Chapter Eighty-Two: Playing with Strings and Falling Flowers, Sweet Sentiments
"Hmm?" Bai Ming suddenly became interested as well. "You have a plan?"
“It’s actually a perfectly normal method,” Yang Xiao smiled and tilted her head, pointing to the jade disc with ribbons fluttering on the treetop. “I’m also quite good at archery. Look, I’ll shoot an arrow and cut the rope binding it. You ride your horse over and catch it, how about that?”
Bai Ming also looked up at the jade disc and ribbon on the treetop, and nodded with a smile, "It seems that this is the only way for now." After saying that, he gently pulled the reins and ran towards the ancient tree.
Yang Xiao looked up and saw Bai Ming's figure, so vibrant and carefree, bathed in sunlight. She smiled, nocked an arrow, and aimed at the thin line suspending the jade disc.
With a "whoosh," the arrow slashed past the branch, and the jade pendant fell to the ground. The red silk sash threaded through the hole also rose into the air, like a shimmering autumn lake under the setting sun, bending down to catch the falling jade disc.
Bai Ming had already ridden his horse to the foot of the tree. He suddenly pulled on the reins, and the white horse immediately understood his intention, rearing up high and leaping into the air. Bai Ming also stood up, raising his hands to meet the jade disc, his ocean-like eyes reflecting the warm glow of the jade.
A red ribbon, holding the jade disc, fluttered down before his eyes. His gaze flickered slightly, and his fingertips touched that warmth. He then pulled his arms close, holding the jade disc tightly in his embrace.
"Ah Xiao!" He turned around and looked at Yang Xiao, who was running towards him like a blazing flame, and shouted excitedly, "I caught her, look!"
For some reason, a tear flashed in his eyes. He sat on the saddle bridge and smiled with relief. He then pulled the reins and ran towards Yang Xiaoqing.
Chi Lian slowed down, and as the two horses clasped necks, Yang Xiao's gaze was reflected directly in Bai Ming's heart. He pulled on the reins, and the white horse circled Chi Lian.
Yang Xiao looked up at Bai Ming with a smile, then reached out and touched the jade that Bai Ming was holding in his arms. The warm touch flowed from her fingertips to her heart, and the red ribbon trailed behind Bai Ming's arm, fluttering playfully in the wind.
“What a fine ‘Lingyu’!” Yang Xiao touched the jade disc again, then looked up and smiled at Bai Ming’s deep, ocean-like eyes.
Bai Ming gently stroked Yang Xiao's cheek, then placed his hand on her shoulder, pulling her gently into his arms.
The two warhorses stopped moving on their own, their embrace on horseback forced but their affection undiminished. Yang Xiao chuckled and rested her head on his shoulder, raising her hand to pat the back of his head. "Thank you for today."
“This scene was created just for you,” Bai Ming sighed softly, gently rubbing Yang Xiao’s temple. “Ah Xiao, I will always love you.”
A soft chuckle reached Bai Ming's ears, the warm breath making his earlobe flush red. Before he could react, a gentle kiss landed on his lips, and Yang Xiao had already nimbly stood up and taken his hand.
“I’ve never seen you so mushy before,” Yang Xiao said, stroking the back of his hand and turning her head to smile at him.
Bai Ming's face flushed instantly. He held the jade disc in one hand and tightly grasped Yang Xiao's hand with the other, his eyes darting away. "It just so happens to be Qixi Festival, and with such a beautiful scene, I can't help but..." He met Yang Xiao's smiling eyes and forcefully changed the subject, "This jade disc and red silk perfectly match your name, so why don't you keep them..."
"No need, no need," Yang Xiao chuckled, pushing the jade disc back into Bai Ming's hand and pressing it against his chest. "Since you say this jade resembles my calligraphy, then you should keep it. In case we are separated by war, looking at it will be like looking at me. Wouldn't that ease your longing?"
