Chapter 47 Cuju (ancient Chinese football) "Seventh brother, something's wrong with you."...

After the Autumn Equinox, the summer heat dissipates suddenly, and the coolness in the mornings and evenings gradually intensifies.

Although the current court values ​​literature and Confucianism, the annual polo tournament has not been neglected. As in previous years, scions of noble families are required to participate, and anyone who fails to participate when conditions permit will be punished.

The old lady was concerned about Xiao Qiyu's injuries and insisted that he not register at the Ministry of Rites. As a result, the family's glory fell entirely on Xiao Sheng, Xiao Lin, and Xiao Ye.

Early in the morning, the three brothers practiced with cuju (ancient Chinese football) in the garden, waiting until their muscles and bones were loosened up before going to ride horses to practice their ball skills.

Because the three of them made a lot of noise, it soon attracted other people as well. Xiao Shu excitedly pulled Qin Wan to watch the fun, while Xiao Wan came to take a walk with her round orange cat.

Cui Ying and Xiao Qiyu passed by this place on their way back from paying their respects at the Bodhi Hall.

Xiao Ye, drenched in sweat from the game and just looking forward to a break, spotted Xiao Qiyu and his eyes lit up. He called out, "Seventh Brother! Let's play together!"

Xiao Qiyu shook his head, his expression indifferent, showing no interest in the matter.

Today, he was unusually not dressed in all black, but instead wore a turquoise jacquard round-necked robe with subtle patterns, wrist guards, cuffed sleeves, a leather belt around his waist, and his ponytail was simply tied up with a dark blue satin ribbon. His upright figure was like a cassia tree in the moon palace. Just standing there, he exuded a refreshing youthful aura, an indescribable sense of brilliance and elegance.

Beside him, Cui Ying eagerly raised her hand, her eyes sparkling: "I'll go!"

After saying that, she very considerately said to Xiao Qiyu, "You go back first, I won't leave."

Xiao Qiyu's brows had already furrowed when she raised her hand, and he immediately changed his mind: "What do you mean 'go back'? I want to play too."

Cui Ying looked at him in surprise: "But you just said you didn't want to."

Xiao Qiyu's tone was icy: "I didn't want to before, but I do now."

"How inexplicable." Cui Ying rolled her eyes at him, tied her sleeves high with a shawl, took off her bracelet and threw it to the maid, then rushed onto the stage.

Xiao Lin was passing the ball to Xiao Ye when suddenly Cui Ying rushed in front of him. Her arms were dazzlingly white in the sunlight, delicate as cream, and she skillfully dribbled and served the ball. The ball was as obedient as her pet when it reached her feet.

"Fourth Brother!" Cui Ying shouted, "Catch!"

Xiao Lin felt a fragrance of flowers on his face, and forgot about the football as it was in front of him. His mind was sluggish and he couldn't control himself.

Xiao Qiyu also entered the game at this moment, joining Xiao Sheng's camp and becoming their opponent. Taking advantage of Xiao Lin's momentary daze, he intercepted the ball and passed it to Xiao Sheng in an instant.

Cui Ying immediately became anxious: "Fourth Brother, what's wrong with you! I've already sent it to you, why aren't you answering it!"

Facing Cui Ying's bright and radiant face, Xiao Lin felt Xiao Qiyu's piercing gaze at the back of his head. Involuntarily, the words his cousin had once said to him came to mind—"Always staring at other people's wives, it's annoying."

A chill ran down his spine, and Xiao Lin hurriedly said, "My eyes are bothering me, I was distracted for a moment, it's my fault, it's my fault."

As he spoke, he deliberately avoided Cui Ying's eyes, his tone unusually serious: "Also, I'm not your fourth brother, but your fifth brother. It was wrong of me to tease you in the past, please forgive me, sister-in-law."

Cui Ying was still angry, but after hearing what he said, her anger subsided by more than half. She said with concern, "Then you should go down and rest. Eye discomfort is a serious matter and you need to rest and recuperate."

Xiao Lin felt the cold gaze behind him hadn't disappeared; in fact, it seemed to grow even colder because of Cui Ying's concern. He nodded, sweating profusely, "Sister-in-law is right. I should rest."

Then he beckoned to Xiao Ye, who was sitting under the tree teasing crickets: "Sixth Brother, you take my place."

Xiao Ye immediately looked distressed: "I'm exhausted. Find someone else to replace me if you want. I can't move."

Just as Xiao Lin was in a dilemma, he heard Xiao Shu shout loudly, "I'll do it!"

Xiao Shu followed Cui Ying's example, tightening her sleeves and removing her bracelets. She stepped onto the field to fight alongside Cui Ying, rubbing her hands together and saying, "Third Sister, I'll be on your team. I'll defend!"

