Chapter 48 - 48 48 The Melancholy Sound of the Qin

Words : 1346 Updated : Sep 10th, 2025

48: Chapter 48: The Melancholy Sound of the Qin 48: Chapter 48: The Melancholy Sound of the Qin “Brother-in-law, are you really okay? Is it because I signed you up without considering your opinion that you’re in a difficult position?” Su Ziqing blamed herself, unable to think of any other reason that could have caused Ye Shikai to look this way. “No, Qingqing, I’m fine, just a bit tired. I promised you, I will attend the show tonight,” Ye Shikai said, and without intending to, hid the yellowed postcard behind his back. “Alright, brother-in-law, then you rest. I will go back to my room now,” Su Ziqing said. Although Ye Shikai denied that anything had happened, Su Ziqing still felt that he was hiding something, otherwise, how could he have had a crafty expression just a moment ago and then turned into this after going upstairs. After Su Ziqing left the room and carefully closed the door behind her, Ye Shikai let out a sigh, picked up the guitar from the box, and wiped each string carefully, making the guitar look as good as new. Holding the guitar, he murmured, “Xin, this ‘Love’s Romance,’ even though you can’t hear it, I still want to play it for you.” The simple and beautiful melody of “Love’s Romance” lingered in the empty room. Ye Shikai sat quietly on the chair alone, his deep eyes full of melancholic colors... After the tune had ended, the quiet of the room returned, but the meaning behind it lingered on. The clear and touching melody continued to resonate in Ye Shikai’s mind, striking the depths of his own soul, like a sorrowful voice similar to the sour taste of wine, which needed to be savored carefully. Ye Shikai put the guitar back into the box, turned around, and walked towards the window. He looked outside with a sad expression, his eyes carrying an unfathomable look. Meanwhile, in the Chen family’s residence in Yanjing, a stunningly beautiful woman was playing the guzheng in the study. Her delicate face combined with a dress of white gauze made her resemble an ancient fairy. She closed her eyes, her countenance serious, and her brows slightly furrowed as if thinking about something. Her slender fingers plucked the guzheng strings, and the sorrowful sound of the instrument filled the study. She softly sang, “Dreams waft like smoke, their fragrant paths meandering hard to linger or to keep away. You said yearning was the same bitter taste, I sigh for the sorrows of being apart are doubled thus. When feelings grow intense, how can one simply let go; when love reaches such depths, no grievance nor complaint. The solitary shadow by the bright moon must be lonely, to ask where lies the journey home?” Suddenly, with a “bang,” a string snapped and sliced a small cut on the woman’s finger, from which blood slowly oozed out. The woman was not startled by this sudden turn of events, but instead, she looked at the broken string with endless sorrow. The wound was on her hand, but the pain was in her heart... Night gradually fell, and the nightlife of Yanjing also began. Tonight, Yanjing University was particularly bustling with excitement as the auditorium bustled neatly with preparations for the celebration, and in half an hour, tens of thousands of Yan University students would gather here for the annual gala. “Hello, brother-in-law, have you arrived? Just don’t get stage fright,” Su Ziqing, backstage at the auditorium, said anxiously through the phone. “I’ll be there soon, Qingqing, don’t worry,” Ye Shikai sat in the taxi, his face composed and his demeanor calm, fully embodying the poise of someone whose composure is unshaken even if Taishan Mountain were to collapse before him. “Qingqing, it’s me going to the competition, not you. Why are you even more nervous than I am?” “That’s still because... I’m worried you’ll embarrass yourself in front of so many people.” “I guess you’re afraid of losing face,” Ye Shikai chuckled sheepishly, really wanting to see the frustrated expression on Su Ziqing’s face on the other end of the phone. After a dozen seconds, a voice suddenly came from the other end, “Hmph, stinky brother-in-law, get to the auditorium within ten minutes, or you’re done for.” And with that, the call was hung up. Heh, this little girl, daring to hang up on me... Ten minutes later, Ye Shikai, carrying a dark-colored box, arrived at the auditorium. He looked around and couldn’t help but admire the opulence of the auditorium. Not only was it huge and lavishly decorated, but on closer inspection, all the musical equipment was the latest model as well—no wonder it could rival top-tier concert halls, and it’s indeed part of Huaxia’s capital’s college. “Brother-in-law, you finally made it. I knew you wouldn’t let me down,” Su Ziqing spotted Ye Shikai at the entrance from afar and pounced on him excitedly, wrapping her arms around his waist. “Brother-in-law, are you going to play the guitar? I saw you carrying one today.” Su Ziqing had noticed the box in Ye Shikai’s hand—it was the same one from Ye Shikai’s room earlier, containing a guitar. “Mhm.” Ye Shikai nodded slightly and gently pushed Su Ziqing away from his embrace. He felt like he could already sense the murderous vibe from the nearby male students. Suddenly, a laughter like a bell rang beside his ear, “Uncle, you’re here too.” A petite figure slowly walked towards him—it was Han Ruoyao. “Yaoyao, how come you’re here too?” Ye Shikai suddenly remembered that Han Ruoyao was also a student at Yanjing University. Although she hadn’t gotten along with Su Ziqing in the past, their relationship had thawed quite a bit after the two reconciled last time—at least he didn’t have to worry about them starting a fight here... Han Ruoyao walked up to Ye Shikai and looped her arms through one of his, “I’m the head of the cultural department of the student council, and besides, Qingqing told me you signed up too, so of course, I had to come and support you.” “You stinky Yaoyao, how can you hook arms with my brother-in-law.” Before Han Ruoyao could finish speaking, Su Ziqing, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, somewhat frantically tried to pry Han Ruoyao’s hands apart. “Hehe, Qingqing, even if I wanted to be the uncle’s girlfriend, I would be competing with Sister Qingyu for men, why are you, the little auntie, getting so agitated?” Han Ruoyao glanced at Su Ziqing with a sly glint and teased her. “Because, because... I have to protect my sister’s love from being ruined by a third party.” After hearing Han Ruoyao’s words, Su Ziqing’s face turned red in a flash; she felt like a deer was crashing around inside her heart. She quickly turned her head away, afraid that Ye Shikai would see her, and scrambled to come up with what seemed like a reasonable yet far-fetched excuse. Ye Shikai burst into laughter after hearing it; this little girl’s reason was too funny, but then again, speaking of his relationship with Su Qingyu, it was probably not as close as with Han Ruoyao. Ah, who could blame his wife for being so aloof? “Alright you two, first take me backstage to get ready. I don’t want you two to start quarreling again and get a big crowd to watch the drama,” Ye Shikai said with a face of dismay and turned to look around. Unnoticed, a lot of students had already gathered, the majority of them male. It seemed that the allure of the two campus beauties was indeed no small matter. “Sure, uncle, come with me, I’ll take you backstage,” Han Ruoyao said as she ignored Su Ziqing’s angry glare, pulled Ye Shikai’s arm towards the backstage, and didn’t forget to throw Su Ziqing a smug look, leaving the latter stomping her feet in frustration.

Chapter 48 - 48 48 The Melancholy Sound of the Qin

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