Chapter 50: "Sheng Sheng, can you kiss me?"
After breakfast, Xiao Xu led Yun Sheng out of the room.
Yun Sheng asked curiously, "Where are you taking me?"
Xiao Xu rarely kept people in suspense: "You'll find out when you get there."
Yun Sheng thought they were going to a faraway place, but she soon discovered that they hadn't even left the main entrance of the inn. Xiao Xu led her all the way to the backyard of the inn.
Before we even got close, we could hear a cacophony of cries and pleas for mercy coming from inside. It was noisy and chaotic, with a few shouts mixed in, as if we had stumbled into some kind of chaotic market.
The guards at the gate saw them approaching from afar and quickly turned to go inside to announce their arrival. Immediately afterward, they heard someone inside shout, "Quiet down! If you make another sound, I'll rip your tongues out!"
The room fell silent for a moment, save for a few suppressed sniffles and low sobs.
Yun Sheng's heart tightened, and she unconsciously gripped Xiao Xu's fingers tighter.
"Don't be afraid," Xiao Xu reassured calmly.
Yun Sheng's doubts deepened, and she followed him into the backyard.
The courtyard was quite large, but it felt incredibly crowded at the moment.
Upon entering, she was surprised to see the gang of bandits who had attacked her the day before, about twenty of them, all with their hands tied behind their backs and left in the open space of the courtyard.
They were all bruised and battered, dressed in tattered clothes. Some had cracked eyes, some had blood at the corners of their mouths, and some seemed to have difficulty walking. They sat or knelt crookedly, looking many times more miserable than when they were robbed yesterday, like a flock of plucked quails.
As soon as Yun Sheng walked in, the bandits who had been cowering like quails suddenly knelt down in her direction, some kowtowing and others begging for mercy, creating a spectacular scene.
Yun Sheng was dumbfounded, never expecting that Xiao Xu had brought her to see this scene.
It hadn't been long before he had captured them all.
However, Xiao Xu seemed dissatisfied with this, his brows furrowed, and he gave Mu Shan a wink.
Mu Shan stepped forward and kicked the burly man who had kidnapped Yun Sheng onto his horse yesterday. At this moment, his face was covered in bruises, and one of his eyes was swollen shut, making him look even more ferocious, yet also comical.
"Stop howling, one at a time."
The bandit leader stumbled from the kick, immediately straightened up, and began kowtowing repeatedly towards Yun Sheng. His voice was choked with sobs, but his words were exceptionally clear: "Grandma, I was blind and didn't recognize your greatness. I offended you yesterday. I was blinded by greed and had the audacity to do so. I deserve to die! My eighty-year-old mother is waiting for rice to cook at home. I beg you, Grandma, to have mercy and spare my dog's life!"
No sooner had he finished speaking than a tall, thin man with a missing front tooth eagerly chimed in, kowtowing repeatedly, his face streaked with tears and snot: "Fairy Goddess, I'm just here to make a living. I really didn't touch a hair on your head yesterday. It was all Wang Laoda's doing. I have elderly parents and young children to support, my youngest baby is only three months old. We can't be without a father! Please, have mercy and let me go!"
The third one was short and fat, his face jiggling with fat. He kowtowed and wailed, "Goddess, I was wrong! I will never dare to do it again! I will go back and change my profession. I will sell pancakes and tofu. I will never do such a wicked thing again. Please give me a way to live. I will set up a longevity tablet for you and burn incense and make offerings to you every day!"
Then came a stammering voice: "I...I...I was tricked into coming here, they said there would be meat to eat...I...I didn't mean to hurt anyone...Waaah...Mother...I want to go home..."
...
Yun Sheng was speechless as she looked at the scene of wailing and lamentation before her.
Her fingers were pinched, and she instinctively burrowed her hand into Xiao Xu's palm.
She turned to look at him: "Changyu, what... what should we do?"
Xiao Xu raised an eyebrow: "What? What should we do?"