The four of them were having a great time, while Xiao Wan watched from the sidelines, cheering for Cui Ying and Xiao Shu until her voice almost went hoarse.

Qin Wan stood quietly under the shade of the tree, her gaze following the turquoise figure on the field from beginning to end.

The light in her eyes shifted gently with every gesture Xiao Qiyu made.

When he frowned, her heart tightened inexplicably. A bead of sweat slid down his forehead, and her fingers, hidden in her sleeve, involuntarily curled up.

However, Xiao Qiyu's eyes were fixed on Cui Ying, and he did not notice the extra gaze.

On the field, Cui Ying charged forward, while Xiao Shu defended from behind.

However, Xiao Shu clearly had little experience playing Cuju. Rather than defending the ball, she was more like running after it. She was often easily fooled by a feint from the opponent, making her defensive position virtually useless. In less than half an incense stick's time, the opponent scored three goals in a row.

"Ugh! I'm not playing anymore!" Xiao Shu was a little exasperated. "I'll lose in the end anyway."

Cui Ying was sweating profusely from playing, her cheeks flushed and glistening with perspiration. Hearing this, she encouraged her, "This is nothing! Don't worry, we'll definitely win!"

At this moment, Xiao Sheng firmly controlled the football.

Cui Ying rushed forward to intercept, his movements swift and cunning, but Xiao Sheng easily feinted past Cui Ying and accurately passed the ball to Xiao Qiyu.

Xiao Qiyu easily caught the ball, his gaze falling on Cui Ying, who was rushing towards him.

Sweat rolled down Cui Ying's forehead, her almond-shaped eyes were moist and watery, her gaze fixed on the football at his feet. She unconsciously bit her lower lip, making her originally rosy lips look so delicate and wet that they seemed about to break and bleed.

Xiao Qiyu felt a sudden, almost imperceptible warmth in his heart, but he raised an eyebrow and looked at Cui Ying defiantly, pretending to pass the ball to Xiao Sheng, who was not far away. His chin tensed, and his shoulders and eyes turned towards Xiao Sheng.

Just as Cui Ying shifted his weight and was about to rush towards Xiao Sheng, Xiao Qiyu's boot tip subtly and seemingly "casually" tapped the ball, sending it rolling perfectly towards Cui Ying's feet, which were the easiest for him to reach.

He looked annoyed, as if he regretted his mistake.

Cui Ying was taken aback at first, then instinctively stretched out her foot and hooked it—

"Third Sister, charge!" Xiao Shu jumped up excitedly and shouted.

Cui Ying steadily controlled the ball under his feet and charged towards the enemy camp, his eyes fixed on the makeshift "goal" made of two bamboo poles.

Xiao Sheng reacted quickly and immediately stepped forward to block Cui Ying.

Just then, Xiao Qiyu's figure moved to Xiao Sheng's side like a ghost. He did not make any blocking movements, but simply stood there. His tall figure hindered Xiao Sheng's lunge and tackle, and Xiao Sheng's speed inevitably slowed down.

At the same time, Cui Ying made a beautiful change of direction and narrowly missed Xiao Sheng.

She rushed to the goal, took a deep breath, pointed her toes like a full moon, and with all her might, aimed at the small goal and shot—

"Bang!"

The ball, accompanied by the whistling of the wind, flew precisely between the two bamboo poles.

The scene fell silent for a moment, then erupted in cheers: "Third Sister is amazing! Absolutely amazing!"

Cui Ying excitedly rushed to Xiao Shu and hugged her.

Xiao Wan clapped her hands excitedly and jumped up. The raccoon in her arms was startled by this action and meowed, its fur standing on end as it ran away.

Amid the noise, Xiao Sheng glanced at Xiao Qiyu and said, "Seventh Brother, something's wrong with you."

The water level has almost reached the level of a moat.

Xiao Qiyu remained expressionless, raised his hand to adjust the wristband strap, and replied calmly, "The arena is like a battlefield; the situation on the field changes in an instant, and making mistakes is common."

Xiao Sheng: "...Whatever you say goes."

At that moment, everyone heard a loud laugh. Looking over, they saw a richly dressed young man walking towards them, accompanied by a maid leading the way, and servants carrying several large baskets of purple sugarcane behind him, the aroma of which filled the air.

Cui Ying felt the man looked familiar, and after a moment's thought, she remembered that he was Qian Peng. She then subconsciously asked Xiao Shu, "Why is your sister-in-law's brother here?"

Xiao Shu had always disliked Qian Peng, so she pretended not to see him and pulled Cui Ying to the pond behind the artificial hill to wash their faces.

