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“You can sit down.” the man said.
“Oh.” Dahu obediently sat down across from him, folding his little legs underneath himself.
The man raised his hands and began to play another tune on the guqin.
In another side room, the guqin master who was currently teaching Qin Yanran suddenly paused mid-lesson and turned his ears toward the sound, listening intently.
“Teacher……” Qin Yanran was just about to ask what was wrong, then she also heard the sound of guqin music drifting over from the rear courtyard.
A flicker of intense shock flashed through Master Zhang’s eyes, “He actually… he actually…”
This was completely different from the scattered plucking he had heard earlier, which sounded like someone tuning the instrument. This time, it was a full, flowing melody.
Like music from the heavens themselves.
Qin Yanran had always believed herself to be highly talented and skilled at playing the guqin.
But now, after hearing this, she realized what true celestial music sounded like.
The person playing must be Master Zhang’s senior disciple.
She had heard that he’d been under Master Zhang’s tutelage for ten years.
She, on the other hand, hadn’t even studied for half a year.
Thinking about it that way, Qin Yanran suddenly felt assured.
To be able to teach such an outstanding student, her teacher’s skill was unquestionable.
She had indeed chosen the right master.
Given time, she too would surely become one of the top guqin players in the land.
Meanwhile, Su Xiaoxiao had no idea that Dahu had gone off to listen to guqin again.
When she returned home, she only saw two of the little ones and asked, “Where’s Uncle? And where’s Dahu?”
Xiaohu immediately sold out his older brother, “Uncle went poop poop! Dafu… snuck out again, listening to that!”
Listening to that?
Was it guqin?
In the alley, there was only one house known for playing the guqin.
Su Xiaoxiao made her way to the house on the east end.
Qin Canglan had been searching all around the big tree for Dahu, but didn’t see him anywhere.
He grew worried, maybe Dahu had fallen into someone’s yard?
As he turned around and headed to that very house’s entrance, he bumped right into Su Xiaoxiao, who had also come looking for Dahu.
Qin Canglan wasn’t the type of man who would stare at young women on the street.
But Su Xiaoxiao’s round chubby figure was simply too eye-catching.
He caught a glimpse of her out of the corner of his eye.
Huh.
A chubby girl.
Instinctively, he took a second glance.
And then he froze.
That chubby girl’s eyes and brows… looked exactly like his late wife’s.
To be honest, if it were just a slight resemblance in facial features, it wouldn’t have been that striking.
But the thing was, Su Huayin had also been a chubby girl back then.
Su Xiaoxiao raised an eyebrow, “Why are you looking at me like that?”
That arrogant, world-weary tone…
Qin Canglan tilted his head back slightly.
It’s broad daylight… surely he was not dreaming again, right?
No, something was different.
As Qin Canglan studied Su Xiaoxiao, she too was seriously observing him.
Last night, when Su Xiaoxiao had snuck into the Duke Protector’s estate, the room had been pitch-black.
Qin Canglan had been lying behind the bed curtains, and there was not even a shred of light on him.
Besides, someone’s aura when they were asleep versus awake could be entirely different.
So, she didn’t recognize him immediately.
And Qin Canglan hadn’t recognized Su Xiaoxiao either.
She had been dressed like a little ninja turtle last night, with her big forehead all wrapped up, with barely a sliver of her face showing.
More importantly, Qin Canglan had taken painkillers that night and was convinced that he had been dreaming.
In his mind, he had simply missed Su Huayin too much, and so he’d dreamed of her.
Now even a chubby girl on the street was making him hallucinate.
“Ahem, I’m looking for a child.”
Qin Canglan said, breaking the silence.
Even as he said it, he found himself puzzled, why was he explaining his business to a random little girl?
Su Xiaoxiao replied, “Oh. Me too.”
…Wait a second.
Something felt off.
As they both paused in thought, the sound of the guqin in the backyard stopped.