Be in low spirits

"I...I haven't thought about it yet." She lowered her head, afraid that people around her would see her slightly blushing face.

Gu Jinluo came out with a zither, bowed to the audience, and took a seat. Gu Lang stood up and applauded excitedly.

The piece she played was Bach's Prelude in G major, which was passionate and fascinating. It was just a conclusion to her studies and was not a piece she was good at or liked. When the piece ended, her academic career also ended.

After graduation, Gu Lang arranged for her to join the Jingxi Opera Troupe, and used his connections to allow her to have her own performance time in the opera troupe.

Gu Zhiqiu listened to him report Gu Jinluo's news, looked at the table, asked him to sit down and eat, and sighed, "Luoluo, don't even know how to go home and visit."

"She just wants to get familiar with the environment of the opera house as soon as possible and get into her work." Gu Lang defended her.

Gu Zhiqiu sneered and said disdainfully: "What environment does she need to be familiar with? Book a plane ticket for me. I want to see what she has learned abroad and come back with."

"Yes." Gu Lang nodded and continued eating.

Gu Jinluo is preparing for tonight's performance, which is a song she will be performing in collaboration with the pipa player in the troupe. For this purpose, she has specially prepared a black cheongsam. The pipa player is wearing a white cheongsam. Although both of them are girls, they complement each other very well.

In this world, the situation is turbulent and there are constant wars. The families that control the domestic troops are the Yang family in Jingxi, the Li family in Shengze, the Su family in Xiazhou and the Pei family in Shuangxi. Although these families have soldiers, they must also obey the orders of the Jingxi government. The Li, Su and Pei families have to go to Jingxi every six months to report their situation to the Yang family, and ask the Yang family for money to support their people based on the deployment in the second half of the year.

Ye Fan joined the Yang family's army after graduating from the military academy and became the youngest lieutenant colonel in the Yang family's army.

Today is the time for the semi-annual report. General Yang likes to arrange for everyone to go to the opera troupe to watch a performance after the report. In name, it is to watch the performance, but in fact it is to support the pianist Xiao Yun in the opera troupe.

General Yang’s eldest son, Yang Lin, is also among them. He also has someone he likes in this opera troupe, Su Yaoer, the pipa player who plays with Gu Jinluo.

Yang Lin boasted to Ye Fan, saying, "Yao'er's music is the most moving, you will know when you listen to it in a while."

Ye Fan had heard Yang Lin mention Su Yaoer countless times. He only knew that she was not very old and that her grandfather had done a favor to General Yang, which was why he was able to join the opera troupe.

The two stood at the door of the bathroom, hands in pockets, preparing to go to the performance hall. Gu Jinluo was wearing a black cheongsam, with her hair tied up with a side hairpin, and the bamboo leaves on her chest were shining. She strode past them, and Ye Fan smelled the camellia scent on her body, and suddenly felt a sense of peace and relief.

He patted Yang Lin and asked, "Do you smell anything?"

Yang Lin was wiping his hands with a tissue and said nonchalantly, "What could it smell like? It smells like a toilet."

He thought he was hallucinating and stopped asking questions. The performance was about to start, and the two returned to the audience and sat behind General Yang.

After Xiao Yun finished her solo, she went straight from the stage to sit next to General Yang and started chatting with him, laughing from time to time.

Yang Lin said to Ye Fan with disdain from behind: "It's shameless to flirt with him in such an occasion." He lowered his voice, fearing that the old man would hear it.

Ye Fan only knew that Xiao Yun had been with the old man for many years and had never been recognized. The old man never brought her home, but just kept her outside, which was not excessive.

Su Yaoer and Gu Jinluo's songs were arranged at the end, and everyone had lost their patience at that time, so the voices of whispering increased. When they came on stage, Su Mufeng in the audience whistled at the girls on the stage.

The whistle also drew everyone's attention back to the stage, and the two began to play. Yang Lin was intoxicated by Su Yaoer's pipa sound, and Ye Fan was deeply attracted by Gu Jinluo who was playing the cello on the stage. He didn't understand music, but by listening to the song she played, he could understand the emotional tug-of-war, longing, and final love suicide between this man and woman.

After the performance, General Yang went back first and told Yang Lin and Ye Fan to send everyone else to the car before going back.

