Return to Beijing (2)
Passing through the long, ornately carved corridor, they arrived at the main hall. Before they even got close, the old women standing outside the door called out joyfully into the room, "The young master and Miss are back!"
Perhaps due to excitement, the voice was inexplicably loud, and Jie Xiangsi couldn't help but purse her lips and smile.
Inside the house, Aunt Xie, who was sitting in the main hall, abandoned her usual dignified demeanor and kept looking outside, her eyes filled with undisguised tenderness and expectation.
The next moment.
The door curtain at the entrance was gently lifted, and two figures entered the house one after the other.
The former, dressed in simple spring attire, was a gentle and radiant young woman, like the warm spring sun. The latter, having lowered the curtain and turned around, possessed striking features; his striking eyebrows and sharp eyes, coupled with a light blue brocade robe that accentuated his handsome appearance, made him even more dashing. Who else could it be but Zhou Yanzhi?
Taking a few steps forward, the two bowed to Aunt Xie at the head of the table and then spoke in unison.
"Mother, the inkstone is returned."
"Aunt, I long for you to return."
Looking at the two people in front of her, who looked somewhat haggard from days of travel but were indeed in good health, Aunt Xie was so excited that she stammered, "Good...good good..."
Before the two could say anything more, she raised her hand and gestured for them to stand up: "No need for formalities, please get up."
The perceptive old woman quickly served the two of them a bowl of hot tea. One sip and the refreshing, sweet tea slid down their throats, warming them right to the core and sweeping away all their fatigue.
The rising steam was so comforting that Xie Xiangsi couldn't help but squint her eyes slightly, her mind drifting away. But the next second, a single sentence from her aunt almost made her drop the teacup in her hand.
"I already know about what happened between you two."
Jie Xiangsi: "..." So you're getting straight to the point?
Admittedly, she had no intention of hiding her relationship with Zhou Yanzhi, and naturally knew that what happened at the mansion gate would be told to Aunt Jie, but she did not expect Aunt Jie to bring it up so quickly.
She thought she would choose a day when Zhou Yanzhi wasn't around to have a long talk with her.
With her plans disrupted, a sense of tension suddenly arose in her heart, and her hand holding the teacup trembled slightly as her mind began to wander.
How should she answer in a way that would make her seem knowledgeable and reasonable, and gain Aunt Jie's approval? If she didn't answer well, would Aunt Jie dislike her and disapprove of her relationship with Zhou Yanzhi?
In an instant, various possible endings flooded Jie Xiangsi's mind.
If she answered well, Aunt Xie agreed to marry Zhou Yanzhi to her; if she answered poorly, Aunt Xie would break them up, sweeping her out the door with a flick of her sleeve, and the two would be separated forever...
The various brilliant endings are so captivating that even the storytellers in the capital city would be humbled by them.
"Thud—"
A soft sound interrupted her reverie and drew the attention of everyone in the room.
Hearing the sound, Jie Xiangsi looked up. Zhou Yanzhi opposite her had just withdrawn his hand from his teacup and was looking over at her. Their gazes quickly met in the air, one filled with unease, the other with composure and confidence.
Their eyes met, and Zhou Yanzhi smiled at her, indicating that she could rest assured.
Then, he turned to Aunt Jie, who was sitting at the head of the table, and said seriously, "Mother, along the way, my cousin has saved me from danger many times. She is clever and resourceful and has helped me solve many problems."
He paused, glanced at Xie Xiangsi, then turned his head, stood up, cupped his hands, and solemnly said to Aunt Xie, "It's hard for Ce'an not to be captivated by such a woman."
In short, he both praised Jie Xiangsi and reiterated his own feelings.
Sincere and earnest.
Upon hearing this, Xie Xiangsi quickly stood up, curtsied, and looked up at the person in the head of the table, sincerely saying, "Aunt, my cousin is exceptionally talented and handsome, brave and resourceful. It's hard for me not to like him."
Aunt Jie, who hadn't said a word, was speechless. Why did she suddenly feel like a wicked mother-in-law from a storybook?
Seeing the unwavering gazes fixed on them, Aunt Jie couldn't help but chuckle and tease them, "Alright, I know you two are in love, I won't do anything to break you up."
The two blushed, exchanged a silent glance, and then quickly looked away.
Seeing this, Aunt Xie waved helplessly, gesturing for the two to sit down. Then she sighed and looked at them with a hint of helplessness: "Xiangsi is my cousin, and Yanzhi is my son. I'm overjoyed that you two are in love. How could I possibly separate you?"
Looking at Zhou Yanzhi, her eyes were full of satisfaction.
"Besides, I originally thought that you, Zhi'er, would never be able to settle down in this life, but now... I can rest assured."
After saying that, she turned to the old woman beside her and instructed her to take out a small box from the room. She then gestured for Xie Xiangsi to come forward and open the box. Aunt Xie carefully took out the contents of the box.
Under Xie Xiangsi's slightly widened gaze, she gently slipped the lustrous jade bracelet onto Xie Xiangsi's right wrist.
The dark green bracelet and the fair wrist complement each other perfectly.
