"Okay, then prove it to me."
His eyes were cold, and her heart ached—Yin Sang, you're deliberately making things difficult for me, just to make me back down, but I won't! I'll prove it then, I don't believe that I, Qian Cuiyu, will starve to death after leaving the Qian family!
The scene changed, and she entered a music store.
This important town in the Central Plains, though not as prosperous as the capital, is still affluent and peaceful. Shops line both sides of the street, with glazed roof beasts standing tall above the doorways. This music store is the most magnificent of them all.
As soon as she walked in, the music store owner's eyes lit up and he personally came to greet her.
"Young lady, are you buying a piano?"
Her gaze slowly swept over the zither, and she said indifferently, "How's business at your music shop?" She acted one way in front of Yin Sang, and another way in front of others. Such different treatment, yet she didn't receive any appreciation from them. How hateful, how infuriating, and how pathetic.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Yin Sang leaning against the door with her arms crossed, not saying a word. He became even more stubborn: I am not a useless person, I am not a burden. Don't try to force me to leave in this way, don't even think about it!
The music store owner was taken aback by her words and said, "This... why are you asking this, young lady?"
She pointed to one of the long zithers, "How much do you want for this black-lacquered Zhongni zither?"
The music shop owner chuckled and said, "I can tell you're a discerning person, young lady. If you'd like it, I can offer you the lowest price—thirty taels of silver. However, for someone of your status, this zither is too ordinary. I have another one here, the Lei Wo Zither, which was made by the famous Tang Dynasty zither player Lei Xiao..."
Before he could finish speaking, she interrupted him, saying, "I know this is the worst instrument here, worth at most twenty taels of silver."
The music store owner's expression immediately turned sour.
“But,” she suddenly smiled slightly, “I can get this instrument sold for two hundred taels of silver. Do you believe me?”
Upon hearing this, not only the music store owner but also several employees gasped and turned to look at her.
"Don't joke around, young lady. Do you know that two hundred taels of silver can buy that Mingfeng Qin?"
"If you don't believe me, let's make a bet."
The music store owner asked with interest, "Bet? How do you bet?"
"If I can really get this instrument to sell for such a high price, I'll get 30% of the proceeds. If I can't, I'll compensate you 30%."
The music store owner was skeptical, but ultimately couldn't resist the temptation. After careful consideration, he realized he wouldn't lose anything, so he nodded and said, "Okay!"
She immediately reached out to test the sound; the tone was mediocre, and the instrument was only suitable for beginners. But that didn't matter, as long as the pitch was accurate.
She sat down at the piano table, hesitated for a moment, and began to play. The music flowed smoothly, and the originally ordinary tone blossomed with dazzling charm under her hands. Everyone was immediately stunned.
After finishing one piece, without pausing, she skillfully transitioned to another. The clear and melodious sound of the zither flowed like the Yangtze River, stretching and flowing gently, and its sound carried from the music store, attracting many people to stop and listen.
She played five pieces in a row before stopping, gently stroking the instrument and saying, "The seven strings are my good friends, and my two ears are my confidants. When the heart is calm, the sound is subtle, and its sound transcends time."
"What a wonderful phrase, 'A tranquil mind produces a serene voice, its sound transcends time.'" With this exclamation, a young man in flowing robes and a loose belt suddenly emerged from the inner hall. The innkeeper, upon seeing him, was about to speak when the young man gave him a wink, then turned to her and said, "Miss, your performance of Cai's Five Variations is truly masterful. It captures the joy of spring outings, the serene beauty of clear waters, the secluded and lofty atmosphere of a secluded dwelling, the melancholy of sitting in sorrow, and the desolate beauty of autumn thoughts—each aspect is imbued with its spirit."
She said without changing her expression, "It's because the zither is good, not because of me."
The young man in brocade smiled and said, "Oh, I didn't expect you to praise this zither so highly, young lady. May I ask what makes it so good?"
“This zither calms my mind, dispelling my frivolous and rough spirit, and giving me a peaceful and tranquil nature. Of course it’s good.” As soon as she said this, the crowd that had gathered to listen to her play the zither suddenly became curious about this seemingly ordinary Zhongni zither.
The young man in brocade robes smiled even more broadly. "So, according to you, young lady, this zither possesses a spirit?"
"Even plants and trees have feelings, let alone a zither. It should keep a low profile and remain silent until it makes a stunning appearance." Her expression was as serious as could be, as solemn as could be.
People around rushed forward to buy the zither, with the highest bidder winning. In the end, the young man in the brocade robe won the bid with five hundred taels of silver.
