The two moved to the piano, and Shi Guanghua slowly opened the lid. He gently touched the black and white keys but hesitated to sit down.
Shi Guanghua's performance so far had been poor, so Chu Yueyi knew she needed to give him a chance to showcase his talent. Her on-camera interactions would only be credible if she did. As a musician, Shi Guanghua could easily excel in music, so it made sense for Chu Yueyi to express her appreciation.
Chu Yueyi stood to the side, her eyes shining with feigned anticipation as she watched Shi Guanghua. However, as he continued to stand there without sitting down to play, she began to worry inwardly.
Chu Yueyi thought to herself: "Come on, kid, don't tell me you're not even good at your own profession?"
Fortunately, Shi Guanghua finally came through. He paused in thought before the piano for a moment, as if lost in some memory, then retrieved a chair from nearby. He moved the piano bench slightly to the side, placed the new chair next to it, and quietly, gentlemanly, extended his hand in invitation.
Chu Yueyi met his gaze, bright as a clear spring, and realized he was inviting her to sit. She slowly sat down, cradling the crystal conch shell. She clearly felt a change in Shi Guanghua's aura; before, he had been closed off and repressed, but now that he was near an instrument, he became calm and composed.
Chu Yueyi understood this feeling well. It was the ease one feels in their area of expertise, just like how she felt about acting. Shi Guanghua had extreme confidence in music, and even without deliberately showing off, he still gave off an impression of rock-solid stability.
The two sat side by side at the piano. Without referring to any sheet music, Shi Guanghua's long fingers began to coax lively notes from the keys.
Light, spirited, occasionally urgent, yet gliding gently past the ear, the melody instantly filled the bright dining room with indescribably wonderful music.
But that wasn't even the most impressive part. What was truly magical was that Chu Yueyi could hear emotion in the music!
The beautiful music alternated between fast and slow, sometimes half-hidden, as if shyly asking for forgiveness, with occasional short notes like nervous, bashful heartbeats.
Chu Yueyi thought to herself: "Even I, with absolutely no talent, can understand this music!"
Chu Yueyi looked at him in surprise and guessed, "Are you apologizing?"
Shi Guanghua didn't respond verbally. He was focused on playing, his long eyelashes trembling slightly, showing only his handsome profile. However, the notes springing from his fingertips grew increasingly gentle, directly answering Chu Yueyi's question through music.
Chu Yueyi suddenly understood. Shi Guanghua wasn't completely mute; he just hadn't been equipped with a voice. He could only express his emotions through instruments!
Chu Yueyi had initially been merely putting on a show for the program, but now she found herself genuinely intrigued by his talent. She asked curiously, "What's this piece called?"
Shi Guanghua thought for a moment, and the music he played became lazy and casual, as if nonchalantly saying, "No name, I just made it up."
Chu Yueyi thought to herself: "He's starting to show off now, getting that typical arrogant musician vibe!"
However, Chu Yueyi surprisingly didn't feel annoyed by this. She believed that experts in any field tended to be a bit arrogant, and she herself was occasionally like that too. It was a confidence that came from not caring about others' opinions, not an intentional attempt to show off, but rather a natural expression of skill.
Although Shi Guanghua had performed terribly during the show's recording, his professional abilities were truly outstanding.
When Shi Guanghua finished playing, Chu Yueyi actually felt reluctant for it to end, even a bit lost.
Noticing her daze, Shi Guanghua pondered for a few seconds before asking softly, "Do you want to play?"
Hearing his voice, Chu Yueyi snapped out of her musical reverie. She met his calm and peaceful face, feeling strangely familiar with his words. She smiled awkwardly and waved her hands, "No, no, I can't play the piano."
Chu Yueyi now felt slightly uncomfortable, realizing they were in a musical environment where Shi Guanghua controlled the rhythm. Her understanding of music wasn't deep, and she was next to a master-level musician, so she naturally felt constrained.
"If I keep drawing secret slips, doesn't that mean I can make you play piano continuously?" Chu Yueyi quickly regained her composure. She held up the crystal conch shell like a treasure, once again putting on her professional smile. "It's your turn to draw."
Shi Guanghua closely observed the changes in her expression. At first, he had been tense and uneasy around Chu Yueyi, but now he had gradually calmed down through music and noticed many subtle and obscure details.
