Chapter 10 Cold War
After this day, Song Lingyi and Lu Qian were in a cold war for more than half a month. Not only did they not communicate with each other, but Lu Qian did not return to the Duke's Mansion for several days. Even Lu Yu noticed that something was wrong between them.
"Did your brother bully you again?" Lu Yu put her hands on her hips in dissatisfaction, her brows furrowed.
The sun shone through the gaps between the leaves of a weeping crabapple tree in the yard, speckling the ground. The servants in the courtyard were busy at work.
The carved lattice window was wide open. Song Lingyi sat beside the soft couch, her cheeks supported, her eyelashes slightly drooping. "He didn't bully me,"
"That means you two had a fight!" Lu Yu guessed to herself.
Some time ago, my brother wanted to be with my cousin every day. In the past two weeks, when they occasionally met, they didn't even say a word.
"...It's not really a quarrel." Song Lingyi bit her lip.
What happened that day was more like Lu Qian throwing a tantrum unilaterally, and the look in his eyes when he left made her cringe even when she thought about it now. After ignoring her for so long, perhaps Lu Qian had come to his senses and didn't want to pester her anymore, or even marry her.
She should be relieved.
But why do I feel a little empty inside...
"It's not a quarrel...it's just that brother got angry at you." Lu Yu looked like someone who had experienced it, and said earnestly, "He's just like that, a passionate person, never caring about other people's opinions, and his likes and dislikes are all written on his face. You don't have to take it too seriously."
Song Lingyi puffed up her cheeks and remained silent.
Why does this sound so familiar? I feel like the next sentence will be 'It will calm down in a few days'.
"Life is short anyway, so the worst that can happen is we won't see each other again until we die."
"Hmm?" Song Lingyi's eyes widened.
Not really.
Lu Yu nodded: "He is a stubborn person. Take Brother Pei for example. So many people in Kyoto praise Brother Pei, but he is always humble and polite to everyone. There is no deep hatred between the two of them, but have you ever seen Brother Pei treat him better?"
"Not really."
"So, if he really hates someone, no one can change his mind."
However, Lu Yu didn't take this matter to heart. As long as she was there, it was enough for her cousin to be nice to her.
"Cousin, don't think too much. Wenxuan invited us to Zuixianlou tonight. It's her treat." Lu Yu moved closer to Song Lingyi, acting coquettishly and shaking her arm. "Cousin, you have to come with us, otherwise my parents won't let me go out."
Ever since Xiao Mingyi "kidnapped" her and took her to the teahouse to threaten her, Song Lingyi has had a psychological trauma about going out and has not left the house for a full half month.
Now that he was being pestered by his cousin, and since the banquet was hosted by the prince's cousin, nothing should go wrong, he agreed.
…
Jinzun Tower.
The elegant room was dark and quiet; one could even hear the sounds of stringed instruments from downstairs.
After a while, the door was gently pushed open. Chu Yizhou tiptoed in and saw Lu Qian lying quietly on the bed. He quietly approached him. Before he could say a word, he heard the rustling of fabric in the darkness.
"If you have something to say, then say it. If not, then get out."
Chu Yizhou pursed his lips, feeling quite helpless: "A Qian, what's wrong with you? Could it be... did you have a quarrel with Miss Song?"
Everyone had heard about this gentleman's recent rage for a woman he loved. Chu Yizhou and Lu Qian had known each other for over a decade, and he had never seen Lu Qian care so much about a woman. He didn't believe there wasn't something fishy going on.
Lu Qian remained silent, and Chu Yizhou continued, "I heard everything. After Li He was beaten by you, he still felt unconvinced and was determined to deal with you."
A cold, indifferent sneer echoed in the darkness, and the voice was lazy and indifferent: "Him?"
"Don't take it lightly." Chu Yizhou looked at him and said seriously, "Li He was beaten because he spoke rudely to Miss Song. He can't take revenge on you, nor can he take revenge on Miss Song."
Hearing this, the person who had been lying on the couch finally moved, sitting up abruptly with drooping eyelids and a dull expression, but the worry in his eyes was evident.
"Are you serious?"
Chu Yizhou raised his eyebrows and smiled meaningfully: "A Qian, I didn't expect that you really like Miss Song?"
Those dark, cold eyes glared at him straight ahead, and his voice was as cold as ice: "I'm asking you a question, stop talking about other things."
Chu Yizhou pursed his lips. "Li He is used to being arrogant. Now that he has hit a wall like you and suffered a great loss, how could he let it go? I heard that he got drunk with the young master of the Zhao family yesterday and threatened revenge... Hey, where are you going?"
Before he could finish his words, he saw Lu Qian impatiently getting off the bed. There was no candle in the room, and the tall black shadow walked quickly towards the door as if he was familiar with the place.
Seeing people leaving the elegant room, Chu Yizhou clicked his tongue repeatedly.
The young master is completely trapped.
…
The full moon hangs high in the sky.
When Lu Qian returned to the Duke's Mansion, he learned that Song Lingyi was not at the mansion, but had gone to Zuixian Tower with Lu Yu.
