Chapter 259: Chapter 250: You Are My Little Star
Xue Rui looked over as well. ’Is the little missy going to play for me?’
Gu Muxue stood up and whispered a few words to a server. She then rested her fingers lightly on the piano keys. After testing just a few notes, a look of surprise crossed her face, followed by a nod of satisfaction...
As her fingers gently pressed down, the classic children’s song "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" began to play.
Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are...
Xue Rui lightly tapped his fingers on the table, thinking, ’Isn’t this a children’s song for beginners? I used to be able to play this song too, I’ve just completely forgotten it now.’
But after hearing just a few notes, Xue Rui couldn’t help but marvel at the difference between people. The same children’s song, when played by the little missy, was exceptionally soothing. He couldn’t tell what techniques she was using, but he could feel a distinct air of sophistication reverberating in his ears.
’Fucking simplicity is the ultimate sophistication. Maybe that Yamaha piano has something to do with it. Looks like the owner of this place is a music lover.’
Qiu Mengze, of course, had overheard their conversation. When Gu Muxue said she was going to play for Xue Rui, he was incredibly envious. ’If only I knew how to play the piano, I could be playing for Qin Tong right now.’
Qin Tong watched Gu Muxue with envy. She envied Gu Muxue’s princess-like family background and her many talents...
However, the musical style slowly shifted, and the little missy transitioned into another song called "Little Star."
The moment the melody began, Xue Rui’s eyes narrowed slightly, a nostalgic look on his face. For students of their generation, who could forget the songs of the "Big Three"? That was the soundtrack of their youth.
Although the little missy hadn’t said a word, the lyrics unconsciously flashed through his mind:
You are my little star,
Hanging in the sky, shining bright;
I have decided to love you,
And I won’t give up so easily...
Xue Rui’s hand holding the lemonade trembled, and water splashed onto Qiu Mengze across from him.
Qiu Mengze wiped his face. He took a deep breath, and just as he was about to let out a few curses, he was silenced by a glare from Qin Tong, who was engrossed in the music. He immediately behaved himself.
Xue Rui looked up and made eye contact with Gu Muxue. The little missy’s face turned beet red, and she immediately whipped her head aside, then slowly transitioned back to the children’s song version of "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star."
The lyrics to that song were, after all, incredibly blunt.
Gu Muxue couldn’t even bring herself to say the words "I like you," yet here she was, secretly planting lyrics with the words "love you" directly into Xue Rui’s mind with her music.
The mashup of the two "Little Star" songs echoed through the restaurant full of young people. As the last note gradually faded, someone clapped softly.
"Beautiful, play another one!" someone shouted.
Xue Rui propped his chin on his hand and looked at the little missy. Right then, her eyes were filled with shyness, and a blush had crept onto her small face.
"Another one," Xue Rui said with a smile.
Gu Muxue pursed her lips and shot Xue Rui a look before playing another song, "Why Not?".
Xue Rui’s mind immediately recalled the lyrics: *For you, I’d thaw a frozen river; for you, I’d be a moth drawn to a flame...*
When the song ended, the little missy gave a polite smile and nod to the surrounding audience before sitting back down next to Xue Rui.
How could the crowd not understand? Although this elegant young woman hadn’t said a single word, the direction of her gaze couldn’t escape so many pairs of eyes. Both songs were played for one boy.
Gu Muxue’s feet dangled and swung under her chair. For a piano that looked like it hadn’t been used in years, it was surprisingly in tune.
Such a thing was rare. She felt that this was fate connecting her and Xue Rui; even the heavens were helping her.
"What did... what did you guys think of my playing?" Gu Muxue asked, her voice stuttering a bit. She was really nervous right now.
Although she said "you guys," both Qin Tong and Xue Rui understood it was just a cover. In reality, she only wanted to hear Xue Rui’s answer.
Qiu Mengze blurted out blankly, "That was so aweso—"
Xue Rui’s head snapped up, and his glare forced the rest of the word back down Qiu Mengze’s throat.
’So uncultured it’s scary. One phrase to rule them all: "fucking awesome."’
Gu Muxue also frowned and shot Qiu Mengze a glare.
"It sounded wonderful," Xue Rui said with a smile. "It would have been even better if you had sung along. I’ve forgotten all the lyrics."
Gu Muxue tilted her head and stared at Xue Rui, flames brewing in her peach-blossom eyes. ’The lyrics to those two songs were so mortifying, and he wanted her to sing along?’
’Besides, those two songs were so popular. Who wouldn’t remember the lyrics after hearing the melody?’
’She suspected Xue Rui was teasing her, but his memory really was bad. It was possible he’d actually forgotten...’
She puffed her cheeks and placed her hand on Xue Rui’s thigh, lightly pinching a bit of flesh.
Xue Rui had already braced himself, but the anticipated sharp pain never came. The little missy’s voice was as faint as a mosquito’s buzz. "You can look up the lyrics..."
Xue Rui put on a show of taking out his phone, and Gu Muxue secretly glanced at his screen. Just then, the little rascal reported in on her lunch situation:
[I had pork trotter rice for lunch today, and added two braised eggs...]
Xue Rui hastily shut off his phone screen. ’It wouldn’t be good if the little missy saw that.’ He said, "I just remembered them."
Gu Muxue buried her head. "I’m... I’m full. Let’s go."
Qiu Mengze glanced over in surprise. ’Maybe the place I picked is still too low-class,’ he thought. ’Even though it’s ten times more expensive than what I normally eat, Gu Muxue only cut off a small piece of steak and barely touched the rest.’
