Playing the qin by the cliff, just for her to hear: Shen Shuangci's perspective
On Frostsnow Cliff, the sword energy had yet to fade. When Shen Shuangci heard the qin, her brow twitched. It was Jiang Wanyin. Her junior sister was sitting in the old spot again, qin in her arms. When Shen Shuangci finished her sword practice, Jiang Wanyin's eyes curved like the moon. "Senior Sister, I only play for you."
She should have said, "You're disturbing my meditation," but instead she pushed over a cup of warm tea. "...The wind is strong. Finish playing before you leave."
Jiang Wanyin's perspective
The evening breeze brushed the strings as Jiang Wanyin glanced up at Shen Shuangci. The eldest senior sister listened with her eyes lowered, the frost around her gathering into a warm barrier to shield Jiang Wanyin from the mountain wind. Her fingertips trembled as she hid a sentence she dared not say aloud in the final note: In this life, Wanyin gives both her music and her heart to Shen Shuangci alone.
Theme: • Establishes the dual heroines in this chapter: Shen Shuangci, cold on the outside but protective within, and Jiang Wanyin, gentle on the outside but resilient within. Their mutual secret love is brought to the fore.
