Chapter 31 [VIP]

Chapter Summary: Dragon God.

Yu Jing's voice was short and sharp. A Yu heard it, quickly pushed open the door, and called out, "Madam!"

Xie Xuan was not a heavy sleeper, and he immediately got up from the bed when he heard the scream. Yu Jing's door was open, and Xie Xuan was very anxious, not knowing what had happened, so he didn't care about anything else and stepped inside.

Inside, Yu Jing was on the couch, with A Yu comforting her beside her. Xie Xuan glanced around to make sure nothing was amiss before asking, "What's wrong?"

"A rat! It was huge!" Yu Jing, still shaken, described it to Xie Xuan. She probably didn't know what she looked like.

Her hair was disheveled and hanging down her back. She was wearing a purple-blue undergarment, and she looked rather cute.

Just as Xie Xuan was about to speak, he heard the sound of the waiter rushing over. While Yu Jing was speaking, A Yu had already taken a cloak and draped it over Yu Jing.

The waiter also heard the commotion and knew that these were important guests who could not be neglected, so he hurried over to inquire.

"Distinguished guests, has something happened?"

Xie Xuan was standing in the main hall at that moment. The door was not closed. When Xie Xuan heard this, he turned around slightly and said to the waiter, "There are rats."

The waiter paused for a moment, then said apologetically, "I'm really sorry, gentlemen. The inn is located near the mountains, so this situation is indeed common. I'll change your room."

"Okay," Yu Jing replied.

"I'm so sorry!" The shopkeeper also arrived, bowing deeply to Yu Jing in apology.

"It's nothing," Yu Jing replied, then walked to the door of the new private room.

Having moved to the other side of Xie Xuan's room, Yu Jing was probably still frightened. Lying alone on the couch, she felt like mice would scurry out. After lying on the couch for a while, Yu Jing couldn't help but call out, "Ayu."

"Oh, is Madam thirsty?" Ayu immediately responded, and was about to pour water for Yu Jing.

"No...no," Yu Jing denied, then added, "I...I can't sleep. Why don't you come up and sleep with me?"

When Ayu heard this, she was incredulous and remained silent for a long time before stammering, "This... is probably against the rules."

“We’re not in the palace now, so there aren’t so many rules. Besides, no one else will know,” Yu Jing said, lifting the curtain and patting the spot next to her.

"Okay." Ayu hesitated for a moment before replying, then took off her clothes and got into bed.

Although she had served Sheng Hua for a long time, this was the first time she had ever been in such a situation. Lying next to Yu Jing, she dared not breathe loudly, extremely nervous. She was always afraid of disturbing Yu Jing's rest, and that she might accidentally lose her head.

Yu Jing was truly exhausted. She had been on edge just moments before, but now that A Yu was on the bed, she felt much more at ease and soon became very sleepy, closing her eyes and falling asleep.

Ayu stiffly turned her head to look at Yu Jing. Yu Jing was sleeping soundly, her eyelashes fluttering gently. Ayu suddenly felt very at ease and gently closed her eyes as well.

Several days passed like this, and Yu Jing gradually got used to sitting in the carriage all day. Although she was still tired, it was not as bad as the first day.

"Madam, I just heard from the army that we will arrive in Guizhou today," Ayu said to Yu Jing with great excitement.

Seeing Ayu's excited expression, Yu Jing immediately remembered what Ayu had asked her for before, and replied with a smile, "Once we enter Guizhou City at night, I will have someone escort you home."

"This servant thanks Madam!" Ayu bowed to Yu Jing, her eyes already quite red.

"Today happens to be the third day of the third lunar month, the day when Guizhou City welcomes the Dragon God. When you arrive, Madam, you can experience the liveliness of Guizhou City."

"Welcoming the Dragon God?" Yu Jing asked with some curiosity.

"Um."

“Guizhou is located slightly to the north, and there is little rain in spring. In order to pray for rain, the people in the city regard the Dragon God as their guardian deity. Every year on the third day of the third lunar month, they hold a grand sacrificial ceremony, and the people in the city also take this opportunity to make a fuss. The Dragon God Festival is the most lively festival in Guizhou City except for the beginning of the year,” Ayu explained to Yu Jing.

"Really?" Yu Jing's eyes lit up as she asked.

“Of course.” Ayu smiled, pursing her lips.

"Then I must go out and stroll around the streets, and have some fun," Yu Jing murmured, thinking that after so many boring days in the carriage, she finally had a chance to relax.

When the area around the carriage started to bustle with activity, Yu Jing truly realized that they were almost at Guizhou City. A Yu lifted the carriage curtain, and through the gap, Yu Jing saw pear blossoms, pear blossoms in full bloom.

"Xie Xuan," Yu Jing called out to Xie Xuan.

“Madam,” Xie Xuan replied.

