98: At the time, it seemed ordinary.

Cao Lang squatted down and rubbed Duo Duo's little head, his eyes filled with doting affection.

Duo Duo's little face was as delicate as carved jade and incredibly cute; looking at the little girl before him, an 'auntie smile' spread across Cao Lang's face.

This little girl had been raised so well!

Wang Tangtang earned fifty to a hundred thousand a month, and since she usually didn't have much time to spend with Duo Duo, she naturally showered her daughter with as much love as possible.

The little pink dress Duo Duo was wearing was worth five or six thousand yuan.

This was a level of treatment that the childhood Cao Lang could never have even dreamed of.

In those impoverished years, five or six thousand was enough to buy his life from a human trafficker.

As they say, as long as you're willing to invest in raising a girl with decent genes, she'll surely become your precious little sweetheart.

Cao Lang had just thought of Li Shuang, and now, holding the hand of another cute little girl, his mind couldn't help but wander for a moment.

Because Li Shuang also had a daughter, and seeing the woman he once had feelings for become a mother brought about a great deal of sentiment.

Memories surged like crashing waves.

Recalling the past, in their second year of high school, the class was splitting into different academic tracks.

Li Shuang had run over to Cao Lang excitedly and asked him, "Cao Lang, do you want to study Liberal Arts or Science?"

Being questioned up close by the class beauty made Cao Lang feel a bit uneasy. His grades weren't good, so it didn't matter much to him; he just casually said he'd choose Liberal Arts.

In the end, when the tracks were assigned, Li Shuang went to Liberal Arts, while he chose Science.

He only chose Science because his buddy urged him later, saying, "What boy studies Liberal Arts? Haven't you heard? Master math, physics, and chemistry, and you can travel the world without fear!"

And so, he muddied his way through the Science track. He just didn't know if his words about choosing Liberal Arts back then had influenced Li Shuang's actual choice.

Later, after getting into university, Cao Lang received a call from an unknown number. It was Li Shuang.

"Cao Lang, which university do you want to apply for?"

Cao Lang hesitated; his score wasn't high enough, but to save face, he named a first-tier university.

When the admission notices arrived, Li Shuang had actually gone to that first-tier university, while he had failed to make the cut and ended up at a very mediocre second-tier one.

Cao Lang merely took it as a coincidence; after all, that university was an ideal choice for many people.

After starting university, Cao Lang never got a girlfriend, spending his days idling and playing games with his roommates.

He lost touch with Li Shuang.

But Li Shuang would always send him a "Happy New Year" message at exactly midnight on New Year's Day.

For four years, she never missed a single one.

Cao Lang had always assumed it was a mass-sent message from Li Shuang.

It wasn't until later that he heard from a high school classmate that Li Shuang had gotten married—a shotgun wedding.

Feeling a profound sense of loss, he joked, "Li Shuang is a really nice person; she mass-sends a 'Happy New Year' every year."

The high school classmate looked bewildered and said, "How come I've never received one?"

Cao Lang quickly took out his phone and opened the chat records. It clearly read: "Cao Lang, Happy New Year."

Indeed, how could a mass-sent message include his name?

From then on, Cao Lang fell into self-doubt, as if he had lost a peerless treasure. He felt drained of all energy and never actively sought out a girlfriend again.

He just could never understand why Li Shuang, the class beauty, would have been interested in him back then when he was so ordinary and plain.

It made no sense!

It wasn't scientific!

But now that he had realized it, every time Cao Lang thought of this, his heart would ache for a long time.

If Cao Lang's true self could travel back to high school, he really wanted to take a shotgun, grab his high school self by the hair, and shake him violently!

He would scream that line:

"You motherfucker, you're useless even when given a chance!"

...What seemed ordinary back then.

The bitter fruit of youth is always hard to swallow.

Cao Lang had a brief 'emo' moment in the middle of the night, and the discomfort passed.

But thinking about Li Shuang's shotgun wedding, was there also some helplessness involved?

Was this high school class beauty living a happy life?

Now that she had been laid off and her life wasn't going smoothly, Cao Lang felt it was necessary for him to help her out!

"Uncle Cao, there's a piano over there. I want to play the piano for you."

Duo Duo spoke up, breaking Cao Lang's reverie, and pointed to an expensive-looking grand piano by the living room window.

"Okay, Uncle will take you there."

Cao Lang smiled and took Duo Duo's hand, looking like the bright older brother next door.

His posture as he squatted was elegant and natural, the creases in his clothes appeared perfect, and his slender fingers gently brushed through the little girl's hair with a tenderness as if he were handling the world's most precious artwork!

However, his back as he led Duo Duo away carried a hint of loneliness!

A touch of solitude!

The scene was incredibly evocative!

This action drew everyone's attention!

Cao Lang sat on the piano bench with Duo Duo, watching her play.

[Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are.]

Duo Duo played clumsily; she had only taken a few lessons, so playing like this was already quite an achievement.

Cao Lang's hand lightly brushed over the piano, and in an instant, a vast amount of piano knowledge flooded his mind.

It was as if he had been immersed in this art for centuries. Countless memories and emotions surged forth, and an original piano composition emerged in his mind.

Cao Lang elegantly pressed the keys. For the first few seconds, the melody flowed out slowly, like a mountain stream, quiet and beautiful.

A handsome older brother sitting by the grand piano at the window with a little girl, playing together—it was like a world-famous painting!

Just the sunlight illuminating Cao Lang's sharp, handsome, and slightly melancholic profile left everyone stunned!

Even Zheng Yi, a man himself, was entranced. As a director who had seen many grand scenes, he secretly marveled, "If only there were a camera here. Capturing this would surely win a Pulitzer Prize!"

"My god... is this really reality?" Xue Ziqi murmured in a voice only Xu Yizhen could hear. "Isn't this the perfect Prince Charming that only appears in 'Tiny Times'?"

Xue Ziqi and Xu Yizhen stood at a distance, their eyes full of envy. They wished they could turn back into eight-year-old girls so they could hold Cao Lang's hand as a matter of course.

"Do you think he would treat us with such tenderness too?" Xue Ziqi asked softly.

Xu Yizhen shook her head with a bitter smile. "Right now, he only has eyes for little Duo Duo. How could he notice the little thoughts of us 'old' adult women?"

Ye Wanqing also cast her gaze over. Seeing this heartwarming scene, she felt a sense of peace in her heart; she now had a tremendous amount of goodwill toward this man.

And Wang Tangtang's eyes were full of love. Before her were her precious daughter and the man she loved most in her heart; she wished this moment could be frozen forever!

During the first ten seconds of Cao Lang's playing, there were still people whispering, discussing the heartwarming scene.

After half a minute, the entire hall fell silent!

Only the moving notes, like heavenly music, remained, tugging fiercely at everyone's souls!

Led by the king of instruments, the piano...

...everyone felt an incredibly powerful sense of imagery washing over them!

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