DSF Chapter 147

Bian Shu clumsily grasped Sun Tianjiao’s wrist, his dark eyes barely discernible under the dim lights.

He murmured, “I’m sorry.”

Unfortunately, the dance floor was too noisy, the music thunderous; his voice couldn’t reach Sun Tianjiao’s ears.

But Sun Tianjiao, watching his lips, knew exactly what he had said.

Those three words did pull at his heartstrings—after all, for such a high-level boss to apologize so readily showed he genuinely cared.

Yet, he couldn’t quite get past it.

Thus, Sun Tianjiao averted his gaze, jerked his hand free, and walked out of the dance floor.

Bian Shu’s fingers tightened momentarily, he sighed softly, and hurriedly followed.

Sun Tianjiao returned to his seat, slumped into the sofa with a stern face and crossed legs, and grabbed his cocktail to chug.

Bian Shu immediately restrained his wrist, “Don’t drink what’s been out of sight.”

Sun Tianjiao grumbled reluctantly, “Who are you to control me?”

Though the bar’s minimum spend was a thousand, and twenty types of cocktails were on free refill, Sun Tianjiao had picked one at random.

The drinks weren’t precious, and he knew Bian Shu made a valid point, but he just wanted to be contrary.

This time, Bian Shu didn’t relent. Firmly, he took the drink from Sun Tianjiao’s grasp and placed it far away.

“What would you like to drink? I can order something else for you, or we can find a quieter place, okay?”

His posture and tone were tender enough.

And there sat Sun Tianjiao, lounging in the sofa like a lord, while Bian Shu was still standing.

Sun Tianjiao’s eyelids twitched, conceding without another word about the drink.

“The minimum spend is a thousand, I’m not leaving. Whatever you want to say, say it here.”

He’d only had less than one drink since arriving, barely danced at all, and had already been taken advantage of—his money felt utterly wasted.

Bian Shu had no choice but to comply.

Though a thousand yuan meant little to either of them, Sun Tianjiao was always careful with money.

Bian Shu gestured to the spot next to Sun Tianjiao and, bending down slightly, asked warmly, “Wifey, may I sit?”

Sun Tianjiao glanced around noncommittally and didn’t speak, but he didn’t refuse either.

Bian Shu took the hint and sat down next to him, carefully leaving a gap of about two fingers’ width between them.

Sun Tianjiao felt the sofa dip beside him and slightly shifted.

A bar really wasn’t the best place for a heart-to-heart.

The place was chaotic with dancing, singing, and play fighting—it seemed everyone was intent on squeezing every bit of fun out of the moment.

In such an environment, it was hard for Sun Tianjiao to pick up on any of Bian Shu’s emotions.

Bian Shu looked down and murmured, “I didn’t mean to keep it from you, I just didn’t know how to say it.”

Sun Tianjiao snorted.

Bian Shu glanced up slightly, his profile facing Sun Tianjiao, “I liked you from the beginning, but you deleted me due to a misunderstanding. I also misunderstood that you weren’t serious, so I never reached out again until we reconnected over the contract. It seemed like fate. You haven’t changed much since then, but I think I’ve changed a lot, probably because I was abandoned before, so I never dared to bring it up.

I’ve thought of countless ways to come clean to you, but I don’t know which would have been best, or if any could ever be good enough. This isn’t a business deal where I can afford to take losses. You’re part of me; I can’t afford to lose you, so I hesitated and dragged it out until now.”

Sun Tianjiao straightened up, tilting his chin slightly.

Here it comes.

The battle of principles was about to begin.

He looked back at Bian Shu, his gaze sharp as a blade: “Hiding the truth is still hiding the truth. There’s no excuse for that. You and Bian Ning both knew who I was, and here I was, foolishly pouring my heart out. Isn’t that ridiculous? I’ve hated being kept in the dark by people I care about my whole life, especially by those I care about!”

Bian Shu closed his eyes and nodded, “It’s my fault, but neither Bian Ning nor I meant to make fun of you. Bian Ning actually likes you a lot. When you left the game, she was upset for a long time.” He paused and sighed, “I was too. That was my first love as much as it was yours, just as precious to me. And because it was so precious, knowing how much you despised the person I was then, I didn’t dare tell you.”

Sun Tianjiao softened a bit at his words.

He knew Bian Shu wasn’t just placating him; everything he said was genuine.

If their roles were reversed, he probably couldn’t have done any better.

It was a case of unfortunate miscommunication.

Wrong that after so many years, they could still meet like this.

