They are still close to me today despite their negative feelings

[Next chapter preview: "Well, I'll take Qiu Luxi back first."]

"...Actually, I'd like to talk to you about a few things."

A deathly silence hung between the two of them.

"...At least, this is the easiest route."

Interlude: Loneliness at 52Hz (4k)

(This happened after Qiu Luxi and Ning Ruoyu reached an agreement that day.)

"Hmm? Xiao Ning, you haven't left yet?"

At Qingyin Cat House, the proprietress, Chu Qingya, tidied up the shop as usual. Just as she stepped out of the shop to pick up the signboard outside, she saw the boy standing at the door.

To be honest, Chu Qingya was a little startled late at night.

"Okay, I'll take Qiu Luxi back first."

This boy named Ning Ruoyu was recommended by Lao Jin, and it seems that, like Guyin, he also attends Linwai School.

Although Chu Qingya didn't particularly like Lao Jin, despite being a former college classmate, his sudden appearance at the coffee shop and his claim of running an underground idol management agency struck her as odd, perhaps due to a latent intuition stemming from her past in the music industry.

However, this did not prevent Chu Qingya from taking care of Ning Ruoyu, who was perhaps her daughter's junior at school, in her work.

"You must be tired. Did you come all this way because you forgot something?"

Chu Qingya asked with a smile.

"...Actually, I'd like to talk to you about a few things."

"Oh? Could it be a salary issue?"

Chu Qingya looked at the young man in front of her. For some reason, he dressed very simply in private, even though he was a handsome young man who attracted the attention of many customers when he was working.

"If it's an advance on salary, I'll agree depending on the urgency of the situation."

"No, although there are some issues in that area as well. But what I'd like to talk to you about is your daughter."

Chu Qingya was taken aback.

After observing Ning Ruoyu for a while and confirming that the young man in front of her was not joking, the quiet and elegant young woman nodded.

"This seems to be a complicated topic. Why don't we come in and chat for a while?"

……

Tea or coffee?

"You are welcome."

"After all, he's the owner of a coffee shop, so he should let me show off my skills once in a while."

Chu Qingya said with a smile and walked towards the bar.

Although she appeared calm and collected, Chu Qingya was actually deep in thought.

What exactly is he doing here?

Chu Qingya felt she hadn't revealed much about her daughter. Although she had mentioned it before, she hadn't actually told Ning Ruoyu any information about her daughter.

Now that Ning Ruoyu had made a special trip back late at night to bring this up, Chu Qingya felt somewhat uneasy.

As Chu Qingya frothed the milk with the steam wand, she fell into deep thought.

Gu Yin has always been a special child.

From a young age...

--"careful."

Ning Ruoyu's calm words brought Chu Qingya back to reality. She looked in surprise at the boy who had somehow appeared beside her.

"Commercial coffee machines produce more steam, so just place it in the middle position."

The young man naturally took Chu Qingya's hand that was holding the cup and moved it up slightly.

"The steam is too strong. When refining the filling, the cylinder will move upwards quite a bit."

"However, it would be a bit presumptuous of me to tell the landlady this."

Ning Ruoyu smiled as she released her grip.

For some reason, seeing the boy's casual yet sincere demeanor, Chu Qingya felt her cheeks flush slightly.

"Sorry, I subconsciously thought I was making coffee at home."

Chu Qingya, oh Chu Qingya, the person opposite you is a high school student! How could you be so embarrassing!

After giving herself a good scolding in her heart, Chu Qingya quickly regained her composure.

"Since you're already here, why not lend a hand? Consider it a job entrance test too!"

"The boss lady is personally providing onboarding training? I feel a lot of pressure." Faced with Chu Qingya's teasing, Ning Ruoyu remained unmoved and smiled slightly, "Then I would be grateful if the beautiful boss lady would be so kind as to enlighten me."

"Even if you're sweet-talking, an old auntie like me won't give you any extra points."

Chu Qingya said with a smile.

"When I first met you, I was wondering why I had never heard your daughter talk about her sister."

"Wow, Xiao Ning is such an amazing guy!"

The somewhat tense atmosphere inside the store was easily swept away as soon as I entered.

Seeing the boy's orderly movements, Chu Qingya's wariness and hostility diminished considerably.

In an instant, the aroma of milk and coffee filled the shop again.

"So, what do you want to say to me about my daughter?"

After putting down her coffee, Chu Qingya gracefully sat down opposite Ning Ruoyu with her legs crossed, and carefully wiped her hands with a tissue.

"Oh, by the way, first of all, to avoid you getting confused—you know who my daughter is, right?"

"Yes, Senior Chu Guyin. Champion of the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, a piano prodigy."

"It seems you really do know. But to say that silly girl is a genius, are you perhaps one of my daughter's admirers as well?"

Chu Qingya said with a smile, but her gentle eyes held a hint of scrutiny and probing.

"Although it's a sensitive topic for a mother, that girl has encountered many enthusiastic fans since she was little. You know, she received her first love letter when she was only in second grade. It was written by a third-grade student using pinyin and words..."

