Hedonist Prodigy

Chapter 98: Immortal Soul Melody, A Soulmate Hard to Find

A rockery, flowing water, pavilions, and waterside terraces—in the center of the courtyard, several koi carp swam gracefully, occasionally surfacing to create small golden bubbles.

A gentle breeze blew from afar, ruffling the water, breaking branches and leaves, and tousling the hair of the person in the pavilion.

Chen Siran, however, seemed oblivious to her surroundings. She sat quietly in the pavilion in the center of the pond, her slender, delicate fingers moving with varying speeds—sometimes gently and slowly, sometimes swiftly and powerfully—carefully playing the piece according to the sheet music placed beside her.

Zhengzheng…zhengzheng… 

The music flowed from her fingers like a gentle stream, like the clash of swords, like a biting wind, and like the tender whispers between lovers.

Chen Siran had never known that a single piece of music could possess so many variations—various variations that multiplied into countless others, interwoven, layer upon layer, endlessly.

Although she had poured her heart and soul into playing this score, gradually grasping its hundreds of different variations, perfectly blending these myriad changes together remained incredibly difficult.

This made Chen Siran somewhat discouraged; she felt utterly foolish, having failed Jiang Feng’s good intentions.

Thinking of this, Chen Siran sighed softly.

A figure quickly approached along the bluestone path leading from the pavilion to the backyard. It was a middle-aged maid, carrying a steaming plate of breakfast.

“Miss, you’ve been sitting here all night. Have something to eat and then go back to your room to rest,” the maid said with concern.

“Aunt Wu, I’m fine. Don’t worry about me. Go and do your work,” Chen Siran said softly.

“But Miss, you’ll wear yourself out like this,” the middle-aged maid, Aunt Wu, said worriedly.

Chen Siran replied softly, “No, I’m a grown woman. I can take care of myself. Aunt Wu, don’t worry. I know what I’m doing.”

Aunt Wu was still a little worried, but she knew that Chen Siran, though gentle on the surface, was actually very opinionated, with a strong and stubborn personality, quite different from the weak appearance she made.

If it weren’t for this personality, she wouldn’t be working so hard, without sleep or food, just to play a piece of music perfectly.

Aunt Wu didn’t know what special meaning the music score held for Chen Siran, but she understood that Chen Siran had a purpose in doing this.

So she didn’t disturb her any longer, placed the breakfast aside, and quietly left.

Chen Siran didn’t notice when Aunt Wu left. She didn’t feel particularly tired; if she was tired, it was probably mental exhaustion.

After meeting Ji Yan at the Jiang family’s gate, Chen Siran received news that Jiang Feng had disappeared. At first, she didn’t understand what “disappeared” meant, but later, after hearing Ye Qingxuan’s stories and the rumors about the Qin and Li families, she learned that Jiang Feng had committed a grave offense.

Chen Siran didn’t care what Jiang Feng had done; her only concern was his safety. In her view, whatever Jiang Feng did, there must be a reason.

Jiang Feng wasn’t a cruel or malicious person. On the contrary, after getting to know him better, she had even been attracted to his style and way of dealing with people.

What an unrestrained and proud man he was! How could such a thing have happened?

Chen Siran had considered, if possible, doing everything she could to help Jiang Feng—whether it was sending him abroad or helping him resolve his current troubles. However, the troubles in Yanjing were more severe than she had imagined, and beyond her control.

Unable to do anything else, Chen Siran didn’t want to remain idle. She felt she could still do something, so she found the sheet music for the zither, “The Immortal Soul Melody,” a birthday gift Jiang Feng had given her at his birthday banquet.

She decided to use Jiang Feng’s absence from Yanjing to work hard and try to play the piece fluently and perfectly. When Jiang Feng returned, she would play it for him, as a way of repaying his kindness.

Although she didn’t even know if Jiang Feng would return, deep down, Chen Siran wasn’t willing to give up. This was her last hope.

Taking a deep breath, Chen Siran focused her mind, trying to comprehend the myriad variations of “The Immortal Soul Melody.” Her fingers touched the strings again, and she began to play with focused concentration.

After an unknown amount of time, Chen Siran finally sighed softly. Along with her sigh, a faint sigh echoed behind her.