"How long are they going to keep apologizing?"
"Until you are satisfied."
"I……"
Yun Sheng had never seen anything like this before, and upon hearing Xiao Xu's words, she felt somewhat pressured.
She asked, "That's about enough, isn't it? They're too noisy and they look ugly. I don't want to look at them anymore."
"Okay, let's go then."
He said he was going to leave, but after Xiao Xu said that, Yun Sheng stopped him again.
"And what about them?"
Xiao Xu asked, "How do you plan to handle this?"
Yun Sheng frowned, looking troubled. She wasn't a magistrate in the government office who presided over cases, so how would she know how to judge and punish them? But these people committed violence and robbery in broad daylight and even tried to take advantage of her. They were extremely despicable, and she couldn't just let them get away with it by kowtowing a few times and saying a few pitiful words.
Xiao Xu saw through her thoughts and said, "If you don't have a solution, send them to the authorities now and deal with them according to the law."
Yun Sheng relaxed her brow and immediately nodded: "Alright, then send them to the government office for legal processing."
Xiao Xu gave Mu Shan a look.
Mu Shan understood, stepped forward and kicked the bandit leader who was still sobbing again: "Alright, get up, line up, and we'll take you to the government office now."
Upon hearing that they were going to the government office, the bandits stirred up again, their cries for mercy growing louder. But under the cold gazes and merciless shoving and kicking of Mu Shan and the other guards, they had no choice but to get up, covered in dust and staggering, their hands bound behind their backs, forming a crooked, long line.
Xiao Xu led Yun Sheng aside and watched as the bandits were escorted out of the inn's backyard.
As the last bandit disappeared outside the courtyard gate, the nagging that had been bothering them gradually faded away.
Yun Sheng let out a soft sigh of relief, her tense shoulders relaxing slightly.
Xiao Xu turned to look at her: "Feeling better now?"
Yun Sheng nodded and whispered, "They deserved it."
*
At noon, the fish from that restaurant was delivered to the inn, still steaming hot when it was served.
Yun Sheng tasted it, but didn't find anything particularly amazing about it. Nevertheless, she smiled and said to Xiao Xu, "Delicious."
Unexpectedly, Xiao Xu took a bite, then put down his chopsticks with a slightly sullen face and called Mu Shan in.
Mu Shan, who was waiting outside the door, entered in response: "Your Highness."
Xiao Xu coldly ordered, "Go tell that Wang Tongpan from before that the Wangzhou specialty he strongly recommended is very difficult to eat. This year, he will be responsible for checking and copying all the records and documents of the dike inspections within his jurisdiction."
Mu Shan was clearly taken aback for a moment, then glanced at the plate of fish on the table that didn't look particularly impressive, and replied, "Yes, I will go and deliver the message right away."
Yun Sheng was also stunned. Although she didn't know what the job was like, Xiao Xu's tone sounded like a punishment.
She couldn't help but say, "This fish isn't that bad, is it?"
"When you said it was delicious, your eyes didn't light up, and the curve of your eyebrows was even more strained than when you said it was just okay."
Yun Sheng: "..."
She had no idea that he was observing things so meticulously.
"Did you just punish that person?"
Xiao Xu said calmly, "He is in charge of local water conservancy projects, and the documents should be clear and accurate. It is his duty to check them."
Making someone copy it is punishment, isn't it?
Throughout the meal, the unremarkable fish was barely touched.
After dinner, Xiao Xu left to handle official business, saying that he had a social engagement that evening and couldn't come back to have dinner with her, but he wouldn't be back too late.
It was still a cloudy and rainy day. The rain wasn't heavy, but there was a constant, gentle dripping sound coming from the windowsill, which made me feel drowsy.
Yun Sheng took a nap and then read a book by herself for a while after waking up.
Time passed quickly, and night fell. The inn delivered the meal that Xiao Xu had ordered before he left.
Xiao Xu still hadn't returned even after Yun Sheng had taken a bath and had Cui Zhu apply medicine to her wounds.
