Chapter 31 The Melodious Piano Notes

Chapter 31: The Melodious Sound of the Piano

The next day, he went out early in the morning to deliver takeout.

Unexpectedly, he ran into someone who recognized him, who kept pointing at his face and saying,

"Holy crap, it's you!"

Cheng Feng saw that the man was almost stuttering,

"Hey, man, don't be nervous. If you have something to say, say it properly. Don't point at my nose."

Felt like the guy wanted to throw down.

"Oh, sorry."

The man looked to be in his thirties, smiling as he patted Cheng Feng's shoulder,

"I meant to say, I know you. I scrolled past you yesterday—that video of you saving someone, and the one with a girl taking a photo with you. Damn, kid, you're impressive. So young and already so brave. Much respect."

Cheng Feng smiled, not expecting that just saving someone could make him known and remembered by so many people.

Later, he ran into a young lady who recognized him and wanted a photo.

He spent the whole day delivering takeout, and today, three people he encountered knew him from the internet.

When he returned to the Shang family villa, he searched for videos about himself.

He didn't expect there to be so many praising him.

However, Du Yanlan was getting torn to shreds.

Cheng Feng pursed his lips and didn't continue scrolling.

After that, he searched for some videos of women saving men, which weren't very popular. But whenever there was a video of a man saving a woman, it was extremely popular. He didn't know if it was the search terms he used or what. He didn't continue scrolling and instead focused on working hard to deliver takeout.

Days passed like this, one after another, plain and routine.

Cheng Feng even felt that perhaps every day from now on would be like this.

Simple, stable, without any mishaps, and without angering the young master.

However, half a month later, while he was taking care of the young master, Shang Xu, the eldest young master of the Shang family, came to Shang Shaohao's villa.

Cheng Feng was standing with his hands at his sides, quietly serving Shang Shaohao breakfast.

Suddenly, the heavy, cold sound of approaching footsteps echoed. Before anyone could react, a thin notebook was slapped onto the dining table with a "smack."

"Shang Shaohao, who helped you copy this?"

Shang Xu's voice held not a hint of warmth.

The spoon in Shang Shaohao's hand clattered back into the bowl. The sickly arrogance on his face instantly vanished without a trace, as if all the bones had been pulled out of his body, and he instantly wilted.

He hurriedly lowered his head but couldn't help sneaking a look at Shang Xu's expression,

"Brother... I wrote it myself. I didn't... I didn't ask anyone to help."

"Tell the truth." Shang Xu's tone was flat but filled with pressure.

Shang Shaohao pursed his lips, his shoulders slumping even more, and muttered softly:

"I... I asked a classmate to help..."

"Copy it twenty times from now on." Shang Xu said coldly.

Shang Shaohao pouted, not daring to argue, and could only respond sullenly:

"...Okay."

Shang Xu's gaze swept over the servants standing nearby and finally landed on Cheng Feng. His stare was so sharp it seemed to pierce through a person's heart.

He paused for a few seconds: "You. Write a character for me."

Shang Shaohao's heart tightened, afraid he would be found out. He turned to look at Shang Xu and said urgently, "Brother! I already said it was written by a classmate!"

Shang Xu ignored him, still staring fixedly at Cheng Feng.

Cheng Feng's back instantly broke out in a cold sweat.

He didn't dare imagine what would become of him if the truth about him doing the copying was exposed.

But he didn't dare disobey. He could only grit his teeth and step forward, forcing himself to stay calm as he picked up the pen and wrote his own name on the paper.

His strokes were sharp, smooth, and fluid, and his handwriting was elegant and upright, far more pleasing than the deliberately imitated handwriting in Shang Shaohao's notebook.

Shang Xu stared at the two characters, was silent for a beat, then shifted his gaze back to Shang Shaohao, his tone even colder:

"If you dare to be lazy and cut corners again, come to my place and copy."

"Oh... I understand, brother." Shang Shaohao responded meekly.

