That melody seemed to carry magic, seeping bit by bit through her skin, drilling into her marrow, soothing her taut nerves.
She began to discern the emotions within the melody.
There seemed to be a faint, hard-to-detect melancholy, a loneliness hidden beneath the ornate notes, and an indescribable, almost obsessive craving.
Craving?
Mu Xi’s heart gave a violent start.
Why could she hear something like that in the music?
Was she being too sensitive, or……
She thought of the deep, dark gaze Teacher Ling Yue had when looking at her, and of what she had said: “To be seen, to be cherished.”
Could it be that this music was also aimed at her?
That thought made her whole body stiffen, her just-relaxed body instantly tensing up again.
A chill once again crept silently up her spine.
She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to dispel these absurd associations.
Impossible.
Music was just music.
Teacher Ling Yue was expressing her own emotions, or simply practicing.
It had nothing to do with her and yet, that piano music happened to fit her current state of mind so perfectly.
Those flowing notes seemed to transform into invisible tendrils, gently scratching at the softest, most fragile places in her heart.
Having lost her direction, she could only rise and fall with the waves, unable to control herself.
Her consciousness gradually grew hazy, her eyelids heavier and heavier.
Amidst the hypnotic piano piece, she reached a critical point.
Physical exhaustion and mental tension slowly dissolved in the unceasing music.
Mu Xi felt truly pathetic.
She was clearly full of vigilance and unease toward the person next door, even somewhat annoyed that she was disturbing her rest, yet she couldn’t help being drawn in by her music.
Even in this uneasy atmosphere, the music gradually lulled her into dreamland.
‘What was this?’
She thought helplessly.
Who could blame her?
Teacher Ling Yue’s music simply had that kind of magic that made people sink, that made it impossible to resist.
Just like the person herself—cold, noble, yet carrying an allure that made people want to draw near despite knowing the danger, to probe and explore.
In a daze, she seemed to hear a change in the piano music.
The previous melody, though complex, had a cold, distant foundation.
But now, that melody seemed to have become gentler?
No, not gentle—more like lingering.
Like whispers between lovers, carrying a certain undeniable tenderness and possessiveness, winding in thread by thread, wrapping around her.
This feeling was strange.
It gave her both the illusion of being soothed and a deeper, more bone-chilling unease.
What was this music trying to express?
Teacher Ling Yue, what was she trying to do?
The final note fell, its lingering echo reverberating in the silent night for a long time before finally fading away.
The world suddenly went quiet.
But this abrupt silence was more unsettling than the music before.
Mu Xi’s consciousness was already floating between half-sleep and half-wakefulness.
She tried hard to grasp the last shred of clarity, to think about the deeper meaning contained in that music, but heavy drowsiness flooded over her like a tide, completely drowning her.
Before she lost consciousness entirely, only one final blurry thought remained in her mind—
That music was like a net.
A magnificent, icy net woven for her.
Dawn broke, a faint sliver of light squeezing through the gap in the heavy curtains.
Mu Xi’s eyes flew open, her heart still pounding wildly in her chest.
Cold sweat had soaked her pajamas, clinging stickily to her back, bringing waves of chill.
That dream had been too real, so real that she couldn’t tell whether it was a dream or reality.
In the dream, she had actually…… with Teacher Ling Yue……
That cool, soft touch, that breath carrying a crisp fragrance, even the slight trembling when lips met—all were as clear as a brand, deeply engraved into her senses.
She could even recall Teacher Ling Yue’s eyes, always so cold, stained in the dream with some scorching emotion she couldn’t understand, locked tightly onto her.
And then there was Ye Lan.
On Ye Lan’s face, always carrying arrogance and dominance, appeared an unprecedented, almost collapsing despair and madness.
That hoarse voice still seemed to echo in her ears, “You…… betrayed me……”
Then came that piercing gunshot, Ye Lan’s falling figure, and the splattering, warm……
‘No!’
Mu Xi shook her head vigorously, trying to drive those terrible images from her mind.
But the more she tried to forget, the clearer they became.
What frightened and disgusted her most was that in the dream, after Ye Lan fell, she had actually…… actually continued kissing Teacher Ling Yue, as if the one lying beside them was merely an inconsequential object.
That coldness and cruelty was not like her at all!
This was simply the most terrifying nightmare she had ever experienced.
She threw off the blanket, barefoot on the cold floor, her body still trembling slightly.
Was Teacher Ling Yue’s piano music from last night, like a curse, the cause of this nightmare?
‘Impossible! Impossible! The craving and possessiveness hidden in that music—could it really be……’
Mu Xi bit down hard on her lower lip, the pain clearing her head slightly.
It must be that she was too tired, too mentally strained, that’s why she had such an absurd dream.
Teacher Ling Yue was her teacher, a respected elder.
How could she possibly……
She walked to the window and carefully pulled the curtain open a crack.
Outside, the sky was already bright.
Stone City revealed its sturdy, cold silhouette in the morning light.
From afar came faint sounds of drilling and the roar of machinery, reminding her that this was reality, not that chaotic and terrifying dream.
But at the thought of having breakfast with Teacher Ling Yue soon, Mu Xi’s heart clenched involuntarily again.
What expression should she use to face her?
Could she still speak to her as before, with respect and a trace of closeness?
No, she couldn’t do it.
Just one look at Teacher Ling Yue’s face—perfect as ice-carved snow—and she would remember the scene from the dream that made her blush and her heart race.
She dawdled for a long time, until the servant’s gentle knock came from outside, reminding her that breakfast was ready.
Only then did Mu Xi take a deep breath, change her clothes, and steel herself to walk out.
In the dining hall on the first floor of Silent Language Building, the servant had already laid out breakfast neatly.
Simple toast, fried eggs, milk, and a small plate of fruit.
Ling Yue was already seated at the dining table.
She wore tailored cream-colored trousers and a silk shirt in the same color family, her black hair meticulously pinned up, revealing a gracefully lined neck and a delicate profile.
Morning light spilled through the window onto her, wrapping her in a soft halo, making her appear even more cold and noble, untouched by dust.
Hearing Mu Xi’s footsteps on the stairs, she raised her head, her gaze sweeping over lightly.
That look was still cold, carrying its usual distance—utterly different from those scorching eyes in the dream.
She was looking down, unhurriedly cutting the fried egg on her plate with knife and fork.
Mu Xi’s heart settled a little, but then tension rose for another reason.
She forced herself to look away, not daring to meet Ling Yue’s eyes, and lowered her head as she walked to the dining table and sat down.
“Miss Xi, good morning.” The servant respectfully pulled out the chair for her.
“Morning……” Mu Xi’s voice was a little tight.
The dining hall was very quiet, only the faint clink of knife and fork against plate.
Mu Xi kept her head down, silently drinking her milk, yet the corner of her eye uncontrollably glanced again and again at Ling Yue sitting across from her.
Her gaze finally landed on Ling Yue’s beautifully shaped lips.