66: Subtle and silent influence (Part 2)

"Thank you." Wang Chen looked in the direction she pointed, and then seemed to remember something, "By the way, regarding the piece you played during your livestream yesterday, I really liked how you handled the dynamics in a few places, especially that decrescendo in the second movement!"

At the mention of the chinese zither, Su Yue's eyes clearly lit up: "You noticed? I did indeed ponder over that section for a long time."

The two of them stood in the supermarket aisle, naturally chatting about music, and the previous sense of unfamiliarity dissolved quite a bit.

Wang Chen deliberately kept the topic within a moderate range, being neither overly enthusiastic nor prying into her privacy.

After chatting for a few minutes, Wang Chen ended the conversation at the right time: "I won't keep you from your grocery shopping any longer; I need to have a look around as well. See you next time."

"Alright, goodbye, Big Brother Lazy Sheep." Su Yue nodded politely.

Wang Chen pushed his cart away. After walking a few steps, he could still feel that slightly curious gaze behind him.

[Ding! Intimacy with target character Su Yue +8, current intimacy is 53!]

The first step of offline contact went well, Wang Chen thought to himself.

He didn't choose to immediately suggest having dinner together after the "chance encounter" in the supermarket; that would have been too purposeful. What he wanted was a gradual progression.

The next evening, based on Yi Yao's information, Wang Chen went to the park where Su Yue often took walks.

The park wasn't very large, but the environment was quiet and elegant. At dusk, many local residents were there walking and exercising.

He saw Su Yue's figure from a distance. She was alone, walking slowly along the path by the lake. The evening breeze blew through her jet-black hair, and her silhouette from behind looked a bit frail.

Wang Chen didn't approach her immediately. Instead, he kept his distance and walked on another path.

Two nights passed like this, with Wang Chen watching her from afar.

On the third night, when Wang Chen appeared in the park again and "happened" to meet Su Yue at a fork in the road, the initial surprise on Su Yue's face was gone, replaced by a faint smile.

"Big Brother Lazy Sheep, you've come for a walk too?"

"Yeah, I ate too much for dinner, so I came out for a stroll. The air here is very good." Wang Chen naturally walked to her side, maintaining an appropriate distance, and the two of them walked slowly along the path side-by-side.

"It is. I come here almost every day," Su Yue said softly.

At first, the two of them just chatted about trivial topics: the weather, the park scenery, and the differences between Hangzhou City, Jin City, and Yi City.

Ever since taking the Stamina Potion, Wang Chen felt that not only was his mind sharper, but even his emotional intelligence had improved significantly. He was now very good at guiding conversations and could always find points that interested Su Yue.

He talked about the different landscapes he had seen during his "journeys," occasionally interjecting some interesting anecdotes. Although most of it came from the knowledge the system had instilled in him regarding local customs and traditions, it never touched upon personal privacy.

Su Yue also gradually began to talk more. She spoke about how much she liked the changing seasons in this park and mentioned how her daughters used to play here often when they were little.

"Your daughters must be very outstanding," Wang Chen said at the right moment, his tone sincere.

At the mention of her daughters, a touch of tenderness appeared on Su Yue's face.

"They are both very sensible. I never have to worry about Xiao Xiao's studies, and although Xiao Xiao can be a bit temperamental sometimes, she has a very kind heart."

"To be able to raise two daughters so well, you are truly remarkable," Wang Chen said, looking at her.

Su Yue lowered her head slightly, her voice softening: "I've only done what I should have done."

[Ding! Intimacy with target character Su Yue +5, current intimacy is 58!]

Over the next few days, meeting by chance in the park every evening and walking together became a tacit habit for the two of them.

The content of their communication also slowly expanded from music to literature, painting, and even their views on certain social phenomena.

Wang Chen discovered that although Su Yue had experienced many hardships in life, she maintained a rare inner strength and kindness, and her perspective on things was often quite unique.

The intimacy level also steadily increased without them realizing it, reaching 65 points.

Wang Chen knew it was time to take another step forward.

While walking that day, Wang Chen mentioned as if casually: "Speaking of which, I've actually always been very interested in the chinese zither, but I only learned it half-heartedly back then. I wonder if there are any decent adult chinese zither training classes in Hangzhou City?"

Su Yue thought for a moment: "There are quite a few training institutions and teachers, but the quality varies. If you just want to pick it up again, it might be better to find a reliable teacher for one-on-one guidance."

"Finding a teacher is also a hassle." Wang Chen sighed, "I'm not familiar with Hangzhou City, and I don't know which teacher is good."

He paused for a moment, looked at Su Yue, and said with a tone of hesitation and request, "Su Yue, I hope you don't mind me asking... I wonder if it would be convenient for you to occasionally give me some pointers? Of course, I will pay the tuition at market rates."

This request was somewhat sudden, and Su Yue was clearly stunned.

She stopped walking and looked at Wang Chen with some difficulty: "Me? Giving you pointers? This... Big Brother Lazy Sheep, your level is actually already quite high, I'm afraid..."

"You're too modest." Wang Chen interrupted her, his tone sincere, "I know my own foundation. Besides, theory and practice are two different things. Your performance experience is exactly what I need most. Of course, if you find it inconvenient, just pretend I never mentioned it; it's fine."

He showed great respect for her wishes, without the slightest hint of coercion.

Su Yue looked at his sincere eyes and thought about their communication during this period; she could feel that he truly loved music.

She pondered for a moment and said softly: "I wouldn't dare call it giving pointers, but if you don't mind, we can exchange and learn from each other. There's no need for tuition; consider it a thank you for your support in the livestream room during this time, and for... accompanying me on these walks and chatting."

She said the last part very quietly, with a trace of barely perceptible shyness.

"Then it's a deal!" A smile appeared on Wang Chen's face, "Thank you, Su Yue. You decide the time and place; I'm available whenever."

"Then, how about Wednesday and Friday afternoons? There's a zither shop near my house that has private practice rooms open to the public. The environment is good and quiet," Su Yue suggested.

"Okay, no problem," Wang Chen agreed immediately.

[Ding! Intimacy with target character Su Yue +10, current intimacy is 75!]

Hearing the system prompt, Wang Chen was delighted. At 75 intimacy points, he had almost reached the system's first reward threshold!

Moreover, this meant that Su Yue's trust and goodwill toward him had reached a considerably high level.

The first "lesson" was scheduled for Wednesday afternoon, two days later.

Wang Chen arrived at the Qingyin Zither Shop ten minutes early. This was a very elegantly decorated shop that focused on teaching traditional instruments. Su Yue was already waiting in a quiet practice room.

Today, she was wearing a modified Hanfu that was more convenient for movement, with her hair loosely pinned up. She had less of the refinement from her livestreams and more of a gentle, domestic charm.