Chapter 64 – The Sound of Love

Shen Ti still remembered that he had promised Feng Luoyi a guqin.

Originally, he intended to give her Chunsheng, but Yin Zhi happened to come by. Her eyes sparkled with admiration for the instrument, so he gave it to her instead.

Having just given it away, it was hard to bring up the matter again in front of Yin Zhi. He found a quiet moment, stepped into the courtyard, and instructed Changchuan, “Go to my study and tell Zhuzhi to send Wind Through the Pines to my concubine.”

Changchuan ran off swiftly.

Zhuzhi, a maid from the inner study, asked, “Should I place it in her room, or give it to her directly?”

“Give it to her,” said Changchuan. “The guqin in the concubine’s place isn’t any good. The Hanlin said to give her a fine one.”

Zhuzhi clicked her tongue. “The Hanlin really favors her, huh?”

Wind Through the Pines was Shen Ti’s favorite guqin. It had followed him from his outer study back to his inner chambers and now resided in the inner study.

It was a rare and precious instrument.

To give his most beloved possession to a concubine—it spoke volumes.

Changchuan protested, “He gave the Young Lady one too—Chunsheng.”

“You fool,” Zhuzhi laughed, poking him. “Wind Through the Pines goes wherever he goes. Chunsheng is kept locked away. Which one do you think he really treasures?”

She continued, “His most beloved guqin goes to the concubine. The one from storage goes to the Young Lady. Now, tell me—who is truly closest to his heart?”

Changchuan covered his head. “I’m not saying anything! Brother Pingmo warned me—no gossiping about the Young Lady or the concubine. If he hears, we’ll be slapped.”

Zhuzhi quickly covered her mouth and glanced around before whispering, “Then just don’t tell Pingmo. He can’t come into the inner quarters anyway—what can he do?”

Zhuzhi was still young. She tended the study alone.

Shen Ti disliked it when maids tattled to his mother about him, so he always kept a cold face with the servants. When he was in the study, Zhuzhi barely dared to speak.

She was bored to tears.

Having caught Changchuan, she was desperate to chat.

But Changchuan wasn’t about to be bullied. He darted away, shouting, “Make sure you deliver it to the concubine!”

He added, “And wipe it down! Don’t be lazy!”

Then off he ran.

Fuming, Zhuzhi placed her hands on her hips but still did wipe the instrument before packing it into its case and carrying it off to Feng Luoyi.

Changchuan had given her the directions. When she found the courtyard with its doors open, a young maid was playing jacks on the threshold. Zhuzhi approached and asked, “Does the concubine live here?”

The maid went inside to announce her. Zhaoxiang came out and asked, “Are you here to deliver the guqin? You seem unfamiliar—are you from Jingrong Courtyard?”

“No, I’m from the Hanlin’s inner study,” Zhuzhi replied.

In many official households, studies were off-limits to women. Zhaoxiang had never gone there to find Shen Ti, only to his sleeping quarters, which explained her unfamiliarity with Zhuzhi.

Relaxing her guard, Zhaoxiang became friendlier and led her inside. “Concubine, the Hanlin has sent someone from the inner study with your guqin.”

Last night, he had murmured that he would find her a good guqin. She had been exhausted and drowsy, but remembered his words. She hadn’t expected him to deliver on that promise so quickly.

It showed she was on his mind.

Feng Luoyi didn’t rush to look at the instrument. Instead, she asked Zhuzhi her name and age, hoping to learn more about Shen Ti.

But Zhuzhi just babbled, “... I don’t know about that. Or that either. I don’t know anything. The Hanlin used to be in the outer courtyard all the time. He barely came to the inner study, and I was left there alone all winter. So cold. No one to talk to.”

A chatty girl, but not very informative.

Still, Feng Luoyi had Zhaoxiang reward her with some money.

Pleased, Zhuzhi tried to flatter her. “The Hanlin really dotes on you. This guqin used to be in the outer study with him, then he moved it to the inner study when he returned. It’s his favorite.”

The compliment made Feng Luoyi’s brows relax.

Zhaoxiang was delighted, escorting Zhuzhi out and saying, “Come visit anytime!”

Back inside, she found the case already open—but Feng Luoyi was frowning.

“What’s wrong, mistress?”

Feng Luoyi was puzzled but said only, “It’s nothing.”

Her fingers brushed over the head of the guqin, where a few characters in seal script were carved. Zhaoxiang, though literate, couldn’t read the old script. She asked, “Does the guqin have a name?”

Only fine instruments had names. The previous guqin, given with her bedding and mirrors, was nameless—just a basic model from a music shop.

Named guqin were rare and costly—worth a hundred of her.

“It’s called Wind Through the Pines,” Feng Luoyi replied.

Zhaoxiang beamed. “Sounds so elegant! No wonder it’s the Hanlin’s favorite.”

Is that so? Feng Luoyi thought. But she distinctly remembered Shen Ti saying he would give her Chunsheng. Why had it become Wind Through the Pines?

Had she misheard or misremembered?

She plucked a few strings. The deep, still sound resonated. The tension was perfect; it was clearly a frequently played, well-maintained instrument.

A truly fine guqin.

Its tones seemed to cleanse the soul. No wonder it was Shen Ti’s favorite.

Feng Luoyi smiled faintly.

She knew he wouldn’t visit tonight.

But when they were together, it felt like they were in a small world of their own.

