I walk over to the zither and sit down with ease. I reach out and gently touch the strings... it was very similar to the one sitting in my sunroom. The one in the sunroom was left to me by Granny. I close my eyes and place both hands on the strings.
One of the songs I enjoyed the most was actually from a popular Chinese Drama. The song was called Bu Ran and I liked it for its beautiful and sorrowful sound. I've played the song so many times while drunk and alone, that I can play the whole thing with my eyes closed.
I begin playing and watch as everyone freezes in dead silence. The sound of the strings echoes in the large room giving it a beautiful and haunting sound. I close my eyes and focus on the sound. When I had first started playing, Granny said that I played with an old soul.
I didn't know what she really meant then but what I did know, was that the zither allowed me to express all the hurt and sadness I had bottled up. I put all of my pain and loneliness into my playing and would always feel so much better after.
As I play with my eyes closed I go back to sitting on the porch with Granny. She was a kind Chinese woman... and she grew to love me and much as I had her. She would always bring me a juice box and a sucker when she came... she suddenly stopped showing up one day though.
I waited and waited for her but she never came back. I grew angry at her and felt like she had abandoned me as everyone else had so stopped looking for her... I stopped waiting for her to come back. It wasn't until my eighteenth birthday that I finally discovered the truth.
She left the Zither and a note to the Nun in charge of the orphanage. She told the Nun not to give it to me until the day I left the orphanage... She was ill. She was in the late stages of cancer... she said she had wanted to adopt me herself but she knew she didn't have much time left.
She didn't have much to her name either but she wanted to leave her Zither with me. I held the note and Zither for hours as I cried. She should have told me... she should have let me say goodbye. Everyone always just leaves...
They claim it's easier this way but it's only easier for them. It's not easy for the ones being left behind... As I finish the song the last note echoes around the large room in silence. I open my eyes when I hear sniffling. The servants and eunuchs all sniff and wipe their faces.
Even the King looks emotionally upset. Bai Lei looks at me with an unreadable look as the King suddenly stands and says "I'm suddenly not feeling well." He then turns around and walks straight out without another word.
Hui Ying bites her lip in anger as she quickly tries to walk over to Bai Lei but he walks past her and straight to me as I slowly stand. His dark eyes bore into my green eyes as we both stood staring at each other. Hui Ying clenches her fist until she feels her nails digging into her palms.
She throws her arms out and quickly walks away. She knows she's lost today but that doesn't mean she'll give up.
I look into Bai Lei's deep dark eyes and wait. Surely he has something snarky to say or that I should have just remained sitting but to my surprise, he doesn't say a word. I look around nervously and quickly notice that the servants have all left, leaving the two of us alone.
I look back to him and frown as I ask "What's wrong?" Bai Lei continues to stare at me for several more awkward moments before I start shifting from one foot to the other. "Just say it already! What!?" I finally snap at him.
"Are you hungry?" He asks with a blank face. I narrow my eyes at him and look at him with confusion. "W..What?" I ask not fully understanding. "We didn't get to eat. I assume you're hungry." He says in a calm voice.
I blink several times before quickly looking around us. I look back to him and say "Uh... yeah." My stomach then decides to growl in agreement. Bai Lei turns around and says "Follow me" I frown again but decide to follow him. What other choice did I really have?
Halfway back, I want to smack myself. Weren't you suppose to show how incompatible you are Nova!? Why did you let the heifer get in the way!!?? Wait... the King looked very upset when he left so maybe... maybe it worked out!
Bai Lei walks ahead of the clumsy woman with a slight smile on his handsome face. He had even slowed down so she could easily keep up. This woman was constantly filled with surprises... how many more things will he discover about her in the future?
He almost slipped up back there... he almost went straight to her and pulled her into his arms. The only other woman he's held like that is his Mother... He felt her pain... her loneliness and... love? He wasn't sure but he was sure of one thing... this woman wasn't simple. He wants to know more and more about her.
Watching her play the Zither was like seeing something from another world. She was already fairy-like but watching her play that hauntingly beautiful song was like seeing it come to life before your very eyes. This woman was definitely coming home with him...