Chapter 122: Angel’s Wings

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When Auntie spoke, everyone naturally agreed. Besides, they were all curious to see what song Shen Xian would sing.

Qi Zhengqing and Su Rulong, however, did not go. Neither wanted to watch Shen Xian show off. One made an excuse to use the bathroom, while the other claimed he needed to make a phone call.

The Ning family villa was enormous, and it was also one of Auntie’s properties.

That was why, when Shen Xian had been touring the villa earlier, Ning Cai had told him, “There’s no need to keep looking. This house is perfectly within the regulations.”

The adjoining room was a vast entertainment hall of nearly two hundred square meters. It contained a piano and all kinds of audio equipment. Auntie had spent several million renovating the room.

But several million was nothing more than a drop in the ocean to her.

Many of the wealthy people in the capital kept a low profile. They never appeared on the Forbes list, yet their actual assets were terrifyingly vast.

Take Auntie, for example. Not only did she own two traditional courtyard residences, she had also inherited an entire alley.

That alley was located in a prime school district. A house barely three square meters in size—so cramped that even hanging oneself would seem difficult for lack of height—could sell for the astronomical price of two million.

The buyer would never live there. The point was to register their household there, allowing their children to attend the local schools.

Auntie herself had no idea how many such houses she owned. In any case, everything in that alley belonged to her.

But back to the matter at hand.

A piano stood in the center of the entertainment hall. At a glance, it was clearly no ordinary instrument; it probably belonged to the million-yuan class as well.

Shen Xian sat down before it and familiarized himself with the keys. Then he said, “When Ning Cai and I went out today, she told me that Auntie was a wonderful person, almost like an angel—carrying on her mother’s love for her without complaint or regret. That gave me my inspiration.”

“This song is called ‘Angel’s Wings.’ I’d like to dedicate it to Secretary Ning, Auntie, and Ning Cai.”

He began softly:

Falling leaves drift with the wind, where will they go?
Leaving only a beautiful moment in the sky.
The sound of wings that once danced in flight, like an angel’s wings,
Glides across the happy memories of my past.

The places where love once came to rest
Still hold yesterday’s fragrance.
That familiar warmth, like an angel’s wings,
Glides across my endless longing.

Believe that you are still here, that you have never left.
My love is like an angel, watching over you.
If life ends here, and I am no longer there,
I will find an angel to love you in my place.

…

His voice carried a hint of melancholy, deep and low. After a gentle prelude, he began to murmur the words like a quiet confession beside their ears.

For a moment, everyone’s eyes grew hazy. That magnetic voice slipped softly into their ears, carrying with it every fragment of memory connected to love, drawing them bit by bit into the depths of their hearts.

After a long while, applause broke out.

“Mr. Shen’s talent has truly astonished me,” said Wu Qiong, a literature scholar with the institute. Admiration shone in his eyes.

Before coming, Wu Qiong had been extremely arrogant. He had believed that no young person in the country could stand against him.

He had never imagined that a single Shen Xian would make him question his entire life.

“This song is filled with such sincere emotion. It’s genuinely moving,” said the woman from the Poetry Association, the one who had received a perfect score on the national college entrance examination essay.

Auntie was in tears. She murmured, “If life ends here, and I am no longer there, I will find an angel to love you in my place.”

The “I” in the lyrics referred to Ning Zheng’s former wife, Ning Cai’s biological mother.

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And the “angel” referred to Auntie herself.

Ning Cai’s eyes reddened as well. Shen Xian truly had a gift for bringing tears to other people’s eyes.

Ning Zheng thought of his late wife, then thought of Auntie. He sat beside her and took her hand.

“Thank you. You really are like an angel.”

Ning Cai took Auntie’s left hand. “Mom, thank you. You really are like an angel watching over me.”

Auntie was laughing and crying at the same time. “That little Shen is getting rather annoying, isn’t he?”

Despite her words, her gaze toward Shen Xian was filled with warmth and affection.

“Wow, that was beautiful!” Lin Qianqian from the institute immediately began applauding, little stars appearing in her eyes. “Mr. Shen, why have I never heard this song before?”

Shen Xian smiled. “Because it’s an original.”

The entire room instantly drew in a sharp breath.

His attainments in classical literature were already terrifying. Could he possess equally frightening talent in music as well?

Zhou Yanshi, Xu Zijian, and Jiang Tianji, however, showed no reaction. They did not particularly enjoy pop music and preferred traditional opera instead.

Shen Xian’s gaze swept over Zhou Yanshi, Xu Zijian, and Jiang Tianji. He thought to himself, Just wait. Give me a little more time. I’ll soon introduce a genre that doesn’t exist in this world and reap the rewards from you old men.

“You’re incredibly talented!” Ye Yunying said. “But why does your singing voice feel somewhat familiar to me? I just can’t remember where I’ve heard it.”

Ning Cai frowned. She had the same feeling.

The Postman’s songs had all been recorded in a studio, whereas Shen Xian was singing live now, so there was a difference in his vocal tone.

That was why Ning Cai had not recognized him immediately.

But it was only a matter of time.

“Sorry to have taken up everyone’s time.” After finishing the song, Shen Xian stood and bowed.

Applause rang out.

Auntie was the first to clap. “Little Shen, starting today, I’m your fan!”

“Come on, let’s go back and drink,” Ning Zheng said.

After they returned to the dining room, hosts and guests alike enjoyed themselves thoroughly.

Zhou Yanshi drank happily, convinced that he had made the right decision in coming. His eyes kept circling back to Shen Xian.

Ning Zheng and Jiang Tianji had essentially finalized the arrangements for the institute. They planned to establish its headquarters in the water towns of Jiangnan and extend its influence throughout the country.

