bookbashuk Chapter 257 She Heard Her Heartbeat in the Music
Chapter 257 She Heard Her Heartbeat in the Music
"Exactly." Feng Changyuan smiled. "The music is melodious, and the lyrics are graceful. Even if you don't understand Wu dialect, you can feel calm just by listening to the tune."
Feng Lie scratched his head and interjected, "Brother Chang Yuan has refined tastes. If you ask me, modern music is more exciting. Especially rock music, with its thumping and clanging, it's just so enjoyable to listen to."
"Brother Lie, you listen to rock music?" Feng Xiaolu chuckled. "I thought you only listened to the whooshing sound of the furnace when refining medicine."
"Go away, go away." Feng Lie glared at her, but couldn't help glancing at the wooden guitar hanging on the wall behind the bar. "Hey, look, there's a guitar here. Xiao Hao can play this?"
Yin Xiaohao had just finished serving drinks to another table when he heard this. He turned around and smiled, "I know a little bit. I just play around with it occasionally. Sometimes customers at the bar want to sing a couple of songs, so we're prepared to do that too."
Feng Changyuan's eyes lit up slightly, and he turned his gaze to Chen Anran. His tone was gentle but carried a hint of encouragement: "Fellow Daoist Chen is knowledgeable and experienced. I imagine you are also familiar with music. I observe that you have a calm and focused aura and a clear mind. If you were to play music, it would surely have an extraordinary charm."
Feng Lie immediately understood and chimed in, "That's right, Junior Brother Chen! Give us a song! We're just killing time anyway, let's see the talents of the Cloud Hidden Sect members!"
Chen Anran was taken aback, and quickly waved his hand: "I only know a little about music, never mind."
"Oh, junior brother, don't be modest!" Feng Xiaolu got excited and grabbed his arm, shaking it. "I've never heard you sing before! Come on, come on!"
Chen Anran shook his head, smiling but saying nothing.
Taking advantage of the alcohol and the lively atmosphere, Feng Lie put his arm around Chen Anran's shoulder and said, "How about this, you play the guitar and I'll sing! Don't let my appearance fool you, I have the best singing voice in the Feng family!"
Chen Anran was caught off guard by this sudden enthusiasm, but seeing Feng Lie's eager and honest appearance, and then glancing at Feng Xiaolu's expectant starry eyes, she ultimately couldn't bring herself to refuse.
He smiled helplessly, stood up and said, "Then I'll give it a try. Please forgive me if I don't play well, Brother Lie."
"Of course, of course!" Feng Lie patted his chest proudly and stood up as well.
Seeing this, Yin Xiaohao cleverly took down the wooden guitar from the wall, wiped it clean, and handed it to Chen Anran. Chen Anran tested the sound and tuned the strings. His technique was not flashy, but steady and smooth, clearly not the "slight knowledge" he modestly claimed.
Feng Lie cleared his throat, stood in the slightly empty space next to Chen Anran, and grinned at the bar's customers who were gradually attracting his attention: "I'll make a fool of myself, everyone!"
Chen Anran lightly plucked the strings, and a simple yet melodious prelude flowed out—a soothing old song. Feng Lie's voice followed, surprisingly not unpleasant at all; it was full of energy and carried a touch of unadorned simplicity, blending quite harmoniously with the guitar.
Feng Xiaolu rested her chin on her hand, her eyes fixed on Chen Anran on the stage. The warm yellow light fell on his lowered profile, outlining his focused features. His slender fingers glided across the strings, each note resonating deep within her heart. She murmured, "He really can... I had no idea my junior brother could play the guitar..."
Feng Changyuan took in her almost infatuated expression, gently swirled the remaining warm wine in his glass, and suddenly whispered, "Little Deer."
"Hmm?" Feng Xiaolu responded subconsciously, her gaze still fixed on Chen Anran.
"You want things to stay like this forever?" Feng Changyuan's voice was even lower, only the two of them could hear it. "Just watching each other, making a scene, maintaining this kind of relationship?"
Feng Xiaolu was slightly taken aback and looked at her cousin, puzzled.
"Isn't this better?"
The guitar melody continued, and Feng Lie's singing carried a touch of boldness. Some of the patrons in the bar hummed along softly, while others raised their phones to take pictures.
Feng Changyuan sighed softly, put down his wine glass, and said, "Xiao Lu, I'm not saying things are bad as they are now. It's just... have you thought about the future? Your junior brother will grow up, he'll have his own path, and perhaps... he'll make his own choices."
Hearing Feng Changyuan's words, Feng Xiaolu's heart skipped a beat.
She wasn't truly clueless. It's just that over the years, she had grown accustomed to interacting with Chen Anran this way.
