During the banquet, as the president of Tian Sheng, He Heng had a lot of people approaching him for conversation. There were constantly individuals coming over to toast him.
He Heng found it hard to find time to do anything else and could only entertain each person one by one. Shi Shuang, on the other hand, remained by his side, accompanying him in toasting.
However, he noticed that Shi Shuang seemed somewhat absent-minded. His gaze frequently drifted towards the pianist on the white steps at the center of the banquet hall.
The performer appeared to be quite young, a delicately featured beta. His face seemed vaguely familiar to He Heng, but he couldn’t quite recall where he had seen him before.
Midway through the banquet, He Heng excused himself and headed to the restroom.
Meanwhile, Shi Shuang, holding a glass of red wine, moved to a less crowded corner to wait for the other person. He half-closed his eyes, gently swirled the red wine in his glass, and quietly listened to the familiar melody.
In fact, the pianist invited to tonight’s banquet was someone he knew, an acquaintance from his past.
The person’s name was Li Jingze, and in the past, Shi Shuang often crossed paths with him during various piano competitions.
During those times, whenever Li Jingze participated in competitions where Shi Shuang was also a contestant, he always ended up in second place. So, he used to jokingly tell Shi Shuang not to bother coming next time if he didn’t want to be the perennial second place.
Unexpectedly, his words turned out to be prophetic. Due to family reasons, Shi Shuang eventually withdrew permanently from the music scene. Not long ago, he came across the news that Li Jingze had won first place in an international piano competition.
Piano used to be everything to Shi Shuang. If he had seen this news just two years earlier, his emotions would have undoubtedly been turbulent. However, now that he had seen it, there was no special sentiment, just a sigh at the changes in life.
However, in his moment of distraction, a shadow suddenly cast over his vision.
Shi Shuang lifted his gaze only to find Li Jingze standing in front of him.
“Long time no see. Didn’t expect to run into you here,” Li Jingze said with a slightly surprised expression, extending his hand toward him.
“The last time was at the opening ceremony of the Alberts Music Festival,” Shi Shuang recalled that performance very clearly because it marked his last public stage appearance.
However, he now smiled with a sense of relief, graciously shaking hands with Li Jingze. “Congratulations on winning the first place in the international competition last week,” he said.
Upon hearing this, Li Jingze raised an eyebrow. “If you hadn’t withdrawn, maybe that first place wouldn’t be mine.”
Li Jingze’s words left Shi Shuang momentarily stunned. He found himself lost in his own thoughts publicly.
If his mother hadn’t passed away,
If Shi Shaowen hadn’t strayed,
If he hadn’t been forced to give up the piano back then.
If all these assumptions could come true, everyone could live in a perfect world. However, everything was impossible, and assumptions held no meaning for Shi Shuang.
Thinking about this, he shook his head with a smile. “No ‘what ifs.’ You earned that first place fair and square.”
Seeing Shi Shuang’s accepting expression, Li Jingze couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. He often lamented about the deep-rooted prejudices in society, and there were too many things beyond one’s control. If Shi Shuang weren’t constrained by his Omega status, he would undoubtedly stand even higher than he does now.
When He Heng emerged from the restroom, he encountered several business partners. Engaging in conversation with them took some time. As he stepped out, he witnessed a scene unfold.
The beta playing the piano was now chattering away in front of Shi Shuang, their lips moving rapidly.
Unexpectedly, the CEO abruptly halted, and Ji Yuan nearly collided with his back, caught off guard.
Witnessing this, Ji Yuan cautiously observed He Heng’s expression. “President He?”
He Heng, with a stern expression, watched the two conversing individuals. He then thrust the wine glass into Ji Yuan’s hands.
“Three seconds. I want all the information on that man.”
“President He, this is Li Jingze, who just won first place in the international piano competition. He was once hailed as a prodigious piano youth,” Ji Yuan carefully flipped through the guest information at the banquet.
This person clearly looks like they’re in their twenties.
And still a “youth”?
He Heng couldn’t help but start to doubt how those critics judged things.
Just as he took a step to walk toward Shi Shuang, a figure suddenly flashed in front of him, blocking his way.
He Heng lowered his head and saw Su Qian, holding a glass of red wine, approaching him. She deliberately lowered her voice and called out, “Brother Heng.”
Why is it you again?
The spirit car driver.
Su Qian’s “Brother Heng” was quite charming, attracting the attention of everyone within a radius of ten miles, including Shi Shuang and Li Jingze.
