Little Green Plum: "Whether you need it or not is none of my business, I'll just deliver it..."

Luo Ling watched the lanterns bearing the character "Luo" hanging from both ends of the carriage hood disappear before returning to his study. His brow furrowed, his mind in turmoil, he picked up a book from his desk, sat down, and began to read by the light of the oil lamp, trying to calm himself.

Gu Han suddenly came to report: "Young master, the wealthy man from the Marquis of Chengyi's mansion came over, but left after asking only a few questions."

Luo Ling quickly regained her composure and asked gently, "Is Qingyun alright?"

Gu Han said, "It seems that when the attendants of the Duke of Dingguo's son returned, Fa Cai only asked if everything was alright at the manor and whether the master needed to come over. This old servant told you the truth."

Luo Ling nodded and smiled, "It's getting late. I don't need any servants here. Uncle Gu, you should rest early."

Gu Han quickly left.

The moonlight was like water. Luo Ling got up and walked to a bookshelf on the wall. She spotted her target at a glance and took out an ancient book. Before she had turned a few pages, a thin bamboo strip slowly slid out. A roc was vividly carved on the bamboo strip, and the character "睿" was engraved on the edge of the bird's body.

That was the nickname his grandfather gave him when he was born: Rui Ge'er.

But Ah Jun, Qing Yun, and Ye Ning, who had naturally developed respect for him over the years, could only call him "elder brother." However, the boy, who was close to his age and as handsome as a jade tree, often called him "Brother Rui" in private. This bookmark was a gift from Qin A Shuo to him on his fourteenth birthday. The bamboo slip and the roc and words on it were also carved by him personally.

The once vibrant young man and he would often drink and talk freely while gazing at the bright moon and the snow falling on his hometown in the capital.

A-Shuo is his best friend in this life, and also family.

But thanks to his careful preservation over the years, the birthday gift from that year is still there, but the person who gave the gift has been buried for ten years.

The chirping of insects and the sweltering summer night brought him back to his senses when a cat silently leaped across the gray tiles of the opposite roof.

Thinking about the birthday that Qingyun mentioned this evening.

The afterglow had fully illuminated the small courtyard with its rows of withered trees, and the three people in the courtyard watched the two leave.

Tao Qingyun suddenly said without any apparent reason, "I think we should eat here another day."

A seemingly random remark elicited a knowing smile from the remaining two, Luo Ling and Chu Yening.

Tao Qingyun gazed at the figure in the pale yellow brocade dress in the distance, and then said softly, "When I was traveling far away, that little girl who loved beauty would always say that when you came back, you should give me a hairpin to wear. She would even tell me in detail what kind of gemstones and flowers were inlaid on the hairpin."

"She also mentioned which places she visited and learned about the unique local customs, and that if she saw any pretty dresses, she should remember to bring them back to her."

"But what about now? Do you see her even glancing at those clothing shops? Today, I suddenly looked at her temple and saw that she already had a single white hair at such a young age."

"Other girls might be worrying about what to wear tomorrow, or where to go for fun the day after, and are caught in a dilemma about boating and flower viewing."

"All she harbors in her heart now is the memory of her family's destruction and the deaths of her loved ones, and the hatred that arose from it. She also feels uneasy about not being able to clear her family's name all these years." A deep bitterness gradually spread across Tao Qingyun's lips, a bitterness that she could not hide even with her best efforts.

“I often think that she was fortunate to be in Jiangnan back then and did not witness the tragic death of A-Shuo.”

"Seventh Sister's birthday is coming up soon, what are your thoughts?"

Luo Ling looked at Chu Yening, who had been silent and extremely indifferent, and said, "Let's have a home-cooked meal."

Tao Qingyun said, "That's what I think too. Back in Jiangnan, the only people she cared about in the capital were us. She may not say it, but that doesn't mean we don't know. We should invite Xiaoshu along too. I think Seventh Sister would be more willing to go with her, and she even smiled."

Luo Ling kept looking into the pair of deep eyes in front of her, trying to ease the dark clouds that were gradually spreading over the cold courtyard.

