Chapter 50: The Hard Life of a Worker
"Xixi, how do you even know Feifei? This is unbelievable!"
Keke was driving, and it was as if she had just snapped back to reality. She turned her head to look at Shen Xi, who was sitting in the passenger seat, her face full of disbelief.
Huh? Feifei? Do fans really call their idols by such affectionate nicknames? Shen Xi couldn't help but chuckle and shake her head helplessly.
"Eyes on the road, silly girl."
She reached out and gently turned Keke’s head forward, making her focus on driving.
Today, Su Kexin felt like her trip wasn’t wasted at all. Not only did she get to meet her idol, An Yufei, but she also received his first-ever collectible album CD, personally signed by him.
According to Keke, this kind of collectible CD was priceless in the fan community.
Shen Xi was a little envious. Just a simple signature could be worth so much. She couldn't help but wonder, if she made a name for herself one day, would her autograph also become a treasured item for fans? That feeling… didn’t seem bad at all.
"Xixi, I have a feeling..."
Keke bit her lip, hesitating a little.
"Hm? What feeling?"
"The way Yufei looks at you is different. Do you think he likes you?"
Cough cough! "Huh??"
Shen Xi choked on her own saliva, getting goosebumps all over.
"Keke, don’t talk nonsense! How is that possible? We’re just regular friends."
"Besides, I’m married. Did you forget?"
With over twenty years of single life experience, she knew better than anyone.
She and An Yufei were just sworn siblings. Well, more like a one-sided sworn sibling relationship…
But then again, she suddenly wondered, can men and women really have pure friendships?
When she was a man in her past life, she didn’t believe in it. She thought it was just an excuse playboys used to fool girls.
But now that she had become a woman… she felt like maybe… it was possible?
Either way, she herself would never develop those kinds of feelings for a man.
"Oh, right."
Keke lightly patted her head, then glanced at Shen Xi with a teasing look.
"President Gu is not only handsome but also rich, way ahead of our Yufei. I’m so jealous of you, Xixi. You’re amazing!"
Hearing Keke praise Gu Hanling, Shen Xi suddenly felt a strange sense of pride. She lifted her chin slightly.
"Of course, my big brother—uh..."
Mid-sentence, she froze, realizing something and quickly swallowed the rest of her words.
What was she doing? What do his looks have to do with her? Ugh, stop thinking nonsense!
………………………………………
7:56 PM - Gu Family Villa
Beep.
Shen Xi placed her hand on the black panel outside the villa. The door automatically unlocked.
"Phew, made it just in time."
She let out a small breath, feeling like a worker who didn't want to be late to avoid a salary deduction. Well… in a way, she actually was.
No matter where she went, she was still a worker at heart. So… was she clocking in or out right now?
While she was lost in thought, she turned back and gave Keke a thumbs-up. Seeing that the door had opened, Su Kexin waved goodbye before driving away.
"Good evening, Madam. You are very punctual today."
As soon as she stepped inside, Butler Wang greeted her with a warm smile.
Shen Xi let out an awkward laugh and thought, ‘Of course, I’m punctual. If I was any later, I’d be locked out again.’
Damn it. She couldn’t help but suspect that Gu Hanling did it on purpose, just to embarrass her in front of Keke.
"Does this house have a piano?"
Her eyes lit up with anticipation as she looked at the butler.
A villa this big should have one, right? Even if no one played, rich people liked to have one just for the aesthetic.
"Of course he has. When the master was nine years old, he had already obtained Grade 8 in the ABRSM piano examination."
Butler Wang's words made Shen Xi pause slightly. ABRSM stands for the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, and Grade 8 is the highest level.
Alright… she really had underestimated rich people, especially this rich person.
She had only seen Gu Hanling working out before. She never imagined that he could also play the piano.
Just picturing him with his usual cold expression, elegantly playing the piano… actually seemed kind of cool.
Since it was getting late, Shen Xi decided to start practicing tomorrow. The weather was getting hotter, and she was already covered in sweat, so she took a nice, refreshing shower.
Only after lying in bed did she remember to let An Yufei know she was safe.
[I’m home. Thanks again for today.]
After sending the message, for some reason, she hesitated and opened Gu Hanling’s chat window.
After a brief moment of hesitation, she typed:
[Goodnight, big brother.]
She quickly received a reply.
[It’s daytime here.]
"......"
Oh, right. It was still morning on his side. She had totally forgotten. Her face heated up slightly in embarrassment.
But then, for some reason, she felt annoyed. She rolled her eyes at the screen, turned her phone to silent mode, and tossed it aside.
Just as she was about to sleep, her phone screen lit up for a brief moment.
It was a late reply from him:
[Goodnight.]
………………………………………
The Next Day.
After a satisfying breakfast, Shen Xi followed Butler Wang to a spacious music room.
She sat in front of a glossy black piano that looked extremely expensive.
Her fingers hovered over the keys, but she hesitated to press down.
