Chapter 88, the final chapter: A lone figure walks slowly ahead...

A man walked slowly ahead, his black cloak swaying gently with each step. Several burly men followed behind him, all the way into the depths of the alley.

The man looked up and saw a brand-new wooden signboard with the rough characters "Wu's Opera House" written on it, and then stopped in his tracks.

He raised his hand and waved, and his entourage understood, sneaking in through the main entrance. He then took a few steps forward and went alone around to the back of the theater, where there was an inconspicuous little door leading directly to the backstage area.

Several children were sitting on the steps eating candy. When they saw his sharp gaze sweep over them, they instinctively shrank back, almost dropping their candy. Seeing him standing in front of the door, one of the children mustered up his courage and said, "Uncle, Uncle...they're off today."

The man's gaze lingered on the children for a moment, a slight smile playing on his lips. Just as the children were about to breathe a sigh of relief, he shouted sternly, "Get out of here now!"

Immediately, the children scattered in all directions like birds and beasts.

The man stepped into the theater, closed the door tightly, and then removed the hood of his cloak. It was Liao Pingju. He looked around and found a large white curtain separating the stage from the audience, with red cloth covering the sides. He and the little girl were the only people backstage.

Qingduo sat before the curtain, twirling a bamboo pole in her hand. In the bright candlelight, she manipulated Sun Wukong, who soared through the clouds and rushed straight towards the three ferocious monsters. She chanted:

"You rely on your power to oppress the innocent, treating people like dirt..."

Liao Pingju narrowed his eyes upon hearing this, put his hands behind his back, and sneered. Suddenly, Qingduo raised her voice:

"I, Old Sun, will tear down Lion Camel Ridge today and act on behalf of Heaven!"

"Hey! Take this from me, Old Sun!"

Liao Pingju swung his golden cudgel at the three demons, then said impatiently, "Didn't you invite me to admire the 'Ten Thousand Green Mountains and Flowers' painting together? Where is it?"

Qingduo ignored him and continued performing her shadow puppet show. Her puppet, Sun Wukong, was unstoppable; the three monsters fell to the ground with a thud. She held the bamboo pole steady in her hand, and Sun Wukong stood in the center of the screen.

He stood with one hand on his hip, his golden cudgel resting on his shoulder, slightly raised, his head held high, gleaming golden in the candlelight.

"Lord Liao, look how well I'm doing with my new shadow puppet show?" Qingduo asked, staring at Sun Wukong on the screen.

"How embarrassing," Liao Pingju said coldly. "Luckily, we won't see it again."

Qingduo laughed: "What awful words. Where did the kind and amiable Lord Liao go?"

“That’s true. In fact, such a person doesn’t exist at all.” She put down the shadow puppet in her hand, stood up and said, “I have to say that Lord Liao is a good actor. He can pretend for a lifetime and he can act like anything. Unlike me, I tried to pretend to be a dignified lady, but my husband saw through me as soon as I married into the Zeng family.”

She clasped her hands in a fist and bowed to him, saying sincerely, "Lord Liao, could you teach me your skills?"

Liao Pingju's face hardened with anger, but Qingduo seemed oblivious, continuing, "I won't let you teach me for nothing. From now on, I'll only paint for you. I dare not paint for anyone else. If you treat me like you treated my father, and cripple my hands..."

She spread her hands out, looking them over from side to side: "Ouch—that hurts so much! How am I ever going to eat ice cream again?"

"Tang Qingduo, stop talking nonsense!" Liao Pingju shouted angrily. "I'm asking you, where is the painting? Do you not even have it and are you just stalling for time?"

"If you don't give it to me now, I'm leaving!"

“Of course I have them. I don’t just have them, I have three,” Qingduo said calmly.

"Three?" Liao Pingju stared intently at her, quite surprised.

“My father painted three versions of this ‘Ten Thousand Green Mountains’ picture, but only one was his favorite,” Qingduo turned around and placed the three scrolls on the table. “Lord Liao claims to know his paintings best. I wonder if he can find one of them?”

"All three are paintings by Tang Li?" Liao Pingju's eyes revealed a greedy glint.

"That's right."

Just as Liao Pingju was about to step forward, Qingduo suddenly raised her hand slightly and shouted loudly, "Stop! If you move again, it will explode!"

