Chapter 1109 - 1109 1109 Covert Contest

Chapter 1109: Chapter 1109: Covert Contest Chapter 1109: Chapter 1109: Covert Contest Luo Ziling sat down, and after plucking the strings a few times, he began to play.

As his fingers danced across the strings, a flow of music even more fluid than Luo Yuqing’s poured forth.

“Weicheng’s morning rain moistens the light dust, the inn’s surroundings are fresh with the green of new willows. I urge you to drink another cup, for beyond Yangguan Pass, there are no old friends. Reluctantly looking back, I can’t bear to leave, tears drop and stain the kerchief. No comradeship remains. Emotion stirred, emotion stirred, thinking of you through the twelve hours. Who is there to keep company, who is there to keep company, who could there be? The day rushes by swiftly.”

After finishing the first verse, Luo Ziling did not stop his handiwork on the strings but continued to sing and play:

“Weicheng’s morning rain moistens the light dust, the inn’s surroundings are fresh with the green of new willows. I urge you to drink another cup of wine, for beyond Yangguan Pass, there are no old friends. The fragrant grass is lush everywhere, the fine wine, the fine wine, before drinking, my heart is already mellow. Galloping on horseback, galloping on horseback, when will we speak of returning in our chariots? How many rounds can one drink? A thousand rounds come to an end, but the innermost feelings cannot be easily extinguished. With endless sorrow, Chu Sky and Xiang River lie far beyond the ford, hoping soon to entrust my hopes to the swan’s plumes. Extend a pure white token, extend a pure white token, repeatedly extend a pure white token, as if meeting kin, as if meeting kin.”

When the third verse ended, Luo Ziling put the guqin on the ground, stood up, and made a gesture of greeting to the stunned guests, then gave Luo Yuqing, who was standing to the side, a deep bow, “Happy birthday to senior Yuqing, may you become more and more beautiful.”

“Thank you!” Luo Yuqing smiled at Luo Ziling and walked over generously, taking Luo Ziling’s arm.

Luo Ziling couldn’t help but feel a bit embarrassed, but he did not struggle and let Luo Yuqing hold onto his arm.

Luo Yuqing knew her manners well, and after letting everyone take photographs with her arm around Luo Ziling, she thanked him and escorted him off the stage.

The party continued.

Luo Ziling returned to Yang Qingyin’s side. To his surprise, Yang Qingyin wasn’t angry but instead smiled and praised him, saying his guqin playing was truly good, which caught her off guard.

“Senior sister, I thought you might be jealous again,” said Luo Ziling a bit awkwardly. “The biggest surprise is that you’re not jealous.”

In response, he received a pinch from Yang Qingyin, along with an eye roll.

At that moment, Luo Yuqing approached, smiling and thanking the guests who came up to congratulate her, then walked straight over to Luo Ziling and Yang Qingyin.

“Qingyin, I’ve heard your mastery of the guqin is profound. Would you grace us with a performance today?” Luo Yuqing smiled at Yang Qingyin. “I wonder if I have the privilege to request a piece from one of the renowned ‘Yanjing Beauties.'”

“You want to compete with me, right?” Yang Qingyin looked at Luo Yuqing with a smile. Without waiting for Luo Ziling’s response, she agreed, “Alright, today I shall play the guqin as a birthday celebration for you.”

“Senior sister, will you play the guqin or the flute?” Luo Ziling asked, a little too curiously.

Yang Qingyin’s eyes sparkled as she looked at Luo Ziling, “Playing the flute, I’m not your match, and playing the guqin I might also be inferior to Yuqing. Am I very foolish?”

“Hehe,” Luo Ziling laughed awkwardly, “How could that be?”

“Qingyin, my skills on the guqin are far from Ziling’s,” Luo Yuqing, holding onto Yang Qingyin’s arm, pouted. “This guy is so annoying, why is he so talented? He outshines us in every aspect. His calligraphy is also so good; he has no weaknesses, it’s infuriating just thinking about it.”

“Qingyin’s paintings are better than mine, and her needlework far surpasses mine,” Luo Ziling said earnestly.

This earned him another eye roll from Yang Qingyin and a giggle from Luo Yuqing.

