon-blood red ring on her right hand.

Su Li, the more you expect, the more Gu Mufeng will be able to take from your heart.

Gritting her teeth coldly, she regained her composure. Almost as if fleeing, Su Li hastily slipped off Gu Mufeng's ring.

Staring at the ring, she was lost in thought. It didn't look like a men's ring at all; plus, there was Gu Mufeng's inexplicable reaction just now.

White Moonlight?
Su Li felt a sharp pain in her heart: Who does she resemble?
Her fingertips trembled uncontrollably. With a "clink," the wet ring slipped off. It clattered and scraped on the floor tiles, and in the blink of an eye, it had rolled to the deepest part of the sink. Su Li's heart suddenly raced: no matter what, this was Gu Mufeng's ring.

After a moment's hesitation, she gritted her teeth, knelt on the cold floor tiles, and reached for the shimmering ruby ​​with trembling hands.

Suddenly, a strange feeling gripped her: her heart was pounding. It was as if someone was watching her closely from behind.

Instinctively, she turned her head.

"what!!!"

She scrambled to her feet after falling to the ground, her mind blank. She frantically tried to escape, a scream escaping her throat.

She stumbled out the door. Instinctively, she grabbed the familiar warmth that rushed in: "Mu Fei!"

Distraught, Su Li clutched the man's clothes tightly: "Please! In the restroom—"

>>>>>
Next chapter: His jealousy
[Author's Note | Chapter 36]

For Gu Mufei, his memories seem to consist only of the summer sea breeze, the harp bow, his mother, and Xiao Fan.

The mother rushed towards Xiao Fan, who was left behind.

That's exactly the kind of person Su Li has caught up with.

And the ring he gave Su Li—

Have the readers noticed?
In this moment of crisis, how will Gu Mufei protect his wife?
Leave a comment and tell me your guesses and expectations!
Collect, follow, and vote – let the young authors write even more wonderful New Year's Eve stories!
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(End of this chapter)