Chapter 33 Peach Blossom Water She actually believed him...

Xue Chan had never met someone who talked so much.

The words came in rapid succession, like a sudden storm, pouring into her ears.

She didn't want to listen, so she quietly slipped away. Jiang Ce had sharp eyes; wherever she went, he would block her way, keeping her by his side and forcing her to listen to him.

I'm annoyed by what I hear, and I can't escape it. I clench my fists under my sleeves again and again, telling myself to endure it.

But Jiang Ce kept talking to himself, and the more Xue Chan remained silent, the more determined he became.

After enduring for a while, Xue Chan finally couldn't help but turn around abruptly and glare at him.

"Have you talked enough? You're so annoying!"

He finally spoke.

Jiang Ce, instead, grinned and moved closer, becoming increasingly audacious: "You're not happy? But I'm very happy!"

Xue Chan was so angry that she trembled, and the hairpin with its cluster of flowers trembled, which made Jiang Ce very happy.

He poked the moth, and the topic drifted off to an unknown distance: "This hairpin of yours was a gift from the Imperial Concubine, wasn't it? It's clearly made with palace craftsmanship."

Xue Chan truly had never wanted to hit anyone before; this was the first time.

"As the saying goes, 'A prime minister's belly can hold a boat,' but I think your magnanimity is so vast it could hold an entire sea!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ce seriously examined his waist and muttered, "My waist is perfectly fine."

While he was looking down, Xue Chan grabbed a porcelain vase on the flower stand beside her. Just as she was about to raise her hand, someone lifted the curtain and called out.

"Miss Xue!"

Xue Chan felt like she had seen a savior and immediately shook off Jiang Ce and ran over to him.

Fang Youxi was quite surprised by her escape-like behavior. She glanced around and saw Jiang Ce standing behind her, looking very displeased. She understood what was going on.

She smiled and asked, "What are you doing here, Second Brother?"

Jiang Ce raised an eyebrow, his gaze sweeping lightly over Xue Chan: "We originally came out to celebrate the festival, thankfully we did."

"Hey? Miss Fang."

Zheng Shaoyu, dragging Li Wu along, poked his head out to greet her.

As soon as the two came together, Li Wu, standing next to Zheng Shaoyu, looked at Fang Youxi with a slight smile. Her eyes lit up, and she also showed a rare shyness and unease.

Jiang Ce leaned against the railing and said with a smile, "It's fate that we've met. Since we've already run into each other, let's sit down and have a cup of tea."

Everyone entered the room one after another. Xue Chan was a little slower because she was trying to avoid Jiang Ce, and then she heard Li Wu say something.

"This is the first time I've seen you since the Lantern Festival."

These words were spoken softly. Xue Chan looked up, and Li Wu then turned his gaze to her and smiled.

Xue Chan immediately understood that the words weren't meant for her, so they meant...

She smiled silently, as if she had discovered something interesting.

The group entered the tea room. Xue Chan and Fang Youxi sat together, while Zheng Shaoyu separated Jiang Ce and Li Wu.

Zheng Shaoyu stroked his chin and asked Li Wu, "May I ask your honorable name and where you live, sir?"

Li Wuwen smiled and replied, "My surname is Li, and my given name is Wu. I am from Baixi, Changzhou."

Zheng Shaoyu pondered, "Changzhou Baixi, Li..."

His second aunt was a girl from the Li family in Baixi. It seems that her brother had a child named after her.

"What is your relationship with Li Qingyan of the Li family in Cheung Chau?"

Li Wu lowered his hands and smiled gently.

"It is my father."

Zheng Shaoyu was surprised: "Brother Li is dressed simply, but I never expected that he is the son of the Li family. No wonder he has such an extraordinary demeanor."

He spoke eloquently, but Li Wu simply bowed humbly and said, "Zheng Liulang is too kind. I am but an ordinary person."

Jiang Ce ignored Zheng Shaoyu, but still felt annoyed and couldn't help but give Li Wu a serious look.

He was so busy talking that he didn't look carefully.

Although Li Wu was dressed in a simple, light blue long robe, with his hair only tied back with a ribbon, his face was handsome, his clothes were plain and simple, and his temperament was gentle and refined, completely opposite to Jiang Ce's.

He turned his head slightly and met Jiang Ce's scrutinizing gaze. But even when faced with Jiang Ce's arrogant and appraising gaze, he remained calm and his smile did not diminish.

"Uncle Xue once served in Cheung Chau. He became close friends with my father through calligraphy and painting. When I was young, I also studied painting under Master Xue. I was a fellow student of Miss Xue. Although I am not talented, I always follow family precepts and never overstep the bounds of propriety."

Li Wu smiled gently, and spoke slowly and deliberately, exuding humility.

These words were meant for Jiang Ce to hear.

