Chapter 142 - 141: Playing the Zither
The royal quarters situated in the eastern wing of the provincial palace were a masterpiece of architecture. Designed specifically to house the most esteemed guests of the Zhao Province, the pavilion was a sprawling sanctuary of luxury and serenity.
As the heavy doors glided shut behind them, the grand formality of the Reception Hall was instantly cut away. Inside, the walls were paneled with fragrant Sandalwood. The floors were laid with warm amber, and the massive bed in the center of the chamber was draped in layers of shimmering white silk that seemed to catch and hold the moonlight filtering through the high windows.
Lin Yuan gently guided the wheelchair over the threshold. The temperature of the room was perfectly regulated, but he still projected an invisible field of his aura to ensure that not a single draft of cold air could touch his wife.
He wheeled the chair toward the center of the room, preparing to lift her into the massive bed.
However, as soon as the wheelchair came to a halt, Bai Qingyue did not lean back into the plush cushions to rest. Instead, she elegantly pushed herself up. With slow, careful steps, she walked past the grand bed and moved directly toward the luggage trunks that Bai Chen had respectfully delivered to their room earlier.
Lin Yuan stood by the wheelchair, his eyes following her movements with a mixture of fond amusement and mild confusion. He watched as her hands undid the brass clasps of her personal trunk.
From the depths of the luggage, she carefully lifted a zither.
"I was under the impression that the journey had exhausted you," Lin Yuan said, his voice a low, warm rumble that filled the quiet chamber. "Did you not wish to sleep, Qingyue?"
Then, with the help of Lin Yuan, Bai Qingyue carried the zither to the table positioned near the open window. She sat gracefully upon the silk floor-cushion, laying the instrument gently across her lap.
She looked up at him, a faint, mischievous, and breathtakingly beautiful smile touching the corners of her lips.
"Not really," she confessed, her voice soft and melodious, carrying a hint of lighthearted guilt. "I was tired, yes. But truthfully, Yuan... I just wanted to leave that room."
Lin Yuan walked over, his robes rustling softly, and sat down on the cushion opposite her. He rested his elbow on his knee, propping his chin on his hand, giving her his attention. "You found Lord Zhao’s hospitality lacking?"
"Lord Zhao was a perfect host, and the Cloud-Piercing Dragon Tea was exquisite," she clarified, her slender fingers gently brushing over the strings of the zither. "But the atmosphere of the provincial palace is so heavy. Every word spoken in that grand hall carried a hidden weight. It felt suffocating."
She paused, looking out the window at the skyline of Sky Jade City.
"But more than that," she continued, her eyes reflecting the moonlight, "watching those performers... the Illusory Crane dancers and the court musicians... it inspired me. They possessed such incredible technical skill, flawlessly manipulating their Qi to create a spectacle. Seeing them made me wish to play."
"Then play for me," Lin Yuan whispered, his deep purple eyes locking onto hers with absolute devotion. "Tonight, this pavilion is our entire world."
Bai Qingyue’s smile deepened, radiating a pure warmth that outshone the lamps in the room.
She closed her eyes, taking a slow, centering breath. Her fingers hovered over the seven strings of the Zither for a fraction of a second before descending.
Pluck.
The first note rang out, clear, resonant, and impossibly pure. It hung in the quiet air of the chamber like a falling snowflake.
Then, her fingers began to dance.
She did not use a single ounce of spiritual Qi. She relied entirely on the raw, acoustic resonance of the zither and the masterful, and emotive precision of her touch.
The melody she wove was a breathtaking tapestry of sound. It started slow and melancholic, echoing the quiet isolation she had felt during the decades her meridian was shattered. The notes trembled with a fragile vulnerability, painting an auditory picture of a lone orchid buried beneath a heavy winter snow.
Lin Yuan sat perfectly still, allowing the music to wash over his soul. As usual, he felt her lingering pain, her quiet endurance, and the absolute, terrifying fragility of her mortal state.
But as the song progressed, the tempo gently shifted.
The melancholic, isolated notes began to intertwine with a rising, warm, and steady rhythm. The melody blossomed, mimicking the arrival of a sudden, fierce, and protective spring storm. It was the musical manifestation of the day Lin Yuan had pulled her from that feel.
Her fingers blurred across the strings, striking chords that resonated with profound, overwhelming hope and unbreakable devotion. The music filled the opulent royal quarters, completely overriding the atmosphere of the provincial palace. It transformed the room into a true sanctuary.
Lin Yuan watched her play, utterly captivated. The moonlight illuminated the black strands of her hair and the delicate, focused curve of her brow. To him, in this exact moment, she was more majestic than any sovereign, more powerful than any heavenly tribulation.
The melody then reached a beautiful, cascading crescendo, like a gentle rain falling over a blooming lotus pond, before slowly tapering off.
Her fingers came to rest flat against the vibrating strings, silencing them. The final note echoed softly into the walls, leaving behind a heavy, and beautiful silence.
Bai Qingyue opened her eyes, a faint blush warming her cheeks, her chest heaving slightly from the emotional exertion of the performance. She looked at Lin Yuan, suddenly feeling a trace of shyness under his intense, unwavering gaze.
"It was... just a simple melody," she murmured, lowering her hands to her lap.
"It was the most beautiful thing I have heard in a long while," Lin Yuan replied, his voice thick with the truth.
He leaned forward across the table, reaching out to gently take her hands in his. Her fingertips were slightly red from the friction of the strings. He brought her hands to his lips, pressing a soft, lingering kiss to her knuckles, infusing a soothing wave of Yang energy to ease the strain in her joints.
Bai Qingyue’s eyes fluttered shut, leaning into his touch, her earlier fatigue completely washed away by the profound intimacy of the moment.
As Lin Yuan held her hands, basking in the tranquil aftermath of the song, the familiar, mechanical chime suddenly echoed within his Sea of Consciousness.
[Host has invested: Time spent attentively listening to Dao Companion play the zither, providing an emotional sanctuary, and warming her hands.]
[Congratulations to the Host! You have triggered a 5000X Return!]
[Reward: 2 Dao Stones]
Lin Yuan’s eyes widened a fraction, a flash of genuine shock rippling through his expression.
Two Dao Stones!