"Teacher Wen, I don't quite understand this part." Evie pointed at a certain syllable. After hearing this, Wen Qiulan reached up to tuck her hair behind her ear and leaned down to take a look. Just as she was about to say something, the communicator lit up. Seeing who was calling, Wen Qiulan smiled apologetically at Evie, then moved aside to answer the video call. The caller was Wen Qiulan's mother, a seemingly young female Alpha, sitting in front of a tea table with a cup of hot tea in her hands.
"I watched the award ceremony with your mother yesterday. Congratulations, Baby Lan." her mother said softly. Although her expression was still serious, Wen Qiulan could clearly see the appreciation and happiness in her eyes. She knew that both her mothers were not the type to show affection easily, they cared for her but rarely expressed it. This was something Wen Qiulan was very aware of.
"Thank you, Mom, and... could you stop calling me that?" Wen Qiulan said, pressing her lips together softly. Glancing at Evie, who seemed oblivious to their conversation, Wen Qiulan felt a bit relieved, assuming Evie couldn't hear her. Noticing her actions, the person on the other end picked up on something.
"You used to love it when your mom and I called you by your nickname. If we didn't, you would throw a tantrum. Now you're rejecting it. Is there someone there with you?"
"Yes, I recently took on a student who comes here to practice the piano."
"I see. Am I interrupting your class?"
"It's okay. It's just for a little while, she won't mind."
Mentioning Evie brought a faint smile to Wen Qiulan's face. Sensing her daughter's good mood, the person on the other end paused for a moment before speaking slowly. "Baby Lan, your mother and I have recently contacted a nice Omega. When do you have time to meet? We're not rushing you into marriage, we just worry about you still being single."
Hearing her mother introduce another matchmaking candidate made Wen Qiulan frown slightly, but she didn't directly refuse.
"I know you and Mother care about me, I understand all that. It's just that finding someone I truly like isn't that easy." Wen Qiulan said softly. In truth, she felt somewhat resistant to blind dates, especially after what happened with Angela. It made her feel that the people she met through matchmaking weren't as genuine as they appeared. After chatting with her mother for a while, not wanting Evie to wait too long, she ended the conversation early and returned to the piano room.
Inside the room, Evie was engrossed in studying the sheet music Wen Qiulan had given her. Her profile and golden hair were illuminated by the light, creating a beautiful halo effect. Wen Qiulan recalled how this person had specifically come to the award ceremony to congratulate her. At that moment, it would be a lie to say she wasn't happy. Her work being recognized and Xiao Yi coming to say congratulations—at that instant, there was a peculiar stir in Wen Qiulan's heart. She didn't understand why she felt that way, but it seemed extraordinary.
"Xiao Yi, did you understand what I explained just now?" Wen Qiulan asked as she walked back, standing by the piano. Unbeknownst to herself, whenever she faced Evie, her voice would involuntarily soften. Wen Qiulan's voice was always gentle and feminine, giving a feeling of being bathed in a spring breeze.
"I understand now, Teacher Wen. Do you have time tonight?"
"Yes, why?"
"Um, it's nothing really. It's just that you won an award, and I want to take you out for dinner to celebrate."
Evie asked cautiously, unsure if Wen Qiulan would accept her invitation at this moment. After her question, the piano room fell silent for a while. Just when Evie began to wonder if her plan was inappropriate and thought about backing out, Wen Qiulan spoke.
"Sure, Xiao Yi, thank you." Wen Qiulan was surprised that Evie's cautious question was about this. Instead of answering immediately, she observed Evie's expression. Seeing this once-vibrant girl now being so careful about inviting her made Wen Qiulan feel guilty. She realized that what she had said to Evie the other day was indeed too harsh. After their lesson, Evie didn't linger and decided to go home to prepare for her evening meeting with Wen Qiulan.
At the appointed time, Wen Qiulan arrived at the restaurant entrance based on the address provided by Evie. It was her first time at this restaurant named "Star," which had a great reputation but rarely allowed anyone to dine there. The "Star" restaurant operated on a membership system, offering only 50 membership spots each year. Only members could dine there.
No one knew who the members of the "Star" restaurant were, nor did anyone know what dishes were served there. The restaurant remained shrouded in mystery, becoming the most anticipated dining establishment on annual restaurant rankings. Wen Qiulan didn't expect Evie to invite her to dine here. She was greeted by a server downstairs, who led her to the elevator, taking her all the way to the top floor, where she could finally see the full view of the "Star" restaurant.
The restaurant was built atop the tallest business building in Laniswei, entirely made of high-transparency, high-density glass. It seemed to hover above the clouds, where one could almost reach out and touch the stars. The entire restaurant was quiet, with only one woman standing there, dressed differently from how Wen Qiulan usually saw her.