Cuizhu left the room, and Yunsheng stood in front of the bronze mirror, lifting her clothes to check the injury on her lower back.
Cui Zhu was much gentler than Xiao Xu; she didn't suffer much when she rubbed the medicinal oil into Cui Zhu.
However, the wound has indeed improved considerably, and the surrounding yellowish marks have expanded. Perhaps they will completely disappear in another three to five days.
Yun Sheng lowered her hem and sat in front of the dressing table to comb her hair.
As Yu Zhi combed the hair on the right side of her neck, her movements suddenly stopped.
Yun Sheng looked down and saw that the section of hair she had cut off earlier had been mixed in with the rest of her hair and was no longer visible.
She shifted her gaze and reached out to open the drawer in front of the dressing table.
Tomorrow is the Mid-Autumn Festival.
When she first arrived here, she put the sachet she had embroidered for Xiao Xu into this drawer while he was away, intending to give it to him on the Mid-Autumn Festival.
Yun Sheng opened the sachet, the drawstring loosened, revealing the spices inside, and a piece of the love knot that had sprouted from the bottom during the bumpy journey.
She took the love knot, tightened the drawstring again, and was about to put the sachet back in the drawer when she hesitated, withdrew her hand, and opened it again.
This was repeated twice.
Yun Sheng held the flat sachet that she had just taken out again, and sighed heavily.
She was suddenly attacked, and the incident she had witnessed that day could no longer be discussed openly.
In truth, if she were to elaborate, she wouldn't really know what to say.
On the eve of her wedding, Xiao Xu released Xiao Ling, who had run away from the wedding, at the city gate. In the days that followed, he not only failed to find him but also released him again and again, even trying to take him to a more distant place.
Her fiancé ran away from the wedding. As the eldest son of the family, Xiao Xu should have taken responsibility for this and brought his younger brother back to stop such a disgraceful act from happening. However, this caused her to lose the marriage that she was supposed to have.
Is it harmful?
If Xiao Ling hadn't run away from the wedding, or if Xiao Xu had caught her that very night and forced her to marry him the next day, what would have become of her marriage?
Did she gradually become familiar with Xiao Ling and grow closer to him, breaking through his previous reluctance, or did he remain unwilling, causing her to gradually become lonely and heartbroken, ultimately becoming a resentful couple?
Yun Sheng didn't know, as she hadn't promised Xiao Xu before, that something that hadn't happened could't be imagined.
I don't want to imagine it either.
She suddenly realized that she didn't want to think about the possibility that her husband was someone else.
Yun Sheng's heart skipped a beat, and she lowered her head to put the love knot into the sachet for the third time.
But as soon as the drawstring was tightened, that feeling of hesitation surged up again.
Yun Sheng frowned, but her cheeks had already turned completely blushed.
She didn't know what she was being so hesitant about; it was just a simple knot of hearts.
But their hair, once black, symbolizes their deep affection; their hearts are bound together in marriage.
Yun Sheng held the bulging sachet, her fingers already reaching the mouth of the sachet.
Just as she was about to open the sachet, a sound suddenly came from the door.
"Greetings, Your Highness."
Xiao Xu was about to ask something when several muffled, chaotic thuds came from inside the room.
He paused slightly, waved away the servants at the door, and pushed the door open to enter.
Upon entering, one would see Yun Sheng standing stiffly by the bed, looking as if she were being punished by the female teacher.
Xiao Xu raised an eyebrow, closed the door, and walked towards her: "Waiting for me?"
Yun Sheng nodded: "You're back."
She went to greet him.
As Xiao Xu watched her walk towards him, her face flushed and her eyes sparkling, he couldn't help but reach out and touch her cheek with his knuckles.
He had just returned from outside, his fingers icy cold, when they touched the warmth of her cheek.
Yun Sheng unconsciously shrank her neck as if to avoid him, but quickly raised her face and took the initiative to touch his fingers.
