Chapter 10: Stop. Their eyes met for a moment, then moved away.
Their eyes met for a moment and then moved away.
The two people who avoided each other's gaze had their own thoughts, but there was no flaw on their faces.
Ji Yunchan walked to a position two steps away from Yan Heng, dropped her qin and sat down.
She lowered her eyes and played the piano, concentrating her thoughts as the soft music slipped out from her fingertips.
The dancer moved to the music of the piano, her waist swaying gracefully and her clothes fluttering like willow branches swaying in the wind.
Du Ruo put down his chopsticks, propped up his chin to admire, and said casually: "The dancers in the prefecture are supposed to dance lightly, better than the best restaurants in the city."
Du Ning paused when he heard that, stopped picking up vegetables and glared at her: "Be careful what you say and do."
"Humph." Du Ruo retorted softly, "I'm not telling you this."
The dance music was at its most intense part when a wave of piano music rose up like a tide. The words were drowned out by the sound of the piano and did not reach Du Ning's ears.
Although Du Ruo was not in tune, she was at least a daughter of an official family. She was knowledgeable about music and had learned to play the zither. When she heard the sound, she couldn't help but look up and look at the person playing the zither.
The musician stood with her back straight, singing slowly and steadily, with a clear expression on her face. The flying music was like splashing snow and falling flowers, echoing with every turn of the dancer's waist and step of the ground.
Du Ruo was secretly envious of his superb skills.
Looking at her elegant and graceful aura, it was hard to forget her once you saw her. Du Ruo couldn't help but wonder, when did the prefectural government have such a musician?
Is she really a dancer? Not some girl?
She loved playing with beautiful people the most in her life, but with such an identity... Du Ning suddenly felt a sense of regret.
I then thought of my beloved Prince Wang, who was also a handsome man.
She wanted to turn around and look, but then she remembered what her sister-in-law said: when looking at your loved one, you should not look at him with a fiery and direct gaze, as it will scare him away.
Du Ning moved lightly and raised his eyes subtly, but saw that Wang Kangan was also staring at Le Ji without blinking.
That look was even more explicit than when she looked at handsome men.
The shy smile fell. Du Ning had never thought that Prince Wang was a gentleman, and he had never seen him like this before. He couldn't help feeling disappointed.
…
As Yan Heng said, Wang Kangan has also reached the age to get married.
Du Tongzhi's younger sister had already reached marriageable age. Although the official rank was lower, the Du family was exiled here, and many of their relatives served as officials in Qingzhou.
In addition, this girl is not a smart person and is easy to please. Winning her heart will naturally be of great benefit to your future.
This invitation also serves this purpose.
Ji Yunchan was really too attractive, and she was wearing such ethereal clothes. Wang Kangan had been to Shuozhou amidst thousands of flowers, but he had never seen such misty clothes. He was stunned for a moment.
He completely forgot about Du Ruo and even forgot that he had asked Ji Yunchan to appear here to test the general.
…
Yan Heng's gaze fell on Ji Yunchan, his face expressionless.
He has fallen to the point of performing, but his outstanding appearance has not changed at all. How much more suffering does he have to endure before he learns his lesson?
What the hell is that thing?
The licentious music that was meant to impress the sophisticated was something that even those imitators in the capital in the past would not bother to touch.
Acting like a nouveau riche.
All her former fans who used to rush to support her would be shocked when they heard this.
Yan Heng felt it was dazzling.
He raised his eyes and glanced around calmly, only to see that many people present were staring at her motionlessly.
This is especially true for the prefect's son.
…
Yan Heng knew very well that his expressionless face made people stay away and he was not easy to mess with. He rubbed the wine cup twice and was about to teach this man a lesson, but suddenly stopped.
The wine could not bear the sudden stop and spilled out.
The drops of wine reflected the thousands of dancing lights, twisting together with the dancer's spinning afterimage. It seemed so familiar from another world, which made Yan Heng feel annoyed.
He stared at Ji Yunchan's snow-white face for a moment, then drank the wine cup in his hand.
He was used to scanning the crowd, and if he saw a kid with a strange look in his eyes, he would pull him out and teach him a lesson to serve as a warning to others... That was his old habit.
This is Ji Yunchan’s habit every time she shines in front of everyone.
So that those individuals will not worry about their own people.
My own people...
Yan Heng laughed at himself.
He thought he had adapted to it long ago.
I have long been accustomed to her fickleness. After feeling disheartened, I should forget about it instead of reviving it and looking at her favor for the little bit of charity she gave me.
What about her fans?
Having fallen to such a state, have they all become a waste?
There is always noise around Ji Yunchan.
In the past, people were seeking praise for a smile, but now it is just covetousness.
So pitiful.
Or should we say it's his own fault?
He picked up the chopsticks and put them down again. The roasted quail on the table reminded him of the sparrow with its head tilted outside the study.
When he was young, he raised her to please Ji Yunchan, Yan Heng thought inadvertently.
"General Yan."
Du Ruo walked up to Yan Heng.
She was depressed because of Wang Kangan's absent-mindedness, and she had a different impulse. Since he was looking at a beautiful girl, it would not prevent her from appreciating a handsome man.
So on impulse, he went to Yan Heng.
However, Du Ruo did not expect that the general would be so intimidating that he almost felt timid.
Yan Heng's mind was still on the sparrow, thinking about that palm-sized creature, but with a hot temper. He would not willingly be raised until its wings were clipped and it could no longer fly.
