Chapter 135: First Take Da Yizi Out to Play, Then Pull Out the Italian Cannon

Chen Yixue listened in silence.

Because she knew Xu Yuexin was telling the truth.

"Here's a sheet of music for you."

Xu Yuexin said, turned and walked into the master bedroom, and opened the bookcase door.

Most of the books in Da Yizi's bookcase were about singing, with some about various instruments as well.

Xu Yuexin retrieved a copy of the "Für Elise" sheet music from inside, took it, and walked out of the bedroom.

Chen Yixue was still getting acquainted with the brand‑new piano, pressing her delicate jade‑like fingers onto the keys and listening to the sound it produced.

"Ding, dong…"

Amid the crisp and sometimes deep tones, Chen Yixue closed her eyes in rapture.

The timbre and tone quality of the Steinway truly could not be matched by an ordinary piano.

Xu Yuexin placed the "Für Elise" sheet on the piano, lightly tapping Chen Yixue's soft shoulder: "Here's the sheet music.

"Hmm."

Chen Yixue nodded, opened her eyes, and began playing from the sheet.

As Chen Yixue's fingers danced across the keys, crisp, pleasant piano notes floated through the living room, relaxing everyone completely.

The dark clouds that had loomed over Chen Yixue's heart for days were briefly dispelled.

After playing through once, she closed the sheet and played from memory.

Xu Yuexin stood quietly behind Chen Yixue, listening, and when the piece ended again, nodded: "Impressive, not a single note was wrong."

Chen Yixue stared at the piano keys for a moment, a hint of reluctance flashing in her eyes.

Xu Yuexin knew what she was reluctant to part with.

"Don't worry, transoceanic shipping isn't that easy; it takes a lot of time to prepare properly."

"Until then, play however you like."

Chen Yixue took a deep breath and remained silent.

She knew Xu Yuexin was lying to her; he could never send this Steinway back.

That meant the debt she owed had become too great.

She had to repay him, otherwise it would truly…

Chen Yixue quietly made up her mind.

A few days later, a southern publishing house approached Xu Yuexin and Chen Yixue, seeking to purchase the publishing rights to NightAtTheMilitaryPort.

The offer was 5,000 yuan; Xu Yuexin eventually negotiated the price up to 8,500.

After receiving the cash, Xu Yuexin and Da Yizi signed a Contract.

"Fifty‑fifty split, 4,250 yuan each."

Back at Great Unity Lake, Xu Yuexin and Da Yizi sat on the sofa and gave her half of the money to split the bill with her.

Da Yizi pushed aside a stack of Great Unity books, shook her head firmly, and said, "All of it is yours."

"When I finish paying off the piano money, I'll split again."

"Huh, you still have to clear it?"

Xu Yuexin curled his lip and said, "This piano was bought with Foreign Exchange, and you can't obtain Foreign Exchange either."

"I don't care. I calculated that sixteen thousand dollars is roughly fifty thousand yuan."

"I only need to repay those fifty thousand yuan."

"That won't do. Since you must repay, do it with Foreign Exchange."

Xu Yuexin said domineeringly, "Otherwise I won't acknowledge it."

Da Yizi placed a hand on her forehead, looked at him helplessly, and said, "I understand what you mean."

"The problem is, I can't keep being in debt."

"Including the house at Great Unity Lake, I'm planning to find a suitable reason to transfer it solely to Qiao Qiao."

"I still have some savings; buying a small house to live in is no problem."

Chen Yixue has recently come to a complete understanding.

The reason she can't cut ties with Xu Yuexin, even though logic is tangled, is because she owes too much.

She believes that once she repays Xu Yuexin, she can withdraw calmly and say goodbye to worries and pain.

"So that's how you planned it."

Xu Yuexin leaned back on the sofa, fell into thought, and said, "Then just repaying the house isn't enough; you have to settle other things as well."

"For example, those two songs, I wrote them; have you considered that?"

"Hmm, I understand, so it can only be as much as possible to repay."

"If you need, I can also give you all my savings back."

"Fine, you repay it. I'll take your money home and tell Qiao Qiao that you paid it."

"You…"

Da Yizi's soft spot was hit, making her so angry she almost cried, and her head began to throb.

"So you see, it can't be cut off."

Xu Yuexin said softly, stroking Da Yizi's back as he tried to persuade her, "No matter how covertly you and I sever ties, Qiao Qiao will eventually notice the clues."

"When that happens, how will you explain it?"

"Stop talking, don't say any more."

Da Yizi looked at him with watery eyes, her lips trembling as she spoke, "I beg you, can you not bring this up?"

If one day her sister discovers it, that would be her greatest nightmare.

If that day ever really comes, she would rather crash into the wall and die on the spot.

"Fine, I won't bring it up. Just don't keep talking about things you can't do."

"I'll also try my best to respect your feelings."

Xu Yuexin promised.

"Hmm…"

Da Yizi lowered her head, covering her face with her hand; tears seeped through her fingers and dripped down the back of her hand.

She didn't believe Xu Yuexin at all.

But now, for her, there was no choice except to take Xu Yuexin's promise seriously.

