CHAPTER 91: CHAPTER 091: PLAYING THE PIPA, INVITING CONTROVERSY

Sienna Johnson was now just waiting for Lucas Robertson to recover so he could help her leave. She had been away from home for nine months already...

"Mai, will you play me a tune on the Pipa?"

While shopping, they passed by an antique store that, surprisingly, had a Pipa. Sienna tried it, found it could still be played, and so bought it at a high price. After all, she was spending Adrian Desmond’s money, and he was more than willing for her to spend it.

"Alright."

Sienna picked up the Pipa, aged and imbued with history, tested its tuning, and began to play the classic piece, "A Moonlit Night on Spring River."

When she reached the "Boating" section, the dynamic shifts in tempo and volume, along with the beautiful and serene melody, painted a vivid picture of the waterside villages of South River. It was like a meticulous painting, gradually drawing the listener in.

Upon hearing this, Kiki’s heart instantly grew calm. Her breathing softened, afraid of disturbing the beautiful melody. As she listened to Sienna play with such ease and beauty, it felt as though she too were sitting in a small boat, rowing it into the distance.

When the tune ended and Sienna’s playing stopped, Kiki was still immersed in the melody, her face full of longing.

"Did you like it?" Sienna asked.

"I loved it. Just now, I felt like I was in a beautiful place, sitting in a small boat, and rowing towards the distance..."

Sienna was surprised and said with a smile, "Kiki, you are truly my kindred spirit."

Sienna was reminded of the story of Boya and Zhong Ziqi. Just as Zhong Ziqi could discern the grandeur of mountains and the surging of great rivers in Boya’s music, Kiki could also understand the boating melody in her Pipa playing.

"Mai, will you play another tune? I enjoy listening."

Sienna’s interest was piqued as well. "I’ll play ’Butterfly Lovers’ then."

"Good."

Kiki sat before her, her gaze fixed on the woman playing the Pipa. She’s so beautiful, Kiki thought, feeling her own heart stir.

For a while, the entire Desmond residence echoed with the hauntingly beautiful and sorrowful strains of "Butterfly Lovers." Even Adrian Desmond, who was in the study discussing business, found his attention drawn to it.

"Who is playing the music?"

"..."

"It sounds like the Madam. I recall she brought a Pipa with her," Aaron Faber remarked. "When I was traveling in Orienta, I passed through Suzhou and heard someone playing this instrument in a Tea House. It’s called..." Aaron Faber paused, thinking. "Pipa! Yes, it’s a Pipa. A very beautiful instrument."

Hearing this, Adrian Desmond lost all interest in discussing business and strode out of the study.

...

When she played the "Transforming into Butterflies" segment—depicting Zhu Yingtai weeping at Liang Shanbo’s grave on her ill-fated wedding day—the music transitioned from mere notes to raw emotion, pouring forth from the depths of one’s soul. If such love could not be contained, it would be pledged for this life and all lives, past and present...

Listening, Kiki’s eyes turned red. The melody gripped her heart tightly, pulling her deep into the narrative.

Suddenly, the door was slammed open with a BANG, and the mournful Pipa music screeched to an abrupt halt. The vivid imagery woven by the melody vanished without a trace.

"You wicked woman! My cousin can’t even get out of bed, she’s so ill, yet you have the leisure to sit here playing the Pipa?"

"..."

"Do you think my cousin is going to die? That with no one left to compete with you for Sixth Brother, you can just sit here happily playing your music?"

The person who had burst in, hurling accusations at Sienna Johnson, was none other than Melanie Carpenter’s cousin, Bella Ford.

Sienna glanced coolly at Bella Ford, then resumed playing the unfinished part of "Butterfly Lovers," completely ignoring her presence.

Where was I? Ah, Zhu Yingtai weeping at the grave... then they both transformed into butterflies, flying together, side by side. A bittersweet fulfillment of their profound love.

"You... you stop that right now! My cousin is trying to rest! Can’t you be a little less vicious, you woman?"

"..."

"Despicable! Do you have any sympathy at all?"

No matter how composed Sienna usually was, Bella’s incessant clamoring grated on her nerves. Sienna stopped playing and said mockingly, "Everyone in this world is fighting to live. Yet she wants to kill herself. What’s so pitiful about someone like that? Since she deems her own life worthless, perhaps she’s better off dead." Sienna disdained women who resorted to crying, making scenes, and threatening to hang themselves.

It was just a ploy to gain Adrian Desmond’s sympathy. If she truly wanted to die, how could she have been found so easily? A clumsy tactic, perhaps, but effective.

"You..." Bella Ford hadn’t expected Sienna Johnson to say such a thing. She was so enraged she wanted to slap her.

Bella Ford assumed Sienna Johnson still didn’t know that Adrian Desmond was going to marry Melanie Carpenter. Looking at Sienna smugly, she announced, "You probably don’t know this yet, but Sixth Brother is going to marry my cousin. Are you heartbroken? Devastated?"

"..."

"In Sixth Brother’s heart, my cousin Melanie is the most important. What do you think you are?"

Sienna raised an eyebrow, her gaze calm yet piercing, as if seeing straight into Bella’s heart. "And you think that after Adrian Desmond marries Melanie Carpenter, he’ll marry you?"

"What nonsense are you spouting?" Though she refuted it, her face flushed red.

"Keep dreaming!" Sienna sneered.

Bella Ford was furious and humiliated. "You’ll get what’s coming to you, woman!"

"Retribution? You actually believe in that sort of thing? Well then, you should be careful."

Sienna’s contemptuous gaze infuriated Bella. Bella had come specifically to see Sienna lose her composure, to see her heartbroken and hopefully cause a scene with Adrian Desmond. But Sienna’s utter indifference left Bella unsure how to proceed.

Could it be that this woman doesn’t love Adrian Desmond at all?

"You don’t actually love Sixth Brother, do you?"

Sienna then noticed Adrian Desmond standing at the doorway. He had been about to enter but paused when he heard Bella Ford’s question. He, too, seemed to be waiting for Sienna’s answer.

"Kiki, I’m hungry. Could you go cook some noodles for me?"

"Okay."

Sienna and Kiki rose and walked towards Adrian Desmond at the door. Bella Ford still wanted to make a scene, but upon turning and seeing Adrian, she swallowed all her words.

Adrian Desmond didn’t even spare Bella Ford a glance. He warned her sternly, "If I ever hear you speak to Mai like that again, don’t blame me for not showing your cousin any courtesy!"

No one was allowed to disrespect his woman!

"Sixth Brother, you have no idea how wicked this woman is! My cousin is so ill, yet she actually has the audacity to play the Pipa!" Bella Ford’s eyes reddened as she blinked, managing to squeeze out a few tears. "Seeing my cousin like that, I’m absolutely heartbroken. Sixth Brother, please, when you have time, spend more of it with her.

"Didn’t you promise my cousin that you would love her, and never let her be sad, miserable, or wronged?"

Sienna’s heart felt as if a hand had clenched around it; the pain caused her face to lose all color. Adrian Desmond naturally noticed and asked with concern, "What’s wrong? Are you not feeling well?"

Sienna shook her head and said softly, "It’s nothing. I’m probably just hungry. Kiki, let’s go."

"Alright."

Kiki accompanied Sienna as they left. As she passed Adrian Desmond, she glanced at him briefly before quickly looking away.