Chapter 6: Emotions Beyond Restraint

Chapter 6: Unstoppable Emotions

A sensible little girl is truly endearing.

Lu Anzhi considered for a moment and asked the landlord, "Can you sell me this piano? It might as well stay right here; no need to move it."

The landlord, a straightforward man, agreed, "I’ll sell it to you at cost price. Let's just consider it a way of getting to know each other."

He named a price—not low, but not outrageous either.

Lu Anzhi, unfamiliar with the piano brands of this world, turned to look at Zhang Suxin. She understood his meaning instantly and nodded. Lu Anzhi said, "Good, thank you very much."

The landlord smiled and asked, "Don't mention it. Mr. Lu, could you tell me the name of the nursery rhyme you just played? Where can I find it?"

"It probably doesn't exist anywhere else," Lu Anzhi replied. "I just improvised it."

"Improvised?!" The landlord was astonished. "To be that excellent just from improvising—Mr. Lu, you are truly impressive."

Lu Anzhi chuckled, "It was all just to coax my daughter."

Xianxian, who had just climbed down from the piano bench, caught the word "daughter" in Lu Anzhi's sentence. She looked up at him. Seeing that he wasn't speaking to her, she walked over and tugged at his large hand with her tiny one, trying to capture his attention.

Lu Anzhi smiled and picked her up. Only then was Xianxian satisfied.

The landlord remarked, "In any case, Mr. Lu, you are very talented. An ordinary person couldn't just improvise a piece of that caliber."

Zhang Suxin remained silent, but she nodded inwardly. Lu Anzhi had truly shocked her. She had assumed he had dug up this simple, sweet, and wonderful nursery rhyme from somewhere and that he was thoughtful enough to find it specifically for Xianxian. She hadn't expected him to have composed it himself. No wonder the lyrics about one missing ears and the other missing a tail sounded so strange. He probably just sang it off the cuff without giving it much thought.

What kind of man is this person, who three years ago became entangled with her in an unavoidable misunderstanding? He can write books, play the piano, and compose nursery rhymes...

Zhang Suxin felt a strange stirring of emotions. Previously, she had only hoped that Lu Anzhi wasn't a scoundrel or a layabout so that she could feel safe letting him spend time with Xianxian.

After meeting him yesterday, his words and actions hadn't made her feel uncomfortable, and she had breathed a sigh of relief. But she never imagined that Lu Anzhi was the very author, "Dora-B-Dream," who wrote "Dragon Clan"! And now, she discovered he could also compose nursery rhymes and play the piano.

Wave after wave of surprises made it impossible for her emotions not to fluctuate. Lu Anzhi was destined to be Xianxian's father. While she hadn't set high expectations for the father of her child at the start, who wouldn't want the father to be more outstanding?

And that wasn't all. The identity of Lu Anzhi as "Dora-B-Dream" and his talent for composing music added to the emotional impact. She had only read the two books of "Dragon Clan" by Dora-B-Dream; the first she found merely entertaining, but the second had captivated her with the character Xia Mi. She hadn't expected the author to be so ruthless as to kill off Xia Mi. However, it was just a story in a book, so she hadn't dwelt on it too much. When she finished and closed the book, she only felt a small pang of sadness.

But yesterday, with Dora-B-Dream sitting right in front of her, her composure had crumbled. She had almost suffered from insomnia last night.

Of course, it wasn't impossible that Lu Anzhi was just boasting to her about being the author. But Zhang Suxin didn't doubt him. Observing his behavior yesterday, he didn't seem like a mindless braggart. Because of Xianxian, his contact with her wouldn't be a one-time thing. If he were faking his identity, he might manage for a short while, but how could he avoid being exposed over time? Besides, she hadn't revealed beforehand that she had read his novels.

In short, having the author in the flesh—who was also Xianxian's father—had left Zhang Suxin feeling vulnerable yesterday. Consequently, her emotions were inevitably affected today. Under these circumstances, Lu Anzhi’s sudden performance of "Two Tigers" only intensified those fluctuations. Yet, she kept her emotions restrained and did not show them.

None of this was the most important thing. The most important thing was that Lu Anzhi must be good to Xianxian.

"Mr. Lu, would it be alright if I took this song to play for my own child? Don't worry, I won't just spread it around," the shop owner asked. He felt that an unreleased piece of music was something a creator should value, even if it was just a simple children's song.

Lu Anzhi replied, "No problem. Let's get down to business. I've inspected the property and it's fine. Let's proceed with the formalities, and I'll pay for the shop and the piano together at the agreed price. How does that sound?"

The shop owner nodded, "Good."

The group left the piano shop, and after a series of procedures—transfers, contract signing, and notarization—Lu Anzhi paid the money and finalized the purchase of the shop. They had prepared the relevant paperwork in advance, so everything went very smoothly.

Because Zhang Suxin was with Xianxian, she didn't follow along for the errands. She had only spent a short while at the shop before Lu Anzhi left to take care of business, which made him feel a bit guilty. But Zhang Suxin said it was fine, and that hearing him play "Two Tigers" for little Xianxian was already satisfying enough. In her view, that song alone was enough to prove his sincerity.

Hearing her say that made Lu Anzhi feel even more ashamed. At the Jiu'an Piano Shop, he had only played "Two Tigers" on a whim. Last night, he had only thought about writing fairy tales for his daughter, never considering preparing a thoughtful gift for her.

He would have to think of a gift for Xianxian next time they met.

With the transfer and contracts completed and the property deed in hand, Lu Anzhi took the keys to the Jiu'an Piano Shop, bid farewell to the owner, and returned to the shop.

It was already dark. Even with the smooth progress, the procedures had taken the entire day. He "inspected" the shop once more, intending to grab dinner and return to the hotel to write his novel, when his phone suddenly rang.

It was a call from Zhang Suxin. Lu Anzhi had already saved her number. He answered, and heard Xianxian’s voice coming through the speaker, calling "Daddy, Daddy" incessantly. It seemed the little one knew her mother was calling him.

"Be good, Xianxian. Mommy and Daddy have something to discuss. If Daddy is free tomorrow, I'll come visit you, okay?" Zhang Suxin coaxed her first.

Xianxian's sweet voice came through the phone again: "Okay."