Liao Pingju was startled and froze on the spot. Looking closer, he noticed a line extending from each of the three scrolls. The three lines converged into one, wrapped around Qingduo's wrist, and he couldn't help but ask in surprise, "What is this?"

Qingduo smiled slightly: "Lord Liao doesn't recognize this? This is the fuse. There are explosives in all three scrolls. As long as I pull it gently, all three paintings will explode into pieces at the same time. From then on, you will never get the 'Ten Thousand Green Mountains and Flowers' painting."

"You're lying." Liao Pingju didn't believe it at all. "You're so close. If it exploded, you wouldn't survive either."

“You don’t understand,” Qingduo said. “This weight has been verified by a specialist. For me, it’s just a minor injury, but for a painting, it would be shattered to pieces.”

"You don't believe me?" Qingduo tightened the thread in her hand, as if to break it. "Why don't you try?"

"No, no, no!" Liao Pingju's face turned pale. He hurriedly stepped forward, reaching out to stop her, but Qingduo shouted, "Back off!"

"Alright, alright!" Liao Pingju retreated repeatedly, turning his head to look at the curtain. This matter could only be believed to be true rather than not. There was no room for trial and error. He swallowed and advised, "I'm backing away. Don't get excited, don't move. Neither of us should move."

"It's just a little game, I'll play with you."

Qingduo laughed: "As expected of Lord Liao, your comprehension is truly remarkable. That's right, it's just a little game. Given your understanding of my father's paintings, finding his most satisfying one should be a piece of cake."

Liao Ping raised his hands behind his back and said arrogantly, "This is indeed not a difficult thing. Come on, open it and let me see."

Qingduo shook her head: "Don't be in such a hurry, old man, I haven't finished explaining the rules of the game yet! If you want to see the painting, you have to answer my questions first. Only if the answers satisfy me can I open the scroll."

"You!" Liao Pingju caught Qingduo deliberately shaking the fuse, suppressing his anger. "If you say you're not satisfied, then I'll never see it! What are your standards?"

"How could you think of me like that?" Qingduo feigned grievance. "I'm an innocent little girl, not a scheming old scholar!"

"Please answer the first question: Why did you destroy my father's hands back then?"

Liao Pingju was taken aback at first. Shouldn't she already know the answer to this question? Then she realized that this was a test to verify the truth, so she said, "He refused to paint for me. If I can't have him, no one else can."

"Well done." She praised him, but her face remained expressionless, and her voice was chillingly cold. "Pingju, you're quite good at games. You solved a question so quickly. Now, tell me, which one do you want to see?"

Liao Pingju thought for a moment, then pointed: "The first one on the left."

Qingduo unfurled the scroll, and Liao Pingju leaned forward, craning his neck and squinting to observe carefully, as if afraid of missing any details. But before the scroll was fully unfurled, Qingduo's movements stopped.

"Why isn't it moving?" Liao Pingju asked anxiously.

"If you want to see what happens next, you have to answer the next question," Qingduo said slowly.

Liao Pingju had lived most of his life and had never felt such a lump in his throat, yet he had no choice but to endure it. Qingduo, ignoring his grim expression, continued to ask:

Why was my father involved in the cheating scandal? What kind of conspiracy is behind this?

Her gaze was fixed on him: "Did you do this?"

Liao Pingju looked back at her, his gaze dark and gloomy. He could see the hatred in Qingduo's eyes. Driven by a sense of pleasure, he said, "Because he's too useful."

He reveled in the anger on Qingduo's face, feeling extremely pleased: "Do you think I'm really on good terms with Lord Xu? I've wanted to teach that old bastard a lesson for a long time! Coincidentally, his two hotheaded fellow villagers came knocking on my door. They have no background and are somewhat estranged from Lord Xu. I'm just playing along. They're like pawns sent to me by heaven, why not take advantage of it?"

"I even considered recruiting him, but he didn't know what was good for him. Since he won't work for me or paint for me, what use is he? I might as well get rid of him!"

"I have been merciful enough to spare his life."

Qingduo glanced at him coldly and was about to continue unfolding the scroll when Liao Pingju suddenly said, "Wait, I want to see the second painting."

Qingduo unfolded the second painting as instructed. Seeing Liao Pingju engrossed in appreciating the painting in his hands, she suddenly said, "So, those who don't listen to you never have a good ending, right?"

