Chapter 40 Why Worry About It

Today, Li Jiayan had no classes, so she indulged in a long, lazy sleep before heading back to her parents’ house. In truth, it was her parents who had asked her to come by; they simply wanted to hear about her progress on the dating show she’d joined.

“Remember to set your sights high. Don’t go back to your ex. Didn’t you say there’s a very wealthy male contestant in the show? Make a good impression, get to know him seriously. Who knows? You might actually be a good match. Do you understand?” Her mother’s words of earnest advice trailed behind her as she left, full of care and worry.

Li Jiayan’s ears were callused from hearing the same advice and she nodded perfunctorily, impatient to escape. What she disliked most about her parents was their obsession with marrying her into wealth, constantly arranging blind dates with heirs of rich families.

To be fair, though, the rich young men her parents introduced were either too unattractive for her aesthetic taste—she was, after all, partial to good looks—or they simply had nothing in common with her, making conversation impossible. Others were too much of a playboy, always surrounded by beautiful women. None suited her, which was why she remained single.

It seemed impossible to have it all in this world.

However, Zhang Chen, the wealthy heir she met on the dating show, was actually quite decent. So far, she hadn’t noticed any major flaws. Overall, he was vastly superior to the other rich heirs she’d encountered, and her intuition told her that his family’s status was much higher, too.

When Li Jiayan returned to the Pink Cottage, it was already past four in the afternoon, yet the villa remained empty. Alone with over two hundred cameras covering every angle, she felt it was a rare opportunity to showcase herself.

She walked slowly to the piano.

The last time she played, she had chosen a simple piece in front of everyone, careful not to come across as showing off or seeking attention so early in their acquaintance. But now, she was alone in the house.

She could show off her skills without restraint, right in front of all those cameras.

Sitting at the piano, she let her fingertips glide over the keys and closed her eyes, considering what to play.

It had to be pleasant, not too difficult, and impressive enough to highlight her talent. Yes, “Croatian Rhapsody” would do perfectly.

She opened her eyes, and her fingers began to dance across the black and white keys. Beautiful music filled the villa.

Behind the scenes, bored staff members began comparing footage: Lu Zhou had played this same piece before. They replayed his performance side by side with Li Jiayan’s.

“Who do you think played it better?”

“We’re just laymen, here for the fun. Who’s more technically skilled, I couldn’t say, but to my ear, Lu Zhou’s version sounded better.”

“I can’t tell the difference, but visually, Lu Zhou’s performance looked flashier.”

“Honestly, seeing them both at the piano, there’s quite a spark between them. Why aren’t they getting back together?”

“Romance isn’t about surface appearances. If we go by that, Lu Zhou and Ye Fangfei would make a great pair too—makes me laugh. It’s just not the same thing.”

“You’re right.”

“Hey? Someone’s back.”

…

As Li Jiayan lost herself in the music, Zhang Chen walked in.

He had been drawn in by the sound of the piano from afar and, upon entering, silently stood behind her, listening for a while.

To Zhang Chen, Li Jiayan shone when she played the piano. Both times he’d seen her perform, he’d felt a flutter in his heart. He didn’t understand much about art, but women with artistic talent had an indescribable allure for him.

Of the four women on the show, besides his current fascination Ye Fangfei, Li Jiayan was the only other one who made his heart beat faster. She was attractive, her figure full yet graceful.

If he weren’t so focused on winning over Ye Fangfei, he wouldn’t mind pursuing Li Jiayan. Unfortunately, until he succeeded with Ye Fangfei, he would have to bide his time.

But then, recalling last night’s conversation with a friend, he suddenly thought perhaps he could make use of Li Jiayan.

After two pieces, Li Jiayan finally rose from the piano. Rubbing her wrist, she turned and was startled to see Zhang Chen standing not far behind, quietly watching her.

“You scared me!” She patted her chest, then laughed and asked, “When did you get back?”

“Just now,” Zhang Chen replied with a smile, gesturing at the piano. “That was beautiful. You actually inspired me to want to learn the piano myself.”

“Really?” Li Jiayan smiled with reserved delight. “Would you like to try?”

“How does it work?” Zhang Chen walked over, genuinely eager. “I’ve never learned before. If I start now, how long would it take to pick it up?”

“Um…” Li Jiayan hadn’t expected him to be serious—was he trying to create common ground with her? The thought made her feel a little warm inside. She smiled and said, “It depends on the course and how much you practice.”

“It’s not hard to learn. If you just want to play simple tunes and practice diligently every day, three months would suffice. If you want to reach a higher level, then you’re looking at years. Of course, unless you’re especially gifted.”

So there was hope! Zhang Chen didn’t aim to be a virtuoso, just to acquire some artistic foundation—enough to have something in common with the enchanting Ye Fangfei.

“Want to give it a try? It’s actually not hard.” Li Jiayan smiled, seamlessly slipping into the role of teacher.

Here they were—a complete beginner and a piano instructor, the instrument at hand, no one else around, and multiple cameras recording everything. What a perfect opportunity for a private lesson and some screen time! She must make the most of it, she told herself.

She sat at the piano and slid over to make room for him, tilting her head up with a bright smile. “Don’t be shy, come and give it a try.”

Zhang Chen, almost against his will, sat down, suddenly a student.

“Your hands—place them like this, use your fingertips, not the pads,” Li Jiayan instructed, reaching out to correct his hand position.

Her closeness and the physical contact made Zhang Chen’s body hum with a sudden rush of hormones.

