Chapter 39: The Locked Heart

Chapter 39: Chapter 39: The Locked Heart

At Yi Ming Pavilion, on the top floor of Qinda Plaza, sat the Terrace Tea House.

A gentle breeze blew past, and the air was filled with a faint, refreshing tea fragrance. The pair chose a seat with an excellent view, ordering a highly fitting white tea along with three plates of exquisite pastries. There was a sense of leisure and comfort, like the simple joy of drinking white tea without a care in the world.

Su Yunzhou handed over the beautifully packaged Dragon Country Gold. "This little gift is for your mother!"

Li Yan had guessed he might give something to her, but she never expected him to buy a gift for her mother. A slightly unnatural expression crossed her face. After a pause, she said, "Mr. Su, this is too expensive."

"A gourd represents good fortune and prosperity!" Su Yunzhou observed her expression and continued, "You spent so much time helping me choose. This is just a small token of my appreciation. I hope your mother stays in good health."

Li Yan furrowed her brows lightly, looking even more uncomfortable.

Seeing her continued reluctance, Su Yunzhou could only settle for the next best excuse. "Actually, there are still a lot of things I don’t understand about cars, and I’ll likely be bothering you quite a bit in the future. Just consider this gift as my advance payment for your help."

Li Yan pursed her lips, opening and closing her mouth a few times before finally accepting it. She could feel his sincerity, but mostly, she really just didn’t want to dwell on the topic anymore.

However, Mr. Su seemed determined to inadvertently touch a sore spot. "Are your parents in Rongcheng? If there’s a chance, we should all have a meal together!"

Li Yan fell silent. She strongly disliked being asked these questions. She knew Mr. Su meant no harm, but she truly didn’t want to answer. The issues with her family of origin were an unspeakable pain in her heart. Even after so much time had passed, whenever someone brought it up, her heart still stung as if being pricked by needles.

[Affinity -2]

Su Yunzhou hadn’t expected such a strong emotional reaction from her. If he pressed any further, it would likely backfire. His tone carried a hint of apology. "I’m sorry! I’m clumsy with my words and asked something I shouldn’t have."

Li Yan forced a smile onto her slightly pale face. "N-No! I just..."

Su Yunzhou’s voice was gentle yet firm. "I won’t ask again. I’m sorry, my friend."

Hearing this, Li Yan’s heart suddenly ached. Her firm defensive walls opened a tiny crack in that very moment. Among her current friends, no one except Liu Yiyi knew about her past. Although she hadn’t known Mr. Su for long, he was genuine and unpretentious. From how he handled buying the car and his attitude toward her best friend, it was clear he was a truly good person. But in the adult world, everyone had their unspeakable difficulties and involuntary struggles. Those unvoiced burdens and unshared emotions—some drowned them in alcohol, some buried them in music, and others locked them away where only they could see.

Taking a deep breath, Li Yan spoke with a rare sense of panic in her tone, "No, no, no... I’m the one who should apologize... This is my issue... Please understand."

At this moment, Su Yunzhou finally realized that her family situation might be far more complicated than he had imagined. He originally thought he could use the topic of her parents as an entry point to get her to open up, but it was clear now that he had oversimplified things.

The two of them continued drinking their white tea as Su Yunzhou steered the conversation to other topics. After a while, the oppressive atmosphere gradually dissipated, and Li Yan returned to normal, at least on the surface.

Seeing this, Su Yunzhou also breathed a sigh of relief. A sudden thought popped into his mind.

"Beneath everyone’s seemingly glamorous exterior, who knows how many times they’ve had to patch themselves up in the dead of night.

"That’s right!

"If it weren’t for the system, I would be just like that. I’d be running around every day just to make a living, working endless overtime, going on blind dates, and maybe eventually marrying a suitable woman I don’t love all that much, living like that until..."

Thinking of this, a sense of gratitude welled up in Su Yunzhou’s heart.

"System, thank you!"

This silent murmur in his mind was entirely sincere. Tong instantly responded in kind.

"The system is wholeheartedly at your service~"

***

Meanwhile, downstairs, Old Wang had just seen off his client. After a "heart-to-heart" conversation, he had finally sealed the deal. He had tried his hardest to get the client to stay for dinner, but the man insisted he had a family banquet to attend and couldn’t make it, so they could only schedule for next time.

