Ye Nan's face instantly turned a grim shade of iron, the loathing in his expression impossible to conceal. Despite Su Wanwan's sharp tongue, he could find no retort to counter her biting words.
Xia Kelan stepped in at the perfect moment, her face awash with apology, effortlessly dispelling the awkwardness lingering in the air.
"I'm so sorry, I believe there's been a misunderstanding.""Just now, it was actually me who accidentally stepped on you...""You must be Wanwan's younger sister, Su Nian, right?""I'm truly sorry, I must've dirtied your shoes. Here—let me clean them for you."
Just as Xia Kelan bent down, Su Nian took a step back and fell into Ye Nan's arms, wearing a look of generous magnanimity.
"Forget it, it's no big deal. I know you didn't mean it."
A soft, comforting smile bloomed on Xia Kelan's face. Her large, blinking eyes shone even brighter than the stars above, brimming with the innocence of a sheltered young girl—an innocence that easily stirred a man's instinct to protect.
"Thank you for being so understanding!"
Su Wanwan cast a sidelong glance, her eyes faintly narrowed as she scanned Xia Kelan's face, noticing the cleverly concealed shrewdness beneath her seemingly gentle facade. After so many years of friendship, she knew full well that Xia Kelan's little schemes were already rattling away like a calculating abacus.
Ye Nan couldn't help but steal a few more glances at Xia Kelan. With her sweet features and petite frame, she looked irresistibly adorable just standing there. Compared to Xia Kelan's natural allure, Su Nian's later "polishing" seemed to pale in comparison.
"Brother Nan, let's go," Su Nian tugged at his sleeve and took a step forward.
A second later, she let out a soft, alluring gasp, her brows furrowed as she whispered seductively, "Brother Nan... it hurts…"
Ye Nan immediately bent down, concern etched into his features. "Come on, get on."
As Su Nian climbed onto his back, she cast a triumphant glance at Su Wanwan, raising her chin in provocation before nestling against him with a face full of bliss.
Once they had left, Xia Kelan dropped all pretense, her expression darkening as she spat viciously, "Pah! Scumbag."
Su Wanwan led her back toward their seats. "Stay away from him."
Stay away? No, absolutely not. After all the humiliation Su Wanwan had endured because of Ye Nan, how could Xia Kelan, as her closest friend, simply let it go? Wouldn't that be letting those two shameless lovebirds off too easily?
"Alright, don't worry!" Xia Kelan glanced at her ticket and grew slightly anxious. "Wanwan, you should head backstage and talk to your teacher. I'll find my seat myself."
"Mhm. If you can't find it, just give me a call."
With nimble steps, Xia Kelan followed Su Nian and Ye Nan. She watched as they took their seats in the fifth row, then paused nearby, silently scanning the surroundings for a suitable target.
At last, a handsome man passed by, heading directly for the fifth row. Xia Kelan moved quickly, catching him by the arm.
"Excuse me, sir. May I ask where your seat is?"
"Fifth row."
"Would you mind switching seats with me? I have one in the third row!"
She waved her ticket enthusiastically. The man raised an eyebrow, casually glancing at it.
"Miss, the view from the third row is far better than the fifth."
"I... I'm farsighted! Sitting too close makes it hard for me to see!"
Without waiting for a reply, she snatched his ticket, shoved hers into his hand, and darted toward Ye Nan like a rabbit in flight.
The man watched her bounding figure with a faint, amused smile tugging at his lips.
"Interesting..."
Dropping into the seat beside Ye Nan, Xia Kelan greeted him with deliberate cheer.
"Hi! What a coincidence—our seats are right next to each other!"
A flicker of surprise passed across Ye Nan's face before he quickly masked it.
"Yes, quite the coincidence."
Xia Kelan rested her chin on her palm as she gazed around the stage with feigned wonder. "This is my first time at such a grand venue. Judging by your expression, I suppose you come here often?"
Ye Nan tilted his chin slightly, a hint of pride and affected sophistication creeping into his tone. "I drop by now and then. Listening to music like this helps cleanse the soul, brings a certain peace of mind."
Xia Kelan bowed her head to hide the twitch at the corner of her lips, barely suppressing the laughter threatening to break through. Her shoulders trembled ever so slightly. What a shameless braggart.
"Is that so? I'm a fan of Lunen's compositions too. Which of his pieces is your favorite?"
Ye Nan was momentarily stunned. If not for Su Nian, he wouldn't be caught dead wasting his time on such performances.
"Uh..." A sheen of sweat formed on his palms. He rubbed his nose awkwardly, eyes darting about.
Xia Kelan beamed, two dimples appearing on her cheeks, her crescent-moon eyes sweeter than candy.
"It's Whispers of Summer, isn't it? I adore that one too!"
Grabbing hold of this lifeline, Ye Nan nodded eagerly. "Yes, yes—exactly, same here."
Su Nian sat beside them, listening to their lively banter. She tugged on Ye Nan's sleeve several times, but he remained unmoved, not sparing her so much as a glance.
Her jaw clenched, voice soft and syrupy, laced with deliberate vulnerability. "Brother Nan, why are you only talking to this young lady?"
"She seems genuinely interested in the piano. We're just having a little discussion."
"How about we switch seats?"
Ye Nan cleared his throat and pointed to the stage. "Didn't you say your seat offered the best view? The angle from here is a bit off."
"Besides, your foot's still hurting, isn't it? Don't make things harder on yourself."
Su Nian glared at him, unwilling to back down. "But Brother Nan, I…"
Before she could finish, Xia Kelan stood up with a sweet smile. "Pardon me, I need to visit the restroom."
She lingered in the restroom for a while, and sure enough, when she returned, she found Ye Nan waiting just outside, a warm and refined smile on his face as he handed her a tissue.
"Thank you."
"I've heard Wanwan mention you many times," she said, her tone sincere yet light. "Seeing you today, I can tell she wasn't exaggerating. You truly are a distinguished gentleman."
Ye Nan's expression stiffened slightly. "She... she mentioned me?"
Sensing his unease, Xia Kelan replied slowly, "Not much. I've been abroad for some time and we lost touch. When I heard she got married, I rushed back."
Ye Nan quietly let out a sigh of relief. "I see."
"Well then, you'd better get back to your girlfriend. She doesn't look too pleased."
"After all, you're a married man now. I really should keep my distance."
Her tone carried a teasing lilt, with a faint trace of probing curiosity. As she passed by him, she intentionally bumped his shoulder with her own.
That subtle contact sent a tremor through Ye Nan's chest. A heart dulled by over a year of indifference seemed to stir once more—roused by the woman standing before him.