That vague and indescribable feeling grew again. He felt that her flawless smile was somewhat glaring. Just a moment ago, she had been like a delicate little snail, tentatively extending her antennae, but now she had quickly retreated, hiding deep within her shell.
Shi Guanghua shook his head. "I won't draw."
Chu Yueyi: "Huh?"
Shi Guanghua looked at her. "You can draw them all. Didn't you want to hear me play?"
She only extended her antennae when listening to music, so he might as well keep playing.
Chu Yueyi: "..."
Chu Yueyi stared at Shi Guanghua in disbelief. She could hardly recognize the person in front of her. Was this really the same new colleague who could barely string a sentence together earlier?
However, Chu Yueyi didn't refuse his suggestion. She had originally wanted to gather more information about her new colleague, so she graciously continued to draw slips. "Well, if you insist!"
Chu Yueyi didn't immediately draw a secret slip. She drew several ordinary slips about preferences in a row. Several times she thought she couldn't use music to answer, but Shi Guanghua always managed to improvise new melodies without hesitation, weaving one answer after another through the piano's beautiful tones.
His keys conjured up the sea, the warmth of reading on a sunny afternoon, the comfort of coffee on a rainy day - everything constructed through musical notes, feeling both real and dreamlike.
As a layperson, Chu Yueyi had only one thought after watching Shi Guanghua play and compose: Zou Qian was truly and utterly useless!
Chu Yueyi thought to herself: Look at how a real musician can produce an astonishing amount of compositions in just an hour, while a certain male idol can't squeeze out a single song in three months.
Chu Yueyi had truly drawn all the slips from the crystal conch shell. She found that there were only two customized secret slips, and the rest were all ordinary ones. She felt that Shi Guanghua had had enough impressive moments, so now she took back control and revealed the last secret slip.
Shi Guanghua quietly looked at her, patiently waiting for the question. The musical chapter under his hands didn't stop, continuing to flow endlessly.
Suddenly, at this moment, Chu Yueyi's mischievous side erupted. She held back a sly smile and instead blinked innocently, asking, "Why don't you ask me questions? Don't you want to know about me?"
"..."
Sure enough, a series of wrong notes fell on the black and white keys, giving birth to discordant sounds for the first time. The musician rarely fumbled in music, playing an utter mess!
Chu Yueyi watched as he stiffly lowered his hands, finally feeling like she had evened the score. Although he was impressive in music, she was clearly the strongest in acting.
She had thought Shi Guanghua would revert to his silent, constipated state, but unexpectedly, for the first time, he didn't answer through music.
Shi Guanghua's eyes flickered slightly before he lowered his gaze. "I already know everything."
He wasn't lying. He knew far more than what was in the questions in the crystal conch shell. He didn't need to ask at all.
Chu Yueyi was caught completely off guard by his answer. Her heart nearly skipped two beats. "..."
What... was he saying?
She was stunned by his words, and catching sight of the exaggerated hand-covering expressions of the directors in the corner, she felt even more shocked!
Chu Yueyi thought to herself: Why are all these staff members making "I'm shipping it" expressions!?
Chu Yueyi silently cursed that people nowadays would latch onto any hint of romance, but she also knew that Shi Guanghua's ability to engage in such fan service was a tremendous improvement. During his initial recording, he had been completely frozen, but now he could squeeze out four words, naturally causing everyone present to excitedly dance with joy.
Chu Yueyi couldn't openly expose Shi Guanghua's lie. Even if he had investigated her privately, it was probably recent, just like how she had dug up information about him for the show. Besides, she didn't believe he would put in effort for her sake; it was probably just polite fan service talk.
Chu Yueyi thought to herself: This guy's foundation in fan service is poor, but at least he's willing to learn. There's hope for him yet.
Thinking this way, she actually felt a bit pleased. Indeed, the future was bright for hardworking employees.
After her initial shock, Chu Yueyi skillfully acted out a slight blush, responding with a performance of silence speaking louder than words.
After the secret conch shell segment ended, the two left the restaurant and began a boat ride on the lake.
Chu Yueyi carefully stepped onto the boat, feeling the gentle breeze on her face. She joked with a smile, "I knew we'd be going on a boat ride. Otherwise, the show's lake scenery expenses would've been wasted."
