Chapter 75: Leisurely Days and Quiet Nights
After several rounds of drinks, the wine in the jar gradually dwindled as Xie Huailing and Lu Xiaofeng toasted each other. The shimmering liquid revealed the color of the bottom of the jar as the wine settled, much like two people who, like old friends, began calling each other by their first names as they chatted. The rich aroma of the wine in the room subtly overpowered the subtle fragrance of the tea, while the previously quiet tea drinkers smiled gently, unperturbed by the situation, patiently listening to their every word.
A gentle breeze, as fine as willow branches, swept away the slight intoxication, leaving no chance for it to even touch his face. Lu Xiaofeng lifted the wine jar and shook it one last time, but he didn't hear the sound of water he wanted; the jar was empty. He felt uneasy, but what could he do? He bent down and placed another jar of wine on the table; this one was much less flavorful.
While opening the wine, he didn't forget to give his important speech, shaking his head as if it were something heartbreaking, and his two little mustaches twitched first: "I should have just brought another jar. Chief Ren has such a good temper, it doesn't matter if there's one more or one less jar."
Xie Huailing's drinking capacity delighted him, but it wouldn't be good if he couldn't drink to his heart's content with her today.
Xie Huailing glanced at the newly opened wine jar, took a sniff, and then agreed with Lu Xiaofeng, saying, "That's right, we should get more and put it on the Golden Wind and Fine Rain Pavilion's tab."
Lu Xiaofeng grinned, his roguish charm tangible in his eyes, exuding a madmanly air. Following Xie Huailing's words, he quickly pressed his advantage: "Golden Wind and Fine Rain Pavilion is so generous, then I won't stand on ceremony. But since the Beggars' Sect can charge for their wine, perhaps other wines can also be charged to Golden Wind and Fine Rain Pavilion's account?"
"Yes." Xie Huailing didn't even blink when she was taken advantage of, which surprised Lu Xiaofeng, who had originally wanted to be scolded.
Lu Xiaofeng went to see Hua Manlou, unaware that Hua Manlou was also looking at him. Hua Manlou shook his head with a laugh, and Xie Huailing said again, "If you say that, then you'll look down on me if you don't remember me."
This provocation worked wonders on Lu Xiaofeng. The fact that he'd only known Xie Huailing for a short time was utterly unimportant. In the world of martial arts, where life and death were decided in an instant, why waste time on friendship? Lu Xiaofeng slammed his hand on the table, making the wine cup tremble. He said, "Then I'll definitely remember this! Tomorrow, I'm going to host a banquet at the best restaurant in the city, ordering all the finest dishes and wines, and then hiring several famous musicians. I'll treat you two to a good meal. Do you understand?"
These words were clearly meant to be a show of bravado. Lu Xiaofeng was putting on a show of power, but what he got in return was not Xie Huailing's enthusiastic call like that of Sikong Zhaixing.
The wealth of Jin Feng Xi Yu Lou far exceeded the imagination of the martial arts world. Even if Lu Xiaofeng wanted to buy the entire street, Xie Huailing wouldn't hesitate for a moment to pay up, let alone since she had other plans. She replied to Lu Xiaofeng, "Use Jin Feng Xi Yu Lou's money to treat me and Hua Man Lou?"
Then he answered his own question, saying, "Alright, it's a deal."
Seeing that she was magnanimous enough to agree, Lu Xiaofeng did not hesitate. Instead, he smiled, feeling fortunate to have met such a like-minded person and become friends with her.
He showed no displeasure at being assigned to Hua Man Lou. He drank tea much slower than Xie Huailing and Lu Xiaofeng drank wine, and had only finished his third cup. He refilled the cups for the two who were chatting again, and smiled at Lu Xiaofeng, saying, "You'd better make good arrangements. What if we waste Miss Xie's money?"
"So what if it's wasted?" Xie Huailing wouldn't take such a small matter to heart, since it wasn't her money that was being spent.
The person who held the reins of her boss's private finances during the annulment of the engagement pushed up non-existent glasses on her nose, a non-existent cold light flashing across the non-existent lenses. She uttered the words she had wanted to say for a long time: "All expenses for this event will be paid by Young Master Su."
Hua Manlou was slightly taken aback, but after considering her words, he understood her meaning and then smiled softly.
The three of them clinked glasses together, a rare moment of such congeniality.
.
Of course, things weren't so harmonious when they got back and received a big warning from Shaman. After Xie Huailing finished drinking, she chatted with Lu Xiaofeng and Hua Manlou until evening. Not only did the planned walk disappear, but Shaman, who hadn't seen her all afternoon, had clearly reached the limit of her patience.
But as the saying goes, a dead pig isn't afraid of boiling water, and Xie Huailing wasn't afraid of being scolded either. Sha Man's scolding wasn't as bad as Su Mengzhen's. Although she won by using quantity of words, Su Mengzhen always spoke of Xie Huailing with every word precious and without a superfluous word. She was a perfect example, every sentence was concise and to the point... As for why Xie Huailing made this comment, please don't misunderstand. It wasn't that she and Gong Jiu had any unspeakable similarities; it was simply because she had been scolded too much.
After all, when people are being scolded, their thoughts tend to wander. She had even made a summary of her experience in this area, which she might be able to use to provoke Su Mengzhen next time.
