Mr. Lizard Outside the Window - Chapter 16
Chapter 16: Cloud Over the Moon
Xiao Lian, his neck raised, stared at the glowing blue screen of his laptop.
Since releasing his second single, "Through the Wall," the play counts for both songs had been steadily increasing. The comment sections were filled with positive reviews and lively discussions.
The only thing that dampened his spirits was his earnings. Though they had increased, they were still only a paltry sum, barely reaching the minimum withdrawal threshold.
He clicked on another tab, his large eyes scanning the page. He had listed a few of his original beats for sale, and seeing that they had finally been purchased, once in Europe and once in North America, totaling $38, he breathed a sigh of relief.
Combined with his earnings from the songs, he could now withdraw a little over 300 yuan.
Life is hard.
Ling Dong had grown up in a wealthy family. Even his adoptive parents had never made him want for anything.
Now, in this form, even buying her some decent food was a struggle.
He wasn't a materialistic person.
Since moving in with his adoptive parents at the age of seven, he had learned to suppress his desires.
His new home, though luxurious and beautiful, had always felt dark and oppressive.
His uncle and aunt argued constantly, their fights often escalating into physical violence.
As a child, peeking through the crack in his bedroom door, he had witnessed countless scenes of his uncle smashing things and storming out, his aunt crouching on the floor, sobbing.
The endless arguing and crying filled the young boy, living under their roof, with a sense of unease and dread.
In the cavernous house, in the corners untouched by the weak light of the crystal chandelier, he imagined shadowy monsters lurking, darting from the shadows of the furniture, or creeping into his room at night, making rustling sounds under his bed.
He had learned to be quiet, to make himself as inconspicuous as possible. To appear more obedient, he would tiptoe around the kitchen, helping his aunt with the cooking and cleaning. Every single day, he practiced the piano relentlessly, as his uncle demanded, taking exams and participating in competitions.
Only when he won a major competition, earning praise and accolades, would the atmosphere at home ease slightly. His uncle's stern face would soften into a rare smile, and he would refrain from arguing with his wife at the dinner table, even praising him. His aunt would seem more relaxed, occasionally mentioning her adopted son to others with pride. "It was the best decision we ever made, taking him in. He's brought so much harmony into our family. Even the music school's business has improved, with people coming from all over to learn from him."
At times like these, he would relax slightly, feeling like he wasn't too much of a burden.
In that house, he used whatever his adoptive parents gave him. He never asked for anything they didn't offer.
As he grew older, his heart seemed to freeze over, his personality becoming reserved and detached.
But now, something had changed.
Now, he had things he wanted to buy.
The little gecko crawled to his phone, opened the screen with his tiny claws, calculated his meager savings and recent earnings, and excitedly opened the food delivery app, planning tomorrow's menu.
Just as he added the items to his cart and clicked "send," he heard Banxia's voice downstairs, talking to Lele, the landlord's daughter.
"What are you reading today, Lele?"
"Cinderella, Banxia Jie!"
Panicked, Xiao Lian scurried across the desk, down the table leg, navigating the furniture like a mountain range, out the window, and back to his terrarium next door.
When Banxia opened the door, she saw Xiao Lian tumbling into his nest from the curtains, his tongue lolling out as he panted.
Banxia chuckled, picking him up and turning him over in her hand. "What's wrong? Why are you so flustered? Were you up to no good?"
Xiao Lian, usually quiet and reserved, looked embarrassed.
The weather had warmed up, and she had promised to take him out after school.
He had obediently waited for her.
"Are you bored staying home all day?" she stroked the little black gecko in her hand. "I'm going to Bluegrass Cafe tonight. Want to come with me?"
Just as she was about to leave, she looked at the empty wall by her bed, put a finger to her lips, tiptoed over, and pressed her ear against it, listening.
The other side was silent. No piano music, no sound at all.
He's not home.
Xiao Lian, perched in her hand, watched her, his large eyes filled with an unreadable expression.
Realizing her actions might seem a bit creepy, Banxia chuckled nervously. "Our neighbor seems aloof, but he's actually quite nice."
Xiao Lian's low, otherworldly voice sounded. "Didn't you say he was cold and strange?"
Banxia rubbed her head. "Did I? Well, that was before I got to know him. But yesterday, while you were out, I heard him playing the piano."
