Chapter 178
The weather at Yunhua Mountain has been sunny and clear for several days, a fine day during the Lunar New Year, which foreshadows a year of favorable weather. Yesterday marked the beginning of spring, and the forsythia in the flowerbeds are already blooming in profusion, outshining the plum blossoms that are still budding in the garden.
Ji Wanshu finished reviewing all the memorials on the table, and Xie Yijun leaned back in her recliner to examine them one by one. Bai Ling sat at the other end of the long table, helping to settle last year's accounts. The three of them were doing their own things, and the garden was very quiet, with only birdsong heard.
Shortly after, Xie Yijun finished her review, stood up, rubbed her sore arms, and said with a look of satisfaction, "Not bad. I thought you really weren't good at handling official business. As long as you put your heart into it, you're not much worse than Zhilan used to be."
Ji Wanshu lowered her eyes and, after reviewing the memorials, began to budget the expenses for the enthronement ceremony. She nodded and said, "It's all thanks to the sect leader's excellent teaching."
She had been very well-behaved and organized these past few days. She couldn't stand being in the Mingguang Hall, but she was quite composed working in the plum garden while enjoying the scenery. Xie Yijun had observed Ji Wanshu's behavior, and the weight in her heart finally lifted somewhat. Xie Yijun took a sip of tea and asked, "The enthronement ceremony is in a few days. How are the disciples' preparations going?"
Ji Wanshu said, "Everything is in order. I have kept a close eye on everything, so there shouldn't be any problems."
“Very good,” Xie Yijun said. “Judging from the weather these past few days, the Lantern Festival should also be a sunny day. Is your dress finished yet? I heard that the tailor was still embroidering yesterday. We should urge him to finish it, lest he have no decent clothes to wear on the day he ascends the throne.”
Ji Wanshu replied, "I've urged them, and it should be completed in the next couple of days."
Xie Yijun gave a few more instructions, which Ji Wanshu agreed to. She subtly tapped the edge of the table, and Bai Ling across from her looked up. After a moment of eye contact with Ji Wanshu, Bai Ling said knowingly, "Senior Sister, a disciple from Shangyuan City sent a letter saying that there are some things in the city that haven't been resolved yet, and we need to trouble you to go down the mountain and take a look."
Ji Wanshu glanced at Xie Yijun and asked, "What is it?"
Bai Ling said, "I don't know about that. It wasn't mentioned in the letter, so I guess the disciples couldn't make a decision. Before the sixth day, Senior Sister was on duty in the city. You came back a couple of days ago and haven't gone back since. Maybe you forgot something?"
Ji Wanshu pretended to ponder, looked at Xie Yijun, and said, "Then... I'll go down the mountain to take a look?"
Listening to the two of them singing in unison, Xie Yijun understood perfectly. She guessed with almost no effort that Ji Wanshu wanted to go down the mountain, so she asked Bai Ling to act with her and ask for a chance to leave the palace.
As for what she did down the mountain, is that even a question?
Xie Yijun initially found it amusing, but then realized it was utterly ridiculous. She had asked Man Jiangxue to bring Bai Ling from Liuli Peak to help Ji Wanshu, but who knew that the two of them were birds of a feather and were trying to trick her together.
However, considering that Ji Wanshu's recent performance has been quite commendable, in the past she would not even say goodbye before going down the mountain, she was used to doing things her own way. Now that she knows how to fool people, we can just assume that she has made some progress.
So Xie Yijun saw through it but didn't say anything, and said calmly, "Okay, go ahead."
Bai Ling's face lit up with joy, and she winked at Ji Wanshu. Ji Wanshu, however, remained calm, bowed to Xie Yijun, and then slowly walked out of the plum garden. Once he was sure Xie Yijun could no longer see him, Ji Wanshu abandoned his previous composed demeanor, swiftly used his lightness skill to reach the stable, mounted his horse, and galloped out of the Yunhua Palace gate, heading down the mountain road.
The horse galloped along the mountain path, the newly sprouting trees rushing past, the air filled with the fragrance of spring, just like Ji Wanshu's mood at that moment. She kept cracking the whip, her plain blue dress fluttering in the wind in a joyful arc, a kind of happiness that Ji Wanshu hadn't experienced in recent years.
Even before the Lantern Festival arrived, colorful lanterns were already hung throughout the city. Ji Wanshu rode her horse through the bustling streets and circled around to a quiet courtyard in the east of the city. She dismounted, and before the servant at the gate could even ask who she was, Ji Wanshu kicked the door open and leaped across the eaves, landing in the fragrant backyard.
