This time, without Liu Yifan causing trouble, the two enjoyed a quiet meal.
As they ate and chatted, time quickly passed seven o’clock. The sky outside gradually darkened, with scattered lights twinkling and the gentle flow of water reflecting starlit glow. Cruise boats glided by, a spring breeze blew, and elegantly dressed women had already donned their skirts.
Lu Zheng cut the last piece of steak from his plate, popped it into his mouth, and gave Lin Wan a slight smile before standing up.
Lin Wan propped one hand on the table, the other supporting her chin, watching Lu Zheng with anticipation as he made his way to the stage at the restaurant’s centre.
“Sir.”
As Lu Zheng approached the stage, a waiter hurried over. “Sir, may I assist you with anything?”
“Nothing much. I’d like to play a tune,” Lu Zheng said, shaking his head with a smile and gesturing towards the piano on the stage.
The waiter’s expression shifted, and he quickly intervened. “I’m sorry, sir, this piano is for display only and not open to guests.”
“Hm?” Lu Zheng frowned. “It was fine last time.”
“What?” The waiter blinked, sizing Lu Zheng up again. “Are you a friend of the boss?”
His eyes flicked to the side.
Lu Zheng followed his gaze and saw a foreigner in his fifties at the bar, chatting with two companions.
The man seemed to sense Lu Zheng and the waiter’s attention but only glanced their way briefly, showing no reaction before turning back.
That single glance was enough for the waiter to realise Lu Zheng didn’t know the boss. He repeated, “I’m sorry, sir, this piano is for display only and not open to guests.”
Lu Zheng clicked his tongue and suddenly asked, “What’s your boss like?”
The waiter blinked. “He’s great.”
“Good to know,” Lu Zheng nodded. “Keep up the good work.”
The waiter, puzzled by19:02:03, watched as the young man turned and walked back to his seat. Shaking his head in confusion, the waiter heard another table call, “Waiter,” and hurried over with a smile.
As if Lu Zheng would let a waiter stop him after promising Lin Wan at least three tunes. With a subtle illusion technique, the waiter saw him leave, while Lu Zheng sidestepped lightly, passing by and stepping onto the stage with ease. He bowed to Lin Wan with a gentlemanly flourish, then sat at the piano under the curious, expectant gazes of the crowd, his fingers gliding over the keys from left to right.
“Hm?”
At the bar, the restaurant owner noticed the scene and frowned, but with Lu Zheng already seated at the piano, it was too late to stop him.
“Sanders, is this young man a friend of yours?” one of his companions asked.
“No,” Sanders shook his head. “For some reason, the waiter didn’t stop him.”
“Well, let’s see how good he is at the piano,” the other companion said with a smile. “He must be decent if he dares to play in public, especially with…”
“A lovely lady friend,” the first companion said kindly. “It’s the time for young peacocks to show off. Perhaps that’s why the waiter didn’t stop him.”
“Maybe. I hope his skill is decent, or my Louis XVI piano will be a bit tarnished,” Sanders said with a sigh, signalling the bar staff to pause the restaurant’s background piano music.
The restaurant’s music faded, and Lu Zheng nodded politely to Sanders before pressing a key.
“Ding-dong, ding-dong.”
It was Schubert’s *Serenade* again, with moonlight softness, flowing streams, fireflies dancing, and nightingales singing.
Lin Wan watched Lu Zheng, her eyes growing dreamy.
The chatter in the restaurant quieted until it vanished entirely, everyone turning to Lu Zheng, quietly enjoying the performance.
Sanders’ expression shifted from surprise to relief, and finally, like his companions, he sat quietly, a smile on his lips, savouring the music.
When the piece ended, the piano fell silent. After three seconds of stillness, applause rose.
Lu Zheng bowed his head slightly, winked at Lin Wan, and with a light touch of his fingers, began playing the piano again.
“Ding-dong, ding-dong.”
Chopin’s *Nocturne in E-flat Major*, bright and beautiful, tranquil and enduring, lyrical and poetic.
The restaurant fell silent once more.
“He’s a pianist,” Sanders’ first companion remarked. “I came to chat with you, and ended up hearing two pieces from an exceptional pianist.”
“Pierre, isn’t calling him a pianist a bit much?” the second companion said. “He plays well, but these two pieces don’t fully show his professional level.”
Pierre shook his head. “Todd, you’ve been away from the professional world too long. It’s a matter of mastery. His playing is incredibly comfortable, at a very high level.”
The next moment, as the applause settled, the piano rang out again.
“Ding-dong, ding-dong.”
“It’s Beethoven’s *Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp Minor*,” Pierre said, his eyes lighting up as he turned to Todd. “Now you can feel his true skill.”
Todd and Sanders focused on Lu Zheng, listening intently.
Lin Wan was both surprised and delighted, noticing a few faintly hostile glances. She sat up straighter, her posture elegant and radiant.
When the piece ended, the restaurant erupted in applause. Lu Zheng stood, bowed slightly to the audience, and made his way back to his seat, acknowledging the guests’ greetings along the way.
“Sir, some water?”
As Lu Zheng sat down, a female waiter hurried over, bringing a fresh glass and filling it with lemon water.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” the waitress said, her eyes sparkling as she stepped back.
Lu Zheng raised an eyebrow at Lin Wan, who huffed, “Show-off.”
“I get it. You mean I’m at the peak of my life, and we’re in perfect harmony,” Lu Zheng said with a straight face.
“Oh, look at you, throwing around idioms,” Lin Wan teased.
“Of course. I’m quite the scholar of ancient ways,” Lu Zheng nodded, then asked, “Didn’t you buy a set of Hanfu online?”
Lin Wan gritted her teeth. “Don’t even think about it. That’s proper Hanfu.”
Lu Zheng nodded repeatedly. “Right, right, you’re absolutely right. Can I admire it when we get back?”
Lin Wan gritted her teeth again, but wasn’t that the point of buying Hanfu, to wear it and show it off to her boyfriend? She hadn’t just ordered one set, after all.
As they prepared to leave, a voice with a slightly odd Chinese accent spoke nearby. “Hello, sir. May I introduce myself? I’m Nova Sanders, the owner of this restaurant.”
