Love Affairs in Luoyang

In the days that followed, he traveled with frequent stops and starts, and the journey, which was originally planned to take less than half a month, took twenty-eight days.

They finally arrived in Luoyang. Sui Zhixu arranged accommodations for the group. The people on the estate already knew that the lady was coming, and all arrangements were made very well.

"Where is she?" As she learned that Xu was carefully selecting flowers in the flower room, she naturally couldn't resist the temptation, as Luoyang peonies were famously beautiful in the Qi Dynasty.

Bending down, the fragrance of peonies wafted to my nose, delicate and pleasant, neither strong nor strange.

Although Xu was sensitive to smells, she didn't like overly strong fragrances; something as light as this was just right.

Liu Lü: "Still mingling in the crowd."

She nodded slightly and waved for Liu Lü to leave. "Let's continue, there's no rush."

"This Fire Refining Golden Pill is quite good, and the Pink Peony can also be taken back."

Knowing that Xu was engrossed in flowers, Dan Hong, who had just entered, put down the peony in her hand and said anxiously, "Isn't my wife going to the Mo Family Lodge? The young master is not easy to deal with. If my wife doesn't go, he might think that my wife is afraid. Besides, my wife has already been delayed on the way. Will we be able to get the Mo Family Lodge's approval before we go back in the fall?"

"If the Mo family doesn't recognize the lady as the young master, what will happen in front of the elders?"

"Isn't this the place I came here to escape the summer heat?" Sui Zhixu sat on the swing, surrounded by blooming flowers of all colors, their colors intertwined like clouds and mist.

The lady sitting inside wore a lotus leaf green ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), with large cloud patterns on the hem that swirled like celestial mist, making the flower room look like a fairyland at this moment.

"Danhong doesn't like crowds, so go have some fun. The Mo Family Lodge is right here, you can't just run away." Sui Zhixu called to her softly, patting the seat next to the swing, "Come sit down."

Sui Zhixu stroked the stray hairs by Dan Hong's ear and said, "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. I've heard that the medicine merchants in Luoyang are quite active. Go and see if there's anything that interests you. The money will all be on my tab."

At this moment, Yueling slowly walked in and teased her, "So you were hiding here. I've been looking for you for ages. You're really generous now. If Conglan knew that you got the information from him and told that bastard Fan Lingzhang, he would dream of tearing Yunlai Tower down."

"Even if Father knows about the trading company, it's useless to him. It would be better if I were to make the transaction; that might be of some use." Sui Zhixu said calmly, as if he were talking about something insignificant.

Where are the others?

Speaking of Fan Lingzhang, it seems that Xu hasn't seen him for a while.

“Talking business, what else could he be doing?” Yueling rolled her eyes. “Luoyang is full of merchants. He’s acting like he’s back in his hometown. He’s not very old, but he’s quick-witted in the business world.”

"I want to eat the water banquet! I was so frustrated on the way here. You insisted on making a pilgrimage and offering sacrifices to our ancestors at Hangu Pass, which delayed our journey by several days. Otherwise, we would have arrived much earlier."

Getting back to the main topic, Yueling chased away the unhappy Danhong and sat down next to Sui Zhixu to complain.

Sui Zhixu gave a forced smile, "Isn't it proper for the Grand Preceptor to offer sacrifices?"

"You can't wrong me like that. You have to remember that when we cultivate the Tao, we must first satisfy ourselves, and put everything else aside."

What day is it today?

"Reporting to my lady, it's the third day." Danhong counted on her fingers, "The people on the estate have been feasting almost every day to welcome you, with lots of fish and meat."

Dan Hong glanced at Yue Ling, but Yue Ling's gaze was unfocused and not on Dan Hong.

As Xu Zhixu brushed his fingertips across the petals, he said calmly, "Then let's go tonight. I've heard that the Ya Xiang Lou restaurant in Luoyang is quite good; they should have a water banquet. After dinner, we can go to the night market and see how it differs from Chang'an."

Yue Ling's eyes were fixed on him. Sui Zhixu paused for a moment, her tone tinged with helplessness, "I'll pay."

"Good disciple, you know how to respect your master! You have lived up to the years of service you have provided at the Taoist temple..."

Sui Zhixu: "Stop, or you'll have to pay for it yourself."

Before she could finish speaking, Yueling whistled, not to be outdone, and chuckled, "Shall we go now?"

—

When the group set off, they didn't see Fan Lingzhang. Unexpectedly, Yueling saw him at the entrance of Yaxianglou as soon as she got off the bus, and he was about to go in.

The fan slapped Fan Lingzhang's shoulder from behind with considerable force, causing him to gasp.