Just past noon, the sun was at its zenith, casting golden rays that filled the courtyard. The peach blossoms, not yet in full bloom, already exuded a sweet fragrance. In the pavilion with its upturned eaves sat a woman dressed in a dark blue dress. The pavilion was surrounded by water, and a school of koi swam on its surface. The woman leaned against the railing, tossing fish food with one hand. Hearing the sound, she turned her head slightly, revealing a face with deep features and a radiant beauty.
"You're here?"
Ji Wanshu raised her hand to push aside the peach branches and followed the stone path into the pavilion. She had run too fast and her breathing was still a little disordered. Wen Chaoyu poured her a cup of tea and unfastened her sword, saying, "You're quite quick. I sent you a message by carrier pigeon this morning, and you're already here. Didn't Yijun stop you?"
Ji Wanshu calmed her slightly rapid breathing, drank the cup of tea in one gulp, and said, "I didn't stop her. I didn't let her know that I came to see you."
“You’re about to ascend the throne, which is a busy time. She probably guessed that she was willing to let you go down the mountain,” Wen Chaoyu said. “Sit down first. Why did you run so fast? You’re all sweaty.”
As she spoke, she took out a handkerchief and gently wiped Ji Wanshu's forehead. Ji Wanshu looked down at her and leaned down a little.
A commotion erupted in the courtyard. The gatekeeper, unaware of the situation, chased after them, intending to cause trouble for Ji Wanshu. Xue Tan, who had been waiting outside, chased them all away, creating a relatively quiet atmosphere for the two in the pavilion.
Fish scrambled for food, the lake water gurgled, reflecting two skirts of different colors. Wen Chaoyu seemed to have dressed up specially today, looking quite different from before. She usually wore a bamboo hat, always half-covering her eyes when facing someone, but today she wasn't wearing one, and her clothes seemed new as well. Her smooth, unadorned face, reflected in Ji Wanshu's eyes, made Ji Wanshu think she looked very beautiful, even more beautiful than the peach blossoms in the courtyard.
"Have you grown taller again?" Wen Chaoyu clearly saw the tenderness in Ji Wanshu's eyes. She withdrew her hand, took two steps back, and looked Ji Wanshu up and down. "Now I have to look up to see you completely."
Ji Wanshu's gaze lingered on her face for a long time before she said softly, "Is that so?" She sat down at the table, looked around, and asked, "Where did this house come from?"
Wen Chaoyu folded the handkerchief and put it in her bosom, saying, "I bought it. I'm rolling in money now. If you ever can't stay in Yunhua Palace anymore, just come and come to me. I'll make sure you're set for life."
Ji Wanshu wanted to reply that the Ji family had no shortage of money and that she regarded money as dirt, but after thinking about it, she gave up and didn't bring it up. Instead, she asked, "Where did you get the money?"
Wen Chaoyu said, "Nangong Min gave it to me. I'm no longer a member of the Ziwei Cult. I've sold my life to her for so many years, and she only gave me a box of gold to get rid of me. She even made a profit."
"She's willing to let you go?" Ji Wanshu frowned slightly. "Could it be some kind of secret conspiracy?"
“I don’t know if there’s a conspiracy, but I’ve already left the Ziwei Sect,” Wen Chaoyu said with a smile. “Whenever you have time, you can come here to see me. I don’t have anything else to do, so I’ll be here as long as you come.”
—I'll be here as long as you come.
Wen Chaoyu said these words casually, but to Ji Wanshu, they sounded like a promise. She was secretly pleased by them, but didn't easily show it.
"The enthronement ceremony will be held on the Lantern Festival," Ji Wanshu said, sitting upright with her long, elegant hand holding the cup. "Are you going?"
Wen Chaoyu asked, "Do you want me to go?"
Ji Wanshu ran her fingertips along the rim of the cup and softly hummed in agreement.
"In what capacity will you go?" Compared to Ji Wanshu, Wen Chaoyu's posture was somewhat unrestrained. She propped her long legs up, her left hand resting on her knee, her fingers twirling a teacup. Her cup didn't contain tea, but wine; she hadn't felt this relaxed in front of Ji Wanshu in a long time.
Ji Wanshu thought for a moment, then replied somewhat awkwardly, "Any identity is fine. No one in the palace will neglect you. At least you are still... still my master."