Liao Pingju paused, then looked up and asked, "Is this your third question?"

“Of course not,” Qingduo said. “My father didn’t want to follow you, so you framed him. He refused to paint for you, so you crippled his hands. Isn’t the answer obvious enough?”

"It was because of this that you abandoned Sailinfu, leaving him with no way out. He dared not resist you, so he could only blame Shen Bingyan."

"How could a bookstore owner possibly get his hands on the imperial examination questions?"

“Hold it up horizontally, that’s the third question.”

Liao Pingju looked at her coldly, his gaze like a knife, as if he wanted to cut off pieces of Qingduo's flesh: "How did you know?"

Qing cupped his hands to his ears, exaggeratedly mouthing, and said, "If God blows this right into my ear, why wouldn't I be happy to accept it!"

Liao Pingju glared at her fiercely, but Qingduo was not to be outdone. She took out a booklet from her bosom, which was titled "Huatang Chun" and waved it in front of Liao Pingju, saying, "This was written by Brother Shen Bingyan. Don't you want to know why he died?"

“Oh, you wouldn’t want to know.” She answered herself, opened the booklet to look at its contents, and said, “You sent people to kill them, so of course you know everything.”

Liao Pingju's gaze lingered on her. After a long silence, he suddenly laughed, his sinister laugh echoing in the narrow backstage area. He slowly said, "Not bad, Tang Qingduo, you're quite interesting."

"So what if it's interesting? You're not planning to continue playing games with me, you want to kill me." Qingduo's voice was light and airy, as if this was just a trivial matter. "But before I die, I'm still very curious, can you tell which painting my father was most satisfied with?"

"Let me help you narrow it down; it's within the two paintings you just chose."

"After all, you are a senior researcher of his paintings, you can't possibly not even be able to choose this, right?"

"Show me the first one again." Liao Pingju was itching to see it after she said that.

This time, Qingduo generously opened the painting, revealing lush green mountains and clear waters. Liao Pingju pondered for a long time before saying, "This is it."

He looked at Qingduo and, for some reason, saw pity on her face. Anger surged within him, and he questioned, "What kind of expression is that?"

“Old Pingju, you don’t understand my father’s paintings at all,” Qingduo sighed. “Someone like you will never understand.”

"How could I not understand?" Liao Pingju roared in anger. "My room is full of his paintings. I study them day and night, and I can describe every single detail in them clearly! How can you say that I don't understand Tang Li's paintings? That's impossible!"

"The most valuable thing about Dad's paintings is their unrestrained style, which no one else can imitate. To tell you the truth, the one you chose is a copy of mine."

"What utter nonsense about being carefree! No matter how carefree he is, he still fell into my hands! He'll never be able to paint again, let's see how carefree he is then!"

"I just said it casually, why are you so angry?" Qingduo looked like she suddenly realized something. "Oh, so you've lived your whole life scheming, haven't you?"

"You use exam questions to win over students, and at the same time, you also hold their weaknesses in your hands. Once they become officials, they will become your henchmen."

Qingduo scoffed, "You want to grasp everything—money, power, fame, and fortune—you wish you could grow eight arms and become an octopus with outstretched arms. How could someone like you understand what it means to be carefree and unrestrained?"

"You've really impressed me," Liao Pingju sneered. "If you were willing to work for me, you would be even more useful than Bi Lin."

"Unfortunately, I can only wait until the next life."

He looked at the curtain on his right, his voice clear and loud: "This is the end of my life."

As soon as he finished speaking, the backstage area fell silent. Liao Pingju's gaze changed from composure to surprise, and he looked towards the curtain.

"Why hasn't it stopped yet?" Qingduo blinked repeatedly. "Oh dear, why aren't your people obeying? Have they forgotten your code?"

"How about I call my people to help you?"

Qingduo called out, "Brother Zhu, Pingju's men are lost. Could you please help them find them?"

Is this it?

Liao Pingju heard someone speaking beside him and turned around sharply in surprise. Then, a bound guard was pushed out from behind the red cloth, and another person was pushed in and fell to the ground.

Then, Zhu Yi strode in, his imposing presence sending a shiver down Liao Pingju's spine.

