Becoming the Scumbag Gong’s Father in a “Switching the Male Lead” Novel [Transmigration] - Chapter 4

The spectator stands were circular, surrounding the performance area where a pristine white piano sat. The venue was packed to capacity, filled with an audience dressed in exquisite and opulent attire. Every gaze was fixed intently upon the pianist; one might not be fully struck by his musical genius until an instrument was in his hands, but his outward appearance alone was enough to leave an indelible impression on anyone seeing him for the first time.

Above the performance stage, the ceiling featured not only beautiful crystal pendants but also lighting that shifted colors in harmony with the music. Currently, a blue light bathed the hall, rendering the atmosphere soft and romantic.

The man known by all as a genius pianist a man at the very pinnacle of his profession bowed gallantly. He was dressed in a black-and-white formal suit, his ribbon bowtie accentuating an elegant and vintage aura. The moment he placed his large, well-defined hand over his chest, it felt as though those fingers were capable of grasping the entire world.

As he straightened his back, he was even more breathtaking: handsome brows, bright eyes, and a straight bridge of the nose. His somewhat thin lips lent him an air of cold detachment. His hair was styled neatly and dashingly, with a few strands of micro-bangs resting against his full forehead.

This was An Yan’s ultimate destination in the book…

It would be difficult for anyone not to fall for such a person, and An Yan was naturally no exception especially since he was the “leader” of the obsessive fans.

Xu Qingfeng, of course, also watched with unblinking eyes. To be honest, he had never scrutinized a member of the same sex so seriously before. However, since he was straight, his reaction was more one of admiration than attraction; he viewed him like a work of art, devoid of any sordid thoughts.

Yet, the truth was that his eyes were indeed somewhat out of control.

Especially those hands… Xu Qingfeng had never realized before that he could like beautiful hands. Since the distance wasn’t great, he could clearly see the nails were trimmed round and clean. The fingers were slender and well-proportioned; because his skin was a cool white, one could faintly see the veins on the back of his hands. His palms were equally broad.

They possessed a dual sense of beauty and power.

Xu Qingfeng even lifted his own hand to make a silent comparison. His heart, which had been as still as stagnant water, now felt a ripple. For the first time in his life, he discovered that he actually wanted to touch these hands and they belonged to a man.

But this thought wasn’t “dirty.” He didn’t view it through any colorful lens; he was simply appreciating beauty.

As Huo Xiu began to play, he looked like a noble and self-possessed prince from the side, his fingers dancing across the keys in a dazzling display. Xu Qingfeng’s ears were treated to an immense delight, achieving the effect of a lullaby. His eyes, however, gradually began to grow weary whether from eyestrain, a lack of sleep the previous night, or a combination of both.

The relaxing music intensified his fatigue. His upper and lower eyelids began to battle, refusing to obey his will! His logic still echoed with the thought that dozing off was rude behavior, but it was no use. Propping his chin up with one hand on the armrest, he closed his eyes.

“Unbelievable. What is this person doing? If he doesn’t understand music, why did he even come?”

“I don’t think he was awake for long. He slept through almost the entire two hours!”

“What’s heartbreaking is whether Huo Xiu will feel uncomfortable seeing this. After all, this man is in the front row. I hope it doesn’t make Huo Xiu sad…”

These whispered exchanges came to an abrupt halt at the sound of a yawn.

Xu Qingfeng covered his mouth and let out a lazy yawn. He felt as though the quality of that sleep had been excellent, leaving him feeling fully charged if only those idle gossips hadn’t forced their way into his ears.

However…

“I’m sorry, I really didn’t mean to fall asleep.” Xu Qingfeng offered a helpless smile, but the apology in his eyes did not seem fake. On the contrary, the people he looked at felt too embarrassed to meet his gaze and began to lower their profile, quickening their pace to leave.

Xu Qingfeng was not one to cling to pointless vanity. As others had said, he was the one in the wrong; it was rude to behave that way while a performer was playing with such dedication.

“I will go to apologize to Huo Xiu, if he needs it.” He glanced at the now-empty performance stage. Perhaps Huo Xiu, immersed in his own playing, hadn’t even noticed his existence. It was possible.

Seeing his candid attitude, those who had previously criticized him felt a bit sheepish. Before Xu Qingfeng had spoken, they had merely pegged him as an unrefined spectator, but now it seemed that wasn’t the case.

One regular attendee spoke up to remind him: “If you want to see him to express your apologies, you can try going backstage. Huo Xiu is sometimes willing to see fans.”

The underlying meaning was that there was also a possibility he wouldn’t want to.

Despite this, Xu Qingfeng headed toward the backstage area without hesitation. His guilt was genuine; he never expected to fall into such a deep sleep during Huo Xiu’s concert. It truly was a disrespectful act. Moreover… if he left a bad first impression on Huo Xiu, there would surely be no good outcomes in the future. He had intended to make a change, and now was the time to salvage the situation early.

The backstage area wasn’t easy to enter. He was stopped at the door by security. “Hey, who are you? This is backstage. No unauthorized personnel!” The guard’s attitude was quite aggressive and his voice loud.

Xu Qingfeng remained entirely unaffected. Instead, he gracefully handed his business card to the guard, explaining his purpose in clear, steady words.

The guard looked down at the elegant card. He might not recognize the name, but the position was crystal clear. In this city, almost no one was unaware of the Gu Group it was a true powerhouse. Realizing this, he scrutinized Xu Qingfeng’s attire again. Catching a glimpse of the wristwatch, the guard’s pupils dilated the money for that watch could easily buy a house in the city center!