Wen Chaoyu laughed, but remained noncommittal: "What about your parents? They should be there to celebrate such an important occasion."
Upon hearing this, Ji Wanshu immediately fell silent.
In fact, she had sent a letter to Jincheng a few days ago informing the Ji couple of this matter, but Ji Wanshu was still unsure whether the two of them would come. Their daughter becoming the young master of the number one sect in the martial arts world was a great honor for the Ji family, and Ji Wanshu originally didn't want them to attend, fearing they wouldn't be able to withstand the bumpy journey. However, Yunhua Palace had received considerable financial support from the Ji family over the years, and it was Xie Yijun who brought it up, which prompted Ji Wanshu to write the letter.
“You can pretend they don’t exist,” Ji Wanshu said carefully, “and there’s no need to meet them.”
Wen Chaoyu paused for a moment, not immediately agreeing, but vaguely saying, "We'll talk about it later. Come on, let me show you around."
The two rose and walked out of the pavilion one after the other, strolling leisurely among the peach blossoms and green branches in the courtyard. The house wasn't large, but its layout was ingenious and well-arranged, so elegant and refined that it seemed almost unbelievable for Wen Chaoyu to live in.
Ji Wanshu followed behind Wen Chaoyu, quietly watching her chatter incessantly ahead, pointing out every corner of the mansion. Ji Wanshu didn't find her noisy; in fact, she somewhat enjoyed these moments. It was as if she had been transported back to her childhood, when Wen Chaoyu used to take her for walks around the palace in the same way, Ji Wanshu always following along, listening to her talk endlessly without ever turning her head.
Back then, Ji Wanshu would always secretly stand on tiptoe, wanting to be as tall as her master, wondering if the scenery her master saw was different from hers. So, she would often leap onto the rooftops, leaving Wen Chaoyu below, listening to Wen Chaoyu shout at her, feigning disdain but secretly delighted, walking side-by-side with her at a different height. Now, she no longer needs to stand on tiptoe; she can even see higher and farther than her master.
And she could easily open her arms and embrace her master.
The two stopped under the shade of a tree. Water was flowing in a pool on one side, and bamboo tubes were tapping lightly on the smooth rocks. A strand of black hair fell onto Wen Chaoyu's cheek; it wasn't hers. She could hear Ji Wanshu's breathing right next to her ear, the warm breath hitting her earlobe, making Wen Chaoyu shiver involuntarily.
"Will you leave again?" Ji Wanshu asked softly, leaning on her shoulder from behind.
“They probably won’t leave,” Wen Chaoyu said, her hand outstretched as the light was blocked by the branches and leaves. “Now that we’ve bought a house, we’ll make this our home. At least I’ll have a stable place to live.”
Ji Wanshu hugged her tightly and replied, "It's very nice here."
"Do you like it?" Wen Chaoyu turned her head to look at her, her eyes smiling. "If you don't like it, while there's still time, let's go pick out another house that you like."
Ji Wanshu said, "I like it," she smiled slightly, "I like it wherever you are."
She rarely showed such tenderness, and Wen Chaoyu had almost never heard her utter such sweet words before. The feeling was subtle yet deeply moving. Wen Chaoyu said, "If I lived in a doghouse, would you still like a doghouse?"
Ji Wanshu nodded.
Meeting Ji Wanshu's clear and innocent gaze, Wen Chaoyu turned around in her arms to face her. Wen Chaoyu called out, "Wanshu."
Ji Wanshu responded.
"What are you going to call me?" Wen Chaoyu raised her hand and wrapped it around Ji Wanshu's neck. "You've always been disrespectful since we were little, always calling me by my name. Now that we're together, shouldn't you change how you address me?"
Ji Wanshu looked slightly bewildered; she had never thought about this question before.
dappled sunlight fell on her face, like a layer of shimmering starlight. Her usually aloof and expressionless face became lively at this moment. In front of Wen Chaoyu, Ji Wanshu abandoned all the feigned indifference she had displayed over the years. Her imposing manner in the palace and the air of the eldest disciple had unknowingly vanished without a trace. She was still young, but this youthfulness was always easily forgotten because of her appearance. Looking at her, Wen Chaoyu felt that Wanshu seemed both grown up and yet not quite.
They embraced and nestled together, an air of ambiguity filling the space between them. Ji Wanshu caught a whiff of Wen Chaoyu's delicate fragrance, which distracted her and made it difficult for her to concentrate. Many names for her flashed through her mind, but each one was extremely difficult for her to utter.
