Chapter 3 - Brief Peace (2/2)

“There are many guests outside.” Li Qiufeng gave a little cough to attract San’s attention and continued, “Ask the cook to prepare a dish especially for Ci from now on.”

San immediately replied, “Yes, I will.”

Ci put down the bowl and chopsticks and picked up the Chinese lute. “Master, I’m going to the hall to play the lute.”

“Just sit down and eat up your dinner,” Li Qiufeng said gently.

“It doesn’t matter. After all, we shouldn’t keep guests waiting.” Ci lightly wiped her mouth with a handkerchief and went straight to the hall.

There was a hubbub in the hall. When Ci walked in with the Chinese lute, the guests quieted down but soon the hall was full of noise again. These days Autumn Wind Teahouse got noticed by more people because of the beautiful woman Dong Ci and the tunes she played on the Chinese lute. Some guests who liked music could listen to Ci playing the lute. As for the guests who knew nothing about music theory, they were attracted by the beautiful woman. Li Qiufeng twisted the long hair in the fleshy nevus on his chin and felt delighted.

Ci’s lute was handed down from the older generations of her family. It was made of red sandalwood and had a clear and melodious tone. Ci had a sweet and light voice. The first tune she played was Bidding Farewell to A Departing Friend. There was no need for her to sing because it was an instrumental, so she was twanging the Chinese lute with her fingers while staring blankly ahead.

“Gosh, there’s a lot of noise. I can’t hear the music,” an angry, loud voice came from outside the door.

Stunned, Ci hit the wrong string of the lute. She raised her head and looked around. However, no one noticed her mistake.

A group of people who all looked cold and fierce stood outside the door. The speaker was a man standing in the middle of the group. Everyone in the hall quietened down at once and Ci also stopped playing the lute.

It seemed that the temperatures in the hall dropped suddenly. San, who was pouring tea into a guest’s teacup, froze. Soon the cup on the table was full and the tea was running over and streaming down onto the floor like a small waterfall.

Li Qiufeng subconsciously twisted the long hair on his chin hard and plucked it by accident. He felt a sharp pain in his chin and almost let out a cry of pain but finally he held it back.