Chapter 15: Such a Top

After a moment of silence.

Ning Ke spoke first: “What are you looking at?”

Her tone was fierce, but her expression was anything but natural. She turned her head away, avoiding Yan Yunzhi’s gaze.

“I happened to pass by and saw the door ajar, so I came over,” Yan Yunzhi said, suppressing her smile, her voice soft. “I came to tell you that Grandpa is home.”

“Got it.” Before Yan Yunzhi could speak, Ning Ke asked on her own initiative: “When are we going?”

Yan Yunzhi: “Whenever it suits you.”

Ning Ke: “I’m free anytime. It’s up to you.”

To be fair, Ning Ke did not want to see Yan Yunzhi’s grandfather, Yan Qi, at all.

The old gentleman was eighty years old this year—still vigorous and sharp-minded, the true helmsman of the Yan family.

Yan Qi had been a close friend of Ning Ke’s grandfather. When her parents died in a plane crash back then, her grandfather collapsed in grief and fell ill. Her eldest uncle, Ning Hui, was framed and placed under investigation. Not only did the company’s power slip away, but people even came to bully them at their doorstep. It was Yan Qi who stepped in and scared those petty men off. Even Ning Ke’s parents’ funeral had been arranged by Yan Qi himself.

Later, when her grandfather passed away, Yan Qi gradually stopped visiting the Ning family. And then, for reasons unknown, the two families drifted apart completely.

Until she married Yan Yunzhi.

Ning Ke could sense that Grandpa Yan did not like her.

But she was still grateful to him, and she respected him.

Every time she returned to the Yan residence, it was not easy for her, because in front of Grandpa Yan, she was exhausted from pretending.

She agreed readily, but her expression was distant, as if she were spacing out.

Yan Yunzhi lowered her head, her gaze serious as she studied her.

She had just exercised—wearing a thin spaghetti-strap top. Beads of sweat rolled down her fair neck, over her delicate collarbone and further down, tracing the rise and fall of her breathing as they slipped into the full, soft curves wrapped in the straps.

A pampered young lady of wealth and luxury. Bright and full, perfectly proportioned.

Except for her sharp tongue, every inch of her figure ought to be soft.

Ning Ke snapped back to reality first: “Just thinking about something. Good night.”

Yan Yunzhi lowered her head, her long lashes veiling her gaze. “Mm. Good night.”

Ning Ke had been uncharacteristically free these past few days, resting at home.

Her schedule had been packed for the past two years. In the previous two years, she had performed at local TV stations’ Spring Festival Galas and never gone home, which her uncle and aunt had grumbled about. This year, she had cleared her schedule, and they had called three or four times instructing her to visit the Yan residence.

After one day of rest, Ning Ke found herself restless again and asked Xu Jian to arrange some easy jobs.

After the new year, she was scheduled to join a production in late February, and she currently had two roles in the works. As for the film directed by Gao Qi, Qin Pei said they would invite her for a screen test after the new year—it all depended on her performance.

On her second day at home, it snowed again.

Ning Ke got sleepy from memorizing her lines and went downstairs to grab some fruit.

Sister Lu called out to her: “Miss Ning, I’ve noticed Azhi has been composing some piece these past few days. I told her to rest, but she won’t listen. I’m really worried she’ll wear herself out! Why don’t you go up and talk to her?”

Ning Ke: “She’s still in the piano room?”

Sister Lu: “Yes, she hasn’t rested at all.”

Ning Ke: “I’ll go check.”

Ning Ke could not help feeling a pang of guilt. She knew Yan Yunzhi had been preparing the music for Perfect Partner, but the next episode would not air until after the new year. Why the rush?

Yan Yunzhi’s piano room was on the second floor. Before Ning Ke moved in, she had specially installed soundproofing material on the door and walls. All this time, Ning Ke had never been disturbed by her practice.

Ning Ke rang the doorbell twice, and soon the door opened from the inside.

Yan Yunzhi looked surprised to see her: “Why are you here?”

“Sister Lu told me,” Ning Ke said, noticing the dark circles under her eyes. “Composing?”

Yan Yunzhi stepped aside: “Come in and listen. I’m almost done.”

Ning Ke stepped into her piano room.

