Chapter 82 Qing Si He couldn't find out her name, so he just gave her a nickname...

As evening fell, the wind suddenly shifted, and a flurry of white rain pelted down. Mount Chenji seemed to be abruptly awakened from its slumber, and all sounds emanated from all directions. The lush greenery flowed like splashed ink, bringing a refreshing coolness to the eyes.

Autumn has arrived.

Beneath the recessed cliff, a young woman was sheltering from the rain. Her dark hair was braided into a thick plait and hung down to one shoulder. She carried a small bamboo bucket with a lid, and a bunch of delicate pink apples in her arms. Her coarse cloth trousers were rolled up to her knees, revealing a pair of strong, muscular calves that were slightly pale from the rain. She wore cloth shoes, with specks of mud still clinging to her heels, indicating that she had been walking along a stream.

The bamboo bucket was pressed against her thigh, and the things inside were jumping around. The lid was pushed open a few times, but the girl was quick-witted and pressed it back in each time.

This was the culmination of her afternoon's hard work; she couldn't let it all slip away.

Although the concave rock formation had a roof, it couldn't withstand the slanting wind, and the cold rain pelted her, making her feel icy and uncomfortable. The girl frowned slightly, wiped the raindrops from her nose onto her shoulder, and looked up at the outside of the rock roof; the rain was gradually subsiding.

Since I'm already soaked, I might as well take advantage of the daylight and hurry back in the rain.

The girl ran briskly along the mountain path, her calf muscles bulging and tense, as agile and swift as a deer, dodging the crisscrossing tree roots, her figure flashing past the puddles.

She ran for a while with her head down, and finally stepped onto a long blue stone staircase. At the end of the staircase was an ancient and elegant Taoist temple with the words "Nine Heavens Spiritual Temple" written on the plaque. In the corner was a small seal—the Emperor's own handwriting.

Beneath this traditionally large plaque sat three men dressed in blue robes, one of whom was squatting on the ground with his hands tucked in, looking dejected. The other two paced back and forth on the steps, craning their necks to look down.

They hadn't seen him return for most of the day, and the person in the village was about to cause a huge uproar, forcing the three of them to come out and meet him.

One of the path-takers, with sharp eyes, spotted the figure returning in the rain ascending the steps and quickly notified the two beside him. The three of them exclaimed in surprise, "Miss Qing Si!"

They rushed down together, but halfway down they started complaining endlessly.

"My little ancestor, you're finally back! If you hadn't come back, that great ancestor would have cried so much he'd flooded the palace!"

"He cried?"

The girl called Qing Si raised her eyebrows high and asked them with a grin, "Why is he crying?"

The one who was complaining earlier was named Sheng Yi, while the other two were named Sheng Er and Sheng San. They were both eighteen years old and were at the age when they were restless and irritable. When they started to complain, they vomited like crazy.

Sheng Er picked up where Sheng Yi left off and explained to Qing Si, "What else could it be! He just asked why you hadn't come back. He said you'd been gone for two hours, but it's evening and we still haven't seen you. We were all with him in the temple, how would we know? He just started crying and making a scene..."

Sheng San continued, "We also tried to persuade her, saying that the mountain path is so treacherous, perhaps the young lady was tired and stopped somewhere for a while! But as soon as we said that, he became even more insistent, saying that the young lady was unfaithful and must have run down the mountain and never come back! He even threw a tantrum in the temple and overturned an incense burner!"

Qing Si's eyes widened in surprise. She patted the bamboo bucket on her body, both amused and exasperated. "When I'm catching crabs, how can I possibly time it so precisely? Besides, on the way back, I saw an apple orchard with very beautiful apples, so I picked a bagful."

She bounced the pink little fruit in her arms, showing it off as if it were a precious treasure.

Sheng Yi's eyes drooped; clearly, these pretty, cute fruits did him no good. "Miss, you'd better explain things to that person properly. I don't think tonight will be peaceful..."

Qing Si glanced at the three of them, grinning like a New Year's picture doll. "Alright, alright, it's my fault anyway, I made you suffer." She quickly stuffed apples into their hands, her eyes crinkling into crescent moons with laughter. "Try them, they're crisp and sweet!"

——

Not a single lamp was lit inside the quiet room. Outside, the rain pattered softly, while inside, it was gloomy and dark, with white gauze curtains fluttering in the breeze. On the table, a small bronze incense burner lay overturned, its ash covering the surface.

