Chapter 3 A Glimpse of a Startling Phoenix

"What's the point of calling her?" Liang Jinlan said with disdain, shaking her head.

"After all, she is my sister..."

"She never treated you as a sister. Remember, from now on, you are the only daughter of the Jiang Family! Don't think too much. You have a piano competition coming up. Focus on that. If you can get Master Yue to accept you as a disciple, your future will be set," Liang Jinlan patted Jiang Fanyue's hand.

Master Yue was a celebrity in the piano world, a resounding presence in the music industry, not only famous in Jincheng but also having extensive connections in Beijing.

The Jiang Family wanted to expand their business and necessarily had to climb the social ladder in Beijing, and Jiang Fanyue was the perfect bridge.

Hearing Master Yue's name, even Han Jiayan and Gu Jiaheng couldn't help but look at Jiang Fanyue with added respect.

Speaking of the piano, Jiang Fanyue seemed to remember something, "My sister forgot to take her piano with her."

Jiang Zhe's personal belongings were few, all packed in her backpack.

But the piano, being such a large item, was indeed not easy to take away.

Liang Jinlan shook her head and said, "How many times have you seen her practice? The embarrassment at the last piano competition...she brought shame to our Jiang Family..."

Thinking there were outsiders present, Liang Jinlan did not continue to reveal the embarrassing details.

Jiang Fanyue covered up the delight in her heart, "Then we'll give it to her when there's a chance."

After all, it was just an ordinary piano, far inferior to her professional grade competition piano; it just took up space at home.

Liang Jinlan hummed noncommittally, only hoping that Jiang Zhe wouldn't regret leaving the Jiang Family.

Jiang Fanyue looked at the empty doorway, then turned to glance at Gu Jiaheng and Han Jiayan.

Han Jiayan comforted her with a smile, "Well, it was Jiang Zhe's own choice, so you two don't need to worry. Jiaheng, let's have dinner together sometime. You should look after Fanyue, keep her company during her piano practice; this competition is very important."

"Aunt, Brother Jiaheng has always taken special care of me," Jiang Fanyue said shyly, looking down. Today, Han Jiayan and Gu Jiaheng came to witness this event, which also implied acknowledgement of her and Gu Jiaheng's future together.

With Jiang Zhe gone, many things were definitively settled.

"A good girl deserves more care," Gu Jiaheng said gently.

Jiang Fanyue moved a step closer to him, seeking to immerse herself in his scent.

Gu Jiaheng unconsciously glanced at the doorway that was already empty, reminiscing about Jiang Zhe's regrettable figure... Such a shame, with her looks but no match for Jiang Fanyue's talents.

If only Jiang Zhe had half the abilities of Jiang Fanyue... Before he could dwell on these thoughts, Jiang Fanyue slipped her fingers into his palm, pulling all of Gu Jiaheng's thoughts back to the present.

...

Jiang Zhe followed the old man out and boarded the bus back to the suburbs.

Just as she got on, the bus braked sharply.

The passengers all fell backward in a noisy commotion.

Only Jiang Zhe stood upright; she caught a glimpse of Jiang Yaowang who was also standing tall, seemingly unaffected by the sharp braking.

It was only after noticing Jiang Zhe's gaze that Jiang Yaowang slightly leaned forward, lamenting his old arms and legs.

Jiang Zhe withdrew her gaze to look out the window, as it was a limited edition Lincoln that had nearly collided with the bus.

The driver of the Lincoln, far from being aggressive, gestured an apology and turned to apologize to the man in the back seat, "I'm sorry, Jingchen."

The man sitting in the back row revealed a stunning profile, as if crafted by an artist with pride, his distinct Adam's apple disappearing into a tightly buttoned white Chinese-style shirt.

His eyes were closed, a conspicuous teardrop beauty mark beneath the corner of his eye, alluring and dazzling. He held a string of Buddha Beads in his hand, and even from such a distance, his long lashes were individually discernible.

He possessed a demeanor as calm as still waters. Jiang Zhe thought, water is calm and gentle, seemingly harmless, but beneath the surface it hides unfathomable turbulence and peril, controls everything within its grasp.

Completely at the mercy of his mood.

Feeling Jiang Zhe's gaze, he suddenly opened his eyes to the sight of a young girl's slender legs.

The bus and the Lincoln passed by, disrupting their line of sight.

Fen Ye, sitting beside him, saw that his esteemed ancestor had finally opened his eyes and immediately started talking, "I'm saying, Jingchen, tangible things are easy to find, but how do you search for an intangible piano sound? Is it even possible to find it?"

"If you can't find it, do you just stop looking?" Qin Jingchen responded, his voice indifferent and nonchalant. As he opened his eyes, the teardrop beauty mark looked even more seductive.

The Buddha Beads in his hand toned down his naturally stunning features, adding a layer of serenity.

"Well, of course not. Grandma Qin has been troubled by insomnia for over twenty years. A few years ago, she visited Jincheng and recorded a piano sound by chance. Surprisingly, she's slept soundly since then. Now that the sound is gone, she's lost so much weight due to poor sleep. We definitely need to find it. It's all because of that damn phone; it had to break without having any backup..."

Fen Ye rambled on, only to realize that Qin Jingchen had closed his eyes again.

He asked, "Jingchen, do you really think piano sounds can relieve insomnia? Isn't it just a placebo effect?"

"It's not," Qin Jingchen said, with conviction.

"How can you be so sure?" Fen Ye wondered.

Qin Jingchen did not speak again.

...

After getting off the bus.

Jiang Yaowang rubbed his hands, worried that Jiang Zhe might not be accustomed to it, and had been introducing the family situation to her all the way.

"Hanwen and Zhi Jing, your parents, died early..." the old man murmured, lowering his head, "I took you and Fanyue to the hospital, but when I turned around, you both were gone. I've been searching for you all these years."

Jiang Zhe listened vaguely, her eyes lowered, concealing the look behind her black-framed glasses.

She fiddled with an ordinary mobile phone in her hand, chatting with someone on the screen.

Yang Feiliu can't fly: Xiaozhe, did you really move out from the Jiang Family? What's the situation with your own family?

J: The situation's pretty good.

Jiang Zhe looked up at the old man with a guilty expression.

Yang Feiliu can't fly: That's also true. It couldn't be worse than these ungrateful dogs of the Jiang Family, relying on you to build the business and never treating you like a person.

Jiang Zhe replied nonchalantly and put away her phone.

The old man was still babbling, "Thankfully, the Jiang Family wasn't too bad to you, and coincidentally, our family also happens to have the surname Jiang..."

The two walked one after the other down a simple street.

On both sides of the street were unevenly spaced houses, which, compared to the bustling area of Jincheng where the Jiang Family resided, looked much more desolate.

"Is this Xiaozhe? You've finally come back! I'm your aunt, from now on, consider this your home," a gentle female voice said.