She smelled the alcohol on him and was delighted. She quickly changed the subject: "You've been drinking?"
"Yes, I had some drinks with those gentlemen."
"Then go take a bath quickly, and I'll have someone prepare a bowl of hangover soup for you."
Xiao Xu's eyes were clear and his expression was calm. He showed no signs of drunkenness whatsoever, so he had no need for a hangover remedy.
Yun Sheng took a step to leave, but he grabbed her and pulled her back: "What were you doing in the room just now?"
Xiao Xu glanced at the bed behind her; it was tidy, indicating that she hadn't lain down on it yet.
"I wasn't doing anything, I was just waiting for you."
"Is that so?" Xiao Xu said slowly, taking half a step forward.
Yun Sheng was forced to retreat by his steps.
When her heels touched the edge of the bed, she lost her balance and fell backward.
Xiao Xu didn't catch her.
But there was a bed behind her, so she didn't fall. She just slumped onto the bed. Xiao Xu approached again and completely blocked her there.
"I really didn't do anything..." Yun Sheng was so guilty that she almost confessed without being asked.
Xiao Xu suddenly squatted down in front of her.
Her skirt was lifted up, her socks were rolled down, revealing her wounds that had begun to scab over.
"You've applied medicine?"
Yun Sheng was taken aback. She looked down and saw Xiao Xu's dark hair, then realized, "Yes, I also rubbed it on my waist. I asked Cui Zhu to do it for me."
Even if Xiao Xu were to turn around and try to lift her clothes to check her, she wouldn't struggle at all.
However, Xiao Xu did not. He simply helped her put on her socks, let down her skirt, and stood up, saying, "Then I'll go take a bath. I don't need the hangover soup; I didn't drink much."
"……good."
Yun Sheng only let out a heavy sigh of relief after Xiao Xu's figure disappeared behind the screen.
As the sound of water emanated from the bathhouse, Yun Sheng sat on the edge of the bed, her gaze gradually drifting towards the dressing table not far away.
The dressing table was clean, and the drawers were tightly closed. She had hurriedly stuffed the sachet back in when she heard the noise outside.
The love knot is still inside the sachet; it hasn't been taken out.
If you walk over now and move gently, you can still remove it.
But Yun Sheng just stared at it, her body motionless.
She only snapped out of her daze when the sound of water in the bathhouse stopped. She bent over, took off her shoes and socks, and went to lie down on the inside of the bed.
Xiao Xu came out and saw that she was already lying down. He said softly, "Should we turn off the lights?"
A soft reply came from the bed: "Mm, rest."
*
The following day, the Mid-Autumn Festival, the weather cleared up.
Early in the morning, Wangzhou City was filled with a festive atmosphere unlike any other day.
The streets were busier than usual, with peddlers' baskets filled with colorful lanterns and seasonal fruits, their shouts filled with joy. Pedestrians hurried along, most with smiles on their faces, and every household began to sweep and clean in front of their doors, preparing for the family reunion dinner that evening.
Xiao Xu has not arranged any official business today.
At noon, they had a more sumptuous lunch in the inn's private room. The inn also specially prepared mooncakes and osmanthus wine. Although it was not as exquisite as the Prince's Mansion, it added a touch of festive flavor.
After a short rest in the afternoon, Xiao Xu took Yun Sheng out of the city by carriage and headed west.
About half an hour later, the carriage stopped in front of an elegant courtyard called Wangyue Villa.
Built against the mountain, the place is quiet and secluded. The villa has pavilions and towers scattered throughout, as well as a high platform built specifically for moon viewing. In the past, most of the people who came here were well-dressed merchants or literati.
They were the only two people we received today.
One side of the attic is open, facing the distant mountains and the gradually widening horizon, offering an excellent view.
The room was elegantly furnished, with a finely laid-out table in the center. Although it was just the two of them, it was filled with dishes symbolizing reunion, as well as a plate of mooncakes cut into the shape of lotus flowers and warm osmanthus wine.
