Chapter 070: Playing Hard to Get
When masters spar, they know when to stop.
Lin Lang chuckled shyly, maintaining his persona as the modest and reserved school heartthrob from high school. He avoided Zhou Mengyao's gaze, neither admitting nor denying, as if tacitly agreeing.
Zhou Mengyao lifted her exquisite little face and playfully asked, "What's wrong? Are you afraid to admit that I'm your 'white moonlight'?"
Lin Lang feigned ignorance and replied, "I don't know what you're talking about. The sun is so bright at noon; where would there be moonlight?!"
"The weather today is truly great!"
"Tsk~ Why are you changing the subject?!" Zhou Mengyao pouted cutely.
Lin Lang's playing hard to get had Zhou Mengyao completely captivated, stirring her heart into a flutter.
Immediately after, the maid, Aunt Mei, knocked twice on the open piano room door and said, "Miss, Madam is back from the hospital. She asked me to call you and Mr. Lin to the dining room for lunch!"
Zhou Mengyao replied, "Okay, we'll be right down."
The maid, Aunt Mei, bowed slightly and then left the piano room.
Lin Lang stood up from the piano stool and smiled, "Let's go, Mengyao!"
"I'm already hungry. I've had Hu Merchant cuisine at the Zhou Residence once, and I want it again. The taste is truly authentic and delicious, really a treat!"
Zhou Mengyao knew that Lin Lang was changing the subject again, deliberately not answering whether she was his 'white moonlight'.
Although Lin Lang hadn't admitted it, Zhou Mengyao vaguely felt that she and Lin Lang liked each other. From high school until now, that 'window paper' had never been broken.
It seemed that the beautiful school flower and deskmate, Zhou Mengyao, was Lin Lang's only pure love.
Because Lin Lang was Zhou Mengyao's father's apprentice, they had many opportunities for their feelings to develop over time, so Zhou Mengyao was not in a hurry, enjoying the ambiguous feelings between her and Lin Lang.
The sensitive Zhou Mengyao would keep probing, and she would constantly get closer to Lin Lang until she was sure.
So, let the ambiguous bullet fly a little longer.
Zhou Mengyao slowly walked downstairs with Lin Lang, chatting as they went, "I really didn't expect you to not only compose but also write songs. You've once again refreshed my understanding of you."
Lin Lang replied modestly, "Regarding composing and songwriting, I only know a little. It's just a small, clumsy work; you're making fun of me."
Zhou Mengyao smiled sweetly after hearing that, "Is 'knowing a little' your catchphrase?"
Lin Lang replied, "It seems so~"
"I'm not talented, but I know a little bit about everything, just a little! Just a little!"
"Haha…"
AI generated beautiful image of Zhou Mengyao
Lin Lang and Zhou Mengyao exchanged smiles; their eyes held only each other. When they were together, it was so relaxed, natural, comfortable, and unpretentious. The scene of a perfect match of talent and beauty made others envious.
"Old classmate, your singing is so good, and you have a male model's physique and a good image. Why don't you debut as a singer?"
Lin Lang, however, replied, "If I were a singer, paparazzi would be everywhere, and fans would surround me for autographs and photos as soon as I stepped out. How annoying is that?!"
"As the saying goes, 'people fear fame like pigs fear getting fat.' I prefer to make a fortune quietly, enjoying life freely without worrying about the public's opinion or gaze of me."
"Lin Lang, you are so talented, yet you haven't lost yourself in the pursuit of material wealth and utilitarianism. You view fame and fortune so lightly, which is truly rare!"
"Mengyao, are you implying that I lack ambition?"
"Or are you praising me?"
"Of course I'm praising you!"
"Lin Lang, you are the kind of high-level, thoughtful man who, after becoming wealthy, didn't lose himself in a life of debauchery. You still treat people with humility and politeness, which is truly commendable!"
Lin Lang replied self-deprecatingly, "Never overestimate a person's humanity. All the mistakes that men make, I might make them too."
"Hehe…"
Zhou Mengyao teased, "You certainly don't flatter yourself."
"Mengyao, you're giving me excessive praise. I'm afraid you'll put me on a moral high ground where I can't go up or down, and having to pretend to be a hypocrite in front of you every day would be too boring."
