Coffee can be beautiful? Murphy had never heard of such a thing. She finished her work and stood up from the stool.
"This coffee is specially made for you." Yang Yi held a tray and pointed to the coffee already set on the small table, smiling slightly.
Murphy looked—inside the smooth white coffee cup, the light brown coffee was nearly overflowing, but what really caught her eye was the milk foam floating on top, layered and rippling like waves on a lake, yet somehow shaped into a beautiful heart!
A big heart, almost filling the entire cup!
"How did you make this?" Murphy had never seen coffee done this way before. It seemed like no one in the world had ever thought of using milk foam to create patterns on coffee!
"It's just milk frothed into foam, and then..." Yang Yi explained, gesturing with his hands to demonstrate. He didn't realize Murphy didn't actually care about the process; she was just exclaiming in surprise.
But Xixi was a great audience. The little girl held her milk bottle to her chest, forgetting to drink, gazing at her father with wide, admiring eyes and couldn't help but exclaim, "So amazing!"
Murphy pursed her lips, watching Yang Yi's earnest expression. She felt a flutter of joy in her heart but refused to admit it, muttering to herself, "So many tricks, isn't it cheesy? And in front of Xixi, no less—I'm embarrassed for him!"
"I want to drink it too, Daddy! Can Xixi have a little? Just a tiny bit!" Xixi stared at the beautiful coffee, her little mind working again. She was so captivated by its looks that she forgot the bitterness from the last time she tried coffee!
"Ask your mom! This coffee belongs to your mom now!" Yang Yi laughed, raising an eyebrow at his daughter.
Murphy was actually reluctant. That heart was like a piece of art—how could she bear to ruin it?
"I haven't even had a sip yet," Murphy muttered softly, just loud enough for Yang Yi to hear.
But Murphy wasn't the selfish type of mom. After hesitating for a moment, she couldn't resist her daughter's pitiful little eyes and the way she clung to the small table, begging. She reached out and slid the coffee cup a bit closer to Xixi.
"Alright, just one taste, okay? Kids can't drink coffee," Murphy said.
"Hehe, just one tiny taste!" Xixi beamed, holding up her slender index finger and wiggling it playfully.
But as Xixi leaned in and took a small sip from the edge of the cup, her little brows immediately furrowed.
"Ew... it's not good! Bitter..." Xixi's upper lip was now coated with milk foam, like a white mustache, looking hilarious—especially with her sour little face. Her pitiful yet funny expression nearly made Yang Yi and Murphy laugh.
This cappuccino wasn't particularly bitter, since Yang Yi had added milk and sugar, adjusting it to Murphy's taste. But Xixi's past experience with plain black coffee had left a painful memory, and the bitterness on her tongue brought it all back...
Xixi recoiled from the coffee in disgust. As her father wiped her mouth with a tissue, she complained, "I'm never drinking coffee again! Daddy is so mean, tricking Xixi! Hmph!"
"You were the one who wanted it!" Yang Yi tried to pinch the nose of the little girl who was blaming him, but she dodged nimbly, giggling as she drank her sweet milk.
Xixi was done with coffee, but her sip had ruined the milk foam shape. The heart was now crooked, with one part turned pointy.
Murphy felt helpless but couldn't blame her daughter.
Still, the coffee was delicious. Murphy took a sip—the rich milk flavor softened the coffee's bitterness, leaving a hint of sweetness that seeped into her heart.
Xixi ran off to play by herself, and Yang Yi turned to Murphy, smiling. "How is it? Good?"
Murphy didn't bother being tsundere and putting it down. She nodded lightly and said, "Good. The milk makes it smoother."
"I'll add milk for you next time too!" Yang Yi made a mental note.
...
"Out of these twelve songs, which one do you like best?"
Music was the easiest topic for them to bond over. Yang Yi leaned against the shelf, relaxed, listening to Murphy play the piano as they chatted casually.
"Which one do you like best?" Murphy asked back.
Yang Yi scratched his head, pretending to be nonchalant. "You Exist in My Song."
Of course, he liked this one the most—it fit his and Murphy's story perfectly!
"That one? Then guess which one I like best?" Murphy pressed.
"Hmm... You Exist in My Song?" Yang Yi said hopefully.
"I said 'that one,' and you still think I like it?" Murphy chided, turning to look at him as if to say, "Are you an idiot?"
Since she knew "Mu Zi'ang" had written it for the person he loved, Murphy never connected it to her and Yang Yi's story.
Yang Yi felt a pang of disappointment. He had really hoped Murphy would love the song he'd chosen just for her.
"My favorite is that one, Carefree Sigh!" Murphy gave an answer Yang Yi hadn't expected. {Note 1}
"Carefree Sigh? You like that one? Isn't it too easy for you?" Yang Yi asked in surprise.
Right, that song was almost like reciting poetry—long lyrics, rhythmic phrasing, and a simple, steady melody that even someone with no singing skills could make sound good!
"Because the lyrics are beautifully written," Murphy said with emotion. "I've never seen such classical, poetic lyrics. You mentioned it before—Chinese style!"
"Look at this line: 'Self-mockery ends, a thousand loves and grudges, heroes grieve / Song ends, hair grays, rosy cheeks fade,' isn't it stunning? That faint melancholy is all wrapped up in a carefree sigh." Murphy spoke with a touch of literary flair.
That made sense. Yang Yi liked the song for its lyrics too—listening to it felt like watching scenes of love and hate in a martial world unfold against drifting snow, only to be swallowed by time.
"Compared to songs that rely on technique to convey emotion, I prefer ones with simple melodies but deep, meaningful lyrics," Murphy said. She was even eager to play and sing it for Yang Yi.
But just then, Xixi came running over, shouting, "Daddy, Daddy! There's a strange old man at the door!"
{Note 1: "Carefree Sigh" was originally sung by Hu Ge, but the female version is quite nice too. If interested, you can search for Xu Wei's cover on NetEase Music.}