Faint hints of blue colour his cheeks and the tips of his ears and fingers, and even through the silk of his sleeves his arm feels unusually cool while his pulse is racing.

"I ...am. I'm not sure what came over me just now."

He stares down at the guqin, as though it could possibly offer any explanation for his sudden (and, by his standard, downright brazen) impulse.

"I had wanted to play you something light and happy, but the one I had in mind was far more ...restrained. My apologies."