On our wedding night, my wife acted strangely.

Thinking of this, Lin Yi got up, followed the direction of the zither music, walked out of the bamboo forest, and passed through a long corridor.

The further you walk, the clearer the music becomes. Suddenly, you look up and see a separate courtyard ahead.

Three characters were written on the lintel.

Green Bamboo Courtyard.

I remember now, it seems that Guo Ao's widowed sister lives here.

A few days ago, when they raided Guo Ao's house, Lu Dehao also confiscated the female relatives of the family.

Lin Yi didn't want to show any mercy, so he had Lu Dehao send them all back.

But who knew that guy would take it upon himself to keep Guo Fu behind.

Lin Yi was so busy during that time that he completely forgot about this woman.

Just right.

Having nothing to do today, listening to music in the bamboo grove is quite nice.

Lin Yi reached out and pushed open the slightly ajar gate of Qingzhu Courtyard.

The courtyard was quiet, with no servants attending to the guests. A stone table was placed under a large old locust tree.

Guo Fu sat at the stone table, her hands caressing the zither.

Lin Yi stood at the door, staring at her without any restraint.

The woman was indeed extremely beautiful. She wore a light blue dress, no jewelry, and her hair was simply tied up in a bun.

Her skin is also very fair.

It wasn't the kind of white that comes from wearing makeup, but a sickly white that's never seen the sun. But paired with her aloof and cold face, it gave people an urge to tear away her disguise.

Her back was also very straight. From the side, her waist was very thin, and the hem of her skirt spread out on the stone bench, perfectly outlining the rounded curve of her hips.

Her status as a widow did not make her appear gaunt; on the contrary, her pampered life gave her a voluptuous figure.

At this moment, her hands were resting on the strings of the violin. Her wrists were slender, her fingers were long and delicate, and her nails were neatly trimmed and unpainted, showing a natural pink color.

A thirty-year-old woman possesses a maturity that young girls simply cannot have.

It's like a jar of old wine buried underground; you can't smell it unless you lift the lid, but once you do, it can intoxicate you to death.

Lin Yi didn't intend to keep peeking, so he deliberately took a step forward, stepping on a few dry locust leaves, making a crisp cracking sound.

The music stopped abruptly.

Guo Fu was startled and quickly looked up.

Upon seeing that it was Lin Yi, his face suddenly turned pale. He quickly got up from the stone bench, folded his hands at his waist, bowed slightly, and curtsied.

"This humble servant is Guo Fu, and greets Your Highness."

Lin Yi took two steps forward, stopped beside the stone table, and nodded with a smile.

"Get up. I've been idle today, just taking a stroll. Are you finding your stay in the manor comfortable?"

Guo Fu straightened up, still keeping her head down, her gaze fixed on her toes.

"Your Highness, the Green Bamboo Courtyard is very quiet, and I am quite comfortable here. Thank you for your hospitality."

Why does he seem so stubborn?

Who provoked her?

"I never said I was going to take you in." Lin Yi shrugged, his tone casual. "That day, Lu Dehao took it upon himself to keep you here. I was busy and forgot about you. Why don't you go home? I don't think I forced you to stay, nor did I have anyone lock the door."

Guo Fu raised her head, glanced at Lin Yi, and quickly looked away.

"I've been living in the Prince's residence for so long. Everyone in the capital knows about it. Even if I go back, I'll be criticized. It's better to stay here and not see it, so I can have peace of mind."

Lin Yi stared into her eyes and concluded that she wasn't lying.

In fact, the Great Zhou Dynasty was relatively tolerant and friendly towards women; those who were not from noble families generally did not place particular importance on their reputation.

However, coincidentally, Guo Fu was a genuine daughter of a prestigious family and a widow.

Think about it carefully: if a widow is kidnapped by rebels who ransack her home and stays in their mansion for several days before being released, she will indeed only face certain death.

The spittle around her could drown her.

But Lin Yi didn't believe that she stayed only because she was afraid of being criticized.

"Just because you're afraid of gossip? Don't you have any other ideas? For example, how about using yourself as a hostage, staying by my side, in exchange for the safety of your entire Guo family?"

Lin Yi's words were very direct, without any beating around the bush.

If it works, it works; if it doesn't, it doesn't.

What's the point of testing them back and forth like this?

Upon hearing this, Guo Fu visibly stiffened: "Your Highness is joking. The safety of the Guo family rests entirely on Your Highness's decision. Your Highness holds immense power and influence over the court. I am but an insignificant widow; how could I possibly sway Your Highness's mind?"

These words were perfectly worded, and they also subtly criticized Lin Yi.

