Chapter 66 The night you left... Was she so fierce? ...

In just seven days it would be the centenary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. The young ladies who planned to go to Beijing to attend the ceremony had already bought their dresses. Currently, most of the people who visited the clothing store were young ladies preparing for the spring and summer seasons. The craze had passed, and the second shop in the clothing store finally had a brief period of leisure.

By noon, the customers at the clothing store had dispersed. Fang Xu noticed Zhu Hao, who was leaning over the counter, fiddling with an abacus. From the outside, he appeared to be carefully calculating his accounts, but in reality, his mind was already wandering. Ever since he went to the Li family's funeral banquet, Zhu Hao hadn't been able to concentrate for a single day. And since that day...

Fang Xu looked out of the pavilion from afar. On the steps, there was still a dark green woman standing, her sleeves fluttering in the wind, her clothes fluttering like clouds.

This went on for several days.

"Have you ever inquired about his whereabouts since he disappeared a year ago? If he was unfaithful, why did he come back?" Fang Xu saw that Zhu Hao seemed to be oblivious, his eyes blank, and he seemed to be daydreaming again. She couldn't bear it any longer and shouted, "Song Xieqing!"

In an instant, the abacus in Zhu Hao's hand fell to the ground. The man outside the pavilion turned around, and their eyes met. Zhu Hao looked away with a calm expression.

Suddenly, a muffled thunder rumbled in the sky. Glancing at the colorfully carved pavilion door, one could see bean-sized raindrops rolling down from the cumulus clouds, pattering on the bluestone bricks. The once bustling South Lane was deserted by tourists, leaving only the man in green clothes standing outside the pavilion.

Fang Xuyin noticed that Zhu Hao's brows were slightly furrowed, so she asked, "Do you want to bring him an umbrella?"

Zhu Hao just found it funny. Why would he need an umbrella? Wasn't he the Rain King of this city? How could he possibly get himself wet?

She shook her head in denial, bent down to pick up the abacus and went back into the attic. "Xuyin, it's raining now, so I estimate there will be no more than a few dozen visitors. In the second half of the day..."

Fang Xuyin understood and said, "Pianpian, you can rest for the rest of the day."

Zhu Hao stepped back, gave him a look of gratitude, and when he looked back, his eyes accidentally swept across the green shirt outside the pavilion.

She entered the room and sorted out the things, then took an octagonal orchid-painted umbrella from the side corridor. The sound of rain penetrated the room and filled her ears. The sound was like icicles hitting her heart, and her mind was already in a mess.

Zhu Hao passed by the counter and saw a number of hired workers hunched behind the carved door. Some of them were chewing melon seeds with a crunching sound, while Fang Xuyin was watching from the side.

Zhu Hao didn't understand what was going on, but he had a vague guess in his heart.

The crowd gathered around the carved pavilion door was so captivated by the scenery outside that they were completely unaware that Zhu Hao was standing a few steps away. She clutched the handle of her umbrella and overheard the chatter of several people.

"Young man, what have you done wrong? Did our boss catch you cheating? Or did you lose money in gambling and are now hiding from your creditors? Tell me, how beautiful is our boss? You've lost your luck..."

"Hey! Young Master, you've been standing here for days. Since Madam Zhu has ignored you, don't be so stubborn. Look! What a heavy rain! It's no big deal if you get sick from getting wet, but if you die outside the pavilion... how unlucky it would be!"

"He looks like a decent person, but he's actually a gigolo..."

Several people were chattering when they heard a "pop" sound behind them. Everyone turned around and saw Zhu Hao standing not far away. The handle of the octagonal painted orchid umbrella in his hand was broken. The sound came from that.

Everyone was breathless. Fang Xu rushed forward and made sure she wasn't hurt before she breathed a sigh of relief. "Change your umbrella? Pianpian, when... did you get here? It's raining heavily outside, why are you in such a hurry to get home?"

"The umbrella handle is just broken. Can't it be opened?" She ignored the heavy rain, walked through the crowd with the umbrella, and walked out of the clothing room.

Across the heavy rain, the two looked at each other, and there were flowers blooming in their eyes.

Song Xieqing was soaked through, his hair messed up by the bitter rain stuck to his chin and neck. His eyes were bloodshot and his skin was covered with beads of blood. His eyes, which had originally lost their luster, regained their spirit the moment he saw Zhu Hao. He put one hand behind his back and made a gesture. The heavy rain stopped abruptly, and the cumulus clouds retreated over the city as if receiving an imperial decree. A colorful rainbow connected the eaves of the pavilions in the South Lane.

