“The scattered clouds are drenched,
Somewhat aectionate for no reason;
The bluish green sky resembled his pair of eyes;
The thickened fragrance is better than the wine:
The young peach waits, as promised…”
The light muslin curtain separated the audience from the singing and dancing.
The red light hung high and the fragrance wreathed around it.
Qi Xia lay on the grand couch on one side, the white jade bone fan swinging in his hand. He squinted his
eyes and looked at the girl in red on the stage as she sang faintly. The dancer beside her twisted her lithe
and graceful gure, her veil swaying with her every move.
The Qin Music Hall was the most famous music troupe in the imperial city of the Long Xuan Empire, and it
belonged to the Qilin Clan. As the most promising successor of the Qilin Clan, Qi Xia had not been here
much, but for some reason, he suddenly came here today and quietly listened to a song.
“Little Third.” The manager of Qin Music Hall respectfully waited on one side.
“That singer sings well. Qi Le, you have a good eye for talent.” Qi Xia’s eyes rested on the red-clad singer.
She sat alone at the edge of the stage, her ngertips stroking the strings of her instrument lightly. She was
wearing a red veil to cover her face, but you could vaguely see that her eyes were lowered, as if all the
troubles in the music hall had nothing to do with her. She just sang her song alone.
“Many thanks for your praise.” Qi Le said with a smile.
“She seems to be still young, why hide her appearance?” Qi Xia seldom took an interest in the women of
the music troupe. Unlike other music halls, Qilin’s music hall was just a place to listen to songs and watch
dances. Guests were not allowed to have direct contact with the singers and dancers here. If anyone had
the courage to do anything vile, the Qilin Clan members would not be polite to them.
“This… I have nothing to do with it. This girl came with her veil on. I actually asked her several times about
it, but she didn’t want to say much. I heard her voice was excellent, so I just let it go. If Little Third wants to
know, why don’t I ask her again?” Qi Le said with a smile.
Qi Xia motioned with his hand. He only asked casually; he really didn’t mean anything by it.
But indeed, that singer had a beautiful voice.
In the following few days, Qi Xia often went to the music hall. Whenever he came, he would always hear
the singing of that girl, and every time, she was sitting in the most inconspicuous part of the music hall
with a zither in front of her, singing softly with her eyes lowered. It was as though there were no one else
in the music hall but her; she always seemed happy on her own.
Qi Xia had never seen the singer’s face, nor did he really look at her. He just listened to her voice and to
her songs.
Oddly enough, Qi Xia always felt that his mental state was bad at present. These past few days, his
consciousness was somewhat vague. He could not remember what he was usually busy with, or why he
was going to the music hall to sit down everyday. The only thing he remembered was the female singer’s
voice.
It seemed that only her singing could stir his consciousness.
Qi Xia always felt that he had forgotten or neglected something.
On this day, Qi Xia came to the music hall again. Night had already fallen and he came later than usual. At
this time, there was no singing girl in the music hall.
Perhaps bored, Qi Xia walked to the backyard of the music hall.
When he reached the garden, he heard the sound of the strings that stirred up his heart and went looking
for her. In the moonlight, he saw the female singer sitting in the owers and playing the zither with her
head bowed.
The saower imprinted in her red dress was especially striking in the moonlight.
Qi Xia slowly walked over.
The sound of footsteps attracted the attention of the girl, and she faintly raised her head to look toward
the source of the sound.
Under the moonlight, Qi Xia looked at her.
What he saw was a pair of clear and calm eyes.