Ji Wanshu had no choice but to honestly reply, "I don't know."
Wen Chaoyu didn't press the matter further. Instead, she changed the subject and asked, "Will you still be mean to me in the future?"
Recalling her attitude towards Wen Chaoyu over the years, Ji Wanshu was filled with regret, and her eyes involuntarily darted away: "I'm not fierce anymore."
Wen Chaoyu asked again, "So, will you still fight me in the future?"
Ji Wanshu turned her face away and replied, "No, not anymore."
Wen Chaoyu then asked, "So, will you listen to me or not?"
Ji Wanshu glanced at her quickly and said, "Listen."
“Very good,” Wen Chaoyu said with great satisfaction. “Then I will make you call me Master from now on. Will you do so?”
Ji Wanshu looked resistant and embarrassed, saying, "I can't bring myself to say it..."
"You try it," Wen Chaoyu urged her, "So many years have passed in the blink of an eye, and you've never formally called me 'Master.' What master in the world would be so disrespectful?"
Ji Wanshu was conflicted and couldn't bring herself to say it. She said helplessly, "Stop it, I..."
Wen Chaoyu said, "You just said you would listen to me, but you've already gone back on your word. Were all those promises you made just to appease me and didn't count?"
Ji Wanshu remained silent.
Seeing that she remained silent, her face clearly showing her distress, Wen Chaoyu stopped being playful and didn't force her anymore. She smiled mischievously, tilted her head closer to Ji Wanshu, and stared into Ji Wanshu's eyes, saying, "So, do you want to kiss me now?"
Upon hearing what she asked, Ji Wanshu's eyelashes trembled, and a surge of emotion welled up in her chest, burning her ears red.
The face was so close. Ji Wanshu rarely had the chance to examine Wen Chaoyu so closely. She remembered that night in Weicheng, and that kiss that expressed love and hate, which had bitten Wen Chaoyu so hard.
The hand across her waist unconsciously tightened. Ji Wanshu stared at Wen Chaoyu, her gaze like a gentle caress, stroking Wen Chaoyu's eyebrows, nose, and lips.
Wen Chaoyu made no attempt to conceal herself from Ji Wanshu's gaze. She pinched Ji Wanshu's nape until it turned red. She was waiting, silently conveying her desire to Ji Wanshu with the shimmering light in her eyes.
Hold me tight and kiss me.
Ji Wanshu lowered her head.
Just as their lips were about to touch, Wen Chaoyu abruptly pulled away from her embrace. Ji Wanshu paused in her kiss, a hint of confusion appearing in her deep eyes. Wen Chaoyu chuckled softly, a mischievous glint in her eyes, and said, "Flirting so openly in broad daylight, aren't you ashamed?"
Ji Wanshu's expression darkened, seemingly with a hint of annoyance. She reached out and grabbed Wen Chaoyu back, but Wen Chaoyu reciprocated by holding her back. The two began sparring in the shade of the trees. Wen Chaoyu said, "You promised you wouldn't hit me again, but you went back on your word. Besides, how could you bully me? I've lost an arm."
Ji Wanshu felt as if she had fallen into this wicked woman's trap. She was completely under her control, and could no longer easily resort to violence against her as she had in the past, nor could she bear to do so. Wen Chaoyu said, "Now only I can bully you. You have to listen to me, understand?"
Ji Wanshu had no choice but to stop and look at her without saying a word.
Wen Chaoyu couldn't help but burst into laughter. She was extremely happy. To be able to make Ji Wanshu listen to her so obediently and dare not speak out against her was something she could never have dreamed of before.
Her smile was radiant, as if she had returned to her youth at that moment, forgetting what she had been through and the heavy pain she had endured. She held Ji Wanshu's hand tightly and led her to run through the garden.
The two walked through the peach groves, leaving all the beautiful scenery behind. The door opened and closed again, and a pleasant incense burned in the room. The moment Wen Chaoyu's back touched the bedsheets, Ji Wanshu's burning kiss landed on her.
Their lips met, their breaths mingling. Wen Chaoyu tilted her head back, pressed against the soft blanket by Ji Wanshu. She could hear Ji Wanshu's increasingly rapid breathing, and she could hear herself too. She was lost in this hard-won pleasure, tightly gripping Ji Wanshu's arm.
