Chapter 33: Vow That was his invitation, but also his implicit hint...

That day, the master and his two disciples were viewing paintings in the study.

The painting "Early Spring" was hung on the paper wall that Jiang Tong had made himself with dragon bones.

Su Guanqing looked towards the painting with longing, listening in fascination as Jiang Tong described the contents of the picture to him, only regretting that he could not see it with his own eyes.

Zhao Quesheng was confused. Still semi-illiterate, she had no way of understanding or digesting Jiang Tong’s words about “my eyes cannot see silk, my hands cannot write, it is vast and boundless,” “the wonders and beauty are inexhaustible,” and “I will not leave the hall, I will sit by the springs and valleys, the calls of monkeys and birds are still in my ears, the scenery of mountains and rivers is dazzling.” [1]

If Su Guanqing was giving a lecture, she would dare to ask questions thoroughly, but when Jiang Tong was talking, she didn't dare to interrupt at all, and just tried her best to memorize.

Jiang Tong didn't notice her little disciple's troubles at all. She turned her gaze from the painting to Su Guanqing. Seeing the excitement in his eyes and eyebrows, and that he was obviously fascinated, her heart ached.

Even if she delayed the restoration, she would have to hand it over before the Emperor's birthday. However, by then, Guan Qing might not have regained his sight. After that, the painting would be hidden in the palace, and it would be impossible for him to see it.

Su Guanqing remembered his little apprentice and asked Zhao Quesheng if he could see what was good about the painting.

Zhao Quesheng shook his head silently: "Quesheng is dull and really can't understand."

"Did you see the little man in the painting?" Su Guanqing asked with a gentle smile.

"I saw it." Zhao Quesheng said hurriedly.

Su Guanqing explained slowly, "In ancient landscapes, figures are often painted very large, never blending into the surrounding landscape, and seeming rather abrupt. But Guo Xi's figures are perfectly placed within the landscape, either walking on a mountain path, fishing in a boat on the water, or even a silhouette writing in the window of a thatched cottage in the mountains..."

Zhao Quesheng's eyes kept darting around the painting, and she had already spotted a few of the little figures. She nodded vigorously. She might have been dazed when talking about the brushwork style, but when it came to this, she became excited: "My disciple saw that each little figure has its own thing to do, as if it were alive! It's very interesting!"

Su Guanqing's smile widened. "It's not just the characters. Look at the mountain scenery, the paths in the mountains, the small bridges over the waterfalls, the small covered boats on the shore. What do you feel?"

Zhao Quesheng thought for a moment and said tentatively, "It's as if... those aren't just decorations. Those little people can really walk around inside, live in those houses, and row those boats!"

"Excellent," Jiang Tong praised. "This is exactly what Guo Xi is good at: it's walkable, viewable, navigable, and habitable. These details alone are enough to make one's eyes wander freely and their thoughts soar freely."

There were so many details in the painting waiting to be explored. The more Zhao Quesheng looked, the more fascinated she became, and she kept telling her master Su what little details she had discovered.

"I really want to become a little man and play in the painting." Zhao Quesheng couldn't help but sigh.

Su Guanqing smiled, and her words brought back memories of his youth.

He has always loved quietness and did not like to go out to play with his peers. He could often spend a whole day alone facing a painting.

Sometimes I would realize I had just started looking at a painting, but when I turned around, it was already dark.

At that time, he had a feeling that his time was different from that of others. His time and space seemed to be frozen in the painting, eternal and peaceful.

Sometimes he would feel lonely and want to go out, but when he opened the door, he didn't know where to go.

Although Su's house is big, there is no one who understands him. Although the world is vast, the fireworks of thousands of families have nothing to do with him.

Then, the outstretched toes hesitated for a moment, and then retracted into the world in the painting.

Speaking of which, he is not very keen on coloring, and only prefers ink and line drawing. This makes him feel that there are only black and white in life.

The appearance of Tongtong is the only bright spot in his monotonous life.

When he discovered that being with the lively and cheerful Tongtong made him feel alive, he became addicted to this novel feeling and fell hopelessly in love with this willful and playful girl.

He finally had a place to go—

Wherever Tongtong goes, he follows.