Getting back to the point, as soon as they got back to the room, Shaman shoved the letter she had written in front of Xie Huailing, saying she was going to send it to Su Mengzhen that day. This was actually a threat in a sense, but Xie Huailing was no ordinary person. She remained calm and composed, took the letter, glanced through it, then picked up a pen to mark which parts of the sentences could be revised to make them more elegant, and then returned the letter to Shaman.
"You don't need to tell me about something as trivial as a child tattling on to an elder. Go ahead," the woman said.
Not only did it show no sign of changing its ways, it even continued to provoke her. Easily, Shaman's already rising temper flared into a raging inferno, making her as angry as a penguin. This penguin cat puffed out its cheeks and went out to mail a letter.
Xie Huailing waved goodbye to her warmly and said, "If you need to send a letter again next time, remember not to tell me. But if you need a stamp, you can come to me. I'll stamp it for you as proof that I did it."
If Shaman were a modern person, she would have given her the middle finger, but unfortunately, she wasn't. Shaman could only blush with rage, her anger rivaling the intensity of the bracelet on her wrist, and slam the door shut with a deafening roar.
Young people just have bad tempers, sigh. Xie Huailing, who is actually younger than Shaman, shows absolutely no remorse for his actions.
She had dinner at the Flower Pavilion. When people get excited talking, they always think about eating something. Although she didn't eat much, she had eaten something nonetheless. So she didn't call any more servants. After finishing up the tasks she had missed that day, she told her maid not to let anyone disturb her that night.
Then, Xie Huailing took a bath. She soaked in the tub, raised her jade-like arm, and lifted a curtain of water. What difference was there between the swirling white steam and the silk gauze hanging on the rack? It draped over her bare skin and dampened her hair, the warm breeze soothing away the day's grime.
In fact, Shaman was right about one thing: no matter how long or how precious leisure time may be, people always have to get back to their work.
Without calling for hot water again, Xie Huailing abruptly stood up, water droplets rolling down like broken strings, one after another being swept away by the thin blanket. A faint fragrance swayed on the slippery ground, the clear water washing away all superfluous embellishments, her new makeup appearing hazy and ethereal, all the floating flowers gone. She took down the clothes from the rack and tucked her wet hair behind her ear.
She still had things to do, and the nights were long while her dreams were short.
.
The bronze mirror reflects the spirit without any obscuration; a person's form and spirit are as if cleansed by a pool of water on its clear surface, naturally sublime. However, only two candles are lit in the room, making the nighttime scene indescribable. The candlelight flickers on the wall, as if imitating the action of rubbing hair in front of the mirror, creating two shadows of its own.
Xie Huailing sat in front of the mirror.
She propped her head up with one hand and rested the other on the table, her eyes closed in repose. Given this posture, it was clear that someone else was drying her hair.
The pampered prince, who had lived a life of luxury for over twenty years, awkwardly lifted her hair. He was a seasoned swordsman, a top-notch swordsman himself, and his fingers were long and slender, as if every part of them had been sculpted from the very beginning, as he brushed against her still dripping hair. Every movement was gentle, and he restrained all his strength.
Occasionally, only occasionally, he would brush a small strand of her hair with his fingertips as he passed by, searching for the source of her scent, or perhaps his nose would brush against hers in an intimate way. But he would not touch her; what was not allowed would not happen.
This was a secret rendezvous known only to them. Under the cover of darkness, as they rubbed against each other, their shadows almost overlapping, he whispered in her ear. She ignored him, so he finally begged her for words.
"After drying your hair, what should I do next?" Gong Jiu asked.
Xie Huailing raised her eyes slightly in the dim candlelight, looking only at herself in the mirror. She seemed sleepy, or perhaps it was just the atmosphere, and said, "It's not like I'm not going to make arrangements for you."
He stared intently at her reflection in the mirror, taking in both her back and her face. When he noticed that she didn't respond to his gaze, her empty eyes glanced downwards, then looked at the tiny scratches on the bronze mirror, and asked him, "What can you do here?"
“I can do all of that,” Gong Jiu said, his fingers threading through her hair, then he lifted her up with a caress. “Just tell me.”
Xie Huailing was deep in thought, seemingly lost in thought.
A name lingered in her mind, and her innate caution prevented her from ignoring certain things. Without thinking for long, she issued an order: "On the day of Ren Ci's birthday banquet, Ye Gucheng brought a girl with him. I want you to find out who she is before Ye Gucheng leaves this city."
Gong Jiu replied, "Okay."
He finally dried Xie Huailing's hair, and draped the half-dry, half-wet headscarf over a low cabinet. A bouquet of flowers, their vibrant colors also meant for her, sat in a porcelain vase next to the cabinet. Along with a small jade statue of a beautiful woman, they were all gifts he had brought tonight, and gifts to make up for last night.
Gong Jiu added, "I'll come find you tomorrow night too. Let's make a date."
With a refined and elegant face, Xie Huailing lowered his eyes and said, "I don't care."
Nestled among flowers and illuminated by candlelight, her eyes shimmered with a thousand emotions, radiating pitifulness. He moved even closer, his true nature gradually revealed: "Then, can I watch you fall asleep tonight?"
This time she responded much faster, slapping his face and shoving him away with a loud thud, saying, "Don't make me tell you to get lost."
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