Chapter 120 A Happy Reunion: "Begging Me"
A crow perched on the roof ridge, cawed a few times, and then spread its wings and flew away.
A few gray feathers drifted to the ground, and the sky gradually brightened.
Xue Chan got up early, but Jiang Ce got up even earlier.
When Yunsheng and Chutao arrived, he was even sitting under the eaves, fiddling with the potted begonia.
I don't know how long I sat there.
When he was in the capital, he usually had many things to do after getting up early. He would feed Lan Yu, pet Niannian, and scatter fish food. He would groom Xi Tuan, tend to the flowers and plants in the yard, and then go to court with Lü Mei.
Now Xue Chan can no longer see him, and there are no fish tanks, flowers, or plants in the courtyard, not even a swing set.
Jiang Ce missed his mother, Xi Tuan, Niannian, and Lan Yu very much, and he missed the days when their family was together.
But apart from Green Eyebrows, none of them were there. He had nothing to do but stand blankly at the doorway.
Yun Sheng and the others pushed open the door, and Jiang Ce slipped in behind them, obediently sitting on the stool.
Xue Chan reached out to lift the curtain, glancing at Jiang Ce's figure out of the corner of her eye before slowly getting up. She sat in front of the dressing table combing her hair, while Jiang Ce moved a stool closer little by little.
He shifted slightly, glancing at her reflection in the mirror. Seeing no frown or change in expression, he silently shifted again, moving to stand beside her.
She didn't speak, and neither did he.
Jiang Ce stealthily tried to hook the crimson sash on Xue Chan's skirt. Xue Chan didn't react, so he just played by himself until it was time for breakfast.
The two sat down at a table and ate breakfast.
After a while, someone outside called Jiang Ce, as he still needed to handle matters with Jiang Shiyu.
I'm leaving now.
Xue Chan nodded.
Jiang Ce stepped out the door, then turned back and tentatively said, "I'll come back early tonight to keep you company..."
Xue Chan put down her chopsticks and replied, "Okay."
He laughed and hopped out of the yard in a few big strides.
After Jiang Ce left, Yun Sheng, Chu Tao, and the others sat down next to Xue Chan, resting their chins on their hands and asking her questions.
Is the girl angry?
"I'm not angry with him now."
"So, do we need to bring the pillows and blankets back tonight?"
"No need, just prepare a new bed."
"Okay," Chu Tao nodded.
Xue Chan ate slowly, and it was rare for her to drink two bowls of porridge in the past few days.
Everyone went about their own business. Yun Sheng was organizing her paintings, while Xue Chan sat by the window cutting paper snowflakes with scissors.
She really liked the paper-cut window decoration she saw at the temple fair yesterday, but unfortunately there were too many people and she couldn't buy it.
"Yun Sheng"
Yun Sheng quickly tidied himself up and walked over.
"What's wrong?"
Xue Chan waved to her, and Yun Sheng leaned closer to listen.
"Go out for a moment..."
After she whispered in Yun Sheng's ear, Yun Sheng blushed and stammered, "Will this work?"
Xue Chan brushed away the red scraps of paper that had fallen onto her skirt: "You can go ahead then."
"Alright then," Yun Sheng said, biting her hand as she walked out, pondering how to handle the situation. The sunlight shifted quietly behind her, casting a dim, yellowish glow on the ground.
She came back with Chunniang. The group bought a lot of fresh meat and vegetables, then went straight into the kitchen and never came out again.
Jiang Ce did not return, but instead sent a messenger to Xue Chan.
He said he had a lot of things to do and estimated it would be very late, so he told her to eat by herself first.
Xue Chan, of course, would not suffer any injustice. She immediately ordered dishes to be served and even held a small autumn banquet with Xue Chenghuai, Chunniang, and others.
Xue Chenghuai made some new friends and acquired many strange and unusual things, even running out early in the morning.
The people following him said that he was painting murals in some temple or shrine, but they didn't know where.
As soon as the banquet ended, Xue Chenghuai scurried away, leaning on his cane.
Xue Chan and Yun Sheng were strolling in the small garden. A crescent moon hung above the eaves, and the air was filled with the fragrance of late-blooming osmanthus. They brushed off the last of the osmanthus blossoms and gathered them on their clothes. They discussed making sachets and boiling honey.
Xue Chan remembered the incense recipes that Xiao Yangjun had given her, and planned to make some incense for fun when she had some free time.
She plucked a osmanthus flower and looked up at the crescent moon.
"What a pity, it's not a full moon."
But it doesn't matter, imperfections can be made up for.
When they returned with the osmanthus flowers, Jiang Ce had just come back.
Xue Chan entered the room and placed the osmanthus flowers in a vase: "Have you eaten yet?"
"No, I've been too busy to eat." Jiang Ce untied his sleeves and washed his hands in the basin.
Yun Sheng brought people to serve the dishes, and Xue Chan sat opposite him with the incense recipe in hand.
Perhaps he was truly hungry, or perhaps the dishes were all his favorites, Jiang Ce devoured the food in no time.
Xue Chan served him soup.
Jiang Ce took two sips and it tasted very much like the Tianxiang Soup he used to make. He drank a bowl, and Yun Sheng had another.
Xue Chan called for a halt after the third bowl was finished.
"If I eat this again tonight, I'll feel unwell."
Jiang Ce reluctantly put down his chopsticks and bowl.
But she's right, eating any more would upset my stomach.
Yun Sheng and Chu Tao immediately cleared away the bowls and plates, and the group carried them away quickly.
Jiang Ce walked around outside for a couple of minutes to digest his food. He heard someone talking outside the courtyard wall. The voice was very low and soft, and it was also blocked by the wall, so he couldn't hear it clearly.
"Has it all been poured out?"
"It's fallen over, I even dug a hole to bury it."
He strained his ears to eavesdrop, but the conversation suddenly stopped. Unable to hear anything from the corner of the wall, Jiang Ce circled back twice to look for Xue Chan.
She was preparing fragrant cakes at her desk when Jiang Ce moved closer to her.
"I'm not fully recovered yet, so stay away."
Xue Chan glanced at him, and Jiang Ce awkwardly scurried away again. But he couldn't stand not being near Xue Chan, so he simply grabbed a cushion and sat on the floor in front of the desk, leaning over the table to watch her write the incense recipe.
He started a conversation: "Did you see the doctor today? What did the doctor say? Are you feeling better?"
"I'm much better. I'll be fine after taking the medicine for two more days."
"Then..." Jiang Ce's voice trailed off, "...can I come over tonight?"
Xue Chan refused him: "No."
"Oh, okay then..."
After a long time, Xue Chan finished writing the incense recipe.
Jiang Ce stood up, put the cushion back in its original place and tidied it up, then walked out dejectedly, clutching the butterfly pillow.
After walking for a while, he poked his head out from behind the door again.
Xue Chan looked up, and he said, "I just wanted to look at you so I could go to sleep."
He clung to the door, reluctant to leave: "...Then I'm leaving."
"Okay, go ahead."
Jiang Ce took three steps at a time and walked back to his room. He pulled the covers over himself, ready to sleep, but he couldn't fall asleep no matter what he did.
He tossed and turned for what seemed like an eternity, his eyes tired of being closed, but he still couldn't fall asleep.
So Jiang Ce simply opened his eyes, stared at the curtain above his head, and began to count the pomegranate flowers on it by the dim light of the room.
"...seven, eight, nine, ten...sixteen, seventeen, fourteen..."
You miscounted.
He felt a little sleepy and dizzy, and even miscounted. So he shook his head and prepared to start counting again.
But after counting several times, each time the numbers blurred and I couldn't count them anymore.
Jiang Ce was a little confused. There weren't that many flowers on the tent, so why did he keep miscounting?
The thick quilt was a bit too warm on him, so he simply threw it off, sat on the corner of the bed with his knees drawn up to his chest, and continued counting the flowers.
But the more I counted, the dizzier I became, the hotter I got, and the more agitated I became.
Jiang Ce touched his face; it was already burning hot.
He propped up his heavy head and wondered if he had caught a cold. But that shouldn't be the case.
"Cough cough cough"
Jiang Ce coughed twice and took off another shirt.
"...It doesn't seem so hot anymore."
He shook his head, then knelt down and buried himself in the blankets, ready to sleep like that.
However, after a short while, it seemed to get even hotter and scorching hotter. Jiang Ce even felt like he was burning up like a furnace.
He climbed out of bed, picked up the teapot, and poured water directly into it.
After drinking water, I felt even more dizzy, my mind a complete mess, so I plopped down on the cold ground.
Jiang Ce sat with his knees drawn up to his chest, staring blankly out the window, already burning up with rage.
"Ah... I see."
He immediately got up and stumbled as he ran outside, leaning against the wall. The eaves were quiet, but a whole corridor of lights were lit, illuminating the path beneath his feet.
Jiang Ce knocked on the door, but no one answered. He tried pushing it again, but the door was locked from the inside, even barred.
He shook his head and tried to pry open the window. But the window was locked, and opening one or two windows didn't work.
Jiang Ce walked quickly, breathing rapidly, his face flushed red to his ears.
"There's... one more door..."
He went around the corridor, climbed over the wall, and climbed down the osmanthus tree until he reached the last window.
"Clap"
Jiang Ce opened the small window, and for a moment he himself was a little incredulous. But a surge of overwhelming emotions swallowed his sobriety, and he immediately climbed onto the windowsill.
Perhaps he was too excited, his hands and feet were much more nimble than usual. He slid into the stained-glass window in an instant and landed in front of the dressing table.
Jiang Ce didn't forget to turn back and close the window. By the light, he could see two paper-cut window decorations pasted on the small window.
They are red and round, like the two banners that were pasted up at the wedding.
He didn't think too much about it and quietly climbed into bed.
Xue Chan lay on her side, buried in the quilt, with only her loose hair hanging idly on the pillow.
It's so hot, I really want to, it's unbearable. But Xue Chan will get angry.
He stepped back, knelt behind Xue Chan, and picked up two strands of her hair.
Jiang Ce cupped his hair in his hands, rubbed it against his head, and smiled contentedly. He sat on the edge of the bed and looked up to see a lamp hanging on the beaded curtain.
It's very round, like the moon.
After hesitating for only a moment, he bent down again to kiss the hair on the pillow.
If you do it quietly, she won't notice and won't get angry.
But when he actually kissed her, Jiang Ce wanted to kiss her more. So he quickly kissed Xue Chan's cheek and shoulder, giving her two light pecks.
"Not enough..."
Jiang Ce tiptoed and lifted a corner of the blanket, then slipped inside.
After a while, Xue Chan kicked him to the foot of the bed.
She caught her breath, smoothed her hair, and leaned back lazily against the pillows.
What are you doing sneaking in here?
Jiang Ce raised his flushed face, his lips glistening.
"I feel terrible..."
He threw back the cumbersome blanket and kissed her lower abdomen, moving upwards. Only when their breaths mingled did he lift his face from between her breasts. Her eyes shimmered with a pitiful light.
"I'm in pain, I'm really in pain."
Xue Chan pinched his chin and suddenly asked him a question.
"What was written on those few sheets of paper in the letter you sent me last spring?"
Jiang Ce was completely bewildered by her questions; the words entered his ears, but his mind couldn't quite grasp them. He simply stared at her with those innocent, confused eyes.
Xue Chan gently smiled and kindly repeated herself.
But Jiang Ce had too many things on his mind at the moment. How could he possibly remember something from so long ago?
"I forgot."
"Then get off the bed."
"I don't want to!"
Jiang Ce immediately pounced down and hugged Xue Chan's waist shamelessly.
Xue Chan pushed his head and tried to pry his hands off. In the struggle, her pale green and crimson dress was torn apart.
"Thump!" She kicked Jiang Ce away without hesitation, and in the tug-of-war, he took a large piece of her shirt with him.
Jiang Ce was kicked back to the foot of the bed. He stared blankly at the large piece of soft clothing in his hand, then looked up.
Xue Chan lay sprawled on the pillow, too lazy to even straighten her clothes, just looking at him with a slight, cold smile.
"If you can't remember, then get out of here!"
Jiang Ce immediately started thinking, rummaging through a jumble of thoughts.
Xue Chan watched quietly as he racked his brains, his hair becoming a mess.
The candle popped with a "crack," and Jiang Ce seemed to suddenly realize something. But the moment he remembered, he felt even more lost, and even ashamed and speechless.
"I……"
Xue Chan raised an eyebrow: "Tell me, what did you say back then?"
Jiang Ce immediately apologized, saying, "I'm sorry."
"I'll let you speak."
He stammered, "I said... I said you are..."
What is it?
"Bad woman..."
Xue Chan lazily tossed her hair aside, and Jiang Ce immediately stepped forward to apologize.
He took her hand and rubbed it against his face: "I was wrong, I shouldn't have said that to you. I didn't mean it, I just felt you didn't think about me as much as I did, and I felt a little unbalanced..."
Xue Chan smiled brightly, the candlelight in the room reflecting on her face, making her appear even more gentle.
"No," she said with a smile, placing her foot on Jiang Ce's stomach.
"I just want to tell you that I am bad."
Her smile was tender and radiant.
Are you feeling unwell right now?
"Feeling uncomfortable"
"Do you want to?"
"think"
Xue Chan smiled, raised her chin, lowered her eyes, and looked down at him disdainfully.
"Beg me"
"I beg you, I beg you..."
Xue Chan slowly lifted his shirt, revealing a large expanse of his chest. She reached out, her fingertips tracing paths, but suddenly stopped near his heart.
That spot was crisscrossed with countless scars.
She looked down at the large, healed wound beside her heart, which had pierced almost through her chest and back.
Xue Chan lowered her palm, feeling the rough, protruding lines. The once gentle hills had now transformed into deep ravines and valleys.
Even when the two long-separated jade discs were finally joined together, he still felt dazed, as if floating on air. It all felt somewhat unreal, with only the strands of hair wrapped around his hands binding him firmly to the world.
In his confusion, Jiang Ce saw shimmering beads falling on his body. Every time he tried to catch one, Xue Chan pushed him back down.
Once pushed to the back, it completely sinks into despair.
A rustling sound arose outside, and through the window, fragmented shadows could be seen flying everywhere.
The first snow of the season fell in Chaoxi.
Jiang Ce rested his head on her lap, wrapped his arms around her waist, and remembered that she had carefully written words on the water lanterns she released yesterday.
What's written on your water lantern?
"Guess, and I'll tell you if you guess right."
He didn't ask any more questions, but simply buried his face in her arms and gently closed his eyes.
From the eighteenth year of peace to the present. Through many storms and seasons, we have witnessed countless green willows and withered lotus leaves, withered grass and falling snow.
Now we are reunited, listening quietly to the sound of snow falling outside the window.
The candle burned to its last flame, the weak wick flickered twice, and then it went out. Night poured in like a tide, merging into a vast expanse of silent blackness.
"Smack!"
A drop of golden light falls from the thick ink.
The light flickered, and the short wick began to burn again, flickering several times before finally settling into a steady flame.
The candlelight flickered, reflecting on the shimmering water, and a line of small characters was faintly visible on the thin paper body of the water lantern.
"Though I lament walking alone until the end of winter, I look forward to meeting you again when the moon is full."
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Author's Note: ① "Though I lament walking alone until the winter's end, I long to meet again when the moon is full." — Tang Dynasty, Yu Xuanji, "Spring Feelings Sent to Zi'an"
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