Zhu Yi threw the bow and arrows on his back to the ground: "Are you looking for this person? I've brought over the archers who were lying in ambush in the stands."

“Qingduo, there’s a pile of firewood outside the house, and oil has been poured on it. This old man wants to burn you to death.”

Liao Pingju was terrified and turned to rush out the door, but Zhu Yi reacted quickly and grabbed him.

"Still trying to run?" He swung his hand forcefully, forcing Liao Pingju to turn around again. Before he could even regain his footing, he was suddenly struck in the left cheek by a straight punch.

"Ouch!" My mouth was instantly filled with the taste of blood.

"This blow was delivered on behalf of my father!" Qingduo said in grief and indignation.

Then, Liao Pingju was punched in the right cheek.

"This punch was for me!"

Finally, he was struck hard in the abdomen, staggered a few steps, and lay on his back on the ground.

"This strike is my revenge for all those you have wronged!"

Footsteps sounded, and a group of soldiers poured in from the red cloth on both sides, surrounding the backstage area.

The last person to enter was dressed in a scarlet official robe, his face stern. He looked down at Liao Pingju: "Lord Liao, it's been a long time."

"Governor Liu?" Liao Pingju's voice trembled as he struggled to sit up, exclaiming in surprise, "You, you, how are you here? Didn't you already, already leave?"

“If I don’t leave, how can you go all out and do your best?” The governor pointed at Qingduo. “If it weren’t for Madam Zeng providing me with evidence, I really wouldn’t believe that the one who caused this upheaval in Wuzhou was you, sir.”

He waved his sleeve and said, "Take him away!"

Liao Pingju was dragged to the door. He suddenly struggled and stopped, pleading with Qingduo, "Could I, could I take a look at the original 'Green Mountains and Myriad Flowers' painting?"

Qingduo obediently picked up the second picture, walked towards him, and decisively tore off the string on the scroll, as decisively as breaking off a radish top.

Nothing happened.

Liao Pingju felt a sudden darkness before his eyes. Tang Qingduo had used his obsession with the "Ten Thousand Green Mountains" painting to set this trap. He had spent his entire life scheming and plotting, only to be manipulated by a little girl in the end. What a disgrace! He could hear a hoarse roar coming from his own throat, like a bellows.

Qingduo opened the painting and held it up to his bloodshot eyes, appearing exceptionally "considerate".

The painting acted like a calming balm, gradually soothing Liao Pingju's emotions. Before Qingduo mentioned it, he had never paid attention to the artistic conception in the painting. Now, it seemed that the distant mountains and flowing water, the lone boat and the idle clouds, all conveyed the freedom of "wandering freely in the world."

Just as his heart was surging with excitement, the scroll had been unfurled to its middle when suddenly, something incongruous with the painting's mood appeared. Liao Pingju frowned, and upon closer inspection, he saw several large, childish characters:

"Tang Qingduo was here".

Liao Pingju opened his mouth wide, feeling a lump in his throat, unable to breathe properly. His face turned red from the choking. Like an enraged beast, he charged at Qingduo in fury, but was held back by the soldiers and dragged away without a word. His curses echoed from afar: "Tang Qingduo, you—you've wasted a precious gift! You'll die a horrible death!"

The sound, filled with despair and resentment, echoed through the streets and alleys.

Everyone left, and the backstage area returned to tranquility.

Qingduo let out a long sigh of relief as a hand landed on her shoulder, feeling its warmth. Qingduo suddenly turned around and saw Zeng Zhengqing's smiling face.

“Qingqing,” her voice trembled, “I have completed your plan.”

Zeng Zhengqing said gently, "Thanks to you, you managed to extract his crimes bit by bit, A-Zhao," his eyes filled with undisguised admiration, "You are truly remarkable."

Qingduo looked at him, her eyes suddenly filling with tears. What was wrong? She didn't want to cry. She had accomplished something remarkable, something she should be proud of, but why did she feel wronged?

I feel so wronged.

Overwhelmed by grief, Qingduo threw herself into Zeng Zhengqing's arms and burst into tears.

Zeng Zhengqing gently patted her back, his eyes moist: "Ah Zhao...we did it."

*

The mist in the mountains and forests had not yet dissipated, and the air was filled with a dampness. Amidst the chirping of birds, the cheerful voice of Qingduo could be heard.