She wore a luxurious and sexy deep V navy blue evening gown, made of high-quality satin that hugged Evie's stunning figure. Even without wearing a bra, her ample curves naturally gathered attractively. She wore high heels and had her golden hair styled up. Her makeup was more exquisite and vibrant than usual. She looked like a powerful queen, so stunning that it was hard to look away. Wen Qiulan stared at Evie, who looked so grand, her heart racing uncontrollably as similar feelings from last night returned.
"Xiao Yi, thank you." Wen Qiulan hadn't expected Evie to make such a simple celebration feel so grand. She watched as Evie smiled and walked over, taking her hand to lead her to the dining table. Wen Qiulan glanced down at their hands intertwined, a gentle smile playing on her lips. After a moment, she thought of something else, and the light smile turned into a look of conflict.
"Teacher Wen, you don't need to thank me, this is something I wanted to do for you. I'm really happy that you won an award. Actually, I have a gift prepared for you." Evie spoke softly, a hint of blush on her face. Glancing at her Wen Qiulan, she stood up and walked over to the nearby piano, sitting down under the other's gaze.
"Teacher Wen, this is a piece I composed for you. It may not be the best, but I hope you like it." Evie said, placing her hands seriously on the piano. This piece was written at the last minute and certainly couldn't compare to Wen Qiulan's skill, but she was confident in her own charm. Closing her eyes, Evie began to play. The melodious sound of the piano became remarkably clear in the quiet restaurant, where only the two of them were present. Wen Qiulan found her gaze unconsciously fixed on Evie's face, unable to look away for a long time.
For the first time, someone waited up for her at midnight to congratulate her for winning an award. It was also the first time someone prepared a special piece just to celebrate her success. Wen Qiulan could see that Evie was nervous, even making a few mistakes during the performance. But such small errors were insignificant at that moment. Bathed in the soft yellow light of the restaurant, Evie's radiant face wore a vibrant smile that took Wen Qiulan's breath away.
At that moment, Wen Qiulan suddenly understood what the feeling she experienced last night truly was. It was a strong sensation—one she had never felt before—a fluttering that arose from an Alpha's emotions toward an Omega. Wen Qiulan stared blankly at Evie, hearing her own heartbeat quicken with each thump.
Some people radiate light, not in a literal sense, but in the way they illuminate you in unexpected moments with their presence. That light called "heart fluttering" shone directly from Evie into Wen Qiulan's heart. Many years later, when Evie asked Wen Qiulan about the moment she fell in love and the moment she felt her heart flutter, Wen Qiulan couldn't answer the first question because all she could remember was the moment her heart fluttered.
Evie was a ball of fire, an irresistible beam of light.
"Xiao Yi, thank you for your gift. I'm very happy." Wen Qiulan said softly after the music ended, looking at Evie who had returned to her seat. A smile, deeper than usual, graced her face, and Evie could tell that she had liked it, realizing that tonight's plan had already succeeded halfway.
"Teacher Wen, I'm glad you like it. As long as you're happy, I'm willing to do anything for you. I love seeing you smile." At this point, Evie didn't want to hide her feelings anymore, believing that with Wen Qiulan's intelligence, she had likely already caught on.
Sure enough, after she finished speaking, the smile on Wen Qiulan's face dimmed a bit. She still looked into Evie's eyes, but the restraint in her gaze left Evie somewhat puzzled. Evie could sense that Wen Qiulan was genuinely happy and surely had some feelings for her. However, it was clear that Wen Qiulan was suppressing something, and that was what Evie couldn't understand.
"Xiao Yi, I really appreciate it. You're still so young yet you have already written such a beautiful piece." Wen Qiulan said softly, mentioning the word "young," she glanced at Evie's face. The girl in front of her was a 24-year-old Omega, while she herself was already 32. Wen Qiulan's mind wandered, a hint of sadness arising within her, but she didn't want to let this affect the beauty of the evening.
Throughout the night, Wen Qiulan continued to smile gently, her eyes showing a mix of restraint and fondness towards Evie. Evie knew she shouldn't push things further for now. Since Wen Qiulan didn't want to talk about it, she pretended not to know anything. The two of them seemed to enjoy a harmonious dinner together and then left. After watching Evie drive away, Wen Qiulan returned home. Instead of resting immediately, she went to the piano room. Sitting before the piano with her eyes closed, she could still hear Evie's music echoing in her ears. Wen Qiulan opened the sheet music that Evie had played today and slowly wrote a passage with a fountain pen.
They say love is an island,
Beautiful at a distance.
Some are trying to find it,
Some are trying to find a way out.
---
Wen Qiulan: I'm a 32-year-old sausage who hasn't been of any use, I'm not worthy of the young and beautiful Xiao Yi.
Evie, the Movie Queen: Stop the nonsense! Kiss me!
P.S.: The last English passage is lyrics from a song, roughly translated as: "人们总说，爱情是一座岛屿，在远方，很美丽。有的人，奋身寻找，有的人，竭力逃跑。(They say love is an island, Beautiful at a distance. Some are trying to find it, Some are trying to find a way out.)
---
⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆Charvinovel ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