Chapter 83 Locking the Wutong Tree (Sixteen) The Song Dynasty sorcerer who has a penchant for married women...
"It really is you!"
Wan Hongling strode forward and grabbed her sleeve. When she saw the other's face clearly, her eyes lit up with joy, and two blushes slowly rose on her cheeks. "I... I thought I was seeing things."
The maid Qiu'er slowly peeked out from behind her. When she saw the sorcerer Song in front of her, a smile appeared on her face: "It really is Young Master Song."
The two men arrived at a convenient time, only to run into her on the second floor of the Cloud Weaving Workshop.
Song Qiling smiled wryly to herself, but put on a show of delight at the reunion with old friends: "Miss Wan, Miss Qiu, how have you been?"
She pulled her sleeve back slightly, turned her head to look at Manager Wan behind her, her gaze flickering between the two of them for a moment, and she immediately understood the situation: "I didn't expect that this weaving workshop is actually Miss Wan's uncle's business, what a coincidence."
Wan Hongling was overjoyed, completely ignoring the embarrassment on her second uncle's face. Her mind was only on the sorcerer Song. Upon hearing this, she clapped her hands and laughed, "Isn't that a coincidence? I was just thinking the other day that the sorcerer Song should also be in the South City. Maybe we'll run into each other sometime. And look, what I said came true."
Song Qiling chuckled twice and asked routinely, "How is Master Wan's health?"
Upon hearing this, a hint of melancholy flashed in Wan Hongling's eyes, but then she put on a smile again: "Father was unconscious for two days after that incident last time. Although he is now fine, he is always plagued by nightmares and often wakes up in the middle of the night. He dares not sleep alone. His body is fine, but his spirits are not very good."
Song Qiling nodded slightly and comforted her gently, "This is a symptom of mental and physical exhaustion. With some rest, it will recover on its own."
After a moment's hesitation, she added, "If you're still worried, I have some calming incense here that can help you sleep."
She took a fragrant pill from the brocade pouch at her waist and handed it to Wan Hongling, instructing her, "This incense will release a sleep-inducing fragrance when it comes into contact with an open flame. You can place it in the incense burner in Master Wan's bedroom. When using it, no one else should approach. If you need to wake Master Wan, you must first open the window to ventilate the room and let the fragrance dissipate..."
As they talked, Song Qiling realized something was wrong.
Wan Hongling's eyes were sparkling, as if someone had struck a flint within them, and she was staring straight at him...
"Miss Wan?" Song Qiling called softly. Seeing that she had come back to her senses, he quickly raised his hand and bowed. "It's getting late, I should take my leave now. I won't bother you any longer today."
Wan Hongling seemed to wake from a dream, a hint of urgency flashing in her eyes: "Are you leaving already? Why are you in such a hurry? It's almost the beginning of the hour of You (5-7 PM), I suppose Master Song hasn't eaten yet? Why don't I treat you to a meal today, as a way of... as a way of repaying your kindness to my father."
Song Qiling couldn't handle her enthusiasm and found it difficult to speak, unable to refuse. After only a moment of distraction, she heard Manager Wan say behind her, "Hongling, you can go and do other things first. I will send someone to deliver the materials you want to your residence later."
Hearing her second uncle say this, Wan Hongling seized the opportunity and followed Song Qiling downstairs: "Master Song, what a coincidence! I know a tavern in the city where the goose and duck skewers and the perch sashimi are extremely delicious, something you can't find anywhere else..."
The woman beside her kept chattering, making Song Qiling's head throb. She turned around, bowed to Manager Wan and the waiter, and finally instructed, "Manager, please don't forget what I said earlier."
Upon hearing this, Manager Wan waved his hand helplessly and said, "Young master, please put your mind at ease."
After much persuasion, the two "bestowales" were finally seen off. Manager Wan felt utterly exhausted. He leaned on the table and sat down, slowly shaking his head as he looked at the silk handkerchief on the table: "This young man doesn't seem to be an official..."
The waiter chimed in, "Manager, didn't you hear Miss Wan call that young man a 'sorcerer'? How could he be an official? This man is clearly a wandering swordsman, probably a Taoist practitioner who understands esoteric arts."
