Chapter 132: Master Is Feeling Shy

I dared not enter, standing instead outside the door, watching him in silence.

"Come here."

He tilted his head slightly, his gaze fixed on me as he beckoned with his hand.

"Master, are you still angry with Xiaoyu?" I approached him slowly, head bowed, and asked in a low voice.

"Angry?" He shook his head with a sense of helplessness and sighed. "The reason I did not want you to get involved is that I did not wish for you to be entangled in these affairs. Everyone on Lingyun Mountain is well aware of Fengshi Liuying’s feelings for your Second Master. The only person in this world who remains oblivious, I fear, is your Second Master, Fengqiao Yexue himself."

He looked at me then and continued, "I had already anticipated that you would go to help her. What I did not expect was that you would offend Fairy Landuoer for the sake of someone unrelated to you, nor did I expect that you would think differently from the other disciples here. What they have always deemed a source of shame, you view with such sympathy and pity."

Hearing this, my heart skipped a beat. I was terrified he might discern that my sympathy for Fengshi Liuying stemmed from my own similar journey of the heart.

"Xiaoyu, Xiaoyu..." I stammered, "Xiaoyu just felt that Senior Sister Liuying was so pitiful. I couldn't bear to watch it, so, so... that is why..."

After stumbling over my words for a long time, I still dared not tell him the truth, yet I did not wish to deceive him with more lies.

Zilian seemed to see that I would not speak, and he smiled faintly. "Very well, let these matters pass! I have said that if you wish to help her from the shadows, I shall not interfere. But remember, never let such matters lead to further conflict with your fellow disciples."

"But..." I hesitated.

"No more 'buts.' You must be more cautious in your words and deeds from now on. Remember, never be as reckless as you were today." With that, he set down the icy-white wine cup in his hand, lifted his gaze, and asked, "Did Mengshao deliver a zither this morning?"

A zither? Had he not reminded me, I would have nearly forgotten. The instrument that Fengdudu had asked me to bring to him was still sitting in my Clear Water Pavilion.

"Master, the zither is with me. Please wait here a moment; I will fetch it and bring it to you." I turned and dashed out the door, racing toward the Clear Water Pavilion.

By the time I returned with the instrument, Zilian was already seated at the table. I placed the zither before him, stepped back, and stood quietly to the side to watch.

I had expected him to play a melody, but instead, he simply reached out to touch the body of the zither, his long, slender fingers tracing it inch by inch, his fingertips brushing over the worn, weathered grooves of the wood.

"Do you know how to play?"

He kept his gaze fixed on the zither, not looking at me, and asked in a low voice.

"I do—no, no, no, I don't."

I nodded at first, then suddenly remembered I was supposed to be a mortal whose entire family had perished, so I hurriedly shook my head at him.

"Hmm." He responded with a hum, then placed his hands upon the strings. With a light pluck of his middle finger, a deep, resonant sound began to drift slowly through the room. A few more gentle plucks and pulls, and before I knew it, he was playing in earnest. The melody was at times hurried, at times slow; now like the beating of drums in the sky, now like water dripping onto stone—it was exquisite.

I had to admit, this zither sounded far better in his hands than in mine. Compared to him, my thousands of years of practice felt entirely in vain.

Suddenly, Zilian glanced at me and said, "Return to Clear Water Pavilion. Come back when it is time to eat."

"No."

I wanted to linger and continue listening to him play; I simply could not bear to leave just yet. Pouting, I shook my head and said, "Master, please let me listen a little longer! Just a little while."

I held up my hand, showing half a pinky finger to plead my case.

Zilian shook his head with an expressionless face. "I do not know why, but when you stand there, I feel somewhat uncomfortable playing. It seems my playing is not as good as it usually is. I believe this must be what others refer to as a distraction."

He looked up at me with an innocent expression. "Xiaoyu, you are distracting me."

"Ah?"

I stared at him with my mouth agape. "I—I—I am distracting you, Master?"

"Yes," he nodded slightly, sounding quite certain. "If you were to leave, perhaps I would play better. So, Xiaoyu, you should return to the Clear Water Pavilion."

The way he said that... it sounded suspiciously like he was shooing me away.