Chapter 48 Dodder (12) Senior Brother, I can't control myself...
As soon as he finished speaking, the air seemed to freeze for a moment.
Song Qiling stared at the bronze mirror with the 'Phoenix Carrying a Ribbon' design in front of her, her brow twitching slightly. Perhaps…
Let's try a different side.
"A wedding mirror?" Gu Lianzhou looked at the bronze mirror again and again, then turned around and glanced at the vendor.
Then one sees the huge stall densely packed with odds and ends: peach wood combs, embroidered purses, stacks of crimson wedding handkerchiefs, and silver hairpins adorned with red velvet flowers. Even more striking is the bundle of gilded wedding candles lying quietly in the corner…
It really was a stall selling wedding supplies.
"I was just about to remind you, sir, that this wedding mirror is usually given by a man to a woman to celebrate their marriage," the vendor said with an embarrassed smile, trying to salvage the situation. "But seeing you give this mirror to your son, I thought of the brotherly affection between the two, which complements the phoenix in the painting..."
As he spoke, seeing the two men's faces turn green, the vendor scratched his head and could no longer laugh. "You see, I only sell wedding mirrors on this stall, no other styles. Otherwise... otherwise I'll return the money to you, sir."
After saying that, he made a gesture as if to reach into his own purse.
"never mind."
Song Qiling took a step forward and snatched the bronze mirror from her junior brother's hand. "It's just a mirror anyway. As long as it works, it doesn't matter if it's a phoenix or some other bird."
Seeing his casual and carefree attitude, the merchant immediately beamed and loosened his grip on the money bag: "Young master is right. A mirror is something that is easy to use, that's what matters."
Song Qiling felt like she had taken a hot potato. Without even glancing at it, she stuffed the mirror into her sleeve, nodded to the shopkeeper, and turned to leave.
A moment later, footsteps followed behind.
Song Qiling closed her eyes, regretting that she had said something unnecessary. But then she thought again that as a "man," being so coy would only make her seem guilty.
Having figured this out, the frustration in his heart dissipated considerably, and even his steps became lighter. Without turning his head, he said, "Junior brother, thank you."
Gu Lianzhou gave a faint "hmm" in response, but his brows furrowed like a knot, and beneath his lowered eyelashes, his deep eyes stared at the soles of his senior brother's boots, the words "brotherly love and respect" lingering in his ears.
His senior brother accepted the bronze mirror he was given, and seemed pleased. He was also pleased, but...
His gaze shifted slightly, landing on his senior brother's slender back. Another strange, overwhelming feeling surged back, filling his heart and mind, making him afraid to think about it further.
It's probably because I didn't get enough rest last night.
Gu Lianzhou raised his hand to his chest, realizing that he was probably ill.
-
Perhaps they wanted to watch the fifth round of the competition two days later and find some opportunities, or perhaps they lingered in the prosperity of the South City and wanted to make a name for themselves in this treasure land. Apart from the martial arts heroes and famous disciples who were kept in Murong Xiao's mansion as retainers, there were as many people staying at the West Street Inn as there were.
The moment she stepped into the inn, several sharp, sword-like gazes pierced her directly, making Song Qiling, who was asking the innkeeper a question, feel as if she had thorns in her back.
These tattooed, vicious people, just sitting on the chairs in the lobby, made people afraid to approach them.
Song Qiling, being sensible, placed a few copper coins on the table as a fee for inquiring after learning that there was no middle-aged man with a missing arm in the inn, and then pulled her junior brother out of the inn.
Before she could even step over the threshold, she heard a burst of laughter behind her: "What, a woman is participating in the competition? Does that old man Murong know?"
Song Qiling paused slightly, gritted her teeth, and turned to look at the person who had been egging her on.
The speaker was a burly man with a square face and wide mouth. When she turned her head, he grinned and revealed a gold-plated front tooth. "Is the little lady angry? Let your brother coax her and she won't be angry anymore."
Pah! Vulgar.
Song Qiling frowned and said without holding back, "Open your dog eyes and look carefully, whether I am a man or a woman."
The man laughed heartily, glancing at her sideways, "I must have been mistaken. It's not a young lady, but a handsome scholar."
Song Qiling felt as if he had punched cotton, his strength was useless.
Why argue with him? It's just a matter of words; it won't hurt her in the slightest. So, she just glared at him fiercely and turned away.
"Look at you, you're getting angry even though you can't say anything." The man leaned casually against the table, the mockery in his eyes still lingering. He caught a glimpse of the green figure still guarding the door, and then looked up at it again.
Instead of the pale-faced scholar, there was a tall man standing beside him. This man stared at him without saying a word, his pupils like two black mercury pellets, fixed and unmoving, yet his aura was like a frost-covered blade, chilling one to the bone.
The smile on the gold-toothed man's lips slowly froze on his face.
I was just teasing his brother a few times, why is he making such a fuss about me?
As if he had endured three long autumns, the unsettling gaze finally disappeared in front of the door. The man suddenly breathed a sigh of relief, looked down at his palm, and felt that his fingertips were stiff and numb.
-
The trip to West Street ended in failure.
They ate two bowls of soup noodles at a roadside stall called "Da Wan Tou" with their junior brother, and then returned to the Murong residence while the afterglow of the sunset was still on the horizon.
Following the path and passing through the courtyard, one sees servants lighting lamps with tinder, and in no time at all, the gray-blue courtyard becomes bright.
