At this moment,
Tang Manqing felt as if the heavens and earth were spinning.
Liu Yue was no exception.
The two of them stood frozen on the spot, their minds blank, endlessly echoing the single sentence Mei Miao had just spoken.
What did she say? If Young Lord Gu liked it, she would give him this bottle of Heaven's Mystery Snowflower Dew?
Heavens above!
Sister Miao!
Just why?
What kind of act are you putting on?
Earlier, you wouldn't even spare a single drop for us to drink, and just now, you poured him two full cups without a word—now you're going to give him a whole bottle?
The two of them had originally thought Sister Miao had come to help them deal with this imposter. They never imagined Sister Miao not only didn't lift a finger, but was actually going out of her way to please this fraud.
Just why?
No matter how hard they thought, they couldn't wrap their heads around it.
At that moment, a clamor suddenly arose from outside, with screams and shouts.
Gu Qingfeng looked up and gazed over, spotting the woman atop Yunle Peak. He chuckled, "Looks like Miss Xiang'er has taken the stage. This master is about to listen to the music. Are you two staying to listen together, or what?"
"If Young Lord Gu doesn't mind, we would naturally be willing to stay and accompany you in listening to the music."
"Is that so? That's wonderful."
As the sound of the zither began, Gu Qingfeng spoke no more. He closed his eyes and listened carefully to the beautiful melody.
To be honest, the reason Tang Manqing and Liu Yue had come to Yunyou Garden today was to support Lin Xiang'er and to listen once more to her performance.
But now, how could they possibly be in the mood for music? Watching Gu Qingfeng leisurely seated there, leaning against a long pillar, legs crossed, eyes closed, a faint smile playing on his lips—his expression was one of utter enjoyment. With Fei Kui waiting on him at his side, Tang Manqing truly wanted to rush over and give this fellow a good lesson.
However,
she was even more eager to know why Mei Miao was acting this way. So, while Gu Qingfeng was listening to the music, she quickly sent a secret voice transmission to ask, "Sister Miao, what on earth are you doing?
Why give this imposter Heaven's Mystery Snowflower Dew to drink, and even offer to give him more? Have you lost your mind?"
"How dare you speak to your elder sister like that, you brat!"
"That's not what I mean. I'm asking why you're doing this."
"This person's existence is likely not simple, perhaps even more mysterious and terrifying than you imagine."
Tang Manqing felt like crying, "Sister Miao, precisely because this fellow is not simple, we asked you to probe him!"
"Your elder sister did indeed try just now."
She tried?
Hearing this, Tang Manqing and Liu Yue immediately perked up and hurriedly asked, "And then? What was the result?"
"I didn't probe out anything."
This...
Tang Manqing and Liu Yue exchanged a glance, unable to comprehend the meaning of Sister Miao's words.
Didn't probe out anything?
What did that mean?
When they pressed for details, Mei Miao explained, "It means exactly that—I didn't probe out anything."
"Sister Miao, if you didn't probe out anything, why give him Heaven's Mystery Snowflower Dew to drink? You wouldn't even spare us a drop, yet you're prepared to give him a whole bottle!"
"Although your elder sister didn't probe out anything, one thing is certain: his existence absolutely surpasses our imagination. When I probed him earlier, he detected it. Offering him the Heaven's Mystery Snowflower Dew was also a gesture of apology."
"So what if he detected it?
I mean, Sister Miao, aren't you overreacting a bit?"
Mei Miao glanced at the two of them, her voice transmission turning serious. "The existence of some people is not something you can probe just because you want to. The price of probing is not something you can bear just because you say you can. My dear sisters, listen to your elder sister's advice: the plan the three of you discussed earlier—terminate it. Do not attempt to probe him again. Don't probe him in the future either. And his affairs—don't meddle anymore. The further you stay away from this person, the better."
Tang Manqing and Liu Yue stood there dumbfounded, at a loss.
They simply couldn't understand or fathom it. Mei Miao clearly said she hadn't probed out anything, so why was she now speaking with such apprehension toward Gu Qingfeng, this fraud? An apprehension so great that she not only urged them to terminate their plan but also to stay as far away from him as possible?
Why!
"Sister Miao, this fellow used some despicable method to make my granduncle believe his words completely. Could it be that even you...
believe he is Lord Chixiao?"
"I don't know, and I'm not sure whether I should believe it."
The expression on Mei Miao's face was grave. She shook her head and said, "Your granduncle has cultivated for ten thousand years. His experience is vast, and he has seen much of the world. He would never be easily deceived. If he is utterly convinced of this person's identity, then in my opinion, even if he is not the true Lord Chixiao, he is still an existence far beyond what we can imagine."
"But..." Tang Manqing wanted to say more but was cut off by Mei Miao. "No 'buts.' Let this matter end here. Do not bring it up again."
The three of them were secretly discussing via voice transmission.
Meanwhile, beside them, Gu Qingfeng had long since immersed himself in the profound melody.
Back at Linglong Mountain Villa, he had once heard Lin Xiang'er perform, and it was this very piece. At that time, listening to this piece had given him a sense of déjà vu. Hearing it again now, that feeling of familiarity grew even stronger.
Fleetingly, it was as if he had dreamt back to a previous life.
It seemed as if a bewitchingly charming woman was dancing gracefully before him.
It was very hazy, very elusive.
So hazy he only had an impression; so elusive it was like mist and clouds—he couldn't recall anything clearly. He wasn't even sure if it was Lin Xiang'er herself who evoked this feeling in him, or if it was merely this piece of music, or perhaps it was the so-called karma that produced this sense of déjà vu.
Was it karma?
If so,
was it the karma of this life, or the karma of a past life?
Or perhaps it was the karma belonging to the blood of Original Sin?
Gu Qingfeng truly couldn't figure it out.
The only thing he could confirm was that within the memories of these five hundred years of his present life, he had never had any interaction with this Lin Xiang'er.
If it wasn't this life, could it be a past life?
Unclear.
Right now, Gu Qingfeng didn't even know if he had a past life, let alone understand the so-called karma of a past life.
He opened his eyes and gazed at Yunle Peak.
At this moment,
on Yunle Peak,
Lin Xiang'er was dressed in a set of brilliant red ceremonial robes, resplendent like a phoenix crown and robes of state, dazzlingly eye-catching. Truly a delicate and charming rose, intoxicating to behold.
She stood atop the peak, her hands resting on the zither. Her fiery red hair swayed slightly in the wind. Her enchanting face held no seductive or moving expression, only gravity, and even more so, suspicion and doubt.
The piece she was playing was called both 'Dancing Before the Monarch' and 'Soul Returning to Paradise,' also known as 'Dreaming Back to a Past Life.'
As for the true name of this piece, she herself did not know.
She only knew that from the moment she had memories, she seemed born with the ability to play this piece. And every time she played it, she experienced a very complex feeling—that same sense of déjà vu.
It had always been this way.
However, a while ago during her performance at Linglong Mountain Villa, Lin Xiang'er suddenly felt this déjà vu become intensely strong. Later, she discovered it was because of Gu Qingfeng's presence. As for why that person caused her sense of déjà vu to intensify, Lin Xiang'er still couldn't figure it out.
She only knew that such a strong sense of déjà vu had never happened before; that was the first time.
And just now, the feeling of déjà vu had once again grown intense, unsettling Lin Xiang'er's previously calm heart.
Could it be that person was here too?