Liu Ye gestured towards the small building.
Oh no! Where did he go?! Gu Yucheng immediately became alert. He certainly didn't go there to see his sister, who was still unconscious. So there was only one answer—he went to see Mr. Mu.
No, we can't let them be alone together. That Mr. Mu clearly has ulterior motives! For his sister's sake, he had to nip any potential problems in the bud. So Gu Yucheng didn't hesitate and immediately headed towards Mingyan Tower as well.
After the piece was finished, Mr. Mu reached out and gently stroked the strings, sighing softly, "What a fine instrument."
"Yes, our young lady treasures this zither the most!" a maidservant standing nearby chimed in.
Mr. Mu smiled faintly, "Besides playing the piano, what else can your young lady do?"
"Miss can also compose poems, paint, play chess, and practice swordsmanship. She's good at so many things."
"So you really are a talented woman." For some reason, Mr. Mu's smile deepened. He seemed rather enigmatic.
The maid sighed and said, "Although Miss Dingxi is clever, she is still no match for the young master. She loses to him every time she plays chess..."
Mr. Mu raised his eyebrows, looking quite surprised. "Young master enjoys playing chess?"
"The young master loves playing chess, but his chess skills are so high that no one can beat him, so he often has to play against himself."
"This is really unexpected..." Mr. Mu lowered his head and muttered to himself.
Suddenly, a maid exclaimed, "Oh, young master!"
She looked up and saw the young master outside the door, his eyes flickering as if he wanted to see right through her.
Mr. Mu smiled, remaining seated. "Young master, have you come to hear me play the zither?"
The young master stared at her for a long while before finally speaking, "What was that piece of music you were playing just now?"
“Remembering the Flute on Phoenix Terrace.” Mr. Mu looked back at him and said with unusual calmness, “I wrote the lyrics and my husband composed the music. It was originally a duet of qin and xiao.”
"My husband?" The young master was somewhat surprised. "You..."
Mr. Mu raised an eyebrow. "What? You don't believe me? I don't look like a married woman."
Her long hair hung down to her shoulders, completely uncombed. Although she was not young, she did not look like a married woman at all.
"And what about your husband?"
Many changes occurred in Mr. Mu's eyes, his clear eyes brimming with tears. This made the young master feel as if he had asked a very foolish question. However, the loss of composure was only momentary; when she looked at him again, her face was devoid of any emotion. "He's gone. He doesn't want me anymore."
Seeing the young master's shocked expression, she smiled again, a charming smile, "What? You don't believe me? I don't look like a woman who's been abandoned?"
The young master remained silent.
Mr. Mu turned to the maid behind him and asked, "Can your young lady play the flute?"
"Miss doesn't blow often."
"Bring me her flute."
"Ah? Yes." The maid dared not disobey and obediently took out a long box from the cabinet.
Opening the box, under the light, a jade flute, its emerald green hue glistening, reflected a verdant hue onto the skin of my hands.
"What a fine flute!" Mr. Mu exclaimed, then said to the maid, "Take it to the young master."
The young master was taken aback and said, "I can't play the flute."
"How do you know it won't work if you haven't tried?"
As he spoke, the flute was handed to him. The young master hesitated for a moment before reaching out to take it.
Why don't you try blowing on it?
The young master brought the flute to his lips and tried to blow it, producing a clear and melodious sound.
Before the sound of the flute had faded, the sound of the zither had already begun.
Mr. Mu plucked the strings, his ten fingers flying across the strings, his expression serene, his playing extremely beautiful. He was playing the same piece as before, and whether it was because he had heard it before or for some other reason, the young master was surprised to find that he could follow the melody. His fingers seemed to have their own will as they pressed on the holes, and as they moved, they felt inexplicably familiar.
When the music ended, it startled the maid behind Mr. Mu, and also startled Gu Yucheng who rushed over.
"You...you can play the flute?" He stared at the young master, his jaw almost dropping to the ground.
The young master gave a wry smile. "I only discovered today that I actually have this talent."
Mr. Mu got up from his seat, walked to the window, opened it, and looked out. The moonlight easily adorned his eyes.
It's been six years since her husband left her...
The song "Remembering the Flute on Phoenix Terrace" stirred her emotions, leaving her unable to calm down for a long time.
"Mr. Mu?" The gentle, soothing voice, the same tone and manner as in my memory, was completely different.
She couldn't help but close her eyes, and when she opened them again, there were tears in her eyes.
"go out."
Gu Yucheng was stunned. "What?"
"I'm tired, all of you get out." She flicked her sleeve, intending to shoo them away. She refused to turn back from beginning to end.
Sure enough, the cold tone provoked Gu Yucheng again. He immediately pushed the young master around and left, muttering angrily, "Damn it, she really thinks this is her own territory!"
Under the moonlight, it was clear that the door downstairs was pushed open, and Gu Yucheng pushed the young master through the flower courtyard and disappeared behind the archway.
She watched their retreating figures, her face deepening with worry, and murmured softly, "Chenfeng... Chenfeng..."
Sailing through the morning breeze, amidst the lush forest, its form is like water, its shadow following closely behind.
But now, old memories are hard to find, and new words are forgotten. A crescent moon hangs in the sky, its heart's secrets unknown to anyone.
Chapter Two
For three days in a row, Gu Mingyan still hadn't woken up. Seeing Mr. Mu's calm and composed demeanor, everyone knew her eccentric temperament and dared not ask further. A renowned doctor, after all, had every right to be arrogant. Moreover, although the young lady hadn't woken up, her condition hadn't worsened, which was already a good sign for the people of Emerald Manor.