Xiao Ye, however, recognized the man's face and, out of courtesy, greeted him casually: "Imperial Censor Qian? What brings you here?"

Qian Peng immediately put on a warm and eager smile, cupped his hands and said, "I recently got some top-quality purple sugarcane that was just transported from Sichuan. I was thinking that the old lady often coughs after autumn, and sugarcane is the best thing to promote saliva production and relieve dryness, so I specially picked the best ones and packed a few baskets. I took advantage of the free time today to bring it to her door to show my respect. It's just a small token of my appreciation."

Xiao Ye was busy teasing the Cosmic General he had just regained, casually saying "It's kind of you to have such a thoughtful gesture," and then he no longer paid attention to him.

Xiao Qiyu was too busy looking at where Cui Ying had gone to even glance at him.

Xiao Sheng and Xiao Lin, being the refined gentlemen of noble families, merely nodded slightly in acknowledgment before turning to chat about the football match they had just witnessed.

The sun was still shining brightly, and the sky was clear and bright.

Qian Peng stood beside the sugarcane, dark clouds gradually gathering in his eyes. His gaze swept over the aristocratic young men who ignored him and treated him perfunctorily. He snorted coldly in his heart and left in a huff.

After Qian Peng left, Xiao Wan realized that the cat was missing. She quickly dismissed the maids and, lifting her skirt, anxiously called out among the flowers and trees, searching for the furry little figure.

In this way, only Qin Wan remained.

As she watched the crowd disperse, a thought stirred within her. She instructed her personal maid to brew a pot of fine tea. The tea was clear and refreshing, poured into a white porcelain cup, where wisps of steam rose gently.

After pouring the tea, she personally picked up the tray and, with graceful steps, offered the teacups to the brothers who were still present, saying softly, "Brothers, you've worked hard. Have a cup of tea to quench your thirst."

Finally, she carried the last cup of tea on the tray, walked gracefully to the shade of the tree, and went to Xiao Qiyu's side.

Across the artificial hill, Cui Ying's playful laughter rang out like the clear, melodious sound of silver bells, accompanied by the splashing of water.

Xiao Qiyu could tell from the sound that she must have started a water fight.

Cui Ying is always like this; she can have fun wherever she goes, and she's never short of people to play with.

Xiao Qiyu's long eyelashes covered his eyes, which were dark and his expression had returned to its usual coldness, as if everything around him was separated from him by a barrier.

Suddenly, a gentle and beautiful voice appeared in his ear.

Qin Wan naturally handed the teacup to him, the white porcelain cup highlighting her slender, fair fingers. Her tone was gentle and mild, with just the right amount of concern: "All the brothers have theirs, this cup is for Seventh Brother."

"I'm not thirsty." Xiao Qiyu didn't lift his eyelids, his gaze still fixed on the direction of the artificial hill.

Qin Wan's fingers tightened around the teacup, her knuckles turning slightly white, but she maintained a gentle smile on her face, her voice becoming even softer: "This tea is specially brewed by me, with chrysanthemum to clear heat and licorice to soothe the throat, it's perfect for relieving fatigue."

Xiao Qiyu seemed not to hear, radiating an aura of coldness that kept people at a distance.

Qin Wan's smile froze for a moment, but she quickly recovered. She looked in the direction of Xiao Qiyu's gaze, as if she had just noticed the movement behind the rockery, and sighed softly, "Sister-in-law is smiling so happily, like a carefree lark. Just hearing it makes one feel happy."

Xiao Qiyu finally spoke, his tone revealing neither joy nor anger: "He's just heartless."

Qin Wan's heart skipped a beat; this was the second thing Xiao Qiyu had said to her.

Was it because she used the word "sister-in-law" in her speech?

Her eyes lit up, and she immediately followed up the conversation, speaking cautiously with a tone of self-pity mixed with envy: "Sister-in-law, your cheerful and generous nature, and your straightforward personality, are truly rare, unlike me..."

Qin Wan lowered her head slightly, revealing a slender and delicate neck, looking pitiful. She sniffed and said, "Always worrying too much and caring too much about other people's opinions and feelings makes you feel restricted and unable to live a happy life."

Half a day passed, and Xiao Qiyu remained silent, as if there was no air around him.

Qin Wan was unwilling to let the conversation fall flat, so she raised her bright, watery eyes, with a childlike innocence and longing, and asked softly, "Seventh Brother, what kind of person is Sister-in-law in private?"

Amidst the girl's melodious laughter, Xiao Qiyu finally raised his eyelids and looked at Qin Wan directly for the first time.

He parted his thin lips slightly and uttered a sentence clearly and coldly:

"In private, she could beat five of you."

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Author's note: My leave request failed, so I reluctantly typed out this (I'm exhausted).