Su Mufeng squatted at the entrance of the opera house, reluctant to leave, and said to his father: "Dad, you go back first, I'll wait for that girl who plays the cello, maybe she will be your daughter-in-law in the future."

Su Guojun did not persuade him, but only said: "Go back early and don't cause any trouble."

Ye Fan, who was standing by, heard their conversation and whispered to Yang Lin, "When will Su Yaoer come out? Do you want to wait for her?"

"Of course I have to wait. I have to send her home." Yang Lin said as a matter of course.

Hearing what he said, Ye Fan also breathed a sigh of relief. When the others came out, Su Mufeng stopped Gu Jinluo and asked with a wretched look on his face, "Miss, where are you going? Brother will take you there." Ye Fan grabbed his wrist and scolded, "General Su, it's getting late. It's time to go back and rest."

This voice made Gu Jinluo feel familiar, and he couldn't help but look up. The man had an upright posture, a strong aura, a broad chest, and an aura that seemed unmatched by any man.

Su Mufeng was a little drunk. He waved his hands impatiently and said, "Who are you? Do you think you can control me?"

Yang Lin sent Su Yaoer to the car. When he came out and saw this scene, he stepped forward and said, "General Su, Old Master Su told you not to cause trouble. Those who can join this opera troupe are not ordinary people."

Seeing that there were so many of them, Su Mufeng didn't dare to act rashly. He could only spit on the ground, say "Pooh", then get in the car and leave.

Gu Jinluo bowed slightly and thanked him. He asked, "How about I give you a ride?"

"Is it convenient?" she asked, looking at the people sitting in the car.

"Of course." Hearing that she did not deny it, Ye Fan's heart was moved. He opened the car door for her involuntarily and invited her to sit in.

She thought she was following Su Yaoer, but it turned out to be the car behind. After a moment of hesitation, she took a step forward and got in the car.

Ye Fan helped her put the cello in the back of the car, sat next to her, and told the driver to drive. She subconsciously moved to the other side and said to the driver, "Just take me to Guxiang Apartment."

Guxiang Apartment was a temporary apartment rented by Gu Lang for her. He said he would buy her a house after she became more stable. She herself felt that this apartment was quite nice to live in. It was quiet in a bustling area and there was a scent of human life in the alley.

Seeing her reservedness, Ye Fan did not dare to move and said, "My surname is Ye, my given name is Sanskrit, and my courtesy name is Xingzhi. What's your name?"

She glanced at him and said, "Gu Jinluo."

He nodded, not knowing how to continue. Gu Jinluo didn't talk to him either.

After a long silence, Gu Jinluo asked, "Just now..." Ye Fan also said, "Your piano..."

The two were embarrassed, smiled at each other, and were polite to each other, and said at the same time: "You speak first."

Finally, Ye Fan said, "Ladies first."

"The scoundrel just now was General Su from Xiazhou?"

When she said this, her eyes were full of the innocent light of a young girl, as if she knew nothing about the evil in the world, which made Ye Fan want to protect her.

"Yes, stay away from him in the future. The Su family has always been rude and impolite. If he comes to cause trouble again, have someone pass the message to me."

Gu Jinluo nodded and continued, "I heard from my brother that Mr. Su gained power at a young age and had never encountered any difficulties. He was a little spoiled to his son. Now it seems that he has raised a scum."

Ye Fan heard her talk and behavior like a lady from a rich family, thinking that she came from a well-off family. She was learning such avant-garde Western musical instrument. He was afraid that she was out of reach. He felt a little disappointed and asked, "Who is your brother?"

"An Jiang Gu Lang." Although she couldn't say that she liked her brother, she had seen him taking care of her over the years. Coupled with her overseas study experience in recent years, she had overlooked her father's favoritism and reliance on her brother in the past.

"The Anjiang Gu family holds the economic lifeline of the city, no wonder." He had heard about it from Grandpa Yang many times and had always wanted to find a chance to meet him.

"What's the wonder?"

"No wonder you behave so extraordinary and learn such a rare musical instrument. General Yang has always wanted to meet your father." He took the opportunity to mention her father.

"My father doesn't care about my studies. I've never heard him ask a single question since he came to Jingxi. If I ask him to come, I'm afraid it will be difficult." She felt a little disappointed when she mentioned Gu Zhiqiu.