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" while you play that,
may i read you a verse? "
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the guzheng was your favourite instrument in xingqiu's wealthy home. he had many musical instruments as well as many shelves of books of different kinds of history; poems; and the art of war, fighting, and diversity.
you only paid attention to the guzheng however, as your fingers had a special talent for the thin strings of the guzheng. you needn't any protection for your fingers, as they would strum across the strings beautifully, and xingqiu enjoyed the soft strums of the chinese instrument while he read in the study.
the guzheng in his traditional chinese home was made by bamboo, animal teeth, and a combination of many beautiful jades, as well as the nocticulous jades. as your thumb rotated rapidly around the same string of note, it produced a beautiful tremolo effect.
you never realised it, but xingqiu would always look up from his book to watch your beautiful finger pluck and strum across the painful strings that once slit your skin. he would always admire from afar, as you would always be playing so seriously.
he had many other instruments, like the bamboo flutes, but you always proffered to play the guzheng instead. xingqiu never complained, and it was never noisy; he loved you playing for him.
he flipped the pages of his book while he leaned his body against yours as you plucked away, strumming the strings over and over again, sometimes rotating on the same string again to create a tremolo tune, something of a comfort to his ears.
you looked at him for a brief moment, and then back at your guzheng. you smiled. "xingqiu dear, what are you up to?"
"your fingers are beautiful, y/n," he said quietly as he read the traditional wording of chinese literature, learning more everyday.
you smiled lightly as you focused on your playing, blushing ever so slightly. you hummed in response as he leaned in closer to you, slightly pushing you in a way; you knew what he was doing, he was bothering you again.
"xingqiu ahhh... i'm trying to play," you whined slightly, laughing at how cute he was bring, your fingers still on the thin strings.
"it may be selfish of me, but i do want your attention as well, you have been playing for the past five hours, my dear, are you not tired?"
"if its something i enjoy doing, i would never feel tired," you said. "just like how you read your books."
he chuckled as he shut his book and placed it aside as he wrapped his arms around your thin waist, taking in the scent of his young wife. your long black hair fell over your shoulders, having being dressed in a beautiful white and lightly blue accented hanfu.
"i love you," he whispered quietly into your ear as he nuzzled his face into your neck. you giggled a little, knowing how desperate he must be to want your attention.
you strummed the strings as you recalled the day his father agreed to take you in as the daughter in law, for you were the prettiest girl in the village; as well as the most intelligent, and you were very well-mannered. although you and xingqiu married quite young at age, you two had never been happier.
he fell in love with you the moment he saw you in the village plaza, strumming the guzheng that was always there. he had met you and conversed with you even before his father had ordered him to marry you.
it was a beautiful wedding day.
"i love you too," you sang softly as you plucked on the strings, rotating on the same string again and again, before finally stopping to let your fingers rest. you placed them on your lap as you stared down at your loving husband. "why are you so clingy today, my dear?"
he giggled cutely as he brought his face up to kiss your lips; holding your hands in place as he kissed your lips repeatedly. he kissed you so many times you ended up on the wooden floor of his study, with him on top of you, still sinking his lips into yours; tasting the sweet berries of your lips.
he kissed you over and over again; wanting to show his wife how much he truly adored her. he pinned your arms above your head as his lips worked with yours, dancing together. you let out a muffled sound, and he smiled before giving your lips one final peck before pulling away to look into your eyes.
"what are you planning?" you asked, bringing your hands to the front of your chest once he unpinned them. he smiled down at you as his blue hair fell slightly over his eyes.
"you know, father has encouraged us to have children already," he said gently, stroking your face, trying his best not to scare you. he leaned down to kiss your lips, making you blush.
"xingqiu... we are still quite young.." you said shyly as you looked away from his eyes. he chuckled and pulled your face back to face him, then proceeded to kiss you again.
he didn't want you to be scared; and he wanted you to feel safe with him. he wasn't in a rush, and he most definitely didn't want you to feel inclined to have kids at your age, he wasn't ready to be a father just yet; he still wanted to enjoy youth with you.
"i know," he stroked your cheek with the back of his fingers before pulling you up to sit inside his lap as he crossed his legs. he hugged you gently and kissed the top of your head. "i'm just telling you, but my dear, don't feel forced. i love you, and i don't want you to feel inclined to have children so quickly."
you pressed your forehead against his as you smiled, intertwining your hands with his. "i love you, xingqiu."
he hummed and then pulled away. he held out his palm and created a small water bubble above his palm, and you giggled before swinging your hand above the bubble, and you watched as it slowly froze into a frozen circle.
he smiled before slowly morphing the beautiful circle smaller with the help of your cryo, turning it into the shape of a small frozen flower. he gently slid the flower into the side of your hair where he had braided this morning for you during breakfast.
"you are too cute," he said, pinching your cheeks. you blushed and hugged him close as he picked up his book from the side, rocking you two side from side slightly.
"and you're lovely.." you mumbled, shutting your eyes as you hugged him slightly tighter.
"would you like me to read for you?" he asked softly, and you nodded with a smile.
"yes please~"
xingqiu nodded and flipped open his book, smiling at the page he was on, and began reading;
"
织云弄巧，
飞星传恨，
银汉迢迢暗度。
金风玉露一相逢，
便胜却人间无数。
柔情似水，
佳期如梦，
忍顾鹊桥归路。
两情若是久长时，
又岂在朝朝暮暮。
"
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[ translation ]
clouds float like works of art,
stars shoot with grief at heart,
across the milky way the cowherd
meets the maid.
when autumn's golden wind
embraces dew of jade,
all the love scenes on earth,
however many, fade.
their tender love flows like a stream,
their happy date seems but a dream,
how can they bear a separate homeward way?
if love between both sides can last for aye,
why need they stay together night and day?
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