Song Qingshu was startled. Had he exposed some flaw somewhere? But when he noticed the expectation in Shen Biqun's eyes, he realized that the piece he had just played had likely stirred her thoughts. "No, I came from beyond the pass."
"Oh~" Shen Biqun's disappointment was plain to see. "When I heard you play 'Thoughts' just now, your technique was somewhat unpolished, but the imagery in the piece was lofty. I thought you were from the south."
"Thank you for your praise, miss." Hearing her assessment, Song Qingshu secretly sighed in relief. He had gambled correctly after all—trying to win through technique alone would not work.
Upon learning that he was not from the Song Dynasty, Shen Biqun quickly lost interest. She said nothing more, merely let out a faint sigh and turned to leave, leaving Song Qingshu standing there utterly bewildered.
"What was that about?" Song Qingshu was still feeling vexed when, fortunately, someone led him to a nearby residence to stay. He was sternly warned not to leave without permission, or his life might be in danger.
If an ordinary pipa master were being treated to fine food and luxurious living, he probably would not care much even if his freedom were restricted. But Song Qingshu was naturally not so obedient. Once the man left, he quietly slipped out.
Unfortunately, searching without any clue was no different from looking for a needle in the sea. Song Qingshu made a circuit of Prince Wei's Manor but found no worthwhile leads. He had originally planned to see how Yelü Nanxian was doing, but when he infiltrated her chamber, he discovered that she was not there. From the chatter of two passing maids, he learned that ever since something had happened to her brother, Yelü Suiye, she had often been out