Chapter 49 Atmosphere

  Xiao He's mood today was obviously very good. He drank a lot of wine with Jiang Xu and almost got drunk.

  After dinner, Xiao Zi Qing supported her father back to his room to rest.

  Jiang Xu didn't leave because he promised to teach Xiao Zi Qing how to play the guqin, and his appointment with Ah Gu was after 11 pm, so there was still plenty of time.

  After dinner, the bowls and chopsticks were cleaned up by the nanny. After Xiao He Xi rested, Xiao Zi Qing changed into a light blue lotus leaf collar long dress and came to the second floor's guqin room with Jiang Xu.

  The decoration of the piano room is very classical, and in the middle of the piano room, there is a ancient red sandalwood guqin placed, the varnish on the guqin has a slightly yellowish tint, looking as if it has been around for a very long time.

  Next to the guqin on a wooden rack is placed a sketch of a painting.

  The portrait depicted a beautiful and kind-looking woman, whose appearance and temperament bore a seven or eight out of ten resemblance to Xiao Zi Qing.

  "This guqin was used by my mother and has a history of over thirty years."

  She walked into the piano room, Xiao Zi Qing first lifted the thin veil covering the guqin, then said with some nostalgia: "My mother was a guqin teacher, she played the guqin beautifully, when I was young my dream was to become a guqin teacher just like my mother."

  Jiang Xu didn't say a word, because from Xiao Zi Qing's tone of voice he could tell that her mother was no longer in this world.

  However, when I was in the fourth grade of elementary school, my mother passed away. At that time, a big fire broke out at home and burned many things. This guqin became the last thing my mother left me.

  Xiao Ziqing's tone was tinged with a hint of sadness, for in that great fire, she couldn't even keep a single photo of her mother, and every time she could only rely on memory to recall her mother's loving face.

  In order to remember her mother's appearance, Xiao Ziqing also learned to paint, and the sketch on the shelf next to the guqin was drawn by Xiao Ziqing herself, stroke by stroke.

  Listening to Xiao Zi Qing's words, Jiang Xu couldn't help but flash a hint of sadness in his eyes.

  Xiao Zi Qing still had a memory of the past, but Jiang Xu didn't even have a single thread of memory. Before he could understand things, his mother had already left him, and apart from photos, there was no memory of his mother in Jiang Xu's mind.

  Xiao Zi Qing gradually calmed the sadness in her heart, then softly said: "Jiang Xu, I'll play a 'Plum Blossom Prelude' first, you listen and then point out my shortcomings, okay?"

  "Uh-huh."

  Jiang Xu nodded slightly and sat down cross-legged on the right side of the guqin.

  Xiao Zi Qing sat on the soft cushion behind the guqin, first closing her eyes and focusing her mind, then taking a deep breath, her fingers as white as jade slowly stretching towards the fine strings of the instrument.

  Then, a 'Plum Blossom Melody' slowly resonated from Xiao Zi Qing's nimble fingers.

  Xiao Ziqing obviously has a very high level of skill in playing the guqin, and her music is very pleasant to listen to. However, in Jiang Xu's eyes, this piece of music lacks a bit of the atmosphere that the music itself should convey.

  To put it simply, Xiao Ziqing did not play out the soul of the piano piece itself and failed to resonate with others.

  "Jiang Xu, this Plum Blossom Prelude I'm playing, is it just a form without the spirit?" Xiao Zi Qing asked softly, apparently she also understood her own shortcomings.

  Actually, this plum blossom tune was her mother's favorite piece before she passed away. Xiao Ziqing had always been serious about learning it, but she could never quite bring out the soulful sound that was inherent in the piano piece itself.

  "That's right."

  Jiang Xu thought for a moment before continuing: "You can't play the piano melody itself with its own charm, because you haven't truly felt the atmosphere of the piano melody itself."

  "Jiang Xu, then how can I feel the atmosphere of the piano piece?" Xiao Ziqing's beautiful eyes had a few more expectant glints, she had always wanted to learn this "Plum Blossom Melody" because she wanted to play it for her mother in heaven.

  "It's very simple, just go and experience it for yourself."

  Jiang Xu first responded with a "yes", then he stood up under Xiao Zi Qing's puzzled gaze.