During this long kiss, Wen Chaoyu tried countless times to turn over and pin Ji Wanshu down, but she failed each time. When she accused Ji Wanshu of disobeying her, Ji Wanshu would seal her lips, silencing her words in time.
The two of them were sweating profusely, their inner clothes soaked. Ji Wanshu removed Wen Chaoyu's outer robe, her face slightly blurred by the backlight. Her eyes reflected Wen Chaoyu's disheveled hair and flushed cheeks, and she felt an urge to do something more to her, but she didn't know where to begin.
So she asked Wen Chaoyu, "I've already kissed you, do you want to do something else?"
Wen Chaoyu was speechless at her sudden question. After a long while, she sighed and said, "You're already twenty-four this year, and you still haven't passed the personnel test?"
"What kind of people?" Ji Wanshu asked seriously. "No one has taught me."
Wen Chaoyu immediately realized that her little apprentice had entered Yunhua Palace at the age of a few years old, and had very little time to spend with her parents. No one in the palace had told her about that kind of thing. In addition, she was a martial arts fanatic and spent her days either practicing swordsmanship or on her way to practice swordsmanship. Without anyone to guide her, how could she have such a self-taught ability?
Wen Chaoyu was silent for a moment, then said, "Then I'll have to teach you..."
Ji Wanshu nodded, signaling her to speak.
Looking at her humble attitude in asking for advice, Wen Chaoyu couldn't help but laugh and say, "Never mind, it's not the right time yet. I'll teach you later."
Ji Wanshu nodded again and softly said "Oh".
Wen Chaoyu found Wan Shu's innocent and ignorant appearance quite cute, and she couldn't help but tease him, "Some people neglect their important business and run down the mountain to have an affair with me, but they don't even know how to be intimate. How shameful."
Ji Wanshu paused for a moment and said, "What do you mean by 'secretly enjoying yourself'? Don't talk nonsense."
"Isn't that right?" Wen Chaoyu said. "Who knows what you've been doing here?"
Ji Wanshu said speechlessly, "Does that mean I have to make a big fuss about it when I return to the palace?"
“If you have the guts,” Wen Chaoyu readily agreed, “it’s not impossible, I don’t mind.”
Ji Wanshu couldn't stand her licentious words, so he pounced on Wen Chaoyu and pinned her down, pinching her chin and kissing her deeply.
As night fell, the two enjoyed a tender dinner before Wen Chaoyu had someone bring the horse and personally escorted Ji Wanshu out of the city. Ji Wanshu's return journey was even faster than her descent down the mountain. She arrived at Jingyue Peak without stopping, and upon entering Chenxing Palace, she asked Man Jiangxue and Yin Qiu, "Do you know what it means to be knowledgeable about human affairs?"
Yin Qiu's chopsticks clattered onto the table. Seeing this, and noticing the two blushes that quickly rose on her face, Ji Wanshu asked in surprise, "You know that too? Who taught you? Why didn't anyone teach me?"
Man Jiangxue looked at her calmly and said, "Why do you need to know about human affairs at a time like this?"
Ji Wanshu said, "Wen Chaoyu has bought a house in Shangyuan City. I went to see her today, and she said I am ignorant of social customs and shameful."
Yin Qiu choked on her drink, swallowed the tea in her mouth, and couldn't help but cough violently.
Man Jiangxue said, "...I can't teach this."
"Did you teach Yin Qiu?" Ji Wanshu said. "Then why can't you teach me?"
Man Jiangxue glanced at the silent Yin Qiu and said, "I didn't teach her." After saying this, she asked Yin Qiu, "Judging from your reaction, you should know very well. Where did you get this information from?"
Yin Qiu was eating her meal peacefully when she was inexplicably dragged into Ji Wanshu's mess. She kept her eyes downcast and mumbled for a while before finally saying, "It was...it was when Fu Xiang was still in the palace that she told me..."
Man Jiangxue immediately pointed at Ji Wanshu with her chopsticks, adopting an air of authority, and said, "Go to the medical pavilion immediately and ask Huaiwei."
Author's Note: I'm sick, and my head is spinning from the fever. If my high fever doesn't go down by tomorrow, I'll have to take a day off and go to the hospital for an IV drip. If I hadn't been thinking about giving you all some sweet moments for Qixi Festival, I wouldn't have been able to finish this chapter. I forced myself to write it the whole time.
So just so you know, if I'm really feeling too unwell, I'll be posting a leave request for the next two days.
Happy Qixi Festival to all the little angels!
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