Ten minutes later, the two elderly men finished their respective performances and turned to Flandre.
"Little girl, you be the judge. Which one of us played better?"
Flandre looked at the two old men stepping closer, a hint of awkwardness flashing across her face. To her ears, both possessed exceptional skill, and she lacked the technical expertise to determine who was superior.
Just as she was wondering how to navigate the predicament, Hong Meiling patted her shoulder softly.
"You two gentlemen are truly masters of your craft," Meiling praised, stepping forward. "The sorrow embedded within the erhu's tone was played with incredible depth. It complements this traditional style perfectly. I actually learned a bit from a friend back home—would you mind if I showed off a little?"
The two old men looked surprised, but neither refused her. One of them readily handed his erhu over.
Hong Meiling thanked him and sat down on the stone bench. Then, under everyone's watchful eyes, she reached into her pocket, pulled out a pair of dark sunglasses, and slipped them onto her face.
"Uh, personal habit... just a personal habit," Meiling gave a sheepish chuckle, noticing the bewildered stares from the onlookers.
Then, wiping the goofy grin from her face, her expression turned remarkably serious. "The first piece: The Moon Reflected in the Second Spring..."
The very instant the first note resonated from the instrument, the expressions of the two elderly musicians changed completely.
Simply because it was too bitter...
Every single note seemed to tell a heartbreaking story of human suffering. Yet it wasn't a total wallowing in despair; woven within the hardship was a profound sense of resilience and tenacity, unyielding like desert grass standing firm against a gale.
Though Flandre was quite old, she lacked extensive mortal life experience and couldn't fully process the emotional weight behind the melody. But the two old men were different. Though they could sit peacefully chatting in this lush park today, they had endured decades of hardship in their youth. The music resonated deeply within their souls, stirring long-buried memories.
As the poignant melody drifted through the trees, dozens of elderly citizens across the park turned their heads. No one was surprised by the two regulars bickering over their erhu skills, but hearing someone suddenly play a piece that evoked such intense nostalgia left them utterly stunned.
Gathering around the pavilion, they were shocked to find the performer wasn't one of the usual veterans, but a girl who looked remarkably young. Yet no one dared underestimate Meiling. Instead, they drew near with quiet reverence, closing their eyes to reminisce about their own pasts through the music.
A few even wiped away quiet tears.
When the final note of The Moon Reflected in the Second Spring faded, a heavy, contemplative silence settled over the crowd.
Hong Meiling scanned the gathered elders. Realizing they were all advanced in age, she worried that prolonged melancholy might be taxing on their health, so she immediately decided to shift the mood.
"The second piece: Racing Horses. I hope you enjoy it!"
This composition was worlds apart from the previous one. The moment the fiery, rapid notes burst forth, everyone felt a sudden jolt of adrenaline.
No one was angry at the abrupt shift. Instead, they swayed gently to the triumphant rhythm, recalling their younger days when they rode Camel-beasts and galloped freely across the open wilderness.
When the song reached its rousing climax, the park erupted into thunderous applause.
"Incredible, young lady! After hearing those two pieces, we finally understand what it means for there to be higher heavens beyond the clouds..."
The two old men completely forgot their rivalry; Meiling's extraordinary mastery had thoroughly humbled them.
"Thank you, thank you! I've only mastered the absolute basics. I'm just glad you all enjoyed it..." Meiling spoke with immense humility, though the smug look on her face made it seem as if her nose was pointing straight toward the sky.
After returning the instrument to its owner, Meiling took Flandre by the hand and practically sprinted out of the park under the admiring gazes of the crowd.
"Why are we running so fast?" Flandre asked, bewildered. Meiling had just put on an amazing performance, so why run away immediately after?
"What else are we supposed to do?" Meiling whispered urgently out of the side of her mouth. "I only know how to play those exact two songs! What if someone comes up and asks me to transcribe the sheet music for them? What then?!"
"Ah? You can play the music, but you can't write the score?" Flandre couldn't comprehend how such a strange situation was even possible.
Meiling shot her a glance. "You know how to sing so many songs, but can you write down the complete musical notation for every single one of them?"
"That's totally different!" Flandre argued, puffing out her cheeks.
"How is it different?"
"The pitch of singing comes naturally! It's instinct!"
"Well, for me, playing the erhu is also pure instinct," Meiling replied, throwing her hands up. "The moment my fingers touch the strings, my hands just move on their own. But if you ask me to explain the music theory behind it, I can only tell you it's a subconscious muscle habit."
Meiling spread her hands helplessly. She had only picked up the erhu out of brief personal interest in her past and had forgotten almost all the underlying theory; being able to play those two masterpieces was entirely due to ingrained physical memory. If they had asked her to play any other song, she would have sounded no better than a novice. If she stayed a moment longer, her secret would have been exposed!
Having escaped the park, the two continued their leisurely stroll along the main thoroughfare.
Suddenly, Flandre froze in her tracks. Meiling instinctively scanned their surroundings, her guard rising. "What is it?"
Flandre pointed across the bustling street. "Look over there! It's Penguin Logistics!"
Meiling looked toward the storefront, spotting a bar with a weathered neon sign that read [End of the Earth].
"Huh? Isn't that just a bar?" Meiling asked, scratching her head in confusion.
"It's a bar, but it's also Penguin Logistics! Come on, Sister Meiling!"
Flandre grabbed Meiling's wrist and darted across the street. Reaching the entrance, they found the heavy door cracked slightly open. Without hesitating, Flandre casually pushed it open and poked her head inside.
"Little girl, this is a bar. We don't serve minors here," Yith said calmly. He was currently sweeping the floor near the entrance, and as he looked at Flandre, a faint sense of familiarity crossed his mind.
"Is Emperor here?" Flandre asked, blinking her big red eyes.
"Emperor... you mean the Boss?" Yith instinctively glanced toward the far corner of the lounge.
A certain hungover emperor penguin was currently sprawled on the floor, clinging tightly to the leg of a barstool and snoring soundly. As for why the legendary rap king and master mind of Penguin Logistics and End of the Earth was sleeping in such a pathetic state—it was best not to ask. And as for why none of his employees had carried him to a proper bed—well, freestyle rap knows no bounds, and neither did his drinking habits.
Yith turned back around, intending to tell Flandre that the boss was out cold and that she should return in the afternoon, only to find the doorway completely empty.
He whipped his head back toward the bar corner, only to see Flandre already standing over the penguin, grabbing Emperor by his neck feathers and shaking him violently back and forth.
"Oh-ho-ho~~ Stop shaking! I'm gonna throw up~~~"
Emperor was shaken awake, his brain sloshing inside his skull. He initially assumed it was that pie-obsessed Angel playing another obnoxious prank. But when he forced his blurry eyes open and saw the blonde little girl grinning down at him, he realized he would have vastly preferred the Apple Pie Angel.
At least with his employee, he could threaten to deduct her salary. The Little Demon standing in front of him gave him nothing but a massive, throbbing headache.
"Emperor! I came to see you!" Flandre beamed, her face practically radiating a Look how nice I am for visiting you expression that left the penguin completely helpless.
"Uh... if my memory serves me right, didn't you head off to Ursus?" Emperor grunted, rubbing his aching temples as he tried to use conversation to make her stop rattling his body. "When on Terra did you get back to Lungmen?"