birthday

I've heard that there's a tall building in Zhuxunzhou, a place where poets often express their feelings and where literati and artists pick up their pens to depict human emotions.

There you can gaze at distant mountains and rivers, and see the beautiful blue sky.

A slender boy and a tall boy climbed the building and gazed at the world bathed in the glow of the setting sun. She still preferred to travel in men's clothing and continued to refer to Peng Feizhe as her elder brother in public.

Looking down from the high-rise buildings, one sees a dense cluster of rooftops. The streets and alleys, large and small, are bustling with pedestrians, and a few lights twinkle in the distance.

The high-rise is actually a building similar to a pavilion, only much taller. This high-rise has four floors: the first floor sells food and drinks, the second floor has living quarters, the third floor has dining areas and seating areas with views, and the fourth floor is a rather spacious pavilion, often a place frequented by literati or young couples.

Peng Feizhe calmly enjoyed this pleasant time, his arms resting on the red railing, facing the picturesque scenery in the distance.

Dusk descended upon the eaves, and molten gold-like clouds churned in the sky. Distant mountains were bathed in the glow of the setting sun, and patches of forest were tinged with layers of crimson.

The colorful sunset illuminates the hundred houses, and the smoke from each house rises into the clouds.

Zhi Qiu leaned against the railing, her almond-shaped eyes darting left and right, taking in the entire scene.

He glanced at her sideways, his deep eyes darkening slightly.

"Knowing Autumn".

She turned to look at him when he called her name. "Hmm?"

"Are you really not the fourth young lady of the Pang family?"

She was startled by these words, suppressed her surprise, and then acted as if nothing had happened.

She pointed to herself with a puzzled look on her face and said, "Huh? General, you mean me?"

Then she smiled again, her words tinged with envy: "If only I were her! I'd be a perfect match for the general, and I wouldn't have to worry about whether you'd marry me."

He paused for a moment, looking at her with some surprise.

She then realized how ridiculous her words were, and mocked herself: "Have you ever seen a noble lady so humble and begging for peace? Who is Miss Pang?! She is a noble lady, a pampered young lady who has been spoiled since childhood, unlike a vulgar person like me."

After listening, he nodded, agreeing that it made sense.

She pointed to the cloth strip on her face again, "The key question is, if I were a prostitute, would I still be beaten?"

He turned to look at her, still harboring suspicion. "What if you did it on purpose?"

She laughed in anger. Was she really such an untrustworthy person?

"General, are you doubting me?" She frowned slightly.

His eyes seemed to be telling her, "If I don't suspect you, who else should I suspect?"

"Ever since you started whispering bad things about her in my ear, I've become suspicious of your identity."

She was indeed a little flustered at this moment, afraid that he would reveal her identity right away.

She appeared completely unfazed, raising an eyebrow as she asked, "Is that so? Then who does the general think I am? A young lady or a maid?"

His eyes darkened slightly as he reasoned through the situation in his mind.

If she were a young lady, why would she be so humble? What if it was all a scheme she deliberately set up?

Seeing that Peng Feizhe was thinking, she interrupted his train of thought, saying, "General, you should think this over carefully and not let your mind wander. I have been obediently by your side ever since I left the village."

He sighed softly and waved his hand to dispel his suspicions: "Never mind, I don't think you're that kind of person. How could a pampered young lady kneel down and beg for mercy, how could she be so humble as to beg for peace?"

"..." She smiled helplessly without saying a word, but a fire was burning inside her.

A silence fell, and the atmosphere became subtly tense. The setting sun cast its rays into the tall pavilion, adding a touch of life to their faces. One gazed into the distance, while the other lowered his eyes in deep thought.

She broke the silence first, "What brings the general here today?"

“Just came out to clear my head, and also…” He paused, leaning his arms on the railing, clenching his thumb and rubbing his index finger bone.

She said, "Hmm?"

A faint blush appeared on his face: "You don't have to keep calling me General. I have a name. You can call me Fei Zhe from now on."

She blinked, hesitating to speak, "This..."

"Did you have to go through that?"

She nodded slightly, not daring to meet his gaze. "But... General... there is a difference in our status. I really can't bring myself to call you by your real name. Besides... it would be very disrespectful to you to avoid using your real name."

"It's alright, I don't care, why are you so particular?"

This person is really strange.

Although she didn't want to, she had no choice but to agree, "Okay."

Seeing that she seemed to have no choice but to agree, he didn't know what to say to her. "Zhi Qiu, what... do you want to do next?"

She didn't know what had possessed him, but he would always ask her what she was doing. It was always her who initiated the conversation, asking him what his plans were or what he was going to do.

"Me?" She lightly touched her lips with her index finger, her eyes darting around thoughtfully before she said indifferently, "I'm going back."

He raised an eyebrow, looking at her with a puzzled expression: "Go back? Go back where?"

She remained calm, "Upon returning to my master's side, I heard..."

His brows furrowed, and he looked displeased. "Master? You want to go back to Pang Zhichun?!" He turned to face her, wanting a clear explanation.

“General…no…” She quickly stopped herself, then respectfully said, “No, I should call you son-in-law.”