Qing Si walked over and picked up the small incense burner, then suddenly noticed that the oil lamp on the table had burnt marks. It turned out that it hadn't been unlit; someone had deliberately extinguished it.

She smiled knowingly and wandered around the house with the biggest and reddest apple she had carefully selected.

"Xuan Shengzi?"

"Seventh Prince?"

"A benefactor with immeasurable blessings?"

Qing Si darted and weaved through the white gauze curtains, searching for someone, but the room remained quiet and unresponsive. Just as she was wondering what was going on, she suddenly kicked something, nearly tripped, and cried out, "Ouch!"

She had just swung her arms to steady herself when a mournful voice suddenly came from beside her.

"You still remember that I'm your savior? Is it possible to go back on your word to your benefactor?"

Following the sound, Qing Si looked down and saw a handsome man leaning against the dark pillar. He had bright eyes, white teeth, and a rosy face. He glared angrily at Qing Si, his long legs spread wide as he slumped over, showing no regard for etiquette and instead exuding a roguish charm.

This person was sent to Shenji Mountain to study Taoism from a young age. Perhaps because he followed the Taoist masters and immortals in chanting scriptures, his voice always had a slightly cold and hoarse quality, which was quite pleasant to hear. However, at this moment, this clear and hoarse voice also carried a slightly moist and choked nasal tone.

Qing Si thought of what Sheng Yi and the others had said about him crying, and she couldn't suppress her laughter. She squatted down to look him in the eye.

"How was I supposed to know it would rain halfway there? And look what I found! There's a huge apple orchard halfway up the mountain! The fruit is plentiful and dense, hanging beautifully from the branches! Pink and red, even prettier than a young lady's pearl hairpins!"

Qing Si offered him an apple, but he turned away in a huff and refused to take it.

She could only force a smile and tug at his plain white sleeve, "I'm back now, aren't I? Please don't hold a grudge..."

He yanked her sleeve back, and Qing Si heard him angrily complain, "You know perfectly well that I can't leave this Nine Heavens Spirit Temple, yet you deliberately talked about how wonderful it is outside to seduce me, didn't you?"

He pulled his long legs back, bent them, and hugged his knees, looking utterly pathetic.

"If I hadn't run away last year to save you, I would have done it long ago... You owe me my freedom!"

Yuan Fang, the seventh prince, was sent to Shenji Mountain by his father at the age of ten to cultivate for the country. His lifelong dream was to leave this Nine Heavens Spiritual Temple and see the vast world. In the twelfth year of being imprisoned by imperial decree and his father's orders, he finally made up his mind: to run away!

On a sunny afternoon, he slipped away from the temple while his master, the Nine Heavens Immortal, and a host of other people, especially Sheng Yi, Sheng Er, and Sheng San, were taking their afternoon nap. He ran for an unknown amount of time, and he could almost hear the lively sounds of the town at the foot of the mountain, but what he heard first was a girl's heart-wrenching cough.

That was the first time he had saved someone. The little girl was half-submerged in the pool, freezing cold. She was wearing a ripped blue dress made of strange fabric, with oddly styled fabric. The sleeves were short enough to reach her shoulders, and the pants were short enough to reach her thighs!

This is outrageous!

Yuanfang scooped her up and draped his Taoist robe over her shoulders. Strangely, the girl seemed to have suffered a great shock; she was dazed and seemed unable to speak. Unable to find out her name, he gave her the name "Qingsi".

This escape ended with him taking Qing Si back to the Nine Heavens Spiritual Temple. Later, he learned that Qing Si could talk and had a name, but she avoided talking about the past, only saying, "Let's call her Qing Si, it's fine."

After Qingsi arrived, the village gradually came to life. He was not free, but Qingsi was. She often ran all over the mountains and fields, bringing back many things for Yuanfang, including seasonal flowers and fruits, rare stones and exotic plants, and her natural laughter.

Life in the village was no longer so unbearable, and Yuanfang's thoughts of escaping gradually subsided. But he would worry from time to time whether Qingsi, a healthy girl, would one day descend the mountain and leave him behind.

People who cultivate Taoism tend to have eccentricities, especially Yuan Fang, who is a half-baked practitioner who hasn't learned any of the proper ways to cultivate himself. After his heart was set on Qing Si, he became like a lazy little dog, hoping every day that Qing Si would return sooner and sooner.

