Chapter 46: A Moment of Warmth Amidst the Trivial Affairs of Jizhou...
Jizhou City.
The carriage stopped in the open space behind the inn, and the group got off.
Qingyu changed into a pine-colored dress, her long hair was tied into a side braid and hung down to her shoulder, and her hair was adorned with several cleverly designed ginkgo leaf-shaped hair clips. Paired with the bright color of the yellow dress, she looked even more radiant and beautiful.
Beside her, Fan Xiang wore a lotus-white dress that gradually transitioned to jade-colored. Upon closer inspection, the color was a subtle orange tinge within the plain color, exuding a rare and delicate charm. From afar, the two women appeared beautiful, with different yet similar temperaments, and their colors were alike without vying for attention.
Qin Tianshu and Wen Chuan walked ahead. The scholar, who rarely looked up at the sky, said, "Wen Chuan, do you think I should also change into some other colored clothes?"
Does his constant wearing of blue hinder his handsome appearance?
Wen Chuan: "Whatever you wish."
Qin Tianshu clicked his tongue, then thought, Wen Chuan's clothes all seem to be picked out by Qing Yu, and he sees a different one every day—this won't do, he also needs to buy more nice clothes for himself, the kind that look good with green—
It has to be cyan, only the same shade will look good.
Zhang Xuan walked slowly at the very back, carrying Cai Cai alone.
He's sick, coughing and coughing. Dr. Lin has ordered him to talk less and do less, and he won't be fully recovered until at least September. But it's okay, he still has Cai Cai to keep him company.
Cai Cai: "Gurgle gurgle gurgle."
Zhang Xuan: "Cough cough."
Hearing the coughing sound from behind, Lin Fanxiang looked at Qingyu beside her and asked, "Qingyu, are you alright?"
Qingyu put her arm around her, but the girl shook her head. "I've been like this since I was little. I got used to it after fighting so much. I'll just have a good sleep and rest for a few days and I'll be fine."
"I can't use my spiritual power these few days, otherwise it will be difficult to recover my energy."
After the battle between Shengjing and Wuqing, she exhausted her spiritual power. She said she was sleeping for five days, but in reality, her demon body could not support her human form and she had to sleep to recuperate. In the days after she woke up, she should not use her spiritual power, otherwise, repeated depletion of spiritual power would delay her recovery.
Lin Fanxiang nodded seriously and looked at Qingyu: "Don't worry, we're all here."
We will protect you.
Qingyu smiled and said, "I know, so I'll ask Dr. Lin to take good care of me these next few days."
Amidst the laughter of the girls, they entered the inn and booked four rooms. Qingyu and Fanxiang each had a room, Wenchuan stayed in another, and Zhang Xuan and Qin Tianshu chatted and started joking around. Zhang Xuan jokingly said that he was currently sick and in danger, and insisted on dragging Qin Tianshu to stay in the same room with him.
Qin Tianshu: "Okay, okay, I'll put you to sleep tonight."
Zhang Xuan: "Get lost!" (He pecks the scholar hard with Cai Cai's mouth)
...
They entered the city at noon, and after walking around for a while, they chose the largest-looking Xichun Inn to go in.
The inn is bustling with activity right now.
Qin Tianshu and Zhang Xuan booked rooms at the counter, while Qing Yu and the others sat in the empty seats to the side. It has to be said that the five teenagers attracted most people's attention as soon as they walked in.
After seeing Qin Tianshu hand over the money, Zhang Xuan asked, "How many days are we going to stay in Jizhou City?"
Qin Tianshu: "About two days. There are fewer cities in the north, and they are scattered far apart. Moreover, they get farther and farther away as we go. By October, we will be able to enter the northern part of Jizhou."
Once you pass Jizhou City, you'll be in the truly frosty northern lands.
As they were talking, they heard the shopkeeper behind the counter say to them, "Young men, are you heading north?"
Qin Tianshu smiled and replied, "Yes, we are going to visit relatives in Feifan City, Jizhou."
The innkeeper smiled warmly and said to them while calculating the bill, "Oh, it's not like Jizhou City. It's very cold there. You'd better be careful if you go."
As they were talking, Wen Chuan walked towards them. "Have you booked the rooms? Let's go to the room to eat first."
It was lunchtime, and they were too lazy to go out and find a proper restaurant. There were too many people on the first floor of the inn, so they decided to eat in their room.
Zhang Xuan nodded to Wen Chuan, and the group ordered their food and prepared to go upstairs.
Qingyu and Fanxiang walked towards them. Qingyu coughed next to Wenchuan, her expression indifferent.
