Lu Mingfei, how can you slay a dragon if you don't play the villain?

Page 49

He gave an OK sign, "I'm OK anytime!"

Upon hearing Lu Mingfei's reply, Liu Miaomiao's eyes and brows immediately relaxed, like a spring breeze caressing a budding flower, blossoming into a bright smile.

Her fingers, which had been tightly gripping the hem of her skirt, unconsciously loosened, leaving a few shallow wrinkles on the white fabric.

Just now, her heart was in her throat—afraid that Lu Mingfei would use a tactful excuse to brush it off.

The fear of rejection made her even more cautious in her breathing.

During the ensemble performance just now, she also sensed the emotions in Lu Mingfei's heart.

Although it was a mess, she could still sense that Lu Mingfei was attracted to her, which was why she mustered up the courage to speak up.

Liu Miaomiao's slender fingers gently caressed the piano keys, her fingertips casting faint shadows on the black and white keys.

Her voice was very soft, as if she didn't want to disturb the person next to her.

"Lu Mingfei...actually, I'm a terrible person."

Lu Mingfei's breath hitched. He had thought Liu Miaomiao would confess her feelings to him, but he hadn't expected it to be like this, leaving him speechless for a moment.

He instinctively straightened his back, deciding to listen to her story first.

Liu Miaomiao lowered her eyelashes, her voice growing softer yet each word clear:

"Yesterday... when I heard your captivating piano music, my heart truly beat for you."

"But later I realized that what I was infatuated with was perhaps your extraordinary talent, not you as a person."

She paused for a moment, her fingertips unconsciously tracing a melancholic glissando on the piano keys.

"When I accompanied you to pick up Senior Brother Chu Zihang today, my heart was like a kite with a broken string, drifting uncontrollably toward him... even though you were right beside me."

The soft light from the crystal chandelier cast dappled shadows on her delicate face.

"When I saw how intimate you and Su Xiaoqiang were this afternoon, I realized that I was actually jealous."

"It's not because I love you, but... I want to have the exclusive privilege of knowing your true self."

Her fingers suddenly pressed down hard on a piano key, producing an abrupt sound.

"Su Xiaoqiang told me a lot later... and then I realized that I was just a superficial person."

"I will be attracted by your piano skills, and I will be captivated by Chu Zihang's appearance... just as fickle as a butterfly chasing after the fragrance of flowers."

Liu Miaomiao raised her head, her eyes shining with determination:

"But I want to change this version of myself... That's what I wanted to say to you."

The last note slowly dissipated in the air, leaving the room completely silent.

Lu Mingfei understood everything Liu Miaomiao said.

After all, the system had told him about it before.

But he didn't take it to heart at the time, because at that time he only regarded Liu Miaomiao as the daughter of a classmate or benefactor.

If we're talking about being obsessed with looks, isn't he just as much of a person?

The girl he had a crush on, Chen Wenwen, was one of the three most beautiful girls in the class.

It is human nature to admire the strong and to love beautiful things.

To be honest, he admired Liu Miaomiao's frankness.

The girl who confided her true feelings to him was so beautiful.

If he had previously developed strange feelings for Liu Miaomiao because of their bloodline, then...

Now, he was truly tempted.

Time seemed to be stretched out.

Unable to bear the suffocating silence, Liu Miaomiao curled up in despair.

Lu Mingfei knows her true nature; he probably dislikes her.

Although she had guessed the outcome, when the result was right in front of her, she still couldn't help but want to hide away and cry alone.

Just as her eyes reddened and tears were about to burst forth—

Lu Mingfei suddenly moved.

He stood up and faced Liu Miaomiao.

Then, he slowly—started clapping.

The applause was not enthusiastic, but rather peaceful, one after another, echoing clearly in the music room.

"Liu Miaomiao," he finally spoke, not with disappointment, but with admiration, "you are really amazing!"

Liu Miaomiao raised her head, tears streaming uncontrollably down her cheeks.

sharp?

She herself felt terrible and how could she deserve that word.

Lu Mingfei stopped applauding and continued:

"Admitting one's own shortcomings is theoretically simple, but how many people can actually do it in practice?"

"This requires not only courage, but also self-awareness."