When Tongtong went into the water to catch fish, he would draw a sketch of her; when Tongtong was taking bird eggs, he would stand guard under a tree; when Jiang Huaishan wanted to punish his naughty daughter, he would also stand in front of her...

But he was still timid. When Tongtong stretched out her hand from the branch, he didn't dare to pull it.

He took so much effort to get his father to see him.

The thing that made his father, the Prime Minister, proud to mention was the young genius, Master Yuequan, who was definitely not a little brat who climbed trees and fished. He didn't want to incur his father's dislike because of his mischief.

But it is difficult to have both in this world. If he wants to maintain the image of Mingyue Qingfeng, he is bound to be disliked by Tongtong.

Su Guanqing recalled that time when Tongtong was lying on the tree trunk, half of her head sticking out, begging him to come up and catch birds together, but he repeatedly rejected her.

Even though many years have passed, the disappointment in her big watery eyes is still vivid, popping up from time to time to tear at his heart.

How could I be so heartless? How could I have the heart to reject Tongtong!

He is simply a blockhead and extremely stupid!

I have been following Tongtong for so long, why have I never learned her style of never going against her own will and daring to think and do?

If I give myself another chance, what's the harm in joining her in some mischief?

As for my father——

My father had never really cared about his son. Whether I was naughty or a genius, I was just a sacrifice for his loyalty to the late emperor. Why should he care?

But by the time he figured it out, it was already too late. Su Guanqing thought that he would probably never have the chance to be in love with Jiang Tong in this life, but who knew that there was always a ray of hope.

Even better than he wanted.

He never dared to imagine that Tongtong would go from being the sun he wanted to chase to being his soulmate.

When Su Guanqing came to this point, he suddenly murmured: "The ambition of the forest and springs, the companion of the mist and clouds, are there in my dreams."[2]

This sentence came from the theoretical book on painting by Guo Xi and his son, Linquan Gaozhi. Jiang Tong knew it, but when she heard Su Guanqing's words, her heart was slightly moved -

Su Guanqing suddenly mentioned this sentence, obviously he was not talking about painting, but had something else in mind.

Sure enough, Su Guanqing turned his face towards her, his eyes full of tenderness and affection.

"Tongtong, if there's a chance, let's travel around the world together, okay?"

——That was his invitation and also his implicit declaration of love.

He was waiting for her reply.

Jiang Tong's heart began to pound.

She naturally knew that Su Guanqing had been fond of her since childhood.

That love is too passionate, too sincere, transcending life and death, and has never changed in two lifetimes.

For Jiang Tong, her childhood had passed so long ago that she could hardly remember why she had hated Guan Qing for no reason when she was little.

He is obviously so good.

A few days ago, she even had a sudden thought: if she had married Guan Qing earlier in her previous life, would all the tragedies that followed not have happened?

Jiang Yan wouldn't force Guan Qing to marry again, and Guan Qing wouldn't be killed by her. Maybe A Niang would still be alive, and he wouldn't have to leave his hometown and live alone like a leaf in a foreign land for the rest of his life...

Now, Su Guanqing reached out his hand to her again. Jiang Tong's fingertips trembled, and she almost instinctively reached out to hold him.

However, when she looked at Su Guanqing's face, which was full of love and a little nervous because of expectation, she had to face a fact -

The one Guan Qing loves is the Tongtong who is as lively as fire, the mischievous and enthusiastic Tongtong who grew up with him, the sixteen-year-old Tongtong.

It’s not me, an old woman who has lived alone for nearly a hundred years.

Sixteen was a long time ago for her, so long that she couldn't even remember what her teenage self looked like. Since her rebirth, she had only been imitating herself, drawing cats and tigers.

But she could never imitate the youthfulness, innocence and sincerity of a teenager.

She looked at Su Guanqing and saw that he was still smiling gently with his lips pursed, but the shyness in his smile and the slight redness on his ears betrayed his mood.

She knew Guan Qing would be happy about her words and moved by her actions. But in her opinion, this was just due to her experience in two lives. She knew what she said and did could touch his heart.

She could easily control his emotions, but she couldn't return this passionate love. This was not fair to Guan Qing.