"Father, what does the emperor look like?"

"His Majesty has a majestic appearance and an extraordinary aura." Tang Li said, panting, and wiped his sweat from his brow. "It's been more than a decade since I last saw him, and His Majesty has aged considerably."

"Why are you breathing so heavily?" Qingduo turned around to help him. "I told you not to sit and fish all the time, you should move around more. Your stamina is too poor, even worse than mine!"

Tang Li straightened up and said angrily, "You're comparing an old man like me to you? You're empty-handed, and Yuan Bai is carrying everything. Do you think you're not having an easy time?"

He turned to Zeng Zhengqing and said, "You look tired. Give her all the things and let's see if it's easy for her!"

Sweat dripped from Zeng Zhengqing's forehead. Qingduo took out a handkerchief and stood on tiptoe to wipe it for him. Zeng Zhengqing leaned down slightly and smiled at her, "It's alright, we'll be there soon."

Qingduo raised her chin at Tang Liyang and said smugly, "See? I told you he did it voluntarily, but you still insisted that I was bullying him."

As the three chatted and laughed, they arrived at Qingduo's mother's grave. After placing the offerings, Qingduo and Zeng Zhengqing knelt side by side before the grave. Tang Li stood to the side, his expression solemn.

"Mother, today is the anniversary of your death. We've come to see you!" Qingduo's voice was cheerful, yet tinged with sadness.

"We're all doing well. How are you doing up there?"

I miss you so much.

"Oh right, I've done something big again! I found out the mastermind behind the wrongful accusation against Dad back then and cleared his name! Although Qingqing came up with the plan, I was the one who tricked him into saying it!"

She chattered on and on, her husband beside her beaming with joy, her father's gaze tender, and everyone's hearts were filled with warmth.

After the worship ceremony, the two packed their things, and Tang Li suddenly said, "You two go for a walk. I have something I want to say to your mother alone."

Zeng Zhengqing and Qingduo exchanged a glance and left hand in hand in tacit understanding. After watching his daughter and son-in-law disappear, Tang Li slowly knelt before the grave. He reached out and gently stroked the strokes on the tombstone, as if he were caressing the cheek of a lover.

After a long while, he pressed his forehead against the tombstone and choked out:

"Afu, I... I've been exonerated..."

"I'm finally innocent..."

He cried out in anguish, "But you can't see...you can't see anymore..."

Not far away, Qingduo hid behind a tree, watching her father's sorrowful appearance, covering her mouth and daring not to cry out. Zeng Zhengqing embraced her from behind.

As the sun rose higher and the morning mist dissipated, Qingduo wiped away her tears and roused her father, who was leaning against the tombstone and weeping.

It would be better to go back.

Tears should remain in the past. The wind rustles through the leaves in the forest, like a constant whisper:

Forward, forward.

The descent was surprisingly easy. Halfway down the mountain, Tang Li suddenly said, "Ah Zhao, Yuan Bai, I plan to marry your Aunt Zhu."

Zeng Zhengqing was taken aback when he heard this. After all, Aunt Zhu came from a brothel, and if this got out, there would inevitably be gossip.

Qingduo said frankly, "Alright, she has been with you for many years, you really shouldn't let her down. I have also received a lot of care from her. When we get back, we will choose a good day and Qingqing and I will pay our respects to you."

Qingduo was still curious about the audience with the Emperor: "Father, didn't you say that His Majesty wanted to grant you a wish? What exactly did you ask for?"

A gentle smile appeared on Tang Li's lips: "I brought your mother's painting, 'Ten Thousand Green Mountains,' with me on this trip, hoping that His Majesty would reward her talent, allow her abilities to be recognized, and leave her name in the world."

"Oh dear!" Qingduo was extremely disappointed and stomped her feet repeatedly. "Why didn't you bring my painting along and let the emperor reward me too!"

Tang Li glared at her: "Zhao girl, you have a long way to go! If you want to make a name for yourself, you'd better hone your skills! Trying to take shortcuts? Humph, no way!"

Zeng Zhengqing couldn't help but chuckle. Qingduo glared at him, but he laughed and said, "What's wrong? You're not allowed to laugh? Be careful, or I'll expose what you did to the 'Green Mountains and Ten Thousand Flowers' painting."