Feeling a bit nervous, she pulled out her phone and called Gu Hanling.
Now that she thought about it, this was the first time in days that she had actively called him.
For some reason… she felt a little nervous?
"Big brother?"
"I... want to use your piano for a bit. Is that okay?"
From the other end of the line came a familiar, cool voice she hadn't heard in days.
"Sure. Add five."
"Huh???"
Shen Xi looked confused. Add five what? Five grand? Or maybe...
Damn.
Could this guy really be that shameless? And sure enough,
when she heard him casually add, "Sleep with me,"
she clenched her teeth and immediately rejected him.
"No way!"
But after hesitating for a moment, weighing her options, she took a deep breath, cleared her throat, and softened her tone.
"Come on, big brother, since we're such good buddies, maybe Mr. Gu could... cut me a deal?"
"Sure, I can cut you... in half."
Hearing his deadpan joke, she almost threw her phone at the wall.
In the end, she managed to negotiate a 40% discount, three days.
But right after hanging up, she realized, wait a minute, couldn't I just buy an electronic keyboard?
Too late. With Gu Hanling's personality, once a deal was made, there was no such thing as a "refund."
Actually, electronic keyboards couldn’t match the real thing in tone and accuracy, but Shen Xi didn’t know that yet.
She had no choice but to accept it. So what if she had to "sleep with him" a few more times? Just close her eyes and get through it. It’s not like she’d lose a chunk of flesh.
She pouted at the piano in front of her, silently vowing to practice like crazy to make this worth it!
Hmph!
She set up the practice sheet music An Yufei had given her, took a deep breath, and placed her fingers lightly on the keys. The sound was pure and precise. With just a few notes, it already felt like she was at a concert.
No wonder they say you get what you pay for. Expensive pianos just have that… expensive feel.
She started with basic scales, slowly feeling her way through.
At first, her fingers poked at the keys like an old lady typing, stumbling along. But she was surprisingly focused.
Mastering the piano took years, and she wasn’t expecting to become a virtuoso in a few days, that would be unrealistic.
What she really wanted was to train her ear, to practice recognizing notes.
An Yufei was right about one thing, Shen Xi had a talent for music. But in her past life, playing music was too expensive.
She had never even considered it as a path. If she had, maybe she wouldn’t have spent so many years grinding away at dead-end jobs. Maybe she wouldn’t have ended up in this world at all...
She was so absorbed in playing that she lost track of time.
It wasn’t until Butler Wang approached that she snapped out of it.
"Madam, you are very talented. You’re improving quickly."
Shen Xi rubbed her sore fingers and looked up.
"How do I compare to my big brother?"
"You now play at the level he did when he was three years old."
"Uh..."
She froze for a second, then let out a dry laugh.
"Wow, thanks a lot."
She let out a deep sigh.
"Sigh… my life is so miserable!"
First, she got stuck in a book and turned into a woman. Then, she became a villainess. To avoid the main characters, she had to move into her "big brother’s" house and "sleep with him."
Now, she was practicing piano like crazy, only to be compared to a three-year-old. It was really too 'bitter'.
"Oh? Madam has a miserable life?"
A familiar cool voice suddenly rang out, startling her so much that she almost fell off the piano bench.
She turned her head and saw him. The cold, imposing man she hadn't seen in days, standing at the door of the music room.
His expression was as unreadable as ever, but there was a hint of amusement in his gaze.
Before she could react, Gu Hanling took a few steps forward and placed a guitar into her arms. She took it subconsciously, looking at him in confusion.
"This is a custom guitar, handmade by a master. I saw it by chance in an antique instrument shop when I was in the US, and since it looked great, I bought it."
His voice was still as cool as ever, but his words stirred something inside her.
"So, tell me, how hard is your life?"
"Hehe, not hard! Not hard at all! Life is great with you, big brother~"
Shen Xi excitedly ran her hands over the guitar, casually strumming a few chords.
Yep… expensive things do feel expensive.
In her past life, she had always wanted a guitar of her own. But after she started working, she was too busy trying to survive. Music became a luxury she couldn’t afford.
"Big brother, I’ll never forget your kindness! Love you, love you~"
For the first time, something unreadable flickered across Gu Hanling’s usually cold face. He cleared his throat.
"Oh?"
Shen Xi’s heart skipped a beat.
Uh-oh!
She had gotten carried away and let her mouth run wild.
Would he think she had feelings for him?
Her money, her precious money!
"W-wait! I mean, unlike Jingyan, my love for you is purely sibling-like! Totally just admiration!"
Gu Hanling’s face darkened slightly, his expression unreadable.
"If you’re done admiring it, hand it back. I only meant for you to look at it, not keep it."
"...Huh?"
Shen Xi was instantly stunned, her round eyes blinking.
Wait… so this whole time, she was just being delusional?
Alright, alright.
She was just a struggling worker after all. A little villainess like her could never dream of having a main character’s fate…