Li Guanyi did not expect that it wasn't Xue Shuangtao playing the zither. Seeing Xue Shuangtao's smug expression, he found himself momentarily at a loss for words. After a moment's thought, he gently clapped his hands and said candidly:
"Very beautiful."
Xue Shuangtao had planned to "startle" Li Guanyi, but his frank and straightforward response left her somewhat embarrassed. She raised her fingers and twirled a lock of hair around her temple, begrudgingly saying, "Well, you do have a way with words."
"But is that all a great talent like yourself can say, just those two words?"
Li Guanyi thought for a moment and replied:
"Those lines of poetry I heard during my travels, they were not composed by me."
"Moreover, lines of verse often involve embellishments and techniques."
"Compared to that, I still feel these two words better express my feelings."
Xue Shuangtao's cheeks flushed.