"What is it?" Tang Li asked, "'Tang Qingduo was here'?"

Qingduo suddenly stopped in her tracks, her face full of shock: "Dad—you...you knew all about it?"

Tang Li snorted: "Do you think I'm stupid? Can't you recognize your own painting? I noticed your mother switched the paintings a long time ago. I looked around a bit and found your 'masterpiece.' I'm so angry!"

"If it weren't for your mother's efforts to cover for you, I would have spanked you!"

Qingduo retorted stubbornly, "So what? Mom will copy your painting, and I'll write my name on it. That way, the three of us can become famous!"

Tang Liqi laughed: "According to you, this is a great achievement?"

“Hmm!” Miss, though not entirely justified, replied confidently.

Whether it was Qingduo's ability to predict the future or not, this matter actually came true. Tang Li, Qin Luofu, and Tang Qingduo, a family of three, all made their mark on history through painting, ultimately becoming a widely praised tale in the art world.

People know Tang Qingduo's name for two reasons: firstly, because her paintings have been passed down through the ages, bringing people not only the enjoyment of truth and beauty, but also the spiritual strength of freedom and spontaneity.

Another reason is her inscription, "Tang Qingduo was here." When later generations see this bold and unrestrained handwriting, they often can't help but smile. It's as if that bright and genuine woman from thousands of years ago transcends time and space, smiling at the viewer.

*

In the third month of spring, when fireworks bloom, it is the perfect time for an outing. Qingduo and Zeng Zhengqing took a boat south to enjoy their first trip together after their marriage.

On the first day on the ship, Qingduo was too excited. Before going to sleep, she grabbed Zeng Zhengqing and kept chattering until he had no choice but to hold her tightly in his arms and force her to sleep. She finally fell into a deep sleep and didn't wake up until noon the next day.

"Where's Qingqing?" she asked sleepily.

Fang Qing simply said, "Young Master got up a long time ago. Let me help you with your makeup."

It was just an ordinary day, but Fangqing dressed her up as if she were attending a banquet. She couldn't help but press for an answer, but Fangqing smiled without replying, leading her to a room and saying, "You'll see when you go in, Madam."

Upon entering, she saw a table laden with delicacies, with several vibrant red camellias in a vase in the center. She casually picked one and tucked it into her hair, secretly wondering: This must be a feast specially prepared by Qingqing, but where is he?

The aroma of food wafted into her nostrils, making her stomach rumble. Qingduo gazed at the meatballs piled up in a pagoda shape and stretched out her eager little hand.

She took one from her side, so Qingqing couldn't see it. She swallowed hard and picked up a meatball.

"Zheng—"

The sudden sound of the zither startled Qingduo, causing her to miss her chopsticks and accidentally poke the "pagoda" with them. The meatballs fell onto the table with a clatter, like they were diving.

"Oh dear!" She hurriedly tried to grab one, but as soon as she grabbed this one, another ran away. Just as she was in a flurry of activity, she suddenly heard a soft laugh.

She blurted out instinctively, "I didn't do it!"

The laughter faded away, and Qingduo realized that it was Qingqing's voice just now.

She looked around, trying to find him, but couldn't find him.

The music began again, this time as gentle as a breeze and flowing water. From behind the screen, a figure emerged, catching Qingduo's eye:

"Qingqing?"

As the music began, Zeng Zhengqing slowly raised his hand, sweeping it across his chest, while holding a calligraphy brush in his other hand, he raised it high, as if he were a confident painter about to put brush to paper.

Qingduo's eyes lit up: Ah! Qingqing is keeping his promise, he's dancing!

He couldn't dance, and each jump wasn't very high, yet he put in his all; every spin landed steadily, but his effort was unwavering. Watching his clumsy yet focused movements, Qingduo's expression shifted from schadenfreude to admiration.

As he slowly finished his performance and solemnly took his bow, Qingduo finally came to her senses and clapped enthusiastically.

Zeng Zhengqing met Qingduo's smiling eyes, still catching his breath, and asked with a smile, "How is it? Is Madam satisfied?"

"Impressive! I was hoping to see you make a fool of yourself, but I didn't expect you to practice so diligently in secret," Qingduo stood up and moved closer to him. "Well done, as expected of Boss Zeng, you do everything properly."