"Haha, if it's about music, then I am definitely her fan."

"So, you're saying that because you're not interested in my silly girl when it comes to relationships?"

Chu Qingya frowned slightly, puffing out her cheeks in displeasure. Her subconscious actions made her look like a child, showing no signs of the passage of time.

"My daughter may be a bit slow-witted, but she's still very pretty, you know? You really weren't attracted at all?"

"...How should I answer you to your satisfaction?"

A bitter smile appeared on Ning Ruoyu's face.

"...Haha, maybe this is the dilemma of being a mother. You worry about your daughter getting too much attention, but you're also unhappy that she's not getting enough attention."

"I think I can understand. It's like a father with a daughter would probably be wary of a boy with dyed blond hair."

“That’s right, especially for Guyin, who has only had me as family since she was a child.” Chu Qingya said softly, “Although I am all alone, I don’t want her to receive less love than anyone else.”

"……Feel sorry."

Ning Ruoyu apologized immediately.

Chu Qingya smiled slightly; he was a very sensitive and intelligent young man.

"No, it's not about any grudges or shameful things—Gu Yin is a child I gave birth to alone. In a sense, she really doesn't have a father."

"……I see."

The boy quickly understood what Chu Qingya meant.

"Don't let her current appearance fool you, she comes from a family with a long history in music," Chu Qingya said in a very calm tone.

“At the time, I was working overseas and was constantly being pressured to find a man to settle down and start a family. In a moment of youthful impulsiveness, I skipped the step of finding a man and had a child through medical technology.”

"...That must have been very hard."

"Yes, it's so hard. I never imagined that being a mother would be such a difficult thing. It makes me reflect on how amazing my mother really is."

"........."

Chu Qingya glanced at Ning Ruoyu, who had just taken a sip of her coffee.

"Why don't you ask me if I regret it? Every man who hears me tell this story asks that question with a look of pity."

"Wasn't the answer already written on your expression just now?"

The boy smiled gently, his eyes showing none of the naivety one would expect at his age. He gave off a sense of reassurance, yet also a touch of sadness.

This boy always seemed like a beautiful bubble, fleeting in this world, representing a beautiful illusion.

"I'm not so tactless as to ask such a rude question to a happy person. Presumptuously offering my sympathy would make you uncomfortable, wouldn't it, boss lady?"

"...Ning Ruoyu, you really are a strange guy. It's a pity I didn't meet you when I was being pressured to get married. I feel like if I were ten years younger, I would definitely be deeply attracted to you~"

Chu Qingya shrugged in a somewhat girlish manner.

"Haha, although she's friendly and gentle, the proprietress is actually a queen. In a queen's eyes, there's only the crown, not diamond rings."

"Hmm, you really are completely unmoved. Well, my plan to pressure you with a tragic story has failed. At least you don't seem like someone who harbors ill will towards that child. So, what do you want to talk to me about Guyin?"

"So that's what the landlady was planning."

"People dislike children who pretend to be stupid too much, you know?"

Perhaps because she had opened up a little, Chu Qingya's demeanor became slightly more relaxed, and her tone was no longer like that of a mature and composed boss lady, but more like that of a lively and naive young mother.

"Then I'll be blunt—is Chu Guyin incapable of understanding other people's feelings?"

"Like that special whale that can only emit 52Hz. For you, the whole world is an empty, deserted island, right?"

"........."

A deathly silence hung between the two of them.

a long time.

"After saying such things, are you prepared for me to deal with you, or for you to marry Chu Guyin?"

Chu Qingya said calmly, and judging from her tone alone, it was hard to tell whether she was serious or joking.

"Aren't these two endings a bit too extreme?"

“If it’s just a baseless rumor, as a mother I can’t pretend I didn’t hear it; if it’s based on facts, then you dare to come to me to talk about this, are you prepared to bear the burden of that child’s life?”

"I'm sorry, I can't accept either of these options."

Ning Ruoyu shook her head calmly and looked at Chu Qingya.

"I've come to you to discuss something, but I just want to propose a bet."

"Bet?"

Chu Qingya frowned.

"Yes."

“I know that everything you’ve done is for Chu Guyin’s sake. Although it may not be the most correct way, Chu Guyin’s special circumstances make the path you’ve provided the simplest and easiest.”

“I think you must be in pain too. Especially what just happened made me realize even more that even if you have to make the same demands that your parents used to make, you still hope that your senior can live peacefully.”

"But is that really a good thing for the senior student?"

"Stop. If this is going to be just more of this kind of pointless persuasion, I think we should stop talking."

Chu Qingya shook her head.

“I’m not prepared to talk about this with a child. Even if you seem mature, if you’re not a parent, there are some things I don’t feel it’s necessary to explain to you—our perspectives are different. Just like I used to not understand my parents.”

"Boasting is a bad thing."

"If that's the case, then that would be perfect."

Despite the atmosphere clearly indicating that they didn't want to continue the conversation, Ning Ruoyu still managed to laugh.