He laughed and said, "Two little girls. The sixth sister's birthday is in winter. What should we do then? If she has a meal at home, we should also give her a gift later, otherwise she might not be happy."

Tao Qingyun snorted lightly upon hearing this: "Is there anything in this world that can stump me, Hanqing Jushi? If I want to make a girl happy, what business is it of any other man?"

Luo Ling laughed heartily, teasingly saying, "Then why don't you have your eye on any girl? Why aren't you getting married yet?"

“Hey, Ah Ling, love and affection in this world are so troublesome. Forget it, forget it, don’t mention it again, I don’t want to hear it. If you keep talking about it, I’ll just become a monk and shave my head. Besides, you haven’t been in a hurry all these years, why should I be in a hurry?”

As soon as he finished speaking, Chu Yening, who had been silent all along, kicked him in the butt: "What's wrong with your head, you bald chicken!" At this moment, the gloom in his eyes gradually dissipated, and he gradually calmed down.

*

Inside the study of the Marquis's residence, Chu Yening had already dismissed everyone and was casually leaning against the daybed, taking a nap.

The courtyard was quiet. His eyes were slightly closed as if he were asleep, but a faint smile was on his lips.

In a hazy dream, he seemed to return to the day when he first went to guard the border. One night, he was plagued by nightmares. In his dream, he encountered his father, who had died tragically on the loess slope. His father was wearing armor, holding a long spear, kneeling in the desolate, windswept loess, his face covered in blood, yet still smiling at him.

The father said to him, "Son, I am about to reunite with your mother."

“Since your mother passed away, I have thought of her every moment. I have also seen Xuzhi. I have had a friendship with him for over thirty years, and we have been through thick and thin together, side by side. That is enough. But I…”

Amidst the wind and sand, his father still smiled at him: "Son, your heart is as clear as a mirror; the Qin clan will eventually be exonerated."

In his dream, he seemed to have returned to the battlefield of swords and blood, where he was seriously injured while saving Li Mou. His throat felt like it was filled with blood, making it impossible for him to utter a single word.

"Father……"

The scene shifts to the mighty Yangtze River, where, amidst a hail of arrows, he watches helplessly as that delicate and beautiful figure, as lovely as a begonia flower, plunges alone into the river.

In an instant, the scene shifted again, revealing a collapsed stone wall amidst green hills and clear waters. The figure reappeared before him, now hanging precariously from the cliff face.

He held her hand firmly: "Qin Luo, Fourth Brother is here."

But the girl on the cliff looked up at him and smiled slightly: "Chu Yening, I want you to live, to live well." But a single tear hanging in the corner of her eye clearly spoke of her deep reluctance.

Before he could look closely, he vaguely felt the warmth that was firmly pressed against his hand suddenly loosen, and then he watched helplessly as she laughed and fell to the bottom of the cliff.

"Qin Luo—"

As I awoke from my daze, there was no longer my father's bloodied face, nor his heart-wrenching lament as he leaned over the river, nor the feeling of my heart being brutally ripped out from between the cliffs.

All that remained was darkness, desolation, and endless snow.

The bright lights illuminated every corner of the study. Chu Yening suddenly opened his eyes, his throat tightened slightly, and he suddenly felt inexplicably thirsty. He then got off the bed and went to the desk to pour himself a cup of tea.

Luo Yuan drove his carriage, carrying Qin Weixi and Queshe, who had never left her side, back to the Jingning Marquis's residence in the turbulent night.

Both Jiuqu and Songyang were taken aback when they saw her leave and then return.

Qin Weixi asked, "Has Fourth Brother returned to Taoran Residence?"

Song Yang shook his head. "Still here..."

Before the words had even finished, the two saw a figure in azure jade flash by. Sparrow Tongue remained where it was, looking at the two who were dumbfounded, and slowly said, "Wooden Child is back."

Moonlight spilled into the courtyard, casting the shadows of withered trees on the bluestone slabs, creating a scene of solitude and tranquility.

