The golden light of the setting sun spilled into the penthouse, casting long shadows across the living room. Ji Yanluo stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows, arms crossed, his sharp eyes following the slow movement of traffic below. Behind him, Bai Zhiqi sat silently, fingers gliding over the glossy surface of the guzheng that had been brought out earlier.
"You're sure about this?" he asked, without turning.
Bai Zhiqi's fingers paused on the strings. "She'll find out eventually. Better it comes from us."
Ji Yanluo turned, studying her. "You've always avoided being the center of attention—yet you've managed to stir the entire city as the Veiled Musician."
Bai Zhiqi smiled faintly. "It was never about attention. It was about being seen… by the right eyes."
"And you think Lanxue is ready?"
"She's already a fan," Bai Zhiqi said, adjusting the tuning. "Her admiration is genuine. It's time she knew who she's cheering for."
Ji Yanluo walked over and took a seat nearby, nodding once. "Then let the music speak for itself."
***
The soft chime of the elevator echoed through the penthouse as *Ji Lanxue* entered, her steps brisk and filled with curiosity. She looked around, cheeks flushed with excitement.
"Brother, you said you had something to show me?" she called out. "Is it a surprise? Don't tell me you've brought the Veiled Musician here—!"
Her words cut off as her eyes landed on the familiar guzheng in the living room, where Bai Zhiqi now sat calmly, veiled and dressed in an elegant sky-blue hanfu. The fabric shimmered with pale silver embroidery that caught the dying light, creating an ethereal glow around her.
Ji Lanxue gasped.
"No way… this can't be—" she looked at Ji Yanluo, whose face gave nothing away.
Bai Zhiqi dipped her head slightly and placed her fingers on the strings.
Then—*music.*
Not just any melody, but *the tune their mother used to hum in the early mornings*, the one Lanxue hadn't heard in years, the one etched into the deepest part of her memory.
Her breath hitched.
The notes danced in the air—elegant, restrained, yet filled with a quiet sorrow. It was a melody only those in the Ji family would recognize. Their mother had composed it. It had never been published, never shared.
Only someone intimately close to them could have known.
Ji Lanxue's eyes widened, tears springing unbidden.
"No... no way," she whispered. Her hands trembled as she looked between her brother and the veiled woman.
The final note trembled into silence.
Bai Zhiqi slowly lifted her head.
And removed the veil.
Silence crashed down on the room.
"Bai Zhiqi…" Ji Lanxue breathed. Her voice cracked with disbelief. "You… it's been you all along?"
Bai Zhiqi met her gaze steadily, saying nothing.
Ji Yanluo stepped forward. "I was going to tell you… but she asked me not to. She wanted you to know through what you admired most—her music."
Ji Lanxue staggered back a step, emotions warring on her face. "All this time I've been chasing after this mysterious figure, playing your music on repeat, defending you online, crying over your performances—and it was you?" Her voice was thick.
"You once said my music made you feel understood," Bai Zhiqi said quietly. "That it gave you peace when words failed. I couldn't have asked for a greater compliment."
Ji Lanxue's eyes shimmered, her lips quivering as she tried to process the moment.
"This is insane," she whispered. "You… you're brilliant. I've always admired you, Bai Zhiqi, but this—this just makes me feel foolish. I didn't even recognize you."
"You weren't meant to," Bai Zhiqi replied gently. "Not until now."
Ji Lanxue stepped forward, voice still trembling. "And you trust me enough to tell me? Why now?"
"Because," Ji Yanluo said, placing a hand on her shoulder, "the gala is coming, and we want you to be the one to invite her—as the Veiled Musician."
Lanxue's mouth fell open, stunned again.
"You want me to—?" she blinked, then turned to Bai Zhiqi. "Are you sure? After all this mystery?"
"I think," Bai Zhiqi said with a rare smile, "it's time I stop hiding."
A slow grin tugged at Ji Lanxue's lips.
"Well then," she said, eyes gleaming with excitement, "let's give them a performance they'll never forget."