Wen Chuan frowned and looked toward where they had been sitting. Two unfamiliar men were sitting there, one fat and one thin, both with flushed faces, looking somewhat drunk. Occasionally, they would glance at Qing Yu and Lin Fanxiang and whisper something to each other.
Zhang Xuanteng immediately became furious, gripping the hilt of his knife. Before he could even speak, he coughed a few times in a hurry.
Qin Tianshu put his arm around Zhang Xuan's shoulder and said, "You should focus on getting better first."
Qingyu was a little weak. She hadn't eaten anything since she woke up. At this moment, she frowned slightly and remained silent. Fan Xiang, who was beside her, said, "Let's go upstairs first."
It's not worth it anyway, and if it doesn't bother them, there's no need to care too much.
The group went upstairs, with Wen Chuan at the back. The young man looked down from upstairs, while the two men at the table on the first floor were still drinking and toasting each other.
"Look at those kids, they're all so cute."
"Don't underestimate them. Look at that guy with the knife, wasn't he about to make a move just now?"
"What are you afraid of? The two girls are very weak, and the one with the knife is sick. Look at their cowardly appearance, haha."
"Oh, you mean..."
"Hahahaha, let's drink, let's drink... cough cough cough cough cough! Ouch, I cough cough cough..."
"I choked even while drinking...cough cough cough...Hey, help me! Cough cough cough!"
The two grown men were in a chaotic scene. One was choking on his drink, his face and neck turning red, while the other seemed to have choked on his own saliva, struggling to breathe for a long time, almost suffocating. He slammed his fist on the table and called for help, nearly falling to the ground. He called for assistance and caused quite a commotion before finally recovering, having narrowly escaped death.
The innkeeper was calmly working on his abacus behind the counter when the waiter came over to talk to him. He just chuckled and shook his head.
Xichun Inn has been open in Jizhou City for so many years. What hasn't this old man seen and figured out? He's a confused fellow who can't understand anything.
...
Early in the afternoon, at Xichun Inn.
As the light of the setting sun streamed in, Qingyu nestled in bed, squinting as she struggled.
After finishing her meal, she fell asleep again. Wen Chuan stayed at the inn to watch over her, while the rest of the group went to explore the city. After all, Jizhou City was one of the main cities of Jizhou and had the most local characteristics.
Qingyu, dressed in a white nightgown, removed her hairpins and ornaments, pulled the blanket over her head, and rolled around in it—she smelled the aroma of food and was too lazy to get up.
"Knock knock—"
A knock sounded on the door, accompanied by a boy's voice, "Qingyu, are you awake?"
Qingyu still had her eyes closed, "Mmm..."
"are you hungry?"
Qingyu was getting a little impatient. She turned over and said, "Hmm."
"May I come inside?"
"Um!"
Wen Chuan, who was outside the door, paused for a moment because of her voice. Then, the young man smiled slightly and gently pushed open the door.
He walked in, but instead of glancing at the bed, he went straight to the table.
The boy, with his back to Qingyu, opened the food box and placed several dishes on the table. The bowls and plates touched the table, and the aroma of the food was enticing. Wen Chuan said softly...
"I borrowed the restaurant's kitchen and specially made your favorite fish soup and some light side dishes... as well as the water chestnut cake recommended by the restaurant, which they said is very popular with girls... People in Jizhou love to eat mutton, and chestnuts are very famous, but I remember you said you don't like mutton very much, so I brought some chestnuts instead... However, chestnuts are not easy to digest, so you'd better eat less of them tonight..."
Qingyu finally opened her eyes. Wen Chuan's incessant voice drilled into her head, making her a little irritated. What was he saying? It was so annoying.
She longed to open her eyes and look at him.
She wanted to speak too.
Talk to him.
The orange-red glow of the setting sun shone through the window, blurring the tranquility of the room.
Qingyu suddenly spoke up, "Wenchuan, I can't get up."
"Please come here."
She watched Wen Chuan's retreating figure. The young man was dressed in a deep blue robe with embroidered cloud patterns. He looked composed yet handsome, gentle yet aloof.
The girl's voice reached Wen Chuan's ears. He paused for a moment, then smiled slightly, his eyes filled with a mixture of helplessness and affection. He turned to look at Qing Yu.
She said she couldn't get up, but when Wen Chuan turned around, Qing Yu had already sat up halfway, the blanket draped around her waist, her black hair flowing like a waterfall, her eyes filled with laughter as she looked straight at him.
Wen Chuan chuckled softly, then walked slowly to the edge of the Qingyu couch and sat down. He turned his head and asked, "You slept all afternoon, are you feeling better?"
They were standing very close, and Qingyu smiled at him, "It's alright, just a little boring."
"I just woke up, and you came in."
"Although I'm hungry, I don't know why I have no appetite, which is a bit annoying."
"I should have known better than to fight so hard. It's all my fault for taking it too seriously."
"It's been a long time since I've fought with so many people..."
"Sigh, there's nothing I can do, I'm just too good..."
Wen Chuan listened to her muttering to herself, and she even praised herself a few times. She was extremely cute.
As the sun set, the young man sat by her bedside, watching over her. Unbeknownst to him, Qingyu rested her chin on his shoulder, worrying about all sorts of unreasonable things, her smooth black hair brushing against Wenchuan's arm and back.
The girl was dressed in her nightgown, without any adornment. Her face was delicate and pretty, with a faint blush from just waking up. The morning light shone through the window as she nestled against him, as intimate as a married couple.
The boy smiled unconsciously. He gently took Qingyu's hand, and when their palms met, he turned his head to look at Qingyu, his eyes filled with an indescribable allure and mischief.
Qingyu seemed to have noticed something, and she suddenly laughed out loud. The laughter was low, ambiguous, and tinged with shyness.
Why aren't you saying anything?
Wen Chuan casually responded with an "Mmm," while the boy continued to play with her fingers, seemingly indifferent yet earnest and intimate.
When Wen Chuan first went to sea, he looked rather dark-skinned. But as he gradually stopped going to sea, his skin became lighter and lighter, including his hands. Now, the boy's fingers are long and slender like jade, and his large palms have a thin layer of calluses. The girl's hands are smaller than his, but they are more proportionate and whiter.
Qingyu frowned, pretending to be a little unhappy, and tried to pull her hand back, but Wenchuan felt her pull back even more in an instant.
Qingyu leaned against him, their hands clasped tightly together. Wen Chuan looked down at Qingyu and said softly, "If you don't want to move, I'll bring you the fish soup?"
Qingyu thought for a moment, then sniffed the aroma of fish soup not far away. She pursed her lips, wanting to respond with aloofness, but couldn't help herself, and said with a smile, "Okay."
Wen Chuan stood up, but their hands were still on hers. The young man looked at her helplessly, "Qing Yu?"
Qingyu looked at him strangely, tightening her grip on his hand while pretending to know nothing, "What's wrong?"
Wen Chuan looked at her without saying a word, and Qing Yu remained silent as well.
Suddenly, the boy used his strength to lift her up, and Qingyu straightened up in an instant, half-kneeling on the bed, her hand still on Wen Chuan, who was standing by the bed.
The boy gently put his arm around her waist, his voice low and coaxing, "You really don't want to get up?"
Qingyu paused for a moment, then hugged him back. The girl looked up at him and said, "No, I really don't want to get up."
Wen Chuan lowered his head, and they looked at each other face to face, getting closer and closer, slowly, until their noses touched and their eyes met.
He said, "Okay."
The boy's voice was low and close, and his gaze was the same—light and slow.
Unconsciously, Qingyu's eyelashes trembled, her eyes filled with indulgence and a sense of unknown bewilderment.
They got closer and closer.
In an instant, the girl suddenly laughed, and Qingyu pushed him away, "Didn't you say you wanted soup? Go get it, go get it, go get it!"
Wen Chuan took a few steps back, his breathing almost imperceptible. Then the young man nodded and smiled at her, his eyes filled with helplessness and gentleness. "Okay."
As the evening light gradually softened, Wen Chuan brought over a bowl of fish soup. He had made it himself, simmering crucian carp over a low flame and adding a slightly charred and fragrant fried egg. The milky white soup was also garnished with chopped green onions, making it look incredibly tempting.
Qingyu sat cross-legged, the blanket still covering her waist, and drank from a bowl held in both hands by the bedside, while Wenchuan sat beside her on the couch.
"Mmm...it tastes so good."
Qingyu blinked happily and said, "It feels like it's been so long since I've had your fish soup."
Wen Chuan: "It's been two or three months, I think."
It's September now. They left Qingshui in July. He didn't make fish soup or anything like that when he was in Shengjing. Looking at it this way, it has indeed been quite a long time.
Qingyu nodded, drinking her drink while her eyes were vacant, lost in thought.
Seeing that she was enjoying her drink, Wen Chuan relaxed and tucked the blanket around her.
"It's getting dark, I'll go light a lamp."
As darkness falls and the evening wind picks up, waking up at such times and lying in bed often brings a sense of inexplicable loss, anxiety, and loneliness.
It's just a normal emotion.
But when you turn on the lights at a time like this, make me a hot soup by hand, and stay by my side, talking to me, that's what I'm talking about.
Qingyu tilted her head to look at Wenchuan's retreating figure as he lit the candle, and the girl smiled softly.
"Wen Chuan, I really like you."
"How could this be?"
"I like you so much."
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