Chu Yening was holding a teapot in one hand and about to pour tea with the other when he suddenly heard footsteps that sounded like they were rushing towards him in the courtyard, and his ears twitched slightly.

Before he could turn around completely, he saw out of the corner of his eye that the tightly closed door was suddenly pushed open, and the accompanying breeze blew out the candle that had been burning on the desk.

Then he saw a graceful figure in a jade-green dress rush towards him and embrace him tightly from behind.

"Chu Yening!" Qin Weixi stretched out her arms and wrapped them tightly around his waist, turning her face to the side and pressing her right ear against his back.

Chu Yening lowered his eyes to look at the pair of fair and soft hands on his waist and abdomen, but there was a faint scar on the palm. His heart suddenly felt like it was being slashed by a sharp blade. Then he chuckled and said, "Why are you back?"

"Have you seen the Wooden Boy?"

"Fourth Brother, did you kill Liang Bai?" Recalling the gruesome scene of Liang Bai's death, with his flesh mangled and clothes barely covering him, kneeling on the ground in an extremely strange posture, his head pressed tightly against the ground as if he were kneeling in worship.

She knew that it was boundless hatred for the person who had punished her.

She had always thought that it was the wooden boy who grew up with her brother.

The dim candlelight reflected on the snow-white wall, casting the shadows of the two people. Chu Yening slowly turned around, embraced her, and rested his chin on the top of her head.

After a moment, he slowly raised a hand and gently stroked her hair. This was not a desolate borderland; this was his homeland, where he had been born and raised for over a decade. The warmth emanating from the person before him undoubtedly told him that she had never left him.

Chu Yening looked at the girl in his arms with eyes full of doting, and chuckled softly, "It's nothing to mention."

On the battlefield, he wielded a long spear, rode his horse and killed enemies. Every strike made the enemy tremble with fear. In every battle, he was like the valiant and skilled General Chu Lanze, making the enemy tremble with fear.

In the capital, he was the carefree and irreverent heir of the Marquis of Jingning, a spoiled and willful tyrant.

But donning that armor and riding beneath the city walls, he carried not only the wishes of his loved ones for his safe return, but also the heartfelt prayers of the countless people of the Great Xia for peace and security for their homeland. He became once again that brave young general, fiercely fighting the enemy.

But unseen by anyone, the heir of the Marquis of Jingning once gave his tenderness entirely to a girl. Ten years later, the young Marquis of Jingning also gave all his rare tenderness to the beloved who had been buried in his heart for years.

Qin Weixi raised her head, then stared intently at him. Chu Yening's eyes flickered slightly at this, and he reached out to touch her arm, instinctively grabbing the cloak hanging on the armchair: "Aren't you cold...?"

Before he could finish speaking, Qin Weixi suddenly tiptoed and kissed him, stopping the thought that was about to be uttered.

Yet they parted from each other in an instant. But he clearly felt the softness and sweetness of those lips. For a moment, he suddenly felt that the sweetness was thousands of times better than the tea in the pot, and even sweeter than the spring water under Little Penglai.

Without a second thought, he leaned down and kissed her, then pulled her tightly into his arms.

With a slight flutter of his eyelashes, those peach blossom eyes that had looked at everyone with such deep affection in his youth now resembled a small peach orchard atop the rosy clouds, or a large peach grove in Little Penglai.

Suddenly, a sudden downpour descended from the sky, making the peach blossoms even more pink. So delicate and beautiful, they were intoxicating and mysterious, yet subtly stirred the heart.

Their eyes met for a fleeting moment, and Qin Weixi looked through those dark eyes at the lingering image of her in his memory. For eight years of their youth, she had regarded him as an older brother. But when did it all begin…?

Was it after he returned to Beijing? Or after their reunion at the Qin family's old residence after ten years? Or was it when he called her name repeatedly in the vast peach orchard covering the mountains?

Before she could think any further, a gentle voice suddenly rang in her ears, and then she suddenly felt the arms that had been holding her tightly tighten.

"Qin Luo, I have also thought that if things are over one day, I don't want to live alone."