The crowd sighed in disappointment and soon dispersed. The music store owner smiled and saw them out, but paused for a moment when he saw Yin Sang leaning against the door, silently observing from the beginning.
The young man in the brocade robe said, "Uncle Fu, put this zither away."
The music store owner hurriedly turned to collect the instruments. She was taken aback and asked in confusion, "You...you..."
The music store owner smiled and said, "Actually, I'm just the steward of Ruiya Zhai. The real master is this young master, Qu Ling."
Instead of showing her displeasure, she frowned, glancing at the music shop owner and then at Qu Ling. Qu Ling knew what she was worried about, so she smiled and said, "Are you worried about the previous bet, young lady? Don't worry, although I bought this zither, I will still pay the fee."
The music shop owner hurriedly offered her a silver note of one hundred and fifty taels, but she stepped back and refused to accept it, her face slightly darkening as she said, "Our young master bought our own music at a high price, what kind of show is this?"
Qu Ling shook her head. "What I bought was not the zither, but the girl's music."
She was taken aback. "The sound of a zither?"
"Young lady's zither skills are unparalleled. Even if you offered five hundred gold coins, it would be hard to find. Let alone a mere five hundred taels of silver." Unexpectedly, Qu Ling was a discerning person. Miss Qian's zither playing was a skill that even high-ranking officials and nobles would find difficult to acquire for a thousand pieces of gold.
Qu Ling smiled and said, "Moreover, only you, young lady, can play such profound sounds on this zither. If it falls into the hands of an ordinary person, it will still sound crude. My Ruiya Zhai dares not violate such a taboo of integrity, so after thinking it over, I can only buy the zither back myself. Please don't take offense, young lady."
This person is quite shrewd. In this way, he can please her, maintain the reputation of the music store, and raise the value of Ruiyazhai. He kills three birds with one stone. He is indeed a businessman.
With that thought in mind, he didn't refuse, took the silver note and turned to leave, but Qu Ling called out to stop him, "Wait."
"You're going back on your word?"
"How could that be? We simply haven't yet learned the young lady's name..."
"I'm just here to earn this 150 taels of silver. I might not come back again, so there's no need to leave my name."
Qu Ling was taken aback, not expecting her to be so cold and abruptly change her attitude. Meanwhile, Qian Cuiyu had already walked up to Yin Sang and was staring intently at him. Yin Sang said nothing, turned, and walked out of the music shop.
She followed him. The two of them walked in silence, one after the other, as the sun gradually set and the number of pedestrians on the street dwindled.
After walking for an unknown amount of time, Yin Sang suddenly stopped, turned around, and stared at her. "Was it worth it?"
"What?" She was taken aback when he suddenly spoke, and didn't react for a moment.
"I ask you, is it worth it? Back then, you were so arrogant and disrespectful to the powerful and wealthy, but now you're forced to play your instrument in the marketplace. Is it worth it?"
She pursed her lips, looked directly into his eyes, and said, "I've said it before, I'm a useful person, I'm not a burden."
Their gazes met in mid-air, each trying to persuade the other, but knowing it was futile. After a long while, Yin Sang withdrew her gaze first, sighed, and said, "Give me your hand."
Her reaction was to instinctively pull her hand behind her back.
Yin Sang repeated, "Give me your hand." Without waiting for her consent, he took her hand. Her ten fingers were covered with marks, and in some places the skin was broken and a little blood was seeping out.
The violin hadn't been oiled, but she gritted her teeth and played it anyway. No one else noticed, but he did. Her heart warmed, and her breath caught in her throat.
Yin Sang took out a small bottle from his bosom, uncorked it, and applied medicine to her wound. The wound immediately felt cool and comfortable.
The setting sun shone from behind him, outlining his almost perfect, handsome features. His face was backlit and hidden in the shadows, making it difficult to see clearly, but she knew how gentle he was.
Yin Sang is gentle.
You care about me, you do care about me, right?
Her eyes silently conveyed this emotion, and Yin Sang suddenly became irritated. He threw her hand away and said in a hoarse voice, "This matter ends here. Don't make any more trouble."
She was startled and her eyes widened.
"I'll take you home." He turned and took a few steps, but when he realized she hadn't followed, he looked back and saw her standing there, the evening breeze ruffling her clothes and long hair. So delicate and sensitive, how could she withstand the storms of the outside world and the harshness of life? His voice grew even weaker: "Let's go, I'll take you home."
She angrily flung her sleeve and snapped, "You lied to me!"
He stared at her, saying nothing. This only fueled her anger. "Why did you lie to me? You wanted me to prove I could earn money, and I have. I'm not a burden, I'm not a nuisance, so why did you still take me home? Why?"
Every word was spoken with resounding force.
