Watching Liu Yuqi strum her guzheng instantly gave Yuying war flashbacks of going to Yuqing's recitals.
It didn't help that Liu Yuqi and Yuqing were practically identical too.
Yuying recalled how Yuqing would always make her go to her guzheng recitals no matter what.
Yuqing would always say that it was Yuying's role as her younger sister to turn up to her guzheng recitals and show support for her.
However, Yuying knew that wasn't the case.
~
Many people didn't know this about her, but Yuying used to play the guzheng as well.
It wasn't Yuying who'd clamored for her parents to sign her up for lessons after seeing Yuqing play it, but rather, them who'd signed her up for lessons.
Back then, Yuying didn't know why they'd signed her up for lessons. After all, she'd never shown any interest in the instrument.
In fact, Yuying would go to her room to write her stories whenever Yuqing was practicing her guzheng in the living room.
Looking back, however, Yuying realized that her parents were most probably hoping that she would follow in her talented older sister's footsteps as a guzheng prodigy.
Or maybe they just didn't want Yuqing's old guzheng to go to waste after they'd got her new one when she'd grown out of it.
Unfortunately for their parents, Yuying did not turn out to be the guzheng prodigy that they'd wanted her to be.
In fact, despite trying her best, Yuying sucked at the instrument so much that just a month into her lessons, the guzheng teacher suggested that she stop altogether.
"I'm sorry, Mr. and Mrs. Liu," Yuying remembered eavesdropping on her guzheng teacher's conversation with her parents.
"But Yuying just isn't the guzheng prodigy that Yuqing is."
That sentence should've crushed Yuying. It really should've. However, Yuying didn't feel anything. She felt numb.
After all, Yuying had long gotten used to being pitted against her older sister from a young age and losing every single time.
Just like that, Yuying's short stint with the guzheng came to an end.
Even though their parents didn't say it explicitly, Yuying knew from the looks on their faces when they threw out the old guzheng that she'd been using that they were disappointed in her.
It was almost as though they were blaming her for having to throw out the old guzheng, for letting it go to waste.
It was like they were silently telling Yuying that it was her fault.
Yuqing, on the other hand, got even better and better over the years and grew and developed as a guzheng player.
Not only did Yuqing pass all of her guzheng exams with flying colors, she also performed at recitals and concerts, and was even invited to join the National Guzheng Ensemble, which she did.
Yuqing was so good at the guzheng that a renowned professional guzheng player from Beijing even reached out to her and offered to take her under her wing, to mentor her one-on-one to become the next famous guzheng player.
However, it was either that or Yuqing's enrolment into the most prestigious medicine course in the most prestigious university in all of Singapore.
As such, Yuqing had no choice but to turn down the offer, albeit reluctantly. Still, she kept in contact with the renowned professional guzheng player in case she changes her mind in the future.
Despite this, guzheng continued to be something that was near and dear to Yuqing's heart.
Yuqing continued to play in the National Guzheng Ensemble, perform at recitals and concerts, and was even the President of her university's guzheng ensemble.
Yuqing was in the spotlight wherever she went.
Yuying could only watch on in her shadow.
~
Yuying knows that Yuqing doesn't insist that she came to her recitals and concerts because she thinks that the former is obligated to as her younger sister.
After all, Yuqing has tons of friends and admirers who would probably take a bullet for her if she asked them to. Unlike Yuying, they would happily and willingly go to her recitals and concerts.
Yuying knows that Yuqing just wants to rub it in her face. Her talent, her beauty, her success, everything. She wanted to tell Yuying that she was better than her, and always would be.
Yuying couldn't help but roll her eyes internally at this thought. She thinks it's pathetic that Yuqing is still trying to compete with her even though she'd pulled out of the race a long time ago.
As such, Yuying isn't really used to the situation that she's currently in.
Yuying is used to Yuqing forcing her to come to her guzheng recitals and concert to watch her play.
Now, however, Liu Yuqi is playing the guzheng for Yuying in a bid to impress her and win her heart.
Yuying feels like she's in control for the first time in her life, outside of the fictional worlds that she would seek refuge in.
It's a strange but satisfying feeling at the same time.
Yuying feels powerful.
/I'm a Prince./
Yuying thinks to herself as she watches Liu Yuqi start to strum her guzheng with one hand and its strings with the other. She's playing faster and faster.
