Rebirth: The Time-locked Girl

To be recognized as an inheritor by Yan Tingyue means one is by no means an ordinary individual.

Lin Woyu was about to nod when Lin Qin stopped her, "Mom, I still have to practice the zither later, and I'm pressed for time."

Hearing this, Lin Woyu felt somewhat regretful, "Sorry, Aunt Yan, Qingqing is overwhelmed with her studies and probably won't have time."

"Then you should head back early," Yan Tingyue smiled. "Practicing the zither is important."

Lin Woyu nodded, "We won't disturb you any longer, Qingqing and I will head back now."

As they left, Lin Qin continued down the mountain path without any expression.

Suddenly, Lin Woyu spoke up, "When you were little, your grandmother wanted you to learn Kunqu opera, what a pity."

Lin Qin asked indifferently, "What's there to regret? Can learning Kunqu opera take me to Yunjing and back to the Lin Family?"

Lin Woyu was taken aback, "Of course not."

The Lin Family wished to rebuild the Heavenly Sound Sect after its fall.

The Heavenly Sound Sect revered the zither above all, followed by the pipa, sheng, and other classical instruments, with every Sect Leader also being most proficient in the zither.

However, after the great war, many musical scores and theories were lost.

Over the years, the Yunjing Lin Family also tried everything to revive the zither, but to little avail.

Lin Qin said, "Well, that settles it. I only learn what is useful to me."

It was the seven-stringed guqin that served as her only pathway to return to the Lin Family Main House.

Once back in Yunjing, she would then have the chance to go to the Global Center.

After pondering for a moment, Lin Woyu agreed, "All right, you don't have that much energy to spare anyway, focus on the guqin."

**

As the sun hung high, Ye Wanlan arrived at Yan Tingyue's cottage amidst the woods when the sun was already three poles high.

"Teacher." She knocked softly on the door and saw the gift box on the tea table, "Do you have guests?"

"An old friend sent something through someone, but they've already left," Yan Tingyue said as she saw her, and poured her a cup of tea, "Ah Lan, if it weren't for the fact that we really only met yesterday, I'd truly suspect that I'd been teaching you for decades."

Ye Wanlan gave a faint smile, "I share a special connection with the teacher."

Indeed, she had already been studying Kunqu opera under Yan Tingyue for several decades.

Yan Tingyue had taught her the four skills and five methods of drama, and even gave her the precious costumes she had collected for decades.

But with the reset of time the next day, they were strangers again.

She could only keep seeking out Yan Tingyue to continue learning, thankful that her memory wasn't wiped with each reset of time.

The infinite loop ended, and this time, she could finally formally take Yan Tingyue as her master.

Back in the Qianhe Era, a Master of Melody was born.

She once followed Ning Zhaozong and met the Master of Melody, who led Kunqu opera to its zenith, with Mid-Autumn Festival Kunqu gatherings becoming a tradition in all regions of the Ning Dynasty.

Nowadays, as Kunqu opera declined, she also thought of ways to save it.

"It's because you have real talent, and the patience to endure," Yan Tingyue said. "Shall we sing 'Peony Pavilion' today?"

Ye Wanlan nodded in agreement.

She went to the courtyard behind the screen, closed her eyes, and slowly began to sing.

"Where blooms of purple and red once spread far and wide..."

The sound of opera rose, lilting and melodious.

At the end of the piece, Yan Tingyue pointed out a few areas for improvement, which Ye Wanlan noted down before leaving.

In May, rains were common in South City, and a drizzle began to fall outside.

After a while, there came the rustling of wooden clogs on grass at the door, and Yan Tingyue was somewhat surprised.

Who else would come at this time?

She drew aside the door curtain.

Through the fog, someone approached slowly, holding a twenty-four-ribbed bamboo umbrella.

Between the hues of rain and smoke, the young master was captivatingly beautiful.

Even Yan Tingyue was taken aback.

Before she went into seclusion, she had seen many children of noble families, but none of them could compare to the person before her eyes.