Only after Shang Xu's figure disappeared at the door did Cheng Feng and Shang Shaohao simultaneously let out a sigh of relief, their tense bodies instantly sagging.

Shang Shaohao picked up the notebook on the table and flipped through it repeatedly, his face full of confusion:

"That's weird, how did he figure out it wasn't written by me? I imitated it exactly the same!"

Cheng Feng lowered his eyes and didn't say a word.

That day, the weather was exceptionally bright and clear. Sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows into the music room, falling on the black and white piano keys, casting a faint glow.

Shang Shaohao's recent piano lesson results had been a complete mess, almost at the bottom of his class.

Master Shang had laid down the law, telling him to practice the piano diligently these days and not to run around playing.

His face was scrunched up like a bitter melon, and he sat listlessly in front of the piano.

Today, the one responsible for serving the young master was still Cheng Feng.

Cheng Feng stood to the side, quietly watching him play the piano. His fingers twitched subtly at his sides, silently memorizing the sequence of every note.

The piano teacher sat nearby, patiently coaching: "Slow down the rhythm here, relax your wrist. Yes, once more."

Shang Shaohao repeated mechanically. After playing for a full half hour, he finally couldn't help but click his tongue in annoyance and raised his hand impatiently:

"Cheng Feng, pour me a glass of water."

"Yes, young master." Cheng Feng responded, pouring a cup of warm water and helping him take a few sips.

The morning's practice was finally over.

The teacher went over a few things to keep in mind and then left.

Shang Shaohao sprang up from the piano bench as if he'd been set free, stretching with a lazy groan.

Cheng Feng, however, remained standing in place, his gaze involuntarily drawn to the piano, a look of longing in his eyes.

He really wanted to try it.

Shang Shaohao glanced at him, a smirk curling at the corner of his mouth:

"You want to play the piano, don't you?"

Cheng Feng was taken aback, not quite processing it: "Huh?"

Shang Shaohao was amused by his dumbfounded look:

"Your eyes are practically glued to the piano. I'm not stupid, of course I can tell. If you want to play, then play."

Cheng Feng shook his head.

Could he really just 'play if he wanted to'?

This was the Shangs' piano. If he dared to touch it recklessly, he was sure to get an earful.

But Shang Shaohao couldn't be bothered with what he was thinking. He simply reached out, pushed him, and shoved him onto the piano bench:

"You sit here. I've been learning for three days—I'm exhausted."

His already sickly pale face seemed to have darker circles under his eyes, and he was thoroughly fed up. He needed to go out and rest.

"You play. I'm going out for some fresh air."

As soon as the words left his mouth, he had already scurried out, slamming the door shut behind him and pulling it properly closed from the outside.

This way, people outside would only think he was still inside, hard at work practicing.

The piano room suddenly fell quiet.

Cheng Feng looked at the black and white keys before him, his heart beating a little faster.

He reached out a finger and gently touched a key.

*Do—*

A crisp note rang out in the air, and a shiver ran through him.

For these three days, he had watched Shang Shaohao play the piano almost without blinking. The sequence of those notes was already engraved in his mind; he didn't even need to look at the sheet music.

He took a deep breath, his slender fingers landing on the keys, beginning to play slowly.

At first, the sound of the piano was still a bit stiff, occasionally pausing or hesitating.

But by the sixth time he played it through, his fingers gradually became familiar with the positions of the keys. The melody grew more and more coherent, and the rhythm became increasingly smooth.

The light, melodious sound of the piano filled the room, carrying a touch of youthful awkwardness, yet played with exceptional earnestness.

Downstairs, Shang Nanzhou and Shang Xu were walking down the corridor.

Hearing the piano music drifting down from upstairs, Shang Nanzhou couldn't help but smile: "Brother, listen. That brat is playing quite well today. He's come a long way."

Shang Xu's face didn't show much expression, but his gaze softened almost imperceptibly, clearly quite satisfied with the music as well.

They went up the stairs to the second floor and headed straight for Shang Shaohao's piano room.

Shang Nanzhou walked to the door, grasped the handle, and slowly pushed it open.