"Don't feel bad. In two days school breaks, I'll take you and Qiao Qiao to Xiangjiang together."

"When the time comes, buy whatever you want."

"No, I can't face her…"

Da Yizi shook her head and refused, "Just let me be alone, staying quietly."

Because of intense guilt and a sense of culpability, she hasn't seen her sister even once since returning to Jing.

Even when her sister proactively asked to meet, she found excuses to decline.

Xu Yuexin felt a pang of compassion seeing Da Yizi like that.

After all, the daughter‑in‑law was the only relative she could currently contact.

"She doesn't know either…"

Xu Yuexin urged.

"I'm not you."

"My skin isn't that thick."

"…"

Alright, what else can be said.

Xu Yuexin again, as if on the sofa, left Da Yizi to brood in sorrow alone.

Love, let the sadness pass; we'll talk when the sorrow eases.

On the sofa, Da Yizi sobbed again for a long time, only stopping when night fell.

She truly had no strength left to keep crying.

Xu Yuexin went to the kitchen, stir‑fried a couple of dishes, boiled a pot of noodles, and ate together with Da Yizi.

"When Qiao Qiao graduates, you should have a child with her."

Halfway through her meal, Da Yizi stared blankly at the table and said, "If you have a child, you should settle down."

"My affairs with her are none of your business."

"…"

This time, Da Yizi was the one choked up.

After a while, Xu Yuexin and Chen Qiaoqiao finished their exams and entered a relaxed, free winter break.

At that moment, Xu Yuexin suggested a trip to Xiangjiang, and Chen Qiaoqiao gladly agreed.

"Invite my sister too."

Without waiting for Xu Yuexin to mention Da Yizi, she proactively said, "Lately when I try to find her she keeps saying she's busy, and I don't know what she's busy with."

"Let's go together to Tuanjie Lake to find her."

Xu Yuexin said.

They went downstairs, pushed the car out, and waited for the daughter‑in‑law to start it after opening.

Xu Yuexin drove the daughter‑in‑law to Tuanjie Lake, arriving just as Da Yizi was at home playing the piano. After knocking open the door, Da Yizi's demeanor toward Chen Qiaoqiao was a bit unnatural.

When she saw Chen Qiaoqiao's gaze land on the piano, the awkwardness became even more evident.

"It's really beautiful, where did you buy it?"

Chen Qiaoqiao placed her fingers on the keys and asked, fresh and curious.

"I have a friend in the United States; I heard Xue Xue studies music, so I asked if she wanted to buy it."

"I thought the piano was nice, so I bought it."

Xu Yuexin proactively answered for Da Yizi, his expression candid and natural.

"I see, I also think only a piano this beautiful can match my sister."

Chen Qiaoqiao didn't think much, warmly looping her arm around her sister and said, "By the way, sis, Xu Yuexin and I plan to go to Xiangjiang; you should come with us."

"I… want to take this time to practice the piano."

Chen Yixue stammered.

The more the sister was affectionate toward her, the heavier Chen Yixue's sense of guilt became.

"Go ahead, the piano can be practiced anytime."

Xu Yuexin, making the decision for Da Yizi, said, "When you leave, remember to cover the piano so it doesn't gather dust."

Seeing the situation, Da Yizi could only agree.

The next day, Xu Yuexin took the daughter‑in‑law and Da Yizi to the train station to catch a ride.

Earlier, when returning from Da Yizi's house, he had sent a telegram to Lin Qingxia and arranged the paperwork for the three of them to go to Xiangjiang.

So as soon as Da Yizi nods, they can set off.

From Jingcheng to Guangzhou, then from Guangzhou to Kowloon.

After getting off at Kowloon Station, Xu Yuexin hailed a taxi, and together with the daughter‑in‑law and Da Yizi headed to Central, booking two top‑floor rooms at the Ritz‑Carlton.

"It's really warm here, just like spring."

After entering the room, Qiao Qiao tossed her single‑shoulder bag onto the bed, stepped onto the bed, and sighed contentedly.

"Today finally feels like winter has arrived."

Xu Yuexin set down his suitcase, sat beside his daughter‑in‑law, and said, "Go take a shower; after you're done, we'll go out shopping."

"Mm! I'll shower first."

Qiao Qiao agreed.

In a short while, the two finished showering one after another and went to the next room to look for Chen Yixue.

Chen Yixue had also just finished showering; when Xu Yuexin and Qiao Qiao arrived, she was leaning by the window watching the scenery.

"Sister, the street here is really bustling."

"Let's go shopping together."

"Then… let's go for a stroll."

After hesitating for a moment, Chen Yixue agreed.

These past few days, Chen Yixue's mood has become a bit more relaxed.

In the past, at Tuanjie Lake or at Guogongfu, Chen Yixue would recall the scenes of happy times with Xu Yuexin, especially the night before moving and that day in the side room.

Whenever she thinks of this, her guilt toward her younger sister intensifies.

Now, having left the familiar environment, Chen Yixue's inner self has somewhat healed, no longer suffocated by heavy remorse as before.

