Chapter 887 The Last Meeting

Why do you ask that?

Lord Zhao smiled and placed his hand on Xie Zheng's shoulder.

"You're overthinking it, Lord Xie. Han Qingfeng said he was an old acquaintance and fellow Daoist who was just helping out when he saw injustice."

"But you have reminded me that the past between the monk and his junior brother must be settled. They should sit down calmly, talk things out, and resolve the misunderstandings in each other's hearts. Then they can go their separate ways and relax."

He patted Xie Zheng on the shoulder and said, "At that time, you just shouldn't overthink it."

"..." Xie Zheng wanted to explain that he wasn't such a petty person, but as soon as the words were on the tip of his tongue, he realized that his behavior did indeed seem a bit petty.

No, it's more than just a little.

He coughed lightly, quickly masking his sudden embarrassment with the attitude of "what's wrong with being careful at this age?"

Lord Zhao suppressed a laugh as he looked at Xie Zheng's self-satisfied expression, which he thought he had concealed very well.

"Let's go, Lord Xie. This sword manual is good, but I'll demonstrate it for you so you can learn it faster."

"Very well, please enlighten me, Lord Zhao."

...

After resting at the Zhao residence for two days, Song Chunxue felt much better; the wound on her chest was no longer so burning hot.

But I still can't practice swordsmanship.

She could only sit cross-legged in the spring sunshine in the garden.

February is approaching, and the garden of the Zhao family mansion is already full of spring and thriving.

It was the first time she had ever realized that so many flowers bloom during the first month of the lunar calendar.

Clivia, wintersweet, begonia, geranium, forsythia, freesia... they are scattered in the garden in patches, creating a scene that brings joy and nourishment to the heart.

Fangyue quietly came over and found Song Chunxue sitting on the openwork low wall by the garden, her eyes closed, legs crossed and fingers clenched, as if she were in meditation.

And standing guard beside her was Song Che, the evil cultivator who had been subdued.

Song Che stood in front of her, signaling that they should not disturb her for the time being.

Fangyue raised her hand, gesturing for him to come over to the pavilion to talk.

"How could Senior Brother trust you to be her protector?" Fangyue crossed her arms and stared at him with hostility. "Have you truly surrendered now?"

Song Che cupped his hands in apology, saying, "I am living under someone else's roof, and my skills are inferior to theirs. I am completely convinced."

He straightened his back, holding his other wrist with a proper posture, yet not humble, his brows and eyes calm like a monk without desires.

"Besides, having seen so much bloodshed, the sudden arrival of such a peaceful life, with people providing food, drink, and money, has inadvertently fulfilled my wish."

Suddenly, Song Che leaped up and blocked the middle of the path, obstructing the little maid.

“Mr. Song, a guest has arrived and wishes to see the two Taoist priests.”

Song Che stood with his legs slightly apart, maintaining a steady stance. "Who?"

"Master Bai."

Fangyue walked up to Song Chunxue and found that her eyes were closed and her head was slightly lowered.

I poked her shoulder and she was asleep.

"..." I thought she was studying hard and had entered a meditative state.

"Wake up, wake up."

Song Chunxue opened her eyes, her fair and rosy face filled with confusion.

Lamb soup is indeed nourishing; after being forced to drink it for a few days, my complexion gradually improved.

A spring breeze caressed my face, and the wisps of hair on my forehead fluttered gently.

"What's wrong?"

When she looked up, she saw Bai Caiwei looking at her with a serious expression.

Song Che squeezed into the middle of them and solemnly said to Bai Caiwei, "Coming here without prior notice to disturb others' cultivation is disrespectful to my Taoist priest. Please be more careful next time."

"..."

"..."

Bai Caiwei and Song Chunxue looked at him in shock.

Song Che calmly walked away under their watchful eyes.

Being spoken to like that to her face, Bai Caiwei looked at Song Chunxue somewhat awkwardly, "I was just too eager to see you, so I apologize for being so presumptuous."

"It's alright." Song Chunxue looked at Song Che's back and wondered how her senior brother had trained him to be so understanding.

