"So I can't let go of this memory... Your gentle smile in the wind, so familiar... Like holding each other close under the moonlight..."
Mo Fei played steadily, humming softly. The deep yet pure piano sound, accompanied by her clear and affectionate voice, echoed through the coffee shop.
Xixi, the little one, was fine—she just thought her mom was amazing. But Yang Yi was completely captivated. He couldn't help closing his eyes, letting only his ears take in the music as it rose and fell through the space.
"Hey, where's the applause? Xixi, where's your applause?" It was Mo Fei's playful voice teasing her daughter after finishing the piece that snapped Yang Yi back to reality.
"Mommy is the best!" Xixi giggled and threw herself into her mother's arms.
Yang Yi, standing nearby, smiled faintly and clapped his hands lightly, offering his belated applause.
"By the way, Yang Yi, you never really explained earlier—why did you buy such a big piano and put it in the shop?" Mo Fei gently traced the logo on the piano's body and said in surprise, "And it's a Theodore grand piano?"
"I saw on TV that other coffee shops usually have a piano set up—it gives off a nice vibe. So I thought I'd add one to the shop too. I just got my manuscript fee last month, so I had some extra money," Yang Yi explained simply.
Mo Fei didn't press further. She was used to spending freely and didn't think buying a piano for the shop was wasteful. Instead, she asked with amusement, "Do you even know how to play? You didn't buy it just so I'd play for you, did you?"
Maybe saying yes would create a sweet, romantic effect.
But how could Yang Yi be the type to say such sweet nothings? He shook his head calmly and said, "Of course not. I actually want to learn how to play. I used to know a little, and I really liked it."
"You know how to play? Come on, show me!" Mo Fei said enthusiastically.
It was time to reveal a little more of his skills, though Yang Yi didn't plan to show off anything too extraordinary all at once.
"What should I play?" Yang Yi asked with a slight smile as he sat down at the piano.
"I want to play too!" Xixi was thrilled. She ran over and snuggled up to her dad. The bench was long enough, so Yang Yi didn't mind.
"You still have to think about what to play?" Mo Fei was a bit speechless. "Don't tell me you're actually pretty good at piano now?"
Yang Yi didn't answer. Instead, he imitated Mo Fei, running his hands from left to right across the keys, crossing them repeatedly, and playing a short melody. Though it "looked" less smooth than Mo Fei's playing, and he even missed a note or two, Mo Fei still noticed something surprising.
Yang Yi had really learned piano before! For one thing, his posture, the angle of his hands and elbows, the height of his wrists relative to the keys, and the force of his fingers pressing down—all of it was just right. Without formal training and plenty of practice, it would be hard to pull off.
Still, Mo Fei had grown quite accustomed to Yang Yi occasionally revealing new skills. She didn't question it. Instead, she helped him think of a piece to play. Suddenly, an idea struck her. She turned around, walked to her special shelf, and grabbed a small booklet.
It was a songbook that came with her platinum album *Love Like a Stranger*. Mo Fei excitedly flipped to the first page, pointed at her own song, and said, "Play this one, *Love Like a Stranger*!"
"Uh, that's a bit challenging," Yang Yi said, scratching his head. Being asked to play the whole song right off the bat made him a little nervous—he was afraid Mo Fei might catch on to something.
"It's okay, take your time. If you mess up, I'll teach you!" Mo Fei reassured him.
What Yang Yi didn't realize was that Mo Fei was so proactive because she was genuinely happy to see him showing interest in music. She had always hoped they could share common ground.
But the old Yang Yi had only ever driven her crazy—there was no way they could talk about music. Actually, the original Yang Yi didn't even like "sentimental tunes"!
Now that Yang Yi was showing off a bit, Mo Fei saw a glimmer of hope. She decided that even if he played terribly, she would praise him and never discourage him.
Meanwhile, Xixi was still snuggled up to her dad, with no intention of leaving.
Watching up close was way more fun!
When she saw her dad lift his hands and hover them over the keys, the little girl stretched out her thin little arms with interest and pressed a couple of keys herself.
"Are you going to play a four-hand piece with Daddy?" Yang Yi chuckled, gently patting Xixi's head.
Xixi didn't understand what "four-hand piece" meant, but she cleverly nodded vigorously.
"Mommy will teach you how to play later. Come down now—it's Daddy's turn to perform!" Mo Fei urged.
But Xixi shook her little head playfully, squeezed into her dad's arms, and said in a crisp voice, "No way!"
"It's fine. Xixi is very well-behaved. Once Daddy starts playing, she won't disturb him. Promise Daddy you'll be good and not reach out, okay?" Yang Yi extended his big fist.
Daddy's words were easier to accept. The little girl nodded obediently.
Xixi knew about Daddy's habit of making promises. She giggled and bumped her tiny fist against his big one.
Yang Yi really liked the song *Love Like a Stranger*, but it was his first time playing it, so awkwardness was unavoidable. On top of that, Yang Yi added pauses to read each line of the sheet music before playing, making the rhythm even slower and choppier, with the melody unable to flow smoothly.
But Mo Fei didn't mind at all. She was already thrilled that he could play a short passage just by glancing at the score.
"You're doing great! You just need to get a little more familiar with the keys. Try not to look down—ideally, you should be able to play while reading the sheet music," she praised sincerely.
Of course, Mo Fei also offered plenty of guidance. She told him which notes to strike lightly and release quickly, and which ones to play in a connected sequence.
Even though Yang Yi probably knew as much as she did, he stayed humble and accepted her instructions obediently.
"You need to practice hard! Now that there's a piano at home, you have to play well—at least master the sheet music for my songs!" Mo Fei said casually, patting Yang Yi's shoulder with a big grin. "Someday, when I hold a concert, I'll have you come up and accompany me!"
Yang Yi smiled wryly. It felt strange to be encouraged like this by an amateur who wasn't even a professional, when he himself was a hidden master.
But he didn't know that Mo Fei was serious. She truly hoped that one day she could invite Yang Yi onto her stage and perform together with him.
"That way, maybe he'll understand my work and my dream."