He smiled wickedly and said, "It seems that Miss has really forgotten who I am. Lying is just commonplace for me, and occasionally teasing the most talented woman in the world is quite an interesting thing..."
Her body began to tremble, and her voice trembled as well: "Is that so...? Just teasing...?"
"What else did you think it would be?"
She lowered her eyes, feeling as if her heart was floating in lukewarm water, weightless and disoriented, yet without pain. It was strange; after being hurt by such a sarcastic smile and cold words, she still felt no pain. If others knew, they would surely call her "despicable," wouldn't they?
"Do you feel happy hurting me?" Her soft words shocked him deeply, and his face turned pale instantly.
Seeing his distraught expression, she spoke with increasing calm: "You hurt me like this. Doesn't it hurt? Tell me, doesn't it hurt?"
He said one word, then couldn't say anything more.
"Don't you understand yet? I'm not like other women who would cover their faces and run away if you provoked or scolded me. That method doesn't work on me. Yin Sang, you're not hurting me, you're hurting yourself... you're hurting yourself..."
"Enough!" he shouted, but it had no effect.
She continued, “I have two sisters, the elder beautiful and the younger clever. I, however, have always been introverted and quiet, and therefore not well-liked. Unlike my elder sister, who is obedient and submissive to our grandmother, or my younger sister, who is charming and knows how to please her, I have always been the dispensable one among the three sisters. It wasn't until I was fifteen that the Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince, Lord Meng, accidentally saw my poems, was amazed, and inquired about the author. Only then did I gain attention. For the next two years, I was supposedly incredibly famous, hailed as the most talented woman in the land, but how many truly understood me? I'm not telling you this to gain your sympathy, but to tell you, Yin Sang, that we are the same, we are the same kind of people!”
Yin Sang grabbed her shoulders. She didn't struggle, but just quietly looked at him, just looked at him, all the way into his heart. The pedestrians and streets around them faded into nothingness in her vision, only him, only the hidden secrets beneath his resolute face, only the soft emotions hidden beneath his cold expression.
She thought, "Yin Sang, you understand me, you do understand me, right?"
Suddenly, a whooshing sound came from behind. Yin Sang leaped forward, catching her as they rolled to the right. The few pedestrians on the street cried out and scattered. From the other end of the street, a troop of iron cavalry galloped towards them. The leader, longbow in hand, shouted, "Yin Sang, you can't escape! Surrender and be captured!"
In the chaos, she saw his eyes, which revealed not panic but sorrow, a sorrow that was about to ignite but was suddenly overwhelmed by cold water.
She heard him say in a very hoarse voice, "Now you know? We... are different."
She felt a lightness in her body and stood firmly on the ground. Yin Sang released her grip, turned to face the attacker, and said with a cold smile, "The dignified Fourth Master Yue of the Six Doors actually resorts to such underhanded tactics."
The cavalry leader glanced at him, then his gaze fell on her. She stood there, biting her lip, her face as pale as paper.
Yin Sang suddenly leaped into the air, landing on the rooftop with a few bounds, and said with a laugh, "People say that Fourth Master Yue's iron cavalry is the most infamous 'devil's nightmare' in the Six Doors. If you decide to arrest someone, that person can't escape even if they have wings. Well then, I'll give it a try. Come on!"
With the last word, he vanished as if into thin air, disappearing without a trace.
"Chase!" Without a second thought for her, the cavalrymen spurred their horses and gave chase. The long street stretched endlessly, and the people all hid, leaving her all alone. The last rays of twilight faded without hesitation, and night finally fell.
Her gaze remained fixed on the empty rooftop, her mind still replaying the words he had spoken to her—
We are different.
We are different people. At least, your life is not in danger, no one is plotting to kill you, and you don't have to hide like a stray dog. We are different.
That was what he wanted to say, and she understood perfectly.
Suddenly, tears streamed down her face.
Tears, like a flood that had been building up for a long time, poured out all at once, and I couldn't stop them no matter what I did.
The night breeze was cool, and she stood alone on the desolate street, weeping silently.
On the bed, the young master slightly opened his eyes and woke up.
A group of people immediately gathered around the bed, the most anxious being Gu Yucheng, "How are you? Are you feeling any better?"
The headache had subsided considerably, but he was still feeling dizzy. The young master sat up halfway and whispered, "I actually fainted..."
"What exactly happened?"
Recalling the scene just now, the young master felt an indescribable strangeness. Why did he have such a memory? It was as if someone had slashed his mind, forcibly stuffing those vague sentences into it, causing unbearable pain.
Seeing the strange look on his face, Liu Ye said, "Young master, shall we invite the master here?"