Chapter 6 People in Dreams

Zhuang Dongqing was in tears, her mind completely blank. She was stunned when she heard these words.

After a long pause, he looked up blankly, his eyes red-rimmed, staring at the blurry figure in front of him, and uttered a single syllable: "Huh?"

Has he become hallucinating from anger?

But then a laugh was heard, and the nobleman, whose face was still unclear, slowly repeated, "I said,"

"I also really hate this place."

She was clearly smiling.

The ending note, however, carries an undeniable sense of melancholy.

Before he could process what was happening, Zhuang Dongqing's instinct to avoid danger and seek good fortune made him shrink back.

I subconsciously felt that the person standing in front of me was a formidable figure.

The surroundings quieted down again.

For a few moments, Zhuang Dongqing felt awkward and was about to say something when the other person spoke first.

"Since we're so fortunate, why don't we sit down and have a pot of tea together?"

"It's quiet here, right next to the pond, and you can also enjoy the scenery."

Zhuang Dongqing wanted to refuse.

Cen Yan: "It just so happens that my servant also has some medical knowledge. Let him take a look at you and make sure you haven't injured your bones or muscles."

"..."

Oh right, he bumped his foot.

It would have been better if Cen Yan hadn't mentioned it, because Zhuang Dongqing felt a sharp pain again and her eyes welled up with tears once more.

After this pause, Liu Qi stepped forward and handed Zhuang Dongqing a hot towel that he had just prepared.

It's really hard to refuse someone who's crying their eyes out.

Once picked up, she completely followed the other party's rhythm and arrangements, being told to stand up, sit down, take off her shoes... Oh no, that won't do, Zhuang Dongqing has pride, she resolutely refuses to take them off.

"Then let me press your joint. If it hurts, just tell me."

Liu Qi didn't force her. She just checked Zhuang Dongqing's ankle and found that he hadn't sprained his ankle, just a bruise and nothing serious.

After he finished reading, someone offered him water so that he could wash his hands.

Still half-asleep, the whole process was over in no time. By the time Zhuang Dongqing came to her senses, she was already drinking freshly brewed tea.

"..."

Zhuang Dongqing wrinkled her nose, feeling ashamed of her recklessness.

I don't even know who the other person is, yet I've received so much care; I feel quite embarrassed.

Having stopped crying, she secretly touched under her eyes with her fingertips while drinking tea to make sure her skin was dry and her appearance was presentable. She breathed a sigh of relief before putting her fingertips back on the teacup.

Cen Yan, who had seen everything, chuckled.

"Is the tea to your liking?"

ah?

Zhuang Dongqing's mind wasn't on the food at all; upon hearing this, she quickly took another bite.

Cen Yan's lips curled up slightly.

“This is…” Zhuang Dongqing asked uncertainly, looking at the bright red tea soup, “Yunnan black tea?”

Cen Yan's eyebrows twitched slightly. "You recognize him?"

The current emperor has a particular fondness for light teas like Longjing and Biluochun, and green tea is also considered the best among the nobility. The late emperor, on the other hand, loved to drink Pu'er tea produced in their fiefdoms. However, the relationship between the current emperor and the late emperor is strained, and even though tributes are still offered every year, only a few elders of the imperial clan still drink it sporadically.

The black tea from the fiefdom was never offered as tribute, and its audience in the capital was even smaller than that of Pu'er tea.

Feeling vaguely that she had said something wrong, Zhuang Dongqing could only mumble, "I feel so."

He paused, then added quietly, "Quite honest and kind."

Liu Qi smiled and replied, "Young master has a good eye. This is ancient tree tea that was just sent from my hometown. It comes from tea trees that are over a hundred years old, and only a small amount can be harvested each year."

Zhuang Dongqing didn't know how to respond, so she lowered her head and took two more sips, then whispered even more softly, "I just happened to guess it."

"It's delicious, thank you so much for the treat."

Not being from ancient times, Zhuang Dongqing dared not delve too deeply into tea culture, and steered the conversation back to the topic.

This time, the gentle master did not respond.

After drinking two more cups of tea, the prolonged silence made Zhuang Dongqing increasingly uneasy.

With each sip of tea, my anxious heart was lifted a little more.

His self-cultivation skills were naturally no match for Cen Yan, who had been navigating the officialdom.