When Mr. Mu walked out of Gu Mingyan's room that day, he saw the young master sitting in the side hall. She was stunned for a moment, then stopped and stared at him absentmindedly.
Sunlight streamed through the windowpane, illuminating the young master's eyebrows and lips with a golden hue. He exuded an air of refined elegance, so aloof and untouched by worldly concerns.
Liu Ye frowned slightly and coughed lightly. The young master looked up from his thoughts, saw that it was her, and smiled slightly.
She had insulted him so rudely, yet he seemed not to care at all. This man... was either utterly hypocritical or so well-mannered as to be almost saintly.
Thinking of this, Mr. Shu strode over to him, looked down and saw that what had been holding his gaze was a half-finished game of chess on the low table.
Mr. Mu's expression changed slightly as he stared at him and slowly said, "Don't you think playing chess is the most wasteful thing in the world?"
The young master chuckled, "How could that be? The game of chess is ever-changing, just like life. However, mastering the game of chess is far easier than mastering life."
Mr. Mu glanced at the chessboard a few times and said, "I've heard that your chess skills are so high that there are few in the world who can surpass you?"
This time, Liu Ye answered for him: "Of course."
Mr. Mu smiled coldly upon hearing this, straightened his chair and sat down, "Come, let me help you down."
Just as Liu Ye was about to stop him, the young master said first, "I couldn't ask for more. You are the guest, please take the white pieces."
The young master made his moves extremely quickly, while Mr. Mu, on the contrary, considered each move for a long time. At first, Liu Ye watched with disdain, thinking this woman was too presumptuous to challenge the young master to a chess match. But as time went on, he became increasingly astonished. Mr. Mu's initial moves were ordinary and seemed harmless, but later, each piece displayed immense power, linked together in a formidable manner.
The sun was setting, and the game of chess had lasted for over two hours. The young master's pace had slowed down. He looked up, met Master Mu's dark, jade-like eyes, and exclaimed in amazement, "Brilliant, absolutely brilliant..."
"You haven't lost yet, there's still more to the game."
The young master smiled. "Want to beat me? Not easy." He was usually humble, but only in this sentence did he reveal a slight hint of arrogance.
However, Mr. Mu's eyes lit up after hearing this, and he seemed quite pleased.
The sun had already set in the west. The maids came in and lit the lamps, not daring to call the two men, who were engrossed in their chess game, to eat. In this way, another three hours passed. Under the bright moon, Mr. Mu suddenly said, "I'm so tired."
The young master let out a long sigh, his face showing signs of fatigue. "Although it's mentally exhausting, it was all worth it. I haven't enjoyed myself this much in a long time!"
Mr. Mu stared at him and said calmly, "Don't you have any friends?"
The young master paused, a desolate look appearing between his brows.
She was right. Even if he's famous throughout the world, even if everyone admires him, the higher you climb, the colder it gets. Who dares to be his friend? Who is worthy of being his friend?
Mr. Mu pressed down on the chessboard and said, "I'm not playing anymore."
"Why? It's not over yet."
"Let's continue tomorrow. I'm very hungry now."
Hearing her say that, the young master realized that neither of them had eaten dinner and were indeed starving. Just as he was about to reach out to call for someone, Mr. Mu said, "It's very late, the servants should all be asleep."
The young master said with shame, "Indeed, we shouldn't have troubled them any further."
“If you don’t mind—” Mr. Mu paused, a hint of embarrassment flashing in his eyes, “I’ll go make something to eat, shall I?”
"You?" He was genuinely surprised, not that he was being rude.
Mr. Mu stood up. "Don't forget, I'm a woman. All women can cook." With that, he turned and left.
Lanterns hung in the corridor, their light casting a long shadow of her back. The young master gazed at that figure and suddenly felt a sense of déjà vu.
"What does it mean if a woman is willing to cook for a man?" he muttered to himself.
Unexpectedly, a reply came from behind: "If this woman is Mr. Mu, then it might not mean anything."
The young master turned around and saw Liu Ye, who was faithfully guarding his post behind him. He touched his nose and said with a wry smile, "There's nothing I can do. I guess I was just being presumptuous."
Liu Ye also looked in the direction she left and said slowly, "No matter what, this woman... is quite surprising."
Not long after, Mr. Mu returned, and the fragrance filled the air even before he arrived.
"It smells delicious!" The young master and Liu Ye exchanged a glance, suddenly losing their appetite. It seemed this woman was not only good at chess, but also a good cook.
Mr. Mu placed two dishes and a soup on the table. Liu Ye pushed the young master over, and the two of them were stunned when they saw the braised fish with broad bean paste and the stir-fried rabbit with garlic on the table.
Seeing the strange expressions on their faces, Mr. Mu raised an eyebrow and asked, "What's wrong?"
Liu Ye said in a deep voice, "Young Master never eats garlic, nor can he eat spicy food. He will vomit if he eats spicy food."
Mr. Mu's face turned deathly pale, as if he had heard some terrible news.
The young master glanced at Liu Ye, somewhat blaming him for speaking too quickly, and hurriedly picked up his chopsticks, saying, "It's alright, a little bit won't hurt." Before his chopsticks even reached the plate, Mr. Mu suddenly swept the dishes and soup off the table, and with a crash, pieces of food and scraps were scattered all over the floor.
The young master was stunned, and Liu Ye was also stunned—she hadn't expected her to have such a temper.
Mr. Mu looked at the young master with a strange, very melancholy, and very desolate gaze.