Zhan Garden, Wangjing Pavilion.
The curtains are rolled up high, and a gentle breeze blows across the lake.
Today, Cui Shenghe wore a long white brocade robe with gold trim on the cuffs and fine cloud patterns embroidered on the collar.
The garment Zhao Zhi was wearing was one of the gifts he had given her recently.
It's also made of brocade, with semicircles cut out on the left and right sides of the front opening, featuring a broken weft pattern.
The design features butterflies amidst a profusion of flowers, so lifelike that the butterflies seem about to fly out of the flowers.
When Zhao Zhi arrived, Cui Shenghe had just sheathed his sword. Hearing that Zhao Zhi hadn't eaten breakfast, he personally went to the kitchen and prepared some simple and easily digestible food.
"A wise man keeps away from the kitchen." Zhao Zhi, her mouth stuffed full, asked in confusion, "Brother, you're not short of money, why don't you hire a cook?"
Cui Jiu chimed in, "Young Master is pure..."
Cui Shenghe coughed lightly, and Cui Jiu quickly changed his words, saying, "Young Master doesn't like crowds."
Zhao Zhi said somewhat awkwardly, "Won't my coming here annoy you?"
Cui Shenghe picked up a handkerchief and leaned over to wipe the food residue from the corner of her mouth. After sitting down, he said, "Zhizhi is different from them."
Zhao Zhi chuckled until she was completely full, at which point Cui Shenghe asked Cui Jiu to clear the table and bring out writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones.
He first wrote a piece of calligraphy. Zhao Zhi stood aside and watched silently.
"The wild crabapple blossoms have fallen, and the Qingming Festival has passed in a hurry."
The east wind, sweeping across the land, deceives the traveler's dreams; a pillow of clouds hangs cold and frightening.
Holding a wine cup on the winding bank, tethering my horse to the weeping willows, this is where we parted ways.
The building is empty, the people are gone; only the swallows of yesteryear can tell their tales.
After writing the character "说" (say), Cui Shenghe put down his brush and asked, "Has anyone heard the second half of this poem?"
"Of course I've heard of it."
Zhao Zhi mischievously snatched the pen from the other person's hand and began to write the second stanza on a blank sheet of Xuan paper.
"I have heard that at the eastern end of the beautiful road, passersby have seen the slender moon beneath the curtain."
Old grievances flow endlessly like the spring river, while new grievances rise a thousand times like clouds and mountains.
I foresee that we will meet again tomorrow, but the flower in the mirror will be hard to pluck.
One should also be surprised to learn how many gray hairs have appeared recently.
Cui Shenghe hung up the two people's calligraphy.
He wrote in the slender gold script, while Zhao Zhi wrote in the beautiful small regular script. The two had their own unique styles, each forming its own distinct style.
Zhao Zhi looked at her writing with pride, and then read the two stanzas together.
As she read, her face darkened.
"Deceiving guests' dreams" implies that Cui Shenghe is not a person of the Great Xuan Dynasty. "The building is empty and the people are gone" implies that Cui Shenghe's family has suffered a misfortune.
Zhao Zhi rested her chin on her hand and looked at Cui Shenghe. "Why do I feel that you're unhappy, brother? I've felt that you're unhappy ever since the first time I met you."
Cui Shenghe smiled, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with Zhao Zhi's words.
He slowly sat back down, grinding the rosin ink stick, thinking to himself, "How could I possibly be happy? My father was killed, my mother was humiliated. The old and new grudges are suffocating me."
Zhao Zhi looked at Cui Shenghe, seemingly lost in thought.
A few days ago, she borrowed a book of secrets about the Yun Dynasty's imperial palace from the teacher. After reading it carefully, she discovered that the former emperor Yun Ling of the Yun Dynasty had intricate relationships with the current emperor Yun Shu and the former empress Cui Jiao.
Most importantly, Cui Jiao had only one son before her death, and after the palace coup, the former crown prince disappeared. Furthermore, Cui Jiao's maternal family only had one twin sister, and no brothers.
So, what kind of aunt is Cui Jiao to Cui Shenghe? Could he be the son of Cui Jiao's enemy?
Zhao Zhi suddenly had a bold guess: he wanted to see if the Cui Shenghe in front of him really looked the same as he did now.
If Cui Shenghe's relationship with Cui Jiao is not innocent, then she needs to consider whether or not to give him the remaining portraits of beauties.
After careful consideration, Zhao Zhi decided to test Cui Shenghe.
She stretched and leaned on the railing of the viewing pavilion to look at the scenery in the distance.
After watching for a while, Zhao Zhi playfully climbed onto the railing and excitedly shouted, "It really is a great place to see far and wide!"
Cui Shenghe put down the ink stick and walked towards her, saying, "Zhizhi, be careful."
Before he could finish speaking, there was a "plop" sound as Zhao Zhi plunged headfirst into the lake.
Hearing the sound of a heavy object falling into the lake, Cui Jiu, who was waiting in the distance, rushed over. But Cui Shenghe had already leaped over the railing and jumped in without hesitation.
Zhao Zhi thrashed about in the lake, her body beginning to slowly sink.
The lake water came from all directions, filling her nostrils, ears, and mouth.
This feeling is awful, Zhao Zhi thought.
But it was too late to regret it after the person had already jumped.
She could only hope that Cui Shenghe could swim.
As Cui Shenghe entered the water, the hairpin on his head accidentally fell off, and his black hair cascaded down the lake like a waterfall. In Zhao Zhi's eyes, he looked like a beautiful mermaid at that moment.
Cui Shenghe swam anxiously toward Zhao Zhi. Taking advantage of the moment when he grabbed his arm, Zhao Zhi clung tightly to the other's neck and scratched wildly at his face.
Cui Shenghe grabbed Zhao Zhi and swam vigorously toward the lake.
The instant he carried Zhao Zhi out of the water, Zhao Zhi clearly saw that under Cui Shenghe's water-soaked human skin mask was a face almost identical to her own.
After getting ashore, Cui Shenghe laid Zhao Zhi flat and gently patted her back.
After spitting out a few mouthfuls of water, Zhao Zhi started coughing.
Cui Shenghe took the dry cloth handed to him by Cui Jiu and carefully wiped Zhao Zhi's face. But he found her staring blankly at his face.
He thought Zhao Zhi was frightened, so he took her hand and took her pulse, his brows furrowing deeply.
It wasn't until Cui Jiu whispered a reminder to him, "Young Master, your face is gone."
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