Chapter 14 Farewell to the Years (Part Two) Wei Yuanzhan scoffed and released her...

At noon in the winter month, the sunlight still brings a slight warmth, but once you step into the shade, that warmth vanishes, and even the air becomes bitterly cold.

Zhi Rou squatted behind a craggy rock in the courtyard, surrounded by bamboo and trees, in complete silence.

She rubbed her frozen fingers, took out her slingshot to test it, and muttered, "You're the little rabbit. I can hit you every time."

In her movement, she accidentally brushed against the brick surface, and the flying pebbles went into her eyes, causing her to cover them in pain and squeeze out a few tears.

After rubbing her eyes for a while, she looked up again and slowly opened her eyes. In her misty vision, she saw a blurry figure.

The man sat on the wall, seemingly talking to someone.

Zhi Rou glanced around quietly, but there was no one else in sight.

"That's strange," she muttered, stretching her knees, gathering her clothes, and shifting her position.

But then his gaze involuntarily drifted back to the top of the wall, and he was momentarily distracted.

She paid special attention to Song Peiyu today, remembering that his clothes were light blue and his ponytail was tied high.

She waited here specifically to catch him passing by, so she could strike him while no one was around and no one could help him.

Now is the perfect opportunity.

Zhi Rou took a step forward, using the gap in the artificial hill to extend her bow. With her other hand, she took a mud ball from her bag, aimed at that annoying back, and, feeling unsatisfied, lowered her head two inches further and loosened her grip.

"Snap!"

A muffled thud.

I won.

Zhi Rou curled her lips smugly, almost making a sound.

Unexpectedly, in the blink of an eye, the person turned their back.

Before the crevice in the rock, several bamboo and trees swayed gently. Zhi Rou felt a pair of eyes shining through the green shadows, like a bronze mirror reflecting the sun, bright and scorching, stinging her.

She panicked immediately, holding the slingshot in her hand, wanting to throw it away but not daring to, trembling like a leaf.

The boy was agile and had longer legs than her. He appeared behind her like lightning, and her collar tightened, almost lifting her up.

“It’s you.” Wei Yuanzhan raised an eyebrow, his gaze sweeping over her with a mixture of surprise and scrutiny. He loosened his grip slightly, but didn’t let go.

Zhi Rou coughed twice, tugged at her collar but couldn't break free, then lowered her eyes and explained to him, "You've mistaken me for someone else..."

Wei Yuanzhan found it amusing, and she realized what she had done, raising her face and saying, "No, it's me, I mistook you for someone else..."

Who do you think I am?

Wei Yuanzhan stared at her without backing down. Seeing her cautiously glancing at him, he laughed and said, "You hit me."

In the past, Zhi Rou's gaze had always been direct and without any hesitation, but today she felt very guilty and awkwardly covered her eyelashes when he spoke.

“You have to pay me back,” he said again.

The boy's gaze was too sharp; Zhi Rou's cheeks flushed, as if she were being tortured.

Upon hearing this, she handed over her pouch and slingshot without hesitation: "Okay!" Then she closed her eyes and said, "Come on."

His expression had a hint of fearlessness in the face of death.

Wei Yuanzhan scoffed, released her, and pushed her hand away with his palm again: "I don't hit girls."

Zhi Rou hurriedly opened her eyes: "What should we do?"

She was determined not to owe Wei Yuanzhan anything, and once this ordeal was over, she could treat him as nothing again, just like before.

Wei Yuanzhan was unaware of her thoughts, but when he looked down at her unusually strange expression, he suddenly became displeased.

He pondered for a while, then deliberately mischievously said, "There's a persimmon tree in Qiyun Garden. Go pick a few persimmons for me, and I'll forgive you."

Fearing she might try to renege, he added, "Don't even think about switching things out. It's settled, I only want Qiyun Garden's."

"But those are the master's persimmons, how can I pick them?"

Wei Yuanzhan glanced at her for a moment, then slowly walked forward: "Then you'll be the one I hold a grudge against. Maybe in a few years, I'll forget about it, or maybe..."