Everyone in the cabinet clapped their hands in amazement. Could it be that a god had come to bless the people of Huai?

Zhu Hao glanced at him and said, "Evil and demonic."

Song Xieqing: ...

…

Miaoli took a short break today and went out for a walk with his fellow villager Zhang Yu in the morning.

Zhu Hao was thinking of boiling water for a bath and then taking a short rest. When she entered the room, she saw wisps of incense rising from the folding screen depicting butterflies playing in the water. Zhu Hao looked around but could not see any green figure. She slowly took off her clothes and stepped into the bathtub. The gentle and comfortable bath water moisturized every inch of her skin and relieved Zhu Hao's fatigue of the past few days. After the bath, Zhu Hao felt hungry. In a flash, a wisp of fragrance wafted into her nose. The table was already filled with delicious food and snacks. A quick glance showed that everything she liked.

Zhu Hao never put herself in a difficult position. Being angry with him was one thing, but she would never get hard on herself because of it. She sat down at the table and cleaned a sweet and sour carp in a few seconds.

After satisfying herself, Zhu Hao fell on the rattan couch. In her dream, she felt more and more drafty. Zhu Hao subconsciously hugged her arms tightly. Song Xieqing appeared in front of the couch and conjured up a brocade quilt out of thin air. He twisted the quilt corners for Zhu Hao and bent down to smooth the young lady's frown. Song Xieqing rested his forehead on the back of her hand and stroked it again and again. In recent days, he could only quietly approach Zhu Hao when she was sleeping soundly, just to steal this momentary warmth.

His lips lightly covered her knuckles. Zhu Hao, who was still asleep, suddenly raised a hand and randomly grabbed his half-loose hair, mumbling in her sleep, "Song Xieqing..."

Song Xieqing completely ignored how harshly Zhu Hao was talking and just replied in a gentle voice, "Pianpian, I'm here."

She seemed to be in a nightmare, her brows furrowed and her face bitter. Zhu Hao grabbed his hand with his hair and pulled it hard, "...Song Xieqing."

"I am here."

"roll……"

Thunder roared across the sky, and the clear scene outside the window suddenly became dark.

The room was no longer empty, and the woman was still fast asleep, with a few strands of broken hair entangled in her tightly clenched fingers.

…

She wished her a good sleep until the next morning. When she woke up, she was no longer on the cold rattan couch, but in a bed with a neatly made mattress.

There was a faint smell of rice lingering outside the house. Zhu Hao's stomach rumbled uncontrollably. She put on her outer robe, pushed the door open and went out. Zhu Hao walked through the hanging flower gate and followed the fragrant aroma to the stove in the outer courtyard.

What comes into view is a handsome young man in neat clothes, with his hair tied with a jade belt, wearing a bib around his waist and holding a cooking spoon in one hand to stir-fry the pot. This scene looks a bit like that of a "virtuous husband".

There were several dishes placed on the round table in the courtyard, each of them was shiny and greasy, with a fragrant smell, and they were truly delicious in color, aroma and taste.

Zhu Hao was stunned. Song Xieqing looked over. She glanced at him and quickly stepped forward to grab the cooking spoon in his hand. "Go away."

He easily snatched back the cooking spoon and sneered, "Ah, you're finally willing to talk to me?"

Zhu Hao put his hand on Song Xieqing's chest and pushed him out. "I told you to leave, don't you understand? Now that the curse has been lifted, why did you come back?"

Song Xieqing was stunned by this. She could be angry with him or have misunderstandings with him, but she couldn't let her make a wrong judgment on this matter. "Do you think I gave it to you for the curse-breaking method..."

He approached step by step, and Zhu Hao retreated again and again. She was pushed against the wall, and the atmosphere suddenly became tense. Song Xieqing supported the wall with one hand, blocking Zhu Hao inside. "You can't push me away. If I insisted on removing the curse, why would I go to so much trouble to coax you? Removing the curse is secondary. I just want to be with you..."

Song Xieqing whispered something in her ear, causing Zhu Hao to blush and stumble over the three words "lecher". Song Xieqing didn't take it seriously, but smiled at her pitiful appearance as she huddled in a corner. "Zhu Hao, when you wake up, will you read the flowery letter?"

