The Classical Music Research Institute's branch in Yuchang City.
"Daddy, this isn't a shop, is it?" An An looked out the car window and read the sign on the door. Shouldn't you go to a shop to buy things?
Qin Ningyi ruffled his hair and explained to Huo Rou, "I bought it from them. We agreed to complete the handover recently."
"Antiques?" Huo Rou guessed.
"No," Qin Ningyi shook his head, leading them inside. "It's a guqin carved and polished by a master."
A staff member led them further in, and the melodious tune grew clearer.
This place was like a paradise, with the sounds of strings and flutes, and the gentle breeze brought a sense of ease.
Huo Rou loved the atmosphere, feeling every cell in her body relax.
"Yes, Master Deng's zithers are truly exquisite!" The staff member couldn't help but chime in. "It's a shame he disappeared so long ago. We don't know if there will be any new works released in the future."
An An tilted his head and looked at the staff member. "Uncle, how beautiful is it?"
He remembered that his mother had a small warehouse filled with zithers, all of which were very beautiful. He used to pick one out to practice when he learned to play.
It was a pity his mother hadn't brought them over. Otherwise, what he had at home would surely not be inferior to others!
The staff member boasted, "The zither we have here is no joke. It's said to be Master Deng's final masterpiece! Exquisitely beautiful! The carving, the sound, tsk..."
He'd gleam with excitement just thinking about the guqin's appearance. If Qin Zong hadn't offered such a high price, their branch would have wanted to keep it for exhibition later.
But it was also good that Qin Zong had gotten them another zither with a sound quality no less than this one, it just looked a bit plain without Master Deng's carving embellishment.
They arrived at the practice room. As soon as An An walked in, he saw the guqin placed in the center of the room.
The guqin, made of golden nanmu, was carved with exquisite patterns, complex and ever-changing yet harmoniously integrated.
The sides of the zither depicted rolling mountains, layered and majestic.
The head and tail of the zither featured auspicious dragon and phoenix motifs, lifelike and vibrant.
A girl with delicate features sat in front of the guqin, plucking its strings.
Like a babbling brook, like drifting clouds and mist.
The staff member closed his eyes and nodded. It sounded good, truly good.
When he came back to his senses, he snapped, "What are you doing?"
This zither could not be used without approval. As the person in charge here, he had rejected all usage requests for today after receiving Qin Ningyi's call.
At his reprimand, the girl playing the zither faltered, producing a discordant sound.
Even as a discordant sound, it still lingered in the air, enhanced by the excellent tone.
Tears welled up in her eyes, and she stammered, "I... I'm not..."
"Slap—"
A ruler struck her.
The girl couldn't endure the pain and cried out, "Godmother, I was wrong! I was wrong..."
The person she called Godmother stood up from behind her, looking at the staff member with disdain. "She's practicing!"
The staff member looked at Guo Xiu's face with helplessness. He hated dealing with Guo Xiu the most; she was a difficult person to communicate with, a zither fanatic.
"Didn't I send out a notice in the group?" he emphasized with a sigh. "The owner has come to collect it. You acting like this..."
Guo Xiu wouldn't listen. "Master You is coming. I don't care about any owner. You can talk to me after Master You has heard our Nannan's performance!"
Mentioning Master You, her eyes shone with fervor. "Nannan, play that chapter again. Make sure it's smooth and natural! That way, Master You will take you as a disciple!"
The staff member already knew this would happen. He looked apologetically at Qin Ningyi and the others. "President Qin... this..."
Before he could finish, the sound of the ruler rang out again. Guo Xiu was a little agitated. "You can't even transition this simply? What am I feeding you for! Again!"
The girl's sobs echoed. Huo Rou looked over, and her heart softened slightly.
"Your hand posture doesn't need to be so rigid. You're too tense," she said softly, offering a reminder.
Guo Xiu frowned and looked over. Her eyes, which seemed to be on top of her head, finally recognized Huo Rou. "Is that you?"
Then her gaze fell on An An, this child she both loved and hated.
An An had ruined her painstakingly cultivated efforts, yet he was so extraordinarily gifted.
She admitted it, she was jealous. Why couldn't she encounter such a child?
But...
"Although you write good music, playing the guqin is another matter," Guo Xiu said, looking at Huo Rou with a complex emotion in her eyes. "Don't give unsolicited advice if you don't understand."
She had spent years creating a Gu Yue, only for it to be ruined by Huo Rou's music. Wasn't that Huo Rou's fault?
Huo Rou, who didn't understand the guqin, insisted on writing guqin music, truly clueless.