‘I can’t go on like this.’
Mu Xi closed her eyes and took a deep breath. When she opened them again, the bewilderment and grievance in her eyes had been replaced by a firm light.
She straightened her back. The tender thoughts and fragile emotions that had arisen from embarrassment and being scolded were forcibly suppressed.
Her fingertips touched the keys again, and this time the feeling was completely different.
She stopped thinking about that gaze beside her, stopped savoring the touch on her fingertips from before, and stopped brooding over Teacher Ling Yue’s attitude.
In her world, only this piano remained, and this <Prayer Under the Moonlight>.
The piano music flowed out again.
This time, it was no longer an empty display of technique.
Every note seemed infused with soul, carrying a faint sadness, like moonlight falling on a lake and rippling with shimmering light, yet deep within it hid a trace of barely noticeable hope and resilience.
That was the longing for a glimmer of light in despair, a prayer for the future in hardship.
Her fingering was still precise, but this time, what her fingertips conveyed was no longer cold notes, but full emotion.
Her expression was no longer stiff. A faint sorrow tinged her brows, but her eyes were clear and focused, as if she truly saw the one praying under the moonlight and felt that complex, moving emotion.
The piano music gradually reached its best, smooth and infectious, advancing the emotions contained in the piece layer by layer until it reached the climax, then slowly falling again. The lingering notes curled in the air, carrying a trace of wistful loss, yet not a completely despairing emptiness.
The piece ended. Mu Xi’s fingers remained on the keys, breathing softly, her chest rising and falling slightly. She was completely immersed in the world of music just now and did not come back to herself for a moment. Beside her, Ling Yue did not speak for a long time.
Mu Xi turned her head somewhat nervously, only to find that Ling Yue had at some point put away that icy expression. She still stood there, arms crossed, posture elegant, but her tightly knit brows had relaxed, and in those eyes sharp as knives, there was now a trace of approval.
“That’s more like it.”
Ling Yue’s voice was still cold, but no longer had its previous sternness and disappointment. “This is the level you should have. What you play is not just technique, but your state of mind. Remember how you felt just now.”
Having received affirmation, Mu Xi quietly let out a breath of relief, and a faint smile unconsciously appeared on her face.
The grievance and tension from before completely vanished like smoke, replaced by the joy of being recognized and a faint gratitude.
“Thank you, Teacher.” She said softly, her voice carrying a trace of hoarseness from just pulling herself out of the emotion.
Ling Yue gave a slight nod and said no more, only letting her gaze fall on Mu Xi’s hands again. That gaze was still focused, making Mu Xi’s heartbeat speed up involuntarily. She quickly withdrew her hand and hid it at her side.
Unknowingly, the sky outside had completely darkened. Only a few wall lamps were lit in the room, their light dim and warm.
From afar, there seemed to come the faint sounds of servants preparing dinner.
“It’s getting late, almost dinner time.” Ling Yue glanced out the window, then turned her gaze to Mu Xi, and suggested in a calm tone, “Go take a bath first.”
Mu Xi was stunned for a moment, then nodded instinctively. “Okay, then you go first, Teacher. I’ll wait a bit.”
Although the Silent Language Building had more than one bathroom, the artificial hot spring on the top floor was clearly the best.
Unexpectedly, Ling Yue raised an eyebrow and said in a matter-of-fact tone, “Together.”
“Huh?” Mu Xi suddenly felt at a loss, her cheeks starting to burn faintly again. “Together?”
She had never been naked in front of Teacher Ling Yue before… Just thinking about being bare with Teacher Ling Yue made her feel uncomfortable all over, and her heartbeat quickened.
Ling Yue looked at her instantly embarrassed expression, a flicker of amusement passing through her eyes, but her tone carried nine parts confusion and self-righteousness. “Your reaction is the strange one. We’re both girls. What’s the big deal about taking a bath together?”
She took a step closer and leaned in slightly. Her hair, carrying a crisp fragrance, almost fell onto Mu Xi’s shoulder. Her voice lowered a little, carrying a strange allure:
“Never mind just looking at each other. Even if we accidentally touch, what’s the problem?”
Warm breath brushed past her ear. Mu Xi’s body involuntarily tensed, and her cheeks turned so red she looked like she might bleed.
‘Teacher Ling Yue’s words… do seem right?’
‘We’re both girls. There really is nothing to be shy about.’
‘And besides, didn’t I just make up my mind not to be so weak? Why am I getting this embarrassed over such a small thing?’
After Ling Yue said that, Mu Xi instead felt that her earlier hesitation had been a bit of an overreaction.
She bit her lower lip, as if encouraging herself, raised her head, and tried to make her voice sound calmer:
“A… all right, then let’s go together.”
After saying that, she almost fled as she stood up, taking the lead toward the stairway, not daring to look again at Ling Yue’s eyes that seemed able to see through everything.
Ling Yue watched her slightly hurried back, the corner of her lips curving into an almost invisible arc, then she also strode forward on her long legs and followed.
The top floor was spacious and clean. In the distance was the night scene of Stone City, with scattered lights twinkling far away.
The surroundings were filled with dense steam, warm and humid.
In the middle was a hot spring pool built from smooth stone, with wisps of heat rising from the water.
Mu Xi stood beside it, looking at this almost luxurious scene, still feeling a little nervous.
She took a deep breath and began unbuttoning her clothes. Beside her, Ling Yue’s movements were natural and fluid. She quickly removed her clothes, revealing the perfect figure that had made Mu Xi marvel inwardly more than once.
Her posture was upright, her curves exquisite, and her skin, set off by the steam, looked even more white as jade.
Her figure was tall and well-proportioned. It did not have Ye Lan’s aggressive sense of power, but was like a carefully sculpted work of art, every inch just right.
Her full bust stood proudly, her waist was slender, her hips round and perky, and her legs long and straight.
Even as a woman herself, Mu Xi had to admit that Teacher Ling Yue’s figure was simply the Creator’s favorite, so perfect that one could not look away.
She secretly stole a few quick glances, waves of indescribable envy rising in her heart.
Especially that unattainable height and those long legs, which made her own figure seem even more petite and delicate.
Sensing Mu Xi’s gaze, Ling Yue did not mind. She merely walked barefoot toward the hot spring pool with elegant poise, first tested the water temperature, then slowly sat in, let out a comfortable sigh, leaned her body against the pool wall, and closed her eyes. Her black hair spread across the water like seaweed.
Mu Xi also finished undressing. Her naked body exposed to the warm air made her a little uncomfortable.
She hugged her arms, hesitated for a moment, then also walked over cautiously and, imitating Ling Yue, slowly slid into the water.
The warm spring water instantly wrapped around her whole body, dispelling the last trace of chill and tension.
Mu Xi let out a comfortable sigh and relaxed her body.
The steam rose, blurring her vision and seeming to make the atmosphere somewhat ambiguous.
Mu Xi leaned against the other side of the pool, trying to keep her distance from Ling Yue.
She lowered her head and looked at the water. Her fair skin gave off a faint pink in the water.
Just then, she felt a gaze fall on her.
She raised her head and met Ling Yue’s open eyes.
Ling Yue’s gaze was calm and rippleless, yet carried a scrutinizing meaning. It slowly slid from Mu Xi’s face to her collarbone, and finally rested on her chest for a moment.