Looking at the emerald green bracelet, Aunt Xie's eyes revealed a hint of nostalgia, or perhaps a sigh: "This was prepared by Yanzhi's father when he was alive. He said that if Yanzhi ever found a girl he liked, he would give her this jade bracelet as a gift for their first meeting."
The jade bracelet on her wrist suddenly became incredibly precious. Xie Xiangsi subconsciously wanted to take it off and keep it safe, but a warm hand covered her first, gently stopping her movement.
Jie Xiangsi looked up and saw her aunt smiling kindly at her, saying gently, "You look good wearing it, don't take it off, just wear it."
The cool jade bracelet hung quietly on her wrist. Jie Xiangsi blinked, a wave of indescribable emotion washing over her, like seeing a Kunpeng in the South Sea or a snow lotus in the North Star—a mixture of joy and melancholy.
Upon hearing this, Zhou Yanzhi, sitting below, was also taken aback, a look of surprise appearing in his eyes.
His father died early, and he was too young to know anything at the time. His few impressions of Prince An came from his mother, and he never expected this to happen.
It turned out that his father had always been thinking about him.
Suddenly, a belated warmth slowly welled up from the bottom of his heart. Zhou Yanzhi got up and walked to Aunt Xie, slowly bent down, and hugged Aunt Xie like a child.
"Thank you, and thank you, Father." His voice was a little hoarse.
The hug didn't last long. After only a few breaths, Zhou Yanzhi stood up, took Xie Xiangsi's hand, and was about to say something when Aunt Xie turned her face away first, secretly wiping away the tears from the corners of her eyes. She waved to them, "You must be tired after your long journey. Go back and get some rest."
Zhou Yanzhi: "Yes."
Jie Xiangsi: "Yes."
Watching the two figures disappear into the distance, their overlapping hems of robes, Aunt Xie took a deep breath, rose and went into the inner room. She took out a white jade pendant from under her pillow and murmured to herself, "You little taciturn boy, Zhi'er has someone he likes. She's a girl from our Xie family, and I like her very much. It's a pity you won't be able to meet her. However, I think you will like her too. I'll send out your gift in advance."
Aunt Xie gently stroked the jade pendant, which had developed a glossy sheen, with her fingertips. She smiled, and a few tears welled up in her eyes.
"Unbeknownst to me, I've grown old, and the title of the most beautiful woman in the capital has changed. But in my memory, you are still the most talented scholar in the capital, holding a book, leaning against the bamboo pavilion, secretly watching me..."
She blinked, and a tear fell onto the jade pendant, bursting into a small splash. Aunt Xie said softly, "Little quiet devil, you must wait for me, wait for me to come find you, otherwise... I'm afraid you won't recognize me."
She sighed very softly.
"If we miss it, we'll really miss it..."
...
After leaving the main hall, the two walked together for a while. When they reached a fork in the road, Jie Xiangsi stopped, looked up at the person beside her, and smiled slightly: "Cousin, then I'll head back to Chaoxi Pavilion first."
Zhou Yanzhi nodded, then reached out and took Xie Xiangsi's wrist, looking at her gently and saying, "Rest for a while, I'll come find you later, we're going to see someone."
Going out to meet people?
Jie Xiangsi was a little curious, but she didn't ask any more questions, and simply said "okay".
We'll find out soon enough, so why rush?
...
"Miss, you're finally back! Yuhe was so worried!"
Back at Chaoxi Pavilion, before even entering, Jie Xiangsi was knocked off her feet by Yu He, who rushed towards her.
Amused, she took a few steps back to steady herself while holding Yuhe. She couldn't help but sigh, "It seems that Yuhe has taken good care of herself this past month. She's gotten quite strong and feels heavy in my arms."
Gently patting the little girl's back, Jie Xiangsi chuckled, "Alright, alright, I'm back safe and sound, aren't I?"
Yuhe sniffed, got up from her arms, and with her rounder face, she snuggled onto Jie Xiangsi's arm, muttering, "I don't care, Miss, you must take Yuhe with you when you go out in the future."
He laughed, trying to ease his longing.
That won't do; she absolutely cannot take her with her when she goes out later.
Thinking this, she guiltily dragged the much heavier Yuhe towards the courtyard gate. Qingshu and Moyue were already standing in front of the gate, ready to greet them. Seeing them approach, they smiled and stepped forward to help drag Yuhe.
"The young lady is finally back! Yuhe, that little girl, has been talking about her every day."
Mo Yue is quite lively, and these days she and Yu He have become like sisters, even though they are not from the same father or mother, so she speaks more freely.
But Qing Shu was a calm person. Although he was very happy, he still spoke with some politeness: "Miss must be tired after traveling all this way. I have already asked someone to prepare hot water. You can wash up and rest well first."
Jie Xiangsi felt a warmth in her heart and smiled gently at Qing Shu: "Thank you for your hard work."
Qing Shu smiled faintly and embraced Jie Xiangsi as they entered the inner room.
Beyond the screen, a damp, hot steam greeted them; the bathtub on the floor was filled with hot water, and steam was constantly billowing out.
After taking off his clothes, he slowly stepped into the tub, and with a "splash," some hot water overflowed from the tub.
Soaking in hot water, Jie Xiangsi couldn't help but sigh.
There's no fatigue that a bath can't relieve; if there is, then just take another bath!
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