He stopped, turned slightly to the side and smiled at Zhi Rou: "Perhaps I've always remembered this, just waiting for the day I can bring it up to get revenge on you, so you'll regret it and have nowhere to cry."

Zhi Rou wasn't afraid of his revenge, but seeing his teasing attitude, she decided to challenge him.

She quickly tucked the slingshot back into her waistband, perked up, and seemed to have an innate arrogance in her bones: "Just you wait, I'll pick it for you sooner or later."

Wei Yuanzhan had no idea how sooner or later it would be, but given his temperament, he certainly wouldn't be bothering Song Zhirou with questions every day.

He was always at Qiyun Garden, either helping Mr. Xue Nan sweep the courtyard or keeping him company while he brewed tea and played games. Such a noble young master, who had always been the one being taken care of, was now willing to take on any task in order to become his apprentice.

Xue Nan observed for over a month, and although she didn't mention it aloud, she understood.

He glanced at Wei Yuanzhan and said, "Don't bother, it's windy outside. Come inside and sit down. I have something to say to the young master."

Wei Yuanzhan put the broom and dustpan back in their places, washed his hands, and then came in and sat on the couch. He looked up and asked, "Sir?"

The setting sun outside was blazing, but the wind was still. The flames in the charcoal brazier leaped and popped occasionally, carrying a comforting energy.

In this moment of tranquility, Xue Nan slowly spoke, without any preamble, saying, "Young Master, I told you when we first met that I don't accept disciples."

Upon hearing the words, Wei Yuanzhan was genuinely flustered for a moment, wondering uneasily if the master was trying to send him away.

He clenched his fists, suppressing his nervousness, and remained silent for a while.

"Why? Was it because your previous apprentice disappointed you?" he suddenly asked.

Xue Nan squinted at him. The boy's eyes were exceptionally bright. When he met Xue Nan's scrutinizing gaze, he did not waver at all, but looked back at her with a firm and clear gaze.

Xue Nan smiled and said, "You have a straightforward personality."

He then picked up his teacup and took a sip, his tone gentle, but his voice sounded somewhat forlorn.

"Finding a good apprentice is difficult... So why do you want to become my apprentice?"

Thinking that honesty was more effective than sweet talk, Wei Yuanzhan breathed a sigh of relief. After pondering for a moment, he replied, "Sir, your swordsmanship is superb. I have studied swordsmanship and would like to learn from a master who is skilled in it."

His answer was almost unpolished, as pure as a long breeze across the plains.

Xue Nan burst into laughter, resting his hands on his knees: "Young master, have you ever seen me draw my sword? How do you know I'm not just a fraud?"

Wei Yuanzhan said, "Sir, you practice your sword in the East Garden every day. I have been observing you for a long time. Your swordsmanship is dense and sharp, and unstoppable. You are definitely not someone whose reputation is undeserved."

After speaking, he lifted his robe, stood up, walked to the center, bowed down to him, and looked upright and proper, without the slightest hint of lewdness.

"Please teach me, sir. I'm willing to do anything."

The person on the bed gradually stopped laughing, his eyes shifted slightly, and his expression became serious.

Once again, the only sound inside was the crackling of burning charcoal.

Wei Yuanzhan had been frequently visiting Qiyun Garden over the past month, but had never mentioned the matter of becoming a disciple. If Xue Nan hadn't been so direct today, he would have waited until a suitable opportunity arose.

Contrary to his wishes, his heart was pounding so hard it felt like it would burst out of his chest, and his palms were sweating. He could only restrain himself, pursing his lips slightly, waiting for other sounds to come from inside the room.

After a long silence, the man finally commented, "Quick-tongued."

Xue Nan refused to admit that he was completely unaware of Wei Yuanzhan's days of "inquiry," and that his heart had already wavered.

This is a dilemma.

Wei Yuanzhan's brows furrowed slightly.

The martial arts he learned were all taught to him by his grandfather when he was alive. He was young and his skills were not good. How could he possibly compete with Mr. Xue Nan's swordsmanship?