Xue Rui hadn’t eaten much either. He raised his hand and called the server over.
Qiu Mengze quickly said, "I’ll get the bill. Don’t fight me on this."
Xue Rui ignored Qiu Mengze and said calmly, "Could we get these two dishes packed to go?"
Qiu Mengze was once again shocked by Xue Rui’s thick skin. ’This guy not only uses chopsticks in a Western restaurant, but he’s also getting his leftovers packed to go?’
He immediately looked at Gu Muxue, only to see a surprised expression on her face as well.
Qiu Mengze sneered. ’Xue Rui is so embarrassing.’
Xue Rui ignored that idiot Qiu Mengze and turned his head to look at Gu Muxue. "What’s wrong?"
"Nothing. It’s good to not waste food." Gu Muxue gave a small smile. She was just surprised that Xue Rui was a lot like her father and grandfather; he really cared about not wasting food.
Xue Rui never cared about what other people thought. In fact, she looked down on the kind of boys who were always dressed up, flexing their money and muscles.
’Even though Xue Rui seems a bit mature for his age, it’s actually not a bad thing. I like it a lot.’
"We’re going to head out. You two take your time," Gu Muxue said to the other pair, tugging on Xue Rui’s fingers and pulling him toward the exit.
After Xue Rui and Gu Muxue left, Qiu Mengze lost his appetite. He had eaten a little something while waiting for Qin Tong earlier, so he really couldn’t eat anymore now.
Qin Tong was beside him, looking through her new phone. It was filled with pictures she had just taken during the meal.
Qiu Mengze asked, "Are you full, too?"
Qin Tong nodded. "I’m full."
With that, she made a move to grab her bag and leave.
The truth is, for many girls, eating isn’t important. Taking pictures is what’s most important.
Took pictures = Ate.
Ate but didn’t take pictures = Didn’t eat.
"Waiter, pack this up," Qiu Mengze said.
Qin Tong shot him a disgusted look. Just now, Xue Rui had raised his hand to signal the server and politely requested to have his food packed.
But Qiu Mengze was shouting at the top of his lungs. The entire restaurant now knew they were getting their food packed up, which she found incredibly embarrassing. She hurried toward the door.
"Never mind the packing, just the check!" Qiu Mengze scrambled to pay, and only then did Qin Tong stop and wait for him.
The waitress said politely, "Hello, that will be 98 per person."
This table of customers had left an extremely deep impression on her.
She looked at Qiu Mengze and Qin Tong separately. Just before, Xue Rui and Gu Muxue had paid separately, and had even told her that going Dutch was the popular thing to do now, with men and women each paying their own way.
So, she subconsciously assumed this couple would also pay for themselves. After all, people who come together should behave in the same way.
However, this was the exact line of thinking Xue Rui had intentionally created for the server...
Qin Tong froze for a moment. ’Why was the server asking her to pay?’
Qiu Mengze quickly handed over two 100-yuan bills. "I’ve got it."
The moment he handed over the money, he had an auditory hallucination. It was as if he heard Xue Rui cursing in his ear: "Simp."
’Fuck! Son of a bitch Xue Rui! I said it was my treat, why the hell did you go Dutch?’ Qiu Mengze cursed inwardly. He was sure the server’s strange behavior had something to do with Xue Rui.
After paying the bill, Qiu Mengze started complaining about Xue Rui’s behavior. "Seriously, that Xue Rui. Using chopsticks in a Western restaurant, packing up leftovers, and even making a girl pay."
He felt that he had come out looking better than Xue Rui today.
Qin Tong gave Qiu Mengze a strange look. "He can use whatever he wants. And packing up leftovers is just not being wasteful."
Qiu Mengze gave an awkward laugh. ’Why?’
’Is Qin Tong someone with extremely high moral standards? But I clearly felt her disdain when I used the wrong silverware earlier, and she looked very displeased just now when I was about to get the food packed.’
The truth was, Qin Tong knew about Xue Rui’s status as a rich second-generation heir.
She thought Xue Rui using chopsticks was an eccentric habit of the rich, and packing leftovers was a noble virtue of frugality. But when Qiu Mengze did it, it just reeked of being a cheapskate...
Qiu Mengze thought about it. ’Qin Tong hasn’t refuted my last point, so she must be unhappy about Xue Rui making a girl pay.’
’I did pretty well in that regard,’ he thought. ’I must have earned her approval.’
...
Meanwhile, Xue Rui and Gu Muxue were slowly walking down to the first floor.
"Why did we pay separately just now?" Gu Muxue asked.
Although she understood what Xue Rui meant about going Dutch, she personally didn’t like the practice, especially when it came to her interactions with him.
"I did it for Qiu Mengze to see. He’s being led around by the nose like a total sucker." Xue Rui was frank. There was no need to beat around the bush with Gu Muxue.
Gu Muxue thought back on what had just happened. She said, "I think that girl was a little strange. She kept staring at my clothes and my phone."
That was precisely why she had wanted to leave early.
Xue Rui gave a helpless smile. Boys only paid attention to a pretty girl’s face and figure, but girls noticed much more. They didn’t just check out handsome guys; they checked out pretty girls, too.
Especially someone like Qin Tong, who even cared about phone brands; she would definitely pay attention to the daily outfits of a rich young lady.
GRUMBLE~
Xue Rui teased, "Whose stomach was that?"
Gu Muxue pouted, then shot her small hand straight up, like a primary school student raising their hand to admit they did something wrong.
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