Hearing him sniffle, Qing Si understood the little bit of spoiled bratness in the heart of this seemingly Daoist master who was actually a prince. She plopped down on the ground and spread her legs apart, just like he had done earlier, looking relaxed and carefree.

"How can Your Highness blame me for hindering your freedom? Even if you left the royal family and the protection of the kingdom back then, could you really have lived comfortably?"

"Do you know how to plow the land? Do you know how to transplant rice seedlings? Can you tell the difference between wheat and barnyard grass? What about weeds and leek sprouts? Do you know what to do when the roof leaks when it rains? Do you know how to seal a leaky window?"

Qing Si continued to ask a series of questions, leaving Yuan Fang speechless.

She smiled, bit into the apple with a crunch, and its sweet aroma immediately spread like a sweet little hook.

"Your Highness, there's a lot to learn about living life," Qing Si said, chewing her apple with a satisfying crunch, as if she had a wealth of wisdom to share.

"I shouldn't have taught you to read and write. Now you're lecturing me..." Yuanfang shrugged sullenly, snatched the apple from Qingsi's hand, and took a fierce bite.

The two of them crunched and chewed together.

Qing Si's eyes narrowed into slits with laughter. Although Yuan Fang had a strange temper, he was very easy to coax.

Most importantly, he has a kind heart.

A hint of gloom flashed in Qing Si's eyes, but it quickly brightened again. "I caught a whole bucket of crabs today, each one plump and meaty. Let them stay overnight to purge the sand, and I'll make crab roe dumplings for you tomorrow."

"Hmm." Yuanfang nodded, then suddenly remembered something, his bright eyes fixed on Qingsi. "Don't go back on your word next time! You have to come back whenever you say you will, or I'll really get angry!"

"Haha, definitely!"

——

The autumn rain continued for a long time, and the next day the eaves were covered with shimmering silver rain curtains. Fortunately, the weather was not hot to work in, so Qing Si moved a basin of crabs to the corner of the eaves and enjoyed the rain while cleaning the crabs.

Sheng Er and Sheng San also moved a small stool and sat under the eaves, taking a small brush and working together with Qing Si.

Although the three of them were chosen by the imperial court to accompany Yuan Fang, representing what he most wanted to escape, they had grown up together and still shared a deep bond. Even if they had been angry with Yuan Fang yesterday, they had put it all behind them today.

"What about giving birth to one?"

Qing Si was holding a green-shelled crab in one hand and diligently brushing it with the other when she suddenly realized that someone was missing.

Sheng Er nodded towards the door with his chin, "It rained heavily last night, and I went to sweep up the water with the others."

"oh."

No sooner had she finished speaking than a figure appeared in Qing Si's line of sight.

He hunched slightly as he welcomed an old eunuch in a scarlet robe into the Sanqing Hall and called out, "Xuanshengzi, Eunuch Zhao from the palace has arrived."

When Qing Si saw the face of Eunuch Zhao, whom she had met once before, her hand immediately stopped moving, and the crab struggled and fell to the ground.

Qing Si finally snapped out of her daze, picked up the crab, and continued scrubbing it. Sanqing Hall was only ten steps away from them, and Qing Si could vaguely hear Yuan Fang and the eunuch talking.

"Your Highness, His Majesty intends for you to return to Luoyang to pray for that person's well-being and ward off misfortune. But everyone knows... he probably won't live past this winter. Asking you to return is merely a formality to demonstrate the Emperor's benevolence, and also so that father and son can be reunited..."

Hui, Luo, Jing...

It was as if a swarm of mosquitoes had suddenly flown into Qing Si's ears, buzzing incessantly, and she couldn't hear anything else. She was dazed, and even her grip on the crab lessened.

After Yuanfang saw off Eunuch Zhao, she smiled like a spring flower and squatted down next to Qing Si.

"Qing Si, would you like to go to Luoyang for fun?"

His little white teeth were dangling out like that, not caring that they were cold, and his eyes seemed to be full of happy stars that kept crashing into Qing Si.

The brush made a swishing sound on the crab shell, and Qing Si smiled and lowered its head.

“I will stay on Mount Chenji and not go anywhere else.”

——

The Nine Heavens Spiritual Palace was bitterly cold, but Qing Si still had her own room. The bed was next to the window, where she could bask in the sun and listen to the rain. It was small and cozy, and she liked it very much.