As the sun set, they took their seats.
Yun Sheng sat down next to Xiao Xu, watching the sky outside the window gradually change from a brilliant orange-red to a deep sapphire blue, and a full, bright moon slowly rose from the top of the eastern mountain.
At first, it was a soft pale yellow, but as it rose higher, it cast a clear, frosty glow, outlining the distant mountains and the nearby houses clearly and serenely.
Xiao Xu served her some food: "Fill your stomach first, and when the moon is higher, we'll go look at it from the railing over there."
Yun Sheng had eaten a hearty lunch, so she wasn't very hungry at the moment, but she still ate some of the dishes Xiao Xu had given her. Her mind was more drawn to the increasingly bright full moon outside the window.
After dinner, the leftover food was cleared away, and tea and fruit were served on the table instead.
Xiao Xu took Yun Sheng's hand and walked to the spacious terrace extending from the viewing pavilion.
The terrace is enclosed by carved wooden railings, and in front of it is a grassy area that grows naturally along the hillside, shimmering with a soft silver-green glow under the moonlight.
Because of its high elevation, the view from this pavilion is unobstructed by any tall buildings. Only the waist-high grassy slope stretches into the distance, and further away lies the deep blue sky that meets the stars. The view is so expansive that it feels as if you can embrace the entire night sky.
A gentle night breeze blew, carrying the fresh scent of grass and the coolness of an autumn night, stirring the clothes and hair of the two people.
Yun Sheng walked to the railing, turned around and poked Xiao Xu's arm: "I want to sit here."
Xiao Xu glanced at her, said nothing, wrapped his arm around her waist, and easily lifted her up, settling her down on the railing.
Once Yun Sheng was settled, a look of joy immediately appeared on her face. She gently swung her dangling legs and looked up at the bright moon that had already risen high in the sky.
The moonlight spilled onto the ground, enveloping her in a hazy glow, making the contours of her hair and face incredibly soft.
The only sound was the rustling of the wind through the grass, and it seemed as if only the two of them and the ancient full moon remained in the world.
A tranquil yet profound joy, mingled with the cool evening breeze, gradually seeped into her heart.
Looking at the moon, Yun Sheng said softly, "In the past, when we celebrated festivals in the manor, there were always many people and it was always lively. This is the first time I've spent Mid-Autumn Festival so quietly and peacefully with just the two of us."
She paused, a faint smile playing on her lips, "But I like it very much."
Xiao Xu stood beside her, one hand casually resting on the railing beside her.
He didn't reply, but simply stayed quietly with her, watching the moon.
After a while, Yun Sheng gradually realized that her gaze did not seem to linger on the bright moon in the sky.
That gaze was warm, and after she noticed it, it gradually developed an undeniable presence.
She turned her head uncertainly, and sure enough, she met Xiao Xu's eyes directly.
He just stared at her, his eyes deep and focused, shimmering with a faint, almost imperceptible luster in the moonlight, as if she were more worthy of his attention than the bright moon itself.
Yun Sheng was stunned for a moment, then her face flushed, and she scolded, "Why are you looking at me? Are you looking at the moon?"
She was sitting on the railing, much taller than Xiao Xu who was standing. It was a rare angle from which he had to tilt his head slightly to meet her gaze.
Xiao Xu didn't speak, his gaze lingering from her slightly pursed lips to her moonlit eyes, making Yun Sheng's heart beat inexplicably erratically.
Her heart pounded like a drum. After a moment's hesitation, she lowered her head and reached for the purse tied to her waist.
"Actually, I finished embroidering it a while ago, but then I thought it would be more appropriate to give it to you during the Mid-Autumn Festival."
The sachet was something Yun Sheng hurriedly took out and put on her waist this morning when Xiao Xu went to the bathing room to wash up.
At that moment, Cuizhu was doing her hair and makeup behind her. When she saw her actions, she couldn't help but smile ambiguously, which made her blush. Xiao Xu, who had just finished washing up, asked her why she was blushing.
