Chapter 321 It's not the wind that moves, it's the heart that moves.
Centered around the pavilion in the middle of the lake, the crabapple blossoms are in full bloom all around, and the lake reflects a large expanse of pink, as if both the world above and below the water is filled with flowers.
The beautiful sound of the xiao (a type of vertical bamboo flute) filled her ears; it was the first tune she learned as a child.
A gentle breeze rustled the crabapple blossoms, and the ripples on the lake also stirred the petals.
As Xie Yunjia walked step by step toward the pavilion in the middle of the lake, this was the beautiful scene she saw.
Spring flowers, river, moonlit night—if it were nighttime now, and the moon were reflected on the lake's surface, this place would surely be even more beautiful.
Xie Yunjia tilted her head, gazing absently at the reflection of the crabapple blossoms on the lake, imagining what the place would look like under the moonlight at night.
At the pavilion in the middle of the lake, next to the empty zither, Lu Yixue methodically finished playing the piece.
The sound of the flute filled his ears. He couldn't hear the people talking over there, but he could vaguely see how they were discussing him.
Lu Yixue frowned; he didn't really like this somewhat flamboyant feeling.
Rather than performing his beloved flute for a large audience, he would rather play these tunes for someone he wanted to get closer to.
As he played the second half of the piece, Lu Yixue mentally estimated how long it would take to finish.
Suddenly, he heard footsteps. He looked up and saw a girl walking towards him from the noisy area.
Her face was bright and clear, and her skirt swayed wildly with each step, like the crabapple blossoms blooming unrestrainedly around her.
Her hair was loosely tied up, her gaze lightly swept over his flute, and she walked slowly and lightly towards him.
A crabapple petal, carried by the wind, landed on her shoulder. She brushed it away casually, and Lu Yixue's flute music inexplicably stopped for a moment.
His fingertips trembled slightly, and Lu Yixue's eyelashes fluttered as he immediately continued the syllable.
As the girl approached, Lu Yixue noticed that the already restless crowd seemed to gasp even more.
who is she?
When Xie Yunjia glanced at him a second time, Lu Yixue hurriedly lowered his eyes, trying to focus on the flute in his hands.
Even though that glance was just as casual as before, merely sweeping over him and even ignoring him somewhat, Lu Yixue's heart still pounded like a drum, and he felt an uncontrollable palpitation.
The crabapple blossoms were constantly being gently swayed by the wind.
Actually, it wasn't the wind that moved, it was my heart.
Xie Yunjia lifted her skirt and sat down. She didn't sit where Lin Xin had originally been sitting, but instead chose to sit on the stone bench next to the pavilion in the middle of the lake.
Because she disliked it and didn't want to sit where the peacock had sat.
Xie Yunjia remained calm, as if she were used to performing in public and showed no stage fright. Her slender white fingers casually plucked the strings of the piano, producing a few faint notes.
After listening attentively to Lu Yixue's flute playing for a while, he accurately found the rhythm, and his finger movements became more formal, producing music that complemented the flute's sound.
Compared to Lin Xin's somewhat "showy" demeanor earlier, Xie Yunjia played with obvious relaxation, even to the point of being somewhat casual.
However, Lu Yixue could tell that Xie Yunjia, though seemingly not very serious, was actually quite solemn.
Or rather, she immersed herself in the piece of music.
Lu Yixue's posture unconsciously changed from facing the crowd directly to standing sideways to her, and in this position, he couldn't help but glance at her out of the corner of his eye.
Perhaps it was because the song "Spring River Flower Moon Night" was so beautiful that the young girl sat with her back to the mirror-like lake, head bowed, playing the zither. Her proud face was made even more radiant and charming by the sight of countless crabapple blossoms.
She...is so beautiful.
There are countless beauties in the world, and Lu Yixue prides himself on not judging people by their appearance. But when he sees that face, one sentence involuntarily pops into his mind—
Even if she slapped him, his first reaction would probably be happiness.
As for why he had such thoughts, Lu Yixue himself was not sure.
The second half of the book ends quickly, with the song "Spring River Flower Moon Night" ultimately performed by two people who are meeting for the first time.
As the last syllable disappeared, Lu Yixue subconsciously felt a pang of regret: Why did it end so quickly? If only the piece could have been longer.
As the piece ended, thunderous applause erupted. Sheng Sheng, now a devoted fan, jumped up and shouted at the top of her lungs, "Wow!! Royal sister, royal sister, you're the best! Royal sister, royal sister, you're the most beautiful! Royal sister, you played so beautifully!"
The little dumpling shouted so loudly that Xie Yunjia heard it even from so far away. Amused by her words, she proudly raised her chin at the little dumpling, looking as arrogant as could be.
Xie Yunjia had no intention of speaking to Lu Yixue; she simply came up to play the piano.
Now that the piece was finished, Xie Yunjia lazily got up to go back to her seat, only nodding politely to Lu Yixue as she passed by.
Lu Yixue was stunned, staring at Xie Yunjia's departing figure for a long time. Seeing her long, black hair swaying gently, he lifted his foot to chase after her, his steps somewhat hurried: "Please wait!"
Xie Yunjia stopped, the pride on her face still lingering, and the smile that had just been brought out by the noise still remained on the corner of her mouth.
"Um?"
A syllable popped out of his throat, asking him what was wrong.
Lu Yixue stared at the girl's face, his heart skipped a beat, and the feeling of palpitation made him a little nervous.
Just now, I heard that little dumpling call her "Royal Sister". There are only two princesses in the palace now, so this must be the eldest princess?
Lu Yixue composed himself and chuckled, "Thank you for saving the day, Princess. If I were to play the second half of 'Spring River Flower Moon Night' by myself, it would probably seem a bit lonely."
"Oh, it's nothing." Xie Yunjia didn't intend to say another word to him. She glanced at the excited voices talking to Li Manyan over there and just wanted to go back and join their conversation as soon as possible.
Xie Yunjia's perfunctory attitude was too obvious, and Lu Yixue was a little disappointed, but he did not become dejected because of it. Instead, he quickly adjusted his response to Xie Yunjia's reaction: "The eldest princess's zither playing contained a lot of rich emotions. I am Lu Yixue. If there is an opportunity in the future, I hope to have the honor of communicating with the eldest princess."
"Oh, I know." Xie Yunjia nodded casually. "Xie Yunjia, let's go."
Xie Yunjia returned the courtesy by giving her name and then turned and went back to Sheng Sheng's direction without looking back.
Xie Yunjia...
Lu Yixue silently repeated the name in his mind and smiled.
She said she knew, but what did she know?
Do you know his name, or... do you know him?
Apart from the minor incident in the afternoon and the seemingly calm conversation at the dinner, the spring banquet passed peacefully.
The warm and friendly demeanor of Xie Yunyang and Xie Yunchuan also dispelled, to some extent, those unfounded rumors circulating among the people.
At least, that's how it appears on the surface.
...
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