Chapter 89 Playing the pipa, gently plucking and slowly strumming, water splashes from the silver screen. ...
During the banquet, everyone toasted each other, drank and sang, creating a joyful atmosphere.
Su Jinxiu was rendered speechless, unable to utter a thousand words, and could only nod and smile occasionally, following the atmosphere of the banquet.
Seeing that she was taciturn, others assumed that she had just had a quarrel with Wen Shiqin and harbored resentment, so they all tacitly kept quiet to avoid saying anything that might offend him and make things awkward.
But Helan Que tasted the Bo Xia Gong, finding it tender, fresh, and flavorful. He ate with great interest and looked up at Su Jinxiu, asking, "Sister-in-law, your Bo Xia Gong is absolutely amazing! What's the secret recipe? How can it be so delicious?"
Upon hearing this, Su Jinxiu's heart pounded with anxiety. She clearly knew what to do, but she couldn't utter a single word. She could only force a smile and nod repeatedly.
All eyes were on her for a moment. She tried her best to maintain a proper smile, but her inability to speak made her look charmingly embarrassed.
Seeing this, Helan Que immediately found a way to save face, laughing heartily: "Look at my memory! I suppose this is my sister-in-law's unique skill, and it should be kept secret. After all, it's something Siyuan loves to eat, so naturally I won't pass it on to outsiders!"
Everyone laughed upon hearing this, and Su Jinxiu could only nod in agreement, though a hint of helplessness flashed in her eyes.
As the laughter subsided, Su Jinxiu quietly turned her head and bumped into Wen Shiqin, who was propping his chin up with his hand, a mysterious light in his eyes that seemed to be both smiling and not smiling, as he looked at her.
She was both angry and anxious, and raised her hand to pinch his thigh hard, but he was strong and his knuckles hurt instead.
Su Jinxiu glared at him, her lips moving silently as she clearly mouthed, "Untie me now!"
Wen Shiqin ignored her, letting her pinch his thigh with her fingertips, and calmly discussed the past and present with everyone, talking about the old battles in Liaodong and the elegant anecdotes of enjoying poetry and wine in one's youth, with a composed expression.
During the meal, Lan Shexiang tried to strike up a conversation with Su Jinxiu several times, asking about the exquisite scenery of the newly built embroidery building in the Marquis's mansion. She could only smile and nod, her eyes revealing an undisguised embarrassment.
Lan Shexiang frowned slightly at her silence, seemingly a little suspicious, but she assumed she was still angry and didn't ask any more questions to avoid offending her.
Suddenly, hurried footsteps were heard outside the hall, and a young maid from Wei Rui Courtyard rushed in, stammering, "My lord! The Holy...the Holy Maiden...she suddenly felt nauseous and vomited quite badly!"
Wen Shiqin originally wanted to coldly rebuke, "What does this have to do with me? Get out!" But out of the corner of his eye, he saw Su Jinxiu still pretending to be friendly with others. Her expression of having something to say but being forced to remain calm made him inexplicably angry.
He suddenly stood up, dragging the ebony stool beneath him with a screeching sound. The laughter and chatter at the banquet abruptly ceased, and everyone stared at him in astonishment.
Wen Shiqin glanced at Su Jinxiu, whose face was slightly stiff, and said lightly, "I'm going to check on my concubine. I don't want to let someone's painstaking arrangements go to waste."
Su Jinxiu was startled and subconsciously reached out to grab his sleeve, but Wen Shiqin turned around very quickly and strode out the door in a flurry of his clothes.
She wasn't worried that he would really fall for Lou Jiaye, and she knew he was just acting out of spite. But with him leaving, someone from the banquet had to see him off, and she was mute, unable to utter a single word, making her situation truly awkward.
Su Jinxiu immediately stood up, gave everyone an apologetic smile, and turned to chase after them.
Sure enough, she hadn't gone more than two steps when she saw Wen Shiqin leaning against the vermilion wall under the corridor with his arms crossed, his posture slanted. When he saw her come out, he only glanced at her coldly.
Su Jinxiu stepped forward quickly, but her aphonia was still unresolved, and she couldn't utter a single word of advice. She could only frown and mouth the words, "Stop fooling around, see the guests off first."
Wen Shiqin was still holding back his anger, but when he saw Su Jinxiu hurriedly chasing after him, her eyes still showing undisguised concern, his anger subsided considerably. He also composed himself, silently cooperating with her as they returned to the hall. After finishing the remaining banquet, they escorted everyone to the gate of the mansion together.