“Don’t let your knuckles collapse—yes, just like that. Try playing a few notes.”

…

When Chu Yao returned, the first thing she saw was Li Jiayan and Zhang Chen at the piano, sitting close together. Her brows furrowed.

Last night, her roommate had encouraged her to bravely seek new love, and now here she was, flirting with the very ‘new love’ Chu Yao had set her sights on? Well, this show certainly had its twists.

“Wow! Is Teacher Li giving a lesson?” Chu Yao announced her presence, interrupting them with a smile.

“Yao Yao, you’re back?” Li Jiayan turned, greeting her with a smile. “Zhang Chen’s interested in the piano, so I’m giving him a little lesson.”

“I’d like to learn, too. May I sit in?” Chu Yao’s eyes twinkled as she shifted her gaze to Zhang Chen. “How’s your lesson going?”

“I’ve only been at it for a few minutes. Isn’t it a bit much to ask how I’m doing already?” Zhang Chen laughed, rubbing his stiff wrist.

“My mistake,” Chu Yao chuckled.

“Why don’t you both learn together?” Li Jiayan offered, getting up to make room for Chu Yao.

“Great!” Chu Yao agreed readily, happily taking her place.

Li Jiayan taught them both for about half an hour, generously sharing her knowledge. Once she felt she’d achieved enough screen time and self-promotion, she excused herself, citing a parched throat, and left to get some water, pausing the lesson.

When Xu Junze returned to the villa, he saw Chu Yao and Zhang Chen at the piano, playing a jumbled tune together, and his face darkened.

“How very romantic,” he quipped.

Chu Yao, seeing it was Xu Junze, showed a flicker of embarrassment before regaining her composure.

Zhang Chen had long suspected they were once a couple, and Xu Junze was not good at hiding his emotions; his displeasure was written all over his face.

Zhang Chen didn’t bother to make things awkward for himself. He left the piano and headed upstairs.

“You’re not playing anymore?” Chu Yao called after him.

“I’m tired. Maybe another time,” Zhang Chen said, waving as he departed.

Chu Yao kept playing, ignoring Xu Junze.

He took a deep breath, gathered himself, and finally approached her. “Shall we go for a walk?”

They’d agreed that morning to talk privately later, so Chu Yao didn’t refuse and followed him outside.

They walked along the road, the cameraman trailing at a discreet distance.

“I’ve been wanting to talk to you,” Xu Junze began, after a long silence.

“I thought everything was said the day we broke up. What more is there to discuss?” Chu Yao didn’t look at him, her gaze fixed on a distant point.

Her indifference made Xu Junze’s chest tighten. He stopped and reached for her hand.

She stopped too, finally meeting his gaze, but instinctively shook off his hand.

“Yao Yao, you know how I feel. From the moment I joined this show, I’ve had only one aim—to get back together with you,” Xu Junze confessed earnestly. “I invited you onto this show and you agreed—I thought you were giving me another chance. But since we arrived, your attitude… I can’t accept it.”

Chu Yao listened silently, her eyes reddening, but her expression remained cold.

“Agreeing to come doesn’t mean I want to reconcile. Those are two different things. I do know how you feel—after all, you’ve been reaching out ever since we broke up. But, Junze…”

She had to pause, tears welling in her eyes. She turned her head away.

“We can’t go back. I joined this show because I hope you can finally let go.”

Xu Junze’s eyes reddened, too. He gently took her wrist, frowning. “I was wrong, but I’ve changed. My decisions back then were for our future. I promise, from now on, I’ll consult you about everything, especially work. Can’t we give it another try?”

Tears slid down Chu Yao’s cheeks. She wiped them away and shook her head firmly, meeting his eyes. “Xu Junze, we’ve been apart for a year. Why can’t you understand? The reason we came to this point is that we’re not right for each other. We’re too alike—neither of us is willing to compromise. That’s an unchangeable problem. Even if we got back together, it would only lead to bigger conflicts.”

“Let me go, please?”

Xu Junze released her hand, a mocking smile on his lips. “You only say that because you’re interested in someone else, isn’t that right?”

Chu Yao frowned, shaking her head at the absurd accusation. “If that’s what you believe, there’s nothing more to say. We’ve broken up. I don’t want to argue anymore, and I don’t want to have my mood ruined by seeing your face every day. We did love each other once, so I truly hope you’ll be happy. The other women here are all wonderful. Maybe you should shift your attention elsewhere—for both our sakes.”

With that, Chu Yao turned and walked away without hesitation.

“There’s really no chance for us, is there?” Xu Junze clenched and unclenched his fists, calling after her.

“There isn’t,” she replied.

Xu Junze stood there, a bitter smile twisting his lips, wandering the road alone for a while before angrily kicking a stone by the roadside.

The stone skittered along and rolled to a stop at the feet of Lu Zhou, who was walking back to the villa with his guitar.

The two men looked at each other; Xu Junze’s face betrayed his emotion for all to see.

Lu Zhou could guess what had just happened. He walked closer; Xu Junze gave him a wan smile and sighed.

Lu Zhou clapped him on the shoulder—no words were needed.

“Got a song for the occasion? Sing me something,” Xu Junze said, throwing his arm around Lu Zhou’s shoulder as they walked back.

Lu Zhou cleared his throat and sang out—

“If I could see you again, would I still feel the same…”

Though the melody sounded light, Xu Junze felt his nose sting. He wiped the dampness from his eyes and joined in with a smile.

“…I miss you, but let’s not dwell on it; longing won’t bring back the past…”