Chapter 58 No Need for a Reunion

The carriage bearing the insignia of the Marquis of Chengde rumbled along the road, heading straight for the east gate of Lin'an City.

The carriage was filled with soft, warm cushions, and tea and pastries were readily available. The windows were slightly ajar, letting in dappled winter sunlight.

Shen You sat alone on the cushion near the carriage door, her beautiful eyes fixed on the tall figure outside.

Through the carriage curtain, she couldn't see him clearly; she could only vaguely make out his broad back, even while he was sitting and driving.

The man wore a dark gold-trimmed black brocade robe with the cuffs rolled up. His strong hands were now holding the reins, urging the horse to gallop further and further away.

Once the carriage left the east gate of Lin'an City, the surroundings were no longer those of the capital. Shen You couldn't help but ask, "Where are we going?"

Chu Xiao glanced at her sideways, a faint smile in his dark eyes. "Shen You, isn't it a bit late for you to ask now?"

There were only the two of them inside and outside the carriage. The wheels rolled on, and they had already reached the outskirts of the city.

If it were based on the fact that she was so resistant to him when they first reunited, how could she possibly have come out with him alone?

Shen You understood the meaning behind his words, pursed her lips, and said, "If you don't answer, it's not impossible for me to go back now."

The carriage slowed down, and Chu Xiao freed one hand to instinctively reach back and hold her, but grasped only air.

He could only lower his voice and say, "It's for your birthday."

Why come all the way to the eastern suburbs to celebrate a birthday?

If she remembered correctly, this eastern suburb was just a wasteland, neither fun nor beautiful.

What are you doing here?

You'll find out soon enough.

Seeing that they were almost there, Chu Xiao didn't say it directly, thinking that if he could surprise her and make her happy, then all this trouble wouldn't have been in vain.

The official road was wide, with tall trees on both sides. However, in late autumn and early winter, the leaves had almost all fallen, creating a desolate atmosphere.

Looking out the car window, Shen You could easily see the bare branches pointing straight to the sky.

However, the scene changed abruptly after the carriage turned a corner.

Before her stood a lush, verdant forest.

In early winter, after those gnarled branches and trunks, a sudden burst of lush greenery appeared before Shen You's eyes, and it would be a lie to say he wasn't pleasantly surprised.

But the surprises didn't end there.

The carriage had stopped. Chu Xiao placed the saddlebags down, took her wrist through his sleeve, and helped her down from the carriage.

Shen You's gaze was completely fixed on her, her almond-shaped eyes reflecting a clear and pure light.

She lifted the hem of her skirt and slowly approached.

The closer you get to this grove, the more you can smell the fragrance of osmanthus blossoms.

She turned around abruptly and looked at Chu Xiao, "This...you had it planted? When was it planted?"

As far as the two could see, there were lush and verdant osmanthus trees. Some of the better-growing ones still had small, pale yellow or pure white flowers blooming on their branches even in this warm winter.

Even those trees that fail to bloom still show strong trunks, indicating that they have been carefully maintained.

The two had only been reunited for eight or nine months. If this osmanthus grove was planted by him this year, it would never have looked like this now.

A gentle breeze stirred, and petals drifted down, landing beside the girl's soft-soled embroidered shoes.

Chu Xiao's eyes were deep and dark. He came up behind her and draped the cloak over her shoulders. "More than a year ago."

More than a year ago...

At that time, Qi Wulin had just died, and Qi Jincheng had just ascended the throne...

The surprise in Shen You's eyes was obvious. "Weren't you still at the border back then?"

At that time, Qi Jincheng had just ascended the throne, and the situation was unstable. There were many conflicts between the border countries. Chu Xiao led troops to guard the border and only returned this year.

Chu Xiao looked down at her. "I came back once during the coronation ceremony, but I only stayed for a few days before leaving."

How could he possibly be absent from such an important event as Qi Jincheng's ascension to the throne?

However, he did not stay in the capital for long.

At the time, Shen You was still in mourning and rarely left her home. She had no interest in seeing what was happening outside, so she was completely unaware of the matter.

During his brief stay in the capital, Chu Xiao spent the rest of his time, apart from discussing state affairs with Qi Jincheng, on this barren land in the eastern suburbs of Lin'an.

He bought the land, hired people to cultivate it, and planted osmanthus trees.

Even though they are thousands of miles away, they still often write to remind me to take good care of them.

The osmanthus grove in front of us is not yet fully grown, and the fragrance of the flowers is not very strong in early winter.

But Shen You felt as if he had been struck hard with a hammer.

The belated, slightly painful and numb tremor reminded her of who the person in front of her was doing all this for.

"you..."

"We did not meet again at that time."

“Shen You,” Chu Xiao said, holding her shoulders and turning her around so they were face to face.

He lowered his head, a deep longing welling up in his eyes. "I never thought we wouldn't meet again."

Just as he never intended to give her up.

He wasn't certain she would agree to be with him, but he had never considered who else he could spend the rest of his life with besides her.

He had no other choice.

As soon as she finished speaking, Shen You felt a lump in her throat.

She looked up at him. "We didn't have to meet again."

Only those who have separated need to reunite.

They didn't have to be separated.

The girl's disappointment and hurt were like a sharp blade, piercing straight into Chu Xiao's heart.

He understood what she meant, and his heart was filled with endless bitterness and regret. He leaned down and pulled her into his arms.

"I'm the one who's a bastard."

"sorry."

