Time Travel and Love

"No." Chu Qingmeng refused decisively, and then explained speechlessly, "Erquan Yingyue is a piece for the erhu. It sounds best played on the erhu. It's not that I can't play the pipa, but I just don't know how to play it. I only know the pieces that the dean's mother taught me. 'Ten Sides of Ambush,' 'Ba Wang Xi Jia,' 'Yangchun Baixue,' 'Pipa Xing,' and 'Wanjiang.' If you want to hear it played and sung, I can play 'Qinhuai Jing' for you. I don't know anything else. It took me ten years to learn just these few!"

"Hahaha," Mu Lingxue couldn't help laughing when she saw Chu Qingmeng acting like a little girl trying to perform for money. She said in a dignified manner, "Then play 'Ten Sides of Ambush' for me."

"Okay, sir, please listen and I will play it right away." Chu Qingmeng smiled and played the pipa with her.

The six of them were not the only ones meeting in the study room at the moment. Everyone was silent. Even Mo Liuteng had lost his usual playful demeanor. His brows furrowed, as if he were lost in thought. The weariness of each face was evident. Suddenly, the sound of string music, unfamiliar to anyone, drifted into the study. Several people looked up at Mo Liujin, who was also bewildered. The music was so strange, he wondered what instrument it was. He knew Li played the piano, but this was clearly not the sound of a qin.

"There's such a murderous aura." Mo Liuyuan frowned and commented, looking at Mo Liujin.

"I don't know who it is. Only Li in the mansion can play the piano, but the sound of the string music doesn't sound like a piano." Mo Liujin explained.

"This song, with its clashing swords and spears, is truly terrifying." Mo Liujue glanced at Mo Liujin seemingly unintentionally, and said thoughtfully, "Third brother, did you make Third Sister-in-law angry? The murderous aura in my heart grows stronger as I listen to it."

Mo Liujin seemed to be reminded that if it wasn't Li's piano music, it might really be Qing Meng's! Yesterday's dance under the moon was something he had never seen before! He was about to say that he would go and take a look, but as soon as he stood up, the piano music suddenly stopped.

Under the pavilion in the courtyard, Chu Qingmeng stopped playing the pipa and looked at Mu Lingxue with a mixture of laughter and tears. "Master, my hand hurts! This thing doesn't have fake nails. If I play two more songs, my hand will be broken!"

"Hey, I'm enjoying it!" Mu Lingxue teased her with a smile, "Then play something softer, play 'Qinhuai Scenery' for me."

"..."

"Don't play! It's hard to sing!"

"The last song! 'Pipa Xing' will do, right?"

Chu Qingmeng accepted his fate, raised his hands, and played and sang.

… A few plucks on the hinge, a tune evokes emotion before it's even formed. Each string, subdued and full of thought, seems to recount a life of frustration. Brows lowered, he casually continues to play, expressing the boundless thoughts in his heart. Gently plucking, slowly twisting, rubbing, and plucking, he first plays the Nichang and then the Liuyao. The large strings roar like a torrential downpour, the small strings whisper like whispers. The cacophony of sounds and whispers mixes like pearls, large and small, falling on a jade plate…

Before long, the piano music began again, this time accompanied by Chu Qingmeng's cold and calm singing voice. Mo Liujin was genuinely startled for a moment and stood up to walk out. Actually, he wasn't the only one who was startled. Everyone else was also surprised. Mo Liuyuan was particularly astonished. This girl who always loved to wield swords and guns could actually do this? He also subconsciously stood up and walked out. The others behind him looked at each other and followed him out. Mo Liufang followed them silently.

Mo Liujin arrived at the pavilion first and saw Chu Qingmeng, dressed in white, holding a new gadget and singing and playing the guitar. Her every smile and frown revealed her tenderness. Later, Mo Liuyuan saw Mu Lingxue sitting nearby, enjoying the music. Chu Qingmeng was like a little performing girl, being exploited by his wife. The people who arrived later all gasped. That woman was Qingmeng?! She looked exactly like Qingmeng back then! But she shouldn't look like this now! Besides, she didn't look like this when he saw her this morning! Mo Liufang, on the other hand, wasn't too surprised. He had guessed that Qingmeng was always wearing heavy makeup when he saw her. Although he had only caught a glimpse of her from afar since she came back, he knew her appearance hadn't changed at all! Even her temperament hadn't changed at all.

When the song ended, Chu Qingmeng shook his red hands and looked at Mu Lingxue with resentment, "Uncle Mu, shouldn't you compensate me? My hands hurt so much! They're almost broken!"

"Oh! I have plenty of money, can you give it all to this beauty? Hahaha." The two sisters were laughing and playing, and didn't pay any attention to the brothers in the corridor.

Seeing that several people had followed him, Mo Liujin sighed. Sooner or later, he would be unable to hide it. "Qing Meng! Second sister-in-law!"

The two men, still joking, turned around at the sound of Mo Liujin's voice and saw the brothers approaching. Chu Qingmeng's expression suddenly changed. Wasn't it just Mo Liuyuan?! Turning around and leaving was out of the question now. What should he do? Chu Qingmeng's breathing became disordered for a moment. The people present were all martial artists, and they could hear Chu Qingmeng's panicked breathing, so they tacitly agreed not to ask any questions.

Seeing Chu Qingmeng flustered, Mo Liujin took two steps forward and stood beside her, holding her hand and giving her a reassuring look. After everyone was seated, Mo Liujin slowly spoke, "After the incident at the palace's family banquet a few days ago, Qingmeng was seriously injured. By chance, a miracle doctor came to the palace and left some medicine for Qingmeng. After taking it, all the new and old injuries in Qingmeng's body were healed, and she became more and more like a young girl who had just come of age. However, this incident was too shocking, so Qingmeng kept it a secret from everyone. Whenever she went out, she had to put on old-fashioned makeup to avoid gossip. Second sister-in-law was always there, so she didn't hide this from her."

Chu Qingmeng felt relieved when she saw that he found a suitable excuse for her face without blushing or getting nervous.