When Chen Yun agreed, everyone present had different expressions.

Zhang Wenhui couldn't help but ask Shu Lingyue beside her, "Miss Shu, can Mr. Chen play the piano and paint?"

Shu Lingyue said in a low voice, "I don't know if Chen Yun can paint, but I do know that he can play the piano. Even the piano diva, Miss Yuan Zhen, admires him greatly."

Zhang Wenhui and the others were relieved to hear this!

Liang Qianxia overheard Shu Lingyue's conversation with Zhang Wenhui and learned that piano diva Yuan Zhen greatly admired Chen Yun. However, she remained calm and composed, instead, a faint, mocking smile appeared on her lips.

"Chen Yun, since you've agreed to exchange skills in playing the zither and painting with me, how about we start with a zither match? Is that alright?"

She spoke to Chen Yun with a sly look in her eyes.

Chen Yun didn't seem to care and said calmly, "Okay!"

“Okay!” Liang Qianxia turned around and beckoned to her younger brother Liang Jincheng, then whispered some instructions in his ear.

Liang Jincheng's eyes lit up after hearing this, and he said yes before hurriedly leaving.

This left everyone present completely bewildered.

Liang Qianxia explained to Chen Yun with a half-smile, "Wait a moment, I'll have my brother go get the piano and prepare the things needed for painting, he'll be back soon."

Chen Yun said, "Okay!"

Leung Kam-ching left quickly, and returned just as quickly.

He returned not long after.

Two subordinates followed behind, carrying things in their hands.

Liang Jincheng first winked smugly at his sister, then loudly announced, "Qin is here."

As he finished speaking, one of his subordinates placed the large object he was carrying on the stone table in the courtyard, then unwrapped the silk, revealing an antique seven-stringed zither!

Everyone present was stunned by what they saw.

Shu Lingyue blurted out, "Why is it a guqin? Isn't playing the guqin the same as playing the piano?"

Liang Qianxia pouted: "Who told you that playing the qin (a seven-stringed zither) is the same as playing the piano? Isn't playing the guqin (another seven-stringed zither) the same as playing the qin?"

Shu Lingyue said anxiously, "But how many people can play this kind of guqin nowadays? You're clearly setting a trap for Chen Yun!"

With her hands behind her back and her pretty face raised, Liang Qianxia slowly said, "I made it very clear just now. You can choose any of the four arts: qin, qi, shu, hua. Since it is qin, which is the ancient qin of our Chinese nation, how could it be a foreign piano?"

Shu Lingyue was speechless.

Liang Qianxia looked at Chen Yun and said arrogantly, "Chen Yun, if you don't dare to compete with me in playing the guqin, then I can generously give you a chance. You can choose another skill to compete with me again, so that no one will say that I, a weak woman, am bullying a grown man like you!"

Chen Yun smiled and said, "No need, it's better to compare it to the guqin."

Huh?

The people around were stunned.

Liang Qianxia looked at Chen Yun with disbelief, then nodded: "So you can play the guqin? In that case, please go first! Today, we'll have everyone here act as judges and see who has the better guqin skills?"

"Okay," Chen Yun said without any pretense, sitting down on the stone bench and casually plucking the strings of the zither, producing two clear notes—this was a test of the sound.

A true master can be known as a pro the moment they make a move.

Liang Qianxia narrowed her eyes as she saw Chen Yun's skillful and casual movements.

She had already discovered that Chen Yun was a master.

Liang Qianxia, ​​an expert, could see the intricacies, while laymen like Shu Lingyue could only watch the spectacle.

Shu Lingyue felt that Chen Yun's sitting posture was elegant, his demeanor was composed, and his movements were graceful. She couldn't help but be captivated by his beauty and her heart fluttered. She was also increasingly looking forward to seeing how well Chen Yun played the guqin.

At this moment, Chen Yun closed his eyes, seemingly gathering his emotions, or perhaps recalling the past.

