Pour Out My Heart

A melody from the guzheng flowed from her fingers like a clear stream, slowly circulating in this quiet space.

The piece had no score; it was just some tunes she played casually. However, even so, under her current master-level attainment in Chinese classical music, it already had a faintly pleasant and melodious feel.

After testing the sound, she confirmed that this zither was not some precious antique but merely a high-end guzheng produced by craftsmen with some skill and further tuned by many qin masters in modern society.

While she felt a bit disappointed, she also understood. No matter how wealthy the foundation behind Suti High School was, they would not invest too much money in an obviously declining art form. She had heard that the most luxurious item was a Steinway piano in the piano room. By comparison, the treatment of guzhengs was much poorer.

Her fingers, which had stopped, gently plucked the strings again, clearing away these irrelevant thoughts. Relying on her memory, she slowly adjusted her playing rhythm, and a song she had heard online in her previous life began to resonate in her heart.

This song and its band existed in this world too, but their development was more challenging than in the previous world. Many classic songs either weren't created by the original composers or for some reason didn't circulate. However, this masterpiece by Xiao Lou and He Tu, "Qing Jin Tian Xia," remained an insurmountable peak in the niche of traditional-style music.

The song, "Qing Jin Tian Xia," wasn't a particularly complex one, narrating familiar themes of separation, reunion, and mismatched fates. Yet, upon closer listening, it felt more meaningful than the popular songs of today.

Its style determined that it would only be suitable for a small audience, but this didn't stop the fans of the song from continuously supporting them. Perhaps in the future, they might not persist, but for now, as long as there were people who liked it, they would surely continue.

She quietly immersed herself in the system space, using 10,000 Culture Points to redeem all the information about this song. Then she closed her eyes, her hands still, and quietly pondered.

Unnoticed, Ayase had appeared beside her. She had replaced her fiery red dress with a red quju, her long skirt trailing on the ground. Her hairstyle matched Chu Lian's plum blossom bun, but instead of a plum blossom on her forehead, she had a blood-red cinnabar dot.

Looking at Chu Lian, who had closed her eyes, Ayase nodded slightly. With a wave of her delicate hand, the entire classroom transformed into an ancient-style pavilion by the willows on the West Lake, under a starry sky.

Chu Lian opened her eyes, smiled softly at Ayase, then lowered her head with a reserved smile. Her few strands of hair danced slightly in the wind. As her slender fingers moved, the guzheng strings began to dance, filling the pavilion with beautiful notes.

Seeing this scene, Ayase's enchanting face turned icy cold. With a fiery dress and an icy demeanor, she paired perfectly with the ethereal white-clad Chu Lian. In the sunny, undisturbed pavilion by the willows, their beauty seemed dreamlike.

As the prelude finished, Chu Lian parted her slightly flushed cherry lips, and the melodious lyrics flowed from her mouth:

The clash of swords and spears mixed with the hoarse sounds of flutes and strings

Who will take you to witness the slaughter outside the city walls?

Seven layers of silk robes, stained with blood…

Ayase danced gracefully to accompany Chu Lian's playing and singing. The long red ribbons traced graceful arcs in the air. Occasionally, her previously cold eyes revealed a profound sorrow, as if reminiscing or bidding farewell.

Hearing the clashing swords, the tall building slowly crumbles.

It is said that a life destined for romance, who calculated that fortune for you...

As Ayase danced, a shadow passed, and her red attire transformed into pure white. At the same time, Chu Lian, who was sitting at the guzheng, saw her white clothes turn red.

It seemed she was telling a story, performing a piece of history, resembling both her past and her future, their figures overlapping in this fleeting moment.

In the end, they repeatedly sang:

Returning to that moment past,

Silent years can still make one aghast.

Withered vines sprout branches new,

Time has softly brushed, and swiftly flew.

In dreams, by the moonlit tower,

Stands the you with eyes unchanged in power.

Brushing snow from clothes,

Side by side, we gaze at the vastness of night…

Ayase, in her blood-stained white attire, fell to the ground, a tear dropping from her red lips. Chu Lian, also dressed in the same color, had a drop of blood-red liquid at the corner of her mouth.

As the song ended, all the scenes reverted to their original state. Everything from Ayase's appearance onward had been recorded in a video, ready for a bit of editing before being uploaded.

This was the Chinese song she had promised to cover. Honestly, even though many classics were lost in this timeline, there were still plenty of beautiful songs and new ones she was unfamiliar with. If she wanted to do a cover, she could have chosen those more famous songs.

But she understood internet culture. Whether in the previous world or this one, what is popular online might not be popular in society, and vice versa. To avoid unnecessary disputes and criticism at this stage, these options had to be ruled out.

Regardless of how well you sing, there will always be comparisons with the original. Singing too well might attract attention from those who like to stir up trouble. Singing poorly would damage her own reputation. Therefore, it was better to avoid such songs.

Using internet songs to conquer the internet was the best way to protect herself. Even if some people found the video too well-made and suspicious, the original video file was stored in the system space. If she didn't want to release it, no one could obtain it. Therefore, any suspicions would remain unproven and wouldn't cause a big stir.

Additionally, she believed that ancient-style songs should have an ancient flavor. If the setting was poorly done, how could she show her best side to others? Thus, she had decided to hide her true abilities appropriately for the next few years until she had a solid foundation and a significant fanbase.

Moreover, creating popular songs required many specific elements and was more difficult than internet songs. She didn't want unnecessary complications, as these weren't her current priorities. Investing too much time would be a waste.

However, after she turned sixteen and could make her own decisions, she would show everyone her true capabilities. Ayase supported this decision. Standing out too much could attract trouble. It's better to achieve things without taking unnecessary risks.

After changing back into her original outfit and picking up her small backpack, she slowly stood up, walked to the door, opened it, and looked back at the narrow room.

"I will do my best to fulfill Ayase's regrets..." she whispered softly. She turned and closed the door, everything returning to its original state. No one would know that a girl had played here.

No one would know what kind of spiritual cleansing she experienced here, allowing her to achieve great heights in classical music.