Grabbing Your Hand, Dragging You Away

Chapter 63

"Ah-Lan." Yuwen Rui's white, long and slender fingers lightly fiddles with the zither strings, "Do you remember how to play this melody now?"

"Pretty much." I casually answer, continuing to immerse in the boundless strangeness. Originally, my zither skills could be described to shake the heavens and earth, causing ghosts and deities alike to weep, but playing it just now, I've actually gotten a lot better throughout this half of the month, the most important point being, I can actually play an entire tune? Eh, although this tune is a little out of tune, but it is still a tune in the end.

Yuwen Rui pats away the non-existent dust on his sleeves, "Play this tune for Jiang Cheng to listen to tomorrow."

"Play it for Jiang Cheng?" I say: "I sure wish to, but Teacher Jiang is set on not letting me touch a real zither ah."

"He doesn't let you touch it, so you just don't touch it?" Yuwen Rui lightly sweeps a glance at me, a smile rapidly flashes past his eyes, "Since when did you really become an obedient student?"

"......" I fall silent for a while, side eyeing him as I say: "Cousin, you tell me to play this melody that only has one verse for Teacher Jiang to listen to, what are you scheming?"

Yuwen Rui leans in close, handsome face just a few centimetres away from mine, his eyes containing a seeming smile, thin lips lightly open as he says: "You want to know?"

I really want to push away his face and then spit out "Nonsense!", but based on the brutality of reality, I can only mildly nod, saying: "En."

"Really want to know?"

"Cousin, I really want to know."

"Oh......" He leans in towards my ear side and lowly chuckles, warm breath laced with traces of romantic ambiguity, attractive voice carrying wickedness as he says: "Not telling you."

......

Yuwen Rui, you best pray that there wouldn't come a day you fall into my hands, if not, I really don't mind being 'Snow White's stepmother' for once......

The next day, taking advantage of when Jiang Cheng wasn't inside the room, I sneakily take his zither made of sycamore wood, excitement carried within the roughness as I start playing. Although at first it was slightly similar to that of demonic sounds entering the ears, slowly, it gets considerably better, I once again sigh at Jiang Cheng's 'mute teaching', sometimes, such soundless things is able to change us.

This tune that Yuwen Rui had taught me is extremely short, able to finish playing it after approximately three minutes, and when I play it up to the hallway point, Jiang Cheng had already rushed in, eyes carrying surprise and wild excitement as he asks, "What piece are you playing?"

The first sentence Jiang Cheng said after rushing in, isn't scolding me for playing the zither, but asking what piece this is......I come to a stop, brightly smiling as I say: "This is what my cousin taught me last night, Teacher, how was my zither playing?"

"Your cousin......" Jiang Cheng's expression instantly looks troubled, followed by the look of struggle and pain in his eyes, "This piece is, very good, very good......"

Deep inside, I pretty much understand now, and so I enthusiastically say: "Teacher Jiang, I have a note here that I can't play well, can you teach me?"

Jiang Cheng's face stiffens as he says: "Teacher Chen from the school is finding me for some matters, you practice alone first."

"Yes, Teacher."

Jiang Cheng turns around, just before leaving he looks back at me, as though reluctant to part, then marches away with heavy steps, looking troubled as he leaves.