Suddenly, it was as if a thunderclap had flashed through her mind. She widened her eyes and looked up at the man in front of her, who still had a calm expression on his face.

Qin Weixi felt as if her heart was being torn apart, but she didn't say a word. Instead, she pressed her head tightly against his chest, closed her eyes, and seemed to be sobbing silently.

Chu Yening whispered, "Qin Luo, you only need to remember what I told you that night." Then he reached out and touched her cheek, moving his hand upwards to the corner of her eye, as if to check if she had shed any tears.

"You will always be my first choice."

"From now on, shall we depend on each other and spend the rest of our lives together?"

He chuckled softly again: "Yes, through life and death, we'll be together forever. Even when everyone else in this world leaves you, your fourth brother will never leave you."

A single tear slipped from the corner of her eye, but the person in front of her seemed to sense it and reached out to touch the corner of her eye, gently wiping it away with their fingertip.

Then she heard him say again, "Just remember, anyone can say sweet words, but Fourth Brother will prove it with his whole life."

Upon hearing these seemingly casual words, Qin Weixi burst into laughter through her tears. She remained silent, but tightened her grip on his waist, as if silently responding to him.

Chu Yening gently stroked her head and the pearl hairpins in her hair again, and whispered, "Do you like those earrings?"

Qin Weixi smiled and nodded.

His chin twitched slightly, as if he were nodding in satisfaction at her response. Then he continued, "The earrings are done, but I still need a jade bracelet, a pretty hairpin, and a necklace inlaid with pearls. Not gold-plated ones, they're tacky and don't suit my seventh sister..."

Qin Weixi listened quietly, finding it increasingly absurd. Though a hint of annoyance lingered on her face, a smile played on her lips.

"I don't need these."

"Whether you need it or not is none of my business, I'll just deliver it. My seventh sister must be the most beautiful and the happiest in the world." His words seemed to echo the carefree and unruly spirit of his youth.

"What did Mu Tong say to you? It's getting late, little Qingmei. If you don't go home soon, Brother Luo will be coming to find you. Do you want to go out for a walk? Go to the countryside for fun? Or go hunting? Or go to Xiaguang Peak to see Grandmother Zhao? I'll take you there another day when Fourth Brother has recovered from his injury."

"If you don't want to go anywhere, why not come to Fourth Brother's place? There's a pond with fish in front of Taoran Residence. Fourth Brother will fish for you to eat."

Qin Weixi was both amused and exasperated upon hearing this: "Are the fish from there edible?"

"Why not? Let's try it on that fool Jiuqu first and see. Hey, Little Seventh Sister, do you know how lonely your Fourth Brother is, guarding this huge Marquis's mansion? If anything is missing, it's only a lack of a mistress..."

He spoke haltingly, each sentence carrying a questioning suggestion, and Qin Weixi felt inexplicably at ease. She didn't return to the Luo residence until almost curfew that night. But she encountered the Zhao family's carriage in front of the Luo residence.

Zhao Shuhan brought a food box filled with homemade food, and Ping An also carried a box. The two siblings stood there, smiling slightly as they watched her. Ping An slowly said, "Sister, mutton dumplings and crabapple cakes!"

In their youth, they were often invited by Grandmother Zhao to dine in Kunning Palace. The little girl from the Qin family especially loved a dish with a fragrant aroma—mutton dumplings.

She loved fine silks and jeweled hairpins, beautiful dresses, and was always eager to try the various new dishes served at restaurants. She would also stand up for her young friends without hesitation, completely disregarding the dignified image of a noble lady. She was also never afraid of the malicious gazes of the world.

When she was very young, her grandfather passed away quietly, leaving her and Ping An to depend on each other for survival. She held her grandfather's coffin and held back her tears.

The little girl whispered in her ear, "Xiao Shu, cry your heart out today, but from now on you must face everything with a smile. We girls must be like boys, fearless and undaunted!"

Under the hazy moonlight, Zhao Shuhan's eyes suddenly welled up with tears, her eyes reddening, but her eyebrows still curved into a smile: "Sister, welcome home."