Wednesday morning, as soon as Lin Mo walked into the classroom, he saw a small box on his desk.
It was a deep blue gift box tied with a silver ribbon.
Opening it, he found a pair of sports wristbands.
They were black, with small silver letters embroidered at the wrist: LM.
A note in Su Ran’s style was attached:
‘Birthday gift, sent early.’
‘Even though it’s still one week away, I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to give it to you on the day.’
‘PS: If you hate it, throw it away. Don’t tell me.’
Only then did Lin Mo remember that next Wednesday was his birthday.
Looking up, a certain Su Ran was memorizing vocabulary, her hair down to cover her ears.
Lin Mo stared at her, thinking with a bit of a wicked sense of humor how he wanted to see her ears turn red with embarrassment.
At the same time, he put on the wristbands.
They fit perfectly, as if they were custom-made.
Chen Yu, who had just entered the classroom, froze in his tracks as if struck by lightning.
Then, like a wild bull, he rushed over and locked Lin Mo’s neck. Gritting his teeth, he said, “Dammit, are you spending your lifespan to live like this? Another gift? You guys really aren’t dating?”
“If I don’t use my lifespan to live, what else would I use?”
Lin Mo sometimes really didn’t want to deal with this idiot. “Really, we aren’t. We’re just friends.”
“My foot, you are.”
Chen Yu rolled his eyes with extreme disdain and let go of Lin Mo. “Then we’re still brothers. I order you to make me bentos and give me gifts every day starting tomorrow. You hear me?”
Lin Mo glanced at him. “Why shouldn’t you be the one giving them to me?”
He pretended not to understand Chen Yu’s words, but he knew Chen Yu was right.
His relationship with Su Ran had long since surpassed that of ordinary friends, but he wasn’t in a hurry to define it.
Lunch was chicken curry and rice.
The chicken was tender and smooth, the potatoes were soft, and the curry was rich.
The numbers 917 were carved out of carrots on top of the rice—his birthday.
It was the first birthday bento of his life. Even the box looked delicious.
Lin Mo took a photo and sent a message: ‘Student Su Ran, I am officially hiring you to be my private chef.’
Su Ran replied instantly: ‘Do I need to pay you to let me do it?’
Lin Mo’s mouth twitched into an impressed expression. ‘You’re a quick learner. You passed the interview.’
In the cafeteria, Su Ran bit her chopsticks and held her phone, letting out a silly smile that was uncharacteristic of her usual elegance.
She typed quickly: ‘On your birthday, can I treat you to dinner?’
Lin Mo: ‘I should be the one treating you.’
Su Ran: ‘I’ve saved up money. I’ll treat you to the best.’
Looking at the screen, Lin Mo’s heart turned into mush.
He wanted to say he wasn’t short on money, but the feeling of being pampered seemed quite nice.
‘Okay. You pick the place.’
‘[Smiley Face] Mm!’
Putting down his phone, Lin Mo ate his meal slowly.
The curry was fragrant, and the rice was smooth. At the same time, he tasted something else.
Su Ran’s feelings, her hard work, and her cautious anticipation.
—
Saturday afternoon, before the piano lesson.
Lin Mo accompanied Su Ran to the conservatory. On the way, she didn’t seem quite right.
“What’s wrong?”
Su Ran hesitated. “Last time… Teacher Zhou seemed unhappy.”
“Because of me? Or because of you?”
“I don’t know. He called my mom later and said I wasn’t focused, that my mind was too scattered.”
Lin Mo frowned. “What did your mother say?”
“She told me to use my own judgment. This is the first time my mom has said something like that. Usually, she listens to Teacher Zhou.”
Su Ran’s tone lightened. One could tell her mood had improved.
“So, what have you decided to do?”
“I want to make things clear with Teacher Zhou. I’ll tell him I’ll practice piano seriously, but I also want my own life. If he can’t accept that, I’ll change teachers.”
Lin Mo looked at her in surprise. After a moment, he gave a knowing smile. “You’ve changed.”
Su Ran suddenly became nervous. “For the better or for the worse?”
“You’ve become brave. It’s very good.”
As soon as Lin Mo finished speaking, Su Ran relaxed, and her gaze became firm.
When they arrived at the conservatory, Zhou Muyuan was already waiting for them in the piano room.
He seemed to be in a good mood today and even took the initiative to nod at Lin Mo.
“Su Ran, play Chopin first,” he said.
Su Ran sat down and began to play the ‘Revolutionary Etude.’
She played exceptionally well today—not in terms of technique, but in terms of emotion.
The suppressed anger and the power yearning to break free from restraints were expressed vividly through the music.
As the final note settled, Zhou Muyuan clapped his hands in satisfaction. “Very good. You’re in good form today. Previously, your playing was always stiff. Though perfect, it was like a machine.”
The corners of Su Ran’s mouth curled up as she looked at Lin Mo behind her. “Thank you, Teacher.”
“However…”
Zhou Muyuan’s tone shifted, and his expression became serious.
He pushed up his glasses, and a sense of pressure immediately filled the room. “I heard you’ve been cooking lately? Sending bentos to this Student Lin Mo?”