She was the lively and playful third senior sister, and he was the steady and reliable junior brother. She would play games with him, drag him all over the mountain, and could walk around in her pajamas and slippers without any restraint in front of him, laughing without a care in the world.
This is the relationship she feels most comfortable and at ease with.
Feng Changyuan picked up his wine glass, took a sip, and then turned to look at the direction where Chen Anran and Feng Lie were singing.
"Some things and some people won't stay in the same place forever waiting for you to 'figure it out.' Once the opportunity is missed, it may belong to someone else."
Feng Xiaolu jumped up from her chair like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, her cheeks instantly turning bright red, her voice trembling: "Brother Changyuan! What nonsense are you talking about! What do you mean by choosing or not choosing? Junior brother is junior brother, I, we..."
She wanted to say, "We are just senior and junior brothers," and "I have always regarded him as my own brother," but when these words reached her lips, it was as if something was blocking her mouth, and she couldn't utter a single word.
Feng Changyuan withdrew his gaze, ignoring Feng Xiaolu's panic. He simply said, "Xiaolu, I'm not forcing you to admit anything, nor am I saying you have to do anything. I just want to remind you that feelings are sometimes like the morning mist in the mountains. You think it will always be there, hazy and beautiful. But once the sun comes out, it may dissipate, or... be seen clearly by someone else and grasped."
Feng Xiaolu's fingers unconsciously twisted the hem of her clothes; her mind was suddenly in turmoil.
Feng Changyuan finished the last bit of warm wine in his glass, put it down, and said, "You don't need to answer me now, nor do you need to figure it out immediately. But you must remember, no matter what you ultimately think or do, the Feng family, your brothers, we will always stand by your side. If you like it and want to fight for it, we will help you; if you hesitate, we will wait for you; if you just want to maintain the status quo... then we will accompany you."
He paused, his voice even softer, yet it carried warmth and support in Feng Xiaolu's ears:
"If you've figured it out, the Feng family and your brothers will always help you."
Feng Xiaolu stared blankly at Feng Changyuan, at the unreserved protection and earnestness in his eyes. Her eyes suddenly welled up, and the inexplicable panic in her heart seemed to be gently supported by this heavy and warm promise, no longer feeling lost. She bit her lower lip, ultimately saying nothing, only nodding firmly, and turning her gaze back to Chen Anran, who was playing and singing. But now, her eyes held a complex light she hadn't seen before, a light she herself hadn't yet fully understood.
As the last notes of the guitar faded away, Feng Lie's exaggerated finishing gesture drew a burst of good-natured laughter and applause. Chen Anran put down the guitar, humbly nodded to those around him, and when he looked up, he met Feng Xiaolu's gaze.
Those eyes, always brimming with laughter and slyness, shone brightly under the warm yellow lights of the bar, yet seemed veiled by a thin layer of mist, making them difficult to see clearly.
Chen Anran was slightly taken aback.
Feng Xiaolu, however, flashed a big, even brighter smile than usual, jumped up, and clapped enthusiastically: "Bravo!"
As the applause and laughter subsided, Chen Anran handed the guitar back to Yin Xiaohao and sat back down. Feng Lie also sat down, his face still flushed with the excitement of the performance, and took a big gulp of his wine.
"How was my singing?" Feng Lie nudged Chen Anran with his elbow.
"Brother Lie sang with great spirit." Chen Anran smiled gently, but his gaze involuntarily drifted towards Feng Xiaolu.
Feng Xiaolu was fiddling with an empty cup, seemingly distracted. Normally, she would have jumped up and shouted "One more song!" at a time like this.
"Little Deer?" Chen Anran called her softly.
"Huh?" Feng Xiaolu looked up abruptly, her eyes momentarily blank, before she flashed her usual bright smile again. "Junior brother, you played so well! I didn't even know you could play that!"
She laughed so hard that even Feng Lie noticed something was wrong and muttered, "What's wrong with this girl? She seems distracted."
Feng Changyuan simply smiled slightly, picked up his wine glass and sipped slowly, as if everything was under his control.
"It's nothing, I'm just a little tired." Feng Xiaolu shook her head, trying to shake off those messy thoughts. "I played all day today."
Chen Anran checked the time and realized it was indeed getting late: "Then let's go back."
Feng Xiaolu was very well-behaved this time and immediately stood up.
The four of them paid their bill and left the bar. The resort was still brightly lit at night, but there were far fewer people. Only a few couples were strolling along the cobblestone streets.
At the fork in the road, the Feng brothers went back to Baicaoge, while Chen Anran and Feng Xiaolu headed up the mountain.
"Chang Yuan, Lie, see you tomorrow!" Feng Xiaolu waved to the two of them.
