Pei Mianman, overcome with emotion, let out a long, shuddering sigh. “That woman actually has such a soft heart underneath her flirtatious exterior. No one would want to make an enemy out of someone like this…”

In the other private room, Xie Daoyun quietly dabbed at the corners of her eyes. As she looked at that fair and graceful figure behind the pearl curtains, she too sighed deeply. “If we speak purely on her technique at the zither, I might still be slightly above her. However, in terms of imbuing emotions into her playing and moving the soul with music, I am truly inferior.”

Xie Xiu echoed his sister’s admiration. “I’ve heard many courtesans play the zither before. In the past, I was always generally appreciative of their playing. Only now do I realize that, compared to her, the others aren’t even worthy of carrying her shoes.”

He pivoted the conversation smoothly towards consoling his sister. “But sis, you don’t have to put yourself down for this. You’ve always lived an extravagant life. You’ve grown up in a warm and blessed environment, and your emotional experiences are like a blank canvas, so it’s not shameful at all to be inferior to another in this aspect. She has experienced far more that you have in this place of romance. Although she still looks...