There were quite a few instruments in the room—besides the violin Yan Yunzhi most often played, there were a piano, a drum set, and a guitar. Ning Ke knew she wrote songs, but she basically never released them publicly.

Yan Yunzhi invited her to sit and handed her earphones: “If there’s anything that doesn’t sound good, you have to tell me, okay?”

Ning Ke heard that little “okay”—it sounded like coaxing a child. She pursed her lips and answered unceremoniously: “You bet I will.”

Yan Yunzhi started the recorded music and pressed play. Music flowed out like water.

The intro was mellow and pleasant; after a few dozen seconds, it transitioned into a crystalline, ethereal melody, like walking across an endless snowy plain, occasionally interspersed with the crisp sound of ice shattering. Then came the warm sound of a spring breeze melting the snow and ice, and as the music grew lighter, it conjured images of cotton candy on a spring street—warm, soft, and sweet.

The music stopped abruptly.

The piece was soothing to listen to.

Ning Ke took off the earphones: “To be honest, as a non-professional, I can’t find any fault with it.”

Yan Yunzhi smiled: “I’m glad you like it.”

Ning Ke: “You still need to get Lin Yun’s opinion.”

Yan Yunzhi did not continue discussing the piece: “Mm. I still have some finishing touches to do.”

She was always conscientious about her work. The music for the first episode needed adjustments because of insufficient preparation, and it took considerable time.

Ning Ke remembered why she had come: “I’ll tell Lin Yun to find you an assistant and give you a few more days. Stop working for now.”

Yan Yunzhi: “It’s fine.”

Ning Ke could not talk her out of it, and she did not want to leave immediately. But staying here felt like she was keeping her company, which put her in a difficult spot.

Yan Yunzhi saw her pursed lips and thoughtful expression and could not help smiling: “There’s something I’d like to ask your help with. Is that okay?”

Ning Ke: “Go ahead.”

Yan Yunzhi: “Since the start of the year, I’ve been collecting ancient books and occasionally attending auctions. But I don’t have much experience, and sometimes I get cheated. I heard your uncle has been collecting ancient books for years and used to take you to auctions. Would you come with me this time?”

Ning Ke thought it over: “Sure.”

Uncle Ning Hui had been collecting ancient books for years and had a private collection room at home. She had gone to auctions with him and did know a thing or two.

Yan Yunzhi had done her a favor this time, and she hated owing people favors. Helping out with this small task was a good way to settle the score between her and Yan Yunzhi.

Yan Yunzhi: “Then it’s settled.”

Ning Ke said okay, then added: “I’ll head out first.”

Back in her room, she called Ning Hui: “Uncle, are you busy?”

“You ungrateful thing, you finally remembered to call your uncle,” Ning Hui scolded her first, then asked, “What is it? Have you and Azhi made plans for the New Year?”

Ning Ke told him honestly: “She said Grandpa Yan is back, so we might go there for the New Year’s Eve dinner.”

Ning Hui hurriedly said “good” twice: “That’s good. Come over on the first day of the new year.”

Ning Ke hummed in acknowledgment, then hesitated: “Uncle, don’t you have a book on ancient text appraisal experience? I’d like to read it.”

Ning Hui: “I do. What do you need it for?”

Ning Ke: “Oh… to show Yan Yunzhi.”

Ning Hui was delighted: “No problem. I’ll have someone bring it over this afternoon.”

Ning Ke: “Okay, thank you, Uncle.”

Ning Hui laughed heartily: “Not bad, not bad! Our Keke knows how to cherish her wife now!”

Ning Ke: “…”

She was just returning the favor, that was all, so she could settle the score with Yan Yunzhi.

…How did that turn into “cherishing her wife” again?

The next day, Ning Ke had just woken from her afternoon nap when the phone rang.

Lin Yun had worked through the night and drunk a bit of alcohol to stay awake. She was talking in a highly excited voice, nearly piercing Ning Ke’s eardrum.

Lin Yun: “Ning Keke! Your Yan Yunzhi is a treasure! The piece she composed is amazing! Heavenly music!”

Ning Ke: “Don’t you know what level of musician you hired?”

Lin Yun: “Ooh, sounds like you’re quite proud?”

Ning Ke: “Scram.”

Lin Yun: “You’re being mean to me again.”

Ning Ke: “I have things to do. I’m not wasting words with you.”

