The weather changed suddenly. In the evening, it started to rain. The raindrops hit the willow branches and eaves, producing a unique melody.
Bai Suzhen opened the window in front of the house and looked at the misty courtyard with rain curtains. She tilted her head and listened quietly to the sound of rain. It was so quiet... In such a large courtyard, there was no other sound except the sound of wind and rain, as if... she was the only one left in this world. Bai Suzhen leaned against the window, frowned slightly, and let the evening breeze blow on her face. She looked at the courtyard with empty eyes. Willow leaves were blown down by the wind from time to time. Looking at the fallen leaves drifting in the wind and rain, a feeling of desolation and loneliness came to her heart... Fallen leaves return to their roots, and wanderers return home... Qing'er, are you leaving too and going back to the Dragon Palace
She reached out her hand silently, and then the rain outside the window, the coolness seeped into her heart through her palms. Bai Suzhen closed her eyes, slowly clenched her palms, letting the rain slide down the gaps between her fingers until the last drop flowed out, feeling the process from possession to loss. After a long time, she slowly opened her eyes, and then stared blankly at her empty hands, as if she was thinking about something, or just in a daze. If there hadn't been a sudden knock on the door outside the house, perhaps she would not have come back to her senses.
“Knock!” “Knock!”
"White Lady—" It was Xiao Qian's voice outside the house.
"Come in." Bai Suzhen sighed softly and put down her hands dejectedly.
There was a sound of a door opening behind him, followed by Xiao Qian's voice: "Madam Bai, it's time for dinner."
Bai Suzhen did not turn around, but just asked softly: "Is Qing'er back?"
"Did Miss Qing go out? Why didn't I see her go out?"
Bai Suzhen murmured, "I went to look for her earlier, but she wasn't in the room. I guess she must have gone out. Did you go to her room just now to see if she came back?"
Xiao Qian scratched his head and muttered softly, "Why does Miss Qing always come and go without a trace?" Then he quickly replied, "To answer Lady Bai's question, Miss Qing is definitely not in the room. I thought she was here with you..."
Bai Suzhen interrupted him and asked, "Then...where are Qing'er's two sisters?"
"I just checked, and they are not in the room either."
"Oh." Bai Suzhen sighed lightly, was silent for a moment, and said, "Okay, you go down first."
"Lady Bai, how about I bring your dinner to your room first, and leave Qing and the others alone." Xiao Qian thought about it and came up with a solution that would satisfy both parties, but Bai Suzhen just shook her head and said, "No need, let's wait for Qing and the others to come back. You go down and do your work."
"Yes." Xiao Qian responded and turned to leave the room.
"You haven't come back yet? Qing'er, where have you been? Did you leave without saying goodbye?" Bai Suzhen frowned, then suddenly laughed bitterly, shook her head, sighed and murmured: "What's wrong with me? Why do I have such an idea? Leave without saying goodbye? How could Qing'er do that? Even if she left, she would explain everything clearly. Qing'er has always been a responsible person." But what on earth was it all about that made her so hurried? She didn't even have time to say hello. And why weren't Qing'er's elder sister and second sister in the house? Was Qing'er with them? Just as she was thinking aimlessly, Bai Suzhen suddenly heard the sound of a zither in the courtyard, coming from the pavilion in the distance, drifting in the wind and rain. The sound of the piano was lingering and plaintive, carrying with it long-lost memories, endless yearning, a hint of helplessness and regret, but also strong hope and full of comfort... Bai Suzhen listened quietly, and was deeply attracted by the sound of the piano, even her mood involuntarily fluctuated with the changes in the sound of the piano.
Who is playing the piano over there in the pavilion
A trace of curiosity arose in her heart. Bai Suzhen hesitated for a moment, then turned around, took down the umbrella hanging on the wall, pushed open the door, opened the umbrella, and walked out. Listening to the sound of the zither all the way, she slowly approached the pavilion, looked up, and saw a person in white sitting quietly in the pavilion, with an ancient zither placed horizontally on the stone table, with slender jade hands and slender fingers, and the sound of the zither flowed from the strings between her fingers.
Bai Suzhen stood outside the pavilion, quietly watching the person playing the piano in the pavilion, the spotless and ethereal princess of the Dragon Palace—Ao Ningshuang!
Ao Ningshuang half lowered her head, her long, smooth black hair hanging down, covering the outline of her face, making it hard to see her expression. However, the sound of her piano was like the drizzling rain, faintly sad, carrying thousands of words...
After an unknown amount of time, the music stopped, and the courtyard returned to its original silence, except for the sound of wind and rain. Ao Ningshuang and Bai Suzhen did not speak, as if they were still immersed in the music and had not yet come back to their senses.
"Why don't you come into the pavilion, Miss Bai? How can Ningshuang feel at ease leaving the host in the rain outside the pavilion?" After a long time, Ao Ningshuang raised her eyes to look outside the pavilion, looked at Bai Suzhen, and broke the silence.
Bai Suzhen walked into the pavilion with light lotus steps, sat down opposite Ao Ningshuang, and said apologetically: "Suzhen was attracted by the princess's piano music, and came here uninvited. Please forgive me for disturbing the princess's peace."
Ao Ningshuang stroked the strings of the zither and said, "Miss Bai, you don't have to be so polite. Just call me Ningshuang. It was Ningshuang's zither music that disturbed Miss Bai's peace. It is Ningshuang who should apologize, not Miss Bai." Ao Ningshuang raised her eyes to look at Bai Suzhen, and gently flicked her sleeves. The zither on the table disappeared in an instant, and turned into a pot of fine wine and two jade cups. "I didn't have the chance to talk to Miss Bai when we met last time. Ningshuang really can't miss the opportunity again this time. If Miss Bai doesn't mind, can you chat with Ningshuang and drink a pot of wine?"
Bai Suzhen said with a smile: "Miss Ao is a guest from afar, how can Suzhen neglect a distinguished guest." She gently picked up the wine pot and filled the wine glasses in front of Ao Ningshuang and herself. The faint aroma of wine floated in the air. Holding the wine glass, Bai Suzhen said to Ao Ningshuang: "Suzhen toasts the princess." After saying this, her white hand slightly raised, and without any movement, the wine in the jade cup was finished, and her face remained jade-like.
Ao Ningshuang's eyes flickered slightly, and there was a touch of admiration in her beautiful eyes. The wine on the table was called Guimei, a fine wine from the Dragon Palace. Although the aroma of the wine was strong, the taste was too strong. Most women would not even drink a drop of it. However, Bai Suzhen drank it without changing her expression, which was really rare. She looked at Bai Suzhen thoughtfully, then raised her glass silently, raised her head, and drank the wine in the glass in an instant, with the same expression unchanged.
"Did the princess compose the music she just played herself?" Bai Suzhen put down her wine glass, looked up at Ao Ningshuang and asked.
Ao Ningshuang nodded and replied, "That's right."
Bai Suzhen couldn't help but ask, "Does this song have a name?"
Ao Ningshuang was silent for a while, then she opened her red lips and uttered two words: "Love Sorrow!"
The author has something to say: You guys have been really active in leaving comments this time, and I feel like being a lazy bum, so, okay, I'll present another chapter.
Ahem... I want to ask, have you all been infected by the frost? Why are you all suffering from the coughing symptoms? Um~~ Everyone must protect their bodies. Because of my writing, everyone is vomiting blood. Then don't I need to die to thank everyone? Pah pah pah~~ How can I curse myself? My brain is really crazy~~
Haha, I really posted too much, thank you all for reminding me~