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Su Qiuyu’s mouth twitched at the corner, famous for her beauty? Was she being mocked for having looks without talent?

The people present could not help but think deeper. What good is beauty if it ultimately loses to a village girl?

"Miss Yao is being too modest. You are the top talented lady of the Capital city, and naturally, I can’t compare with you." Even though Su Qiuyu was reluctant to admit it, she still smiled warmly, with no sign of dissatisfaction.

Lin Yuan, who had been listening quietly, quietly curled her lips. These daughters of noble families in the Capital city were quite interesting indeed—they clearly wanted to outperform each other, yet they had to pretend to be aloof and disdainful.

Shaking her head subtly, just as Lin Yuan wondered who would be the one to stir the pot, she heard Yan Ruchun snicker and say, "Isn’t it just playing the zither? The two of you shouldn’t keep pushing it back and forth. Play one piece each and be done with it! Ah, no!"

No sooner had she finished speaking than Yan Ruchun shook her head vigorously, her eyes suddenly lit up as if she had thought of an incredible idea.

She straightened her back and leaned forward with interest, "Playing one piece each is indeed troublesome. Why don’t the two of you perform a duet?

That way, we can hear who is just a bit better, can’t we? "

Yan Ruchun clapped her hands, delighted with her brilliant idea. However, seeing no one else echoing her, she pouted in disinterest and called out to Xu Muqing who was busily eating on the side, "Fatty Xu! Stop eating and say something. Wasn’t the suggestion I just made good?"

Xu Muqing had an instinctive urge to shake her head, but upon looking up and seeing Yan Ruchun’s slightly threatening gaze, she showed her teeth and ultimately nodded, "Good, quite good. Shall we do it this way, then?"

Yan Ruchun smirked triumphantly and raised an eyebrow at Lin Yuan with an obvious implication.

Lin Yuan found it amusing internally. Yan Ruchun really was interesting. Remembering how Su Qiuyu and Yao Hanai had banded together to target her earlier, she naturally enjoyed watching the two turn on each other.

"Miss Yan’s idea is excellent," Lin Yuan placed her wine cup aside, smiling, "Miss Su and Miss Yao are both paragons among the young ladies of the Capital city.

If the two talented ladies perform a duet today, it will undoubtedly become a beautiful event in the city.

To be able to witness this firsthand at my first banquet is truly a stroke of luck. "

With Lin Yuan’s flattery, naturally, some began to echo her sentiments.

Lin Wei, Xiao He, and Xiao Linshuang were definitely the first to enthusiastically agree, and even Yao Zhilan was eager to urge them on, "Sister, I also want to hear the two of you play a duet!"

Yao Hanai’s mouth twitched, and she looked at her foolish little sister with a forced smile, wanting to smack her right into the bowl of bird’s nest soup in front of her.

However, since they had already spoken, it would seem rather pretentious for the two to refuse a duet.

"Then we shall graciously comply," said Yao Hanai, knowing she could not avoid it and with a smile, she agreed, "Miss Su, what do you say?"

Su Qiuyu scoffed inwardly; with the woman having agreed, she would appear feeble if she did not. She nodded assent right away.

Seeing her nod, Yao Hanai instructed her maid to fetch her own zither since she had only one; Yao Zhilan volunteered with enthusiasm, sending Caicai to retrieve her instrument.

No sooner had Caicai accepted the task than Su Qiuyu softly said, "There’s no need. I brought my own zither. Yaner, fetch my zither from the carriage."

Yaner immediately responded and quickly went out the door.

Lin Yuan’s lips curved in a smile. As expected, she was well prepared, even bringing her own zither in advance.

Everyone present saw through the ruse but did not expose it; within a short time, Mo Zhu brought over Yao Hanai’s guqin, and Yaner hurried back with Su Qiuyu’s guqin as well.

Both guqin were unveiled, dazzling everyone slightly, prompting a round of nods and praises.

Lin Yuan did not understand music and naturally did not know much about guqins either. However, seeing everyone’s expressions, she understood that Su Qiuyu’s guqin was somewhat better than Yao Hanai’s.

Since Guo Mei had been schemed against by Su Qiuyu and suffered for it, naturally she would not speak up for her again.

Cheng Yuexiu indeed wanted to flatter at this moment, but as soon as she opened her mouth, Xiao Linshuang was staring at her with a pair of green, gleaming eyes, causing her to feel so unnerved that she swallowed her saliva and dared not utter a single word.

Clang clang.

Both participants tuned their guqin strings and then exchanged glances.

Yao Hanai, truly a clever person, initiated, "To be able to play a piece with Miss Su today is also a kind of fate; how about we play ’High Mountains and Flowing Water’ together?"

’High Mountains and Flowing Water’ is about two people becoming confidants through music, and using it at this moment could not be more apt.

After thinking it over, Su Qiuyu, for whom ’High Mountains and Flowing Water’ was one of her best pieces, also nodded in agreement.

Truth be told, this piece was indeed excellent, but it required a high degree of skill from the performers. Both needed an intuitive understanding and tacit cooperation. However, it was clear that Su Qiuyu and Yao Hanai did not meet this criterion.

In the beginning, the performance was fine, but as it progressed, it became more dissonant. Everyone had a competitive spirit and wanted to surpass the other, leading to slight variations in the tune they played, so much so that even Lin Yuan, not versed in music, could detect the discordant notes.

Guo Mei even muttered under her breath, "It’s supposedly ’High Mountains and Flowing Water’, but why does it sound more like ’Ambush from Ten Sides’?"

Indeed it was nearly turning into an ’Ambush from Ten Sides’, as neither Su Qiuyu nor Yao Hanai could stand the sight of the other.

It is said that the sound of the guqin can best express the player’s thoughts. Su Qiuyu once thought Yao Hanai was as modest as she appeared, but during today’s competition, Su Qiuyu realized, this girl aimed even higher than she did!

In the past, she had really underestimated her! As Su Qiuyu delicately plucked at the strings, a cold sneer crossed her mind, "Yao Hanai, haven’t you heard the saying? ’With aspirations higher than the heavens, life can be thinner than paper.’ Just wait, your misfortune will come sooner or later!"

When the piece concluded, everyone present breathed a sigh of relief, fearing that the guqin playing might turn into a physical fight between the two. There had already been a fight witnessed earlier, and if another brawl broke out today, it would indeed be a trip well made!

Su Qiuyu sat with her hands on the strings, slowly raising her head to glance at Yao Hanai, a certain emotion still unassuaged in her eyes, her expression still bearing some hostility.

Yao Hanai’s thoughts were deeper, hiding any hostility in her eyes perfectly as she looked up. She curved her lips, as if not noticing the hostility in Su Qiuyu’s eyes, and with a smile said, "Miss Su’s guqin skills are truly outstanding, Han Yan admires them greatly."

Su Qiuyu was taken aback, not expecting Yao Hanai to begin with flattery.

Yet Lin Yuan silently praised Yao Hanai for her subtlety; a good retreat is as good as an advance.