3.6 Not so shy

The blossoming romance could not only be found in the dining lounge of Xiang Li's house but also in a private bar, at night, where Lan Cheng was playing a solo violin play for an audience of one person. It was like a long sigh of relief after holding in too much for too long. Lan Cheng had been suffocating and self blaming himself for almost 4 years and even though he felt a lot better when XiaoXiao started to call him Gege again, he still didn't have it in him to pursue what he wanted to do.

For the previous 4 years Lan Cheng had dedicated all his time to the Yong yu entertainment company and although he tried his best to impress his father and mother, he only felt suffocated doing so. Sometimes he would come to this private bar to play violin, the only outlet where he could be free from all guilt just because that one person would listen to him.

At first he didn't even know their name but later on Lan Cheng went to the Xue family house with his mother for some business experience, only then did he find the real identity of that person. Today they booked the whole bar for him to do a solo play. Lan Cheng was glad that there were no nuisances today because he really wanted to play for Xue Yao.

The lights were low and a person was having a mildly alcoholic cocktail but they were only drunk listening to the violin's tale. The notes started off low and the man playing had his head hung low like he was trying to feel what the music he played, was feeling. The person playing and the tune being played were not in sync with each other. It was like a lost battle, but the tune was still beautiful. It was abstract, having all sorts of emotions but none at all.

Slowly you could see resolve appear on the man's handsome face, simultaneously the tune he played began to express his emotions. The tune paced higher and higher like reaching an emotional high like being at your happiest moment. A smile, a really subtle but meaningful smile was on the man's face as he moved his hands to create a cheerful tone. At this moment the music and the musician were one, perfectly in sync.

For Xue Yao everything just was, It wasn't that nothing interested them but they were just okay to exist without having much feelings for the world around them. At the moment the song ended, Lan Cheng still had his head bowed like he was cherishing the happiness he created, when Xue Yao thought I want to feel the world with him.

Xue Yao stood and clapped for him saying "You play better everyday, it's a shame that more of the world doesn't get to hear you play."

Lan Cheng was a little out of breath as he said "I thought you didn't like me playing for others."

Xue Yao didn't even try to hide the truth as they said "yeah, I don't like it, but you like to play for an audience right? If its what you like then you should pursue it now while you have the chance. Later you might regret not doing the things you like."

Lan Cheng didn't have to feign confidence as he walked a little closer to Xue Yao and put his hand on the table beside them so that they were face to face. Lan Cheng said "Is that so? If it is about the things I like doing.." Lan Cheng paused as he moved his hand closer to the beautiful face, he paused a little before he touched their hair and looked in to their eyes to see any form of rejection, but seeing calmness and a look of curiosity, he moved his hands to touch their hair and swipe it behind their ear gently as he continued, "Then there is something I like doing even more then playing the violin, am I allowed to do it?"

Xue Yao hummed in a trance as they moved closer to Lan Cheng. It didn't take long for them to start making out when Xue Yao pushed him away a little as they said "If your intrest in me the same as your intrest in violin, then let's not start anything."

Lan Cheng smiled a little and today at this moment he gave up his long held promise of 4 years as he asked "Do you want my intrest in violin to improve or in you to improve?"

Xue Yao said "Tch... Am I comparable to a violin to you? I just mean that even if you have intrest in your violin, you rarely play it or cherish it. What if you do the same with me ? How do I assure myself?"

Lan Cheng thought for a second and then replied "It's not that I don't want to play it, but still whatever I say in my defense will come off as an excuse."

Xue Yao said "Then don't make excuses, If you like doing it then just do it."

Lan Cheng moved in to kiss their cheek as he said "Ok, from today onwards I won't make excuses and do what I like to do. Will you stay with me?"

Xue Yao laughed with their perky lips as they said "My father might kill you if I say yes."

Lan Cheng "I only care about what you think, when you are ready to answer, tell me." After saying this Lan Cheng distanced himself a little.

Xue Yao raised his eyebrows as he said "Then, let's get to know each other better from today. Tomorrow 2 pm you free?"

"hmm."

"Then let's go shopping, okay?"

"Hmm."

Xue Yao felt a little odd, from some seconds ago Lan Cheng had been facing the other way as if he was hiding something so he moved closer and turned him around. "Ss.. stay away." Lan Cheng said covering his lower body.

