Chapter 83 Chapter 83 Beauty is misleading!
Lin Yan was awakened by the chirping of birds outside the window.
It wasn't the kind of noisy noise that disturbs one's peaceful sleep, but rather a crisp sound unique to early spring, full of vitality, like a group of little elves having their morning meeting.
He groggily opened his eyes, and the first thing he saw was the familiar canopy of his bedroom.
Ah, it's my own bed.
There was no long, dark hair, no warm chest, and no lingering fragrance of agarwood.
call……
Lin Yan let out a long sigh of relief and raised his hand to wipe away non-existent cold sweat.
Thank goodness, it was just a dream.
It's probably because I've been thinking about it all day that I dream about it at night. Yesterday, I got a little too intimate with Xiao Che.
Shaking his head to banish the absurd dream, he stretched and jumped up.
Today is a big day, the third day of the third lunar month, the Shangsi Festival.
The Dayu Kingdom grants its officials a holiday on the Shangsi Festival, so Lin Yan was finally able to go out on a date with Xiao Che again.
Thinking of the "March 3rd Shangsi Festival Guide" that he had meticulously prepared last night, Lin Yan couldn't help but chuckle to himself.
People never feel tired when they are doing what they love.
After washing up and changing into the new clothes that Xiao Che had sent him, Lin Yan, clutching his precious strategy guide, went out the door with light steps. He didn't go to the palace, but went to Dan Garden to meet up with Xiao Che first.
Upon arriving at Dan Garden, Li Defu immediately led him to an open pavilion overlooking the water.
Xiao Che had arrived, standing with his hands behind his back by the pavilion. He was dressed in a light blue casual robe, which made him look tall and straight, less imposing in the court and more relaxed and elegant.
"Your Majesty," Lin Yan stepped forward and bowed, her eyes sparkling.
Xiao Che turned around, his gaze falling on him, and a slight smile appeared on his lips: "You're here."
Lin Yan pulled out the rolled-up strategy guide from his pocket and handed it over like a treasure, then said a little embarrassedly, "Your Majesty, take a look at this."
Xiao Che raised an eyebrow, took the roll of ordinary-looking paper, and unfolded it.
Draft Plan for an Outing with Young Master Zhaolin on the Third Day of the Third Lunar Month (Shangsi Festival)
The title itself brought a hint of a smile to Xiao Che's eyes.
Zhaolin was his courtesy name.
Keep reading.
[At Chenshi (7-9 AM): Meet at Yu Dan Garden.]
[At 2:45 AM: Depart by carriage for Luoxia Creek in the west of the city.]
[9:00-11:00 AM: Purification ritual.]
[From 3:45 AM to 1:00 PM: Enjoy a stroll along the stream, admire the scenery, and chat.]
[Lunchtime: Picnic.]
[1-3 PM: To be determined; one can adapt to the situation or follow the arrangements of Prince Zhaolin.]
...
Xiao Che read through the guide word by word, gently stroking it with his fingertips. He looked up at Lin Yan, who had a "praise me" expression on his face, and his heart melted.
"The plan is very thorough." Xiao Che suppressed the urge to immediately pull the person into his arms, his tone gentle and smiling. "It seems that Minister Lin has put a lot of effort into this."
"Of course!" Lin Yan said, seeing that he was satisfied. "It's good that Your Majesty is satisfied. Then let's proceed according to this plan today?"
Xiao Che carefully folded the strategy guide and put it into his sleeve. His gaze fell on Lin Yan's bright eyes, and he said slowly, "Alright, today, I will follow Lin Qing's arrangements."
My boyfriend said he'll listen to me!
Lin Yan's inner fantasies were already exploding and soaring into the sky. In a moment of excitement, he glanced around quickly and, seeing that everyone was far away, he tiptoed and, with lightning speed, kissed Xiao Che on the cheek with a "chirp".
She immediately stepped back after the kiss, her cheeks flushed, her eyes darting around, and she forced herself to remain calm as she looked at the pond: "This is a reward!"
Xiao Che was taken aback by his sneak attack. The soft, slightly damp touch swept across his cheek. Looking at Lin Yan's embarrassed but pretending to be fine, his Adam's apple bobbed slightly. In the end, he just chuckled and said in a deep voice, "Then thank you for Hanzhang's reward."
