“May I be so bold as to ask, Young Master Zhou, where did you learn to play the guqin like that? I am shallow in my knowledge and have never seen such a technique before.”
Listening to Empress Su Caiwei’s slightly curious inquiry, Zhou Fan’s eyes suddenly showed a look of reminiscence.
He thought back to the past in the Zhou Family of the Cultivation World.
Before he was eighteen, Zhou Fan was indeed quite proficient in music, as he had diligently studied the Hundred Arts of Cultivation in the Zhou Family then, and the zither, chess, calligraphy, and painting were four of those arts.
The most crucial thing was that his childhood sweetheart from back then particularly liked the way Zhou Fan played the zither, so Zhou Fan put a lot of effort into practicing his zither skills.
Zhou Fan still remembered when the Zhou Family and the Luo Family jointly held a grand competition of the Hundred Arts of Cultivation for those under eighteen.
And in that year’s zither competition, the Sixteen-year-old Zhou Fan, with a song from his previous life, “Phoenix Seeking Phoenix,” and his superb zither playing skills, directly won the top prize.
He still remembered that as soon as Zhou Fan won the top prize, his childhood sweetheart eagerly threw herself into his arms, then raised Zhou Fan’s hand, which was tightly clasped with hers, as high as possible.
It was as if she was showing off to everyone present that Zhou Fan belonged to her, and that the song “Phoenix Seeking Phoenix” was also composed by Zhou Fan for her.
Although the young Zhou Fan at that time had lived two lives and possessed rich theoretical knowledge, it was his first time truly tasting the sweetness of “love,” so he did not feel that his childhood sweetheart’s actions were inappropriate.
After that zither competition, the song “Phoenix Seeking Phoenix” became incredibly popular in the cultivation regions where the Zhou and Luo families were located.
During that period, all cultivators in those two regions of the Cultivation World knew that the main branch of the Zhou Family had produced a Qilin Son of unparalleled talent and astonishing brilliance.
And this song, “Phoenix Seeking Phoenix,” was his painstaking creation for his beloved childhood sweetheart, Zhou Yuan.
For a time, the “love” story of Zhou Fan and his childhood sweetheart, their innocent childhood affection and unwavering devotion, was widely spread, and that period was also when Zhou Fan’s childhood sweetheart clung to him the most.
Later…
Later, Zhou Fan mistakenly entered this Fan Realm, and after struggling for most of his life without success.
Zhou Fan diligently taught Chu Yanran while also picking up these skills again to pass the time and find solace.
Zhou Fan still remembered that Chu Yanran, in her red dress, also greatly enjoyed the sight of him playing the zither.
Chu Yanran once said, “Master’s zither music sounds broad and melodious, but upon closer listening, one can discern a hint of melancholy mixed within.”
“That delicate sorrow of unfulfilled ambition makes me, your disciple, involuntarily want to comfort Master.”
“Moreover, when Master plays the zither, your demeanor is not at all as decadent as usual; it has an air of an Immortal, a refined and jade-like banished Immortal.”
“That kind of grace and charm always makes me, your disciple, wonder if Master must have been a rare beauty in his youth, one hard to find in a thousand years.”
“If Master were a bit younger, your disciple might truly fall for you.”
Whenever this happened, Zhou Fan would pretend to scold Chu Yanran sternly.
But as soon as Chu Yanran, his most beloved disciple, acted spoiled, Zhou Fan could not bear to be harsh with her anymore.
After cultivating Chu Yanran into a talent, the weathered Zhou Fan, although he could no longer play songs like “Phoenix Seeking Phoenix.”
But he thought that his Transmigration to this world was not a complete failure; at least before his death, he had Yaya, who was like family, and his sweet and filial good disciple, Chu Yanran, by his side, which made Zhou Fan feel that his life had not been too much of a failure.
So he would occasionally play ancient guqin pieces like “High Mountains and Flowing Water.”
But…
Alas, let’s not dwell on the past.
Now that I, Zhou, have the System in hand, yesterday’s setbacks are merely minor trials.
Zhou Yuan, Chu Yanran, you must wait for me in the Cultivation World.
Especially Chu Yanran, with her Heavenly Spiritual Root Aptitude for ice, she is simply the most perfect machine!
Hehehe…
“Young Master Zhou? Young Master Zhou?” Empress Su Caiwei looked at Zhou Fan, who had suddenly fallen silent, thinking she had said something wrong, so she quickly tried to mend the situation.
“Young Master Zhou, I was presumptuous just now.”
“As an apology, I am willing to play another flute piece for Young Master Zhou.”
Zhou Fan heard Empress Su Caiwei’s words and came back to his senses. He looked at the peerless beauty who had already begun to play a beautiful flute melody and smiled slightly.
With a slight movement of his fingers, the perfectly synchronized flute and zither sounds once again flowed through the small courtyard.
Feeling the zither sound intertwining with her flute melody, Empress Su Caiwei felt as if her heart was like the guqin on the stone table.
Being wantonly teased by Zhou Fan’s nimble zither strings.
After the song finished, Zhou Fan looked up at Empress Su.
He found that the elegant and dignified Empress Su’s fair, tender face was now completely flushed.
Sensing Empress Su’s evasive gaze, Zhou Fan knew.
Empress Su was flustered by his piece, which focused on the flute with the zither intertwining softly as a complement.
If he struck while the iron was hot, he might be able to advance his progress in conquering Empress Su to the point of holding hands.
But Zhou Fan’s goal was to make Empress Su Caiwei abandon her status and reserve as Empress and proactively make a move on him, so Zhou Fan merely smiled in a way that made people feel like they were basking in a spring breeze.
“Your Majesty’s flute skills are truly exceptional. Playing these two pieces with Your Majesty today truly gives me a feeling of exhilaration, as if I have found a true confidant.”
“Although I wish to delve deeper with Your Majesty, by my calculations, my wife should be waking up soon.”
“My wife was too tired last night, and I need to go prepare a few bowls of hot porridge to nourish her.”
“I have already imposed for quite some time, so I shall take my leave first.”
After bowing, Zhou Fan put away his guqin and stood up, preparing to leave.
Empress Su Caiwei, who was still immersed in the joint performance, saw Zhou Fan about to leave and immediately wanted to keep him a little longer to ask for guidance on musical techniques.
But after hearing Zhou Fan’s words, the very thin-skinned Empress Su did not know what reason to use to persuade Zhou Fan to stay.
After all, he had just said he was going to prepare breakfast for his own woman, and the reason was…
Wait, what was the reason?
Young Master Zhou just said his wife was too tired last night?
What could make Young Master Zhou’s wife so tired?
In that instant, Empress Su Caiwei thought of some extremely embarrassing things.
Empress Su raised her head and secretly observed Young Master Zhou’s physique beneath his loose robe, as well as those obviously bulging muscles.
Oh my goodness, a normal man shouldn’t be that strong, should he?
Although Empress Su Caiwei was inexperienced, as an Empress, she had specialized tutors and understood quite a lot.
Looking at Zhou Fan’s broad chest, and then thinking about what Zhou Fan had just said, Empress Su Caiwei, the current Empress who had always kept herself isolated, felt her mind almost melt.
It wasn’t until she vaguely saw Zhou Fan out of the courtyard gate, having agreed for him to visit often when he had time, that Empress Su Caiwei sat on the cold stone bench for a while before she recovered.
She rubbed her full thighs; just from this brief time spent with Zhou Fan, Empress Su no longer felt so resistant to being sent here.
In fact, she even had a faint sense of anticipation.