Chapter 30
Yu Shi sincerely invited, "I want everyone here to hear the music of this zither."
The guests who had formed a circle around him cast surprised glances.
They were quite puzzled as to why the young master of the Yu family would so casually hand over such a precious antique zither to someone to play on the spot.
Listen to the music of this famous zither.
I dare not think about it, I dare not think about it.
Such valuable things should be properly hidden away, allowing people to admire them from afar but not touch them.
Li Chi'an's thoughts were no different from those of the guests around him, but he might never have the chance to play such a beautiful instrument again in his life, except for today.
She hesitated for a moment, but soon the desire in her heart to play 'Pine Breeze' overwhelmed everything else.
"If it won't interfere with 'Matsukaze' being photographed and won't disturb everyone..."
"Of course not!" Yu Shi immediately signaled to the staff to prepare, "It is our honor to hear the performance of the disciple of the guqin master."
Li Chi'an walked towards the guqin under the watchful eyes of everyone.
She gently stroked the instrument, her movements as tender as caressing a lover's face, then gracefully sat down and adjusted her posture.
The Cloud Pavilion gradually quieted down.
Li Chian took a deep breath and gently plucked the strings.
When the first note sounded, it was as if a gentle breeze was blowing through everyone's heart.
She played "The Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove".
The moment the zither music began, everyone felt as if a celestial melody had drifted from ancient times.
The music of this piece is profound and evocative, making the listener feel as if they are amidst rolling mountains, with gentle breezes and bamboo forests, bringing a sense of tranquility and joy.
Li Chi'an's zither music is clear, melodious, elegant, and lingering.
When she plays the piano, she is completely immersed in the music, her eyes revealing a focused and captivated expression.
Her fingers danced nimbly on the strings, each note perfectly placed, as if the ancient zither, silent for many years, had finally found its soulmate.
A sudden surge of emotion welled up within him.
He stood not far away, his gaze fixed on Li Chian.
While listening attentively, I unconsciously took out my phone and quietly recorded this touching scene. In the video, Li Chi'an's lowered eyelashes cast a soft shadow under the light, her expression was calm and elegant, her features relaxed, as if she were completely immersed in the music she was playing.
All the guests present held their breath in awe. Even Mrs. Yu, who was usually in charge of the entire event and inevitably had a serious expression, couldn't help but show a calm and appreciative look.
As the last note faded into the distance, Li Chi'an's fingers gently left the strings. The club was silent for a few seconds before erupting into enthusiastic applause.
"It sounds so good!" Gao Yinxi was the first to rush forward and excitedly hug her friend. "Baby, what are you playing? It sounds so good!"
Gao Yinxi has only studied piano and doesn't know much about the guqin.
The Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove.
"Ah, it's the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove from the Wei and Jin Dynasties!"
Li Chi'an smiled slightly, stood up a little embarrassed, and faced Yu Shi, "I'm sorry for making a fool of myself. I haven't practiced in a long time, so I've become quite rusty."
“Miss Li is too modest.” Mrs. Yu walked over, a smile on her elegant face. “This is absolutely the most moving piano music I have heard in recent years. Yinxi, your friend is truly talented.”
She was wearing an expensive dark green dress, which made her look noble and elegant.
Gao Yinxi nodded proudly to Mrs. Yu, "Chairman Yu, our Chi'an is not only good at playing the piano, but also excellent at painting."
As for writing, a skill that everyone knows, there's no need to mention it specifically.
"Is that so? Miss Li is truly talented and beautiful." Mrs. Yu gave her son a meaningful look, then said to Li Chi'an, "I hope to hear your piano playing often in the future."
Li Chi'an responded politely, "I am deeply honored by your kindness."
The crowd gradually dispersed, each continuing to admire other artworks.
Yu Shi stayed by Li Chi'an's side, saying, "Miss Li's skill in playing the guqin is truly admirable. I wonder if she also has any knowledge of other art forms?"
"I know a little bit," Li Chi'an smiled. "I studied art history in college."
Yu Shi's eyes lit up. "Could you please take a look at that painting, 'Autumn Mountains'? I'd like to hear your unique perspective."
Since Li Chi'an is here today, we will definitely see his most precious collection, "Autumn Mountains," tonight.
Now that Yu Shi, a collector, has extended an invitation, there is absolutely no reason to refuse.
The two then walked side by side to the other side of the exhibition hall.
Watching their retreating figures, Gao Yinxi said to Yuan Ergeng with satisfaction, "It seems they have a chance."