Li Jingze followed Shi Shuang’s gaze, and after getting a clear look at He Heng’s appearance, he asked with some surprise, “Is this your Alpha?”
“Yeah,” Shi Shuang nodded, unable to shift his gaze away from He Heng and Su Qian.
His lips pressed tightly together, and that sour feeling he had experienced earlier surged up again, as if he had been soaking in a vinegar jar.
Seeing this, Li Jingze raised an eyebrow in surprise.
After all, in his memory, apart from when playing the piano, Shi Shuang rarely displayed emotions. Regardless of who he interacted with, he always maintained a calm demeanor, polite yet distant.
Today, when Shi Shuang looked at that Alpha, the intense emotions in his eyes were something Li Jingze had never seen before.
Su Qian continued to cling to He Heng, muttering, “Brother Heng, how could you just turn your head and forget about me?”
Seeing this, He Heng raised an eyebrow. Meeting the gazes from Shi Shuang’s group, he found all eyes focused on him, ready to witness the upcoming drama.
He calmly communicated with his consciousness and the system, ‘What does this plot amount to in those melodramatic scripts of yours?’
996: [Shura field.]
Immediately, He Heng sneered disdainfully, ‘Shura field? Is this all?’
The next moment, Li Jingze saw Shi Shuang’s Alpha standing there, facing Su Qian’s various provocative expressions with an indifferent air, as unmoving as a wooden statue.
Then, he suddenly shifted his focus, reaching out to grasp the high-stemmed glass in Su Qian’s hand. With a tilt of his hand, half of the red wine spilled onto his own white shirt, executing the move with grace and precision.
Li Jingze: “…”
Su Qian: “…”
He Heng couldn’t be considered as provoking; this was more like a full-on collision.
“This shirt cost thirty-five thousand,” He Heng brushed Su Qian’s glass aside with his hand. “You can discuss compensation with my secretary. I’m going to change clothes now.”
Amidst the astonished gazes of the onlookers, Ji Yuan and the assistant hurriedly ran over. “President He, your clothes?”
“It’s fine, I’ll change,” He Heng replied.
In terms of provocations,
Su Qian was still a bit inexperienced.
But at this moment, he didn’t even want to spare the other a glance.
In the midst of Shi Shuang’s bewilderment, He Heng walked straight to him, took his hand, and turned to Li Jingze with a slight smile. “Apologies for the interruption.”
Then, holding Shi Shuang’s hand, he left the main hall of the banquet.
Outside the changing room,
Shi Shuang leaned against the outer wall, lost in thought,
Images of the moments spent with He Heng over the past month involuntarily flashed through his mind.
Sometimes, it was the close proximity of the man with his high and arched brows, other times it was his deliberately peculiar tone, and occasionally, it was the serious and focused manner in which he applied medicine for him.
Unconsciously, a faint smile began to appear on his lips,
“Thump! Thump! Thump!”
Simultaneously, his heartbeat accelerated.
The sound of his chest pounding forcefully brought his thoughts back in an instant.
Upon realizing that his emotions were getting a bit out of control, Shi Shuang reached up to cover his face and took a moment to steady his breath,
But what exactly were their current relationship dynamics?
The next second, a creaking sound interrupted his thoughts as the tall Alpha, now in a different outfit, walked out.
He Heng adjusted the position of his cufflinks and said, “I’ll take you somewhere.”
The other’s long and powerful fingers enveloped his palm, the touch dry yet warm. Shi Shuang allowed himself to be led, experiencing an unprecedented calmness within.
He Heng took him through a private passage, and they rode an elevator to reach the top floor of the hotel.
As the elevator doors opened, Shi Shuang’s pupils trembled slightly. He was struck by the sight before him,
In the black night sky, stars sparkled. Along the coastline of A City were elegant and dignified European-style buildings, and beyond them stretched an endless coastline, with the faint imprints of waves on the sandy beach.
Before him was a path adorned with candlelight, leading straight to the centrally decorated terrace on the rooftop of the hotel,
There, a white grand piano stood.
There was no one else here,
The vast expanse of sky and land, with only the silhouettes of the two.
He Heng walked in front of Shi Shuang, and a gentle breeze brushed over the Alpha’s clothes and hair. The sound of the waves provided an accompaniment for the two.
He opened the piano lid for Shi Shuang, then turned to look at the person in front of him.
In that moment, the man’s deep black pupils were brighter than the stars. Shi Shuang saw him curve his lips and say to him,
“Would you play for me?”
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