What I'm saying is, Lin Yi, you're an unreasonable, ruthless tyrant. Even if I were to be a hostage, you might not agree to it.

Lin Yi was not angry at all; instead, he laughed.

"What a sharp tongue you have. It's a pity you're a girl. If you were a man, the Guo family wouldn't have fallen to this state."

Guo Fu didn't reply, she just pursed her lips.

Lin Yi turned his head and looked around.

Next to the old locust tree was a rattan chair, probably left behind by someone who used to live in the courtyard.

He walked over and lay down on the wicker chair, casually crossing his legs, clasping his hands behind his head, and completely relaxing his body.

This posture was considered very ungraceful in the Great Zhou Dynasty.

But Lin Yi didn't care.

At home, do whatever makes you comfortable.

"Don't just stand there." Lin Yi closed his eyes, feeling the cool breeze under the shade of the tree. "Play a piece called 'Three Variations on Plum Blossom,' I want to hear it."

Guo Fu was stunned for a moment.

She thought Lin Yi would continue to interrogate her, or even touch her inappropriately or make suggestive remarks, since everyone outside said the Regent was a lecherous man.

But he simply lay down and listened to the zither.

Does he also understand music?

Ha, you're not trying to leave a good impression on me, are you? You want me to offer myself to you?

"Yes, Your Majesty." Guo Fu also wanted to see what Lin Yi was planning, so she took a deep breath, sat down again, and placed her hands on the zither.

Zheng—

The first note rang out.

Guo Fu's fingers began to pluck the strings.

His movements were elegant and natural, without any hint of showing off; each strum was steady, accurate, and powerful.

Her wrists rose and fell gently with the melody, her pale blue sleeves sliding down to reveal a small section of her fair arm.

"Three Variations on Plum Blossom" is an ancient melody that tells the story of the plum blossom's proud spirit and its ability to withstand the cold and frost.

This piece is very difficult to play. If you play it poorly, it will sound weak and lifeless. If you play it well, people will say that you are just imitating someone else.

But Lin Yi could tell that Guo Fu played exceptionally well.

Moreover, there's something in this music.

At first, the music was cold and aloof, with a sense of solitude.

But gradually, the tone turned into a sense of oppression.

It was a feeling of being trapped in a cage and unable to get out; and then, the music became increasingly desolate.

Lin Yi slightly opened his eyes and saw that Guo Fu's eyes were half-closed when she played the zither. Her long eyelashes cast a shadow on her eye sockets. Although her face was calm, her lips were tightly pursed.

Does she use the piano to vent her emotions?

Having spent his past life surrounded by corpses, Lin Yi was extremely perceptive of human emotions. He could tell that this woman harbored hatred and resentment, but more than anything, she felt a sense of helplessness and disgust towards the real world.

She neither sought to live nor feared death.

I'll just endure these days.

Until the day when all the oil is used up and the lamp is extinguished.

At this point, the music reached its climax.

Guo Fu's fingers plucked the strings faster and faster, and the music became more and more urgent, like gusts of cold wind mixed with ice particles hitting plum blossoms.

But the plum blossoms refused to bow their heads and stubbornly held on.

Not bad.

Lin Yi shifted to a more comfortable position, closed his eyes, and continued listening.

These past few days he's been scheming against Nangong Xiong and the others, his mind constantly on edge. It's rare for him to be able to listen to music in peace, and now the murderous aura around him is slowly dissipating.

Zheng—

As the last note faded, its lingering sound echoed through the courtyard for a long time before finally dissipating.

Guo Fu withdrew her hands, placed them on her knees, and breathed a soft sigh of relief.

Lin Yi opened his eyes and looked at her: "Excellent musical skill. However... this 'Three Variations on Plum Blossom' is about unyielding spirit, but why do I hear a sense of disgust towards the real world in it? Why are you so sad? Do you feel that the human world has treated you badly?"

Upon hearing this, Guo Fu suddenly looked up, a hint of panic flashing in her eyes.

She never expected that Lin Yi, a mere martial artist, could understand her music.

Moreover, not only did she understand, she also pointed out the secret that had been hidden in her heart for many years.

She quickly lowered her head, avoiding Lin Yi's gaze: "Your Highness is overthinking it. I am just a woman, casually playing the zither to pass the time. How would I know anything about dislike or not?"

"Ha, don't try to fool me with that. I've killed more people than you've ever seen. I can see right through a person's thoughts." Lin Yi's foot, which was propped up on his other leg, swung smugly. "I can hear the deathly aura in your music. Tell me, what's going on?"