Let's stop for a bit up ahead.

"yes."

When Yu Jing alighted from the carriage, she was astonished by the sight before her. Just as A Yu had described, the entire mountainside was covered in white, and a gentle breeze caused pear blossoms to drift down. Yu Jing took two steps forward, walked to the pear tree, and looked up at the pear blossoms.

Seeing that Yu Jing was watching intently, A Yu didn't follow. Xie Xuan stayed by the horse's side, and with a slight turn of his head, he saw this scene. Yu Jing, wearing a lotus-colored spring shirt with lotus patterns, stood motionless under the blooming pear tree, carefully admiring the pear blossoms.

Yu Jing watched for a while, thinking that when the opportunity arose, he would bring his master and the Goddess Zhelan to take a look. They had always loved drinking, and Yu Jing had seen it before when he was traveling around, that pear blossoms could be used to make wine, and that wine made from pear blossoms was called Pear Blossom White. He figured there must be quite a bit of it in Guizhou City, and if they came, they would be very happy.

"It's getting late, let's hurry into the city and find a place to stay."

"Yes," Xie Xuan replied, then called for everyone to set off again.

After passing the city gate, it was completely dark. The light was dim and indistinct, and the city was brightly lit and bustling with activity. Even though Yu Jing was very tired, she couldn't resist going out to join in the fun. After finding an inn to stay at and having a meal, Yu Jing gave A Yu some silver and sent two guards to escort A Yu back.

Yu Jing wanted to go out, so she took Xiao Ting with her, and Xie Xuan naturally followed. Once out on the street, Yu Jing felt somewhat lost. She had spent all her time in the cold and silent palace, and had always been on the move outside the palace. This bustling scene was truly a first for her.

Lanterns, flowers, and people coming and going in a constant stream.

Yu Jing walked ahead, with Xiao Ting and Xie Xuan following beside her. When Yu Jing reached the lanterns, the old man selling lanterns saw her approaching and called out, "Miss, would you like to buy one? I have all kinds of lanterns here."

Yu Jing smiled and said to the old man, "Okay."

Yu Jing glanced at the lanterns on the stall and immediately took a liking to a lotus lantern. The lotus lantern was very exquisite. Yu Jing pointed to it and said, "I want that one."

"Okay." The old man glanced back, smiled, took down the lotus lantern, and replied.

Yu Jing took the lotus lantern, turned to look at Xiao Ting, who opened her money bag and asked, "How much silver?"

"Five coins," the old man replied.

Xiao Ting took out the smallest piece of silver and handed it over. The old man weighed it in his hand, intending to give some change to take back. Just as he was about to do so, he saw Yu Jing already pulling her little maid away.

"Hey, miss, change!" the old man called out, only to hear a clear male voice reply, "Keep the change."

Yu Jing bought many things along the way. She carried a lotus lantern, bought candied hawthorns, fresh flowers, wooden trinkets, and even some cosmetics. To her, everything on the street was new and fun.

Yu Jing was walking along with a lotus lantern and candied hawthorns when suddenly a flash of light appeared ahead, and she saw a group of people gathered around.

"What is that?" Yu Jing asked the small pavilion beside her.

"Reporting to Madam, it's a variety show," Xiao Ting replied, peeking out from a distance.

"Let's go take a look." Yu Jing smiled and walked quickly ahead. Xiao Ting and Xie Xuan hurriedly followed.

Just as I reached the edge of the crowd, I heard someone shout from a little further away: "Welcome the Dragon God! Welcome the Dragon God!"

Upon hearing this, everyone began to push back, something Yu Jing and Xie Xuan truly hadn't expected. There were just too many people; Yu Jing was jostled and pushed until she dropped her candied hawthorn and lotus lantern, losing all sense of where she was. Finally able to catch her breath, she looked around and realized that everyone who had been with her had vanished.

When the crowd started to grow, Xie Xuan kept his eyes fixed on Sheng Hua and tried to push his way in Sheng Hua's direction. Unexpectedly, in the blink of an eye, Sheng Hua disappeared.

"Too..." In his haste, he almost mispronounced the word.

"Madam!" Xie Xuan cried out anxiously, his heart pounding with panic. She was the Empress Dowager; if even the slightest mishap were to occur to her...

Yu Jing stood on tiptoe and looked around for a long time. All she could see were heads, and she couldn't tell who was who at all. The surroundings were filled with various smells, which weren't unpleasant, but they were terribly stuffy.

Glancing at the bridge beside her, she thought she might as well squeeze onto it to see the Dragon God. Standing higher, they might be able to see him. When Yu Jing reached the bridge, Xie Xuan was already there. Seeing Yu Jing, he excitedly called out, "Madam!"

Unfortunately, they were too far apart, and Yu Jing didn't hear it at all.

