WT Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Discordant Note – Will Brother Apologize to Me?

Inside a high-end mansion in the city center, preparations for the evening banquet were in full swing.

This special mansion, serving various top-tier wealthy families for hosting banquets, perfectly blends luxury and understatement. It is located in the inner ring area where the economic lifeline converges.

In a corner of the banquet hall, a small symphony orchestra was conducting its final rehearsal.

Although the ensemble’s performance, as background music for the banquet, didn’t need to reach concert hall standards, it still had to satisfy the basic requirements of wealthy families for appreciating live music.

Among them, the pianist responsible for the interlude had an accident a few days prior. Left with no choice, Wen Shixi’s piano teacher from university was contacted, hoping to find someone to fill in.

Wen Shixi agreed to his teacher’s request and came to the banquet tonight as a last-minute replacement.

Even after such an unexpected incident, he was able to come calmly, though the pheromone suppression patch on the sensitive skin behind his ear made him constantly uncomfortable.

After being guided into the banquet hall, Wen Shixi discovered that his teacher was also present.

Teacher Liang Min would be collaborating with the small symphony orchestra tonight as a specially invited conductor.

She greeted Wen Shixi with delight upon seeing him.

Before long, Wen Shixi came alone to the piano he would be playing tonight.

He sat on the piano bench, gently removed his gloves, and looked at the logo on the piano.

Steinway.

The hustle and bustle of the preparations made him feel somewhat irritable.

More than the darling of all the masters, Wen Shixi hated Steinways the most.

Steinway pianos have a dignified and steady sound, full and bright, with almost no flaws. They can flawlessly present all the pianist’s playing and are the undisputed king of pianos.

But it was just too perfect. In his childhood eyes, it always resembled the unattainable Jiang Quanyu.

In comparison, the unnoticed Wen Shixi was like the fourth string in the treble section of a Bösendorfer, only participating in resonance without actually producing sound, a subtle resonance, a child who seemed not to exist.

At that moment, Liang Min next to him exclaimed in surprise, “Shixi, what happened to your hand?”

Wen Shixi looked down at the red marks on his fingertips.

He had long discarded the gauze because he found it cumbersome. Now, the scabbed wound was exposed to the air, the edges tinged with light pink.

Wen Shixi said, “I accidentally scratched it.”

“Does it look serious?” Liang Min asked with concern. “Will it hurt if you play?”

Wen Shixi squeezed the wound. As the dull pain spread, he shook his head expressionlessly and said, “It doesn’t hurt, it’s fine.”

Immediately afterward, his fingertips lightly touched down, practicing the solo piece that would transition from the entrance to the beginning of the banquet.

The concert-grade Steinway equipped in the banquet hall produced precise and vibrant sounds.

Time ticked by, until the lights began to illuminate, and the autumn moon gradually appeared from the clouds, clear and bright.

It was time for entrance, and the banquet guests gradually arrived.

Various celebrities and investors slowly entered, dressed formally, their every move revealing elegance.

After an afternoon of rehearsal and preview, the symphony orchestra could cooperate very well.

As the orchestra played continuously, the moment for the banquet to begin finally arrived.

All the guests had arrived, and the banquet organizers had completed their speeches. Next was the time for free communication and discussion.

At his teacher’s prompting, Wen Shixi placed his hands on the black and white keys.

Then, a heavy note fell.

Rachmaninoff’s Prelude in G minor, slowed down and re-arranged, was perfect for such an opening.

The fast-paced and lively march was most appropriate as the beginning of a discussion about economic trade at the harbor.

The subsequent romantic middle section, with constantly increasing and decreasing tones flowing between the fingers, the inner voice melodious and delicate, was incomparably beautiful.

Without any additional amplification, the sound of the piano was clear and bright, spreading to every corner of the banquet hall.

In the crowd, a dark figure who had been temporarily invited stood not far away, surrounded by an enthusiastic group of people in the very center.

