To be honest, if it werenât for Xu Changâanâs presence, no matter how beautiful or kind Yun Qian was, it would have nothing to do with her. She wouldnât have taken the initiative to get close, let alone think about teaching Yun Qian the Six Arts for Women.
This is reality.
But thatâs not a bad thing. Everything in the world requires a catalyst, so Zhu Pingniang can accept this affection and is willing to develop it into a sincere sisterly bond.
If there were a sister who would caress another sisterâs fingers.
âHmm... Ms. Yun really doesnât mind having her hands touched by me...â
Zhu Pingniang noticed that Yun Qian didnât pull her hand back, and she liked Yun Qian even more.
Even a naturally shy person like Wen Li back in the day couldnât stand having her hand held by her for even fifteen minutes, yet Yun Qian showed not a hint of impatience.
So Zhu Pingniang decided to become even bolder.
After all, when Xu Changâan returns, she might not have the chance to maintain her sisterly image by touching Yun Qianâs hand, so she needed to memorize every detail, including its shape, texture, nails, and even the softness or firmness of her fingers...
To create a Seven-Stringed Zither perfectly suited for Yun Qian, one she wouldnât be able to put down.
And then sheâd give this zither to Yun Qian as a meeting gift... Whether Yun Qian liked it or not, Zhu Pingniang already liked the idea herself.
Yun Qian: "..."
Outside the window, the starlight was faint, and the bustling sound of the girls could be heard.
Miss Yun slightly tilted her head... glancing at Zhu Pingniang, who was poking her finger.
Without a hint of impatience.
Actually, what Zhu Pingniang was doing was quite inappropriate, because until now, Zhu Pingniang was the second person to observe her hand so closely.
The first was Xu Changâan.
And Yun Qian herself had never paid much attention to her hands. For her, it was enough as long as they were useful when needed.
But she was indifferent to Zhu Pingniangâs rude behavior.
Perhaps because Zhu Pingniang is his connection.
Perhaps because Zhu Pingniangâs mind was now completely focused on making a zither for her, without a trace of distraction.
However, what Yun Qian found most endearing was that Zhu Pingniang initially didnât like her too much, but because she liked Xu Changâan, she started being kind to her.
This kind of goodwill splashed onto her because of liking the husband...
For Yun Qian, it was like a "goodwill code" that made her look at Zhu Pingniang in a new light.
Pleasing the person the girl likes is always more effective than pleasing the girl herself.
Zhu Pingniang got it.
So Yun Qian gave her what she wanted.
This time, Yun Qian finally didnât ask if Zhu Pingniang had any "wishes," because Zhu Pingniangâs wish had already been fulfilled.
âHands... are they really that interesting?â
Yun Qian blinked.
And felt they must be quite interesting.
Otherwise, Xu Changâan wouldnât like them so much...
Yes.
Yun Qian used to think that her husbandâs preferences differed from ordinary people she knew, and now Zhu Pingniang similarly liked them...
These two are really alike.
The time was about right.
Yun Qian remembered Xu Changâanâs words to her.
[If Senior Zhu really does anything inappropriate, just mention you and the teacher, and she wonât have the mood to act up.]
That Xu Changâan could say this was essentially because he didnât expect the relationship between Li Zhibai and Yun Qian to remain hidden from Zhu Pingniang for long, and he believed that once Zhu Pingniang understood Yun Qian, she wouldnât be jealous of her.
Although Li Zhibai didnât mention in the letter that she had acknowledged Yun Qian as her sister, which was a bit... sneaky.
But Xu Changâan had no choice, passive exposure is never better than self-exposure.
After self-exposing, at most, Zhu Pingniang would be defensive for a while before calming down, and maybe go find trouble with Li Zhibai...
·
Most likely it wouldnât affect Miss Yun.
Well... as to whether Zhu Pingniang would "bully" Yun Qian, Xu Changâan had never doubted.
This Senior is indeed a good person, someone worth admiring, but her unseriousness is a persona thatâs not so easily restrained.
ââ
Yun Qian felt the gentle touch on her fingers, her eyes seemingly a deep well, lost in thought.
In the current scene, Miss Zhu is considered rude and mischievous, right... yes, she is.