He wanted to avoid it, but he felt there was no need.
It was hard to say what was on his mind. Yan Heng put away the sharpness in his brows and smiled at Du Ruo: "Du Tongzhi's sister?"
This smile was like a gentle spring breeze, which made Du Ruo stunned for a moment. His original mood of backing out disappeared, and he even felt that the general was kind.
She couldn't help but relax: "General, do you recognize me?"
“They look a bit alike.”
Yan Heng said casually, glancing at Ji Yunchan from the corner of his eyes, and saw that she was still acting like a qualified musician like a wooden man, not looking in his direction from beginning to end.
What happened to the sparrow later?
It was as if its wings had grown longer and it flew away without any regrets.
"...The general is wise, not only a skilled warrior, but also exceptionally handsome."
Yan Heng's mind was not on this. The girl in front of him was talking a lot, and he only heard the last sentence.
He didn't expect it to be so straightforward. He was a little surprised. This girl's mind was not even one ten-thousandth of her brother's.
Yan Heng didn't feel offended and raised his eyebrows slightly: "Thank you."
Seeing that Yan Heng didn't react much, Du Ruo just thought that he was praised too much.
But she was already satisfied, "Then I won't bother you anymore."
Du Ruo toasted Yan Heng and said goodbye.
Yan Heng's dark pupils fell on Ji Yunchan's drooping eyelashes again, trying to find some traces of regret in her eyes that were unwilling to confront him through the slender shadow.
But no.
Things are different now, but she still doesn't love him.
Yan Heng nodded in despair and drank the wine in his cup.
…
On the other side, Ji Yunchan gently flicked and rubbed her fingers, and the swelling of the chilblains on her ten fingers subsided, so she could move them without any sluggishness.
He risked his own future and included Yan Heng in the scheme, just like before, but what crime had he committed?
The gaze falling on her seemed to be real, pressing on her shoulders inch by inch.
But what are you exploring?
Why did she give him the kneepad? What was her plan? And why was she here?
No matter which one, she couldn't answer, nor did she dare to answer.
Ji Yunchan lowered her eyes and didn't look at him.
In short, everything is owed to him, and Ji Yunchan only hopes that this is the last time.
She played the piano skillfully without missing a single note.
Feeling that her sight had disappeared, she couldn't help but glance over secretly out of the corner of her eye.
A girl who looked like a daughter of an official family boldly toasted Yan Heng.
The two of them were talking and laughing.
Ji Yunchan felt a sharp pain in her heart, followed by a feeling of emptiness and falling.
The melodies of both vulgar and elegant styles flowed out from her fingertips, as grand and lively as the peaceful sea and clear river. However, Ji Yunchan felt lonely and had never felt so strongly that Yan Heng no longer belonged to her.
He had a childhood marriage that he could not bear to look back on. He would marry a lady from a noble family, perhaps like the one just now.
It is natural for two people to respect each other and live together.
And she is that period that is too painful to look back on, a toy put on the stage by the audience.
The hand that plucked the harp tried its best to control itself without letting any trace of mistake slip.
Ji Yunchan took a barely audible breath to suppress the dull pain in her heart.
The last time.
She said to herself.
When the prefect became tired of her and their lives became peaceful, she would never appear before him again.
So, Ah Heng, please be patient for a while.
Her drooping eyelashes trembled slightly as Ji Yunchan concealed the emotions in her heart.
It will be fine in a moment.
…
No matter how much emotion was surging in their hearts, their expressions remained calm.
Wang Yuan, who was sitting at the top, was upset about Yan Heng asking for money and felt dissatisfied with his son who always knew how to handle current affairs.
He also saw that he was completely distracted and was staring at the tough beauty he liked, without doing any serious work.
The daughter-in-law he liked did not hang out with his son, but instead went to worship the evil god. She must have seen his son's reaction.
He couldn't help but look at Ji Yunchan sinisterly.
She is indeed stunningly beautiful, worthy of the word "disaster".
Wang Yuan snorted in contempt in his heart. The thing that should have been lying under him and enjoying his pleasure was interrupted by the evil spirit.
Wang Yuan secretly observed for quite a while, but he saw that the evil spirit still looked uninterested and indifferent to the beauty. Instead, the girl from the Du family bravely went over to toast him, which made him smile.
He put down his chopsticks and the more he thought about it, the more he felt something was wrong.
If it was the one you loved, no matter how heartless you were, you wouldn't be in such a situation and not lend a hand.
A mere musician is a member of the lowest class, even lower than a slave.
It's just that we haven't known each other long enough, so I can't figure out this evil spirit's temperament, and I can't tell whether he is enduring or not.
At a proper banquet, with female members of the family, you can't ask Le Ji to toast and allow others to molest her, otherwise you can try it.
Wang Yuan felt a little sorry and waved to the manager beside him.
"Send someone to the capital to find out what the relationship between these two people was in the past."
The manager responded and was about to leave.
"etc."
Wang Yuan called a halt, his yellow eyes fell on Ji Yunchan again, and he whispered a few words to the manager.
After giving the instructions, I felt a little better.
So much so that he tried much harder to please Yan Heng.
…
After three rounds of drinks, the singing and dancing ended.
Ji Yunchan followed the dancers as they retreated, walked through the corridor, and was about to enter the courtyard where the dancers were resting.
A man suddenly stood in the corridor and said in a deep voice, "Stop."
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