Twenty-two, zero twenty-two.

Song Chi and Mo Feiyun sat across from each other. Even now, she felt incredibly puzzled; she had just deliberately nudged Mo Feiyun to observe the chance encounter between the immortal master Mo Shubai and Cui Xueruo.

Yet, this young man only gave a fleeting glance, offered a polite bow to the immortals, and tossed a spirit stone to the boatman.

He was completely indifferent! Perhaps he was merely pretending.

He had always possessed a stoic face, rarely showing any change in expression.

However, as the small boat drifted through the lake for a while, Mo Feiyun remained entirely unchanged. When a new round of fireworks was set off by the lakeside, he even pointed to the thousands of red plum blossom fireworks blooming in the sky with a bang and said, "Those are the fireworks we often set off during the festivals in our Shuquan Blessed Land."

Mo Feiyun hailed from the prestigious Mo family of the Shuquan region in the southeast.

Song Chi looked at the grand clusters of fireworks high above, which bloomed and scattered petals just like real plum blossoms, and nodded.

But you, kid, how are you still in the mood to appreciate fireworks? You should be feeling sorrowful.

Cui Xueruo is bravely pursuing the immortal master Mo Shubai, after all.

By this point, Song Chi had completely lost confidence in being able to elicit any particular emotion. Her own state of mind had been as peaceful as a spring under the moon throughout the journey, and the festive atmosphere even brought her a touch of pleasure.

There was no helping it; she might as well enjoy this rare moment of leisure. Song Chi took out her zither.

Amidst the myriad lights, the brilliant fireworks, and the bustling crowds, she recalled her past life and began by playing "Dreaming of Jiangnan."

The melody was gentle and melodic, carrying a faint sense of nostalgia. In truth, this was perhaps the most emotional piece she had ever played.

When the song ended, Mo Feiyun asked, "Junior Sister Song hasn't returned home for three years; are you thinking of the scenery of your hometown?"

Song Chi smiled. Her thoughts had wandered quite far—spanning across time and space.

Next, she played some cheerful little tunes. Then, the melody shifted, and she casually played a sweet, lighthearted piece.

As soon as this melody emerged, she saw Mo Feiyun’s eyes deepen, and his expression seemed to soften remarkably.

So, it turned out he enjoyed this kind of peaceful and sweet tune.

Song Chi obliged him, playing it twice. By the second time, Mo Feiyun knew how to accompany her with his flute. His flute playing was clear, affectionate, and technically proficient.

Song Chi felt a twinge of jealousy at his rich capacity for emotion. She usually only sensed the tranquility and elegance within her zither music; for anything else, she merely relied on cold, technical precision.

As the song concluded, Mo Feiyun held his bamboo flute, his expression very tender.

"Junior Sister Song, what is the name of this piece?"

Song Chi blurted out, "‘Hehuan’ (Joyous Union)! This piece is called Heh—uh!"

She immediately heard a suppressed chuckle from the boatman ahead, and the young maid serving them was covering her mouth to hide her laughter.

She instantly remembered what the two characters "Hehuan" implied. Thinking of the sweetness in the melody, which hinted at the beauty of a wedding night and marital bliss, she felt herself blush crimson.

Before her, Mo Feiyun’s fair cheeks turned a mesmerizing shade of red, visible to the naked eye.

He didn't know where to look.

Song Chi: "..." It really was just the name of a tune, brother; don't read too much into it. It wasn't a song of courtship.

On the second floor of the Meiying Pavilion, Shen Wenyan couldn't help but chuckle.

He noticed that the young girl, Cui Xueruo, had forgotten to peek at Brother Shubai and was instead busy watching the drama on the lake. "Eating melons" was the latest trendy term.

When the word "Hehuan" was mentioned, Cui Xueruo even choked on her wine. She probably hadn't seen such a straightforward declaration of affection before.

However, it was clear that Song Chi was not actually expressing her feelings so passionately, for after she spoke, her face twitched, her eyes closed slightly, and she looked as if she had quietly died halfway.

This made her even more amusing and pitiable.

Cui Xueruo laughed silently until her fingers trembled, tears in her eyes; she simply couldn't help it.

Even Brother Shubai let out a low laugh and drank two cups of wine.

"Let’s go for a walk on the shore." The boy from the Mo family was sensible, knowing how to ease the awkwardness.

The two immediately paid the fare and leaped onto the nearby lakeshore.

The area was filled with plum forests, and only the narrow paths within were hung with plum-shaped lanterns.

At that moment, snow began to fall from the night sky, and the cold wind rustled through the plum forest, blowing thousands of plum petals down upon the pedestrians like rain.

The boy from the Mo family elegantly dispersed the cold wind with his spiritual energy, not wanting the chill to touch the young beauty by his side in the slightest.

However, when a larger gust of wind blew, bringing even denser plum petals and snowflakes, the boy’s defensive energy suddenly ceased.

As the petals swept over them, the boy moved his hand gently and took the hand of the young girl beside him.

"Wow!" Cui Xueruo let out a small, sweet, and surprised cry.

In fact, many onlookers couldn't help but smile and exchange glances. The beautiful zither music from earlier had already attracted the attention of many men and women nearby. Now, seeing this young couple finally holding hands, they couldn't help but offer warm, tender smiles of blessing. Many of them had experienced similarly beautiful and sweet moments in their own pasts.