"Ah Ling!"

As soon as Fan Lingzhang saw the green figure, he knew it was her. Ignoring Yueling's fan, he ran to her and took Danhong's place.

Dan Hong: "..."

People who meddle are really annoying.

Sui Zhixu adjusted her light pink shawl, looked up at him, and asked, "What are you doing here?"

Fan Lingzhang's dark green Hu-style clothing today is similar in color to Sui Zhixu's clothes, making them look like a perfect couple from a distance.

He realized this and laughed heartily, "I'm learning by stealing your skills!"

Logically, the owner of Yunlailou should indeed learn from the strengths of others to improve himself.

Xu casually praised, "Not bad, humble and eager to learn."

Age in months: "?"

The lousy apprentice certainly didn't realize what kind of monster she looked like now.

Well, it's a good thing, I guess.

Wait a minute! Yueling suddenly shouted, "You two, stop being so lovey-dovey and hurry up, your teacher is starving!"

After the dishes were served, this time Sui Zhixu didn't fight with Yueling for food and ate her own meal peacefully. She didn't seem to have any particular dietary restrictions, unlike Fan Lingzhang who did.

She noticed that he never put fish on her plate, and he wouldn't touch any of the fresh seafood on the table, such as braised carp with scallions, but he would frequently put fish on her plate.

As Xu Zhixu's eyes darted around, she bit into the fish slice he had picked up. The fish slice was fresh and tender, with a delicious sour and spicy flavor.

It's a pity he can't eat it.

"What's wrong, A-Ling?" Fan Lingzhang noticed her gaze and asked with a smile.

Sui Zhixu shook her head slightly and pointed to the dumpling soup called Bibo Sanwan. She didn't need to say anything; he had already ladled some out.

He's so blind, he can even mistake his own wife.

Xu Xin accepted it with a clear conscience, thinking that he had mistaken his wife for someone else and deserved to be used by her.

Sufficient money and manpower in the underworld are exactly what she needs.

Although the young master is rich, her position is too conspicuous, and with so many people watching her, it's inconvenient for her to do bad things.

Sui Zhixu squinted and stirred the soup in the bowl intermittently, the slight clinking of the porcelain sounding like the gentle tinkling of a spring.

Yueling and Danhong chattered away, their soft voices barely noticeable amidst their noise.

Luoyang's night markets are bustling and brightly lit, comparable to those of Chang'an.

"Wow! How much do I buy this?" Dan Hong stopped in front of a shabby little stall and picked up a brown bottle.

Dan Hong haggled over the price with the stall owner, while Xu Zhi and Fan Lingzhang walked side by side behind her.

Fan Lingzhang approached her little by little, trying to hook her fingers together, their fingers intertwined, and they held each other tighter and tighter.

Sui Zhixu stopped and looked into his eyes; his eyes were very beautiful.

"Ah Ling." The gentle, tender voice fell on her eyes.

When she regained consciousness, her hand was already close to his eyes, her fingertips touching the corners of his eyes, gently tracing his features.

Her fiery and captivating expression was tinged with a touch of docility, her eyes brimming with affection.

"Come with me to go boating on the lake and admire the flowers in a couple of days." Sui Zhixu let her hand stroke his face, and Fan Lingzhang obediently followed her rhythm.

"Good girl."

What a lovely little hibiscus.

As soon as Xu Taohua narrowed her eyes, her eyes brightened, and she involuntarily moved closer to him.

The fragrance of jasmine wafted from their waists, its aroma rippling like water between them, stirring their hearts.

Fan Lingzhang's eyes flickered slightly. He reached out and firmly embraced his wife's slender waist, pulling her closer to him.

At that moment, Sui Zhixu's slender white hand lifted his chin, with a subtle, almost imperceptible, teasing touch.

Perhaps it was because his sudden forward movement was too hasty, but her hand slid down the lines of his face, and her pale pink fingertips inadvertently brushed against his prominent Adam's apple.

"Hmm." He groaned and turned his head to rest on Sui Zhixu's shoulder.

"My wife, my wife..."

"I am here."

In the bustling market, they embraced each other, enjoying a moment of peace.

When the mermaid pearls and jade beads jingled and tinkled around Sui Zhixu's ears, she noticed the earrings on Fan Lingzhang's ears. The crystal-clear jade beads were similar in shape to mermaid pearls.

One warm and one cold, intertwined, landed together on her collarbone.

After that night, Dan Hong discovered new medicinal herbs from the Western Regions and became obsessed with tinkering with her own poisons.

As always, Xu spent her time in the flower room, sitting on the swing and admiring the flowers and plants.