The institute would require enormous investment, including the early training of its teaching staff, the compilation of textbooks, and the deciphering of ancient classics.

“With Little Shen joining us, our international academic exchanges should be secure,” Xu Zijian said.

Jiang Tianji nodded. “I’ve endured those southern barbarians for long enough. Still, I have to admit they really can produce material capable of crushing us.”

Ning Zheng leaned over. “What are you talking about?”

Zhou Yanshi knew a little about it. “They’re referring to our annual academic exchanges with those southern barbarians. We get crushed every year.”

Ning Zheng looked puzzled. “They’re merely a former vassal state of ancient China—a country whose people even need Chinese assistance with their names, a country whose culture has suffered a断层—how could we possibly lose to them?”

Before the sixteenth century, they had possessed no writing system of their own and had used Chinese characters throughout. Many nobles and scholars had even come to China to study its culture and politics. Being proficient in Chinese characters was a source of pride, and using them was regarded as refined and elegant.

Jiang Tianji shook his head. “Precisely because their culture suffered such a断层, their ancient books contain a great deal of Chinese material, including collections of classical poetry brought home by scholars who once studied here. Every year, during the academic exchanges, they use poems from those collections to attack us. Those things clearly originated in China.”

Xu Zijian nodded, his expression equally angry. “Exactly. According to the information we received, they discovered an ancient book in their records called ‘Three Hundred Song Dynasty Lyrics,’ compiled by scholars in ancient China. The book has already been lost here at home, and now they’re preparing to apply for its recognition as an item of world heritage.”

The thought was infuriating.

“So you’re planning to have Shen Xian participate in the international academic exchange?” Ning Zheng asked.

The two men nodded.

Ning Zheng smiled. “Then you’ll have to pay him. If he doesn’t get paid, he won’t work.”

There was a faintly mocking edge to his voice.

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After dinner, Shen Xian helped Auntie clean up. By then, it was already ten o’clock at night.

Ning Zheng was reading in the living room, while Ning Cai sat beside him playing on her phone.

“Come over. Let’s talk,” Ning Zheng said to Shen Xian.

Shen Xian walked over and sat on the sofa. Ning Cai poured him a cup of tea.

“Thank you.” Shen Xian lifted the cup.

“You’re both here, so I’ll speak plainly,” Ning Zheng said.

Ning Cai frowned. Was he starting that same old routine again?

When Auntie heard this, she hurried over. “A-Zheng, young people have their own ideas. We shouldn’t interfere so much.”

Ning Zheng shook his head and assumed the dignity of the head of the household.

“Shen Xian, I have to admit that you’re outstanding and extremely talented. But there are some things talent alone cannot overcome.”

“If talent cannot even contend with capital, how could it possibly contend with differences in social class?”

“Ning Cai has her own path to walk, and you have yours. Since your paths do not coincide, there’s no need for you to draw closer to each other. Shen Xian, what do you think?”

Of course Shen Xian thought Ning Zheng made sense.

He nodded. “I understand everything Secretary Ning has said. As I told you, I have no intention of interfering with Ning Cai’s future. I won’t persuade her to be with me, nor will I persuade her to stay away from me. But I will advise her to choose the path that suits her best. That is the counsel I can offer her.”

Ning Zheng nodded. “Good.”

At that moment, he felt a measure of fondness for Shen Xian. The young man knew how to read the situation.

Shen Xian then turned to Ning Cai.

“Ning Cai, no matter how hard you struggle or how many books you read, it still cannot compare with parents paving the way for you. Think about it, compare the two, and see for yourself.”

Ning Cai bit her lip. Had he truly given up?

Did he not even possess the slightest desire to fight?

“What if I insist that I want to be with you?” Ning Cai asked.

Shen Xian smiled and shook his head. “Ning Cai, promises are only effective during the time people are in love. Feelings are also at their strongest then. Once love is worn away by everyday necessities, can you guarantee that you won’t regret the choice you’re making today?”

Ning Cai naturally understood the reasoning, but she did not know how to refute it.

What was the greatest lie of all?

“I’ll always love you. I’ll love you forever. I’ll love you for the rest of my life.”

And how many people had said those words, only to lose their sense of novelty and fall in love with someone else?

Countless.

Take Ning Zheng, for example. His feelings for his late wife had indeed been profound. But now, had he not fallen in love with Auntie?

“Ning Cai, stop being willful,” Ning Zheng said sternly.

Auntie very much wanted to bring Shen Xian and Ning Cai together, but judging from the situation, Shen Xian no longer wished to continue.

She did not know whether he had sensed the pressure and felt inferior, whether he simply did not love Ning Cai, or whether all those circumstances were involved.

She found it a great pity, but she also understood that feelings could not be forced.

“I understand.” Ning Cai rose and walked upstairs.

The moment she reached the staircase, her tears finally began to fall uncontrollably.

In her heart, she said, Shen Xian, how I wish you could stand firm for me just once.

“Secretary Ning, Auntie, you should get some rest tonight. I’ll be returning to Nanzhou tomorrow,” Shen Xian said. He picked up his suitcase and walked out of the villa.

“I’ll arrange for a driver to take you,” Ning Zheng said. “I’ll arrange a hotel for you as well.”

Shen Xian’s face lit up with a brilliant smile. “Then I’ll trouble you, Secretary Ning.”

Shortly after he left the villa compound, Qi Zhengqing received a message:

Shen Xian is not staying overnight at the Ning residence. Secretary Ning has arranged Room 1302 at the Capital Grand Hotel for him.

“Forward this message to Su Rulong as well. He’ll definitely find a way to drug Shen Xian and knock him out… No, I have to go see this myself. Have a camera ready for me!”

Qi Zhengqing was visibly excited.