Chapter 6: But It Sounds Damn Good

When Gu Li's words left her lips, a stunned silence fell over the crowd.

Su Hong was so enraged that his face turned beet red.

Su Ying, sensing the impending tension, quickly rose to her feet, her hand patting her father’s back in a soothing gesture. "Dad, please, don't be upset."

As expected.

Su Zheng was an idiot—he was only setting himself up to fail. Gu Li knew better than anyone how incapable Su Zheng was. He couldn’t possibly play ancient-style music. He probably couldn’t even identify all the notes on a piano, let alone perform a delicate piece.

The thought of Su Zheng embarrassing himself in front of the entire Zhang family made her smile inwardly. Once that happened, both the Zhang family and her father would have no choice but to wash their hands of him.

Zhao Ruolan and her daughter, Su Ying, shared the same thought. They sat back, ready to watch the spectacle, anticipating the moment when Su Zheng would make a fool of himself.

The fallout from the broken engagement would be disastrous for the Su family, but without Su Zheng in the picture, they could rely on Su Ying.

Several young masters of the Zhang family had already shown interest in Su Ying, so she would undoubtedly be the one to rise in the family’s eyes.

The crowd, eager to see Gu Li humiliate himself, waited in tense silence.

But Zhang Jingsi—whose attention had been focused on Gu Li—was the first to speak. Her mouth curled into a mocking grin, her voice dripping with amusement. "Su Zheng, what kind of international joke are you trying to pull? You can’t even carry a tune, and now you’re going to play ancient music? Don’t make a fool of yourself."

Her focus shifted from the engagement to mocking him.

She knew Su Zheng well—he was good for nothing except his looks.

She found the scar beneath his eye strangely alluring, something that only added to his charm, but she had no faith in his abilities.

Gu Li ignored the crowd and turned her gaze to Grandpa Zhang. "What do you think?" she asked, her voice calm and composed.

Before Grandpa Zhang could respond, Zhang Rui spoke up, his tone stern. "Fine, as long as you can play an ancient-style piece. But don’t say I didn’t warn you—this is no joke, Su Zheng."

He could barely hide his contempt for the engagement. If it weren’t for his daughter’s insistence, he would never have agreed to it.

Grandpa Zhang nodded in agreement. "Alright."

Gu Li’s lips curled into a small smile. "I want a guqin."

A murmur of surprise rippled through the crowd.

A guqin?

Zhang Rui gave a nod of approval, and Grandpa Zhang immediately ordered, "Bring my guqin here."

Within moments, a servant appeared, carefully setting the guqin beside the piano. The garden fell into an expectant silence.

Gu Li moved toward the instrument with slow, measured steps. Sitting gracefully, she donned the guqin finger guards, closed her eyes, and began.

The music flowed effortlessly from her fingers.

Su Hong’s voice broke the silence, sharp with impatience. "Su Zheng, if you can’t play, just admit it. Otherwise, you’ll ruin Chairman Zhang’s enjoyment and bring shame to our family!"

Gu Li’s eyes flickered toward him, cold as ice. Her gaze cut through the tension in the air, sending a shiver through Su Hong.

With a dismissive glance, she returned her attention to the guqin. Her fingers plucked the strings with ease, and soon, an ancient, enchanting melody filled the air.

The notes were delicate yet haunting, weaving a tapestry of sound that transported everyone in the garden.

The music was ethereal, beautiful beyond words.

As the song flowed, an odd sense of tranquility settled over the gathering. People closed their eyes, letting the music wash over them.

Even Grandpa Zhang, whose eyes had once been dull with age, seemed to come alive as he watched Gu Li with awe.

Zhang Jingsi, standing off to the side, gaped in disbelief. Her usual smug expression faltered as her eyes widened. Slowly, the shock in her gaze turned to admiration, then obsession.

She couldn’t deny it—Su Zheng was even more attractive now, his elegance amplified by the performance.

The most stunned expressions, however, came from Su Hong and Zhao Ruolan.

Su Hong was rendered speechless, his mouth opening and closing without a sound.

Zhao Ruolan’s eyes widened, her pupils dilated with shock.

Su Ying, her lips clenched tightly, was equally unnerved.

She didn’t recognize the song, but one thing was undeniable: it sounded damn good.

When the song ended, a profound silence enveloped the garden. The air seemed heavy with the weight of the music as if no one wanted to break the spell it had cast.

It wasn’t until several moments had passed that a single round of applause rang out, breaking the stillness.

"What a beautiful song!" A clear, sharp voice cut through the hushed silence, drawing everyone’s attention to the entrance.

All eyes turned toward the source of the voice.

(End of Chapter 6)

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