"It sounded different from his performance in the video," she mimicked playing the piano, her mind drifting back to the duet the previous night. "His tone was so… captivating."
The music from next door last night, the restrained sorrow, the mournful anger, had perfectly captured the feeling of being lost and alone, the essence of the wanderer's song.
It had resonated with her own interpretation of the piece, like a long-lost friend.
As night fell, the captivating melody of the violin filled Bluegrass Cafe.
The girl playing stood by the window, lost in her music.
In the dim light, no one noticed the tiny black gecko perched on her music stand. The little gecko, as dark as the night, listened to the music, its mysterious eyes watching the bustling street outside.
On the cafe's second-floor terrace, a young man tapped his friend on the shoulder.
"Yan Yan, change of scenery? Why did you invite me to a place like this?"
Yan Peng, lounging on the sofa, gestured for him to sit.
"Wow, this girl is good. From our school?" the newcomer asked, leaning forward to listen to the music downstairs.
"Someone's been mentioning a certain name constantly lately," Yan Peng chuckled. "I got curious, so I wanted to see what all the fuss was about."
He called over a waiter and placed two 100-yuan bills on the tray. "Excuse me, can we request a song?"
They sat on the terrace, the large glass windows behind them offering a view of the bright moon hanging in the sky, its light spilling onto the surface of South Lake.
A moment after the waiter left, the violin music downstairs suddenly changed, a mournful melody filling the air.
The chatter in the cafe died down, as if everyone was captivated by the music.
Yan Peng's casual demeanor vanished. He sat up straight, his expression serious.
Outside, a wisp of cloud drifted across the moon.
The mournful, technically brilliant piece ended, and the cafe patrons seemed to awaken from a trance, resuming their conversations as a smattering of applause broke out.
On the terrace, Yan Peng, fully aware of the difficulty of the piece, sat with a grim expression, his fingers interlaced.
"Do you like the moon?" he asked his friend abruptly.
"Huh? What moon? The one in the sky?" his friend, confused, pointed out the window. "Of course I like the moon. It's beautiful."
"Sometimes, I can't bear to see her so discouraged. But there are always those annoyingly talented people in this world," Yan Peng murmured, his gaze fixed on the violinist below. "Like me, constantly being compared to that Ling Dong, always being overshadowed by him."
Before his friend could respond, he put on his usual carefree smile. "Let's go somewhere else for a drink. Let's get a few people together. Do you know Wei Zhiming, the second-year student? Let's invite him too."
The day of the departmental selection competition finally arrived.
Since each instructor could only recommend one student, there weren't many contestants, only about a dozen.
But the judges were all renowned professors from the department, their stern faces adding to the pressure.
Before the competition began, Banxia received a call from Wei Zhiming.
"Sorry, Banxia. I had a bit too much to drink last night," Wei Zhiming's voice was hoarse. "I was just going to say hello, but the seniors went crazy and kept pouring me drinks. Don't worry, I'll be there soon. I won't miss your performance."
Before Banxia could hang up, Pan Xuemei, who had arrived early, rushed over.
"Oh my god, Xia! You're wearing *that*?" Pan Xuemei exclaimed, pointing at Banxia's simple outfit.
"What's wrong? I'm dressed neatly," Banxia tugged at her clothes. "Professor Yu said it's just the departmental round, so we don't need to wear formal attire."
"But still! Look at what Qiao Qiao and Xiaoyue are wearing! And then look at you! Oh well, never mind. I'll do your makeup."
As she rummaged through her makeup bag, she saw something move in Banxia's coat pocket. A small, black head poked out.
The head quickly retreated as it saw her.
Pan Xuemei froze, pointing at Banxia's pocket with a trembling finger. "Wh-what is that? What did you bring?"
Banxia reached into her pocket and pulled out Xiao Lian, holding him in her palm. "Let me introduce you. This is Xiao Lian. Xiao Lian, this is my best friend, Pan Xuemei."
With all the department heads sitting in the front row, Pan Xuemei didn't dare scream. She lowered her voice and pinched Banxia's arm hard.
"Oh my god! Banxia! Are you trying to kill me?! You scared the hell out of me!"
"Don't do that," Banxia said, shielding Xiao Lian and carefully placing him back in her pocket. "Xiao Lian is very delicate. You'll scare him."
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