Sometimes, truth is stranger than fiction and twice as perilous.
Sometimes, the last thing you wished for, happened first.
Sometimes, Celestial Matchmaker Yue loves meddling.
Sometimes, this all happens at once.
...sigh... all he ever wanted was...
Due to his grandmother's insistence –and venomous cutting observations that could scalp a man at 10 paces– Xiao Yu's carreer as a musician began with him hiding his face behind a silk veil.
It was a great improvement from her earlier demands, that Xiao Yu donn a large weimo for his every performance.
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Not wanting to be suffocated, or having cumbersome curtains hampering his views or movements, he argued that such actions would only served to attract more attention towards him rather than the opposite.
Several of the “young ladies” rushed in to support the argument in his favour and with the help of their honeyed words and laughing faces, Grandma Shan was reluctantly mollified to soften her stance.
It also began a game of sorts, amongst the “young ladies” in the palour during their downtime. A competition of who could embroider the veil that Xiao Yu would be wearing during their weekly grand night at the establishment.
This competition began accidentally, when a “young lady” named HuaYue decided that the plain white fabric used by Xiao Yu was entirely unfitting with the current aesthetics amongst the palour.
She had her little maid created a tiny school of fishes swimming along the bottom of the fabric, made from black stitches.
The effects were so adorable that many were convinced to join in the fun activity, during their idle hours in the day.
The smug superior looks that HuaYue guniang were throwing around whenever she spied Xiao Yu wearing 'her' veil also helped in spurring the others.
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'Spite is a fearsome motivator', Xiao Yu come to conclude privately, as swatches of wonderfully embroidered silk were thrown in his direction in increasing number.
•~§~§~•
After a while serving as an background instrumentalist, Xiao Yu was invited to give solo performances. Serving as a smokescreen for the “young ladies” who were busy with customers and was unable to participate the evening's entertainment.
During these times, as Xiao Yu were slowly putting down roots and making his name at the parlour, it must be made known that he cheated horrendously.
Relying on his memories of the future, the public were treated to many zither renditions of future pop music of his past.
Evanescence monster hits, Jay Chou melodies, golden oldies of Teresa Teng, and all the theme songs and soundtracks from blockbuster films that he could recreated from memory.
The apologetic Xiao Yu became the worst criminal of plagiarism in history.
However, he did try to evade undue credit, naming some wandering sages or scholars as the original composer.
Master Guo Ge, Teacher Yuo Tu, Gentleman Chou, these faceless reclusive masters slowly gained their rightful fame through their tireless student, the constantly veiled Xiao Yu.