"This is getting more and more bizarre." Manager Wan was still uneasy. Looking in the direction the two had left, he murmured, "I don't know if Hongling's association with this person is a blessing or a curse. I hope she doesn't get involved with the royal family."
-
Unable to refuse, Song Qiling was pulled into a tavern by this Miss Wan.
Before even entering, a wave of murky brine mixed with wine lees hit Song Qiling, causing her face to go blank. She looked up at the dusty plaque hanging above the dilapidated doorway and her heart skipped a beat.
It's truly remarkable that Wan Hongling managed to find this hole-in-the-wall restaurant.
Following her inside, we saw waiters carrying piles of steamers, weaving and turning among the tables and chairs, their shouts and laughter mingling together, creating a lively atmosphere.
Wan Hongling lightly lifted the hem of her skirt, squeezed into the bench by the window, tapped her knuckles on the peeling paint on the table, and ordered food with practiced ease: "Two servings of goose and duck skewers and one serving of sea bass sashimi, stir-fried vegetables, grilled cicada pupae, and a bucket of sticky rice."
She turned to Song Qiling and asked, "Young Master Song, can you drink alcohol?"
Song Qiling blinked: "Yes, but..."
Before she could finish speaking, Wan Hongling said to herself, "Alright, then bring a pot of bayberry liquor."
"Hey, please wait a moment, sir, your food will be here shortly." The waiter, holding the menu, slipped away like an eel, so fast that he couldn't even catch a glimpse of her clothes.
Song Qiling sat awkwardly at one end of the saddle stool, unaware that the situation had turned out this way.
Because of the relationship between the owner of the Yunzhi Workshop and Wan Hongling, she selfishly did not want the two of them to be alone, lest Manager Wan inadvertently leak the news, so she agreed to Wan Hongling's request to have a meal.
only……
Miss Wan seemed a bit too enthusiastic towards her.
“Master Song, I could tell from the start that you were no ordinary person.” Wan Hongling smiled broadly. “Even in coarse linen clothes, your elegance could not be concealed. Now that you’ve changed your clothes, you look even more handsome.”
The young woman was bold and spoke her mind without any reservations: "Since we parted last time, Hongling has felt empty inside. Today, I am overjoyed to see you, my lord."
Song Qiling had never heard a woman speak so frankly before. His face flushed, his ears turned slightly red, and even his throat tightened: "Miss Wan, I am humbled by your kindness."
Wan Hongling sat up straight, folded her hands, and smiled, resting her chin on her hand: "Young master, why are you so anxious all the time?"
Her almond-shaped eyes darted around in their sockets, revealing a hint of cunning. "Could it be that you're afraid I'll eat you up?"
Song Qiling was embarrassed: "Miss Wan, what are you saying? I'm just not used to this kind of enthusiasm..."
Being stared at so intensely by a woman of the same sex is bound to be frightening.
She turned her head to look at the door, forcefully changing the subject, "Why hasn't Qiu'er come back yet? Could she have gotten lost?"
Upon hearing this, Wan Hongling picked up the tea on the table, brought it to her lips, and took a sip. Looking at her through the thin steam, she found Song Shushi's simple reaction quite amusing, and couldn't help but have a teasing thought in her mind.
“She probably won’t be coming back.” Wan Hongling put down her teacup, her face returning to its usual serious expression. “You heard my second uncle say at the Yunzhi workshop that someone will be delivering cloth to the Wan residence later. Qiu’er will go back to receive it. By the time the inventory is finished, it will probably be completely dark, so there’s no need to rush back.”
Upon hearing this, a hint of panic flashed in Song Qiling's eyes: "Then, are we just having dinner here today, just the two of us?"
"Look at you, you can't even speak properly anymore." Wan Hongling was in a great mood, and covered her mouth with her sleeve as she laughed. "Isn't it good just the two of us? Assassin Song, I thought you already understood my feelings..."
Song Qiling felt like her scalp was about to explode. Seeing the waiter carrying a heavy mahogany tray toward her, she managed to stay seated and said, sweating profusely, "Miss Wan, how can I explain this to you?"
Fragrant goose and duck skewers were piled on the plate, still sizzling with oil. Wan Hongling picked up a skewer and handed it to her. "What's there to explain?"
