Chapter 71: Literary Competition - A Dream Remembering the Past Part 2 (1/2)
Am I going to give this to him…but this is such a personal object. If I offer it for him to use, people might think...
Still undecided, she felt the demons and gods take hold of her once more, and her voice came out in a low whisper, “I… I have one.”
All the gazes darted to Hua Shuirou’s direction, most of them amazed yet puzzled. Because for a woman to allow the use of her flute, it could have no other meaning.
Could it be that this young lady of the Hua family was actually...
Ye Wuchen's mouth twitched upward over so slightly, then stepped forward to stand in front of Hua Shuirou. Hua Shuirou was already holding out a short bluish-green flute in her hands, the jade material sparkling delicately in her small white hands.
As Ye Wuchen approached, a heady spinning sensation hits her, causing Hua Shuirou to lower her head, hands trembling as she held up the flute. Ye Wuchen takes it with a smile, his hand lightly brushing against her smooth palm. Hua Shuirou quickly withdraws her hand as if shocked by a current. She kept her hands tightly together between her knees, her face red as this was the first time somebody touched her hands aside from her relatives. She would have a restless night, berating herself for allowing something so improper.
“I am eternally grateful to receive this from such a beautiful woman.” Ye Wuchen said smiling as he returned to the stage. As he admired the flute in his hand he said softly, “Green jade is pure and limpid, as gentle and smooth as a woman's skin and able to keep the fragrance of a woman’s lips. Forgive me for being rough with it.”
His teasing words left the entire audience dumbfounded, Hua Shuirou let out a small squeak, burying her head deep in her chest, ashamed and wishing for a way to escape.
Lin Xiao's expression changed again and again, ultimately his forced smile had completely disappeared. The one whom he cherished and is engaged to had given a man her own flute in front of everybody… furthermore to the same man who had beaten him in every competition so far. This was the equivalent of stabbing a sharp blade through his heart, causing him to snarl loudly in order to vent out his pain.
“A short flute, are you sure?” Long Yin asked.
Long and short flutes, although played similarly, with regard to quality, the short flute is inferior. It would also be difficult for someone accustomed to a long flute to adapt to a short flute, and vice versa.
Ye Wuchen nodded and smiled. “This tune… Is for myself.”
Playing for himself—Lin Xiao had dedicated the tone to his deceased mother. One played with a long flute, the other a short flute. By paying for his deceased mother, his filial piety had influenced people to some degree. Playing for oneself seemed relatively dull in comparison. Whether it was in the opinion of the audience or the type of flute, Ye Wuchen was clearly at a disadvantage.
Ye Wuchen lightly pressed the flute to his lips, a pleasing scent slowly entered his nostrils. Hua Shuirou covered her face, heat emanated from her in an alarming degree. That is also where she puts her lips, now it’s… she couldn’t think further. For her who had never been out of her chambers, aside from her own father she has never spent time with another man. She has never broached these topics of love it has become too much for her heart to bear. For her, this kind of “intimate” touch can only be done between a married couple.
Tonight, she would not be able to sleep peacefully.
The audience waited for a while, yet no sound could be heard. Ye Wuchen only stood there silently like a statue. Eventually, he closed his eyes. In an instant, the people felt a change in the energy surrounding him. For the duration of the silence, a faint depressing emotion generated from the bottom of their hearts. It grew more and more heavy, until the feeling burdened them like heavy iron weights to the point where it was becoming difficult to breathe.
Intense sorrow, much too difficult to bear...