However, the idea that their hand-holding signified a mutual connection of hearts was clearly a misconception.

Shen Wenyan keenly noticed that the moment her hand was held, Song Chi stiffened as if struck by a whip, and her small hand instinctively tried to pull back.

But the Mo boy was impressive; he held on even tighter. The gaze that had previously avoided hers due to shyness now looked at her under the light of the lanterns with deep affection and tenderness.

Song Chi clearly hadn't expected this; her mouth was slightly agape, and for a moment, her mind seemed frozen, leaving her completely wooden in the wind.

So, it was she who had invited this Mo boy to see the lanterns, yet she hadn't dared to hope for his affection?

Shen Wenyan couldn't help but shake his head with a smile. But the next instant, he felt a sense of dread.

This time, the junior disciple Ye Qingyu actually dared to use a secret treasure of the Ye family. Even he and Brother Shubai couldn't stop it in time.

And the Mo boy, clearly caught up in the intensity of his feelings, had forgotten to activate his defensive artifacts.

Suddenly, a tyrannical roar erupted.

"If you want to be intimate with him, you have to see if I agree!"

The purple-clad figure was violently snatched away from Mo Feiyun. Ye Qingyu, that little scoundrel, grabbed her hand with a dark expression and soared into the sky above the plum forest.

Song Chi clearly hadn't reacted in time. She looked at the hand held by Ye Qingyu, then back at Mo Feiyun in the plum forest.

Her face twitched violently, and she turned and cursed.

"Ye Qingyu, have you lost your mind?"

Ye Qingyu, whose face was already twisted, grew even darker.

"Do you have no heart? Our childhood friendship—does it not compare to a Mo Feiyun?"

"What childhood friendship? Go to hell, who ever had a childhood friendship with you!"

This girl, Song Chi... how could her words be so... yet it made even Shen Wenyan unable to suppress a low laugh.

Ye Qingyu was even angrier now. He frowned and sneered, "I don't care if you admit it. The first time I saw you on the wall four years ago, hmph! I never intended to let you escape my grasp."

"I’m telling you, Song Chi! I won't allow you to be intimate with any man other than me! Otherwise, I will kill them."

Shen Wenyan held his forehead. He couldn't understand how his junior disciple could say such things.

Yet a group of young girls nearby covered their mouths and gasped, whispering, "He is so deeply devoted." Shen Wenyan was speechless.

Clearly, Song Chi wasn't buying it. Her small face turned red with anger, and she clenched her fist, ready to strike.

"Let her go!"

A cold shout came from behind Ye Qingyu. Mo Feiyun struck with a pure, ethereal sword strike.

Facing attacks from both front and back, Ye Qingyu was likely afraid of hurting Song Chi, so he pushed her aside to dodge the sword.

In reality, Mo Feiyun had only feinted, seizing the opportunity to grab Song Chi’s hand and pull her behind him.

Ye Qingyu shifted his position and looked back. Seeing this, he was so angry he nearly vomited blood.

"You wretched woman, you’re still hiding behind him! Are you trying to kill me with anger?"

"Come here!"

This roar made Cui Xueruo unable to care about anything else; she leaned over the table, her shoulders shaking with laughter.

Shen Wenyan twitched, speechless. How did his junior disciple manage to say these things?

Song Chi was so angry that several strands of her hair stood on end. Her only reaction was to hold her lute in her arms.

"Senior Brother Mo, hit him!"

Mo Feiyun held his green sword, standing before her. While his killing intent was directed at Ye Qingyu, his spiritual energy was quietly shielding the Song Chi behind him.

Song Chi's spiritual root aptitude, combined with her willow-like figure and the delicate purple robes she wore, truly made her appear fragile.

Although in Shen Wenyan’s eyes, her mastery of music was already quite profound, given her aptitude, she would likely not be able to exert much power in this battle.

She might even become a tool for Ye Qingyu to constrain Mo Feiyun.

Without Song Chi, Mo Feiyun and Ye Qingyu were evenly matched in strength and aptitude. With Mo Feiyun’s advantage in sword arts, Ye Qingyu would likely be defeated.

*Clang!*

But as the sound of Song Chi’s zither resonated, a chilling, murderous aura spread through the cold night like a biting wind, causing even Shen Wenyan to feel a sudden chill down his spine.

This was a new piece. He had expected her to choose a metal-elemental piece she had already mastered to fight.

To his surprise, as she waved her hand, not only was it a new song, but the intensity of the killing intent was such that even he, a Golden Core cultivator, could feel it. It was the result of her infusing her own spiritual energy, and as the melody played, it drew upon the mysterious killing aura scattered in the air.

Seeing that Mo Shubai had dispelled his own artifacts and began to clear the area, Shen Wenyan silently offered his help.

"Oh, is it this piece?" High above, Ye Qingyu heard the music and let out a cold, meaningful laugh.

"Fine, Song Chi, let me show you what that thread of mystery you’ve been struggling to grasp really is!"

Then, his lute began to play, and it was the same melody. Moreover, it was clear that he had mastered it even more exquisitely, summoning the mysterious energy with greater ease. The killing intent, like the cold snow of the night, erupted violently around him.