Yuan Er put his arm around Gao Yinxi's waist. "You've done a good job as a matchmaker. But..." he lowered his voice, "I also have a surprise for you."
Gao Yinxi looked at him curiously, while Yuan Er smiled mysteriously and pulled her toward the auction area.
At the same time, Li Chian and Yu Shi stood in front of the "Autumn Mountain Painting" and examined it carefully.
This is a landscape painting from the Song Dynasty, characterized by its delicate brushwork and profound artistic conception.
“Look at the brushstrokes here…” Li Chi’an pointed to a corner of the painting and unconsciously moved closer to Yu Shi.
She suddenly stopped talking because she realized that she was so close to Yu Shi that she could smell the faint sandalwood scent on him.
The vast majority of families in Guangdong Province that run businesses have their own beliefs.
Upon smelling that familiar and comforting scent, Li Chi'an couldn't help but ask, "Do you have a Buddhist altar at home?"
“It’s a Buddhist offering.” Yu Shi raised his hand and gently touched his neck. He smelled the sandalwood scent on the tip of his nose and realized that the other person must have smelled the sandalwood essential oil on him and misunderstood. However, he did not intend to explain.
Whether it's a misunderstanding or not, the difference is actually not that big.
"Me too." Li Chi'an felt a greater sense of closeness to those who shared his beliefs. "Are you one?"
Yu Shi chuckled and said, "My mother took me to convert to Christianity when I was very young."
Li Chi'an couldn't help but smile, "My son has also converted to Buddhism."
"Oh!" Yu Shi exclaimed in surprise, "Then we are all senior brothers now."
The two chatted about their faith for a while longer before walking up to the "Autumn Mountains" painting.
Li Chi'an took a small half-step back, just in time to see Yu Shi's focused expression, which showed no sign of frivolity, before continuing his explanation.
Yu listened attentively and occasionally asked professional questions.
Their conversations deepened, ranging from calligraphy and painting to porcelain and classical literature, and they discovered they had many common topics.
“Miss Li’s insights are unique,” Yu Shi said sincerely. “You must really love art.”
If you don't like it, you can't possibly choose art as an elective, and you can't possibly expand your knowledge of art history so much through self-study.
"Yes, I like it very much." Li Chi'an said modestly with a smile, "Young Master Yu, you flatter me. I was just expressing my feelings."
“Just call me Yu Shi,” he said gently. “We’re friends now, aren’t we?”
Li Chi'an used to call him Yu Shi, although he understood why she now called him "Young Master Yu".
Just as Li Chi'an was about to respond, a commotion arose from the auction area.
The auction had begun, and guests began to gather around.
"Shall we go take a look?" Yu Shi asked.
Li Chi'an shook his head, "I'm not interested in auctions. My financial resources are limited, so I'll just watch."
Yu Shi glanced at her thoughtfully and lowered his voice, saying, "Even if you don't bid, you can still take a look. The items up for auction are all of good artistic value."
Li Chi'an was persuaded by him and went into the auction hall with him.
They sat down in an inconspicuous corner, although with their good looks, they couldn't possibly keep a low profile, not to mention that they were the young masters of "Cloud Pavilion" at the time.
At the auction, Gao Yinxi bought a modern oil painting for a high price, saying, "This painting will be hung in our lobby."
“Okay.” Yuan Ergeng was in charge of quoting prices from the side.
Then, Yuan Ergeng participated in several more rounds of bidding.
"You've already bought the painting, what else do you want to buy?" Gao Yinxi looked at Yuan Ergeng in surprise.
"You'll find out soon enough," Yuan Er said with a mysterious smile.
Soon, Gao Yinxi found out why Yuan Ergeng had participated in the bidding, because he eventually won a pink diamond ring at an astonishing price.
Gao Yinxi's heart skipped a beat, but she only glanced at Yuan Ergeng a few times.
Yuan Ergeng offered no explanation throughout the entire process.
Li Chian sat at the back of the crowd, his gaze drawn to a small ink painting.
The painting depicts a poet drinking alone under the moon; the brushstrokes are concise yet convey a profound meaning.
She stood there admiring it for a long time, her eyes showing her delight, but when she saw the starting price, her expression turned calm.
She didn't notice that Yu Shi was sitting next to her, taking in everything.
As the auction drew to a close, Yuan Ergeng pulled Gao Yinxi to a relatively quiet corner.
He took out the pink diamond ring he had just bought from his pocket, knelt down on one knee, and said, "Yinxi, I..."
At this crucial moment, his phone suddenly rang.
Yuan Er frowned, wanting to ignore it, but when he saw that the caller ID showed it was his son, he had no choice but to answer.