"I prefer to be my true self, free and easy, open and fearless. It's best to let gains and losses be as fate dictates."
"How should I put it, Lin Lang?"
"Sometimes I feel you've changed, and sometimes I feel you're the same as you were in high school, like you haven't changed much, at least not in front of me."
"People change, Mengyao, you've actually changed too."
"Oh, really?"
"How have I changed?"
Lin Lang replied jokingly, "When you were in high school, your figure wasn't as well-developed. Now you're curvy, with a big butt, so you should be able to have a son, right?!"
"Naughty~ What nonsense are you spouting?!"
Zhou Mengyao's face instantly turned red, and she shyly raised her small hand and lightly punched Lin Lang's shoulder.
"I specifically worked out to get this 'peach butt.' You don't understand, so don't talk nonsense. It has nothing to do with having a big butt to have a son~"
"Mengyao, I was just joking. Why did your face turn red?"
Zhou Mengyao, with a flushed face, replied, "Why are you paying so much attention to my figure when you have nothing else to do? Do you have ideas about me?"
Before Lin Lang could answer.
Zhuang Jingxue was seen standing in the villa's first-floor hall, looking up at Zhou Mengyao and Lin Lang, who were standing and chatting on the spiral staircase, and teased, "What are you two children talking about that's so happy?"
"Hello, Shiniang!" Lin Lang greeted sweetly.
Zhou Mengyao, while descending the stairs, replied, "Mom, Lin Lang and I are already grown-ups, okay?"
Zhuang Jingxue replied with a benevolent smile, "In Mom's eyes, you'll always be little children, no matter how old you get."
"Shiniang, what delicious food are we having for lunch today?"
Zhuang Jingxue replied with a smile, "There's Songjiang perch, lotus crab, stir-fried river shrimp, steamed lobster. Anyway, it's all delicious. Your master specifically told the kitchen to add a few dishes, so just eat as much as you like."
Lin Lang chuckled, "Master and Shiniang are so good to me!"
Zhuang Jingxue asked, "Your master's door is tightly shut, and he's not eating lunch. What's the meaning of that?"
Lin Lang replied truthfully, "Master just attended Old classmate Chu Jincheng's memorial service, and he's not in a very good mood. He wants to be alone for a while and doesn't want to be disturbed."
"Old Chu dominated the Shanghai business world his entire life, a prominent Hu Merchant bigwig in Shanghai. I never expected him to pass away so suddenly from a sudden heart attack." Zhuang Jingxue sighed.
Zhou Mengyao said with lingering fear, "Mom, if it weren't for Lin Lang, who, a few days ago, used his unique skill of traditional Chinese medicine facial diagnosis to see that Dad had insufficient heart blood and blocked heart vessels, and he received timely medical treatment and stent surgery..."
"Dad's two coronary arteries were 70% blocked. If he had a sudden myocardial infarction, whether he could be saved would be an unknown!"
Zhuang Jingxue said with lingering fear, "Yes!"
"Your dad took on a treasure of an apprentice. He comes from a family of traditional Chinese medicine practitioners, immersed in it since childhood, and understood traditional Chinese medicine. He timely discovered your dad's heart problem. Chu Jincheng wasn't so lucky."
"So, your dad and I dote on him, our Baby apprentice, and there's nothing wrong with that!"
Zhou Mengyao smiled sweetly, "Exactly! Nothing wrong!"
Lin Lang smiled without speaking, accompanying Shiniang Zhuang Jingxue and Zhou Mengyao into the Zhou Residence Villa dining room, and began to enjoy a warm lunch.
AI generated beautiful image of Zhou Mengyao
During the meal.
Zhuang Jingxue continuously used serving chopsticks to put food on Lin Lang's plate, her eyes filled with affection for a junior.
"A Lang, eat more. Shiniang is happy just watching you eat!"
"Thank you, Shiniang!"
"Mom, why are you happy watching Lin Lang eat?"
Zhuang Jingxue actually replied, "You've eaten like a kitten since you were little. You only eat a little bit at each meal, and you say you're full as soon as you put down your chopsticks. It used to annoy me to see you eat like a cat when you were little."
"Look at A Lang, he eats meat and vegetables in big bites, not picky at all. Mothers like children who eat well, understand?"
