Chapter 248: The Wedding in the Dream

Afterward, the group enjoyed a sumptuous dinner. Wu Hongyi repeatedly expressed his gratitude as they saw him off, and they agreed to take Xia Yu and the others to London's Chinatown the day after tomorrow.

After Wu Hongyi left, Xia Yu went upstairs to take a bath. Afterward, feeling warm and energized from eating too much wild rabbit and pigeon soup, Xia Yu had no desire to sleep.

With nothing else to do, Xia Yu started exploring the upstairs.

The house was massive, covering over 1,300 square meters. During the day, he had only taken a quick walk around the first floor and the outside of the estate, finding his bedroom but not having time to carefully inspect the upstairs.

On the second floor, besides his and Li Xi's bedrooms, Xia Yu opened the doors to the other rooms one by one. The house had been well-maintained, with no cobwebs or layers of dust.

Of course, there were also few items in the rooms, giving them a somewhat empty feeling.

At that moment, Xia Yu pushed open a door and discovered a large object covered with a cloth. Judging by its shape, it seemed to be a grand piano.

Xia Yu recalled that the manor's previous owner had mentioned there was a piano included as a gift, so this must be it!

With curiosity, Xia Yu turned on the light and walked into the spacious room. He gently lifted the cloth, revealing a noble and elegant grand piano, its polished black surface exuding a sense of grandeur and dignity.

Xia Yu couldn't help but look at the brand and raised his eyebrows in surprise—it was a Steinway piano, the top-ranked brand in the world. Each of their pianos is a masterpiece. He hadn't expected the previous owner of the manor to leave this behind for him.

However, Xia Yu had heard that the former owner of the manor had emigrated to the United States. A grand piano like this, typically used for large performances, would indeed be difficult to transport. After moving it, a professional would need to retune it, a very cumbersome and troublesome process. Perhaps the previous owner left it behind to avoid the hassle.

Xia Yu didn't bother to think too much about it. Whatever the reason, the piano was his now, and that was all that mattered.

As he gently stroked the smooth surface of the piano, Xia Yu couldn't resist the urge to play.

In his past and present lives, Xia Yu had never learned to play the piano, but many other influential people did. Many top figures had various talents, and it wasn't uncommon for them to be skilled pianists.

What successful person didn't have a special skill? Whether for cultivating one's taste or impressing others, it was always good to have multiple talents.

Xia Yu wanted to experience it for himself—to understand why so many upper-class individuals were so passionate about playing the piano to relax.

With that thought, Xia Yu opened the piano cover and sat on the bench, placing his hands on the black and white keys, following the hand positions he remembered.

"Deng..."

With a light touch of his fingers, Xia Yu began to familiarize himself with the keys. Starting with basic scales, he quickly adapted to playing a complete piece. The only problem was that his fingers couldn't keep up with his thoughts. After all, no matter how much memory he had, muscle memory could only be developed through years of practice. It was natural for his fingers to lag behind, but more practice would solve that.

As Xia Yu played the piano, Li Xi, who had just finished her bath, heard the melodious sound. She couldn't help but feel curious.

"Who is playing the piano?"

Dressed lightly, Li Xi didn't think much of it and opened her door. She noticed that the door to her boss's room across the hall was open, but it seemed there was no one inside. She guessed that the person playing the piano must be her boss.

Following the sound, Li Xi quickly arrived at the piano room's door. Sure enough, she saw Xia Yu sitting with his back to her on the bench, his hands moving across the keys, producing a beautiful melody.

Li Xi couldn't help but stop and listen, her gaze filled with curiosity and admiration as she looked at Xia Yu.

"I didn't expect the boss to be able to play the piano, and so beautifully too. How did he learn?"

"He's so young, yet not only did he start a successful business from scratch, but he also writes books, draws comics, and now plays the piano. Is there anything he can't do?"

Li Xi tilted her head slightly, her mind filled with questions. The more she thought about it, the more impressive Xia Yu seemed. Despite having only recently started working for him, she had already discovered many of his talents. She was curious why someone so young would know so much.

As she looked at Xia Yu's elegant figure, Li Xi felt as if a mysterious aura surrounded him, and she couldn't help but be drawn to him. Her gaze slowly became filled with admiration and fascination.

No girl is immune to romantic feelings, and Li Xi was no exception.

Having grown up in an orphanage, she never had the chance to dress up, so her clothing was always old-fashioned. As she grew up, her beauty shone through despite her plain attire.

However, due to her low self-esteem and the headmistress's advice, she focused all her energy on her studies, never paying attention to suitors.

During her breaks, she worked part-time jobs to earn money for her education, leaving no time or energy for romance. As a result, at 21 years old, despite her beauty, she was still a virgin.

But this year, she finally graduated and landed a job at the prestigious Jiuding Publishing Company. For the first time, she was able to relax and stop suppressing herself. She now had time to observe others.

In the days she spent working as Xia Yu's secretary, her understanding of him deepened. But with each new discovery, she grew more puzzled. The young and handsome boss became increasingly mysterious and towering in her mind.

Now, seeing Xia Yu play the piano only added to her confusion. As she listened to the beautiful music, her mind was flooded with thoughts of her boss.

Just then, the piano music stopped, and Li Xi snapped out of her reverie. Realizing her earlier thoughts, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, but her gaze remained fixed on Xia Yu.

"Deng..."

After a brief pause, the music resumed, with the melody changing to something unfamiliar. Li Xi, who had joined a music club in college, had never heard this piece before.

The music was incredibly moving, painting a vivid picture in Li Xi's mind. With her understanding of music theory, she quickly became absorbed in it.

As the music played on, Li Xi's hands unconsciously rested on her chest, her eyes growing misty with emotion.

She understood the sweetness and sorrow in the music, which is why her emotions were so deeply moved.

"I hope all lovers can end up together."

Completely immersed in the music, Li Xi murmured softly.

At that moment, Xia Yu finished playing and heard Li Xi's words. He turned to see her standing at the door, hands clasped tightly to her chest, with a look of prayer on her beautiful face, a mix of sorrow and joy.

Xia Yu stood up and walked over to her, noticing that she hadn't yet come back to her senses. Amused, he waved a hand in front of her face.

Seeing a shadow before her, Li Xi finally snapped out of it. When she saw Xia Yu's smiling face, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, and she shyly said, "Boss!"

Feeling embarrassed at being caught eavesdropping, Li Xi fidgeted under Xia Yu's gaze, making him pause.

Without a change in expression, Xia Yu asked, "Why aren't you asleep yet?"

"Boss, I was about to sleep when I heard the piano and came over."

Li Xi explained. When she mentioned the piano, she remembered the last piece he played, and her embarrassment faded. She blinked her reddened eyes and pouted slightly as she asked, "Boss, what was the name of the last piece you played? It was so beautiful! I've never heard it before."

Xia Yu smiled slightly and replied, "That piece is called 'The Wedding in the Dream.'"

Indeed, the last piece he played was his favorite piano piece from his previous life, performed by the piano prince Richard Clayderman. The piece was famous worldwide, but it hadn't been composed yet in this world. It would be a few more years before it would appear, so it was normal for Li Xi not to have heard it.

"Oh, so it's called 'The Wedding in the Dream.' How fitting!"

Recalling the imagery evoked by the music, Li Xi repeated the name softly, murmuring to herself.