Chapter 304 It Was Dead to Begin With
Yun Shifei looked at him with an expression of disbelief, as if she were a child suddenly realizing fairy tales were nothing but lies—her joyful heart shattered in an instant.
Her expression seemed to say, "How can you be so cruel? Such a delicate and adorable gift, how can you just throw it away?"
Sure enough, the next moment, she spoke: "Wasn’t this gift something you made with care? How can you just discard it so casually?"
Cheng Lie pressed his lips together, suddenly unsure of how to respond. He wanted to say, even if it was something he made with care, once its purpose had been fulfilled, it was useless to him.
He acknowledged it—he was indeed cold-blooded. It’s just that, in front of her, he showed only his better side.
So, he said, "I didn’t realize you liked it so much, but this thing melts quickly once it’s disconnected from its power source."
"That’s not acceptable. You have to take good care of it for me. When I come back next year, I want to see it alive and well!" Yun Shifei demanded, her tone strong and domineering.
Alive?
Cheng Lie stared at the snowman with suspicion: "It’s inherently lifeless."
Yun Shifei: "..."
She couldn’t believe she hadn’t noticed before how rational and pragmatic Cheng Lie’s mind was. It was pure "engineering logic."
Even though it lacked life, this snowman had accompanied her for so long. To her, it felt alive.
Just like the stuffed doll on her bed—she knew full well it didn’t have a life, but when the weather turned cold, she still felt an urge to cover it with a blanket.
Why couldn’t he understand this?
Seeing Yun Shifei’s pitiful, helpless expression, Cheng Lie couldn’t help but laugh. His deep black eyes blossomed with layers of light.
He reached out and gently tousled her hair: "But if you say it’s alive, then it is."
Whatever his girlfriend said was always perfectly right.
Hearing Cheng Lie say this, Yun Shifei finally felt better.
After tidying up, she looked at Cheng Lie and said, "I want to visit Xiao Yi and see how he’s doing in his new home."
After Fang Kaiyi was adopted, he was no longer connected to them, and she couldn’t visit him every week like she did before.
But she still wanted to see if he was adjusting well in his new home.
"I’ll take you to see him."
When Zhao Pan heard that Cheng Lie wanted to visit Fang Kaiyi, he said nothing, simply making the arrangements.
Soon, he told Cheng Lie, "Mr. Cheng, Mr. Si said the child is at home practicing piano. We can head directly to their house."
Directly to their home? Yun Shifei hadn’t expected them to agree to let her visit Fang Kaiyi, let alone invite them to their house.
Still, this was great—she’d get to meet the Si Family couple who adopted Fang Kaiyi.
The Si Family home was located in a garden-style apartment complex in the city center.
Driving through the area, Zhao Pan navigated toward the Si Family residence, while Yun Shifei carefully observed the surroundings. It was quite nice—not overly luxurious, but the environment, infrastructure, and transportation were all excellent.
There was a school nearby, which would make Fang Kaiyi’s schooling convenient in the future.
The Si home was on the 6th floor. After knocking, it was a while before the door opened. Mr. Si greeted Zhao Pan first before turning his attention to Cheng Lie and Yun Shifei.
Looking at the young pair—who looked very much like students—Mr. Si seemed to understand Cheng Lie’s background and Yun Shifei’s purpose for visiting. His demeanor remained polite as he invited them inside.
Faint piano notes trickled through from another room. It was clear the player was still a beginner, as several notes didn’t sound quite right.
"Xiao Yi is practicing piano in his room now. Shall I go call him out?" Mr. Si asked.
"Mr. Si, there’s no need to trouble yourself. May I go to his room to see him?" Yun Shifei replied.
She figured that meeting him directly in a room, rather than having him appear in front of a group of adults in the living room, would make him feel more at ease.
"Of course," Mr. Si said.
With his approval, Yun Shifei walked into the room, where she saw Fang Kaiyi painstakingly playing the piano.
He was practicing an entry-level song, "Joyful Song," and there was a teacher beside him guiding him.
"Xiao Yi," Yun Shifei called softly.
Upon hearing her, Fang Kaiyi turned his head toward Yun Shifei, visibly delighted by her appearance.
"Big sister, how come you’re here?" He stopped playing the piano immediately, jumped off the bench, and ran into her arms.
Being hugged so warmly by a child—especially one who had been cold and distant not long ago—filled Yun Shifei’s heart with emotion. She felt an immense softness, like water, filling her chest as she stroked Fang Kaiyi’s hair: "Xiao Yi, have you been a good boy? How’s life here?"
Fang Kaiyi nodded. "Mom and Dad treat me really well."
He had a new family now and his surname had changed to match his adoptive father—he was now known as Si Kaiyi.
Yun Shifei could tell he was happy here, more cheerful than when she’d last seen him.
She greeted the music teacher beside him and then took Si Kaiyi’s hands, leading him back to the piano. "Do you like playing the piano?" she asked.
Si Kaiyi nodded enthusiastically. "I do! You played for us once before—it was so elegant and beautiful."
He was referring to the time Yun Shifei visited the orphanage to volunteer and played the piano. Back then, he’d hidden in a corner and remained silent. She hadn’t realized he’d been listening so attentively.
"Then today, how about big sister teaching you ’Two Tigers’?"
"Sure!" Si Kaiyi nodded eagerly.
Seated at the piano, the two of them began playing together. As Si Kaiyi played and sang along, he smiled brightly without pause.
Watching the light in Si Kaiyi’s eyes, Yun Shifei couldn’t help but feel immense happiness herself.
Children as kind and good-hearted as Si Kaiyi deserved all the happiness in the world.
Unbeknownst to her, Cheng Lie was standing at the door, silently watching Yun Shifei and Si Kaiyi as they sat at the piano.
Today, the young woman wore a pale red coat over a white dress, her hair cascading over her shoulders. She looked serene and beautiful.
Even though her face wasn’t visible at the moment, he could imagine how radiant she must appear.
It dawned on him that he’d never seen her play the piano before. Then, the memory of her first encounter with Qin Yumo—when she had been playing—surfaced in his mind, and jealousy twisted sharply in his heart.
That powerful possessiveness took hold of him again, as he realized just how stunning she would have looked, wearing her gown and playing the piano back then.
It was no wonder that Qin Yumo, known for his flirtatious nature, had been utterly captivated by her, unable to take his eyes off her from that moment on.
Darkness flickered in Cheng Lie’s gaze. He could never fully restrain himself. Even though she liked him, he still couldn’t help wanting her beauty to be for his eyes only.
After a few songs, Yun Shifei suddenly sensed someone watching her. Turning around, she saw Cheng Lie standing silently at the door, staring at her without saying a word.
Yun Shifei jumped slightly at the sight and asked, "Cheng Lie, when did you get here?"
She couldn’t believe she’d been so engrossed in playing that she’d lost track of time.
Cheng Lie responded with a soft "Hmm," his gaze somewhat enigmatic. When her eyes met his, he had already concealed the darker hues within his eyes.
"You play the piano quite well," he remarked suddenly once they’d left the Si home.
"I’ve only learned a little," Yun Shifei replied, a bit sheepish. But the songs she’d played were all simple children’s tunes, not requiring much skill or practice. She thought to herself, if she just claimed she’d learned it during her summer vacation after graduation, Cheng Lie wouldn’t suspect anything.
She didn’t want to lie—especially not to Cheng Lie—but admitting this felt oddly awkward.