In Zhilan Garden, except for the lights under the eaves and in the wing rooms where the maids lived, the main house was pitch black.
The trees on both sides are lush and dense, covering the corridors.
Lu Qian absentmindedly paced towards Mingzhu Garden. The quarrel that night was still fresh in his mind. The issue she avoided talking about was always a thorn in his heart.
In his seventeen years of life, he had never been obsessed with a relationship, nor did he feel that anything could hold him back. Even though he liked Song Lingyi, he didn't intend to say it openly, thinking that she was by his side anyway, and she had to rely on the Duke's Mansion. However, that vivid dream shattered all his plans.
First it was Pei Zhao, then the prince, and even his mother in the dream didn't want him to marry Song Lingyi.
"I'm warning you, put those thoughts aside immediately. Jianzhi is devoted to Lingyi, and this marriage was personally requested by Jianzhi from the elders of both families! What were you doing earlier?"
"Anyone with a discerning eye can see that the Crown Prince is interested in Lingyi. What kind of person is the Crown Prince? He can bring peace to the world with his pen and decide the fate of the world with his martial arts. He has earned his current position through mountains of corpses and seas of blood. Unlike you, you are neither good at literature nor martial arts, and you spend all day hanging out with some bad friends."
Confusion overwhelmed me at this moment.
Lu Qian paused, took a deep breath, and turned around to leave the Duke's Mansion.
…
The night was dark and the music was filled with passion in Zuixian Tower.
The eldest daughter of the Huo family was generous, not only bringing in musicians and dancers to entertain, but also offering over forty different kinds of drinks. Lu Yu ordered plum wine, and Song Lingyi, who couldn't hold her liquor, didn't order anything else, sharing a pot with her.
Huo Wenxuan is not in Kyoto all year round, so she doesn't have many friends. There are only eight or nine people in the full house, all familiar faces, and the atmosphere is lively and harmonious.
A while ago, the Huo family sent a letter, agreeing on a wedding date with the Chu family, which was set for mid-August. As the wedding date approached, Huo Wenxuan became more and more anxious, so she set up a banquet and invited a few good sisters to drink and chat to relieve her anxiety.
"This is called pre-marital phobia." Song Lingyi said.
"What's the disease?" Lu Yu was puzzled. Huo Wenxuan also looked at her with her chin in her hand, her eyes half drunken.
"Getting married means marrying into another unfamiliar family and living your life there. The future is full of unknowns, so it's normal to feel anxious." Song Lingyi finished speaking and took a sip of the sweet fruit wine. "But Wenxuan, don't worry too much. With the Huo family backing you up, Chu Ruiheng will hold you in high esteem. How dare he let you suffer any injustice?"
"But I don't know him at all." Huo Wenxuan pouted, looking downcast. "The last time I saw him at the Duke's Mansion, he was so pretentious and not manly at all."
The Huo family holds military power and is rooted in the north. Huo Wenxuan has witnessed the wars and admires the bravery and heroism of her father and brother, so her ideal husband is naturally a military general like her father and brother.
Song Lingyi listened and smiled. "Who says being literary can't be masculine? You're being prejudiced. Masculinity isn't just about physical prowess. Being responsible, ambitious, and motivated—aren't those all signs of masculinity? And according to you, masculinity, does it mean the stink a man gets after practicing martial arts?"
"..." Huo Wenxuan frowned and remained silent.
"General Huo will definitely consider you when choosing a son-in-law. Although the Chu family is not as well-known as the Huo family, Mr. Chu is emotionally stable and has outstanding abilities. Maybe he can even earn you a title of consort in the future." Song Lingyi said.
The sisters were talking when the door of the elegant room was suddenly knocked.
The noble lady who was nearby went to open the door. After seeing who it was, she sobered up instantly: "Li He?!"
An exclamation attracted the attention of everyone in the room.
Huo Wenxuan knew what happened at the Pei family's birthday party, and she also knew that Li He's beating was related to Lingyi. Adhering to the principle of protecting her sisters, she immediately stood up and scolded Li He, "What are you doing here?"
Li He was also drunk. His malicious gaze passed Huo Wenxuan and landed on Song Lingyi. "Why are you so nervous? I heard Miss Huo was having a banquet, so I came to join in the fun."
"You're not welcome, you're not welcome, get out of here." Huo Wenxuan drove them away impatiently.
She has always been straightforward, and since she has no close relationship with Li He, she speaks without restraint.
Li He's face turned pale and blue with embarrassment. Fortunately, a young man who was traveling with him pulled him away in time and prevented him from making trouble.
The lively banquet lasted for a while, and after three rounds of drinks, there was a knock on the door again.
Everyone thought it was Li He who had returned and didn't want to pay any attention to him. But the knocking on the door continued, mixed in with the music, sometimes clear, sometimes vague, and annoying.
Song Lingyi got up to open the door and drove the man away. Unexpectedly, when the door opened, the person standing outside was Lu Qian.
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