Chapter 41: Liu the Celestial

Xu Ze wrinkled his nose slightly, then closed his eyes again, resting his slender fingers on the piano keys and beginning to play. His masterful piano skills reproduced the classic piece flawlessly once more. The melodious sound of the piano lingered in the small practice room.

The girl gazed at Xu Ze, her eyes somewhat dazed. If there was such a thing as a genius in this world, the handsome young man before her was surely one. She simply couldn’t imagine how someone so young could compose such a piano piece. She could distinctly feel the indescribable sorrow hidden within the happiness of the melody—a sense of loving without hope of return, and ultimately offering a sincere blessing. What kind of unforgettable love must he have experienced to create such music?

After a while, the piece ended. The girl found herself unconsciously applauding for Xu Ze.

At that moment, Xu Ze felt very content. Ever since he arrived in this world, there had always been a sense of unfamiliarity. Although he’d never married in his past life and had few attachments, he would sometimes wake abruptly in the middle of the night, overwhelmed by a deep loneliness that lingered in his heart. Only when he sang or played these familiar songs from his previous life did he feel truly real and fulfilled.

“Thank you,” Xu Ze said, rising and offering his seat. “You were here first, weren’t you? Sorry for taking your spot. It’s yours again now.”

Ever since the girl appeared, Xu Ze realized that he’d probably occupied her practice room. Having played twice already, he was satisfied and could always return another day.

“Oh, no, today you were here first,” the girl said quickly and politely. “You can continue playing, I won’t disturb you. I’ll just stand in the back.”

Xu Ze shook his head gently. “I’ve played enough for now. The room is yours. I have something else to take care of.”

He still hadn’t finished updating his online novel recommendation for the day, and planned to write a few more chapters of “The Immortal Executioner” when he got back. Today, the number of people adding the book to their collections was sure to skyrocket.

“I see.” The girl suddenly reached out and stopped him, her cheeks tinged with pink. “Um... could you tell me your name?”

Xu Ze was taken aback. She didn’t know his name? On second thought, it made sense. He wasn’t famous enough for everyone to recognize him yet. In a place like Tsinghua-Beijing University, everyone was busy with their studies.

“My name is Xu Ze,” he replied.

“I’m Liu Yifei!” the girl answered softly, almost shyly. “It’s nice to meet you!”

Xu Ze almost lost his balance. So her name really was Liu Yifei? Perhaps in parallel worlds, some things remain the same.

Noticing Xu Ze’s pensive look, Liu Yifei asked curiously, “What is it? Have you heard my name before?”

“Huh? Oh, no,” Xu Ze snapped back to reality. “I was just thinking about something else.” With that, he turned to leave.

“Xu Ze, wait!” the girl called out again, her voice as gentle and pleasant as before. “Actually, this room is for my private use only!”

“Hmm?” Xu Ze turned around, scratching his head in confusion. “The school allows individual ownership of piano rooms?”

Liu Yifei pressed her lips together and nodded. “Yes. I applied to use this room exclusively, and the piano is one I brought from home. That’s why there’s a lock on the door. I practice here every day, but I think I forgot to lock it when I left yesterday.”

“I see,” Xu Ze said apologetically. “Sorry for using your room. I only came in because all the other practice rooms were full, and this door opened when I tried it.”

“It’s fine. You can use this room whenever you want,” Liu Yifei whispered. She could feel her heart racing. What she didn’t tell Xu Ze was that she’d never let anyone else touch this piano—not even her own parents.

Taking a deep breath, Liu Yifei pulled a small key from her pocket and handed it to Xu Ze. “Here, this is the key to the room.”

As she spoke, a faint blush crept across her fair cheeks.

Xu Ze accepted the key instinctively, feeling a sense of déjà vu at her words. The owner of the recording studio, Xu Yan, had said the same thing to him—he was welcome to use her studio anytime. It seemed all the girls he met were quite generous.

But he intended to return the key. He only played piano here occasionally, and didn’t need exclusive access to someone else’s room. With Xu Yan, he’d only accepted her offer because he truly needed it at the time. Once he received his payment for singing next month, he planned to pay her back for use of the studio. After all, the hardest thing to repay in this world is a favor—especially a favor from a woman.

Just as Xu Ze was about to return the key, Liu Yifei piped up sweetly, “I’m not giving you the room for nothing. You have to agree to one condition.”

“Oh?” Xu Ze paused, curiosity piqued. “What condition?”

With wide, hopeful eyes, Liu Yifei said, “Could you give me the sheet music for that piece? I have an event coming up, and I’ll be performing as a guest at the Golden Hall. I want to play your ‘Wedding in the Dream.’ May I?”

“I’ll credit you as the composer. I just want to perform it.”

“I see.” Xu Ze considered for a moment, then nodded. “Alright.”

If anyone else had made such a request, he might not have agreed. He’d seen too many cases in his previous life where people’s work was stolen. But when it came to “Fairy Liu,” Xu Ze trusted her character. Although they’d never met before, he knew enough from the industry to believe in her integrity.

In fact, he knew plenty of inside stories. For example, there was a certain woman whose feet were rumored to smell. He wanted to defend her a little—after all, any girl’s feet would smell after a day cooped up in leather shoes. Only naive boys imagined women’s feet were always fragrant.

“Yay!” Upon hearing Xu Ze’s agreement, Liu Yifei waved her tiny fist in excitement, then quickly composed herself, realizing she’d lost her poise.

“Let me add you on WeChat,” she said, quickly taking out her phone, as if afraid Xu Ze might change his mind.

“Alright.”

As Xu Ze was about to leave, curiosity got the better of him. “By the way, have you ever thought of becoming an actress?”

“An actress?” Liu Yifei shook her head. “A company did approach me once, but I turned them down. My family wouldn’t approve anyway. My mother says the entertainment industry is too chaotic.”

Xu Ze nodded in agreement, then grinned playfully. “Well, if I become a director someday and invite you to play the leading lady, would you accept?”

“You want to be a director?” Liu Yifei was surprised, then smiled. “Well, you’ll need a good script. And you’ll have to get my parents’ approval. If you can do that, I’ll star in your drama!”

“Don’t worry, I have plenty of scripts. I’ve even got the name of the show I want you to star in.”

“Really? What’s it called?”

“It’s called…” Xu Ze paused.

“The Legend of Sword and Fairy!”