"Be careful on the road," Feng Changyuan gently instructed, his gaze sweeping over Chen Anran and Feng Xiaolu before adding meaningfully, "Take it slow, no rush."
After the Feng brothers had gone far away, Chen Anran and Feng Xiaolu walked side by side up the stone steps leading to the mountain gate.
The cool moonlight cast long shadows of the two people.
The entire journey was speechless.
This wasn't their usual way of interacting. Normally, Feng Xiaolu would chatter incessantly, talking about everything from game anecdotes to her experiences down the mountain, from complaining about her senior sister's strictness to fantasizing about the future when the sect would be much stronger. But tonight, she was unusually quiet, simply walking uphill step by step with her head down.
"Third Senior Sister," Chen Anran finally couldn't help but ask, "Are you alright?"
Feng Xiaolu paused and turned to look at him. In the moonlight, her eyes were exceptionally bright, as if filled with starlight, or as if veiled by a thin mist.
"Junior brother," she suddenly asked, "have you thought about...the future?"
"In the future?" Chen Anran asked, puzzled. "Do you mean the sect's development, or...?"
Feng Xiaolu opened her mouth, but the words caught in her throat as she hesitated, unsure how to continue.
"It's nothing," she finally shook her head and started walking again, "I was just asking casually."
Chen Anran glanced at her, and although she felt that she was acting a little strange tonight, she did not ask any further questions.
The two walked one after the other on the mountain path.
Feng Xiaolu walked ahead, her pace much slower than usual. She could hear Chen Anran's footsteps following behind her, steady and rhythmic, just like the sense of security he had always given her over the years. But tonight, something unsettling had seeped into that sense of security.
She couldn't help but recall Feng Changyuan's words.
"I won't stay in the same place forever waiting for you..."
"Once the opportunity is missed, it may belong to someone else..."
Where is Second Senior Sister? Why didn't she come today? Was she really just helping Lin Xiaoman collect herbs?
The scene in the hotel that morning—Chen Anran's pale face, Wei Qingyi's reddened ears—flashed through her mind like fragments.
"Third Senior Sister," Chen Anran's voice suddenly came from behind, tinged with worry, "you seem to have something on your mind."
Feng Xiaolu paused, but didn't turn around. Her voice was a little muffled: "No... I'm just tired from walking."
She quickened her pace, almost fleeing as she climbed the stairs.
Chen Anran watched her retreating figure, his brows furrowed slightly, but ultimately said nothing more. He could sense that Feng Xiaolu was in a bad mood, but since she was unwilling to talk about it, he didn't press her for details.
Perhaps she was just tired of playing, or perhaps girls always have a few days when they feel inexplicably down. He thought to himself.
The two remained silent the entire way back to the Cloud Hidden Sect's mountain gate. Night had fallen; only a few lamps were still lit in the front courtyard, while the main hall was completely dark, indicating that the senior disciples had already retired for the night.
"I've arrived." Feng Xiaolu stopped at her door, her hand resting on the door panel, but she didn't push it open immediately. She turned her head to look at Chen Anran. In the moonlight, her usually bright and lively eyes were somewhat dim. "Junior Brother, goodnight."
"Goodnight, Third Senior Sister," Chen Anran said gently. "Get some rest."
Feng Xiaolu nodded, pushed open the door and went inside. The door closed gently behind her, blocking out the moonlight and Chen Anran's gaze.
She leaned against the door and stood in the darkness for a long time.
Chen Anran stood outside the door for a moment, and seeing that there was no further movement inside, she turned around and walked towards her own room.
Night returned to silence.
…………
The next morning, after Chen Anran finished his meditation, he opened the door to find the courtyard bathed in the morning light.
The mountain air was crisp and clear, carrying the fragrance of dew and vegetation. He stretched his limbs and felt that the stagnation in his meridians had dissipated considerably, and his spiritual energy was now circulating smoothly.
Just as I was about to go to the kitchen to see if my senior sister needed any help, I heard voices coming from the front yard.
The voice sounded somewhat familiar.
He followed the sound and saw three people sitting at the stone table in the courtyard: Wang Rui, Sun Wei, and Zhang Hao.
Wang Rui was holding a teacup, talking animatedly, while Sun Wei smiled and Zhang Hao shook his head helplessly.
"Master Chen!" Wang Rui, with his sharp eyes, was the first to spot Chen Anran. He immediately put down his teacup and stood up, his face beaming with a warm smile. "You're up! We were just talking, afraid of disturbing your rest too early!"
Sun Wei and Zhang Hao also quickly got up.
Chen Anran stepped forward and smiled, "I heard from my third senior sister that the resort down the mountain is so popular now, all thanks to you guys."