The man stood in the center of the crowd. His extremely superior alpha aura gave him an unignorable attraction.

The heir of a wealthy family who had not returned to the country for seven years, immersed in Washington, now possessed the highest authority upon returning to China, and could even decide the fate of a small or medium-sized enterprise with just a breath.

Gradually, after clearly hearing the sound of the piano, the man’s expression slightly froze.

He subconsciously raised his hand, without a trace of hesitation, and forcefully stopped the eloquent talk of the people around him.

In the silence, Jiang Quanyu turned his head and looked at the figure sitting in front of the piano.

In his vision, the slender figure sat on the square stool, wearing the same black shirt, but a new one. If you looked closely, you could even see some wrinkles from being folded for a long time.

Fair and slender wrists were exposed from the black cuffs, the long hands and ten fingers dancing between the black and white realm that he controlled at will, as if a ballet dancer was gracefully dancing.

The constantly accelerating short, fast rhythm required a high level of playing skill.

Wen Shixi hated being led by skills. For a professional performer like him who had been practicing piano since childhood, as long as he was dedicated enough and practiced a lot, everyone could master skills.

After the brisk tail notes, a short prelude came to an end.

At the moment the baton waved, the sound was handed back to the symphony orchestra again.

As an unnoticed banquet accompaniment, no one would applaud the pianist in the corner.

Only Teacher Liang Min’s heart echoed, knowing the level of Wen Shixi’s rendition of Rachmaninoff.

She didn’t know why Wen Shixi hadn’t gone to Europe, the birthplace of classical music, for further study after adulthood, as planned.

Wen Shixi was clearly a genius in everyone’s eyes, but he remained in Linggang, becoming a free but regrettably fallen shooting star.

The symphony orchestra sounded again. With the interlude over, Wen Shixi could have half an hour to rest.

After a smooth and unrestrained prelude, Wen Shixi was slightly sweaty, and the blocking patch behind his ear was really uncomfortable.

He left the performance area and went to the restroom, wanting to change to a new one.

Inside the restroom, Wen Shixi changed the patch and looked at himself in the mirror.

Liang Min had styled his usually fluffy, fragmented hair into the rigorous look of a professional performer, applying hairspray and revealing his complete, exquisite face.

Wen Shixi recalled the sound of the Steinway just now and patted his cheeks with hands dipped in cool water.

Sure enough, compared to his Bösendorfer, the Steinway had an unparalleled penetrating power.

Speaking of which, he should also put aside his childish prejudices and buy a Steinway for home.

Wen Shixi thought as he walked out of the restroom.

Outside the restroom, a cold and stern figure stood by the door, standing right in Wen Shixi’s path.

Wen Shixi’s gaze shifted, and when he saw the figure, his steps paused slightly.

The banquet hall at the end of the corridor echoed with noise, but Wen Shixi felt a moment of silence as his breath suddenly stopped.

Jiang Quanyu lowered his head slightly, and when he saw Wen Shixi come out from the corner of his eye, he slightly raised his face.

Familiar gaze, deep, lingering, and full of oppression.

The two looked at each other for a moment, and the earlier rapid sound of the piano seemed to return to their ears again as their gazes merged.

But the next second, Wen Shixi quickly shifted his gaze, walked toward Jiang Quanyu’s side, and planned to go directly back to the banquet venue.

If possible, he didn’t really want to talk to Jiang Quanyu.

Just as the two brushed past each other, a low, male voice suddenly came.

“In the thirty-seventh measure, you played a wrong note. The excessive acceleration in the middle and late sections was also a bit hasty.”

Wen Shixi paused his steps and stood in place.

He gently pursed his lips.

Jiang Quanyu stood not far behind him, his voice particularly clear.

“You shouldn’t be performing before the wound on your hand heals. Or is it that the current Wen Shixi’s attitude toward the piano has become so casual?”

Wen Shixi’s Adam’s apple bobbed slightly, and as he was questioned by the person behind him, his hands unconsciously clenched.