ââ
"Ahem."
Finally, as more people left the banquet hall, and the environment grew quieter, Zhu Pingniang finally came to her senses in the silence...
She, with shy and embarrassed eyes, sheepishly said, "Yun, Ms. Yun, I... I was just... looking at your finger bones. I wanted to make a Seven-Stringed or Five-Stringed Zither for you... please donât misunderstand."
Zhu Pingniang was telling the truth but feared Yun Qian might not quite believe her.
After all, she knew that her foolishly smiling face earlier might make even Miss Lu think she was going crazy.
But such beautiful hands were too rare, and it was normal for her to lose control of her expressions.
Fortunately, Yun Qian seemed to have believed her "nonsense," nodding in understanding.
Only, Yun Qian was slightly puzzled: "Seven-Stringed Zither?"
"Yes, itâs a zither." Zhu Pingniang nodded and said honestly, "After entering Mu Yu Peak, you will eventually have to start learning the Six Arts for Women, and among music, chess, calligraphy, painting, singing, dancing, and tea, I personally think that for my sister, the zither is most suitable for a start, so... by then I will give you the best zither."
Yun Qian thought about it and nodded.
Zhu Pingniang wasnât wrong.
Chess requires thinking, which sheâs not very good at.
Calligraphy and painting arenât things that can be achieved overnight, and her brushwork is weaker by three points compared to Xu Changâan, so thereâs not much future in that.
Singing and dancing... with her fifteen-minute stamina, forget it.
Tea?
Getting intoxicated by tea with just one sip, of course, isnât suitable either.
So, the zither, which initially only requires memorization and can be played sitting down, is the most suitable.
As for the tedious practice of zither playing...
If she gets tired, sheâll just stop practicing.
Yun Qian is open-minded, knowing that Xu Changâan would definitely love to watch her playing the zither, so she would study diligently.
Zhu Pingniang: "..."
She looked at Yun Qian, who was contemplating, easily fooled by her, covering her face.
Alright.
Why was this girl so easy to convince?
If she really had been inappropriate with Yun Qian earlier and told her later it was for making a zither, would Yun Qian believe her?
Probably.
Zhu Pingniang suddenly understood why Yun Qian didnât like to go out, and why, even with Yun Qian in the city near her, Xu Changâan repeatedly asked her to take good care of Yun Qian.
Such a gullible girl... naturally, she needs to be well protected to avoid encountering bad people outside.
She... really is beautiful.
And Yun Qian, by speaking so little, would involuntarily make people feel sheâs gentle and quiet.
"I... really like you, Ms. Yun," Zhu Pingniang couldnât help but say.
"Yes," Yun Qian responded.
Zhu Pingniang smiled.
Yes, she just liked Yun Qianâs always calm eyes.
This simple response let Zhu Pingniang know Yun Qian wasnât being perfunctory but genuinely understood and acknowledged her affection.
This kind of sincere and gentle girl, influenced by Li Zhibai instilling in her... how could she not like her?
Of course, she liked her to the extreme.
If the daughter she raised was a serious yet gentle girl like Yun Qian, she would hold her in her arms every day, never letting go.
Zhu Pingniang smiled warmly, "Sister, with me watching over you on the mountain, naturally no one will dare bully you, even Changâan... no, thatâs fine, the matters between you young couple, I dare not interfere."
Zhu Pingniang knew how much Yun Qian loved Xu Changâan, so she wisely refrained from saying that if Xu Changâan dared to bully her, she would stand up for her.
She was being smart.
What does someone elseâs marriage have to do with her, an outsider? On what basis could she say such things?
Besides...
Zhu Pingniangâs face turned red.
Xu Changâan would always tease Yun Qian frequently, given that when she was physically weak... after she recovered...
"Ahem."
Once the indecent thought was birthed, it couldnât be taken back for a while.
If it were her and Ah Bai...
Shaking her head.
She couldnât think such things.
"Ah Bai would definitely like you too," Zhu Pingniang said with a smiling brow.
However, something unexpected happened.
Yun Qian lightly nodded, and in a warm voice, repeated Xu Changâanâs advice.
"Ms. Li? She said she really liked me."
"..."