Xie Xuan spotted Yu Jing, his eyes fixed on her, and hurriedly pushed his way onto the bridge. Yu Jing was being jostled by the crowd; perhaps because the bridge was higher, offering a better view, there were even more people above than below. For a moment, Yu Jing regretted her decision, unsure of what to do after squeezing onto the bridge. Suddenly, someone stepped on her foot, and Yu Jing instinctively backed away. However, her waist was pressed against the bridge railing, causing her to lose her balance and fall backward. Yu Jing's heart pounded wildly, and she desperately reached forward, trying to grab something, but no one in the crowd noticed her at all.

In that instant, a hand grabbed her, and due to inertia, Yu Jing stumbled hard into the other person's arms. The air was filled with the fresh scent of grass and trees, and she could hear the pounding of a heart like a drum. The moment Xie Xuan embraced Yu Jing, he released her, his face flushed crimson. Fortunately, it was late at night, and the lights were dim, so it wasn't very clear.

"Madam, are you alright?" Although Xie Xuan released her grip, he still raised his hand to protect Yu Jing in his arms.

Yu Jing shook her head and replied, "It's nothing."

"I'll escort Madam back to her residence," Xie Xuan continued. The streets are crowded, and they've already gotten separated once, so it's not very safe. It's safer to go back to the inn.

Yu Jing was still a little disappointed that she didn't see the Dragon God, as such an opportunity was truly rare for her. But she also knew that Xie Xuan's job was difficult, so she nodded and replied, "Okay."

Xie Xuan led Yu Jing down the bridge. The Dragon God hadn't arrived yet, and there were more people going up the bridge, making their journey against the flow even more arduous. Xie Xuan tried his best to avoid bumping into Yu Jing, but they still couldn't avoid it.

Yu Jing was protected by Xie Xuan, but she would often accidentally bump into him. The two of them moved slowly down the bridge in silence, and when they reached the bottom, they both breathed a sigh of relief. Although it wasn't a very hot spring night, Xie Xuan was covered in sweat.

The two walked along the riverbank when they heard a loud commotion of gongs and drums in the distance. Yu Jing turned around slightly. The crowd automatically parted to make way for a board carried by sixteen people, upon which rested an extremely long white dragon carved from jade. The jade looked exceptionally fine, very translucent, and the dragon was carved with lifelike detail, as if it were about to take flight at any moment. Looking at the dragon, Yu Jing suddenly thought of the Third Princess of the West Sea. The true form of the Third Princess's father, the Dragon King of the West Sea, was a white dragon. She wondered if the dragon resembled this one. If she had the chance someday, she would definitely go and see it for herself. However, upon further reflection, the Dragon King of the West Sea was, after all, a celestial being, and there was a generational difference between them. It would be somewhat inappropriate to let her see the true form of the Dragon King of the West Sea. She would just have to go back to the Heavenly Court and ask Zhe Lan. Zhe Lan had lived for tens of thousands of years; surely she had seen it before.

Xie Xuan glanced back at the Dragon God, then looked nervously at Yu Jing, afraid that Yu Jing would disappear again in the blink of an eye.

Having witnessed the Dragon God, Xie Xuan carefully protected Yu Jing amidst the crowded throng. As they walked towards the inn, a couple passed by. Xie Xuan forgot what they were saying, only vaguely hearing one sentence: "Look at that woman's husband!"

Her already flushed face turned even redder after hearing these words.

Just as Yu Jing reached the inn's entrance, a figure darted out in front of her. Upon closer inspection, she realized it was Xiao Ting. Xiao Ting's eyes were terribly red, and tears were welling up in them. When she saw Yu Jing, the tears started falling in a steady stream.

"Madam, you... I've finally found you. This servant..." She was so excited that she could hardly speak.

Yu Jing gently patted Xiao Ting's shoulder and replied, "Why are you crying? I'm perfectly fine."

"Hmm." Xiaoting nodded with tears in her eyes after hearing Yu Jing's words. "Then this servant will go and inform the guards to come back."

So all the guards at the inn went out to look for her; no wonder there seemed to be fewer people when they returned.

"Okay, sure." Yu Jing nodded in response.

Xie Xuan followed Yu Jing back to the door. Yu Jing turned around, about to close the door, when she noticed Xie Xuan's face was flushed. Worried that he might be ill, Yu Jing asked, "Xie Xuan, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

When Xie Xuan heard Yu Jing ask this, he reached out and touched his burning face with the back of his hand, stammering, "No...nothing, I was just in a bit of a rush when I was looking for Madam, and I'm hot."

"Should we tell the waiter to bring some cool water to wipe it down?"

"Alright, thank you for your concern, Madam. You must be tired. Please go in and rest."

"Hmm." Yu Jing nodded. She felt that Xie Xuan was acting strangely, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Since he had said so, Yu Jing closed the door.