  He walked up behind Xiao Ziqing and said softly, "Ziqing, can you give me your hands?"

  "Uh-huh."

  Xiao Zi Qing didn't know what Jiang Xu was going to do, but she didn't refuse and instead nodded lightly.

  Jiang Xuzhen stretched out his hand from behind and gently hugged Xiao Ziqing, and then lightly placed his palm on Xiao Ziqing's small white hands like jade.

  Xiao Zi Qing did not expect Jiang Xu to suddenly hug her from behind, her body shook violently, and a hint of extreme panic flashed in her eyes.

  Just as Xiao Ziqing wanted to struggle out of Jiang Xu's arms, Jiang Xu's voice, which seemed to have a magical power, softly sounded in her ear: "Ziqing, don't be nervous, close your eyes, relax your mind and listen carefully to the sound of the guqin."

  Xiao Zi Qing felt that Jiang Xu's voice at this moment was like a mysterious and magical power, which made her tense emotions suddenly calm down miraculously.

  However, Jiang Xu's warm and gentle embrace made Xiao Zi Qing's pale face flush red.

  Jiang Xu's palm seemed to be stuck together with Xiao Zi Qing's small hand, and as the sound fell, he began to lead Xiao Zi Qing's slender fingers to play again that ancient famous melody "Plum Blossom Melody".

  The sound of the guqin was like heavenly music, and as she felt each note being played out from between her fingers, Xiao Zi Qing's mind was gradually completely absorbed.

  Xiao Zi Qing could clearly feel that every note she played at this moment seemed to have come alive, and each note seemed to be leading her towards a mysterious yet tangible realm of the soul.

  Xiao Ziqing gradually became lost in the sound of the guqin.

  Her mind was completely immersed in the spiritual realm of the piano melody, just as Jiang Xu said, at this moment, she was almost like being on the scene, experiencing the true soul of the piano melody in a nearly direct way.

  This immersive experience allowed Xiao Zi Qing's understanding of Mei Hua Er to undergo a near-sudden epiphany.

  It wasn't until the last note faded away that Xiao Zi Qing finally came back to her senses from being immersed in the music.

  Her absolutely beautiful face showed a hint of excitement, she subconsciously turned her head back, wanting to share the gains and joy of this moment with Jiang Xu.

  However, Xiao Zi Qing forgot that Jiang Xu was holding her, and as she turned around, those plump little lips lightly touched Jiang Xu's mouth.

  Feeling Jiang Xu's slightly warm breath, as well as the warmth between his lips, in an instant, Xiao Zi Qing's body seemed to have petrified, completely stunned.

  Jiang Xu was also stunned, Xiao Zi Qing's soft and fragrant lips made his breathing almost instantly hot.

  A passionate thought suddenly ignited in Jiang Xu's heart, and he couldn't help but hold onto Xiao Ziying's arm tightly. Not only did he pull her delicate body into his embrace, but his lips also directly landed on hers for a kiss.

  Xiao Zi Qing only felt a momentary blankness in her brain, and then she felt an extremely numb and tingling sensation spreading rapidly from between her lips to her entire body.

  She wanted to struggle and push away Jiang Xu, but Jiang Xu's gradually burning breath and kisses were like flames that melted her, making her body unable to exert any strength.

  Jiang Xuzhen was thoroughly enjoying the soft, fragrant lips unique to Xiao Ziqing's tender sweetness. He slowly pried open Xiao Ziqing's tightly clenched teeth and found her delicate tongue, entwining them wildly together.

  Xiao Ziqing's defense had completely collapsed at this moment, she could only tightly close her beautiful eyes and helplessly endure.

  Jiang Xu held Xiao Zi Qing's palm, at this time he had already gone around from under her armpit and gently covered the proud peaks on her chest, even though they were separated by her clothes, Jiang Xu could still feel that astonishing tenderness and elasticity.

  On the other hand, Jiang Xu's palm slid down along the flat lower abdomen.

  "Don't..."

  Just as Jiang Xu's fingers were about to touch Xiao Zi Qing's most sensitive place, Xiao Zi Qing's body suddenly stiffened, her beautiful eyes snapped open, and then, she didn't know where the strength came from, after a sharp cry, she actually struggled out of Jiang Xu's arms.

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  The first update, there is still one more chapter tonight.