Chapter 249: Something Happened

"Boss, do you have someone you like? Did you compose this piece for her?" Li Xi couldn't help but ask, blinking her big eyes as she looked at Xia Yu.

From the melody, she could sense someone's deep affection for another person, but the sorrowful notes that followed revealed that they didn't end up together. Now, hearing the title, she realized that this wedding only took place in a dream, making the entire piece express a profound and timeless love.

Given that Xia Yu seemed capable of everything in her mind—stock trading, writing, drawing comics, and designing—Li Xi instinctively thought that this piece was also composed by her boss.

Xia Yu wasn't upset by Li Xi's abrupt question. He knew her personality well—besides work, she was quite innocent, perhaps not liking to overthink, or maybe her thought process was just different from others.

Smiling, Xia Yu replied, "No, this piece was created by two French masters together, depicting a touching love story."

"Really?" 

Upon hearing that there was a love story behind the piece, Li Xi's curiosity and girlish heart were piqued. Girls tend to have a soft spot for such things, and Li Xi was no exception.

Seeing her curious and adorable expression, Xia Yu couldn't help but smile. This was the perfect moment to impress a girl, especially such a beautiful one. Naturally, he decided to show off a bit.

"Come, let's sit down and talk," he said.

Bringing Li Xi to a nearby bench, Xia Yu began recounting the story with a calm voice as she looked at him with eager anticipation.

"The story begins in a dream kingdom.

At the border of this kingdom, a campfire blazed brightly, its smoke swirling and extending...

A soldier gazed out at a distant castle. After six years away, it was time for him to return.

In the dark night, shooting stars streaked across the sky, leaving dazzling trails behind.

...

During those six years, the soldier never stopped thinking about her, never stopped loving her...

...

As the sun rose from the horizon, he walked towards the castle bathed in sunlight.

The castle was filled with festive joy, colorful flags hanging everywhere, and people singing with happiness.

'Is there a celebration today?' he asked a passerby.

'Today, the princess is marrying the prince of a neighboring country!' In that instant, he heard the sound of his dreams shattering. He was stunned—six years of longing dashed in a moment, like a snowflake melting into the ground.

A bright moon ascended into the sky. As the church bells tolled, he slowly walked towards the church. No matter what, he had to see her one last time.

People lined the streets from the palace to the church, waiting for the princess to arrive. He stood among the crowd, quietly waiting. When the princess took the prince's hand and stepped out of the palace, the crowd erupted in cheers.

He gazed at the princess's face, knowing it would be the last time he saw her. After today, he would leave the dream kingdom forever, vowing to forget all memories, all pain, and the deep love he once had...

As she passed in front of him, their eyes met. Suddenly, he pushed past the guards blocking the crowd and rushed forward.

The guards drew their swords, but it was too late—he had already reached the princess. He opened his arms, and in that moment, he saw the princess's startled expression.

'Don't be afraid, I'll protect you,' he whispered.

He felt a sharp pain in his back and heard the sound of an arrow piercing through his body.

Slowly, he fell at her feet. Moments ago, no one had noticed that a bow in the crowd had been aimed at the princess...

...

He opened his eyes. She was wearing a wedding dress, smiling at him. Beside them, angels sang blessings. 'Is this a dream?' he murmured. 'Having a dream is enough,' she said, holding his hand tightly.

...

A shooting star streaked across the sky above the castle, like a drop of blissful tears…"

"How touching! I really wish the soldier and the princess could have been together, instead of only having their wedding in a dream," Li Xi murmured, tears welling up in her eyes.

Watching her tender and tearful expression, Xia Yu couldn't help but laugh. As expected, girls are easily moved by love stories.

"Boss, could you play it again? I really want to hear it," Li Xi couldn't resist grabbing Xia Yu's arm and asking in a slightly coquettish tone, forgetting about any boundaries or whether her request was appropriate.

Li Xi naturally had a sweet, soft voice, and when she added a bit of playfulness, Xia Yu felt his heart melt.

"Alright, I'll play it again for you!" Xia Yu took a deep breath, trying to regain his composure, and stood up to return to the piano.

"Yay, thank you, boss!" Li Xi cheered, jumping up in delight.

Unfortunately, since Xia Yu was already heading towards the piano, he missed this alluring moment.

As Xia Yu's fingers began to dance across the black and white keys once more, the beautiful and moving melody filled the room again. Li Xi rested her chin on her hand, her eyes dreamy as she gazed at Xia Yu, her thoughts drifting back into that bittersweet scene.

When the piece ended, Li Xi returned to reality, realizing that tears had unknowingly streaked her pretty face.

"It's so beautiful!" she murmured to herself.

Seeing her reaction, Xia Yu could tell how much she loved the piece.

An idea struck him, and he said, "Li Xi, if you like this piece so much, I could teach you how to play it. Do you understand the basics of music theory?"

"I learned some in college. Boss, can you really teach me?" Li Xi asked excitedly.

Seeing her joy, Xia Yu nodded with a smile, "Of course, no problem. I can teach you right now!"

"That's wonderful! Thank you, boss!" Li Xi exclaimed, her voice brimming with excitement.

"Come, sit down," Xia Yu instructed.

Li Xi obediently followed his instructions, sitting at the piano. Xia Yu gently took her hand and placed it on the appropriate keys, but Li Xi, lost in her excitement, didn't notice anything unusual.

"Okay, let's start. Remember the positions of the keys!" Xia Yu stood behind her, speaking softly as he guided her.

One taught earnestly, and the other learned diligently. Soon, Li Xi had memorized a short section of the melody and managed to play it, albeit with some hesitation.

Seeing her success, Li Xi's face lit up with joy, and she praised Xia Yu for being a great teacher, which naturally motivated him even more.

Now that Li Xi had grasped the basics, Xia Yu no longer needed to guide her hand by hand. He could divert his attention elsewhere, observing more closely.

Since Xia Yu had been standing behind her, teaching her hand in hand, they had been almost pressed against each other. Earlier, he had been so focused on teaching that he hadn't noticed, but now, as he relaxed, he realized something was off.

Luckily, Li Xi was quite innocent and hadn't noticed the awkwardness either.

While Xia Yu noticed the proximity issue, he didn't intend to step back—any sudden movement might make Li Xi realize something was amiss.

He slightly tilted his head to glance at Li Xi's face. Their faces were so close, barely ten centimeters apart. He could clearly see the delicate pores on her flawless skin, her bright, water-like eyes, and her fluttering lashes, all of which captivated him.

Feeling the warm breath on her face, Li Xi began to sense a slight tickle, finally realizing that something about Xia Yu's posture wasn't quite right. However, her shy and gentle nature kept her from speaking up, so she pretended not to notice, though the soft blush on her face and the slight tremor in her lashes betrayed her inner turmoil.

Xia Yu noticed the blush on her face and discreetly redirected his gaze, looking down at her hands.

And then...

When morning came, Xia Yu slowly opened his eyes, feeling that something was off.

"Hmm…"

Still not fully awake, he mechanically turned to look beside him. Immediately, a chill ran down his spine as his mind cleared, and the memories of last night rushed back.

Seeing the slightly furrowed brows of the sleeping Li Xi, Xia Yu covered his forehead.

After a long moment, he muttered, "Damn, what now…"

"I knew something would happen eventually, and sure enough…"

Taking another look at Li Xi, Xia Yu took a deep breath, suppressing his impulse, and began to think.