Su Guanqing has been very kind to her, so of course she has to repay him. She can give him whatever he wants.

She could chat with him, play with him, and take care of him for the rest of his life, but if he wanted a young girl's love, she really couldn't create it out of nothing.

She no longer had the innocent throbbing of first love. Even though she had him in her heart, she could not return the same love.

What's more, there is a difference between the good and the bad, and they are destined to be fruitless, so why give people illusions?

When Jiang Tong thought of this, she felt bitter in her heart. She smiled self-deprecatingly. See, weighing things over and over again, and carefully deciding, this is the kind of cowardice that only a nearly 100-year-old like her would have.

Sixteen-year-old Jiang Tong only knew whether to like or dislike something. The same was true for twenty-year-old Su Guanqing.

They are young and passionate, so they are willing to sacrifice their lives for the love in their hearts.

Even if I come back, what does it matter? It's not like the time when I was young.

Jiang Tong had made up his mind and did not answer Su Guanqing directly. Instead, he turned to Zhao Quesheng and asked, "Quesheng, do you want to go too?"

Zhao Quesheng nodded hurriedly: "I want to go!"

"Then, when Master's eyesight recovers, the three of us, the master and the disciples, can travel together." Jiang Tong's voice was full of anticipation, and there was nothing unusual about it, but his eyes were always looking at Su Guanqing.

She saw Su Guanqing's smile pause, and in an instant, it was as if dark clouds suddenly covered the bright sun.

He understood what she meant—

She doesn't want to.

It was like an ice-cold hand, reaching from his throat into his chest, ruthlessly crushing his dream that was so close to reality.

That's how it should be.

It has always been this way.

How dare he imagine that she would fall in love with him!

It must be that Tongtong has been too nice to me recently, so I have had some false thoughts and wrong thoughts.

"Okay, from now on, the three of us, master and disciples, will go together." He pinched the edge of Yuebai's sleeves, a smile still on his lips, but his heart had sunk into endless darkness.

…

Zhong Wanci tiptoed into the main house and carefully closed the door.

Jiang Huaishan was sitting on a chair, wiping the embroidered spring knife he had used in the past. When he heard the noise, he looked up and glanced at her: "What are you doing sneaking around in your own home?"

"This is terrible!" Zhong Wanci quickly walked over to Jiang Huaishan and repeated Su Guanqing's words, "Is he still thinking about Tongtong?"

Jiang Huaishan paused, and stopped what he was doing. "What do you say, Tongtong?"

"She agreed! She said she wants to travel with Guanqing in the future!"

Jiang Huaishan pondered for a moment, then returned to polishing his knife. "You just like to daydream. Maybe they just want to go sightseeing. Tongtong has always been loyal. She remembered Guanqing's help, and since Guanqing said he wanted to travel, she'd go along. What's the big deal?"

Zhong Wanci snatched the fine cloth from his hand: "Didn't you see how they were together yesterday? Don't they look like a loving couple? As a mother, how could I not see it? Tongtong has a special feeling towards Guanqing!"

She clutched the fine cloth tightly in her hand, her beautiful eyes filled with panic: "What if they really are willing to do this?"

"Then go and tell your daughter!" Jiang Huaishan said.

"Why don't you go and tell me!"

Jiang Huaishan said, "How can I, as a father, say something about this? Naturally, you, as a mother, should speak."

"Don't you know what kind of personality your daughter has? If she really likes Guan Qing, will she listen to me if I tell her? Blame it on you! Blame it on you!"

"Why are you blaming me again?" Jiang Huaishan looked innocent.

"How can I not blame you! Tongtong learned her stubborn temper from you!" Zhong Wanci was anxious and angry, and hit Jiang Huaishan several times.

Although Jiang Huaishan had recovered from his illness, his health was not as good as before. After being hit by her hammer, he couldn't catch his breath and couldn't help coughing.

Zhong Wanci panicked again and stroked his chest to calm him down.

After a while, Jiang Huaishan recovered and placed the Embroidered Spring Knife on the table: "Tongtong is very stubborn, but Guanqing is a reasonable child."

Zhong Wanci paused, she understood what her husband meant.

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

The author has something to say: [1][2] are all quoted from Linquan Gaozhi