After the performance, Unpolished Jade had someone bring out a gift and invited the musician to join them for lunch.
The musician seemed used to this sort of thing. When he followed the two players over, his expression was calm and quiet.
But Xu Huo and the other player hadn't really invited him to keep them company.
They ate at a restaurant in the sky. During the meal, a guest came over to greet Unpolished Jade, accompanied by several striking men and women.
The man was eager to get on good terms with Unpolished Jade. While holding forth, he offered to send her some "toys" and asked what kind she liked.
Unpolished Jade cut off the subject with a few words, then tactfully said she didn't want anyone interrupting her meal with her friends. The young master glanced at Xu Huo and promptly took the hint, leaving.
The sunlight outside was just right. Looking out, they could see vibrant colors everywhere across the bustling city. Farther off, the undulating desert was breathtaking too...
"How cold," the quiet musician suddenly said.
Xu Huo turned to look at him, only to see him speaking as though immersed in his own world. "Sunlight is probably the coldest thing in the world."
"It doesn't entangle itself with people like rain or mist. It just hangs high in the sky, indifferent to everything in this world."
"Whether ants, people, or flowers and grass, no life has anything to do with it. It simply watches over all the joys and sorrows, all the changes in the world, making people feel every moment that there's no difference between them and ants."
The two players who'd come with him had already changed expressions and were signaling for him to stop.
Unpolished Jade wasn't particularly interested in him and