"My lords, you're finally back!" The maid who had been serving them during the day looked at the two of them as if they were saviors. She dropped the flint she was holding and ran over. When she got close, she said breathlessly, "Quick, quick, to Young Master Yu's room."
Song Qiling hurriedly said, "Don't rush, please explain yourself clearly."
The maid swallowed hard, a hint of worry flashing in her eyes. "Young Master Yu went to find Fourth Young Master this afternoon, and the two young masters had a falling out for some reason, and then... then they started fighting."
Tsk, how can this person be so impatient?
Song Qiling frowned slightly and asked again, "Where is Murong Yu injured?"
The maidservant paused slightly upon hearing this, then shook her head and said, "Young Master Yu isn't hurt, it's the Fourth Young Master, the Fourth Young Master..."
"how?"
"Seventh Young Master broke Fourth Young Master's head with a vase, violating family rules, and is currently being punished in his room!"
"..."
Both Song and Gu remained silent. After repeated urging from the maid, Song Qiling said, "Please lead the way."
Knowing that Yu Qi was a fool, it seems now that she's probably even more foolish than she imagined.
The group hurried to the door of Yu Qi's residence, where they heard a woman crying inside. "I don't know what my son has done to offend Young Master Yu, that he must suffer such a calamity today..."
As soon as he finished speaking, Yu Qi sneered, "Third Aunt, I was just playing around with Fourth Brother. I don't think Fourth Brother is dead. Why are you crying?"
"You! You're utterly unreasonable!" The woman called 'Third Concubine' choked for a moment, then cried out loudly, "Master, you must do justice for Zheng'er!"
Song Qiling suddenly stopped and turned to face his junior brother. The maidservant, puzzled, asked, "My lord, aren't you going in to take a look?"
Hearing the woman crying inside, Song Qiling chuckled and said, "It's a private matter after all. It would be inappropriate for outsiders like us to barge in."
After a moment's hesitation, she beckoned to the maidservant to come forward.
Although the young maid didn't understand, she did as she was told.
The next moment, he suddenly felt a heat on his ear. Song Langjun leaned close to his ear and whispered, "Later, ask the kitchen for a bowl of Four Gods Soup. Just say that... Young Master Yu is not used to meat and fish. He overate today, so Doctor Liu specially prescribed this soup."
After giving his instructions, Song Qiling straightened up and asked, "Did you remember that?"
"Four Gods Soup...Four Gods Soup, I've got it." The little maid blushed, her eyes shining as she looked at Song Qiling.
Song Qiling blinked in confusion, then belatedly realized that she seemed to have overstepped her bounds.
"Senior brother, let's go back." Gu Lianzhou said softly from behind.
After arranging things properly, Song Qiling turned around and walked side by side with her junior brother, heading towards their bedroom along the winding path: "If Patriarch Murong takes pity on his youngest son, Yu Qi, he should punish him leniently."
"I just hope he can stay calm and not let a small matter cause him to lose more than he gains," Gu Lianzhou said, looking down at his feet.
The sky was now completely dark, and all around was silent.
Stone lanterns are placed every five steps along both sides of the winding path, their dim yellow light shining through the openwork lampshades and casting dappled shadows on the bluestone pavement.
The flickering lamplight cast several thin, blurry shadows at his feet.
Let's call that thing "dodder" for now. Its dark, winding "stem" spread out like strands of hair, moving eerily and softly across the ground, like a living creature that has smelled blood, extending towards my senior brother's feet...
"Senior brother." Gu Lianzhou suddenly stopped in his tracks.
Song Qiling, puzzled, asked, "What's wrong?"
Before she could react, her wrist was suddenly tightened. Her junior brother had grabbed her right hand and, without saying a word, dragged her quickly toward the fork in the path.
His steps were quick and heavy, and his clothes fluttered, stirring up a cold wind.
"..."
Why is he acting crazy again?
Song Qiling called out "Junior Brother" several times to no avail. She felt an immense force gripping her wrist, and no matter how she struggled, she couldn't budge it. A chill suddenly ran through her heart, and she asked in a trembling voice, "Junior Brother, what are you doing?"
The narrow path was much darker than before, perhaps because it had been neglected for a long time and was overgrown with weeds, making it very difficult to walk on.
Only when he saw a strangely shaped artificial mountain suddenly appear at the end of the road did Gu Lianzhou let go of his hand and stand with his back to his senior brother.
Song Qiling rubbed her wrist and frowned as she looked at Gu Lianzhou. Seeing that he seemed to be avoiding her, she felt even more strange.
If you're going to avoid her, why bring her to this secluded place?
"Junior brother..." she tentatively asked in a soft voice.
But Gu Lianzhou's figure trembled slightly like a withered leaf in the wind. Suddenly, he straightened his back, turned around, and quickly approached her.
Suddenly, my shoulder felt heavy.
The man's tall figure swayed twice, then collapsed as if exhausted, falling directly into the crook of her neck.
"Senior brother." Gu Lianzhou pressed his teeth against his lips, something fiery moving in his dark eyes. He felt a strange tightening in his chest, making it difficult to even breathe.
The dark shadow was right in front of his eyes, slowly moving upwards, wrapping around his senior brother's ankle, and gradually tightening.
He almost blurted out the words, his voice hoarse: "Senior brother, I can't control myself."
This dodder plant seems to have its own consciousness.
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