Furthermore, every movement Xu Qingfeng made exuded the aura of a wealthy man…

‘Hmph, what’s so great about having some stinking money?’ the guard thought disdainfully, but he cleared his throat and continued, “Mr. Xu, please wait a moment. I’ll go ask~” His tone was very polite, and the way he bowed his upper body was almost excessively courteous.

Xu Qingfeng nodded, not in a hurry at all, as if such a reaction was expected. It didn’t take long for the guard to return. His enthusiastic and polite manner now bordered on fawning. “Mr. Xu, this way please.”

The contrast between before and after was comparable to a face-changing act in Sichuan Opera. Xu Qingfeng maintained a perfectly appropriate smile, remaining unruffled.

However, that smile stiffened once he saw the man himself at a closer distance.

The distance between him and Huo Xiu was only about one meter close enough to see the long, slender eyelashes and skin as delicate as jade.

What a beautiful face…

His brain was struck by this thought. The poise he had cultivated through years of business dinners and negotiations vanished without a trace. This shocked reaction made him look a bit dazed. Fortunately, they were the only two in the room; otherwise, Xu Qingfeng would have felt even more humiliated afterward.

But staring blankly at someone’s face wasn’t even the most embarrassing part.

Huo Xiu also noticed that he was out of it. His lips merely tightened slightly, but his upbringing prompted him to proactively extend his hand…

This action shifted Xu Qingfeng’s attention from the handsome face to the extended hand. The bone structure was extremely beautiful, and the flesh covering it looked soft and fair. The fingers were very long, perfectly suited for endorsing luxury items like rings or watches they would undoubtedly increase the value of such goods.

Xu Qingfeng tried his best to regain his composure, but he couldn’t suppress the heat in his gaze. Finally, he broke out of his frozen state.

He shook Huo Xiu’s hand like a gentleman. The other man’s palm was soft and dry, and the skin was as smooth as he had imagined, like hands that had never been used for labor though, of course, that was an exaggeration.

Xu Qingfeng’s gaze dropped to their joined hands. His own hand wasn’t small, so why did it look like this when they were held together… He swore that in two lifetimes, this was the first time he had ever paid such close attention to someone’s hand, let alone a man’s.

“Can you let go now?” The cold voice carried a sense of aloofness, and the eyes staring at Xu Qingfeng were unfathomable.

In reality, Huo Xiu could clearly feel the sensation of his hand being rubbed by fingertips. This man who looked mature, wealthy, and quite charming not only had a stiff, delayed expression but his hand seemed to be coated in adhesive, clinging to Huo Xiu’s skin for a long time without letting go.

Although it was a light rub without any force, it didn’t change the fact that it felt like flirtation. In short, this was the first time Huo Xiu had been treated so rudely. His handsome brows furrowed slightly.

In an era where same-sex marriage was legal, this was no different from sexual harassment; it was like a suggestive, ambiguous hint.

Xu Qingfeng, who was gripping the strikingly beautiful hand and covertly rubbing it, was completely unaware of what he was doing. What should have been a brief handshake had turned into a prolonged hold. His eyes remained fixed on their joined hands. Because he was looking down, Huo Xiu who was half a head taller than the 180cm Xu Qingfeng could see the cute cowlick on the top of his head.

His upbringing since childhood had instilled excellent manners in Huo Xiu. Even in this situation, he didn’t directly fling Xu Qingfeng’s hand away, but instead waited quietly for the other party to release it.

The thick-skinned Xu Qingfeng belatedly pulled his “claws” back. However, he didn’t show his internal embarrassment. His expression remained calm and steady, and he said in a relaxed tone, “During the performance just now, I was curious about what a pianist’s hands would actually be like. After all, the ‘feel’ must be different. Now I have my conclusion; they truly are very different.”

As he uttered these nonsensical, empty compliments, the little person inside Xu Qingfeng couldn’t stay calm at all. In his thirty-something years of life, he had never behaved so much like a pervert. But he could swear to the heavens that he was acting purely out of appreciation and had simply been carried away!

His attempt to liven up the atmosphere with words only resulted in Huo Xiu taking half a step back, directly widening the distance between them.

What was certain now was that he had definitely left a very bad first impression on the protagonist during their first meeting. Xu Qingfeng didn’t want to sit idly by; he knew exactly how important it was to build a good relationship with Huo Xiu. Furthermore, he wasn’t someone who cared excessively about “face”; in the face of interests, everything else was secondary.

“I am here to express my apologies.” Xu Qingfeng’s features were sharp, but when he lowered his eyelids, he took on an innocent quality that masked the forcefulness gained from years in the business world. This made him seem harmless and easily likable.

He had been sitting in a very prominent position. Logically, Huo Xiu should have seen him propping up his chin and sleeping soundly while the music played. Yet, when he said this, the other man showed no reaction at all. For a moment, Xu Qingfeng was unsure whether his lapse in etiquette had even been noticed by the focused performer.

Nevertheless, he endured those deep eyes that made one afraid to look directly and continued sincerely, “I hope you can give me a chance to apologize truly. If you have time to have a meal together, it would be my treat as a token of my apology. What do you think?”

In fact, Xu Qingfeng had a selfish motive: he hoped to bring Gu Tianze along to this dinner. After all, boosting the protagonist’s favorability toward himself wouldn’t be as effective as a double effort. Improving their relationship would be better than anything else.

But the timing for this apology was clearly not ideal.

He finally managed to move his gaze away from those hands, but because he cared so much about Huo Xiu’s answer, he began staring at the man’s pale pink, cherry-blossom-beautiful lips, waiting for a reply.

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