Murphy's gaze made Yang Yi's back stiffen, and his expression froze slightly. Fortunately, the dim light on the balcony prevented Murphy from noticing his smile fade.
"Could she still be suspicious?" Yang Yi's heart raced with anxiety.
Murphy continued, "Writing novels, opening a coffee shop, playing guitar, singing, and even speaking English! Yang Yi, I feel like you're not the same person anymore!"
The woman rested her chin on her hand, gazing at Yang Yi with eyes as clear as autumn water, unsettling him.
What now? Was he about to be found out? How would he explain?
However, Murphy wasn't as tense as Yang Yi feared. Seeing him silent, she pursed her lips, gathered her courage, and asked, "So, all these changes—are they because of me? Did you learn guitar and singing for me?"
So it hadn't come to that yet!
Yang Yi secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Not being "interrogated" felt like a stroke of luck!
But he had something to say about Murphy's question. He shook his head vigorously: "No? That's not it!"
"I don't believe you!"
Yang Yi's original plan wasn't to follow Murphy's line of thinking; he still had to figure out how to explain the "Mu Ziang" identity later. So he explained, "I learned all this while working over the years! I traveled around, learned cooking in restaurants, and picked up instruments in bars..."
Murphy, however, was set on her idea. She pouted her rosy lips, almost playfully stubborn, and said, "I'm not listening, I'm not listening! You weren't like this before. It was only after I brought Xixi to meet you that you slowly changed!"
Yang Yi didn't want to dwell on this topic, since he was really lying. The more he said, the more mistakes he'd make...
"Ahem, well, Murphy, by the way, I wanted to discuss something with you today!" Yang Yi awkwardly changed the subject. "About Xixi starting kindergarten, I think your earlier suggestion was right!"
Murphy shot Yang Yi an annoyed glare. She knew perfectly well he was deliberately dodging the previous topic. But she had to admit, he succeeded—the new topic caught her interest. She said happily, "Really? You agree to let Xixi go to kindergarten?"
"That's right!" Yang Yi nodded. "But I only agree with the idea of letting Xixi go to kindergarten. As for those interest classes, I still oppose them!"
"Why should you get to decide that? You want Xixi, a little girl, to learn swordsmanship with you, but she can't learn singing or piano?" Murphy was displeased.
Yang Yi had read many parenting books and thought he knew a lot. He patiently explained to Murphy, "A child's childhood should be happy and carefree, not filled with constant studying that leaves no time for play!"
"Xixi learning martial arts with me takes very little time. It helps her exercise and ensures she won't be bullied later. That's a good thing!"
"Why isn't learning music a good thing?" Murphy pressed.
"Learning itself is fine, but heavy interest classes would make Xixi's childhood oppressive. I'm not saying she can't learn, but we need to manage her time well, let her learn things she likes in moderation, and most importantly, have fun!" Yang Yi said. "As for the rest, she can learn slowly when she's older."
Murphy had to admit Yang Yi was right. Thinking back, her own childhood was filled with one lesson after another, and she could hardly recall any joy.
Still, she struggled a little: "We can skip the others, but singing should still be learned..."
"Then let Xixi choose. Whatever she likes, we'll fully support. Whatever she doesn't like, we won't force!" Yang Yi waved his hand generously.
Murphy snapped back to reality and smiled lightly. "See, you say you haven't changed, but in just a few days, you have! Before, you were stubborn about not letting Xixi go to kindergarten!"
On this point, Yang Yi had something to say: "Don't you think tonight's birthday party was too quiet? It was just you, me, and Xixi!"
"Hmm?"
"It shouldn't be like this. I've looked into it—other kids' birthday parties invite lots of children to join in, lively and fun!"
"Hmm..." Murphy nodded gently. Her own childhood birthdays were like that, but she comforted him, "Don't blame yourself too much. I think what you did tonight was good enough! Even though there were few people, it was warm. Xixi was happy, and so was I."
"That's not what I mean. I just don't want Xixi to end up like us—withdrawn and friendless!" Yang Yi waved his hand.
"Who are you calling withdrawn and friendless?" Murphy didn't like hearing that.
"How many friends do you have? Count them." Yang Yi pressed on, risking it all.
"I have some—Xiaojuan, my driver, and..." Murphy panicked. She realized Yang Yi was right; she really didn't have many friends. She knew people in her circle, but she always kept to herself, refused to attend events, and wasn't good at socializing. Plus, she set a high bar for the word "friend." Truly, she had very few.
"Xiaojuan doesn't count—she's your relative. As for the driver, you don't even know his name. That's not a friend." Yang Yi laid bare this painful truth.
Murphy looked at him with a mix of shame and anger, her heart aching. "What are you trying to say?"
"Nothing. I just don't want Xixi to repeat our mistakes!" Yang Yi said casually, smiling. "Letting her go to kindergarten means she can temporarily leave our arms. That way, she can meet kids her age and make her own friends."
Though Murphy didn't want to admit Yang Yi's assessment of her, she still agreed with his idea. She nodded softly. "I'll find the kindergarten, but from now on, you'll have to pick up and drop off Xixi! Even if I'm free sometimes, it's not convenient."
"Of course."
Suddenly, silence fell between them. Neither spoke.
Murphy glanced at the clock in the living room, yawned, and stretched, revealing her slender, smooth waist. "Alright, I'm going to bed. I have to go back to work tomorrow!"
"Wait!" Yang Yi finally gathered his courage and called out to her.
"This... on the 23rd, Chen Yijie is holding a concert in Jiangcheng. I have a few tickets." Yang Yi was a bit nervous but pressed on. "I'd like to invite you to come along."
Was he really asking a singer to go to a concert? How could Yang Yi even say that?
But surprisingly, Murphy didn't dwell on it. With her back to him, he couldn't see her expression. After a moment of silence, she asked in a low voice, "Are you... asking me out?"
"Ahem, not exactly. I just think Chen Yijie's songs are great, and Xixi will come too. But if it's inconvenient for you, then forget it..." Murphy's question threw Yang Yi off. His prepared words were useless, so he had to improvise.
"Hey, why forget it?" Murphy cut him off.