If only that little world could be the whole world. If only there weren’t anyone else.

She idly plucked the strings and wondered—what was Shen Ti like when he was with Yin Zhi?

Were they just as close, just as intertwined, fingers laced, bodies entwined?

She stared into the candlelight. Her smile faded. Silence.

Shen Ti had given away two of his favorite guqin in a single day. Though he had others, none compared to these.

After giving Changchuan his instructions, he looked at the sky. It wasn’t yet time for the ministries to close. His father shouldn’t be home yet.

He said to Yin Zhi, “I’m going to see my mother.”

Yin Zhi got up, “Shall I go with you?”

“No need,” he replied. “I have something to discuss with her.”

“Oh, okay.” She sat back down.

“Will you eat there?” she asked.

Shen Ti gave her a look. “Didn’t I say I’d eat here?”

Who would read anything into meals or water or toilets? Yin Zhi didn’t notice anything odd and just said, “Alright.”

Shen Ti flicked his sleeves and left.

He went to Madam Shen’s residence.

She asked, “Why are you back so early today?”

Being an only son, Shen Ti was close to his mother and didn’t hide things. “My cousins were going out for drinks with women, so they sent me home.”

Madam Shen scolded, “Those boys.”

Then softened, “At least they thought to send you back. That’s something.”

From a woman’s perspective, it was infuriating to see brothers and in-laws drinking with courtesans. But it was what it was.

Shen Ti asked, “Where’s Father’s Four Fields?”

“Why?”

“I don’t have a guqin to use.”

“Huh? Where are yours?”

“One went to Shiniang. One to Luoniang.”

As a wife, one wants exclusivity. But as a mother, she wanted her son to enjoy the pleasures of life, with women on either side and children on the way.

Madam Shen laughed, “How sweet of you. Wait here.”

She called a maid, “Bring the guqin from the side room.”

“No need to bring it here,” Shen Ti said. “Just take it to my inner study and give it to Zhuzhi.”

The maid nodded and left.

Madam Shen teased him, “So now you’re calling her Shiniang?”

Because of their blood relation, they had continued to address each other formally even after marrying—he called her “sister,” she called his mother “aunt.”

Now that he called her Shiniang, it implied a closer bond.

He paused, then casually said, “I call her however I like.”

These past days, he’d come to regret not doing so from the wedding night. He should have called her that then—or even consummated the marriage that night.

Had he the chance again, he wouldn’t have let Yin Zhi gain the upper hand.

But back then, unfamiliar and polite, he’d taken a step back. That single moment of weakness had cost him.

Now, she truly saw herself as his elder sister.

Madam Shen laughed again, then glanced at the sky and urged, “You should go. Your father’s about to come home. If he finds his guqin missing, he’ll blow his top.”

“What’s there to blow up about?” Shen Ti said. “Sooner or later, it’ll be mine anyway. Might as well give it now.”

The boldness of an only son.

Madam Shen laughed and scolded, urging him to hurry.

Sure enough, not long after, Shen Daren returned.

As Madam Shen helped him change, he noticed her smile. “Why so happy?”

She giggled behind her hand and told him everything.

Their son had taken his own guqin to dote on his wife and concubine, then snatched away his father’s favorite.

Shen Daren roared, “Scoundrel!”

He fumed, “He’s living quite the life, huh?”

“Of course,” Madam Shen said. “What, are you hoping he suffers?”

Shen Daren huffed but after a moment, stroked his beard and chuckled. “That rascal.”

He wasn’t laughing at his son’s romantic escapades—but that Shen Ti had finally learned diplomacy.

The boy who once defied even on his knees was no longer the same. Marriage had matured him.

“Indeed, marriage brings growth,” Shen Daren said, pleased. “Not bad at all.”

Shen Ti, having asserted his place in Jingrong Courtyard, stayed for dinner.

Afterwards, he asked Yin Zhi to play the guqin so he could gauge her skill.

She hadn’t played in a long time and had forgotten all her music. Luckily, he let her use sheet music. She fumbled through, but finished a piece.

She felt very accomplished.

Shen Ti massaged his temples.

“Don’t do that,” Yin Zhi said. “You look like a little old man.”

She laughed freely.

How could she always laugh like that?

She must be truly content here—living a good life by his side.

He had promised her happiness. He had delivered.

Still rubbing his temples, Shen Ti couldn’t help but smile with her.

“It’s not like I make a living off this,” Yin Zhi said. “Take it easy.”

“You didn’t study properly in the academy, did you?” he said.

“I did! But my ‘properly’ might not be your ‘properly.’ We just wanted to have fun. The teacher focused on the talented girls. For the rest of us, as long as we knew the basics, it was enough.”

Learning music sounded glamorous. But before one reached performance level, the grind was dull.

Only those with true talent found it interesting.

Some studied just to show off one day—that worked too.

But for average students like Yin Zhi, who learned only to pass time, most just giggled and coasted through.

“You can teach me,” she said, “but don’t push me to practice daily. Remember, I don’t make a living from this. A little at a time, for fun only. If it’s not fun, I won’t learn.”

“And don’t talk to me about perseverance or discipline. I’ll say it again—I don’t make a living from this.”

Shen Ti leaned on his hand, looking sideways at her, speechless.

No perseverance—how could that be called learning?

But then he thought, a little bit each day, moving slowly through time…

It was nothing like his idea of “studying.”

But wasn’t that… just living?