Before getting into the carriage, Lan Shexiang turned around and asked with a smile, "Qiao Niang, when should we meet to admire the flowers next time?"
Upon hearing this, Su Jinxiu quickly tugged at Wen Shiqin's index finger, her eyes urgently signaling him to explain. However, Wen Shiqin turned his head away from her gaze, showing no intention of relenting.
Left with no other choice, she raised her hand and flicked her fingers to make the number "three," indicating that it would be the third day of next month.
Lan Shexiang looked bewildered, but Ye Jiuzhao already understood. He smiled, put his wife in the carriage, whispered a few words of explanation in her ear, and then the group drove away in a cloud of dust.
On the way back to her dormitory, Su Jinxiu was seething with anger and didn't stop for a moment. Sometimes she would raise her hand to punch him, sometimes she would pull him hard, and her lips would open and close incessantly, silently cursing him for being childish, domineering, and unreasonable.
Wen Shiqin let her do whatever she wanted, neither dodging nor flinching, and didn't utter a single word of response, only looking down at her sullen appearance.
He didn't return to the main hall, but went straight to the embroidery room specially prepared for Su Jinxiu. The layout of this room was exactly the same as that of Huayun Pavilion. On the first floor, there were several paulownia wood clothes racks, and on the tables and vermilion lacquered shelves, rare embroidery threads from all over the world were displayed. There were southern brocade threads and Sichuan brocade threads, as well as exotic Persian velvet threads and Indian gold threads, a dazzling array.
The second floor exudes an even more refined and elegant atmosphere, with light gauze curtains flowing like rosy clouds, and silks and satins piled high like snow and clouds. Needles, threads, scissors, and all sorts of other exquisite items are readily available, each one reflecting a sense of meticulous care.
Climbing the stairs to the third floor, a completely different scene unfolded. To prevent her from getting tired from working, the room was furnished exquisitely and comfortably, with light silk curtains hanging down and soft couches laid out. In the innermost part, there was a small moon-shaped bed, and on the table beside the couch, fresh fruits and pre-rain tea were prepared.
Although Su Jinxiu did not understand his deeper meaning, looking at the perfectly arranged scenery, her anger had subsided considerably.
Seeing that Shi Qin was pulling her towards the moon-shaped bed, Su Jinxiu quickly grabbed his sleeve, her lips moving urgently as she mouthed, "Untie me! I'll explain the reason to you."
Wen Shiqin stopped, turned around and looked down at her, his expression unreadable.
Su Jinxiu couldn't figure out his thoughts, only knowing that he was still angry. So she tilted her head back, wrapped her arms around his neck, her eyes welling up with tears, and looked at him with feigned grievance.
What followed was the expected deep kiss.
Wen Shiqin suddenly wrapped his arms around her waist, lowered his head and captured her lips in a passionate, chaotic kiss. Su Jinxiu was forced to her feet by his force, retreating repeatedly, while his fiery lips and tongue kept her leaning back, her hands tightly gripping his clothes, yet she tried her best to respond.
Su Jinxiu gasped in surprise as her calves suddenly pressed against the edge of the bed, and he pressed her down onto the bed.
Wen Shiqin knelt on one knee on the bed, pressing her wrist against his head with one hand while still holding her waist with the other, kissing her more urgently and intensely.
Su Jinxiu was kissed until her whole body went limp, and only soft sobs escaped from her lips. When she felt dizzy and almost suffocated, he pulled away a little, but their noses were still touching, their breaths mingling, so close that they could smell each other's breaths.
Su Jinxiu opened her mouth, but still couldn't make a sound. She could only open her wet eyes and look at him earnestly, trying to squeeze out a soft "ah" sound from her throat, clumsy and anxious like a child who hadn't learned to speak, begging him to release her from her speech impediment.
The person standing very close to him chuckled softly.
Wen Shiqin then leaned down, his warm breath carrying a teasing whisper: "Such a babbling sound, it's quite unique." He paused, then deliberately made things difficult, "I won't solve it tonight."
Su Jinxiu couldn't utter a complete sentence and could only shake her head in vain. But then she saw Wen Shiqin take out a bundle of plain-colored satin ribbon that she usually used for embroidery from somewhere and bend down to cover her eyes.
The ribbon was tied in a loose knot at the back of her head, instantly blocking out the candlelight and leaving only a dark, hazy space. She subconsciously raised her hand to untie it, but he grabbed her wrist and gently pinched her palm with his fingertips, with a hint of punishment in his expression.
Wen Shiqin's voice was close to her ear: "Sister is really naughty. You'd better behave now, or I'll feel sorry for you later."
