Qin Ze glanced at her, sighed helplessly, and then slowly sat down on the ground. The girl hurriedly moved closer and sat down next to him.
=Suddenly a gust of wind blew by, and the girl looked at Qin Ze, tucking a stray strand of short hair behind her ear.
"Speak."
Qin Ze was also looking at her. A dozen or so wet hairs were stuck to her forehead, and a few beads of sweat still clung to her face. Her eyes were exceptionally bright, filled with anticipation.
After a few moments of silence, Qin Ze braced himself with his hands on the ground and leaned back slightly:
"I've already told you."
"Hmm?" The girl frowned, looking at him with a puzzled expression.
Qin Ze tilted his head: "Don't understand? Then let me repeat what my father said, listen carefully..."
Just as he finished speaking, Qin Ze stopped abruptly. He reached up and touched his cheek, where several drops of water landed and splashed onto his face, creating a powdery spray.
So he looked up at the sky again, and the girl also looked up at the sky at that moment.
The dark clouds covered the sky all day and did not disperse even at night. The bright moon was hidden and the starlight was not visible. The inky blackness occupied the entire sky, and the air was stuffy and humid all day and night.
Any farmer could see that the vast sky above, within the thick clouds, was already filled with moisture.
A torrential rain is already in the heavens' mouth.
Now, the wind emerges from between the heavens' lips, and this cool breeze swirls and blows towards all things, and in an instant, a hole is torn open in the dark and deep sky.
A torrential downpour began suddenly.
"Splash splash splash".
The raindrops gathered into lines, and the torrential rain came down violently and rapidly, like a downpour.
There was no sound of thunder, only the sudden rain. The clouds seemed to be churning with angry waves, and the rain sounded like a roaring torrent. The rain lashed the parched ground, splashing and spraying water everywhere.
Amidst the chaotic and noisy rain, Qing'er shouted towards Qin Ze and Jin Changge, who were still being soaked by the rain:
"It's raining!"
"Your Majesty, Miss, please come inside quickly."
In just a moment, Qing'er was soaked to the bone, her face covered in water droplets. In the continuous rain, she could barely open her eyes, so she could only vaguely see that the two people in the rain had not moved and were even sitting on the grass.
'Why are you still sitting on the ground in such heavy rain?' Seeing that they didn't respond, Qing'er felt resentful, but she still hurriedly turned around and ran to the house to get an umbrella.
The sweltering heat was replaced by a refreshing coolness, and the night, which should have been quiet, became noisy and lively in the sudden rain.
On the rain-soaked grass, the storytelling of old tales continued, the sounds of voices and rain falling together. Before anyone knew it, the girl was pressed close to Qin Ze, listening to his murmured words.
The cacophony of rain shattered Qin Ze's words, but the girl heard them clearly, and the intense emotional turmoil caused her body to tremble slightly.
Raindrops fell on the girl's fair forehead, the coolness seeping into her heart. Rainwater flowed over her reddened eyes, and the girl's tears mingled with the rain, blurring her face, which was filled with both joy and sorrow.
The rain hadn't stopped, and the voices had fallen silent. The girl buried herself in Qin Ze's arms, weeping bitterly like a young child.
Qin Ze stroked the girl's head with one hand and brushed her eyelids with the other, shaking off a raindrop, silently watching the chaotic rain.
——
——
Qing'er, who was running up the stairs, suddenly realized something amidst the chaotic and noisy sound of rain.
"Today is May 22nd, it might rain, how could I forget, oh dear!" She quickened her pace.
May 22nd marks the second solar term of the Beginning of Summer, known as "Xiaoman" (Grain Buds). Fullness invites loss, but Xiaoman brings peace.
As the saying goes, Lesser Fullness welcomes summer; one should not leave the fields or return home. Mountains and rivers flourish, vegetation thrives, and all things gradually become abundant.
As the proverb goes: "Xiaoman means that things have reached a point of slight fullness."
It is also said: When one has achieved a little in life, one should leave some blank space.
——
——
Under the blazing sun, the sky was clear and cloudless.
The sky was clear, and even the ground felt much fresher. The torrential rain a few days ago had washed the city of Jinling clean, making the entire city seem brand new.
But now, it seems too hot.
The cicadas that first crawled out of the soil had shed the shells they had carried for over a decade. They climbed to the nearest tree and brought the first chirping of summer with their noisy calls.
Amidst the incessant chirping of cicadas, the imposing and well-organized honor guard had been standing on the main road outside the city all morning. The scorching sun had left them drenched in sweat, but each of them still stood tall and straight, their gazes fixed resolutely on the road.
The ministers were the same; after holding a court meeting earlier, they rushed to the city gates and were now waiting here.
Like them, Zhang Li also got up very early today and came here now. The reason is that His Majesty will arrive in the capital today and will be here soon. Therefore, he felt that he had to go out of the city to welcome him in order to show that it was a grand and thoughtful gesture.
According to the previous letter from Nanze, His Majesty and his entourage should have returned to the capital three days ago. However, another letter later came saying that His Majesty had caught a cold and was unwell, which delayed his journey.
It's alright if things go slowly, it's not a big deal. But Zhang Li is particularly worried about Qin Ze, who has caught a cold. After all, it's no small matter if the emperor is unwell.
However, while he was worried, he was also puzzled, not understanding why Qin Ze would catch a cold in the increasingly hot summer.
It's not cold in Nanze, so how could he have caught a cold? Unless he was so fond of the cool air that he spent a lot of time at the beach or even swimming in the sea for long periods of time during his stay in Nanze, then he might have accidentally caught a cold.
This might be unlikely for others, but His Majesty is a young man, and he is indeed capable of going into business.
Just as I was lost in thought, a cacophony of voices began to rise from the side.
"They're here! They're here!"
"His Majesty is back!"
Zhang Li looked up and saw a group of soldiers appearing in the distance. Although the number of soldiers was small, it was undoubtedly His Majesty's entourage.
Immediately, his expression turned serious, and he raised his arm and shouted:
"Everyone! Cheer up!"
"Follow me to welcome His Majesty back to the capital!"
——
Inside the carriage.
Qin Ze lay back in the chair with drooping eyelids, looking listless.
Last year, he left Jinling for Beiliang and fought all the way without ever getting sick. This was thanks to his extremely strong body, which he had trained since childhood, and which allowed him to withstand major and minor illnesses. However, he caught a cold after being caught in a downpour that night after a match with Jin Changge, which was something he really didn't expect.
Despite both of them getting soaked in the rain, Jin Changge acted as if nothing had happened.
It can't be said that nothing happened. In fact, the rainstorm seemed to have washed away all her negative emotions. After that night, she was in a particularly good mood and full of energy.
This inevitably made Qin Ze start to speculate.
It is said that women are like trouble, and beautiful women are even more devastating. Could it be that fate transferred some bad things to me that night?
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but raise an eyebrow and look at the girl standing right next to him.
The girl blinked her innocent eyes, but her face was full of anxiety.
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