"Wow, you're packing. I kinda wanna try." Xue Yao said. Lan Cheng's thing was poking fron his pants as he was clearly hard.

Xue Yao thought of something and said "By the way I am a .. shou.." Xue Yao tilted their head to look as bottom as possible to get the message to Lan Cheng. Seeing that Lan Cheng's dent only grew more obvious, Xue Yao said hiding their second hand embarrassment, "Let's just uh meet tomorrow... right."

Lan Cheng moved to leave the room because it was getting all the more difficult for him to control himself, when he bumbed into someone who just entered.

"Ack sorry," a very melodious voice said.

Lan Cheng looked up to see a familiar women who looked beautiful much like Xue Yao, "Ah, Xue An. Sorry."

This is the formal introduction of Xue An, as Shu XinYi had been keeping check of his brother's moves all this time.

So right now although he is being recorded as he gives some final touches to the painting, he had been listening on to Lan Cheng.

For Lan Xiao, Lan Cheng and Xue An were the biggest reason for becoming a cannon fodder so it was necessary to keep them in check. Since he came to this world he caught no sign of Xue An except the two times in court where Xue An didn't give anything away about her intentions.

Shu XinYi paused a little while painting, obviously this little distraction was noticed by Xiang Li who was observing his Xiao qi (little wife) without fail. Xiang Li walked forward and held his hand that was about to spoil his painting as he was wavering a brush in the air. Xiang Li didn't call out, he didn't understand art but he knew that inspiration comes at anytime and his Xiao Qi might be having one of those moments so he dared not disturb.

Meanwhile Shu XinYi was fully absorbed by the family drama he was witnessing, some time after he arrived he asked snow if he could get video live recording of events instead of audio, to which snow said that it needs to implant a third person perspective recorder but Snow could only do it to two people in this world, it has something to do with the world level. So Shu XinYi allowed him to do it on Lan Cheng and as for the second person well..

"Ah it's you, Lan Cheng. Didn't I already say you can call me An, don't be shy around me." Xue An politely spoke.

Xue Yao said with raised eyebrows "Ah Xue An, what brings you here? hmm?"

Xue An glared at Xue Yao saying "Father is worried sick because of the case and you are going around causing trouble for the family. Obviously I came to find you"

Xue Yao walked to Lan Cheng and said "Me causing trouble? Are you blind or have you finally gone crazy that you can't even see what's happening?"

Xue An wanted to scold that inhuman thing but in front of Lan Cheng she could try her best to gain good points. That bastard Bai Meng and his mom are trying to blame my father and even planting fake evidences against him. I can't let them be, Lan Cheng is the easiest target I need his help. For the sake of saving father I will do anything. Xue An was on a plane of her own.

Xue An switched her mannerisms as if the one who just spoke harshly to her siblings was not her. She politely bowed her head as she said "Lan Cheng, I am sorry that you had to involve with my brother. It's nice meeting you here. I wanted to discuss more about my proposal that da-"

"No, I don't want to discuss it any more Miss An. If you want that I don't present the contents of our discussion in court then don't approach me from now on. Yao, you said you'd drop me home?" Although Lan Cheng was out of it for most of the time during this conversation, he was sober enough to know what was going on. He didn't want to hear about that proposal again. Since the day Xue An had mentioned it, he was ashamed to face XiaoXiao. The worst part was that even though her proposal was to harm XiaoXiao, Lan Cheng had felt somewhat tempted to accept her terms.

He felt guilty for even thinking about how he almost agreed to plant fake evidences against XiaoXiao like a crazy person. Now that he had time for some clarity since then, he would never do such a thing, in fact he would never let anyone harm XiaoXiao. Xue Yao understood his messege well, saying "Yeah, let's go I'll drop you, Xue An since you are already here means you want some drinks right? Make sure that the bar is closed when you are leaving."

Both Lan Cheng and Xue Yao walked out of the bar without hearing the response from Xue An, "So.. a proposal huh?" Xue Yao said a little out of it. They didn't know if it was jealousy or where it came from, but Xue Yao had never felt like this all their life so it did come as a surprise to them. It wasn't that they had nothing to be jealous about, It was just that they thought it was nothing worth being jealous about.

"It's.. something I am not proud of. Your sister she... well she loves your father a lot."

