Chapter 193: Time Management

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

Wen Nian found herself unable to do anything and had no choice but to retrieve her bike and leave the school gate with Shen Jun. They purposely took a detour to enter the school through the back entrance.

When they stopped at the bike shed again, Wen Nian shook her head and said, “I’m exhausted!”

Her friendship with Bai Zheng remained pure and untainted, but they occasionally had to tell a small lie to avoid exacerbating misunderstandings. Now, they had to do so much just to keep up appearances. With the same 24 hours in a day, Wen Nian couldn’t comprehend how those who juggled multiple relationships managed their time so smoothly.

Wen Nian hurriedly ran to School Building 3.

Zheng Mo had just come out of the club office and saw Wen Nian as she descended the stairs. She was about to greet her when Wen Nian swiftly passed by. Curiosity got the better of Zheng Mo, and she followed her.

Bai Zheng was playing the piano, and Wen Nian entered the room, taking care to keep her breathing light.

She sensed a hint of helplessness and melancholy in the music, a departure from Bai Zheng’s usual composing style, leaning towards his later works from a past life.

As the piece concluded, Wen Nian applauded and approached, praising, “It’s been so long since 1 last heard you play the piano. Your skills have improved.”

Bai Zheng turned his head and saw Wen Nian, smiling as he stood up, teasingly remarking, “I thought you wouldn’t make it.”

Wen Nian nervously touched her nose and chuckled, “How could that be? I’ve said before that I would come to listen to you play the piano, even if it rained knives.”

Upon hearing Wen Nian’s words, Bai Zheng laughed and joked, “Well, in that case, it’s unnecessary. If it actually rained knives, I’m afraid my ribs wouldn’t survive. How do you like my latest composition?”

Considering the question, Wen Nian replied directly, “It feels like you’re not very happy and you’ve compromised your true feelings in composing this piece?”

Bai Zheng hadn’t expected Wen Nian to be so straightforward, and his smile took on a tinge of bitterness. He invited Wen Nian to sit on the guest sofa near the entrance and poured her a cup of tea.

Bai Zheng looked at the potted plant on the coffee table and spoke slowly, “Yes, you can even tell that I’m unhappy. Ask me another question.”

Growing up in a loving family, Wen Nian wasn’t sure how to resolve such conflicts between parents and children. She sighed softly and asked, “So, what theme did your mother ask you to compose for this time?”

Relaxing into the sofa, Bai Zheng leaned back and wore a mocking and puzzled expression, “She asked me to compose two pieces for a couple’s wedding. It’s truly a challenging task. I don’t believe in love and have no idea what love even means, yet she wants me to create a wedding theme. It’s ironic, really.”

At this moment, the sparkle in Bai Zheng’s eyes, which Wen Nian had seen the first time they met, was absent. “So, have you finished composing now?”

Bai Zheng nodded. “I handed it over to her last week. For the sake of those 500,000 US dollars, she came all the way to the seaside city and kept me locked up, demanding the composition. She even provided me with three meals a day. But her pretense of being a loving mother falls short. Without even asking a few caring questions, she immediately urges me to compose. I’ve been holding it in for half a month, and 1 finally managed to create the piece for her.”

“To be honest, those two pieces are truly awful! They’re both terrible and cliche! 1 never thought 1 would create something like that!”

As Wen Nian listened to Bai Zheng’s increasingly passionate voice, she hesitated before speaking, “Have you ever considered refusing?”

Bai Zheng’s gaze flickered slightly upon hearing her words. “1 have considered it, but I’ve never tried. From what I know about her, refusing would be pointless. She won’t allow me to escape her control. 1 am her cash cow. And besides…”

“Sometimes, I feel that as long as she can spend a little more time with me, even if it’s in this way, it wouldn’t be so bad. But when it comes to composing according to her demands, I find it agonizing. I’m so conflicted right now. It feels like I’m torn between two people.”

“I’ve also told myself that it’s all fake, that I shouldn’t compromise for an illusory motherly love, that I should resist and refuse. But every time 1 see her attempts at kindness, 1 can’t help but crave that trace of warmth.”

It wasn’t surprising that Bai Zheng had such thoughts. Wen Nian had witnessed similar distorted parent-child relationships before. Human emotions were inherently complex, just as one finger may be longer than another. Moreover, Bai Zheng was caught in the intricate web of his parents’ relationship.

The less he has, the more he desires it. Bai Zheng sometimes puts on a tough facade, claiming that he doesn’t need maternal love and despising his mother for suddenly disrupting the life he wanted. However, when everything is within reach, his mindset changes once again, and he seizes every opportunity to cherish the time spent with his mother..

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