Chapter 54

Halfway through the performance, the girl’s string plucking patterns changed from a folk song into an iron horse on a frozen river. The sound of the sanxian suddenly became distant yet close at the same time, going fast and slow, while her fingering technique was dazzling. Soon, the tune revealed a simple desolation and intensity, but it was able to ignite the deepest blood in people’s hearts.

—[I’m on my knees in front of this master… Although I don’t understand the sanxian, but these finger techniques are something an uncoordinated person like me could never learn]

—[Music can really convey emotions without words. You can really hear the magnificence of the wind and rain shaking the mountains and rivers during tumultuous times. Folk music forever!]

—[Whenever I see people say that the shamisen is the westernized version of the sanxian, I get really angry. Musical instruments shouldn’t have a hierarchy to distinguish between high and low. Plus, the shamisen evolved from our sanxian. This sister’s impromptu performance is the best slap in the face!]

After the climax, the sound of the sanxian changed again. The frequency gradually began to slow into a soothing little tune. It strongly contrasted with the previous melody, but it was not so abrupt that it felt unnatural.

When the last note fell, everyone in the pavilion was shocked. The comments in the stream were reduced to an all-time low since the show began.

A longing for more.

This was everyone’s thought at the time.

Until—

Shi Sui’s applause was the first to sound.

It wasn’t that kind of shallow, surface applause, but a genuine appreciation from the heart.

They say that talented men are mesmerizing, so what does that make of talented women?

Yan Zhenhua followed in applause, becoming more and more satisfied with this ‘future daughter-in-law’. “Good good good, it almost makes me want to buy a rocking chair and some tea.”

Yan Nai, who was living half a wavelength behind everyone, unfortunately did not beat Shi Sui to applauding first. He also wasn’t as good at praising people as his father was. It took him a long time to utter, “Sister, your sanxian skills are just as good as your cooking skills!”

Yan Zhenhua did not praise him often, so he hadn’t accumulated any vocabulary in the field of flattery. It already churned at his stomach to utter such a phrase.

Xiang Yi smiled, but she did not take the praise to heart.

While she had been traveling through the universe, she had seen way too many masters. There were even people in these fairytale universes that practiced Taoism out of sheer joy.

In addition, she hadn’t played in such a long time that her hands felt foreign.

She felt that she was only of average skill, and this was just for entertainment—not enough to perform on an actual stage.

But contrary to her beliefs, she had actually made a huge impact in the Chinese folk music scene that night!

After a leisurely recount, the guests all returned to their rooms as the stream came to an end.

However, the show’s popularity did not diminish. For a while, news about “Two Under One Roof” could be found everywhere: in WeChat moments, on Weibo, online forums, and blogs.

In the middle of night, such a post appeared on the well-known gossip forum for the entertainment industry, [Melon].

The topic: [The Circumstance that Left Famous Actor Shi Yingdi Out in the Cold]

The header: First of all, I am a Shisui sister, and I have been a fan of his since his first movie.

As a fan, it’s not hard to see that Shi Yingdi is a seemingly gentle person, but he has a good sense of measure in dealing with people and things. Let’s focus on the main point. His good sense of measure is actually another form of expressing distance. The simplest example, he is not particularly known for having close friends in the industry. He’s seldom in contact with his most supportive and wealthy fans.

For such a cold mountain, a god-tier man above all people, to be left out to dry N times by one of the most famous crybaby vases in entertainment history…

First of all, to be refused WeChat contact information, can this be tolerated?

Then, she had peeled crayfish for Director Yan and even her manager, but she didn’t peel any for our Shi Yingdi. Can this be tolerated??

Then because of a cat, she actually misunderstood Shi Yingdi! This is too much, right? Can this be tolerated???!

…Yes, I can tolerate everything above. AND I think these two have incredible CP vibes. It’s too magical! SO. I plan to call them: [Untimely Shi Yi]* CP!

The post immediately received several responses.

—[Impractical, get lost! ]

—[Unimaginable, get lost!]

—[Not worth mentioning, get lost! ]

—[NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ]

*Translator’s Note: The CP name “Untimely Shi Yi” comes partly from the Shi in Shi Sui and Yi in Xiang Yi, both using the same spelling for “Shi Yi”, which means “Time”. It also just happens that both their names are synonymous and use the same characters as those in the proverb “Bu He Shi Yi”, which essentially describes an inopportune moment.