Rose manor（玫瑰庄园酒店）

Chapter 104 Holding a Funeral

It's been over half a month since the accident happened, and the official rescue team has long withdrawn, declaring the impossibility of further search and rescue operations.

The members of the Pei family are not giving up. They've mobilized more manpower and resources, expanding the search area to continue looking for Pei Che's whereabouts, believing in the principle of "no news is good news".

Shen Jiani took two days off to rest at home due to a hand injury. On the third day, she arrived promptly at Yan Qiusheng's private villa. However, she couldn't help but take out her phone to search for news whenever she had free time.

News has a short lifespan. With so much happening every day, people are drawn to new events, and gradually, few pay attention to the follow-up of past occurrences.

Online news about Pei Che became scarcer by the day. Eventually, there was almost no new content to be found, and the reports retrieved were all reiterations of what had been seen before.

The phrase "no news" became increasingly prevalent.

Shen Jiani may not have realized how obvious her preoccupation appeared to others.

"Something on your mind?" Yan Qiusheng brought over a cup of steaming coffee, artfully decorated with frothy milk, a swan gracefully adorning the rim of the cup. "I've noticed you haven't been as focused during your piano practice lately."

She was particularly distracted this morning.

When she began making mistakes during her practice, he suspected that something was bothering her to the extent of hindering her concentration.

He didn't interrupt her at the time or reproach her. Instead, during break time, he attempted to gently inquire.

If she was willing to talk, he was more than willing to listen. After all, she did refer to him as "master", and the role of a master isn't just to impart skills but also to offer assistance in other aspects.

Shen Jiani rose from her chair, her hands twisting nervously. She apologized awkwardly, "I'm sorry, master. I shouldn't have been thinking about other things while practicing."

For a master of Yan Qiusheng's caliber to dedicate time every day to teach her, she should be grateful and attentive, absorbing the musical skills he imparted, rather than frequently becoming distracted and wasting his efforts.

She felt especially apologetic towards him.

Yan Qiusheng pressed down on her clasped hands, indicating for her to sit and speak.

This morning, he wore a slightly elegant white traditional Chinese garment, exuding an aura of refined elegance. His voice remained as gentle as ever, carrying the undertone of an elder's admonishment. "I'm not blaming you. Emotions are something that can't be easily controlled; otherwise, there wouldn't be sayings about the seven emotions and six desires. What I want to ask is if you're facing any difficulties. You can confide in your master."

Shen Jiani held the coffee he handed her but didn't drink it, her brow furrowed in an unresolved knot.

After a long silence, she spoke slowly, "There's someone I care deeply about, and now their whereabouts are unknown, with little hope of survival. I might be the one to blame for this situation, and I can't forgive myself. I'm wondering if I made the wrong choices from the start. I really don't know what to do."

Although she had contemplated her words repeatedly, they still came out muddled. She thought Yan Qiusheng might not understand what she was saying, because even she couldn't unravel her tangled thoughts.

For the past few days, she had been thinking about one thing: the night she returned to the northern city and encountered Pei Che, who was collapsed drunk at the entrance of the bar. That moment could have been a chance given to her by fate.