This was natural, especially since the note at the end said that if the wontons were not completely eaten, the barrier would not dissolve itself. It was a blatant threat, wasn't it? To get out, even though she wasn't hungry, she had no choice but to gulp down an entire bowl of wontons that was bigger than her face.

Zhu Hao said resentfully, "So what if I saw you? I know you were trying to find some way to survive for me, so what? Wasn't it three months? How long have you been missing? You left me alone there, and you've left and come back time and time again. Every time I made up my mind to forget you, you came back as if nothing had happened."

"I have thought about it for a long time. After all, you and I are different. Now the curse has been broken, and you and I are clear. Song Xieqing, go away." Zhu Hao pushed him, and seeing that he could not move him any further, he tried to pry his hands that were resting on the wall. Zhu Hao struggled for a long time, but Song Xieqing remained motionless. Zhu Hao had no choice but to pull the apron around his waist. This was Miao Li's most precious treasure, but when he pulled it, his clothes were stripped off, revealing the teeth marks on Song Xieqing's left shoulder. He turned around as if unintentionally, and the scratches and charred burn scars on his back were exposed to Zhu Hao's eyes.

Zhu Hao stood there in a daze. She tiptoed to touch the teeth marks on Song Xieqing's shoulder. Why was the mark still there? Zhu Hao's eyes flickered, and she was afraid to look Song Xieqing in the eye. That night... had she been so fierce...

The scratches and teeth marks were hers, she admitted, but what about the remaining scars? Wasn't he a god who could see through everything? If so, why would there be scars?

Zhu Hao's heart ached dully, and she vaguely guessed something, which made her even more determined. She tried her best to suppress the sob deep in her throat: "Song Xieqing, please leave. I beg you, okay? I really... don't want to see you again."

"Stop saying those angry words, okay?" Song Xieqing held her forehead against his. "Is it so hard to admit that you wanted to push me away because you were worried about me? Pianpian, I'm back safely. I'm fine."

Zhu Hao glared at him, "What kind of clothes are so easily torn? Oh, aren't you deliberately showing it to me? Do you want to make me feel bad?"

Song Xieqing's face was embarrassed. He took a step back, only to hear Zhu Hao continue, "Yes, I admit, I was a little reluctant, but... it was only for a moment. Yes, I did have a moment of joy with you, but correspondingly, there were also many heartaches and sorrows. I don't want to be happy and sad for one person all the time, and rely on one person for all my joys and sorrows all day long, let alone someone who comes and goes so quickly. I don't want to worry about gains and losses. Is this so hard to understand? Can't you and I just let it go? You don't have to find any solutions for me. I die and you live, isn't that okay?"

Song Xieqing asked her, "You really want me to leave, don't you?"

Zhu Hao raised his head and said, "Yes."

As soon as he finished speaking, the person in front of him suddenly turned into a wisp of smoke and dispersed with the east wind.

Zhu Hao picked up the cooking spoon and slammed it down, yelling at him to leave, and he actually left! If that was the case, why was he so affectionate just now?

Her whole body was itchy as if she had prickly heat. It was she who made him leave, and now he was really gone and his soul was out of his mind. How could she be so picky?

Zhu Hao glanced at the half-cooked crab stewed with mushrooms in the pot, and there was a faint smell of burning. She angrily put out the remaining fire, and then walked to the round table. Looking at the greasy dishes on the table, Zhu Hao's appetite was gone. Just as she was about to put them away, she heard a faint rustling sound behind her. Zhu Hao's heart was pounding, and she turned around suddenly, but there was no one in sight.

Zhu Hao seemed not to care, but he was already walking around the yard. After a few rounds, he didn't see any movement at all, and the joy that had just begun to emerge in his heart was completely gone. Zhu Hao felt as if he had been drenched in cold water. Just as he was about to go back to the house, a touch of snow satin caught his eye at an inopportune time.

Xiaochi faced off against a young man in white.

There was a red dot between the boy's eyebrows. He stepped into the small pond barefoot and walked lightly on the surface of the pond. Wherever his toes touched, the water remained calm. The boy's clothes were lifted up by the wind and passed through the pond. He was cold all over, and a nine-tailed snow fox was coiled on his shoulder.

The surroundings were silent, the swallows and sparrows were silent, the flowing clouds stopped, and the falling leaves were suspended in mid-air. Among all things here, only the young man and she could move freely, transcending this world.

He squatted in the middle of the pool, one hand supporting his chin, the other hand teasing the fox. The young man met Zhu Hao's eyes and forced a stiff smile: "Pian Pian, long time no see."