Chapter 71 Locking the Phoenix Tree (Part 4) As always, it strikes right at the heart of people's hearts...
"It was fine this morning, how come it suddenly started raining?" Yu Qi, constrained by the unidentified mud on Gu Lianzhou's shoulders, could only awkwardly huddle under the umbrella and urged him, "Hurry up, Xingchuan is still waiting for us."
Gu Lianzhou didn't quite understand Yu Qi's actions: "Why not buy another umbrella?"
Three people sharing one umbrella, it's quite crowded...
But Yu Qi said dismissively, "If it weren't for the fact that the drawing paper can't get wet, I wouldn't want to buy an umbrella at all."
He glanced back at the umbrella shop with disdain, then leaned close to Gu Lianzhou's ear and whispered, "It's too expensive! One umbrella costs me a tael of silver, and there's no room for bargaining. It's a total rip-off! They're ripping off customers! You should know that it's more than ten times more expensive than a regular umbrella. If that were converted into grain, it would be enough for an ordinary family to eat and drink for a year."
Upon hearing this, Gu Lianzhou remained silent for a moment, then turned and walked towards the umbrella stand.
Seeing this, Yu Qi quickly grabbed him, asking in confusion, "Where are you going?"
Gu Lianzhou frowned slightly and said, "Go back to him."
He used to think that a tael of silver was just a small coin among silver ingots, but after hearing what Yu Qi said today, he realized how extravagant he had been in the past.
Therefore, when Yu Qi stopped him, he was a little puzzled: "Didn't you think the umbrella was too expensive? How about we return it and exchange it for a raincoat?"
“My dear brother, it would be fine if you hadn’t been holding an umbrella, but now that the umbrella is damaged and you’ve been caught in the rain, how can you back down?” Yu Qi saw him about to close the umbrella and quickly reached out to stop him, “Come on, come on, there are a lot of people watching.”
He looked at the huge crowd under the eaves and his smile was more like a grimace: "This is my fault. I didn't explain things to you beforehand. Oh, don't be impulsive. Let's go to the painting shop and meet up with Liu Dai first, so we don't keep them waiting."
After much persuasion, Yu Qi finally managed to pull Gu Lianzhou back from his stubborn mule. He silently wiped a bead of sweat from his brow. Seeing Gu Lianzhou still looking unwilling to give up, he couldn't help but say, "I never knew you were so stubborn. You really should let that kid Song San see you..."
On second thought, wasn't Song San the very rein that held Gu Lianzhou in place? Now that the rein has vanished, isn't this donkey going to go crazy?
Upon hearing the mention of his senior brother, Gu Lianzhou suddenly fell silent, staring blankly at his toes.
Because of the rainy day, the dodder was also listless. After staring at it for a while, it reluctantly peeked forward, as if it had caught a scent in the air. Its tentacles swayed and extended a few inches into the distance before being drenched by the rain and retreating back to Gu Lianzhou's feet.
They looked rather pitiful.
These past few days, with my senior brother away, it seems to have lost its soul, no longer as active as before, let alone clinging to people. The entire dodder plant spends most of its time silently curled up in his shadow.
Seeing that he was silent, Yu Qi nudged him with his elbow, "Brother Gu, watch where you're going, you're about to push me into a puddle."
Gu Lianzhou then came to his senses and took a few steps to the side.
Yu Qi's clothes were soaked by the torrential rain.
"..." Never mind, he's a mature adult now, why bother arguing with a stubborn mule.
Today, he was ordered by his father to go to the Prince of Nancheng's mansion to present a visiting card to Zhao Heng, the eldest son of the Prince of Nancheng.
It is said that the two have been friends since childhood. When he learned that Yu Qi had died at the hands of bandits, young Zhao Heng cried bitterly. Now that he has just returned to Nancheng, he should see his old friend.
Yu Qi was unwilling to take the initiative to approach them.
He was no longer the naive young man he once was, relying on playful banter with Zhao Heng to strengthen their bond. The two hadn't seen each other for three years, and the sudden appearance of this "dead man" would likely frighten people.
Moreover, he used to beat Zhao Heng with his bare hands, so it's hard to say what Zhao Heng's attitude towards him is right now.
"Now it seems like I'm the one rushing to curry favor with him."
Yu Qi once defiantly confronted his father in the mansion, only to be threatened by Murong Xiao with the threat that he would have to remain confined to his room to reflect on his mistakes if he did not present a formal letter of introduction. Only then did he reluctantly leave the house.
They also brought Gu Lianzhou and Liu Dai along.
The two huddled together in the rain until their clothes were mostly soaked before they finally saw the "Xianmo Pavilion" ahead.
He hurriedly lifted the curtain and went into the house, picked up the framed calligraphy and painting, and then Yu Qi was troubled again: "I don't know when this rain will stop, and we are in such a sorry state that it is really not appropriate to see anyone. Otherwise... let's go back."
Liu Dai was used to Yu Qi's quirks and nodded, saying, "Your appearance as a water ghost is indeed frightening. You should go back and clean yourself up."
Gu Lianzhou bent down and twisted the hem of his clothes, then sighed softly, "I have no objection."
"Wait a little longer." Yu Qi licked his lips and gave a sly smile. "It's not too late to go back after the rain stops."
Liu Dai hummed in agreement, raising an eyebrow slightly. "Are you afraid of being locked up when you get back?"
Touched on a sore spot, a hint of pain flashed across Yu Qi's face. "Don't mention those words. If you were stuck at home all day, you'd probably be bored to death too."
