Your Highness, Please Love Me Tender

29. A Melody Long Lost

Translator: Flying Lines

After the bath, Su Jie randomly chose a robe to put on before letting Yu Jiang in, his hair still wet.

“Where is His Highness?” Su Jie asked in a cold tone of voice as he had made up his mind to kill Xiao ShengNian right on the spot at whatever cost if he truly intended to send him away.

“His Highness ordered that you should go find him in the study after lunch,” replied Yu Jiang as he collected the clothes Su Jie had just changed.

Su Jie hummed a single syllable as response as his gaze fell on the books on the desk left by Xiao ShengNian last time he had stayed here for the night. Having been at great leisure in the mansion these days, he had begun to read one of them. The books were well preserved, indicating that their master loved them dearly, and among the pages of which wrote Xiao ShengNian’s notes, ideas, and even his arguments different from what was stated in the books in great detail.

Chin in his hand, Su Jie was lost in thought. He was sure now that this Prince Rui was not meek and week-kneed as rumored or he wouldn’t have so insightful observations and ideas.

Moreover, his handwriting exhibited extreme valor and power in such a graceful and smooth manner which, probably due to the limited space, struck people as messy but when observed in detail, looked extremely pleasing to the eye.

Su Jie read those notes carefully as he waited his hair to dry. Yu Jiang was cleaning up the room as the sunlight shone through the papered window when he suddenly heard Su Jie’s voice, “I want to play guqin.”

Yu Jiang was rendered in a daze, “Guqin? There is one in His Highness’s room.”

Su Jie touched his wet hair while saying in a rather resigned tone of voice, “I can’t see His Highness like this.”

“Please wait a minute, my childe.” With that, he ran out in a hurry and in a short while returned with a guqin in his hand, gasping as sweats ran down his cheeks. Cracking a big smile, he said, “Childe, I got the guqin for you.”

Su Jie thanked the boy and stroked the guqin gently before plucking the strings to feel its tone with his eyes closed.

When he opened his eyes, there was dazzling gleam in them as he played with deftness, bringing out melodious tune with his dancing fingers.

The music brought you far beyond towering mountains to running rivers before it led you to a tranquil fairyland where cows and sheep enjoyed the sweet grass as children ran merrily under the blue sky and wisps of smoke curled up high into the sky from the chimneys in the village.

Then the tune turned melancholy…Yu Jiang couldn’t help but feel sorrowful.

At this point, Zhou Zaiyue was walking to House of Auspice. He had planned to wait in his room for Xiao ShengNian to bring the pendant owner to him but the eagerness was killing him. He couldn’t wait another second. Holding the pendant, he wanted to see the boy immediately.

However, deep down, he was torn between his desire to see the boy and worries that the pendant might have changed hands after all these years. He feared that the thin hope he had been clinging to would then again turn to disappointment. Even at this advanced age of over seventy, he still found it hard to remain calm at this point.

Right as he hesitated, he heard the music. It was a tune so familiar, a tune he had not heard for dozens of years, a tune that made the old man burst into tears.

‘I found him! He knows this tune! He must be the one I’ve been looking for!’ Zhou Zaiyue was overjoyed. He followed the sound in a hurry which led him to the House of Auspice he was originally heading to.

He stopped before the door and closed his eyes to let himself immersed in the music.

Over a dozen years ago, the one who played the tune had too much sorrow and sadness but still infused hope in the end. Now hearing it again, everything was changed. The tune remained the same while the man composed it was long gone.

But one thing remined – hope.

Zhou Zaiyue cracked a smile. Yes, hope. He found the pendant owner. And he found hope.

Not until the melody was finished did Zhou Zaiyue walked through the door.