"Aunt Yan, I'm very sorry to disturb you at this time," Rong Yu panted as he ran in from behind Yan Tingfeng, "I brought some tea and sandalwood for you from Yunjing. This is my brother, you can just call him Xiao Yan."

"Little Yu, Xiao Yan," Yan Tingyue was delighted, yet sighed, "It's a pity you arrived late, otherwise you could have met my disciple."

Rong Yu was surprised: "When did you take on a disciple?"

When he knew Yan Tingyue, she was serving as the vice-president of the Yunjing Art Association, and many people, including those from the Yunjing Lin Family, pleaded to become her disciples, but were all rejected.

Yan Tingyue was the sole heir of the Master of Melody, naturally her status was lofty.

The news of Yan Tingyue having a successor was enough to cause a sensation throughout Shenzhou, even the World Intangible Cultural Heritage Center would be shaken.

"I just took on one yesterday," Yan Tingyue smiled, "but don't you disbelieve, she will definitely be a better singer than me in the future. I believe she can revitalize Kunqu opera, no, the entire intangible cultural heritage."

Rong Yu widened his eyes: "Who is it?"

Such high praise from Yan Tingyue?

Yan Tingfeng seemed to be deep in thought.

Yan Tingyue did not elaborate: "You'll meet her eventually. Just don't mention it outside for now."

"Understood," Rong Yu smiled, "Aunt Yan, this is the new tea my grandfather made, and this incense is the latest from the Su Family, I brought them all for you."

"You've worked hard, Little Yu," Yan Tingyue said, "Sit down. I've had someone catch some fish, let's have a meal together soon."

Rong Yu obediently sat down, but his mind was still pondering over who the disciple Yan Tingyue mentioned could possibly be.

He quietly asked Yan Tingfeng: "Can you guess who it is?"

Yan Tingfeng slowly sipped his tea: "I'm not interested."

Rong Yu muttered: "I don't even know what you're actually interested in..."

After so many years of knowing Yan Tingfeng, he still couldn't guess what the other was thinking all the time.

What a strange person.

**

It was three o'clock in the afternoon when she returned to Jiangcheng. Ye Wanlan bought some brushes, ink, paper, painting colors, and carving knives at a store at the entrance of the Academy of Fine Arts.

"Ye Wanlan?"

A surprised voice came from behind.

Ye Wanlan turned around, her expression indifferent.

"It really is you, why are you still wandering around here at this time?" Xu Li frowned upon seeing her, "Why haven't you hurried to the hospital to take care of Qin Xian?"

Ye Wanlan did not look at him, continuing to walk forward.

Seeing her leave like this, Xu Li quickly took two steps forward: "Qin Xian still hasn't woken up, I heard it was you who beat him up, weren't you a bit excessive?"

Xu Li, Zhou Hechen, and Qin Xian were friends who had grown up together.

Zhou Hechen often treated the reconciliation texts sent by Ye Wanlan as a joke and posted them in their small group chat, so he knew how much Ye Wanlan fawned over Zhou Hechen.

Who knew Ye Wanlan would suddenly go crazy?

"Come on, Ye Wanlan, listen to me, go apologize to Brother Hechen and then take care of Qin Xian until he wakes up," Xu Li persuaded further, "Humble yourself properly, then see, won't all your problems be solved?"

"As for Sister Yunyi, her hands weren't injured, it was a false alarm. She has always been kind-hearted, she definitely won't be mad at you, she might even help you."

Ye Wanlan still turned a deaf ear.

Xu Li was thoroughly infuriated: "Ye Wanlan, if Brother Hechen gets angry and doesn't help you solve the problem, once the Qin Family steps in, you'll be finished!"

Ye Wanlan finally stopped in her tracks, tilting her head slightly: "Who told you, I need to rely on him?"

Xu Li was stunned, unable to help but laugh out loud: "If not relying on Brother Hechen, who else could you rely on?"

In Jiangcheng, without Zhou Hechen, who else would know the name Ye Wanlan?