Wen Shixi: “Thank you for pointing out the problem for me, but I don’t need it. And how I play the piano doesn’t seem to have anything to do with you.”

Jiang Quanyu looked calmly at the back of Wen Shixi’s head, which was full of rejection.

For a moment, Jiang Quanyu’s voice softened a little.

“Speaking to your older brother like that—how long has it been since you were scolded, Wen Shixi?”

The man’s voice was soft and slow, but chillingly cold.

The two stood close together. Compared to the alpha’s physique, Wen Shixi was very slender and didn’t look like he had much of a chance of winning.

In the same sense of oppression as when he was a child, Wen Shixi didn’t answer.

Jiang Quanyu coldly ordered, “If you still want that Bentley of yours, turn around.”

Wen Shixi: “…”

Damn it.

Wen Shixi turned his head coldly, his pretty little face revealing a strong displeasure, but this expression of his, in Jiang Quanyu’s eyes, only looked like a grumpy little cat that didn’t have much ability to resist.

Jiang Quanyu hadn’t seen this expression of Wen Shixi’s for a long time and quietly looked at it for a while.

Jiang Quanyu: “Chen Jiale should have told you to call me when you woke up, right?”

Wen Shixi: “No.”

Jiang Quanyu paused and said in a deep voice, “No manners.”

Based on Jiang Quanyu’s understanding of Chen Jiale, he knew that Wen Shixi was lying.

Wen Shixi wasn’t embarrassed when he was exposed, he only asked seemingly intimately and obediently, “If I call brother, will brother apologize to me?”

Jiang Quanyu: “Apologize?”

Wen Shixi imitated Jiang Quanyu’s tone last night and repeated what he had said in the same way, “Because you’re an omega, so as long as you’re in heat, you can see anyone?”

Jiang Quanyu frowned.

He had thought last night that Wen Shixi was sent by Grandpa Chen, so he had said those words.

Wen Shixi looked up: “I know you won’t apologize, so I have nothing to say to you.”

If he had nothing to say, then he didn’t need to call Jiang Quanyu. The logic was so perfect that even Jiang Quanyu had no reason to scold him.

In the angle of the backlight, Jiang Quanyu’s face was high above, and his eyes seemed to contain some shallow light.

Jiang Quanyu: “Want me to apologize?”

“Forget it.” Wen Shixi changed his words: “I’m afraid I’ll die young.”

The precious darling of the entire Jiang family, how could he possibly apologize to him?

Wen Shixi felt puzzled by Jiang Quanyu’s taken-for-granted approach, and he didn’t understand why Jiang Quanyu had come to find him.

Based on the identities of the two tonight, Jiang Quanyu shouldn’t have deliberately come over to talk to him.

Not far away, Jiang Quanyu’s gaze was calm, he was silent for a moment, and then opened his mouth.

“Come here.”

Wen Shixi paused, a complicated look flashing in his eyes.

“What for?” Wen Shixi asked.

It was true that he and Jiang Quanyu were brothers, and they had been very close in the past.

But the separation was too ugly, and the reunion was also ugly.

He felt extremely uncomfortable having to face Jiang Quanyu like this.

Jiang Quanyu’s eyes narrowed slightly, revealing a hint of displeasure.

Wen Shixi instinctively sensed danger and said, “…I’m not feeling well, I don’t want to be too close to alphas, especially you.”

Wen Shixi felt that he had already said this, and he didn’t need to explain the reasons in particular.

If Jiang Quanyu was sensible, he shouldn’t provoke him any further.

Seven years had passed, and they couldn’t even be considered acquaintances now.

Unexpectedly, the person opposite him heard this, and the dissatisfaction in his eyes deepened.

The person who had been in power for a long time hated being resisted the most.

For a moment, the corridor was quite quiet, and the silence from Jiang Quanyu was extremely heavy, turning into a deep darkness as time passed.

Before long, footsteps lightly sounded.