For a very long time, Chen Yun did not make any move.

Just as Liang Qianxia was seriously doubting whether Chen Yun had fallen asleep.

Chen Yun finally made a move.

Chen Yun, with his narrow phoenix eyes half-open, sat on a stone bench and gently began to play the guqin on the stone table.

clank……

The music was melodious and pleasant, relaxing and gentle.

Liang Qianxia was slightly taken aback. She had never heard this piece before, so it must have been composed by Chen Yun himself.

Moreover, the music is gentle, like a love song, and you can feel a young couple in love just by listening to it.

Liang Qianxia secretly commented: It has some merit, but this kind of sentimental and sweet talk is just a tired old tune.

The next second, the music became even more enthusiastic, with a hint of celebration.

Liang Qianxia sensed a subtle change in the melody and thought to herself: This is the young couple in love getting married and entering their bridal chamber.

Suddenly, the music changed again, becoming desolate.

Liang Qianxia was slightly surprised and thought to herself: The zither music was desolate and carried the bitterness of parting. Was this a man who had just gotten married going to the army to go to the battlefield?

The music grew increasingly desolate, yet also subtly acquired a grand and majestic quality.

Liang Qianxia's expression changed again. While feeling the melody, she thought to herself: The men and other new recruits have left their hometowns and embarked on their journey to the desolate frontier. This desolate scene carries a magnificent atmosphere... This is the northern frontier!

The music began to become increasingly decisive and murderous.

Liang Qianxia was completely immersed in the music. She seemed to see the young man arriving at the military camp and training hard every day...

Suddenly, without warning, the sound of the piano became shrill.

Liang Qianxia clenched her fists instinctively, her eyes revealing shock.

She seemed to see the enemy, a dense swarm of enemies, launching an attack on the northern border without warning.

However, the music soon became steady and powerful.

Liang Qianxia's face lit up with joy. Through the music, she saw the young man grab his weapon and, along with his comrades, stride quickly toward the battlefield...

The music grew increasingly urgent, chaotic, and shrill.

To Liang Qianxia's ears, it sounded like the sounds of swords clashing, fighting, roars, and screams on a battlefield...

The battle was incredibly fierce and brutal.

Corpses were everywhere, and blood was everywhere!

Liang Qianxia was completely absorbed in the music; she could no longer see the real scene before her and was completely immersed in the illusion.

She felt as if she were standing on the battlefield, watching the two armies fight.

She was extremely anxious, desperately looking around and searching, trying to find the young man's figure.

But there was fighting and corpses everywhere.

She couldn't find him; she couldn't find the young man anywhere.

Just as she was frantically searching.

Suddenly, with a sharp crack, Chen Yun broke a string while playing the most intense and powerful part of the instrument!

The moment the string snapped.

Liang Qianxia finally found the young man on the battlefield. He had been beheaded by an enemy soldier with a single slash, and the headless corpse collapsed with a thud!

He's dead!

The young man who went to war right after getting married died.

Liang Qianxia was suddenly overcome with intense grief, and she was so sad that she could not control herself.

at this time.

Chen Yun's movements as he played the zither had slowed down, and he gently plucked the zither with only six strings remaining.

The battle seemed to have ended.

The northern garrison eventually defeated the enemy and held the border, but at a heavy cost.

The bodies of my comrades piled up along the riverbank, turning the river water a deep, blood-red color.

Chen Yun's zither music grew softer and softer, like a peaceful night in Jiangnan, or even more like the gentle breathing of a sleeping woman in the boudoir of a Jiangnan family...

The music ended.

The crowd remained motionless for a long time.

a long time.

Liang Chenglong came to his senses, his old face full of sorrow, and slowly said, "Pitiful bones by the Yongding River."

Liang Qianxia raised her hand to wipe away the tears from the corner of her eyes and said softly, "She is still the one I dream of in my spring boudoir."