"Son-in-law?" He seemed to dislike the title, looking at her with a heavy expression. He grabbed her shoulder, forcing her to look directly at him, his eyes darkening. "What did you call me?!"

Seeing this, she remained nonchalant: "Young master, have you forgotten? You and my young lady are engaged..."

She turned her head to look in the direction of Jingxin Courtyard, and then said in a serious tone, "Young master, the wedding is approaching, and I am Miss's dowry maid. I cannot leave her alone." She was also a little worried: "And... after what happened yesterday... Miss must hold a grudge against me."

She sighed as if resigned to her fate, her lowered eyes filled with a sorrowful reluctance. "Young Master, I really have to go. Miss will be setting off at the end of the month, and I need to hurry back."

She raised her hand to try and remove Peng Feizhe's hand, but unexpectedly, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her forward forcefully. The distance between them narrowed considerably, and she stared at him in astonishment, holding her breath.

His deep black eyes were filled with fervor and seriousness. He frowned slightly and said solemnly, "Zhi Qiu, I'm giving you two choices. One, stay by my side, and I'll guarantee your safety. Two, go back to your master and suffer all the torment!"

His face was very close, and she stared wide-eyed, tilting her head back slightly. She wanted to keep some distance from him, but he held her hand tightly, his grip strong, and he very seriously presented her with a choice between two options.

"What do you want to choose? Answer me!" Peng Feizhe continued to press her earnestly.

"..." She didn't know what to say. She didn't want to choose the first option, but she was quite happy to choose the second. After all, who in this world could torment her except for the emperor and her father?

She composed herself, her eyebrows furrowed in a reluctant yet helpless manner, and said, "Young master, I choose option two. Please let go of my hand and let me go back."

He was annoyed, but he couldn't do anything about it. After all, he was the one who made her choose, and he didn't want to force her, so he let go of her wrist.

His tone was somewhat displeased with her choice, "You really want to go back and suffer? Staying by my side, are you afraid I'll eat you up?" He said harshly, but then took out a jade pendant from his waist, arrogantly turned his head away, and handed it to her with one hand.

“Here you go. If she wants to punish you, show it to her.”

She took the plaque; the emerald green jade was engraved with many patterns and a single character, "Zhe." She picked it up and held it up to the setting sun; it was remarkably translucent and exquisite.

She held the jade pendant in both hands, looking up at him with a puzzled expression. "Young Master... what does this mean?"

He nodded, looking arrogant and serious, and said, "Tell her that you are my person and cannot be punished!"

She frantically shook her head, trying to shove the jade pendant back into his hand, saying with great concern for her life, "No, no, no! Miss will kill me."

"She dares?" A hint of murderous intent flashed in his dark eyes.

"Give it to me!" he commanded, shoving the cards back into her hand.

She was a little flustered, "...Okay..."

Peng Feizhe felt inexplicably angry when he saw her put away the cards, and then he turned his back to her.

She obediently accepted it, "Then, young master... this servant... will go now..." She looked up at his back, not knowing what to say.

He crossed his arms, his face stern, and gave a reluctant "Hmm!" before standing proudly facing the setting sun.

She turned and walked towards the stairs leading downstairs, glancing back at him once more.

"Wait!" he said, his face slightly embarrassed. His ears were flushed, perhaps from the setting sun.

She stopped and asked softly, "Is there anything else, young master?"

His dark eyes lowered slightly, and his thin lips moved as if he wanted to say something. He turned his head slightly, his eyelashes drooping, and his features appeared even more handsome in the setting sun. His eyes unconsciously glanced back.

"June 14th is my birthday... There will be a big banquet in Kyoto... Can you come?"

"?" She was taken aback, not expecting him to invite her.

She pondered with difficulty, then said somewhat reluctantly, "This... I'll try my best..."

She might not even have a chance to leave the house, since the soon-to-be-married couple cannot meet, and the woman must stay home weaving her wedding dress. Her good father will definitely keep a close eye on her! She'll need a plausible reason to even go out.

Hearing her speak so reluctantly, Peng Feizhe felt a strange sadness in his heart: "I won't force you to come to the banquet. Just come find me on our wedding day..."

He wasn't sure if she would agree, and he also felt that what he was saying was somewhat absurd. On their wedding day, was it reasonable for him not to be with his wife, but instead with her maid?

He tentatively probed her willingness, "Is it alright?"

“…Ah…” She was stunned, her lips twitched slightly, and she drawled out, “Okay…alright.”

He felt inexplicably happy again, and stood up straight with his hands behind his back. "Then you can go... It's time for me to go back to Kyoto."

"Well... Fei Zhe... we'll meet again..." A smile crept onto her lips, she didn't know if he could see it, but she just wanted to smile happily. Perhaps it was to make him fall right into her plan, or perhaps she saw hope for a divorce.

He heard it, but remained unmoved, waiting for the footsteps to fade away. As the sound gradually disappeared, he focused intently on scanning the pedestrians below, trying to catch a glimpse of her.

After watching her board the carriage and depart into the distance, he felt a void in his heart, a sense of desolation.

He sighed, then slowly went downstairs, bought a pot of wine, and returned to the courtyard.