The crown prince and the other male guests followed Minister Ouyang over the bridge, walking over to the garden where the ladies were seated. They made sure to greet the matriarch of the family first, with the prince conveying his mother's regards to the old lady. He had brought along a hundred-year-old ginseng from the palace, a rare herb that was rumoured to be able to extend one's life by many years. Even for a minister as high-ranking as Minister Ouyang and a lady as well-respected as his mother, having the crown prince personally visit to convey his well wishes was a great honour. It was no wonder the minister and his family were all smiles.
The sudden appearance of the male guests caught Zi-ning in a rather awkward situation. She remained seated on the stage behind the zither, since it seemed inappropriate to stand and leave at this instant. When everyone was done greeting the old madam, Prince Ru-quan decided that it was an opportune time to turn everyone's attention back on her by walking over and saying, "What a wonderful piece you just played, Miss Han," he said, smiling warmly at her. "What's its title? I don't think I've ever heard it before."
Zi-ning got up and curtseyed. "The title of the piece is 'Wu Wang', Your Highness," she answered. Never Forget. "I composed it myself a while back."
"You composed it yourself? Now that's impressive," the prince said.
"She's obviously lying, that little vixen," Ouyang Sangya muttered, visibly upset with the attention that the prince was giving to Zi-ning. She glared across the table at Minjing, who had been responsible for setting this entire scene up. "Fantastic idea you had there, getting Han Zi-ning to play a piece for us," she sneered.
Not only had Zi-ning not embarrassed herself, she had played a piece that had brought tears to people's eyes. Even though they all knew that Zi-ning's zither-playing skills were still not up to par to many of the girls here, the emotions that resonated in her music was what touched the hearts of the audience.
"How is that a girl like you could compose something so full of... full of..." The prince struggled to find the right word he needed to use.
"Of pain."
Everyone turned to look at the man who had finished the crown prince's sentence, the man in black with the silver mask who had been standing quietly at the side. Many of the young ladies had been secretly glancing in his direction ever since the men joined them in the garden.
"Yes, yes, I suppose that's the word I was looking for," Ru-quan said, turning to Zhenghuan and nodding in agreement. "It felt like there was so much pain and anguish in the melody, so much so that it could break hearts."
Zi-ning looked up at the Shadow Lord, trying to read what he was truly thinking behind that mask of his. All she could see were his dark irises, pale lips and the chiseled angles of his jawline. He looked like he could be a handsome man, but who knew what scars lay beneath that mask?
What sort of a man doesn't dare face the world with his real face?
When their eyes met, her heart stopped for a moment. It was a bizarre sensation, meeting his gaze. As someone who had been reborn, she had thought that there was no one on this world who could unnerve her anymore, yet when she looked into his eyes, her instincts were to withdraw into her shell. It was as if she wasn't the one trying to see into his mind—he was the one trying to peer into hers. The way his dark eyes pierced directly towards her made her uncomfortable, like he was trying to uncover the secrets she had carefully hidden inside.
She lowered her gaze. "Thank you for your compliment, Your Highness," she said to Prince Ru-quan. "It was just something written in the spur of the moment. My zither skills are but mediocre."
"If your skills are mediocre then no one can be considered an expert. Don't you agree, Zhenghuan?"
"It is the piece that impressed, more than skill," Du Zhenghuan replied bluntly.
Zi-ning couldn't resist looking up at the man once more, this time out of curiosity. He was a mystery. It was obvious by now that he was a man of few words, yet every time he opened his mouth to speak she was surprised by him. Unlike other men, including the crown prince, who never forgot to be diplomatic with their words especially in the presence of ladies, the Shadow Lord didn't seem to care for that and preferred to speak his mind, even if it might offend. He was openly denouncing her zither skills, yet she wasn't offended in the least. In fact, a slight smile tugged at her lips. It was ironic, she thought, that the only person who was truthful was the one who wore a mask.
Ru-quan cleared his throat, looking a little stumped by Zhenghuan's curt response. Laughing awkwardly, he said, "Well, I think we've overstayed our welcome here. Shall we leave the ladies be and adjourn back to the front hall?"
Even though the host of today's celebration was Minister Ouyang, the man of the house had no say in the presence of the crown prince. Since the prince had given the word, the minister could only nod in agreement and usher the male guests back towards the outer quarters.
When they finally left, Zi-ning descended from the stage and made her way back to her seat, though not before receiving a few more praises from Old Madam Ouyang and some of the other family matriarchs. She could sense the animosity coming from all the younger ladies the moment she sat back down, most of all from Ouyang Sangya, but she ignored them all and calmly sipped on her tea as if nothing had happened.
"Where did you learn to play like that?" Zhenzhu whispered into her ear once the performances had resumed on stage. "That was incredible!"
"I had plenty of time to practise at Taishan," Zi-ning replied, smiling at her friend.
"But wasn't that piece a bit too heavy-going to be playing at a birthday celebration? I was almost worried that the old madam would be offended by it."
"It's the only one I know."
"You're joking!"
Zi-ning shook her head. She had tried parts of other music pieces but she hadn't learnt any one in its entirety. They didn't resonate with her. Someone carrying as much hatred and pain inside as she was could never find joy in playing those generic, beautiful melodies that other young ladies enjoyed.
Although Meiyan hadn't said a word since she returned to the table, Zi-ning could see how her knuckles were showing under her fair skin as her fists clenched themselves on and off. The girl was trying so hard to control her jealousy that it was almost funny. She wondered whether Meiyan would try pushing her into the water again, especially after what had taken place.
When the meal was over, the ladies began standing up and mingling around, some switching tables to catch up with old friends while others linked arms and admired the flowers in the garden.
Zi-ning stayed with Zhenzhu, the two of them walking along the edge of the lake, admiring the lotus flowers that were in full bloom.
"The crown prince seems to have taken an interest in you," Zhenzhu teased.
"Why? Does that make you jealous?"
Her friend looked appalled, immediately shaking her head. "Of course not! Why would I be? I haven't got any interest in marrying a prince," she exclaimed. She hooked her arm around Zi-ning's, studying her reaction carefully. "Seriously though, what do you think of the crown prince? He's very much a gentleman, and he's good looking, and he fancies you. Isn't that what every girl looks for in a man? So many of the other girls would kill to be in your shoes."
Zi-ning laughed, shaking her head. "I guess I'm not like the other girls."
"So you don't like the crown prince?" Zhenzhu frowned. "But why? He'll be the future king!"
The suggestion that she didn't like the crown prince would probably sound ridiculous to anyone, so Zi-ning wasn't surprised by Zhenzhu's reaction. If she had met him first in her previous life then perhaps she might have fallen for the man, just like the other young ladies, but unfortunately that hadn't happened.
Because I no longer have the heart to love anyone.
"I don't have to like him just because he's the crown prince," she replied instead.
"That's true. Don't be like the Ouyang Sangya and your awful sister Meiyan. They're obviously just interested in his position. They'd marry a pig if the pig was the crown prince of the kingdom."
Just when the girls were sharing a laugh about the joke, a snide voice came drifting from behind them. It belonged to Sangya, who was accompanied by Song Lanfang and her cousin Ouyang Liru.
"Some girls nowadays just have no shame, do they? Willing to put themselves out there like some courtesan just to get men's attention."