Upon hearing this, Bai Ming smiled and nodded, "Very well, let it remain as a memento you left with me." He sighed with emotion, gazing at the jade disc with the ribbon hanging from it in his arms, "Such unrelated objects, yet they come together so vividly."
Yang Xiao crossed her arms haughtily, "Can I take that as a compliment to my handwriting?"
“Indeed,” Bai Ming nodded with a light laugh. “The silk is beautiful and lively, and the jade is warm and elegant. The soul of these two things is exactly the same as your heart and soul.”
“You,” Yang Xiao chuckled and shook her head, then looked at Bai Ming as if she had suddenly remembered something, “By the way, Bai Ming, do you remember, you asked me to name your warhorse?”
Bai Ming lowered his eyes to look at his white horse, then turned to Yang Xiao with a smile, "How could I not remember? On that outing, you even put flowers in my hair in front of everyone."
"I didn't quite remember, but when you caught the jade disc just now, I suddenly remembered." She led the reins slowly forward and smiled, "When that jade fell from the sky just now, didn't you think it looked like the moon falling?"
"The moon?" Bai Ming took two steps forward and looked at Yang Xiao with great interest.
"Hmm." She nodded with a smile. "It reflects the sun and emits a soft, warm light, just like the bright moon. Then," she reached out and stroked the white horse's head, "it carries you into the air, embracing the full moon in its arms." She turned to look at Bai Ming. "How about we name it Moonwalker?"
“Ta Yue,” Bai Ming smiled and patted the white horse’s head. The warhorse seemed to understand his meaning and raised its head to nuzzle his hand. “It seems you like this name too. Coming with the sun and returning with the moon.” He smiled and looked back at Yang Xiao. “On behalf of Ta Yue, I thank General Xiao for bestowing this name upon me.”
Yang Xiao turned around and met his gaze. The two of them burst into laughter at the same time. Yang Xiao shook her head with a smile, "You're starting to act like a child. Come on, let's go show off to the lord."
Before the two had taken two steps, everyone gathered around them in celebration.
Zhongli An smiled as he looked at the two of them, then glanced back at Zhongli Shuo and teased, "It seems that Zhaoqing and Lingyu have already obtained the jade pendant while you were off guard."
“You two have been secretly working together behind my back,” Zhongli Shuo said, feigning displeasure as he clasped his hands in a fist salute. “Fine, since Zhao Qing has the ingenuity of ‘Lingyu,’ I won’t argue with you.”
Seeing this, Yang Xiao chuckled and tossed her head at him, "Don't make excuses, Yude." She glanced around but couldn't see Qi Kun and Cen Xun.
"My lord," she looked up at Zhongli An, "where are Master and Tongxi?"
Zhong Li'an smiled and nodded. "I used to have a fine zither at home, but since my family fell into decline, no one has been able to pluck its strings again." He looked behind him with a sentimental smile. "However, after this battle, Tongxi will marry Yude. To express my feelings, I will take advantage of the Qixi Festival and, through Yude, give Tongxi this 'treasure' that has been sealed away for so long."
Yang Xiao followed Zhong Li'an's gaze and looked back, only to see Qi Kun and Cen Xun carefully tuning the strings of their zithers at a table not far away. She couldn't help but smile and looked up at Zhong Li'an, "This is truly a perfect match for a hero. My lord, you may not know, but Tongxi's zither skills are considered unparalleled in Jiangnan."
"Really?" Zhong Lishuo tilted his head and looked at Yang Xiao with interest. "Tongxi came in a hurry and didn't bring a zither. It's been more than a year, and I haven't had the pleasure of hearing it."
Yang Xiao chuckled and shook her head. "Even if Tongxi brought the zither, she'd be too busy to take care of it." She sighed softly, glancing at the gentle Zhongli An before her, then at the two people tuning the zither behind him. "We're already short of strategists. Our lord is incredibly busy with affairs of state, and Master and Tongxi are both hands-on," she chuckled, spreading her hands. "Just looking at all those documents and diagrams on their desks makes my head spin."