He deliberately slowed down the word "reward," which made Lin Yan's ears burn even hotter.
Beauty can be a trap!
Fortunately, Xiao Che knew when to stop: "It's getting late, shall we set off?"
"Okay." Lin Yan touched his burning earlobe; he was still not used to being outside.
The carriage was already prepared; it was still that seemingly ordinary yet comfortable blue-draped carriage.
The two got into the car and sat close together.
The wheels rolled, leaving Dan Garden and heading west of the city.
Lin Yan stayed up all night making plans and got up early today. Sitting in the carriage, he was swaying slightly and felt sleepy. He yawned and leaned against Xiao Che.
"Your Majesty, I'm so sleepy, I'll take a nap." Lin Yan hugged Xiao Che's arm and closed her eyes.
Xiao Che adjusted his position to make him more comfortable, his shoulder firmly supporting the fluffy head.
As he listened to Lin Yan's breathing gradually become even and long, his gaze fell on Lin Yan's slightly furrowed brows and the faint blue shadows under his eyes.
I stayed up all night making this, all for today.
Her fingertips lightly brushed against the stray hairs falling across Lin Yan's forehead, the movement as gentle as if she were touching a fragile treasure.
The carriage swayed slightly, but Xiao Che's arm remained as steady as a rock.
About half an hour later, the carriage slowly came to a stop, and Jin Jiu reported in a low voice from outside: "Your Majesty, we have arrived at Luoxia Creek."
Lin Yan groggily hummed, nuzzled her head against Xiao Che's shoulder, and then rubbed her eyes to wake up: "Have we arrived?"
"Mm," Xiao Che replied, straightening his askew collar. "Get out of the car?"
Lin Yan instantly sobered up, nodded excitedly, and jumped off the carriage first. He took a deep breath of the fresh air in the suburbs, which was mixed with the fragrance of grass and soil. His eyes lit up: "Your Majesty, look!"
The view is excellent.
A clear stream meanders across the early spring fields, its waters gurgling and shimmering in the sunlight.
The banks of the river are covered in lush greenery, dotted with wildflowers, and a few weeping willows are just beginning to sprout tender buds, swaying gently in the breeze.
In the distance, the mountains are dark green, the sky is azure, and all around is quiet and deserted, with only the sounds of nature.
“It’s very peaceful.” Xiao Che stood beside him, glanced over, and nodded in agreement.
Quiet and peaceful is good, because no one will bother them in quiet places.
Li Defu directed his men to swiftly arrange the felt rugs, incense burners, herbs, willow branches, and other items on a flat patch of grass by the stream. He then retreated far away, hiding in the distance with Jin Jiu to keep watch, leaving this area entirely to them.
The sense of ritual instantly comes through.
Lin Yan coughed lightly, trying to appear solemn, and led Xiao Che to the stream: "Your Majesty, please wash your hands first."
Various herbs floated in the warm water of the copper basin, emitting a pleasant fragrance.
Xiao Che readily agreed and dipped his hand into the water as instructed.
Lin Yan also washed it carefully and dried it with a cloth.
Then he picked up a tender green willow branch tied with a red string, dipped it in the clear stream water, turned to face Xiao Che, and said with a serious expression: "Please close your eyes, Your Majesty."
Looking at his earnest yet undeniably lively demeanor, Xiao Che's smile deepened, and he readily closed his eyes.
Holding a willow branch, Lin Yan carefully and gently brushed Xiao Che's forehead, cheeks, shoulders, and arms with the soft willow tip, moistened by the clear stream water... His movements were gentle and devout. As he brushed, he silently recited the prayer he had found in a book: "One brush to ward off calamity, two brushes to bring good fortune, three brushes... three brushes to wish my Zhaolin peace, joy, and all things going smoothly..."
Cool water droplets occasionally splash down, and the willow branches brush against them, bringing a slight tickle.
Xiao Che could sense the caution in Lin Yan's movements, as well as Lin Yan's sincerity.
When it was Xiao Che's turn to perform the purification ritual for Lin Yan, he picked up another willow branch and dipped it in the stream water.
Lin Yan quickly closed her eyes, her long eyelashes trembling slightly with anticipation or nervousness.
