Enjoying Phrolova's Music

"Come here and feed me." Kexi leaned back in her chair and beckoned to Phrolova with her finger.

"Dream on." Phrolova didn't even lift his eyelids.

"You're being disobedient, aren't you? Then I'll call Luna over."

Phrolova's face darkened for a moment, but he still retorted defiantly, "Don't try to scare me with her. Do you think I'm afraid of her?"

That's what she said, but she had already taken half a step toward Kexi.

She grabbed the chopsticks from the table, filled them with a mouthful of noodles, and held them to Kexi's lips.

"Just eat." She said coldly, her voice harsh.

Kexi opened her mouth with satisfaction and took the food, chewing it very slowly and deliberately.

As he ate, he glanced up at Phrolova, his eyes filled with the satisfaction of his triumph.

"So, the person you're most afraid of is Luna," he mumbled.

Phrolova paused for a moment, then resumed his indifferent expression. "Who's afraid of her? She's the last person I'm afraid of."

"Then I'll call her over."

"Call me whatever you want."

"Then I'll call."

"Whatever."

Kexi cleared her throat, making a gesture as if to shout, "Lu--"

The moment he opened his mouth, Phrolova covered it with his hand.

She leaned closer to him, her eyes blazing with anger, and forced out a voice through clenched teeth. "What exactly do you want?"

Kexi removed her hand from her mouth, grinning like a fox who had just stolen a chicken. "It's nothing. Aren't you a musician? I'd like to ask you to play a piece and sing a song."

"Don't worry, besides me, I'll find you a group of loyal listeners."

"Didn't you say I'd never seen one of your performances? Now I can."

Phrolova sneered, "You're not worthy to hear that."

"Really?" Kexi wasn't annoyed, and glanced behind her. "Then my name is Luna."

"Call me whatever you want." Phrolova straightened up again, turning her face away, clearly putting on a brave face.

This time, Kexi didn't rush to call for help.

He decided to try Luna's playstyle.

He stood up, walked behind Phrolova, and whispered something in her ear.

Phrolova froze.

Her earlobes instantly burned red, and her pupils contracted sharply as if pricked by needles. She whirled around, glaring at him, her voice trembling. "How dare you!"

"Why wouldn't I dare? I'm far too daring." Kexi laughed arrogantly and reached out to tear off her clothes.

Phrolova struggled desperately, clutching her collar tightly with both hands. But her strength was now no different from that of an ordinary person, and she couldn't push Kexi away.

In the scuffle, Kexi grabbed her collar and yanked it to the side. With a "rip," the shoulder seam of the maid outfit was torn open, revealing most of her shoulder and delicate collarbone.

"Stop! I'll sing! I'll sing!" Phrolova finally couldn't hold back anymore, her voice urgent and panicked, her eyes reddening.

Kexi immediately stopped and took a step back, as if he wasn't the one who had almost stripped her clothes off.

He straightened his cuffs and nodded with satisfaction. "It would have been better if you had done this earlier."

He turned and called out towards the door, "Luna."

Luna, as if she had been waiting for this summons, trotted to the restaurant entrance, her face still bearing that standard, sweet smile, "Young Master."

"Go, gather everyone together. Tell them the young master invited them to enjoy the music." Kexi straightened his collar, his smile revealing an anticipation of something big to do.

"Yes, young master." Luna replied and turned to walk out the door.

As she passed Phrolova, she slowed her pace slightly, turned her head, and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Your dress is torn; it won't look good on stage."

Phrolova's face turned bright red, and he wished he could burn two holes in the back of Luna's head with his gaze.

Kexi sat back down in her chair, picked up the bowl of noodles that had become somewhat soggy, took a bite with her chopsticks, and mumbled, "Go change your clothes, don't be late for the performance. Your audience is waiting."

Not long after.

Phrolova changed her clothes and came back. When Kexi saw her come in, she handed her a sheet music book without saying a word.

You'll sing this in a little while.