The problem lies in both of them having gone through a round of social polishing, yet their tastes haven’t changed.

Sun Tianjiao stiffened his neck, “I didn’t dislike it; I just genuinely didn’t like men back then. I—” He took a deep breath, trying to keep calm, “I thought I was dating someone mature and stable, but I never expected such immature and melodramatic behavior!”

Bian Shu’s eyelashes trembled at his words. In that moment, a beam of light from a distant stage flashed across his eyes, caressing his deep-set features, momentarily adding a hint of vulnerability.

“Sorry, but I do have many flaws and can’t always be mature.”

Sun Tianjiao pursed his lips.

Bian Shu admitting to having flaws felt a bit like overkill.

Despite being so strong, he seemed to have a lot of flaws when it came to him.

Sun Tianjiao said, “I don’t mean to belittle you; I just find this whole thing unreasonable!”

Bian Shu could see it.

Sun Tianjiao just couldn’t let go of this anger, even though he understood the logic and knew that the past was a misunderstanding without a solution.

He suddenly felt a little sorry for Sun Tianjiao’s composure.

What were relationships like for others?

They probably involved some occasional coquettishness or even occasional petulance.

In fact, petulance was fine. No one could maintain emotional stability forever, and no one could always be right.

Petulance was just a tug-of-war in the relationship, eventually dissolved by tender affection.

But Sun Tianjiao didn’t know how to do that.

Even in such moments of anger, he suppressed his emotions, refusing to lose control, even calculating his anger carefully.

That wasn’t natural; instead, it had become a habit.

To achieve what he had at his age, he probably never once indulged his emotions.

He treated Mr. Chen the same way back then, and now, he treated him the same way. It was Sun Tianjiao’s professional demeanor, ingrained into his very being.

That was the refinement and tempering that society had given him.

Bian Shu couldn’t say it was bad; he just felt a bit sorry.

If they had gotten together back then, if Sun Tianjiao had gone abroad with him, perhaps he could have made Sun Tianjiao’s life a bit easier and more comfortable.

Bian Shu swallowed hard, grabbed Sun Tianjiao’s hand, and gently kissed it, saying, “I won’t hide anything from you in the future. Can you forgive me this time?”

Sun Tianjiao’s heart was filled with mixed feelings.

Logic told him he could, but what else did he want? Did he want Bian Shu to bare his heart to him?

Emotion told him that if it ended so easily, wouldn’t he be easily manipulated in the future?

He had prepared for a verbal battle, with facts, reasoning, and even numerous arguments rehearsed in his mind.

But none of it mattered.

Bian Shu didn’t engage in a battle with him; instead, he kept apologizing.

Sun Tianjiao realized that Bian Shu was more mature than him.

They were the same age, yet Bian Shu avoided any friction meticulously, and his words were oddly comforting to him.

Sun Tianjiao hesitated about making amends too quickly. He airily said, “I haven’t decided yet. Let me think about it.”

Bian Shu blinked and replied softly, “Alright, I’ll wait.”

Sun Tianjiao couldn’t deny feeling a sense of superiority with Bian Shu treating him with such regard. But he diverted his gaze, casting it around the bar as if casually observing the scene.

Catching sight of a musician, Sun Tianjiao couldn’t resist teasing Bian Shu, “That drummer looks cool, and he’s not bad looking either.”

Bian Shu raised an eyebrow slightly and followed his gaze, studying the drummer for a moment before murmuring, “Really?”

Sun Tianjiao then turned his attention back and casually said, “Order some drinks, let’s talk while we drink, otherwise it’s money wasted.”

Bian Shu, thoughtfully nodding, couldn’t help but smile, “Okay.”

The bar was too crowded and chaotic for the servers to attend to everyone effectively, prompting Bian Shu to stand and head to the bar himself.

He didn’t opt for the free drinks; instead, he ordered an expensive but mild cocktail for Sun Tianjiao.

He signaled the server to take the drink to Sun Tianjiao, then headed straight for the band.

Although Sun Tianjiao appeared nonchalant, he kept his eyes on Bian Shu.

Finding it odd when Bian Shu didn’t return and seeing him approach the band, Sun Tianjiao straightened up and watched intently.

Bian Shu spoke with the band for a while, and the drummer relinquished his spot with a nod.

Bian Shu caught the drumsticks, testing their feel in his palm. It had been a long time since he had last touched any musical instrument.

The drummer remarked, “Can you really play, dressed like that?”

Bian Shu replied politely, “Ah, it was a spur-of-the-moment decision; I forgot to change.”