"I...I might..." She reluctantly took the wooden skewer, not rushing to put it to her lips, carefully choosing her words. But when the words reached her lips, she was at a loss for words. "Miss Wan, I might not...like you."
"Hmm?" Wan Hongling raised her eyes to look at the stuttering young man, feeling as if she had heard something incredible. "You don't like girls?"
She suddenly laughed. "Could it be that you prefer mature women? Married women?"
That's quite surprising, but...
Her gaze swept across the young man's face, and everything became understandable. "Young Master Song has rather unique tastes."
"No." Song Qiling inwardly berated himself for delaying the young lady, gritted his teeth, and mustered his courage to say, "I don't like women, Miss Wan. I only hope that your sincerity will not be misplaced."
After he finished speaking, a moment of silence fell over the surroundings.
After a moment, Wan Hongling chuckled and said, "I thought you would come up with some brilliant reason, but I didn't expect it to be so clumsy."
"Alright, alright, I was too hasty today and pushed you too hard." She lowered her eyes to look at the sumptuous dishes on the table, her fingertip tracing half a circle around the edge of the teacup, and suddenly sighed with a smile, "One should not speak while eating or sleeping, Song Langjun, let's eat first."
Song Qiling lowered her eyes, not daring to look at her expression, and only responded in a muffled voice. She picked up the chopsticks beside her and began to eat the food in small bites.
After finishing her meal, Song Qiling got up and left her seat. She paid the bill first, and when she turned around, she saw Wan Hongling smiling at her and saying, "Sorcerer Song, it's getting dark and it's inconvenient to travel. Why don't you take my carriage?"
-
After a while.
The carriage rolled over the cobblestone road, and the soft, jolting motion spread throughout the carriage.
Song Qiling sat stiffly in the palanquin, his back ramrod straight, looking at the woman in front of him by the moonlight.
The carriage was eerily quiet, with only the sound of each other's breathing. After a short while, Wan Hongling suddenly sighed softly, "I was presumptuous today, and I hope Master Song will not take offense."
Song Qiling shook his head: "I don't blame you. I wasn't joking when I was at the banquet today. I really don't like women."
She raised her hand to touch the talisman at her waist, her lips parted slightly and then tightened again. Just as she was hesitating to speak, the carriage suddenly jolted violently, and she was thrown forward uncontrollably.
With a soft "pop," Song Qiling felt a sudden heat on her cheek, and a soft, wet touch brushed against her skin. In her panic, she tried to straighten up, but because she moved too quickly, she bumped into the roof of the car with a "thud."
The impact was so strong that she saw stars and had to close her eyes tightly to calm the dizziness.
Recalling what had happened in Fangzaidu, she suddenly opened her eyes again, looking at Wan Hongling in front of her with a shy expression, feeling as if ants were crawling all over her body.
"Miss Wan..."
"Don't say anything."
Wan Hongling lowered her eyes, fiddling with her fingers, and murmured to herself, "I know you are single-minded in your pursuit of the Dao and have no worries. What just happened is known only to you and me, and no third person will ever know."
Upon hearing this, a look of horror flashed in Song Qiling's eyes: "No, I feel I need to explain to you."
"Miss Wan, we've arrived at Lake Stone Lane!" the coachman called out from the front, then cursed, "Where did this broken stone come from at the intersection in the middle of the night? It almost startled my horse!"
Song Qiling: "..."
She really wanted to give them a piece of her mind.
In a daze, Wan Hongling had already lifted the sedan curtain, avoiding her gaze: "Master Song, we'll meet again another day."
Song Qiling was thus "invited" off the car.
She nervously tugged at the corner of her sleeve, feeling that if she didn't explain today, she might never have another chance. In a moment of anxiety, she turned around and stopped the departing carriage, lifting the curtain to meet Wan Hongling's astonished gaze.
She leaned against the windowsill, preventing the obstructing curtain from falling: "Miss Wan, actually I... I'm a woman..."
"Senior brother."
A man's eerie voice suddenly rang out from behind.
Song Qiling shuddered as if struck by lightning, her breath caught in her throat.
She stiffened her neck and struggled to turn her head.
At the dark alley entrance, the man slowly emerged like a ghost, his presence bringing a chill to the air.
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