Chapter 1287 Tan Songyun's Response "Huh?" The handsome young man watching Tan Songyun's performance had a surprised look on his face as he listened to her zither performance. 'I-It actually sounds good?!' he cried inwardly. Tan Songyun was renowned for her lackluster zither skills and her outstanding beauty, so one could imagine his surprise when Tan Songyun's music actually sounded good. Once her song had concluded, the young man immediately began clapping with excitement. "Amazing! Truly amazing, Fairy Tan! Your performance just now is incomparably better than just a few days ago! How did you improve in such a short amount of time?!" he inquired. "I am presently receiving guidance from an expert," Tan Songyun shared without divulging too much information about Tian Kai. She wanted to keep their relationship a secret because her clients frequently expressed jealousy. "Anyways, this is the end of our session. Thank you for always coming back to see me." Tan Songyun said with a beautiful smile on her face. The young man's face flushed with redness, and he said, "Fairy Tan! Please wait a moment!" He proceeded to retrieve a large case from his storage pouch and placed it before her. "This is…" Even without seeing the interior of the box, Tan Songyun had a good idea what this was about, as it wasn't her first time being in such a situation. The young man opened the box, revealing gold bars among other precious treasures. "I love you, Fairy Tan! Please, marry me! I promise that you'll live a carefree life for the rest of your life!" The young man declared with a solemn expression on his face. With a heavy expression on her face, Tan Songyun replied, "I'm sorry, but I cannot respond to your feelings." "Why?!" The young man expressed despair. "D-Don't tell me — you already have someone in your heart?!" "Eh?" Tan Songyun suddenly visualized Tian Kai inside her mind, but she quickly tossed it aside and said, "No, that's not it." "Then for what reason are you rejecting me?!" "I am simply satisfied with my current life and do not wish to start a family yet." Half of what she said was true with the other half being a lie, but even Tan Songyun herself couldn't tell which was which. "...I understand. However, I will not give up on you, Fairy Tan. If you're not ready now, I will wait until you are ready for a family!" The young man said before making his way to the exit. "Wait! Your treasures…" Tan Songyun stopped him when he left behind the box of treasures. "Consider it as a gift from me." And without any hesitation, he walked out of the room. "..." Tan Songyun stared at the box of treasures with a hesitant look on her face. One on hand, it was a tremendous amount of money that would take her years of work to acquire, but on the other hand, if she accepted it… "Aren't you going to take it? He left it for you, after all." Tian Kai's voice suddenly resounded in the room, startling her. "W-When did you arrive?" she asked. "I've been here for a while now. Are you ready to continue your lessons?" "Yes." After being told how much she's improved by all of her clients, Tan Songyun was more motivated than ever to improve her skills. And over the next several weeks, Tian Kai would show up every day at midnight without fail to give her guidance on the zither. Throughout this period, Tan Songyun's zither skills improved significantly, to the extent that she was no longer the worst performer in the establishment and had become the most skilled. As the days passed, Tan Songyun's gratitude toward Tian Kai grew even more profound, and before she knew it, her admiration had transformed into love — to the point where she couldn't spend a single hour without thinking about him. She wished for their current situation to continue indefinitely, but she was aware that their session would eventually come to an end, and she could sense that this time was drawing near. To extend their sessions, Tan Songyun eventually began deliberately slowing down her progress. Naturally, Tian Kai saw through her almost instantly. "You aren't improving as you should. Is there something on your mind?" he asked her one day. After a moment of silence, she nodded and said, "I've been thinking about leaving this place to pursue another career." "Oh? Do you already have a plan?" he inquired further. "That depends." "On what?" "On your response." Without explaining any further, Tan Songyun suddenly walked to sit right beside him, even leaning her body on him in an intimate manner. "Once our lessons are finished… can I continue to be by your side?" "..." After a brief moment of silence, Tian Kai responded, "That would be difficult." Tan Songyun could feel pain in her heart after hearing his words, almost as though someone was squeezing her heart with the intention of bursting it. Nonetheless, she still asked, "Why…?" He smiled and explained, "Firstly, I am a cultivator, and you are a mortal. Such pairings hardly ever work out. Secondly, once our lessons conclude, I will need to return to the upper heavens, and I won't be able to be by your side all the time to protect you." Tan Songyun's eyes widened at his words, and she muttered, "So you're not rejecting me?" "No, I am not, but I also cannot allow you to follow me." "T-Then I will become a cultivator — one that will be strong enough to follow you!" she exclaimed in a passionate voice. "I swear I will do it no matter how long it takes!" Tian Kai chuckled, "I don't doubt your determination, but are you sure you want this kind of life? Normally, it's the man that's chasing after the woman, you know?" In response to his question, Tan Songyun leaned in and pressed her soft lips against Tian Kai's. "Does that answer your question…?" she asked him, her face flushed with redness.