Jiang Ce swallowed his words, all the anger and arrogance he had just displayed vanished, but a faint fire still lingered as he sat down.

Although he felt much better after learning the whole story, he still felt inexplicably annoyed.

What exactly bothered him wasn't Li Wu, but he just couldn't stand Xue Chan's affectionate and gentle manner.

As Li Wu spoke, Fang Youxi glanced at him gently.

Xue Chan gently rested her chin on her hand and laughed, making her blush. She then whispered in her ear, "Don't overthink it, it's just an old friend meeting again."

"An old friend? Him?" Jiang Ce had sharp ears and immediately sensed that his beloved younger sister had been taken by someone else. "How come I didn't know?"

His shout caused Fang Youxi to feel awkward for a moment, while Xue Chan lowered her head and glared at him.

Zheng Shaoyu reacted quickly, glancing at Li Wu and her before asking, "I didn't expect you two to know each other?"

At this point, Fang Youxi explained, "We've known each other since childhood; the Fang and Li families are old friends."

Xue Chan realized that she had not mistaken the two people she had seen on the banks of the Jinliu River during the Lantern Festival.

"So that's why Miss Fang invited me out."

Fang Youxi replied, "No, I only invited you and Miss Cheng out for the festival."

"Huh?" Mentioning Cheng Huaizhu, she glanced at the people in the room, "Where is Second Miss Cheng?"

Zheng Shaoyu also asked, "Yes, it seems like you two are always inseparable."

Xue Chan explained, "She is sick and should not go out."

Zheng Shaoyu leaned forward and asked, "Is it serious?"

Jiang Ce picked up his teacup and glanced at him.

Xue Chan paused for a moment before saying, "I've already seen a doctor. It's not particularly serious, but it's just inconvenient for me to go out."

Someone came in carrying teacups and snacks.

Tea was placed on the table for the group, but Jiang Ce was given a beverage at the end.

Because she was sitting close by, Xue Chan smelled a delicate sweet and sour scent, along with a few wisps of sweet osmanthus fragrance.

She picked up her teacup, tilted her head slightly, and her eyes met Jiang Ce's out of the corner of her eye.

Perhaps noticing that Xue Chan was somewhat interested in Jiang Ce's drinks, Zheng Shaoyu said to her, "He has always had a sweet tooth since he was a child. He has always liked these sweet and sour drinks and snacks, and he would eat them eight hundred times a day without getting tired of them."

He picked up his teacup: "This tea is better; it's slightly bitter but has a sweet aftertaste that's refreshing and invigorating."

Xue Chan smiled slightly.

"Everyone has their own likes and preferences. Whether it's tea or snacks, it's all about personal taste. People who like tea say it's a simple pleasure, while those who don't like it say it's bitter and hard to drink. Take half-ripe melon for example. People praise it for being 'bitter to itself but not to others, a gentleman's vegetable,' but I hate it the most. I think its bitterness is direct and solemn."

Her voice wasn't loud; in fact, it was soft and gentle, spoken at a measured pace that was very pleasant to listen to.

Anyway, Jiang Ce felt comfortable.

"Even though they are both bitter herbs, I prefer bitter lettuce because it's fresh, crisp, and refreshing. Actually, there's not so much good or bad; it's just a matter of personal preference."

“That’s true,” Zheng Shaoyu nodded seriously, ate a piece of jade dew dumpling, which was sweet and not greasy. “Speaking of bitter lettuce, my father also likes to eat it. I hate this stuff the most. It’s bitter and astringent. This jade dew dumpling is much better. It’s far superior.”

Jiang Ce's eyes flickered slightly, those words flowing through his mind like clear water. The restlessness subsided, leaving only a slight sense of unease.

He originally thought she would follow Zheng Shaoyu's lead and kick him while he was down, after all, they had just made a scene.

Jiang Ce pushed a plate of pastries in front of Xue Chan and asked her softly, "What about you? Do you like them?"

Xue Chan looked up at the bowl of flower cake that had been pushed in front of her.

Jiang Ce didn't dodge; his eyes were dark and bright, filled with a rare seriousness and anticipation.

She picked up a piece of flower cake and took a small bite.

The first bite was smooth and delicate, which Xue Chan guessed was probably due to yam. The rose fragrance was not strong, but rather subtle, and the filling was sweet, sticky, and slightly sour.

It was her favorite jujube paste, mixed with rose petals.

"like"

Jiang Ce then smiled and said, propping his face up, "This 'Late-Blooming Fragrance' is made by steaming yam into a paste, then sifting it through fine gauze, adding glutinous rice flour and rose juice, kneading it into a dough, filling it with jujube paste mixed with honey and rose powder, and finally pressing it into shape with a special flower mold before steaming it."

He explained in great detail, and Li Wu smiled and said, "It seems that Jiang Erlang is an expert."

Jiang Ce smiled smugly: "Of course. Although I have a sweet tooth, I am also picky. It's not that I like just any sweets, but I like anything that catches my eye."

Zheng Shaoyu: "That's true. Although he is very picky, the food he likes is indeed rare and delicious."

Guanyin Lake, next to Ningcui Tower, was very lively during the Shangsi Festival.

“It’s a pity Miss Cheng is ill,” Fang Youxi sighed, and suggested, “Today is the Shangsi Festival. I heard that both Fantai Mountain and Jinliu River are holding purification ceremonies to ward off disasters, and many stalls have been set up on both banks. There will also be a worship ceremony tonight, it’s very lively. Since we’ve run into each other, let’s go together.”

Zheng Shaoyu, who always loved to join in the fun, readily agreed: "Great! I was just wondering where to go for fun."

Jiang Ce laughed and said, "The ancients said, 'The spring purification ritual is held on the third day of the third month. The Xuanhe ritual is better than the Yonghe ritual. The spring willows are more beautiful than smoke, and the grass grows and the orioles fly. Let's take advantage of this and also indulge in some elegance.'"

Fang Youxi: "In that case, let's all go."

A pipa melody drifted in from outside, like pearls falling onto a plate.

The group stopped what they were doing and listened to the music.

Jiang Ce: "Why don't we all go to the outer room to listen? It's not too late to wait until we've finished listening to the song."

Li Wu nodded, and Fang Youxi and Xue Chan went out together.

In the middle of the first floor, someone was holding a pipa and playing a cheerful tune.

After listening for a while, the group became immersed in the music.

Xue Chan quietly got up, walked around the curtain to the window. A gentle breeze blew in, and she remembered that the last time she came here was in winter.

Looking out the window, Guanyin Lake is not far away, with tall willows swaying like smoke, the water and sky shimmering, and peach blossoms still in bloom.

She smiled and said, "That's how the name 'Ningcui Tower' came about."

Seeing her get up and walk to the window, head bowed, seemingly lost in thought, Jiang Ce quietly walked over to her side.

That day---

The voice reached her ears, and Xue Chan turned her head to meet his gaze.

Jiang Ce turned his face away, lowered his eyes and said softly, "There's a reason for hitting him; he deserves it."

After he finished speaking, he didn't look at Xue Chan, but he was also a little uneasy, wondering if she would believe him.

The girl's voice was soft and gentle, as if it were melting in the wind.

"I know."

Jiang Ce looked up at her in surprise, somewhat incredulous: "You...you really believe it?"

Xue Chan turned around and smiled brightly, her tone certain: "Although I haven't met the Second Young Master many times, I can feel that he is a sincere and kind person."

Jiang Ce looked at her; the person before him had gentle, watery eyes, with a faint smile.

He then heard her say, "That's why I believe it; I believe that the second young master acted out of righteousness."

Jiang Ce's eyes sparkled, his voice gentle and warm.

The sound of the pipa gradually softened, becoming melodious and lingering. A warm breeze blew in from outside the window, as soft as a brocade woven from spring colors, with willow branches as threads and peach blossoms as shuttles.

He looked at Xue Chan and smiled softly.

The girl didn't look away, and just quietly watched him.

Jiang Ce saw her eyes, like lakes, beneath her slender eyebrows, reflecting the sunlight, clear and gentle.

How should I describe him?

He recalled a line from a poem.

Spring arrives and peach blossoms adorn the waters everywhere.

He thought that Xue Chan wouldn't think that way, and might not even believe it.

But she said she believed it from the beginning.

Jiang Ce's eyes shone brighter, his brows and eyes smiling. His heart surged with emotion, like waves crashing.

Xue Chan's smile deepened.

Of course she believed him, after all, he was Jiang Ce.

He has good character, but no good tongue.

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

Author's note: Xiao Xue: You're sick.

Xiao Jiang: Nonsense, I'm perfectly fine.

Xiao Xue: You have it.

Xiao Jiang: So what illness did you say?

Xiao Xue: Primary school student spring outing syndrome.

Note: ① "Spring comes and peach blossoms adorn the waters" - Tang Dynasty, Wang Wei, "Peach Blossom Spring"

②“On the third day of the third lunar month, the purification ritual was performed in Xuanhe, surpassing even the Yonghe ritual.” — Song Dynasty, Liu Dan, “On the Third Day of the Third Lunar Month, I Thank Wang Fengfu for the Wine He Offered.”

③ "Half-ripe melon" refers to bitter melon. The ancients believed that it was bitter inside but not to people, and that it had the qualities of a gentleman, hence it was called the gentleman's vegetable.

④ "Bitter lettuce" is a type of wild vegetable that looks somewhat like wild chrysanthemum.