/Yes, I'm the one watching./
Liu Yuqi's fingers are flying across the guzheng so quickly that they're practically dancing now.
/But I'm the one who's in the spotlight./
Just then, Liu Yuqi levitates off the ground. Everyone lets out a gasp.
They watch on as Liu Yuqi ascends into the air like some sort of goddess. There's a soft, pink glow surrounding Liu Yuqi and her guzheng as she floats high up into the air.
Liu Yuqi is completely unfazed by everyone's reactions as she continues to play her guzheng with a calm expression on her face.
Just then, the soft, pink glow seems to get bigger. It extends down towards the ground to form what looked like a trunk, and up towards the ceiling to form what looked like branches and flowers.
Everyone watched on in awe when the illustration was finally complete. The soft, pink glow formed the outline and shape of a cherry blossom tree.
Liu Yuqi looks like she was perched on the tree, casually playing her guzheng on a beautiful spring day.
Just then, Liu Yuqi turns to Ling, who was now a few meters away from and beneath her, along with Madam Xie and Huan.
Everyone followed Liu Yuqi's gaze. They would've forgotten all about her three special guests had she not turned her gaze towards them.
Liu Yuqi gently closes her eyes as she continues to let her fingers glide across her guzheng. Her playing is so smooth and calm that it captivates everyone.
Just then, soft, pink glows that resembled cherry blossom petals started to form and entwine around Liu Yuqi's hands and her guzheng.
Yuying widens her eyes. She's never seen Yuqing do something like this, and she's pretty sure she isn't able to.
All of a sudden, Liu Yuqi opens her eyes. As she does so, she sweeps her fingers across her guzheng, such that the glowing cherry blossom petals follow the direction in which she'd moved her hands.
Everyone watches on as the glowing cherry blossom petals fly towards Ling. She doesn't look startled or frightened at all. Instead, she looks calm, and perhaps, even happy at the sight of them.
As soon as they'd gotten to Ling, the glowing cherry blossom petals spiral around her badly-sprained ankle so quickly that it looked like her foot had been engulfed in a mini pink tornado.
After a few moments, the glowing cherry blossom petals pulled away to reveal Ling's completely healed foot.
Loud gasps instantly filled the room as everyone starts to clap even though Liu Yuqi isn't even done with her performance.
Ling looks like she's on the verge of tears she gazes at her foot. After so long, it's finally been healed.
Yuying is so impressed by Liu Yuqi that even she couldn't help but clap.
/I guess I was wrong about Liu Yuqi./
/She isn't like Yuqing at all.../
/She's way cooler than her...!/
The applause lasts throughout the rest of Liu Yuqi's performance. She repeats her actions, playing her guzheng and sending the glowing cherry blossom petals twirling around Madam Xie's neck until the lump behind it was gone, and sending them entwining around Juan's body until all of his rashes were gone.
As soon as Liu Yuqi had cured all three of her special guests, she starts to play her guzheng less quickly.
Liu Yuqi then slowly descends until she reaches the ground once again and the glowing cherry blossom tree behind her disappears.
Liu Yuqi is met with applause that is even more thunderous than the ones that had been given to Zheng Yimeng and Hua Maque.
As soon as Liu Yuqi got back onto the ground, Ling, Madam Xie, and Huan approached her. They fell onto their knees as they tried to bow to her.
They were all overwhelmed by the fact that she'd cured them. They were in utter disbelief.
Liu Yuqi set her guzheng down as she rushed over to her special guests and told them to get up, telling them that it wasn't a big deal.
To say that Yuying was thoroughly impressed by Liu Yuqi was an understatement.
/Liu Yuqi is a really smart young lady./
/Rather than simply showing off her talent at the guzheng, Liu Yuqi decided to rope third parties into her performance so that they would tug on the audience's heartstrings.../
/She's also clearly trying to show that she's a humble and down-to-earth person by trying to get them to stand back up and saying that it's nothing.../
Yuying studies Liu Yuqi from afar as she continues to clap, along with everyone else.
/I don't know if she's actually being genuine or if she just wants to put up a front, but whatever it is, there's no doubt that this Liu Yuqi is a genius./
Just then, Liu Yuqi looks up.
She catches Yuying's gaze and smiles shyly.
She looks as though she's saying...
-Have I won your heart now?-