"Dad, I have a nosebleed." As soon as the call connected, his son Yuan Lang cried loudly on the other end, "It's bleeding so much, I can't stop it."
"What? You have a nosebleed?" His expression immediately became tense. "Honey, don't cry. Let your mom stop the bleeding. I'll be right back."
After hanging up the phone, Yuan Er looked at Gao Yinxi awkwardly, "Langlang has a nosebleed, and he says he can't stop it no matter what he does."
Gao Yinxi immediately said, "You should go back quickly, and drive carefully on the road."
She glanced at the ring box in her boyfriend's hand. "This... can wait until next time."
Yuan Er, even more annoyed, shoved the ring box into her hand, saying, "Take it for now, I'll take it when I get back... you know that."
Gao Yinxi smiled and accepted the ring. "Go quickly, the child is more important."
As Yuan Ergeng's tall figure disappeared around the corner, Gao Yinxi couldn't help but sigh softly again.
She opened the box in her hand, looked at the sparkling pink diamonds inside, and remained silent for a long while.
On the other side, Li Chian was alone on the terrace getting some fresh air.
Her long hair was half-up, the night breeze ruffling her strands, a white jade hairpin tucked diagonally into her hair, making her look like a lady who had stepped out of an ancient painting, cool yet gentle.
"So you were here." Yu Shi's voice came from behind. "Was it too stuffy in there?"
Li Chi'an turned around and smiled, "A little, your collection is so wonderful, I'm a bit overwhelmed."
Yu Shi walked over to her and handed her a glass of champagne, saying, "To your wonderful performance, I hope to hear your music often in the future."
"Sorry, I've given up drinking," Li Chi'an said with a smile.
"Oh?" Yu Shi raised an eyebrow slightly. "Wait a moment."
He took the champagne, turned around, and went inside.
Just then, several socialites walked over.
One of the young women, dressed in a haute couture dress, lowered her voice, her eyes filled with curiosity and a hint of barely perceptible admiration, "Li Chi'an? It really is you! I'm a fan of your books!"
Soon, Li Chian was surrounded by a group of women.
They not only knew she was a writer, but also her famous "revenge on her ex-husband" incident.
"You're so cool!" a heiress exclaimed excitedly. "Not only did you immediately divorce him after discovering his infidelity, but you also exposed all the evidence against him. It's absolutely gratifying!"
"Absolutely! The evidence was conclusive, and they left the other party penniless and disgraced without any room for maneuver! It was so satisfying!" Another girl's voice was full of admiration.
Li Chi'an smiled gently, "I just did what I should do."
“But you are really brave,” another woman said. “You were intelligent and quick-witted the whole time, and you really made us women proud.”
They admired her talent, and even more so, they admired the ruthless methods and the courage to fight to the death she displayed in dealing with that betrayal.
In their eyes, this is not cruelty, but rather the sharpness and self-love that modern women should have.
"Ms. Li, I love your book so much! Can I add you on WeChat?"
"You look absolutely stunning tonight, like you stepped right out of an ancient painting!"
"Regarding that matter...we all support you privately!"
They all knew what kind of family the Lin family was.
Because of Li Chi'an's recent internet fame, his family background has been thoroughly investigated by netizens.
It can be said that she single-handedly confronted the Lin family and the complex chain of interests behind them, which required not only courage but also wisdom.
Most importantly, she won!
And they won quite beautifully!
Li Chi'an was somewhat surprised by the praise from these young ladies, but she quickly responded to their sincere kindness with grace and poise, a genuine smile finally blooming on her lips, like a gentle breeze caressing the bright moon.
Not far away, several well-dressed young men were also whispering among themselves, their eyes lingering on Li Chi'an, admiring her appearance and demeanor, but the topic quickly shifted to her "illustrious" past.
"That's her, the woman who ruined her ex-husband's future."
"She's really beautiful, but she's so cruel..."
"I heard that her ex-husband is still abroad and doesn't dare to come back, and his investments are also being resisted."
"No matter how beautiful a woman is, you wouldn't dare to mess with her..."
"Too aggressive, and the methods are too ruthless. Women should be more gentle."
Those hushed discussions, carrying an instinctive sense of apprehension and a male-centric perspective, acted like an invisible barrier, quietly separating two worlds.
These whispers reached Yu Shi's ears faintly.
He frowned, about to step forward to stop him.
But then he saw Li Chi'an happily walking towards him with that group of elegant and intelligent ladies.
"It seems my 'glorious deeds' are known to everyone now," she said self-deprecatingly, but her face was still beaming with smiles.
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