Even though he understood that the man's words were a way of saying no, he was still unwilling to give up. He looked up at him for a long time, then stood up and said, "Alright. Do you have a gun here, sir?"

The boy, barely a teenager, was not even as tall as a gun when he said he wanted to use one, which made Xue Nan chuckle.

He still had to give him a chance. He led the man to Mingguang Court, personally handed the spear to Wei Yuanzhan, and then pressed it against his shoulder: "Be careful, don't hurt yourself."

As dusk fell, the rosy sunset faded into the garden, and a pungent smell of smoke drifted through the air.

Wei Yuanzhan examined the silver spear in his hand for a moment, then turned it around and smiled slightly.

Seemingly at ease, before Xue Nan could even stand back down in the pavilion, he had already stepped forward and drawn his spear. The spear's momentum was like a snowflake flying through the breeze, aiming straight for Xue Nan's robe, carrying a hint of coldness.

Xue Nan stopped in her tracks and turned to stare intently at the boy wielding a gun in the twilight.

I thought that someone his age could only be good at using a gun, but I never expected that he had actually learned how to use a gun. Every move he made was full of agile power, and the gun moved with his waist as nimbly as a swimming dragon.

Xue Nan's expression became increasingly tense, especially after she recognized Wei Yuanzhan's marksmanship; her breathing became rapid.

Every move and stance is extremely demanding, and on the battlefield, every shot was a fatal blow.

After an unknown amount of time, Wei Yuanzhan put away his gun and walked over, panting and smiling triumphantly. He clasped his hands in greeting and said, "Sir."

Xue Nan pondered for a moment, then asked with a tone of seven or eight parts certainty, "Are you a descendant of General Wei?"

"Sir, you know my grandfather?" Wei Yuanzhan's eyes widened slightly, both surprised and delighted.

That's it.

Xue Nan's expression gradually relaxed, and as if recalling the past, she sighed: "I had a brief encounter with General Wei once."

Upon hearing this, the light in Wei Yuanzhan's eyes dimmed slightly. Before long, his long-awaited wish finally came true.

"It must be fate. Since you're willing to learn swordsmanship from me, then fine. Come find me here every day at the halfway point of the hour of Mao (5-7 AM). If you're even a moment late, I won't wait for you."

He wondered if he had misheard and looked up to see Xue Nan's expression. Seeing that he didn't seem to be faking it, a clear smile immediately appeared on his lips.

"Thank you, Mr. Xie! Yuanzhan thanks you very much, Mr. Xie!"

Over the next few days, whenever Zhi Rou saw Wei Yuanzhan, she would think of the persimmons she owed him and want to pick them, but she had no excuse to leave the mansion.

The next day, while paying her respects at Danyu Garden, Zhi Rou overheard Song Qiyu saying he was going to play Cuju (ancient Chinese football) with someone in the afternoon. She glanced at him for a moment, her thoughts shifting slightly.

Once outside the room, she chased after Song Qiyu, calling out, "Big brother, wait a minute!"

The crabapple blossoms in front of the courtyard have faded, but the plum blossoms are about to bloom, scattered like snowflakes.

Song Qiyu stopped, turned slightly to the side, and waited for her to come forward.

Zhi Rou looked up at him and asked, "Big brother, can you take me with you when you leave the manor?"

Song Qiyu raised an eyebrow and looked her over again.

The conclusion is that Song Zhirou was young and liked new things, but she was also shy and didn't want to ask her father for help, so she asked her older brother to take her out.

He smiled, but didn't show her any enthusiasm, remaining as concise as ever: "Just tell the servants what you want." Someone will buy it for you.

After saying that, he walked out, but Zhi Rou quickly called out to him, "Cuju!"

Startled by her sudden question, Song Qiyu turned around and gave her a disapproving look: "What?"

"I can play Cuju (ancient Chinese football)." Her eyes were bright, and her voice was filled with a burning passion.

"Big brother, I want to play Cuju (ancient Chinese football) with you."

A note from the author: