Chapter 44 Nuo Opera Banquet I want to... kiss you.
"Delicious! Actually, I only put the fruit into the mold; it's all thanks to Auntie." Wang Yan picked up another piece and took a bite. "It's not very sweet, is it? You eat quite a lot of sweets, is this very sweet...?"
Just as the two were about to go out for a walk, the shopkeeper called them back.
"Young master, madam, please wait!"
Before the shopkeeper could even speak, Wang Yan knew he had something to ask of him, and his apology was written all over his face.
"Today is a perfect day to air out the books, but I'm too busy to leave, and I'm worried those clumsy folks might damage them. Could you two possibly do me a favor? These are all antique books I bought at a high price. If you see any you like, just let me know. I can give one to each of you."
With nothing else to do, Wang Yan agreed on behalf of Shen Minghuai and even asked the shopkeeper for two overcoats. The backyard was bathed in sunlight, every inch exposed to the blazing sun. The sun was shining, the breeze was warm, and the weather was pleasantly mild. If she hadn't been in such high spirits today, she would surely have been delirious in this drowsy weather.
She rolled up her wide sleeves and fastened her shoulders, revealing a thin gauze dress underneath, her slender arms and fair wrists faintly visible. Fortunately, there were only the two of them in the backyard. Books were laid out open on the table, a gentle breeze blowing, the pages dancing in the sunlight, the shadows of the trees swaying, and their figures overlapping.
A few voices gradually approached; they were strangers who had unintentionally wandered into the backyard.
Wang Yan quickly hid behind Shen Minghuai, tugging at his sleeve. After hearing the others apologize, she whispered, "Have they left?"
Shen Minghuai turned around, completely covering her, and unbuttoned her clothes. "Alright, let's go."
Wang Yan caught a glimpse of the ripe ear tips, pursed her lips, quickly pulled down her sleeve, and then turned to the books and scrolls that filled the courtyard. She remembered that she had only aired out ten books, yet he moved so quickly.
The two informed the shopkeeper and set out. The streets were bustling with carriages and horses, and lined with fine silks and brocades. Every few steps, a new cry of "Mohe Le!" rang out. Today, it seemed almost everyone in Hangzhou was out for a stroll. Buying here, gathering there, they didn't realize the sun was setting, and everything in the world seemed bathed in a soft light. After crossing the new bridge, the scene was incredibly lively, with many men and women traveling in pairs, all heading in the same direction.
Wang Yan stopped one of the women and asked, "What happened up ahead?"
"Master Wan is holding a Nuo opera banquet in the orange grove. As long as you and your beloved participate together, Master Wan will cover the food expenses for the whole year for the winner!" The lady in her new clothes hurriedly pulled her husband away.
A year's worth of food expenses...that's really generous. Wang Yan was already tempted. "Since we're here, let's go take a look."
Without giving her any room to refuse, she pulled Shen Minghuai along with the current. After a moment, she felt that Shen Minghuai's grip was a little tighter and his palms were slightly sweaty, so she shook his hand.
"Aren't you afraid I'll lose you?"
With those utterly innocent eyes of his, Wang Yan was completely at a loss.
Anyone entering the orange grove must choose a Nuo mask. The husband and wife are led separately into the rooms on the east and west sides. The Nuo masks on the table are of all shapes and sizes, with different expressions: purple, blue, green, yellow, orange, and red. Some are fierce and menacing, while others are quite comical. When they reunite in the grove, they can only recognize each other by their clothing.
After entering the garden, the men and women are separated by two paths, east and west. It takes a full quarter of an hour to walk across the winding bridge before one can vaguely see the ladies and gentlemen on the other side. The candlelight flickers, and it seems that in the blink of an eye, the night has gathered the warm colors of dusk into a cage, dressing the world in a dark robe.
"Young Master Shen." A woman wearing an eagle-beak mask bowed respectfully.
Shen Minghuai looked around before his gaze fell on the person who had returned.
Jiang Wan hurriedly told the three-eyed, blue-faced man her name, "May I speak to you in private?"
More and more people entered the park, moving around frequently. Shen Minghuai followed Jiang Wan around to the back of the artificial hill, temporarily isolating the bustling crowd.
"Please, Young Master Shen, save my brother's life." Jiang Wan's anxious expression was revealed by the cold candlelight.
Shen Minghuai took off his mask, helped her up, and was about to speak when Jiang Wan confessed first.
“My elder brother is Jingxin. Young master, you need not doubt me. If I had come for the Heart Sutra, I would have read it long ago during the years I spent with Changling.”
Shen Minghuai could not hide his suspicion, so Jiang Wan had no choice but to offer corresponding terms as a deal.
“I know you and Aying are looking for him. My strength alone is really weak. Young Master is exceptionally intelligent, and with the help of the Shen family and Prince Wei, we will surely find my brother as soon as possible. Let me know when you have news of my brother. I will definitely bring him back to the capital to testify and help the Duke of Dingguo clear his name.”
As if afraid someone would burst in at any moment, Jiang Wan spoke very quickly. Seeing that Shen Minghuai did not react, she thought he had not heard her clearly, "Young Master Shen?"
"Alright. If there are any problems involving your brother, we will need Lady Jiang's help."
“Of course. I’m leaving first. If A-Ying finds out, you’re in big trouble.” Jiang Wan pulled down her mask and disappeared into the crowd.
Shen Minghuai put on his mask and came out. In front of the table full of cakes and fruits, he immediately spotted the half-length silk skirt that he had personally chosen. Assuming she didn't recognize him, he called out from behind her, "Wenxuan."
He still felt she hadn't heard him, so he called out again, "Wang Wenxuan."
Wang Yan then turned around upon hearing the sound, looked around, but deliberately avoided looking behind her. She then turned back to the man beside her and said, "This is delicious."
"Really? Try them all, try them all."
The man's voice sounded somewhat familiar... Shen Minghuai frowned slightly, then tugged at Wang Yan's sleeve, "Aying, I'm hungry."
His breath tickled her ear, making her feel itchy. Both sides were crowded with people. Wang Yan wanted to move aside to let Yan Xun squeeze in, but Shen Minghuai held her tightly in his arms and reached out from behind her.
"How did you get hurt?" Wang Yan grabbed his wrist and looked up, only to see the three-eyed, blue-faced young master gently pull his hand away.
"I just accidentally scratched a rock, it's nothing."
"Sister..." Yan Xun reached out but found nothing.
"Eat more, so you can grow taller."
Wang Yan took some pastries, pulled him to sit on the deserted stone steps, and took off her mask to examine it closely. Perhaps because she had been wearing a mask, the cut wasn't a bright red one; just as he had said, it was only two shallow marks. She then stuffed the pastries into his hands and, extremely dissatisfied, removed his mask.
"Let me see what you're thinking, you won't even take off your mask..."
Wang Yan fell into the trap he had laid with the Milky Way without warning. His eyes flickered with light, as if he were drunk again.
"you."
That night, when he first called her A-Ying, he had the same expression. A blush involuntarily crept onto her cheeks, and Wang Yan quickly sat back down.
"Liar. You were clearly having a very pleasant conversation with Jiang Wan just now."
Shen Minghuai took her hand. "We didn't have a very pleasant conversation. She asked me for help with something related to calming her mind."
Wang Yanxuan looked around, then leaned closer and whispered, "Is she also involved in this matter?"
Shen Minghuai pushed her away slightly, saying, "I'll explain in detail when we get back."
Wang Yan pulled him closer again, frowning as she said, "You're acting strange today."
The moonlight poured down, revealing her slightly angry expression, and her fluffy fur was also adorable.
Why are you staring at me?
"I want to... kiss you." Shen Minghuai's voice became even hoarseer.
As if the ceaseless flow of the river had suddenly stopped, Wang Yan swiftly pecked his lips, and a moment later, the chirping of cicadas in the summer night returned to his ears.
"Aren't you feeling hot... I want to eat lychee syrup."
Shen Minghuai looked at the person in front of him who was using his hand as a fan, touched his lips with his index finger, and smiled as he took the moonlight with him.
Wang Yan cupped her face in her hands; it was indeed slightly flushed. The place was rather dark, so they probably didn't notice her ripe face…
Footsteps suddenly broke through the loud chirping of cicadas. So fast—no, that's not right.
She instantly darted behind the bushes, where a man wearing a white-faced, red-eyed mask was walking from the direction Shen Minghuai had left. He was even holding a sword in his hand!
This sword tassel is quite strange. When the wind blows, it is not as loose and light as a normal sword tassel. Instead, it is tangled together and looks a bit heavy.
The man turned around, and the hilt of his sword was just exposed to the faint moonlight.
It's him!
Wang Yan decisively led him to another place. The noise gradually subsided, and they inadvertently stumbled into a stone forest. The path became narrower and narrower, and ahead was a garden wall! A dead end.
That person's lightness skill far surpassed hers; he would likely catch up soon. Wang Yan had no time to think and could only immediately leap out of the orange grove. Two thuds, one after the other, landed on the ground, exceptionally clear in this quiet place.
Ignoring the spilled lychee paste, Shen Minghuai picked up the mask Wang Yan had thrown down and hurriedly searched the vicinity, then returned to the crowd and scanned several times without success. Suddenly, the image of the pale-faced man who had brushed past him flashed into his mind.