After hitting the streets, Xu Yuexin led his daughter‑in‑law and Da Yizi through one luxury shop after another, occasionally swaggering out his bank card to clear the bills.

Not counting Lin Qingxia's money, his card actually held a full HK$10.2 million! Upon entering a watch shop, Xu Yuexin set his eyes on a Rolex Greenwich at the counter and asked the saleswoman to try it on.

"How about it, pretty suitable, right?"

After putting on the Rolex, Xu Yuexin examined himself in the mirror and asked his daughter‑in‑law and Da Yizi behind him.

"It looks great, especially imposing."

Qiao Qiao enthusiastically affirmed, nudging her sister with her arm, "How about it, not bad?"

Da Yizi was a bit taken off guard, and after a moment she recovered, nodded and said, "It's quite nice."

All along the way, she tried to avoid interacting with Xu Yuexin as much as possible.

Let alone evaluations like today's.

"You two, get one too."

Xu Yuexin turned, took off his watch, and told his daughter‑in‑law and Da Yizi, "There are Rolex ladies' watches at the counter."

"Then I'll take a look."

His daughter‑in‑law took Da Yizi's hand and together they approached the counter.

Soon, she selected a watch and put it on her wrist.

Compared with Xu Yuexin's bold men's watch, Qiao Qiao's ladies' watch was more delicate, both the dial and strap being considerably smaller.

"Is it good‑looking or not?"

After putting on the Rolex, Qiao Qiao turned her wrist over and over, looking at it, and asked Xu Yuexin.

"Looks good, Xue Xue, you should get one too."

After answering his daughter‑in‑law, Xu Yuexin looked at Da Yizi and said.

"It's quite pricey; I think maybe…"

"Sister, I think this model suits you especially; wearing it shows noble aura, just buy it."

Da Yizi was about to refuse when her daughter‑in‑law cut her off.

In the end, the three of them bought three watches.

Xu Yuexin's men's Rolex cost HK$3,000.

The daughter‑in‑law's and Da Yizi's two ladies' Rolexes were HK$2,100 each, totaling HK$4,200.

Xu Yuexin stylishly pulled out his bank card, swiped it on the POS, and cleared the total.

Soon after leaving the watch shop, Qiao Qiao wanted to buy the pearl milk tea that's popular in Xiangjiang, so she went to a shop and queued at the entrance.

Xu Yuexin and Chen Yixue didn't want to drink, so they stood at the end of the line waiting for her.

In no time, Qiao Qiao moved to the front, and Xu Yuexin's gaze immediately shifted to Da Yizi.

"How are you feeling, any better?"

"Hmm… not so suppressed anymore."

"If that's the case, we should have gone to Xiangjiang earlier."

"As long as you don't touch me, and we change to a new environment, I'll feel comfortable."

"No touch? What kind of joke is that?"

Hearing Da Yizi's words, Xu Yuexin muttered to himself.

Of course, considering Da Yizi's mind had just settled, he didn't make his usual sarcastic remarks.

In the afternoon, his daughter‑in‑law and Da Yizi watched TV in the hotel, while Xu Yuexin went alone to the bank and transferred HK$83,000 to Shen Qingru's account.

The piano was worth HK$81,000, and an additional HK$2,000 was a labor fee, since overseeing the piano shop's inventory is also taxing work.

Then, Xu Yuexin sent Lin Qingxia HK$1,070,000.

After the Hang Seng Index's surge, Lin Qingxia's investment reached over HK$1.2 million; after deducting Xu Yuexin's commission from the profit, that was the total.

At this point, Xu Yuexin's account still had a little over HK$10.3 million left.

The commission he received from Lin Qingxia exceeded the sum of the piano money and the money spent on shopping that morning.

After completing the transfer, Xu Yuexin, carrying the huge sum, went to Da Fu Securities to consult the broker about the market.

"Check for me: how has the stock of a company called Apple been moving lately?"

"Someone just asked me about that company a moment ago."

The broker, with a regretful smile, said, "The trend looks rather ordinary; it dropped 20% right at the start of the year."

"Alright, it seems the giant's growth path isn't smooth sailing either."

Xu Yuexin thought that he could postpone the plan to buy Apple stock.

The question then arose: where should the 10.3 million Hong Kong Dollar in hand be placed…

Xu Yuexin fell into thought, his mind repeatedly revisiting relevant economic‑history knowledge.

At present, several major economies—the United States, the European Community, and Japan—are undergoing rapid economic shifts.

Among them, Japan is changing the most.

Since the 1970s, Japanese cars have entered the North American market, and amid sharply rising oil prices have crippled domestic North American automakers.

To support its auto exports, the Japanese government began continuously devaluing the yen in the late 1970s, continuing until the Plaza Accord four years later.

In other words, anyone who firmly shorted the Japanese yen before 1985 could have made a lot of money.

Thinking this, Xu Yuexin felt a calculation forming in his mind.

Pull my Italian cannon over here!

I'm going to short the yen!

"Sir, do you conduct Foreign Exchange business here?"

"We do. Boss Xu, are you planning to enter the Foreign Exchange market?"

The broker asked.

(End of chapter)