Chen Siran was slightly taken aback, then turned around and noticed a figure had appeared in the pavilion. The figure wore a long purple dress, her cascading black hair flowing down her back. She wore no makeup, her beauty ethereal and otherworldly. The wind ruffled her dress, making her seem as if she might float away at any moment—a breathtaking beauty.

Chen Siran hadn’t even noticed when this person had appeared, but upon recognizing her, she immediately let out a small gasp, stood up, and exclaimed in astonishment, “Sister Zi Ling, what brings you here?”

The girl named Zi Ling smiled slightly and said, “I’ve been here for an hour, and you didn’t even notice me.”

Chen Siran said shyly, “I’m sorry, I was too captivated, no, I was too…” She trailed off, unsure how to continue.

Zi Ling said for her, “Actually, nothing’s wrong. You’re just too engrossed. When people become too absorbed in something, they easily lose their energy and spirit. You look very tired now; you should go back and get some sleep.”

Chen Siran shook her head and said, “I can’t sleep.”

“Is it because of this musical score?” Zi Ling asked.

Chen Siran nodded slightly, a hint of disappointment in her eyes. Zi Ling immediately knew this was indeed the case, and also, driven by curiosity, she asked, “May I take a look?”

“Of course, sister, you are proficient in all the arts—music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. Perhaps a little guidance could give me some inspiration,” Chen Siran said.

Zi Ling then picked up the musical score and began to look at it. At first glance, the title seemed a bit strange; it was called “The Immortal Soul Melody.” She sighed inwardly at the audacity of the title. Could this piece of music really be so enchanting that even immortals would be captivated by it? But as she read on, Zi Ling gasped in shock, her beautiful eyes widening in disbelief. She asked in a trembling voice, “Siran, who gave you this sheet music?”

Chen Siran replied, “It was a birthday present from a friend.”

“A birthday present? A birthday present?” Zi Ling sighed inwardly. What a generous gesture! Someone would casually give away something like this as a birthday gift. Did that person not know the profound meaning of this sheet music?

After a moment’s thought, Zi Ling realized this was possible. She had listened to Chen Siran play for over an hour, and Chen Siran’s playing remained disjointed and out of tune. While the scattered notes weren’t lacking in beauty and were still captivating, it was clear that she hadn’t grasped the essence of the “Immortal Soul Melody,” and couldn’t even express ten percent of its meaning.

In other words, the person who gave Chen Siran the “Immortal Soul Melody” as a birthday gift hadn’t explained these things to her. Otherwise, given Chen Siran’s exceptional intelligence, she certainly wouldn’t have played it so poorly.

But Zi Ling still asked, “Siran, can you tell me who gave it to you?”

Chen Siran didn’t know why Zi Ling would ask this, because she knew that due to her status, Zi Ling wasn’t someone who liked to pry. On the contrary, Zi Ling had always been a being beyond worldly concerns. If she hadn’t met Zi Ling by chance when she was a child, she wouldn’t have been qualified to know someone of such status.

After a slight hesitation, Chen Siran said, “His name is Jiang Feng.”

“Jiang Feng?” Zi Ling had never heard this name before and found it rather ordinary. She asked, “Can I see him?”

Chen Siran’s voice was slightly hoarse as she said, “I doubt it. He’s already left Yanjing. I’ve been trying to contact him, but I can’t reach him. Perhaps he won’t come back.”

Zi Ling sighed for the third time, this time feeling a pang of regret. The person who could give Chen Siran such a gift was definitely not an ordinary person; even if they were, they must have had some extraordinary experiences.

Zi Ling didn’t ask any more questions. She held the Immortal Soul Melody and looked at it for a while. Before she knew it, she was sitting in the spot Chen Siran had just been in, her hands caressing the strings.

As Zi Ling’s slender, white fingers danced across the strings, Chen Siran was initially surprised, then awestruck, and finally completely captivated, unable to pull herself away for a long time.

She had practiced the “Immortal Soul Melody” for many days, never knowing it could be played like this. Compared to Zi Ling, she was practically playing child’s play, barely scratching the surface.

Chen Siran’s mind trembled with the music. Various images flashed through her mind: poignant love, the pursuit of immortality, the yearning for becoming a celestial being, an untamed soul, the heart of an undying powerhouse…

Gradually, two clear tears slid down Chen Siran’s cheeks.