After waving goodbye, Old Wang pulled out his phone, found an informant he had planted within the client’s company, and sent over a large red envelope as a token of gratitude. It was precisely because of this inside information that he had successfully secured the client, and it was also why he had the confidence to invite Su Yunzhou, whom he hadn’t seen in a long time, to dinner tonight.

He gave Su Yunzhou a call.

"Hey! I’m done with work!

"It’s still a bit early for dinner. Want to find a place to sit for a bit?

"Huh? What? You guys are at Yi Ming Pavilion?

"Alright, alright! I know the place. I’ll be right over."

Hanging up the phone, Old Wang couldn’t help but marvel at the high consumption level of rich women. He had checked out that place before coming here, but the average cost of over 300 yuan per person made him quietly opt for a more cost-effective location to meet his client.

After thinking for a moment, he went back to his car and grabbed a bottle of premium 1573 liquor. He figured it probably wouldn’t be his turn to foot the bill tonight, but since they hadn’t seen each other in a long time, he still needed to show some class. Bringing a bottle of liquor would demonstrate his sincerity. Furthermore, if the rich woman were to casually toss a few minor resources his way out of respect for Su Yunzhou, wouldn’t he instantly gain another major client?

With that thought in mind, the tiny sliver of reluctance in Old Wang’s heart vanished into thin air.

He took the elevator up to the top floor. Amidst the bustling shopping mall, an antique-looking storefront appeared, and he swaggered right in.

"Hello, sir!" four waitresses in elegant qipaos greeted him with smiles.

Old Wang puffed out his chest, deliberately showing off the exquisite gift bag holding the 1573 liquor. "My friend is at table A3."

"Please follow me this way, sir!" One of the waitresses made an inviting gesture and led the way.

As they walked, the sight of her round, perky bottom swaying beneath the high slit of her qipao made Old Wang gulp involuntarily. He silently calculated in his mind.

"If a girl of this caliber were in a nightclub, she’d probably cost 3,000 yuan just to sit with you. If you wanted to take her out, the price would double at the very least, maybe even more."

As expected of a high-end teahouse. The standard of the waitresses was simply too high.

After walking a few steps through the elegantly decorated corridor, the qipao-clad waitress brought Old Wang to the terrace. The environment here was superb; every detail was meticulously designed, revealing clever touches at every turn that were incredibly pleasing to the eye.

A faint, elegant fragrance drifted into his nose. Old Wang thought to himself, "Just drinking tea here will probably cost over a grand!"

The waitress stopped and extended her fair arm, pointing ahead respectfully. "Sir, are those your friends over there?"

Old Wang looked toward the terrace. He saw Su Yunzhou and the rich woman sitting on one side, sipping tea. Diagonally across from them sat a beautiful woman in traditional Hanfu, setting up a guzheng.

Su Yunzhou naturally spotted Old Wang and the liquor bag in his hand. He smiled and greeted him, "You’re just in time! Hurry up and come cultivate your noble sentiments with us."

Old Wang grinned mischievously, walking over to take a seat. Staring at the Hanfu beauty, he couldn’t help but narrow his eyes and think to himself, "TSK, TSK! I’ve got a different kind of ’sentiment’ in mind."

The Hanfu beauty’s voice was remarkably sweet and melodious. "This rendition of ’Daughter’s Love’ is dedicated to you three esteemed guests."

The sound of the guzheng slowly rang out. The melody was graceful and lingering, echoing softly by their ears.

Once the piece ended, the Hanfu beauty bowed slightly in thanks and asked with a natural expression, "My esteemed guests, is there any other piece you would like to hear?"

Su Yunzhou and Li Yan exchanged a glance and shook their heads.

Old Wang, however, felt this little girl was quite pretty and developed a bit of an appreciation for her talent. "Do you know how to play ’A laugh in the vast sea’?"

"That is one of my favorite pieces as well," the Hanfu beauty confirmed with sparkling eyes.

Old Wang smiled smugly. "Then play that one for us!"

"Alright!" The Hanfu beauty nodded and stood up. Under Old Wang’s puzzled gaze, she snapped open the antique folding fan in her hand, revealing a pristine, printed QR code.

"Esteemed guest, it is 280 yuan per song. Please pay first."