Before Luo Ziling came into the picture, Luo Yuqing and Yang Qingyin knew each other, but their relationship was just average, and they didn’t interact much. It was after Luo Ziling appeared that their relationship grew closer. However, they weren’t genuinely friendly towards each other because they regarded one another as rivals in love.

Yet today, Yang Qingyin was still willing to perform a piece of guqin music in public because today was Luo Yuqing’s birthday.

She had one condition, though: to play the guqin without showing her face.

Luo Yuqing had only made a joking request, not expecting Yang Qingyin to agree. Delighted, she did not hesitate to consent to Yang Qingyin’s condition.

Soon, Yang Qingyin followed Luo Yuqing to the back of the stage.

After a short while, the smooth melody of the guqin sounded again.

The music was still beautiful, and Yang Qingyin’s guqin skills were also very impressive; to Luo Ziling’s ears, they were not inferior to Luo Yuqing’s at all.

Yang Qingyin’s piece was not a traditional classic but a flute melody “Autumn Dusk at the Mountain Residence.”

Luo Ziling’s heart skipped a beat as he recognized that the piece Yang Qingyin played was “Autumn Dusk at the Mountain Residence.”

He knew there was a hidden message in her choice of this piece.

When they had first met, it was this melody that Yang Qingyin had played for him.

What Luo Ziling didn’t expect was that while Yang Qingyin was playing, Luo Yuqing would actually take to the stage to dance.

For the dance, Luo Yuqing had changed into a dress, an incredibly graceful Han costume.

Because she consistently worked out, Luo Yuqing’s figure was amazingly good, with extraordinary flexibility.

A classical dance piece captivated everyone present, even Luo Ziling was left with his eyes wide open.

Soon, he understood that Luo Yuqing was still competing with Yang Qingyin beneath the surface.

If the two were not intent on competing, Yang Qingyin would not be playing the zither today, nor would Luo Yuqing likely be dancing in public.

Though the guests were of high status, they weren’t esteemed enough to make the two women want to perform publicly.

The thought of two beautiful and talented women fighting over him, whether overtly or covertly, made Luo Ziling unable to resist feeling smug.

Naturally, Luo Yuqing’s dance received a thunderous round of applause.

However, the guests, except for a few, did not know that the woman playing the zither was the stunningly beautiful Yang Qingyin.

Therefore, no one cheered for Yang Qingyin, who remained hidden behind the scenes.

Yang Qingyin herself didn’t care about this.

As she returned to Luo Ziling’s side after the performance, she gave him a meaningful look, “How was my zither playing?”

“Very good,” Luo Ziling gave a thumbs-up.

“Definitely not as outstanding as the birthday girl’s dance.”

Seeing a trace of jealousy in Yang Qingyin’s comment, Luo Ziling could only chuckle and say, “Both of your talents are impressive.”

“You’re really annoying, you know that?”

“Not at all!” Luo Ziling replied seriously, “I’ve always thought I’m quite likable. I never consider myself annoying. Look how handsome I am and how pleasing to the eye at first glance. How could you find me annoying?”

Yang Qingyin almost laughed at Luo Ziling’s teasing. But with many people watching them, and though she wanted to pinch Luo Ziling to show her displeasure and retaliate, she ultimately gave up on the idea.

Luo Yuqing also came over, standing close to Luo Ziling with a smile, and asked, “Junior, how was my dance?”

“It was great, quite an eye-opener,” Luo Ziling sincerely praised before adding, “Qingyin’s zither playing was also excellent. Your combined performance of dance and music was classic. I think the guests who had the good fortune to attend today’s birthday party will feel very lucky.”

“The luckiest person here should be you,” Luo Yuqing said with a playful look at Luo Ziling, and then glanced at Yang Qingyin.

Yang Qingyin simply humphed softly, lifting her head with pride.

Seeing both women behaving like this, Luo Ziling knew he better not take sides, so he just chuckled and excused himself, claiming he needed to greet Cao Jianhui and the others, to get away from the two women.

A mountain cannot harbor two tigers, and when the tigresses clash, the innocent are bound to get hurt…