"If you don't even know what problems you have, how can you talk about making changes?"

"You're really amazing to have done that!"

"As for being superficial..." He paused, then gave a self-deprecating laugh:

"How many people in this world don't care about appearance? Who doesn't like the sense of security that strength brings, or the pleasure that beauty brings?"

"Even I am the same."

Liu Miaomiao's lips trembled slightly as she raised her arm to wipe away her tears, but the more she wiped, the more tears she shed, and she couldn't stop them at all.

Lu Mingfei was somewhat at a loss; how should he comfort him in this situation?

Should I offer him a handkerchief or tissue? But he didn't have any of those things in his pocket.

He needs to do it another way.

Lu Mingfei took a deep breath and mustered his courage to say:

"do you know?"

"When I first met Chen Wenwen, I thought she looked so beautiful as she sat quietly at her desk reading a book."

“I thought other girls would never give me that ‘heart-fluttering’ feeling again.”

He paused, looking at Liu Miaomiao's face, which was already covered in tears.

"But now, I have it!"

"You looked so beautiful when you mustered the courage to be honest with yourself! It made my heart flutter!"

Liu Miaomiao's hand, which was wiping away her tears, froze in mid-air. She asked softly, "Really?"

"Really? If you don't believe me, just put your hand on my chest and listen." Lu Mingfei opened his arms.

Liu Miaomiao's tears suddenly stopped. She stared blankly at Lu Mingfei's outstretched arms, her cheeks flushing red at a visible speed.

"You...you..." Her voice choked with emotion, yet tinged with a hint of coquettishness, "You were praising me so earnestly just now..."

Lu Mingfei maintained his outstretched arms, but a sly smile played on his lips:

"What? You don't dare to verify whether what I'm saying is true or false?"

The atmosphere in the music room suddenly became subtle.

Liu Miaomiao bit her lower lip, her eyes darting around, but finally, as if she had made up her mind, she slowly stood up.

Just as she was hesitating whether to actually lean on him, Lu Mingfei suddenly took a step forward and gently pulled her into his arms.

"Thump, thump, thump—" Liu Miaomiao heard a clear and powerful heartbeat, so fast it seemed to leap out of her chest.

"Did you hear that clearly?" Lu Mingfei's voice came from above, trembling slightly. "That's the sound of my heart beating for you."

Liu Miaomiao's face turned completely red. She tried to break free, but found that her hands had already wrapped around Lu Mingfei's waist without her noticing.

This realization made her so ashamed that she buried her face deeply in Lu Mingfei's chest.

"I...I heard it..." her voice muffled, "It's beating so fast..."

The moment Liu's mother pushed open the door to the music room, she froze.

"Miaomiao, let me get you..." Her voice stopped abruptly, the fruit plate in her hand tilted slightly, and a few grapes almost rolled off.

The scene inside the music room is frozen into an ambiguous silhouette:

Lu Mingfei's arms were still in an embracing position, and Liu Miaomiao's cheeks were pressed tightly against his chest.

Three pairs of eyes met in the air, and the awkward atmosphere almost solidified.

"Ah!" Liu Miaomiao exclaimed in surprise, hurriedly hiding in front of the French windows, pretending to be very interested in the scenery outside.

Lu Mingfei mechanically scratched the back of his head in place.

As expected of someone who has seen the world, Aunt Liu's surprise vanished in an instant, replaced by an undisguised smile.

She placed the fruit platter gracefully beside the piano, her movements so light they made no sound.

“You can continue,” she said, a meaningful smile playing on her lips as she turned away, “just pretend Mom was never here.”

"Get some rest after you finish practicing!" He added as he closed the door, his voice full of sarcasm.

Lu Mingfei chuckled dryly, grabbed a slice of apple from the fruit plate, and mechanically stuffed it into his mouth.

"The apples... are so sweet! I'm going back to my room now!" He shuffled toward the door, looking like a puppet on a string.

The door opened—

Eyes facing each other.

Aunt Liu was eavesdropping by pressing her ear against the door when she was caught red-handed, but she remained unfazed.

"Mingfei! Is there anything else you need? Auntie will get it for you!" Her tone was so natural, as if she was meant to be standing there.

"No, no need!" Lu Mingfei fled in panic.