Phoenix Rising

021

The crown prince and the other male guests followed Minister Ouyang over the bridge, walking over to the garden where the ladies were seated. They made sure to greet the matriarch of the family first, with the prince conveying his mother's regards to the old lady. He had brought along a hundred-year-old ginseng from the palace, a rare herb that was rumoured to be able to extend one's life by many years. Even for a minister as high-ranking as Minister Ouyang and a lady as well-respected as his mother, having the crown prince personally visit to convey his well wishes was a great honour. It was no wonder the minister and his family were all smiles.

The sudden appearance of the male guests caught Zi-ning in a rather awkward situation. She remained seated on the stage behind the zither, since it seemed inappropriate to stand and leave at this instant. When everyone was done greeting the old madam, Prince Ru-quan decided that it was an opportune time to turn everyone's attention back on her by walking over and saying, "What a wonderful piece you just played, Miss Han," he said, smiling warmly at her. "What's its title? I don't think I've ever heard it before."

Zi-ning got up and curtseyed. "The title of the piece is 'Wu Wang', Your Highness," she answered. Never Forget. "I composed it myself a while back."

"You composed it yourself? Now that's impressive," the prince said.

"She's obviously lying, that little vixen," Ouyang Sangya muttered, visibly upset with the attention that the prince was giving to Zi-ning. She glared across the table at Minjing, who had been responsible for setting this entire scene up. "Fantastic idea you had there, getting Han Zi-ning to play a piece for us," she sneered.

Not only had Zi-ning not embarrassed herself, she had played a piece that had brought tears to people's eyes. Even though they all knew that Zi-ning's zither-playing skills were still not up to par to many of the girls here, the emotions that resonated in her music was what touched the hearts of the audience.

"How is that a girl like you could compose something so full of... full of..." The prince struggled to find the right word he needed to use.

"Of pain."

Everyone turned to look at the man who had finished the crown prince's sentence, the man in black with the silver mask who had been standing quietly at the side. Many of the young ladies had been secretly glancing in his direction ever since the men joined them in the garden.

"Yes, yes, I suppose that's the word I was looking for," Ru-quan said, turning to Zhenghuan and nodding in agreement. "It felt like there was so much pain and anguish in the melody, so much so that it could break hearts."

Zi-ning looked up at the Shadow Lord, trying to read what he was truly thinking behind that mask of his. All she could see were his dark irises, pale lips and the chiseled angles of his jawline. He looked like he could be a handsome man, but who knew what scars lay beneath that mask?

What sort of a man doesn't dare face the world with his real face?

When their eyes met, her heart stopped for a moment. It was a bizarre sensation, meeting his gaze. As someone who had been reborn, she had thought that there was no one on this world who could unnerve her anymore, yet when she looked into his eyes, her instincts were to withdraw into her shell. It was as if she wasn't the one trying to see into his mind—he was the one trying to peer into hers. The way his dark eyes pierced directly towards her made her uncomfortable, like he was trying to uncover the secrets she had carefully hidden inside.

She lowered her gaze. "Thank you for your compliment, Your Highness," she said to Prince Ru-quan. "It was just something written in the spur of the moment. My zither skills are but mediocre."