Last night, she had done some homework on ancient book appraisal, and this morning she had received the book on ancient text appraisal. It happened that Yan Yunzhi said a seller would come by the house this afternoon to talk, so she planned to go take a look.

Ning Ke went downstairs without replying to Lin Yun’s messages.

The seller had just arrived—a woman in her fifties with high cheekbones and a pointed chin, her expression not exactly friendly: “Miss Yan, hello. My name is Wang Mingzhi.”

At the start of the year, Yan Yunzhi had entered the ancient book auction circle through a friend’s introduction. Because she was gentle and spent generously, many sellers saw her as an easy mark, hoping to fleece her for a good sum.

Wang Mingzhi was no exception. Before coming, she had already heard that Yan Yunzhi did not know much about ancient books. She enthusiastically introduced the two books she had brought, and by the end she could barely hide her eagerness: “Good books need to meet the right person. Miss Yan, I won’t set a high price: this one is 900,000, and this one is 1.3 million. This is a private meeting. If these went to tomorrow’s auction, the starting price I’d set would be even higher than this.”

Yan Yunzhi gave a noncommittal nod: “I see.”

Her gaze was light and clear, almost scrutinizing, when her ear caught a faint sound from the stairwell. A smile tugged at her lips.

Ning Ke stood at the foot of the stairs, not approaching, frowning as she listened. Her instincts told her this seller was trying to scam her—her words were all sweet talk but often contradictory.

She even interrupted Yan Yunzhi several times—how rude. Yet Yan Yunzhi showed no temper at all, still smiling gently, her tone light and calm.

Wang Mingzhi chattered on: “How about this: the two books together for 2 million, a round number. I won’t say anything more. What do you think? If it works, we can…”

“Wait,” Ning Ke walked over with her arms crossed, asking coldly, “May I take a look?”

Wang Mingzhi: “And this is?”

Yan Yunzhi: “A member of the family.”

Wang Mingzhi instinctively took her for her sister and said hesitantly: “Be careful when flipping through them.”

Ning Ke: “No need. She’ll flip through them; I’ll just watch from the side.”

Yan Yunzhi turned the pages, while Ning Ke sat beside her, looking bored as she played with her phone. When Wang Mingzhi was not paying attention, she quickly snapped a photo and sent it to her uncle: “Uncle, are these two books worth buying?”

Her uncle did not reply immediately, but a message from Lin Yun popped up demanding to know where she had disappeared to.

Ning Ke stood up, walked to the window, and sent her the photo: “Ask someone for me—how much are these two books worth?”

Lin Yun: “What a great hand!”

Ning Ke: “?”

Lin Yun: “Such a top’s hand. Did you guys do the deed?”

Ning Ke: “?”

Ning Ke could not be bothered to deal with this drunkard.

The photo showed Yan Yunzhi holding a book with one hand—her slender, elegant fingers with faint veins visible on the back of her hand, clean and long. It was pretty, sure, but she had asked her to check the price—what kind of dirty thoughts were in this awful friend’s head?

Ning Ke did not reply to Lin Yun.

She had always been proud and determined to excel, and she did not appreciate that kind of joke.

Would she ever be bullied by a sickly person like Yan Yunzhi?

Just then, her uncle Ning Hui replied: “The price is too high.”

She replied “OK,” then looked back. The seller was standing to the side on the phone; only Yan Yunzhi was sitting on the sofa. Ning Ke planned to go over and tell her not to buy.

Ning Ke still had some lingering irritation. She strode back quickly: “Yan Yunzhi! I…”

Yan Yunzhi: “Hm?”

“I… I…” Ning Ke inexplicably choked on her words, her voice softening as she spoke. “Don’t buy them yet.”

Yan Yunzhi raised an eyebrow slightly, not understanding why the first half of her sentence had sounded so aggressive, while the second half had turned so gentle.

She also did not know what she had done—in this weather, her snow-white nose was beaded with fine sweat. Her dark, glossy eyes were moist as she tilted her head up slightly, her cherry-colored lips glistening faintly with moisture. She looked very soft.

Yan Yunzhi’s gaze changed.

She stepped forward, her normally clear and gentle voice lowered, tinged with a hint of laughter: “Alright. Whatever our Little Ning says.”