After Liu Qi deftly refilled the third cup of tea, Zhuang Dongqing, who had been cowering with his head down, finally raised his face.

After wiping away her tears, she looked much the same as Cen Yan remembered. Her eyes were bright, and her gaze was direct. Because of that clarity, even if her gaze lingered for a while, it wouldn't be offensive.

No, there have been changes; he's gotten thinner.

Zhuang Dongqing also looked at Cen Yan.

Unlike him, he was stunned the moment he saw it clearly.

High eyebrows, deep-set eyes, three-dimensional facial features, light-colored pupils, and quite exotic.

But upon closer inspection, her hair is tied up with a jade crown, her features are smooth, and her high nose bridge has a slight hump. The appropriate amount of white space on her cheeks also suppresses the exotic feel of her eyebrows and eyes, making her overall temperament more calm and reserved.

The clothes were not scholar's attire, but rather narrow-sleeved everyday clothes for ease of movement. The collar and cuffs were also covered with dense embroidery, and in the sunlight, the deep, almost black, blue robe shone with the soft luster of silk.

It was a handsome sight, and at the same time, the person sitting in front of him was truly a distinguished person.

But what surprised Zhuang Dongqing was not these things. He tilted his head, looking extremely confused.

"You...you look so familiar..."

"Have we... met somewhere before?"

Thinking about it so deeply, I found myself asking the question without even realizing it.

"..." He must have been driven mad by the male lead.

Cen Yan remained composed, showing no annoyance at being stared at for so long.

Hearing this, he calmly threw the question back at the other person, "Oh, really? What do you think?"

Zhuang Dongqing was bewildered.

Liu Qi, who was standing to the side, was shocked. The guess that had been pounding in his heart all the way was almost confirmed by Cen Yan's words.

So that "Qing" really is Qing.

Although he was only a son of a concubine, he was indeed from an official family. The Lady of the Zhuang family came from the Crown Prince's faction, and this son of a concubine seemed to be acquainted with the Sixth Prince. If they wanted to make a fuss about this...

In the blink of an eye, several treacherous schemes to frame Cen Yan had already flashed through Liu Qi's mind, making his vision blur and his palms sweat.

Even though his heart was in turmoil, Liu Qi kept his head down and remained silent.

Simply put, Cen Yan throwing the question back to Zhuang Dongqing was itself a test.

If someone has ulterior motives, they will inevitably steer the conversation in that direction; the more they talk, the more likely they are to slip up.

Liu Qi over there racked his brains,

Zhuang Dongqing's mind went blank.

Where have I seen this before?

He'd seen someone like that before? Didn't he even recognize the face?!

Zhuang Dongqing realized, "If I really saw it, it was probably in my dream."

Cen Yan: "..."

Liu Qi: "..."

Zhuang Dongqing said confidently, "If I had really met someone as distinguished as you, with such outstanding looks and temperament, I would definitely remember you."

With sound reasoning and evidence, he said, "So, I must have remembered it wrong."

He could even joke about it, saying, "Or maybe I was dreaming about someone as handsome and dashing as you."

Cen Yan: "…………"

Liu Qi: "…………"

Zhuang Dongqing said sincerely, "I've been ill recently and my mind isn't working very well. I apologize for making you laugh."

His apologetic gaze was especially sincere.

Cen Yan was unusually speechless.

He remained silent, and Liu Qi reluctantly added, "Young master, you are too modest. How could you be mentally impaired if you can remember the scenes in your dream?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Cen Yan glanced at her, and Liu Qi lowered her eyes, realizing that her words had been somewhat sarcastic.

Zhuang Dongqing laughed, completely unsuspecting, and said, "Isn't it just that you can't remember right now?"

"You don't need to comfort me. I fell and hit my head. The bruises haven't completely healed yet. The doctor said that until then, I will have some memory problems."

Liu Qi: "..."

Cen Yan: "Where did you fall?"

Zhuang Dongqing was unguarded and pointed to the back of her head and then to her temple. "It seems that these two places are the most serious. I can't remember if there are any other injuries."

Cen Yan's gaze fell on his forehead, and her eyes darkened.

Her tone softened slightly, "How could you not remember?"

"I fell to the ground, caught a chill, and developed a high fever. By the time I regained consciousness, it was already several days later."