Fangyue knew they had something to say, so she said, "I'll go to the front yard and see. The new pastries made in the kitchen are delicious."

Senior Sister Fangyue looked ethereal, but after getting to know her, I realized that she was even more greedy than Song Chunxue and knew how to take better care of herself.

Song Chunxue stared at her senior sister's retreating figure, still lost in her dream.

She sat directly on the low stone steps, thinking that the rainy season had passed and it was time for spring planting. She wondered how many acres of broad beans and peas the eldest son and his wife would plant this year.

"I've asked you to come here today because someone asked me to." Bai Caiwei stood in front of her, unable to understand why she was sitting on the ground so casually, even though there were benches in the pavilion next to her and the ground was so dusty.

Looking at Bai Caiwei's beautiful, shimmering brocade skirt, Song Chunxue asked in a calm voice, "Is she a monk?"

Bai Caiwei pursed her lips, feeling like she had so much to say but didn't know where to begin.

"Let's go to the pavilion over there and sit down to talk."

"You should know that we are not the same people we used to be. Anything about his past is irrelevant to him now, so you don't need to ask me..."

"He asked me to pass on a message to you, that he wants to see you one last time, and that he will never bother you again."

Song Chunxue looked up at Bai Caiwei, "Aren't you jealous?"

Bai Caiwei sighed, turned around and sat down on the stone steps next to her. "He is feeling a little uncomfortable, but his concern for you has always been there. It's better to let go of this thought."

Song Chunxue didn't ask any more questions, and stood up, saying, "Okay, where is he, and when do we meet?"

Unexpectedly, she agreed so quickly. Bai Caiwei looked at her with a probing gaze, her eyes dark and troubled when she looked down.

"I'll take you there."

"Alright, let's go." Song Chunxue stood up, yawned, and stretched. "Lead the way."

Seeing her wearing a simple linen cross-front gown, looking like a plain-looking farmer selling vegetables on the street, Bai Caiwei couldn't help but ask, "Aren't you going to change your clothes?"

Song Chunxue glanced down at her outfit, her brows furrowing slightly. After a long pause, she managed to squeeze out a sentence, "That's right, I can't let her think that I look as shabby as before."

As she spoke, she directly pulled out a medium-length vest from her storage ring and put it on. It was the one that Sanwa's wife had made for her.

But in Bai Caiwei's eyes, her outfit was somewhat incongruous.

Oh well, maybe she did it on purpose.

A few days ago, she dressed in an exceptionally eye-catching way.

About half an hour later, Song Chunxue was taken to a teahouse by Bai Caiwei's maid.

Pushing open the door, I saw a monk standing by the window, without a cassock or robe, wearing a turban on his head, but holding prayer beads in his hand, looking over somewhat awkwardly.

"You've arrived."

"Um."

Song Chunxue closed the door and sat down in front of him, noticing that the table was covered with all kinds of tea snacks and food, some of which were exquisite enough to be collected.

"you……"

"You know how Bai Caiwei feels about you, right?"

They both spoke at the same time, and Song Chunxue didn't want to argue with him for long; she went straight to the point and questioned him.

"Why did you have to send a message to a woman who admires and loves you? Are you planning to renounce your vows for her, or abandon your monastic vows for her?"

The monk opened his mouth, but could not refute it.

"You took advantage of her feelings for you, then turned around and told her you were a monk, hoping to make her give up on you?" Song Chunxue sneered. "But your actions have given her hope, making her unable to let go of you."

P.S.: Haha, no fight. I was indeed emotionally unstable and had a lot of conflicts a while ago. I've adjusted recently. I've been busy with spring cleaning, laundry, and even staying up late playing against my rival (though I couldn't figure it out). Don't bottle up problems; communicate and resolve them promptly. I've also been drinking more smoothly lately. However, the seasons do have a significant impact on one's mood. I'll feel better after the start of spring. Keep going! When I'm emotionally unstable, I usually drink Xiaoyao Wan (haha, I know it's mostly because I have a bad temper). It's almost Chinese New Year, so I can only update once a week. Please bear with me. Mwah! Wishing everyone a Happy Chinese New Year in advance, a prosperous Year of the Snake, and happiness and health.