On his way to get the lychee paste, he bent down to pick up an earring from beside his feet. Just then, a man walked by, carrying a strangely familiar, chilling aura, and his back view seemed vaguely familiar. Shen Minghuai suddenly remembered what Wang Yan had said in Shimen Village.
"His sword tassel is quite unique; it doesn't look like it's made of silk or cotton, but rather like... hair."
hair……!
A soft murmur escaped his lips. Shen Minghuai unconsciously clenched his fists and headed towards the less crowded stone forest. Places where no one walks are always eerily quiet. Shen Minghuai nimbly climbed over the wall and left the garden. He wandered around the alleys for a while, and then a thousand lanterns pierced the darkness, revealing red sleeves and singing music on the high-rise buildings—it was a bustling marketplace.
A woman rushed towards him, and Shen Minghuai hurriedly dodged to the side, but she still caught him red-handed. Upon closer inspection, he realized it was Jiang Wan.
Shen Minghuai pulled his hand away from hers and spoke quickly, "Whatever urgent matter Lady Jiang may have, we can talk about it later, A-Ying—"
Jiang Wan pointed to Pengqiao in the distance and used all her strength to say a clear sentence, "Aying just jumped into the river."
“Although she is a very good swimmer, it rained a few days ago and the river rose very high—she must have run into some trouble. You should go quickly—” Before he could finish his explanation, Shen Minghuai had already disappeared.
The moon came out again. The huge crowds by the bridge dispersed to all directions, as if there was some treasure in the east of the city and everyone was rushing there.
Shen Minghuai walked west along the riverbank for a while and then turned back, going back and forth several times. The river remained calm and silent. Just as he was worried that his method was wrong, a woman emerged from the water beside the bridge, completely soaked.
Shen Minghuai rushed forward and examined Wang Yan from head to toe, brushed aside the wet hair on her forehead, wrung out the water from her clothes with her, and then hired a carriage to return to the inn.
Even though it was the height of summer, the soaked clothes clung to her body, making her extremely uncomfortable. Once Wang Yan got into the carriage, she kept recounting how the villain had discovered her and followed her all the way to Pengqiao Bridge, where she had cleverly jumped into the river, just in time to catch him, who couldn't swim.
"It rained just a few days ago. No matter how good a swimmer you are, you shouldn't play with your life."
She was the one who had been soaking in the water for so long, yet his fingertips had turned white. Wang Yan, however, was unconvinced by his accusation, "How was I supposed to know it had rained a few days ago... Aren't we perfectly fine now? Did I get into a fight with him in the middle of the city and hurt innocent people? Besides, I couldn't win, so why drag others into this? There's no better option than this."
Whether he was persuaded by her or simply didn't accept her twisted logic, Shen Minghuai kept his lips tightly shut and stopped speaking.
When Wang Yan got off the carriage, he was shivering slightly from the cold. After taking a hot bath in his room, he was about to get into bed in just a thin robe when there was a knock on the door.
"It's me."
Wang Yan slipped on her shoes and went to open the door. A gentle breeze blew in, and she instinctively shrank back inside. Shen Minghuai put down the hot soup, fetched an outer robe, and draped it over her shoulders.
As soon as he brought the bowl into the room, the aroma of ginger filled every corner, but she disliked ginger. Wang Yan held the bowl, his delicate eyebrows slightly furrowed, his eyes brimming with tender emotion, and murmured, "Could you…?"
"No, ginger soup warms the body."
Shen Minghuai took out another Qiaoguo (a type of pastry) and said softly, "Your injury from last time hasn't fully healed yet, and you got wet again today. You'll get sick."
Although Wang Yan was coaxed into submission, she still couldn't overcome her inner hurdle and firmly refused: "Even if it's offered to me, I won't—"
Shen Minghuai scooped up a spoonful of ginger soup and held it to her lips, feeding her each spoonful with utmost concentration. Wang Yan reluctantly drank every last drop of the warm soup. Shen Minghuai seemed to have only come to bring her ginger soup, and picked up the empty bowl to leave.
Wang Yan clutched his sleeve, craving the warmth he brought to the room, yet unwilling to ask him to stay. She feared that if she spoke, things would end badly again, just like when she returned.
Shen Minghuai sighed inwardly, turning back to meet her eyes, which were brimming with affection. He was not a good swimmer, yet he was willing to drown in this pool. He gently put down the bowl, pulled her tightly into his arms, and buried his head in the crook of her shoulder.
His embrace warmed her comfortably. Wang Yan placed her hands on his back; despite the sweltering summer heat, the two huddled together for warmth.
Shen Minghuai held her like that for a long time, then said in a deep voice, "Go back to Brother Lanzhi's side."
Wang Yan shoved him away. "Are you trying to kick me out?"
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