“We’ll go pick lotus pods this evening. Go tell Zirong about it.” Sui Zhixu swayed gently, with neatly arranged flowerpots not far away.

Dan Hong frowned, opened her mouth but ultimately said nothing, and silently withdrew.

Sui Zhixu grasped the ropes on both sides of the swing, which were entwined with flower vines and emitted a faint fragrance.

His peach-blossom eyes fixed on it, and he let out a muffled groan, his eyes curving like crescent moons.

"Following the Chu traveler..."

—

When it was learned that Xu wanted to go boating on the lake and enjoy the flowers, it was a major undertaking. After the order was given in the afternoon, the servants set up carefully maintained small boats from the storeroom, and countless people used fishing nets to dredge the fallen leaves from the lotus pond.

The maids took the lead in placing plates of exquisitely crafted pastries and fruits on the pavilion in the middle of the lake, even covering them with gauze. They also carefully smoothed the cushions on the small boats and swept the path by the lotus pond until it was spotless.

As the setting sun painted the water golden, the small boat was ready, and the boatman was moored on the shore, waiting for Sui Zhixu's arrival.

As the month progresses, I am amazed by all the preparations.

Unexpectedly, the woman glanced at him and said coldly, "Leave. Don't bother me unless it's important."

"Can you row a boat?" She turned to ask Fan Lingzhang, who had just arrived, and received an affirmative answer from him. She then pulled him onto the boat.

The lotus pond was vast, with large lotus leaves and flowers complementing each other beautifully. The two of them ventured deep into the lotus blossoms.

As Sui Zhixu sat on the boat, she was surrounded by tall lotus leaves. Countless lotus leaves brushed against Fan Lingzhang's arm as he rowed, and occasionally water droplets would fall onto his peach-colored round-necked brocade robe.

One drop even landed on Sui Zhixu's eyelashes, and the handsome young man, who had been gazing at her, slowly reached out and wiped it away.

His movements were very light and slow, his burning gaze fixed on her face, their breaths mingling.

As Xu raised his hand, his fan forced the young man back step by step until they reached the other side of the boat, whereupon he cursed, "You lecherous scoundrel!"

"You're allowed to tease me every time, but I'm not allowed to..."

What am I not allowing you to do?

As Xu leaned forward, Fan Lingzhang slumped at the bow of the boat, his unrestrained smile still on his face, staring blankly as she met his gaze.

Her forehead touched his, and Fan Lingzhang lay completely back on the boat, their breaths mingling, their warm breaths falling on each other's faces.

Sui Zhixu's gaze focused on his eyebrows, the bridge of his nose, and down to his lips...

All around was silent, and the two were completely submerged by layers of lotus leaves and flowers.

The silence was profound, leaving only the sound of their breathing.

He couldn't help but swallow hard, raising his chin closer to Fangze, but then Zhixu suddenly brushed past his cheek and leaned on his shoulder.

Her eyes were lowered, her long, dark blue eyelashes concealing the lingering emotions within them.

The jade bead from Fan Lingzhang's ear fell onto Sui Zhixu's nose. She didn't brush it away, but simply stayed there quietly, lost in thought.

She is not Ah Ling.

She was just a deceiver to him; they'd reached their destination, and it was time for her to move on to the next step.

Instead of getting intimate with him here, using a fake identity.

Chen Ran liked his face very much; it was like a lotus blooming brightly on the water, a flower blooming in the hot summer.

Sui Zhixu reached out to touch the lotus flower not far away, then got up and wiped away everything that had just happened.

“Ah Ling…” Fan Lingzhang stood up, the tips of his ears on the jade beads were red, his eyes were unfocused, and he stared blankly at Sui Zhixu.

"May I kiss you?"

"No." Sui Zhixu threw the lotus flower in her hand into his arms, then turned around and pushed aside the clump of lotus leaves.

A dilapidated wooden door came into view, embedded in the stone wall, its lower half almost entirely submerged in water, covered with moss, and well concealed by layers of lotus leaves.

As the machine pulled outwards, a booming sound resounded through the sky.

She used the boat to climb up to the high platform of the Upper Cave, which was just above water.

He turned to Fan Lingzhang and said, "You go back first."

"Are you going to be alone again?" Fan Lingzhang stood up, his voice slightly choked.

The howling wind deep inside the cave drowned out everything, and Sui Zhixu didn't hear clearly. She shouted, "It's dangerous inside. I can handle it by myself. Bringing you along would only cause trouble."

After saying that, she didn't linger and walked alone into the depths.

Only Fan Lingzhang remained.

Liu Lv on the shore stepped on the man, and drew his sword, pressing it against his neck.

"The young master has ordered that no one is to act rashly!"