Xiao Che's movements seemed even more composed and fluid. The willow branch brushed past him respectfully as he softly recited an elegant and solemn prayer: "May the Lin family be blessed with good fortune, may they be protected from calamities and misfortunes, may their bodies and minds be purified, may they be blessed with both wisdom and fortune, may their careers be smooth, and may they enjoy lasting peace and happiness..."
His voice was deep and gentle, and every word clearly reached Lin Yan's ears.
Lin Yan thought absentmindedly, "Could his arrangement be described as romantic?"
After the ceremony, the two smiled at each other.
Lin Yan quickly recited the auspicious words she had prepared: "Wishing Young Master Zhaolin good health, a cheerful disposition, and all his wishes fulfilled!"
Xiao Che's smile hadn't faded as he solemnly replied, "Then I wish Hanzhang to always cherish a childlike heart, to always enjoy carefree happiness, to have a smooth road ahead, and to have all his wishes fulfilled."
He looked deeply into Lin Yan's eyes, his voice softening slightly: "Whenever you want to, you can do what you want to do and see who you want to see."
The sunlight fell perfectly on Xiao Che, and Lin Yan's image was clearly reflected in his always deep phoenix eyes, filled with undisguised tenderness and blessings.
Lin Yan felt her heart swell with emotion.
After the purification ritual, the atmosphere suddenly became relaxed.
Shedding his feigned seriousness, Lin Yan completely let loose.
The grass was soft, the air was fresh, the sun was warm, and most importantly—there was no one around!
He almost immediately hooked Xiao Che's hand, which was hanging by his side, with his little finger.
Xiao Che grasped it with his other hand, their fingers naturally interlocking.
Lin Yan's lips curled into a wild smile, and he took advantage of the situation by shaking his clasped hands.
Xiao Che indulged him, letting him lead him along the stream at a leisurely pace.
The stream was crystal clear, and occasionally a few small fish swam nimbly by.
Lin Yan pointed at the fish and started babbling again: "Your Majesty, look at these fish, how fat they are! It's a pity you didn't bring a fishing rod."
Xiao Che: "Hmm." I'll have Li Defu prepare some next time.
After walking for a while, Lin Yan started leaning against Xiao Che like she had no bones, from shoulder to shoulder, until she was half-hanging on Xiao Che's arm, saying with a straight face: "The road is uneven, I'm afraid of falling."
Xiao Che turned his head to look at the large human-shaped pendant, his eyes full of helpless smiles, but his arm steadily supported him.
Walking to the foot of a peach tree in full bloom, Lin Yan stopped, took a deep breath of its sweet fragrance, and suddenly had a whimsical idea: "Your Majesty, shall we hug this tree together? Let's share in the vitality of spring."
Xiao Che glanced at the not-so-thick tree trunk, then at Lin Yan, whose eyes were darting around as if he were talking nonsense, and nodded: "Okay."
The two faced each other, arms outstretched, embracing the peach tree.
The tree trunk is thin; to hug it like that is almost like embracing across the tree.
Their cheeks were close to each other across the flower branches, and they could hear each other's breath.
Petals fell softly, covering her hair and clothes.
Lin Yan could clearly see the sunlight dancing on Xiao Che's long eyelashes and the indulgent smile on his lips, and her heartbeat went out of control again.
Crowd in the distance: Don't look! Don't look!
Picnic time is even more enjoyable.
The food was bought from Wuweizhai. The cherry biscuits were sweet and sour, the bamboo shoot and meat rolls were fresh, fragrant and crisp, and the newly brewed plum wine was sweet and sour with a low alcohol content. Lin Yan sipped it and felt extremely comfortable.
He took a couple of bites, then habitually picked up a piece of bamboo shoot and meat roll and naturally offered it to Xiao Che's lips: "Your Majesty, this is delicious, would you like to try some?"
Xiao Che paused slightly as he looked at the chopsticks he was about to bring to his lips, then opened his mouth to take them, chewed them carefully, and nodded: "They are indeed good."
"Although the chefs at Wuweizhai are not as skilled as the imperial chefs, they are still top-notch in the capital." Lin Yan smiled and fed Xiao Che another bite of food.
The sun shines warmly, the spring breeze is gentle, the stream murmurs, and the air is filled with the scent of fresh grass and the comforting aroma of agarwood.
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