Liu Dai said dismissively, "I can stay in the room all day studying the pharmacopoeia."
Yu Qi picked at his ear, looking disgusted. "Liu Xingchuan, you're not that old, how come you're so old-fashioned and boring?"
As soon as he finished speaking, he received a glare: "You can't talk about ice with a summer insect."
"Hey, how dare you talk like that? You're the bug!" Yu Qi retorted unwillingly.
"Seventh Brother Yu, you should read more books."
...
In the end, they were unable to visit the Prince of Nancheng's Mansion. It wasn't until the rain stopped and the sky cleared that the three of them walked out of Xianmo Pavilion carrying the calligraphy and painting box.
"Liu Dai, I suddenly feel a chill down my back," Yu Qi said, rubbing his arms awkwardly.
Upon hearing this, Liu Dai didn't even look up and said, "What's wrong, young master Yu? Did you catch a cold after getting caught in the rain?"
Yu Qi clicked his tongue. "Something's not right. I feel like there's a pair of eyes watching me."
He turned around sharply and came face to face with the man a few feet away.
Seemingly caught off guard by his actions, the man was caught between a rock and a hard place, frozen in place like a paper effigy.
Yu Qi tilted his head and looked the man up and down. Amidst the man's increasingly horrified gaze, he asked uncertainly, "Zhao Heng?"
After he finished speaking, the man opposite him gasped and exclaimed, "Brother Yu!"
Having not heard anyone call him by his nickname for a long time, Yu Qi was a little unaccustomed to it. He raised his hand to scratch his head and grinned, revealing a simple smile: "It really is you."
Zhao Heng, courtesy name Guanyan.
This person was the very person they were going to visit, the eldest son of the King of Nancheng.
"You knew I was coming to see you today, so you came here specifically to ambush me?" Yu Qi was used to flattering himself, but he quickly figured it out.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Heng's face showed a hint of confusion: "No..."
He hid the brocade box behind his back, and the servant behind him understood and immediately stepped forward to take it from him.
Taking advantage of this moment, Zhao Heng strode towards Yu Qi and said with little confidence, "Brother Yu, are you the real Brother Yu?"
Yu Qi twitched her lips, looking at the man rapidly approaching her, and said with considerable disdain, "Am I still dead?"
When the two walked together, Liu Dai and Gu Lianzhou automatically moved aside, keeping their eyes down and their minds at ease.
Zhao Heng incredulously tugged at Yu Qi's sleeve, looked him up and down, then gestured with his hand above Yu Qi's head, saying, "How come three years have passed and you're still not as tall as me?"
"...Can't you say something nicer?" Yu Qi looked the person over carefully, then retorted without any politeness, "But you, why do you look so much older?"
Hey, that mouth! It still hits right where it hurts, you can tell it's Brother Yu just by listening!
Zhao Heng raised his hand to press the dark circles under his eyes and sighed softly, "I didn't sleep well last night, please excuse me."
Yu Qi shamelessly asked, "What, didn't you sleep well? Were you missing me?"
Zhao Heng: "..."
Why is this person still as shameless as before?
During their conversation, they discovered that apart from some changes in appearance, the other person's temperament remained the same as before, and they became lively again.
Yu Qi's gaze swept towards the distance not far away. "I see you're carrying a box. Are you planning to visit someone?"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Heng knew he couldn't hide it any longer, so he simply said, "I won't lie to you anymore, I... am getting married soon."
Yu Qi blinked: "Hmm?"
Zhao Heng smiled wryly and said, "But I have offended the young lady, so I have prepared a small gift today to come and apologize."
Yu Qi finally came to his senses and immediately jumped up and said, "You, how old are you? How come you're getting married before me!"
Why should we compare ourselves to him in this matter?
Zhao Heng said, both amused and exasperated, "You brat, have you forgotten that I'm a full four years older than you?"
Noticing Liu Dai and the other person standing quietly to one side, he couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed. He clasped his hands and said, "Look at me, I was so busy making small talk with you that I forgot we had distinguished guests here. Please forgive me. Come, let's go to Li Pei's residence for a visit."
Yu Qi frowned, increasingly puzzled. "Weren't you going to the girl's house to apologize? Why did you go to Li Pei's place instead?"
Seeing the other person's ears turn red, Yu Qi's not-so-bright mind suddenly cleared up. He tremblingly raised his index finger and pointed at Zhao Heng's face, saying, "Don't tell me that the girl you like is Li Wan."
Zhao Heng pursed his lips and remained silent, only nodding repeatedly.
Yu Qi felt like he was about to explode: "You beast! How old is that girl? How old are you? You old man!"
Zhao Heng said helplessly, "Brother Yu, three years have passed, and the girl has grown up."
Besides, how is he an old man?
As soon as he finished speaking, he saw Yu Qi staring at him with complicated eyes, as if he were some kind of jackal or tiger. "Why are we going to join in the fun when you're seeing a girl? People might think you're using your numbers to cause trouble."
There's some truth to what he said; it's just that he hadn't thought things through.
Zhao Heng was already in a hurry today, and he boarded the carriage in a rush without checking the weather. However, before he even arrived at the Li family's house, a torrential downpour began, which caused him to be delayed.
If he hadn't gotten off the carriage to buy some snacks at Shangshige, he probably wouldn't have run into Yu Qi.
Now, seeing his brother, whom he had personally burned paper money for three years ago, standing perfectly healthy in front of him, he felt even more complicated.
So, after struggling with himself for a while, he waved his hand and said, "It is a great fate that we met today. Let's put other things aside for now and go to Jixiangju for a drink!"
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