Seeing that Su Jinxiu was still shaking her head even with her eyes covered, he paused, and his voice was filled with lingering anger: "You really made me angry today. Forget about all the reasons for polite dealings, just kick her out. Why make yourself suffer like this? Even if..." He didn't finish his sentence, but it was filled with a heavy stubbornness.
Su Jinxiu also felt wronged. She originally wanted to discuss this matter with him, but she never expected it to turn out like this.
She struggled to untie the ribbon over her eyes, but he held her wrist even tighter.
Seeing that she was still struggling, Wen Shiqin's eyes darkened, and he pulled a ribbon of the same color from the bedside and neatly tied her hands together as well, his movements forceful.
He then sat up, straddling her waist, looking down at the person beneath him with a dark, brooding light in his eyes, as if admiring his masterpiece.
Su Jinxiu's hands were bound tightly with ribbons around her wrists, her eyes were blindfolded, and she couldn't speak. She felt confined and restricted. The deliberate restriction of her senses amplified every movement, making her increasingly panicked. She subconsciously reached up, wanting to touch him and find a sense of security.
As she got up and groped around haphazardly, she happened to touch something solid. She tried to grab it for support to sit up, but before she could steady herself, she heard a low, hoarse groan escape his throat, carrying a suppressed burning heat.
"Sister, why are you in such a hurry?"
Wen Shiqin immediately reached out to help her up and then led her to stand by the bed.
Su Jinxiu's fair wrists were still bound by ribbons, and all she could see was darkness. She could only feel his voice close to her ear.
"Want to untie it?"
Su Jinxiu nodded repeatedly.
"Come hug me, and I'll untie you once I've hugged you."
Upon hearing this, Su Jinxiu immediately reached out to hug the person in the direction of the sound, but found nothing; the person had already moved away silently.
The surroundings were so quiet that only her own breathing could be heard. Suddenly, she heard the soft sound of toes touching the ground ahead. Su Jinxiu realized that he was asking her to find his trace in the darkness.
With his hands bound in front of him, he could only wave them wildly to find his way. He could neither see nor speak, and could only slowly grope his way through this chaos.
Several times, just as she was about to bump into the sharp corner of a cabinet or the coldness of a wall, a gentle force would come from her side, pulling her slightly away and averting the danger of a collision. But whenever Su Jinxiu followed the faint sound and tried to snuggle into his arms, he would suddenly retreat, leaving only a lingering presence, or occasionally brushing his fingertips against her hair or shoulder, giving her subtle hints that only fueled her burning desire.
After being teased like this for a while, Su Jinxiu ran around the room several times, panting heavily with a thin layer of sweat on her forehead. She knew perfectly well that Wen Shiqin was deliberately teasing her and wouldn't let her find him so easily.
She simply gave up struggling, turned around abruptly, and regardless of the direction or what was in front of her, she followed a stubborn, defiant impulse and walked quickly forward.
Sure enough, the moment her toes touched the hardwood frame of the screen, her waist was suddenly tightened, and she was lifted off the ground and held firmly in his arms. The next second, she was nestled in that familiar and warm embrace, her nose surrounded by his cool, pine-snow-like scent, feeling safe and secure.
After this playful exchange, Wen Shiqin's previous hostility had largely dissipated, leaving only a lingering burning heat. He then pulled Su Jinxiu into a tight embrace, their cheeks pressed together, his fingertips firmly clenching her knees.
The pipa fingering techniques I learned on my own at Tinglan Xiaozhu were now being demonstrated to my mentor.
My fingertips followed the arc of my memory, wandering along the rhythm of the pentatonic scale, subtly echoing the charm of the pipa from years past.
The soft, delicate strings whisper like a private conversation, played with tenderness by fingertips. The resounding, powerful strings roar like a sudden downpour breaking through the dust, tinged with a deep, resonant praise.
With gentle plucks and slow strums, the delicate strings are stretched out to both sides. Each pluck and subsequent strum leaves a subtle yet captivating mark.
When the music reached its best part, there was a brief pause, and then with a flick of the finger, the screen shattered, water gushed out, and the music finally came out after much anticipation.
The flowing spring murmurs over the rocks, its gentle murmur lingering.
Between heaven and earth, only the intertwining of breaths, the close contact of flesh and bone, and the subtle rhythm of flowing music spread into a warm, chaotic expanse.
The pipa piece ended, its melodious and lingering notes still resonating.
The mute acupoint was finally opened, but Su Jinxiu could not say anything. She could only sob softly, unsure whether it was relief or grievance.
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