bookrandom Chapter 148 The Sound of the Qin
Chapter 148 The Sound of the Qin
Lin Ziping wandered aimlessly, pondering Xiao Jiazheng's purpose.
Lin Ziping had considered the possibility that he might have feelings for her, but as soon as the thought crossed her mind, she dismissed it.
Putting aside his current male attire, even back when he was Mu Shaoying, he didn't believe in the possibility of falling in love.
First of all, I don't have a beautiful appearance, a wealthy family background, a high level of education, or any outstanding abilities. I'm just an ordinary person in a crowd. Why would I be attracted to someone? Just because I'm female?
Besides, who can say for sure whether this feeling of attraction is a hormonal surge or a dopamine release?
Pure love is too much of a luxury; how could it possibly favor someone as ordinary as myself? A sudden, supposed attraction is more like a scheme.
My mind was filled with countless thoughts when, without realizing it, a melody of a zither drifted over.
Lin Ziping put aside his thoughts and followed the sound of the zither.
After passing through several artificial hills, you can see Li Qiongying sitting in the pavilion playing the zither.
Lin Ziping couldn't help but stop and listen. The music was sometimes soaring like a tide, sometimes clear like a spring, sometimes mournful like weeping, and sometimes tender and poignant.
Although he couldn't understand the lyrics, Lin Ziping could tell that the pianist was highly skilled and emotionally rich, and before he knew it, he was completely captivated by the music.
The frustration that had been building up because the Xiao family knew her true identity gradually subsided.
Lin Ziping simply found a flat rock and lay down on it, tapping his hands to the rhythm of the music.
Suddenly the music stopped abruptly.
"Who's there! Come out!" Li Qiongying shouted sternly.
Lin Ziping prepared to get up and go out to greet Li Qiongying.
"Ying'er".
A familiar voice came from behind.
Lin Ziping paused, peeked out, and was taken aback when he saw the speaker's face.
Lin Zhong!
Why is he here?
Do the two of them look like they know each other?
Lin Ziping's position was very clever; he was opposite Lin Zhong, looking down at him from a high vantage point, and could easily see his expression by turning his head.
Lin Ziping's intuition told him that something was amiss, so he concealed himself and avoided attracting Lin Zhong's attention.
"Zheng—"
Li Qiongying plucked the strings of her zither and said, "Weren't you in Qingyang? What are you doing here now?"
"I heard you were in Fuchun, so I came here specifically to see you," Lin Zhong said cautiously.
"Heh, look at me, isn't your nephew also in Fuchun?" Lin Ziping heard a hint of sarcasm in Li Qiongying's voice.
“Him?! Lin Ziping?!” Lin Zhong frowned. “Ying’er, you should know who he is.”
What is my identity?
"So this is your reason for keeping me here?" Li Qiongying asked aggressively.
Lin Zhong was stunned for a long time before saying, "I had no choice. Ying'er has been like this for so long, I thought you understood."
"What do you expect me to know?!" Li Qiongying sneered. "Leave now, or I'll call for help. It's inappropriate for an old eunuch like you, who has been out of the palace for many years, to be here."
"I...I...just wanted to see you," Lin Zhong stammered. "This is a hairpin I made; I hope you like it."
Li Qiongying didn't say anything and started playing the piano on her own.
Lin Zhong carefully took a box out of his pocket and approached Li Qiongying.
Lin Ziping turned his head away, no longer looking at the scene below.
Words can deceive, but Lin Zhongci's loving gaze just now was clearly visible in the moonlight.
After all, I've seen it in the eyes of many elders.
And that tone of voice was clearly different from his own.
Lin Ziping suddenly felt a bit disgusted with this era and with his own excellent eyesight and hearing.
Fortunately, it wasn't his own family. Lin Ziping looked at the moon and gave a self-deprecating smile. The original owner of this body was really pitiful; even this only relative was just an illusion.
Fortunately, the body in which she is now is that of Mu Shaoying, who once had the love and care of her parents.
I suddenly remembered what my mother told me when I first started working: take good care of yourself when you're out there, don't be so stubborn, be humble sometimes, make more friends, and temper your personality. No one in this world will always revolve around you.
After starting work, although I always kept my mother's words in mind and had a few friends, I didn't have a single one I could truly confide in. Especially after everyone around me got married and had children, I felt like an outcast, all alone.
I recalled a sentimental quote I saw years ago: "If what you give me is the same as what others give me, then I don't want it." I slowly came to understand that no one in this world will always revolve around you, but what you've always wanted is something unique.
Thinking back to how happy she was that Lin Zhong came to see her just a few days ago, she realized it was just a coincidence, so she might as well not have him.
Lin Ziping looked at the bright moon and curled his lips into a self-satisfied smile.
But for some reason, I felt a dampness at my temples.
Then Li Qiongying's piano music came again, and Lin Ziping simply closed his eyes and lay down completely.
Unfortunately, I never learned what my mother taught me.
In a daze, Lin Ziping sensed someone approaching.
He suddenly opened his eyes.
What happened to Li Qiongying here?!
The emotions came and went in a flash, leaving Lin Ziping only with the embarrassment of being seen by Li Qiongying.
"Hey, the moon is so big and round tonight," Lin Ziping said awkwardly, waving his paw.
Li Qiongying looked up at the moon and after a while said, "Indeed, the moon is big and round."
Lin Ziping looked up at Li Qiongying, and his ideal woman became a tangible person.
"Isn't the ground cold?" Li Qiongying asked, looking down.
"Oh...oh...what...cold..." Lin Ziping hurriedly stood up, shaking off the dust, "Qiong...Miss Qiongying."
Lin Ziping thought she was going to question him about why he was there, or even how much he had heard.
Unexpectedly, Li Qiongying took out an exquisite wooden box from her sleeve and handed it to Lin Ziping, saying, "Happy Mid-Autumn Festival."
Lin Ziping was taken aback, blankly accepted the wooden box, and murmured his thanks.
"Open it and take a look," Li Qiongying said.
Lin Ziping opened it and found a bracelet made of red beads, which looked very warm and smooth under the moonlight.
Do you like it?
"I like it..." Lin Ziping was about to blurt out that he liked it, but then he changed his mind and declined, "Miss Qiongying, this is too precious."
Li Qiongying said calmly, "If you don't like it, just throw it away."
Lin Ziping glanced at Li Qiongying, seeing her earnest expression, and bowed slightly, saying, "Thank you, I really like it. I'm sorry I didn't prepare a gift for you."
“It’s alright. You didn’t know I would give you a gift. Come and look at the moon with me,” Li Qiongying said.
Lin Ziping gripped the wooden box in his hand, pursed his lips, and said, "Miss Qiongying, thank you for the gift. I... I'll sing you a song."
After saying that, without waiting for Li Qiongying's reply, he began to sing to himself:
When will the bright moon appear?
Raising a cup to ask the blue sky
I don't know the celestial palaces
What year is this eve
I wish to ride the wind and return.
And I fear the magnificent palaces and towers,
High in the cold
Dancing and playing with the clear shadow
How can it be like being in the human world?
Turning to Zhuge
Low-pitched House
Zhao Wumian
There should be no hatred
Why does the moon always seem to be full when we part?
People experience joys and sorrows, separations and reunions.
The moon has its phases of waxing and waning.
This matter is difficult to resolve completely since ancient times.
I hope people will last
"Sharing the beauty of the moon across a thousand miles"[1]