So this was the true essence of the “Immortal Soul Melody.” Jiang Feng hadn’t lied to her, but he disdained to explain it to anyone, for any explanation would be blasphemy.

Just ten minutes later, a crisp “clang” rang out. Zi Ling’s fingers swiftly flicked, snapping a string. Zi Ling looked down, staring blankly at the broken string, then at her cut finger, feeling a strange sense of disorientation. Her performance was less than a tenth complete, and even with her comprehension abilities, she had only grasped about three or four tenths of the “Immortal Soul Melody.” Even so, she felt a deep sense of exhaustion, otherwise the strings wouldn’t have snapped.

Just as Chen Siran had many associations, the moment the music began, countless reveries inevitably arose in her mind, reveries that, to some extent, overturned her worldview.

“Becoming an immortal? Becoming an immortal? But do immortals really exist in this world? If so, where are they?” Her eyes closed quietly, Zi Ling’s heart was filled with unbearable shock.

*****

Five minutes later, Chen Siran and Zi Ling returned to their room. Neither of them mentioned a word about what had just happened.

Aunt Wu was overjoyed to see Chen Siran return to rest. She quickly made two cups of tea and made room for Chen Siran and Zi Ling to talk.

“Sister Zi Ling, what brings you to Yanjing this time? It’s been three or four years since we last saw each other,” Chen Siran asked.

Zi Ling sipped her tea, remained silent for a moment, and then said softly, “Something happened, and I’m feeling a bit unsettled. I happened to be passing through Yanjing, so I thought I’d come and see you.”

“What exactly happened?” Chen Siran recalled the sigh she had heard in the pavilion, and now felt that sigh was so melancholic. Zi Ling remained silent for a short while before saying bitterly, “Siran, I think I killed someone.”

“Killed someone?” Chen Siran’s beautiful eyes widened, startled, not knowing how such a thing could have happened. She then said, “Sister Zi Ling, I know you’re not an ordinary person, but you never bully others. If you killed someone, it was a bad person.”

Zi Ling smiled bitterly, “I don’t know if he was a bad person, because he didn’t look like one. Or rather, I don’t even know if he’s dead. Because he killed five people and tried to kill my Xiao Hei, I fought him. I didn’t intend to kill him; I just thought he was too awful and wanted to teach him a lesson. He paused, then he ran away, and I chased him for a while, but I couldn’t catch him.”

Chen Siran wasn’t so scared anymore, and chuckled, saying, “So what did he look like? How come you didn’t think he was a bad person?”

Zi Ling shyly described the man’s appearance. Chen Siran thought she had misheard and asked Zi Ling to repeat it. Only after confirming she hadn’t misheard did she exclaim, “Oh no! That person is Jiang Feng! Sister Zi Ling, you must be mistaken! He definitely isn’t a bad person!”

Chen Siran was instantly stunned. She never expected that such a thing would happen so soon after she had just learned some of the true meaning of the Immortal Soul Melody. Her heart was in turmoil.

“Jiang Feng? The Jiang Feng who gave you the Immortal Soul Melody?” Zi Ling was also stunned, never expecting things to be so coincidental.

Chen Siran said urgently, “If I’m not mistaken and I heard correctly, that person must be Jiang Feng. But why would he go to Changbai Mountain, and why did you injure him?”

“I don’t know,” Zi Ling replied silently. She had encountered Jiang Feng by chance while gathering herbs in the canyon that day, and didn’t know who he was. She had never killed anyone, and felt guilty ever since, suspecting she might have killed Jiang Feng.

“No, I have to go to Changbai Mountain.” Chen Siran felt something was amiss. Regardless of Jiang Feng’s reasons for going to Changbai Mountain, the fact that Zi Ling had injured him meant he might be in danger.

Zi Ling felt increasingly guilty, vaguely realizing she might have made a mistake. She said apologetically, “Siran, I’m sorry, I have other things to do and can’t go with you. If you find Jiang Feng, please contact me. I’ll personally apologize to him and compensate him for the damage.”

Chen Siran nodded absentmindedly, saying “okay,” but her heart was already set on Changbai Mountain!

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