"Caught a cold?"

"Hmm." Zhuang Dongqing touched her nose, her gaze wandering, and her voice lowered again, "The rules at home are strict, and it just so happens that I was punished for making a mistake..."

The last few words were almost inaudible.

Cen Yan lowered his eyes.

Before the atmosphere became tense again, he continued in a gentle voice, "Scholarly families in the capital are indeed known for their strict discipline of their children."

An anonymously complimented Zhuang Dongqing, who scratched his head and smiled somewhat embarrassedly.

Cen Yan stared at the boy's face, thinking to himself, "How simple."

Like a shallow spring,

What they're thinking is written all over their faces; you can see right through them, and you don't need to rack your brains to guess.

Such a person...

"The tea is too bland, let's change the pot."

After casually pouring out the weak tea from his cup, Cen Yan added, "Since we are destined to meet, young master, why don't you try some other famous teas from my hometown?"

...

I brewed a pot each of Pu'er tea, Tuocha tea, and white tea.

As Liu Qi soaked the tea, he introduced the process, and Zhuang Dongqing listened with great interest. Towards the end, he stared at Liu Qi with eager eyes, and Liu Qi couldn't help but say a few words when he was being looked at with such thirst for knowledge.

During the conversation, Liu Qi's hometown was mentioned casually, and before he knew it, he had said a bit more than he intended. When he realized what he had said, he saw that Zhuang Dongqing was still listening with great interest, and Liu Qi stopped talking with mixed feelings.

"This remote mountain area is not as prosperous and beautiful as the capital. I hope you will forgive my poor appearance."

“Not at all. The Yunnan-Guizhou region has beautiful scenery and a pleasant climate. It’s wonderful.” Zhuang Dongqing praised, then added, “It’s warm in winter too, unlike the biting wind and snow here in the capital.”

Cen Yan suddenly looked outside the pavilion.

Zhuang Dongqing turned around and saw Liu Fu, who had come looking for him.

Oh, he's been out for too long. Even if it's just for show, he has to go back.

After saying goodbye to Cen Yan and expressing his gratitude, Zhuang Dongqing realized that they had not exchanged names. He quickly filled in his own name.

After that, it was Cen Yan's turn, but the person in front of him smiled and said, "My reputation is not good, and I'm afraid the young master will not like to say it."

"Well... meeting is fate, and we will meet again if we are destined to."

Cen Yan raised his eyebrows, not expecting Zhuang Dongqing to answer like that.

Are we destined to be together?

After a moment's thought, Zhuang Dongqing bowed deeply to him and left gracefully.

He stood up and watched them go. Once they were out of sight, Liu Qi muttered to himself, "Master, is this person really... so guileless?"

Cen Yan watched Zhuang Dongqing disappear into the garden path and said, "He says we're from the Yunnan-Guizhou region, but he doesn't know my identity. What do you think?"

"You never said where your hometown is."

Liu Qi's heart skipped a beat.

Looking up, she saw Cen Yan with a faint smile on his lips, shaking his head as he smiled.

His expression was amused, not at all annoyed.

Liu Qi was confused again.

*

After spending some time at the banquet, Zhuang Dongqing left early, citing feeling unwell.

Not wanting to go home and continue eating, the master and servant ordered two bowls of noodles outside to make do.

Fortunately, I had a good and filling lunch, so I wasn't very hungry in the evening.

By the time Zhuang Dongqing returned to the mansion, it was already dark. Her mind was in a mess, and she didn't want to think about the plot anymore, so she decided to give herself a break and went to wash up and rest early.

"Young Master Zhuang, are you alright?"

"Let me help you to rest..."

--"who?"

"Who sent you?"

"What's wrong with your head?"

"—Do you know why Hao San sent you here?"

The blurry face drew closer, finally becoming clear: prominent brow bones, deep-set eyes, amber pupils. It moved closer to Zhuang Dongqing and captured his lips...

Zhuang Dongqing tried to dodge, but couldn't. In her line of sight, she could see the slight hump on the other person's nose...

In the middle of the night, Zhuang Dongqing suddenly sat up, covered in cold sweat.

I touched my forehead; I didn't have a fever.

No, that day, so he fell down and just walked through the tunnel?

He didn't transmigrate while he was asleep, did he?!