NOVPUBAs soon as Shen Roujia spoke, the door was slowly pushed open.
“It’s chilly outside. Why don’t you both come in for some tea?”
The thin woman standing before them, dressed in a plain silk dress, was most likely the renowned Hong Xiao.
Her eyes were covered with a thick bandage, and her voice was hoarse as if it had been smoked by fire.
“It’s been a year or two, and I didn’t expect anyone would still remember this name.”
She laughed at herself.
Then, she picked up a kettle and poured two cups of water for them with fluid motions, as if she could see perfectly well.
Shen Roujia stared directly at the bandage over Hong Xiao’s eyes.
Hong Xiao casually explained, “These eyes were destroyed in a fire long ago… and so was my voice.” 𝑛𝘰𝘷𝑝𝘶𝑏.𝑐𝘰𝘮
Shen Roujia was still somewhat puzzled.
“You hid so well. Why did you deliberately expose yourself today?”
Hong Xiao’s fingers paused.
“I don’t believe I’ve done anything heinous, so don’t think I feel any guilt.”
Shen Roujia pressed her lips and frowned slightly.
“Why?”
Hong Xiao looked at Gu Zhi, then back at Shen Roujia.
“I constantly remind Hua Zui that the sins she committed can never be washed away.”
Hong Xiao’s tone was tinged with anger.
“Why did Pei Lang have to die like that? The world only knows her as the Melodious Lady but forgets Pei Ying!”
“Why! She took in a few blind and deaf servants and was praised by the world, while my Pei Lang left forever without even leaving his name here…”
Shen Roujia was moved by her words, feeling a faint sense of sympathy.
Most people carry a part of guilt within them, and those who dwell in darkness without realizing it often use self-deception to atone.
In reality, they are merely trying to absolve themselves of their own obsession.
Hong Xiao’s voice, already damaged, made it difficult for her to speak.
But she still made an effort to tell her story.
It turned out that Pei Ying and Hong Xiao were the true couple.
Hong Xiao was not originally a musician at a music house.
She was the daughter of a wealthy family in a border town. Because of her natural talent and an excellent voice, she attracted many admirers.
One of them was Pei Ying, a wandering musician from the martial world.
Pei Ying, a lone wanderer from the northern frontier, was searching for a true love partner.
With his many skills, wherever Pei Ying went, people followed.
He was exceptionally talented, especially in music, but to move around freely, he hid his talents and appeared no different from an ordinary musician.
It was this simple and unassuming identity that caught the attention of the Su family, who invited him to teach in their household.
It was there that Pei Ying met the dazzling Hong Xiao.
Hong Xiao was like a gem hidden deep in a pavilion.
Even if buried in sand and gravel, her brilliance was undeniable.
Her god-given voice immediately made Pei Ying feel he had found his true match.
As they spent time together, they constantly surprised and delighted each other.
Pei Ying, like an old sheepskin scroll blown open by the desert wind, revealed a world different from Hong Xiao’s.
And Hong Xiao, who had never left this small courtyard and was unloved by her father, was surrounded by many siblings and often annoyed by her talent.
She was clear-headed, knowing she was merely a high-end bargaining chip for her father.