Zhou Mengyao said wistfully, "Mom, I think you're just favoring boys over girls. You've always envied others who raised sons, and now you and Dad are treating Lin Lang, this apprentice, like a son."
"What's wrong, Baby daughter? Do you feel your family status is threatened now?"
"Mom, you've been putting food on Lin Lang's plate all this time, and you haven't given me any!"
Zhuang Jingxue, while eating, complained, "If I put food on your plate, you have to eat it, right?"
"You're truly a typical Shanghai girl, eating only a tiny bit at each meal. You really save our family a lot of food. Is maintaining your figure that important?"
"Mom, have you ever seen a chubby female race car driver?"
"A race car driver's weight affects the speed during a race. Most importantly, if you get fat, you won't be pretty anymore, hehe..."
"Daughter, your eating speed today seems faster than usual?"
Zhou Mengyao replied truthfully, "After lunch, I'm going with A Lang to Shanghai Television Station to register for the Huaxia Pianist Master Cup Competition auditions. The preliminary auditions registration closes this afternoon."
"Daughter, I didn't mishear, did I?"
"Are you accompanying A Lang to register for the piano competition auditions?"
"Or is A Lang accompanying you to register for the piano competition?"
"Mom, you didn't mishear. I'm accompanying Lin Lang to the piano competition. You didn't know Lin Lang is also a master of piano performance, did you?"
Zhuang Jingxue exclaimed, "A Lang, you can play the piano too?!"
Lin Lang, heartily enjoying the steamed lobster, replied modestly, "Actually, I'm not very good, just a little! Just a little!"
Zhuang Jingxue laughed after hearing that, "A Lang, Shiniang, I'm starting to understand you. Anything you humbly say you 'know a little' about, you are actually proficient and very skilled at."
Lin Lang smiled without speaking, taking a sip of freshly squeezed orange juice.
Zhou Mengyao put down her chopsticks, pulled out a high-end imported wood-print tissue to wipe her mouth, and sweetly smiled playfully, "Lin Lang, I'm finished!"
Lin Lang, while eating a hairy crab, weakly said, "Mengyao, what do you mean by looking at me like that?"
"I'm not full yet~"
"You don't want to leave for Shanghai Television Station right now, do you?"
"Let's go, Lin Lang!"
"The deadline for the piano competition audition registration is this afternoon. If we don't leave now, it'll be too late~"
"Uh... but I haven't finished my crab yet!"
Zhou Mengyao smiled sweetly, "Never mind the hairy crab. Tonight, I'll tell the chef at the Zhou Residence to steam you a king crab, how about that?"
Lin Lang immediately felt that the hairy crab in his hand was no longer appealing after hearing that. He stood up and said, "Goodbye, Shiniang!"
"Mom, I'm leaving!" Zhou Mengyao pulled Lin Lang, and without another word, they left the Zhou Residence dining room.
Zhuang Jingxue hastily urged, "Be careful on the road, drive slowly!"
"I know, Mom." Zhou Mengyao responded.
After the juniors left, Zhuang Jingxue continued eating alone, thinking with emotion, "These two children have such a good relationship; they truly are a perfect match of talent and beauty."
"If A Lang's true nature is as pure as it seems, entrusting Mengyao to A Lang would be a good outcome."
"A Lang is talented, modest, and sensible, and he's a fortunate person. He's truly a good candidate for a son-in-law!"
Clearly, Zhuang Jingxue's guard against Lin Lang was gradually changing.
Shanghai Television Station.
Backstage at the audition studio for the "Huaxia Pianist Master Cup Competition" program.
"Director, this is your working meal."
The mixed-race beauty director, Marry Yang, took the pizza and milk tea from the hands of the stage crew member and politely replied, "Thank you!"
Today's Marry Yang still had an angelic face, a devilish figure, black hair and blue eyes, a Chinese-American mix, deep and exquisite features, yet she did not lose the elegance of the East.
Marry Yang ate her working meal while holding a brief work meeting with her staff backstage at the audition studio.
The main content of the meeting was the recording of the piano competition's semi-finals, which would be held tomorrow morning.
In the afternoon, it would be the recording of the piano competition's finals.
It turned out that the Chinese-American mixed-race beauty, Marry Yang, was the director of the "Huaxia Pianist Master Cup Competition" program team. At this time, she did not yet know that Lin Lang would be participating in this competition.