“Aren’t you all the same?” Zhong Li’an chuckled and pointed at the three people in front of him. “Ever since Che Yan sent the challenge, we haven’t had a moment’s rest. Today, let’s take advantage of Qixi Festival to relax.”
As he spoke, he pulled on the reins and led the group toward the table.
As the sun sets, the rosy clouds spill onto the stream beside the city, shimmering with golden light, like gilded gold leaping on the blue waves, or like koi playing in the clear spring. A cool evening breeze blows, creating ripples.
The group rode frolicking along the grassy path, following the leaping birds to the stream. The clouds swirled, leaving only joyful shadows and bursts of laughter behind them.
Several baskets of colorful fruit were thrown into the water, sinking to the bottom of the clear pebbles in the stream, splashing water onto the bank and wetting everyone's clothes.
Cen Xun knelt by the stream, holding her zither, and looked up at the charming scene before her with a smile, her slender hands naturally caressing the strings. Amidst laughter, the scenery of Jiangnan flowed into everyone's hearts like the water before their eyes.
Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned around to see Cen Xun sitting comfortably on the green grass by the shore, gently stroking the strings of his zither, his eyes reflecting the rosy sunset and the spring scenery of Jiangnan.
Seeing this, Yang Xiao tossed the fruit in her hand into the basket, quickly got up from the stream, ran to Cen Xun's side, and listened to the zither.
Qi Kun looked up at Cen Xun, then smiled at Zhong Li'an beside him, "It seems that Ling Yu's praise of Tong Xi's zither skills to me earlier was not an exaggeration."
“I was in northern Henan, but a piece of music led me to the south of the Yangtze River,” Zhong Li’an said, looking at Cen Xun and listening intently. “This zither has been steeped in northern tunes for a long time. This is the first time I have ever experienced such a clear and beautiful melody.”
The group listened to the music and brewed hot tea by the stream, but Zhong Lishuo was still gazing at Cen Xun not far away with a dreamy expression, his eyes full of tender smiles.
Yang Xiaoyi leaned back, tilted her head back and took a deep breath, then pointed to the sky and said, "The sunset glow is about to stop, the flowers fall and ripples spread, the fragrance lingers in the streets and permeates the boats."
Cen Xun smiled as she looked at Yang Xiao, who had stood up, and then looked up at the crimson sky, like falling cherry blossoms. "The gentle breeze carries the wine's influence, and I compose a hundred poems." She smiled as she looked at Zhong Lishuo, who was completely intoxicated. "Let the waves flow freely, and let them flow into the hearts of old friends."
Yang Xiao glanced back at Cen Xun, then shook her head with a smile. She walked to the table, sat down next to Bai Ming, and teased, "The last two lines are obviously not written for me."
"Today is Qixi Festival," Qi Kun said with a smile, tapping Yang Xiao's nose. "What's wrong with Tong Xi expressing a few words of affection?"
“Speaking of which, Xiao,” Bai Ming put his hand behind Yang Xiao and turned to look at her, “it’s sunny today, why do you say it’s just after a light rain?”
Yang Xiao glanced back at Cen Xun, then naturally leaned on Bai Ming's shoulder. "The light rain has just stopped, and the misty waters are a beautiful sight in Jiangnan. The falling flowers express the feelings of flowing water."
Qi Kun smiled and looked at Yang Xiao, teasingly saying, "This time, at least you managed to rhyme."
"Honestly, why bring up the one thing you don't want to talk about?" Yang Xiao scolded, tossing her head. "It's been over a year, how come you haven't made any progress?"
The group laughed and joked around, but the music gradually stopped without them noticing. Suddenly, two unfamiliar notes from the zither reached their ears, startling everyone. Turning around, they saw Cen Xun sitting to the side, while Zhong Lishuo was holding the zither and carefully plucking the strings.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