Lin Mo raised his left eyebrow. He hadn’t even reached Level 4, and this guy was already using his ultimate move?
Does he even have the mana for that?
Su Ran nodded without hesitation. “Yes.”
Zhou Muyuan’s voice sank. “Do you know how long top pianists practice every day? 8 hours, 10 hours! If you have time to cook, you’d be better off practicing for 2 hours more!”
Su Ran turned her head to look directly at Zhou Muyuan. “Cooking is my way of relaxing.”
“Relaxing?”
Zhou Muyuan sneered. “For a true pianist, the best way to relax is through the piano.”
Lin Mo also scoffed. “Teacher Zhou, you don’t represent all pianists. Everyone has their own way of relaxing. If Su Ran feels that cooking can relax her, there’s nothing wrong with that.”
Zhou Muyuan looked at him, his gaze turning cold. “Student Lin Mo, I am teaching my student. Please do not interrupt. This is none of your business.”
“Sorry, but it actually is my business.”
Lin Mo countered without hesitation. “Su Ran’s competition involves a bet I made with someone else. The amount is as high as 20 million. I won’t allow anyone or anything to affect Su Ran, including you.”
As he spoke, he stood up and turned to face Zhou Muyuan directly, shielding Su Ran behind him.
The air in the piano room solidified.
Zhou Muyuan stared at Lin Mo. After a long while, he suddenly laughed.
“Interesting. Su Ran, did you know about this? He’s using your piano to make money?”
Su Ran also stood up and moved to Lin Mo’s side. “I know, and my mother knows as well. If you have an objection, I… I can change teachers.”
Zhou Muyuan’s smile vanished.
He looked at Su Ran, his eyes as deep as a well.
“You want to change teachers?”
“If I must.”
Zhou Muyuan was silent for a long time—so long that Lin Mo thought he would lose his temper.
Unfortunately, he only let out a sigh.
“Su Ran, I don’t want you to waste your talent, but… since you insist, I respect your choice.”
He took off his glasses and wiped them, appearing either disappointed or regretful. “As a condition, you must take first place in next week’s competition. Otherwise, I will suggest your mother reconsider your direction of development.”
It was a threat, but also a way to give himself an out.
Lin Mo understood and laughed. He said without showing any face, “Don’t worry, Teacher. It doesn’t matter where Su Ran develops; her mother will have her own thoughts. More importantly… no matter where Su Ran goes, I have the capital to pave the way for her. This world is likely beyond your understanding.”
Zhou Muyuan’s face turned incredibly dark.
He had originally thought Lin Mo’s bet was just empty talk.
But when the words “capital to pave the way” were spoken, it really felt like it meant something.
Su Ran nodded at the right time and said to Zhou Muyuan, “I will work hard.”
“Fine.”
Zhou Muyuan waved his hand dismissively. “That’s all for today’s class. You two may go.”
As they walked out of the piano room, Su Ran immediately let out a long breath.
“Lin Mo, was I too impulsive?” she asked with some concern.
“Was it?”
Lin Mo seemed to change faces instantly. The sharpness he had shown toward Zhou Muyuan vanished completely, replaced by his usual lazy and easygoing vibe. “Do you think I was impulsive?”
Su Ran shook her head without thinking. “Not at all.”
Lin Mo tilted his head to look at her, teasing, “I directly argued with him without considering your feelings. Is that not impulsive?”
Su Ran still shook her head, very firmly. “You were helping me. I know that. You did that for my sake, so it wasn’t being impulsive.”
Lin Mo smiled. “Then weren’t you also speaking up for me?”
“Eh?”
Su Ran stopped in her tracks, a bit dazed. For a moment, she didn’t understand how she had been talked into a circle.
Lin Mo looked back at her and said somewhat pamperingly, “I don’t think you were impulsive, nor do I think you were wrong in any way. You’re paying for lessons to learn piano, not paying to be scolded and sacrifice your life. In this world, no one except your mother has the right to interfere with your private life.”
Su Ran stared into Lin Mo’s eyes. As she watched, her eyes began to turn red.
An unprovoked surge of emotion hit her like a tide, wrapped in a sense of happiness so warm it felt like it would melt her, completely submerging her. “And you. You have the right, too.”
Once the words were out, she realized something was wrong. She quickly pulled her hair down to hide her face and walked forward with her head buried.
Lin Mo couldn’t help but laugh out loud at her hurried small steps.
The two of them walked out of the conservatory one after the other.
The setting sun dyed the sky a beautiful shade of orange-red.
“Lin Mo.”
“Hmm?”
“On your birthday, can I… give you a special gift?”
“What gift?”
“I can’t say it now, but… I hope you can accept it.”
“I’ll accept anything you give me.”
Su Ran walked ahead with a red face, not daring to look back, her pace getting faster and faster.
Lin Mo didn’t speed up, but he maintained his position exactly half a step behind her.
As they walked, Su Ran’s mouth curled up, a sense of dependence growing in her heart.
She could feel that Lin Mo was always right behind her.
Like a mountain to lean on, like a shield, like a warm fire that would never be extinguished.