Chapter 181 - 97: Qilin, Take Your Place!
Li Guanyi did not expect that it wasn’t Xue Shuangtao playing the zither. Seeing Xue Shuangtao’s smug expression, he found himself momentarily at a loss for words. After a moment’s thought, he gently clapped his hands and said candidly:
"Very beautiful."
Xue Shuangtao had planned to "startle" Li Guanyi, but his frank and straightforward response left her somewhat embarrassed. She raised her fingers and twirled a lock of hair around her temple, begrudgingly saying, "Well, you do have a way with words."
"But is that all a great talent like yourself can say, just those two words?"
Li Guanyi thought for a moment and replied:
"Those lines of poetry I heard during my travels, they were not composed by me."
"Moreover, lines of verse often involve embellishments and techniques."
"Compared to that, I still feel these two words better express my feelings."
Xue Shuangtao’s cheeks flushed.
Having not seen her for some days, she felt a tinge of embarrassment, especially with her aunt’s knowing smile making her feel uneasy. She quickly walked to her seat and sat down. After three rounds of drinks, Noble Consort Xue raised her tea cup and chuckled: "I am with child and shall not drink wine, but I have heard that our Qilin’er from the Xue Family, your talent is no less than when you were a child."
"At three you could read and write, at five you held a bow, and now a decade has passed."