Sun Tianjiao was dumbfounded.

Was Bian Shu serious?

Just a little tease, and he reacts by stepping up to play the drums? What happened to the mature, composed man?

And playing the drums wasn’t something one could just improvise. The club was packed with people waiting to dance; a poor performance, despite any tip, would be embarrassing!

The notion of his seemingly perfect husband making a fool of himself was unthinkable.

Sun Tianjiao wished he could take back his earlier words.

Bian Shu twirled the drumsticks in his fingers, gave them a few airy swings, and then struck the drums.

The sound was crisp and forceful, blending seamlessly with the metal and electronic music, accompanied by rising dry ice fog, perfectly matching the atmosphere.

Bian Shu was initially a bit rusty, but he quickly adapted.

To Sun Tianjiao’s untrained ear, Bian Shu didn’t seem to lack anything compared to the regular drummer.

Bian Shu on the drums presented a very different side of himself.

Sun Tianjiao felt as if the statue of Bian Shu he had built in his mind—the one unreachably strong and stable—had suddenly come to life.

Bian Shu, brimming with emotions, impulses, untamed moments, and intense passion, was unexpectedly proficient at playing the drums.

How could Bian Shu possibly know how to play the drums?

Sun Tianjiao watched, spellbound, as Bian Shu, surrounded by the band and bathed in the spotlight, appeared alarmingly charismatic.

The vigorous movement caused the sleeves of his suit to ride up, revealing forearms seldom exposed to sunlight. The intense vibration heated the muscles usually restrained by his shirt, with tiny beads of sweat forming on his brow and temples.

“Damn.”

“I’ve struck gold.”

Sun Tianjiao murmured to himself.

When the song ended, the band’s drummer came up to give Bian Shu a high five, clearly thrilled, and even whistled in excitement.

But Bian Shu, as if suddenly returning to reality, awkwardly responded to the greeting.

He courteously returned the drumsticks, wiping the fine sweat from his neck with the back of his hand, and muttered, “A suit really isn’t suitable for this.”

Sun Tianjiao walked over briskly, drink in hand, and asked incredulously, “You can play the drums?”

Bian Shu’s eyes curved into a smile: “Yeah, a bit. Did you think it looked good?”

Unable to deny the truth and carried away by his performance, Sun Tianjiao involuntarily nodded.

Bian Shu’s smile deepened. “I’m glad you liked it. It’s been a long time since I last practiced.”

Sun Tianjiao furrowed his brows in surprise. “I’ve known you for over half a year now, and I’ve never seen you play. You don’t even have a drum set at home.”

Bian Shu explained naturally, “I stopped learning later on. I switched to the piano, but I haven’t touched that for a long time either.”

Although Sun Tianjiao didn’t understand music well, he could tell that Bian Shu clearly preferred the drums over the piano.

This was probably his rebellious nature – the more out of place something was, the more it attracted him.

“Why did you stop? Your family could afford both, couldn’t they?”

Bian Shu blinked. “We’re not short of money, but practicing the piano left me with no time for the drums. I couldn’t divide my focus between two instruments.”

Sun Tianjiao was puzzled. “Ah? So you like the piano more?”

Bian Shu shook his head, “No, my parents thought piano was more appropriate. They believed playing the drums might skew my temperament, so I switched.”

Sun Tianjiao: “This…”

Sun Tianjiao was momentarily speechless, he never had the opportunity to learn when he was young and he have never heard of someone quitting an instrument to maintain their demeanor.

Seeing Sun Tianjiao’s confusion, Bian Shu quickly clarified, “You might find it hard to understand. Even Bian Ning, despite her academic struggles, has solid foundations in ballroom dancing and violin. Think of it as…” Bian Shu gave a wry smile, “rich second generation kids overburdened with expectations.”

Sun Tianjiao immediately understood.

This might just be the elite education from a world he didn’t quite understand.

Bian Shu shared, “I picked up drumming while studying abroad. Even though I had a full scholarship, Wharton was filled with geniuses and the wealthy; I wasn’t particularly outstanding. Compelled by the perfectionist upbringing from my parents, I felt suffocated. The only respite I had during those times was the chance encounters with you, getting to chat away the hours.”

Sun Tianjiao’s expression was a mix of emotions.

He had no idea that he had played such a significant role in Bian Shu’s life back then.

Then, him abruptly quitting the game must have—

With sincere eyes and a tender touch, Bian Shu gently pinched Sun Tianjiao’s earlobe, “That’s why I mean it when I say I love you. You really are special to me.”

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