"Hmm.. Yeah. You still wanna go tomorrow?"

"Yes." Lan Cheng replied instantly without pause.

"Good then," Xue Yao told the time and address for their meeting and then just walked Lan Cheng to his car and said "See you tomorrow... umm can you call me Xue(this name means snow, different from the xue family name) from now on"

Lan Cheng smiled and replied "Xue, I'll see you tomorrow."

Shu XinYi had already stopped listening when Lan Cheng said that he didn't want to have any further discussions with Xue An. Now that Lan Cheng no longer posed as a threat he didn't feel the need to pry on their personal life.

The problem of Xue An still stood, and Song XingChen. Except for them, no one else posed as a potential threat for Lan Xiao's life or for Shu XinYi in the disruption of the world's original story.

Shu XinYi looked at Xiang Li who was patiently holding his hand and waist not interrupting his daze. "I want to paint so you can let me go." Shu XinYi said with a smiling voice.

Xiang Li didn't argue and just went back to restart the camera. Xiang Li repositioned the camera to get a different angle for the painting. In the next hour Shu XinYi was done with the painting and he gave a little ending for the video telling about his inspiration and answered some frequent questions from his previous videos. Once the wrap up was done Shu XinYi said "You don't have to overwork yourself, you can send me the final edit tomorrow."

Xiang Li nodded as he said "How about you wait for three more days and upload on Thursday, that way you can have a pattern of uploading every Thursday. Also is there a sponsorship contract you wanna take for this video?"

Shu XinYi smiled and yawned "Haa.. I haven't checked my emails."

Xiang Li tilted his head ready to scold his Xiao Qi but then he just said "Go sleep, I'll clean up. Also sign your email here, I'll look it up." Xiang Li opened the Laptop that Lan Xiao used in the studio.

Shu XinYi came closer to Xiang Li saying, "A.I.L.I.F.E.N.G.2" these were the English letters for his password. This just meant love lifeng and although it was corny Shu XinYi still kept it. It wasn't that he couldn't remember passwords but he just liked having this as the password. In the first world he kept the same sort of passwords for his socials so it had become a habit. Shu XinYi then moved away and saying, "I can't let you work for me for free so we'll sign a new contract tomorrow okay, Mr.Manager."

Xiang Li took a second to register what Lan Xiao just did and then his face turned embarrassed and he said "Its okay, I want to do it for you. Not for the money but if you feel comfortable paying me then its.. then its okay."

"Wow, I didn't know you were capable of making such an embarrassed face. Such a farce, humph. How come none of this shyness remained when we did it." Shu XinYi humphed.

Xiang Li's eyes practically shone, Shu XinYi really was good at causing trouble for himself so well, the opened laptop was ignored very smoothly as the "not so shy" Xiang Li took Lan Xiao on a different couch from last time. This time Shu XinYi had managed to get condoms but after the first time the condoms were mutually ignored.

Meanwhile Xue An was drinking in the bar cursing her brother, who knows what he did to make Lan Cheng change his mind. Wasn't Lan Cheng very resentful towards his brother, how can he let go of an opportunity this good? I was not only letting him get his brother out of his way, but also sign a deal with the Xue family for the first time in 4 years, this would be a break through for the Yong yu entertainment and his mother won't hesitate to pass on the company to Lan Cheng. Xue An had dug up a lot of information about Lan Cheng after the murder.

Wasn't he really obsessed with getting the company the last time he came with his mother to visit the family? Then what happened? Xue An could only curse him as she thought of other methods to save her father. It was not that her father couldn't do it himself but who ever was playing this blame game was trying to not only blame him for the murder but expose his illegal businesses. So it was difficult for even father to tackle it.

The construction site the statue was found at was a barren land and it was dangerous to make a firm foundation for a building but obviously because the area was commercially beneficial so father had gotten it approved using underhanded means to continue building. The poison he had just started trading, the same one that killed Bai Jiao, was only the start of father's trade for poison and he had done a lot of work to make profit in this trade but because of the murder, Father had to pause his movements or else if it comes to light then it will cause a lot of trouble for the Xue family.

Previously Xue Fan had avoided confrontation smoothly but because of this murder and the way it was planned, it became difficult to avoid the legal jurisdiction. So he was patiently going with the trials and hired the best lawyer, but this wasn't solving anything and evidences against him were only increasing.