One Lifetime Is Never Enough

1.40 Overture

Their second piece finally ended, and this time, there was a soft but audible clap from the audience.

It was Princess XiuYa, earnestly clapping her hands in excitement.

She was so enthralled with the song that had just ended, especially when suddenly the leaves just seemed to magically fluttered down in a flurry to accompany both of the players' dialogue through their zithers.

She could not help but to also wish to be the female guqin player. She had been under tutelage by Master Liu YangHuan, and she herself was considered skilled in guqin and a variety of other instruments. Surely she could create that magic as well?

"Especially if I can play that song with him...," she couldn't help but to blush at this thought.

Then she realized that she was not supposed to clap or make any noise until the end of the performance. She lowered her head as her blush deepened, now in embarrassment. 

She peeked at SongLi from her lowered head at the male platforms.

And saw Ji SongLi looking at her, clearly noticing her disruption. 

Then she could see his lips lifted as he shook his head slightly in helplessness. But there was no annoyance nor reprimand on his still gentle expression.

Princess XiuYa gripped her palm with her other hand, calming herself down. She was genuinely afraid that Chao MeiHua would be able to hear her loudly beating heart.

YuLan stood and walked to the edge to the platform. Xiao Hui was already standing there to hand her an erhu - the same erhu that she had received from the inn-owner when they first arrived in Da Lang.

She gave her guqin - SongLi's guqin - to Xiao Hui and smiled in gratitude, and was given an encouraging grin as the other girl walked away towards the male platform. SongLi took his guqin as he gave HeShan's guqin back to the latter.

As SongLi sat down, he noticed YuLan's gaze on him. There was a faint concern in her eyes, and he just nodded in assurance.

He knew what she was worried about. After all the next piece they intended to play was the instrumental piece that SongLi had been having constant nightmares about - though he was not entirely sure of what the nightmare was. 

All he knew that the sound in his head, the sound that gave voice to the song's melody, was getting louder and clearer.

He knew the song was supposed to mean something. It was supposed to remind him of something. But he could not figure out what. Or why.

HeShan and SunChen were adamant that they had to play the new piece to these extinguished guests. Initially HeShan offered to learn the guqin part for himself to perform, but SongLi rejected it. He wanted to perform the qin part. 

Finally, HeShan and YuLan relented. HeShan would sit behind him with his own guqin, and will be ready to salvage and continue on the performance if by any chance SongLi could not manage to continue.

For SongLi, it was obvious -- regardless whichever part, there must be no one else other than him or YuLan should perform this particular song.

It was as if, this song was intricately linked to their souls. 

As YuLan received his steady gaze back and his smile, she could only swallow her concern. It was too late anyway, SongLi had strummed his guqin, signalling the start of the song.