The man's embrace was dry and warm, blocking the cold wind blowing from the forest. Tears welled up in Shen You's eyes as she felt his cheek pressed tightly against the skin beside her ear.

It was warm, even a little hot.

"From now on, I will not make any decisions on my own regarding anything related to you, and I will listen to everything you say."

He lowered his voice, a clear sign of ingratiation and weakness.

"It's all my fault, you can punish me however you want."

"Don't cry, okay?"

He heard her sniffle softly.

Heaven knows he brought her to this osmanthus grove today with no intention of making her cry.

Those few golden tears from her were extremely effective at winning him over.

Chu Xiao gently released her, wanting to wipe away her tears, but she dodged away.

Shen You lowered her head, not even meeting his gaze, wiped away her tears, and turned to walk deeper into the osmanthus grove.

The further you go in, the stronger the fragrance of osmanthus becomes.

The delicate fragrance silently dispelled the sadness and despondency in her heart.

Chu Xiao's raised hand missed its mark. He strode after her, wanting to take her hand, but she dodged it again.

“Chen You…”

She turned around, her almond-shaped eyes still red from crying, her eyelashes wet, lacking her usual elegance and tranquility, and instead showing a pitiful vulnerability.

She simply looked up and stared straight at him.

"Didn't you say you were going to serve me today?"

“...Huh?” Chu Xiao was taken aback, clearly not expecting her to say that, but quickly recovered and replied, “Of course.”

"It's a promise, I'll serve you today."

“Oh,” Shen You continued walking forward.

A gentle breeze carried the girl's soft voice, "Then hurry up and take the pastries down from the carriage."

Chu Xiao watched her retreating figure until she sat down in a pavilion in the osmanthus grove. Only then did his expression relax. He returned to the carriage and unloaded his belongings.

Pastries, dried fruit, tea, a clay stove for boiling water—everything was readily available.

If it weren't for the fact that it's early winter now, carrying these things would make it seem like we're out for a spring outing.

Chu Xiao placed the items on the stone table in the pavilion, first arranging the snacks for her one by one, then lighting the clay stove to boil water for tea.

Shen You sat to the side, watching him do these things methodically.

He was originally the heir of the Marquis of Zhenwu. Later, he went to the military camp for training and then encountered a great change. He lived in seclusion for several years, hiding his identity and biding his time.

He has enjoyed the most luxurious and prestigious life in this world, and he has also encountered the most difficult and gloomy hardships.

Now that he has said he will be her servant and do all the work for her, he has done it all in an orderly manner.

Shen You pursed her lips, her gaze falling on his strong and powerful hands.

A man's hands are different from a woman's hands, and his hands, having held knives and guns for many years, appear even colder and sharper.

His tanned skin was covered with clearly visible blue veins, which bulged slightly with his movements.

Shen You stared at it for a while, secretly cursing in his heart.

Putting everything else aside, Chu Xiao is exactly what she's looking for.

Even her hands were extremely pleasing to her.

Thinking about this made Shen You feel a little uneasy.

She instinctively wanted to look away, but then she saw Chu Xiao's hand stretching out in her line of sight.

I'm closer to her now.

Her ears suddenly turned red.

He did it on purpose.

She withdrew her gaze, stood up, and left the pavilion.

In order to ensure that the osmanthus grove is fragrant all year round, all the osmanthus trees planted in this grove are everlasting varieties.

The term "Four Seasons Osmanthus" is not actually a specific variety, but rather a general term for all osmanthus trees that can bloom in all four seasons, including varieties such as Fodingzhu, Tianyataige, Hongrixiang, and Bairixiang.

For the past year or so, Chu Xiaoren has not been in Lin'an City, but osmanthus is something Shen You loves, and since he wants to plant this osmanthus grove, he has taken the initiative to learn about it.

He stopped what he was doing, got up and followed Shen You to the outside of the pavilion.

A sweet osmanthus tree here is in full bloom, with white stamens and flowers in perfect condition, and there are also some buds on the same branch.

Shen You reached out and gently touched the petal with her fair fingertips.

A man's voice came from behind, "Is this Shirakawa?"

Shen You was slightly surprised and looked up at him. "You know?"

"I've learned a bit about it."

"What kind of tree is that in Qingxi Courtyard?"

"That's Osmanthus fragrans, isn't it?"

Since he could answer the question, Shen You knew that he had truly put in the effort to understand it.

She turned her head, her gaze falling once again on the white jasmine.

But the person behind her seemed to get even closer, his tall figure looming over her. He leaned down slightly, close to her ear, and whispered, "The golden osmanthus tree in the Duke's mansion has been revived."

When will you go and see it?

The golden osmanthus tree in the Duke's Mansion is the same one that once stood in Qingxi Town.

That day, Shen You woke up in Chenfeng Courtyard. When she left, she was in such a hurry that she didn't have time to pay attention to the osmanthus tree in the courtyard.

Now that he brought it up again, she did feel a bit tempted to go and see it.

But it's just a thought.

She didn't answer Chu Xiao's question. Instead, she turned around, gently pressed her fingertips against his shoulder, and slowly pushed him away.

The girl's fingers were as delicate as tender shoots, fair and supple.

Despite the very slight force applied, Chu Xiao complied with her intention and straightened up slightly.

Shen You glanced behind him, at the steam bubbling from the clay stove in the pavilion, and said, "Duke Zhenguo, the water is boiling, it's time to make tea."