"Since Madam is satisfied, may I offer a reward?"

Qingduo thought for a moment, then took the flower from her hair and pinned it to his hair: "Here, this is your lucky charm!"

When he smiled, it was like moonlight shining on a lake, serene and gentle, causing ripples to spread across Qingduo's heart.

She covered her lips with the back of her hand, revealing an enigmatic smile, and whispered, "How about... you dance for me again before bed?"

Zeng Zhengqing stared at her incredulously, stepped forward and gently bit her lip, angrily asking, "What do you take me for?"

Qingduo pretended not to know, reached out and wrapped her arms around her neck, her eyes sparkling with mischief: "Of course, it's my darling handsome husband!"

"Hmph, always putting on airs." He nuzzled her nose and chuckled, "She deserves a little punishment!"

Zeng Zhengqing's lips covered hers again. On this battlefield, he was determined to win and reclaim victory.

After a passionate and tender moment, both of them were panting. Qingduo nestled in his arms, listening to his pounding heartbeat, her hand gently stroking her chest. Suddenly, she remembered something, chuckled, and teased, "Luckily, someone didn't break off the engagement back then."

Zeng Zhengqing grabbed her restless hand: "You rascal, didn't you say you wouldn't mention it again? I even praised you for being magnanimous back then."

Qingduo laughed and said, "I was wondering, if you had broken off the engagement back then, I wonder which beauty you would be embracing now?"

"It must be you!" Zeng Zhengqing hugged her even tighter.

"If we weren't engaged, you wouldn't have come looking for me. How could we be together?"

“Well…” Zeng Zhengqing wasn’t very good at using his imagination.

"I've got it! That must be it!" Qingduo exclaimed excitedly. "You're a big businessman, owning both a bookstore and an art shop. As for me, I started learning to paint from my father at a young age, and I'm quite skilled at painting erotic pictures. Coincidentally, you also have a hobby of collecting all kinds of erotic pictures, and quite a few of them are painted by me..."

“I’m not a lecherous man, so why would I like collecting erotic pictures?” Zeng Zhengqin protested.

Qingduo lifted her head from his embrace, pouted, and said, "I draw this. If you don't like it, you won't be able to see me anymore!"

Zeng Zhengqing pulled her back into his arms: "I like it very much."

Qingduo giggled and continued to write the story of "what if there was no engagement": "One day I went to sell my paintings and happened to meet you. You discovered that I was the painter you admired and fell in love with me at first sight. I was also moved by your handsome appearance. After that, since we were both in love, we naturally got together!"

She looked up at him, a hint of pride in her eyes: "Qingqing, is my story good?"

Zeng Zhengqing smiled and kissed her: "That's wonderful."

yes,

As spring and autumn continue, as stars and the moon revolve, we will eventually meet again.

(End of article)

-----------------------

Author's Note: I thought I would have a good cry after finishing this story. At least that's what I thought when I was halfway through writing it.

Halfway through writing, my hand would throb with pain as soon as I typed, and the entire back of my hand would go numb. The pain kept me awake at night. I could sit in front of the computer for hours and not write many words. At that time, writing a novel was a torment for me.

I tried various methods, but ultimately returned to the most basic approach: writing it down on paper first, then gradually inputting it via voice, reducing typing. Although it was much slower, at least my desire to express myself returned.

When a solution was finally found, looking back at the past, the things that used to weigh me down now felt as light as clouds. It was a wonderful feeling that I was growing up alongside Qingduo.

I love Qingduo so much that sometimes I feel I could never write about such a cute little girl again. But one day, I changed my mind.

There are countless kinds of flowers in the world, and each one has its own beauty; there are also countless kinds of women in the world, and each one has her own loveliness.

I still want to apologize to the readers. I didn't have any drafts in reserve for my last book, and I was writing and updating as I went. I misjudged my situation for this book, and the updates became incredibly slow in the later stages, which greatly affected everyone's reading experience.

I want to finish writing my next book before updating it (if I can't resist, I'll at least write most of it before updating it).

Then look forward to my next novel.

"My Eldest Brother Became My Loyal Servant," I hope everyone will add it to their favorites! I really want to collect a hundred!

P.S. [The extra chapter "If There Were No Engagement" wasn't what Xiao Qingduo thought...]