The night was still in the mountains, and the sound of autumn rain hitting the leaves was crisp. Qing Si closed his eyes but found himself unable to sleep tonight.

Turning over in bed, Qing Si opened her clear eyes and saw someone standing at the head of the bed.

"ah!!!"

She screamed, her upper body almost bouncing up, clutching the blanket in front of her, and desperately shrinking into the corner of the bed.

"Don't shout! It's me!"

Qing Si's pupils trembled. He only breathed a sigh of relief when he heard the familiar hoarse voice. Then he grabbed a pillow and angrily threw it at Yuan Fang Sui.

"I've told you before that I hate it when someone stands at the foot of my bed in the middle of the night!!!"

"Ouch!" Yuanfang realized that Qingsi was really angry. He took a solid hit with a pillow and didn't dare to fight back. Instead, he hugged the pillow to his chest and sat on her bed.

"Don't be angry, I'll remember next time!"

"I just wanted to ask you, why were you unhappy when I mentioned going to Luoyang during the day? Why don't you want to go?"

Qing Si's wildly beating heart took a long time to calm down. She clutched the blanket and rubbed it back and forth. "There's no reason. Can't I just like Chenji Mountain? It's quiet and comfortable here. I can live as I please. It's a million times better than Luojing..."

Before she could finish speaking, Qing Si regretted it and immediately stopped talking, but as expected, she still heard Yuan Fang ask, "You've never been to Luojing, how do you know Luojing is bad?"

He carefully arranged the pillow for Qing Si and patted it gently. "Qing Si, I have an idea."

“You’re right. I can’t gain freedom on my own, but I can go back to Luoyang and ask my father for permission to travel the world. Traveling is also a form of cultivation, so he has no reason to stop me.”

"Then we can travel the world, visit famous mountains and rivers. It would be worth it to spend half our lives on the road!"

"us?"

Yuanfang nodded emphatically, "Shenji Mountain is nice, but what if you prefer somewhere else?"

Seeking the sea and asking about the mountains, drifting like the wind, living a life free and unrestrained, accompanied by heaven and earth and nature... A place in Qing Si's heart quietly collapsed, holding a glittering temptation.

"...How long will you stay in Luoyang?"

"At most half a month!"

Qing Si held up a little finger. "Pinky promise. If it's been more than half a month, I'll come back to Chenji Mountain myself."

"It's a deal!"

"But can you really guarantee that your father will agree to your request?"

Yuanfang's face darkened, and he muttered under his breath, "When I was little, he dumped me here and wouldn't even let me bring the eunuchs who were supposed to be with me. He just handed me over to Eunuch Zhao to be assigned to my cousin! I've suffered all these years, and he owes me that."

Qing Si's breath hitched, her eyebrows involuntarily arched, and she hurriedly pressed them down with her hands.

Wow! I see...

Yuanfang skipped away, and as soon as he left, Qingsi, sitting on the bed, saw her own face reflected in the round mirror in the room.

A year has passed, and she is now seventeen. Her features have matured a bit since she was sixteen. She is not considered beautiful, but she looks natural and healthy. Under her light eyebrows, her eyes are full and bright when she smiles, like crescent moons lying under her eyes, making her look kind and lovely.

I feel more comfortable with my own face.

She leaped from the tower, and when she opened her eyes again, she was submerged in a pool of water. It was her own body; the shock of the car accident still lingered within her, leaving her stunned for a long time.

The agreement that Le Jin made with "Le Jin" was to allow herself to remain in the world of the book and continue to live.

She died once in place of the character in the book, but she had to take back her own life, even if it meant going to a different world.

Over the past year, she often thought of San Niu. She was still saddened that she couldn't be by her side anymore, but Le Jin also thought, what could make San Niu happier than her living a good life?

Life is precious, and she must live for herself every moment from now on.

The person in the mirror smiled slightly, revealing a bright smile.

It's only been half a month, and besides, no one has ever seen her like this before. Yuanfang even gave her a new name. When she returns to Luojing, she can simply stay inside the house. No matter how you look at it, it's foolproof.

Le Jin collapsed onto the pillow, wrapped herself tightly in the blanket, and soon felt warm all over before drifting off to sleep.

-----------------------

Author's Note: This is a (slightly) long chapter! [Laughs]