Shi Guanghua was listening to the staff's safety instructions. Only the two guests and a camera were on the small boat, with other crew members filming from separate boats and the shore.
The weather was clear and pleasant, with sunlight sparkling on the rippling lake surface. The small boat left trails of ripples as it glided across the water.
Chu Yueyi felt unexpectedly relaxed in the tranquil environment. She and Shi Guanghua sat on opposite sides, gazing at the beautiful scenery in the distance. Away from the layers of directors and producers surrounding them, they finally had a sense of not being on a show.
Chu Yueyi stared at the lake water, while Shi Guanghua stared at her. Both enjoyed the peaceful and pleasant moment.
After a while, Chu Yueyi noticed the overly quiet atmosphere on the boat. She glanced at the camera at the bow and immediately felt the need to perform. She quickly accessed her reservoir of conversation topics and said, "I used to really enjoy boat rides. They always made me feel peaceful. Did you..."
"Did you go on any boat rides when you were in Jeju Island?"
Chu Yueyi knew Shi Guanghua had lived abroad, and she wanted to guide him into a conversation starting from her own boating experiences. However, her voice trailed off when she saw what he was holding in his hand.
The reason was simple: Shi Guanghua had suddenly pulled out a bag of lotus seeds, holding a food storage bag, and waved it at her.
Chu Yueyi's eyes were drawn to the white lotus seeds, her gaze instinctively following the bag. She ended up staring at him wide-eyed, her intended words suddenly changing to: "Why did you bring lotus seeds?"
Shi Guanghua: "Do you want some?"
Chu Yueyi's eyebrow twitched slightly: "Is this..." What kind of plot development is this?
Shi Guanghua: "They're washed."
Chu Yueyi: "..." That's not the point at all!
Shi Guanghua repeated: "Do you want some?"
Chu Yueyi hesitated for a few seconds before mumbling, "...Yes."
Chu Yueyi had originally planned to set up a heart-to-heart conversation on the boat, with the two of them opening up to each other amidst the beautiful scenery. It would have been such a romantic and mysterious plot, but Shi Guanghua's bag of lotus seeds disrupted her plans.
After wiping their hands with wet wipes, they began peeling the fresh lotus seeds. Their romantic date had turned into a primary school snack time.
Chu Yueyi put a tender white lotus seed in her mouth and immediately tasted its fresh, sweet, and crisp flavor. Her eyes widened in surprise as she exclaimed, "These are so delicious! Where did you buy them? They're not bitter at all!"
Chu Yueyi looked at Shi Guanghua in astonishment, surprised that the cold and aloof man had such good taste in food. She continued carefully peeling the lotus seeds and said sincerely, "Please share the link with me, pretty please."
Seeing her focused on peeling lotus seeds, not even looking up while speaking, Shi Guanghua's gaze softened.
He casually ate a few lotus seeds and put the rest of the peeled ones back in the bag. When they got off the boat, he handed the food storage bag with the lotus seeds to Chu Yueyi.
Chu Yueyi gladly accepted it. She had been eyeing the lotus seeds he peeled, knowing that he was eating slowly and would definitely not finish them all!
Although she hadn't achieved great results in terms of performance during the boat ride, there should be enough footage from today's shoot. Getting a free bag of lotus seeds wasn't a bad deal either.
After the filming ended, Chu Yueyi said goodbye to the staff as usual. She walked towards her manager, carrying the bag of lotus seeds, unable to contain her excitement as she took two small hops.
Li You, seeing her cheerful little steps, couldn't help but remark, "Shi Guanghua isn't so bad after all. You mentioned liking boat rides and eating lotus seeds in an interview so long ago, and he actually looked it up..."
Chu Yueyi was stunned: "Did I say that in an interview?"
She couldn't even remember when she started liking lotus seeds, and she had given so many random interviews over the years.
"Yes, I remember it was after you finished your first period drama. You said you tried lotus seeds given to you by the script supervisor and found them amazing. After that, you kept asking us to buy them for you," Li You said, rubbing his chin as he reminisced. "How many years ago was that?"
Chu Yueyi had thought it strange that Shi Guanghua brought lotus seeds, but now, looking at the small bag in her hand and recalling his "I know everything" response, she felt quite conflicted.
He had actually put in the effort.