Yun Sheng took out a sachet and handed it to Xiao Xu. At this moment, her cheeks were slightly flushed. The night tried to hide her blush, but the moonlight illuminated the blush and reflected it in Xiao Xu's eyes.
Xiao Xu's eyes flickered. He finally looked away from her face and lowered his gaze to the object lying quietly in her palm.
The finest sky-blue satin shimmered with a soft sheen under the moonlight, and was embroidered with an elegant orchid in varying shades of silk thread.
He stared at it for a long time before reaching out to take the sachet. His fingertips inevitably touched her palm, which was warm and soft.
"Thank you." He said, his voice low but so solemn that Yun Sheng's heart skipped a beat.
Xiao Xu unconsciously pressed the pad of his thumb against the fullest part of the sachet and gently rubbed it.
Yun Shengwei's heart tightened suddenly, and she subconsciously held her breath.
Did he touch it?
Xiao Xu kept his head down, his gaze fixed on the sachet. He didn't speak or make any other movements, but simply used his fingertips to carefully trace the patterns of the orchid, as if he were studying some priceless treasure.
But he didn't seem to notice the unique tactile sensation inside the sachet, which was different from the pile of spices.
Yun Sheng could no longer bear the agonizing wait and whispered, "But I didn't write you any love poems."
As soon as the words left her mouth, she immediately regretted them.
This wasn't a hint at all; it was clearly meant to ruin the pleasant atmosphere, but she couldn't bring herself to say that there was a strand of my hair hidden inside.
Yun Sheng was sitting high up and couldn't see his expression. She could only see the shadows cast by his thick eyelashes under his eyelids and his tightly pursed lips.
Time passed slowly, and Yun Sheng finally couldn't help but speak again, "Chang Yu, are you unhappy? I just felt that the love poem wasn't quite right, so I..."
"No," Xiao Xu interrupted her, his voice even hoarser than before, with a faint, almost imperceptible tremor. "I'm very happy."
He raised his head.
The moonlight shone clearly on his face, and Yun Sheng actually saw a misty, watery light in those usually calm and deep black eyes.
His eyes were bright, with a soft luster, and a watery sheen that resembled shattered stars or the gentlest moonlight.
Yun Sheng suddenly understood why he had looked at her instead of the moon.
Because at that moment, she seemed to see a moon in his eyes that belonged only to her.
Xiao Xu stood below, looking up at her with those eyes, burning with intense focus.
“That’s it,” he said slowly, his voice deep and clear. “I like it very much too.”
"Really..." Yun Sheng murmured.
"real."
But he hasn't discovered the love knot inside yet.
Yun Sheng secretly twisted her fingers in front of her, thinking about how to give him another hint.
Xiao Xu's gaze was fixed on her eyes. Before she could speak, he spoke first, pleading, "Sheng Sheng, can you kiss me?"
Yun Sheng's heartbeat completely went off track, and her mind was instantly emptied.
She felt as if she were being drawn into Xiao Xu's unfathomable black eyes.
She seemed to have answered him, but then again, she didn't.
When she came to her senses, she had already cupped Xiao Xu's slightly upturned face, closed her eyes, leaned down, and kissed him.
Their lips touched, and she touched the corner of his eye with her thumb, seemingly feeling a warm, wet sensation.
A gentle evening breeze rustled the grass, and her skirt swayed lightly behind the fence like waves.
Yun Sheng slowly opened her eyes, saw the shimmering water, and also saw her surroundings.
It was quiet all around; the wind hadn't stirred and the grass hadn't rustled.
Only their heartbeats throbbed and intertwined in the silent night.
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[doge emoji] It's just that, once I started writing about their interactions, I couldn't stop, um, and then, um, and then this and that, let's send red envelopes, I don't know what to say, hahahahaha
Leave a comment below this chapter and one of 30 red envelopes will be randomly given away!
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