Phrolova lowered her head and opened the sheet music. After just one glance, her eyebrow twitched.

"What kind of disgusting music is this?"

She closed the sheet music, looking disgusted. "I'm not singing."

"What's so disgusting about such a classic piece?" Kexi looked offended.

I won't sing.

Aren't you going to sing?

"I won't sing."

Kexi stepped forward, forcing the person against the wall.

Phrolova's back was pressed against the cold wall. Before he could react, his chin was grabbed and he was forced to tilt his head back.

Kexi leaned down, her eyes both playful and domineering.

"That's not up to you."

His hands reached into his collar and molded various shapes.

"Are you going to sing or not? Hmm?" Kexi asked, leaning closer.

"Sing! Sing! I'll sing!" Phrolova practically screamed, her face as red as if scalded by boiling water.

Kexi withdrew her hand, brought it to her nose, and sniffed it. Then, she squinted her eyes mischievously and said, "It smells quite nice."

"You!" Phrolova trembled with rage, his chest heaving, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked.

"Alright, alright, stop dawdling. Everyone's waiting." Kexi ignored her emotions and turned to leave.

The hall was already full of people. Servants, guards, gardeners, and maids had all been summoned by Luna and sat down in a dense crowd.

Kexi walked to the center, cleared her throat, pointed at Phrolova, and announced in a strong voice, "Everyone, please! Enjoy the music!"

Everyone sat up straight in unison.

Phrolova stood at the front of the crowd, holding a single-stringed harp in his arms.

She'd seen it all in her life, but right now she felt even more uncomfortable than standing in a concert hall with thousands of people.

She took a deep breath, resisting the urge to turn and run away, and plucked a string with her fingertips.

"Zheng--"

Then she opened her mouth and shouted in an extremely rough tone.

The shout was loud and clear, echoing throughout the hall.

The people below were completely bewildered; they looked at each other, no one understanding what she was singing.

Kexi stood beside her, explaining earnestly, "This is the beginning of the song. It's about her calling out to her beloved from a high mountain."

Everyone suddenly realized what was going on and nodded in agreement; one of the maids even clapped twice.

Phrolova's eye twitched, and he almost snapped the string.

Kexi winked at her and urged, "Phrolova, stop dawdling and start singing!"

Phrolova closed her eyes briefly, and when she opened them again, her eyes were filled with a resigned, tearful look.

She never dreamed that she would sing such a disgusting song in her life.

But Kexi's threatening gaze felt like a knife to her throat.

She finally gave in.

"Fluffing cotton—fluffing cotton~"

"The cotton ball has shrunk to a mere 880 grams in half a year!"

There was a two-second silence in the hall. Then someone started to stifle a laugh.

"Old cotton has been turned into new cotton, and the cotton quilt has been made; now the girl is getting married~"

Phrolova sang with extreme passion, her brow furrowed, her cheeks flushed, and her voice taking several turns. Her voice was clear and melodious, possessing the technique of a proper musician, but the lyrics were simply too outrageous. Combined with her expressions and the style of the music, the whole scene looked like a top-notch opera house had been forcibly moved into a rural temple fair.

Kexi was the first to break down.

He bent over, slapped his thighs, and laughed so hard he almost fell over, tears streaming down his face.

His smile ignited a firecracker in the hall, and everyone burst into laughter.

Even Luna leaned against the pillar, laughing so hard her shoulders were shaking.

"Yalisha, I can't go on, please help me."

Phrolova is still singing.

Her hands plucked the strings rapidly, her face flushed crimson.

She glared at the man who was laughing so hard he couldn't stand up straight, wishing she could smash the entire instrument in his face.

She gritted her teeth and sang the last line even more powerfully than the previous ones.

"Oh dear--my cotton ball--"

Kexi finally slipped and fell to the ground. He clutched his stomach, laughing so hard his voice distorted.

He gave Phrolova a thumbs-up and stammered, "Good—good work, no wonder you're a musician!!"