Chapter Twenty: Waiting for the Flowers to Fade and Fall in Suzhou
Yang Xiao stood on the bridge, smiling as she looked at Bai Ming through the flowers, and said with a light laugh, "You're not allowed to scold me later, okay?"
The two suddenly came very close together, and Yang Xiao's smiling breath, mixed with the fragrance of her sleeves, rushed towards Bai Ming.
His breath caught in his throat, his heart pounded, and his face flushed red. He couldn't believe he was so close to Yang Xiao, and his gaze, wandering aimlessly, landed on her shoulder.
The bloodstains on the cut from the rope dart had been washed away, and now, with Yang Xiao's careful movements, the folds shifted, revealing glimpses of the undershirt beneath.
A gentle breeze blows, filling the air with the fragrance of flowers.
"Just now, looking at these peach blossoms, I felt they suited you perfectly." Yang Xiao sat back on the saddle bridge, and that warm feeling suddenly disappeared. "So I took the liberty of breaking off a branch to adorn your hair crown."
Bai Ming gazed at Yang Xiao's smiling face, as if in a dream. He nodded, his face flushed, but his gaze then fell on Yang Xiao's shoulder, "Xiao, your injury..."
"I'm all better now, but I haven't had time to mend my clothes yet," Yang Xiao replied with a smile, then suddenly realized something and turned to look at Bai Ming, "Why are you suddenly calling me that?"
Upon hearing this, Bai Ming snapped back to his senses, instantly at a loss for words. His face flushed even redder than the peach blossoms on his head, and his voice trembled slightly, "I'm so sorry, I was very rude just now..."
"It's alright, it's just a name, what's wrong with calling me that?" Yang Xiao quickly waved her hand with a smile. She never expected that a seemingly pointed joke would elicit such a strong reaction from Bai Ming.
She let out a soft sigh, suppressing the inexplicable flutter in her heart, and picked up the reins to walk forward.
"Ayama, stay!"
Chi Lian had just lifted her leg when the reins pulled her back, and she shook her head in dissatisfaction. Yang Xiao turned her head to look behind her, only to see Bai Ming still standing there, looking at her with clear eyes.
"Wait a moment." Bai Ming smiled and nodded at her, then reached out to the tree beside him and broke off a few flowers, holding them in his hands and carefully peeling off the stems.
His evasive gaze was hidden by his eyelashes; he had never imagined that the name he used to call Yang Xiao would slip out like this. His fingertips trembled slightly as he peeled the flower stem, but a scene suddenly flashed through his mind—he seemed to have called her that when Yang Xiao saved him.
Thinking of this, his heart started beating even faster.
Fortunately, the situation was critical at the time, and Yang Xiao didn't have time to think about it. However, the thought of her being injured because of her caused her a pang of pain in her heart.
The rough edges at the bottom of the flower stem have all been torn off, leaving only the tenderest new green shoots.
He glanced at Yang Xiao's smiling and patient eyes, then rose slightly and placed the flower on her shoulder.
Yang Xiao immediately understood his intention and leaned forward to meet his hand, her eyelashes trembling slightly with the flowers.
Bai Ming felt a surge of tension. He slowed his movements, took a deep breath, and suppressed his emotions.
She then realized that what was trembling was not the flower at all, but Bai Ming's fingertips.
She smiled as she looked at Bai Ming's focused yet cautious expression. "Don't be nervous, this injury has fully healed. I can handle even a punch, let alone a couple of touches."
Bai Ming, who had been holding his breath, suddenly burst into laughter. He sat back on the saddle and looked at Yang Xiao's bright eyes with a smile. "In this way, even the tear in the battle robe can bloom with flowers. Isn't that... somewhat like our aspirations?"
Yang Xiao glanced down at her shoulder and saw that the tear in the battle robe was gone, replaced by the most silent bloom in the world.
Just like their ideals, even after going through dire straits, they can still bloom as before.
Looking at the blossoms on her shoulders, Yang Xiao felt not only the joy of appreciating spring, but also a different kind of satisfaction.
She rode forward, but couldn't help turning back to look at Bai Ming. The few clusters of flowers on his headdress were perfectly at ease, complementing his youthful appearance. The moment their eyes met, a sudden flutter rose in her heart, adding a touch of nervousness and joy to her.
Back in Jiangnan, she often played with Cen Xun by arranging flowers, but this was the first time she had ever felt this way.
She turned back to look at Bai Ming again, and all the memories she had of him flooded her mind. Bai Ming's face, so familiar, was one she could never get enough of looking at.
Is this what they call love between a man and a woman? Before, whenever she mentioned Bai Ming and that long spear to Cen Xun, he would tease her with a few words of advice. At the time, she didn't believe it, but now—
But what exactly is love?
A jumble of thoughts suddenly filled Yang Xiao's mind. She shook her head, and when she looked up, she saw Zhong Lishuo running towards them with abandon.
"What are you two doing? We haven't seen you for so long." Zhongli Shuo reined in the horses and nodded at the two of them. "You're even wearing flowers? They look quite nice."
"I never imagined you would also love flowers," Yang Xiao said with a smile, glancing at the flowers on her shoulder before looking at Zhong Lishuo.
“Such a splendid sight, why not love it?” Zhongli Shuo stretched out his arms with a carefree air, then spurred his horse back to ride alongside the two of them. “If this were in Jiangnan, I don’t know how much more vibrant the flowers would be.”
Bai Ming looked at Zhong Lishuo with great interest, "I've heard that people in Jiangnan are all refined and cultured, and that being in the mountains and rivers can cultivate one's character. Wouldn't it be wonderful if you could take a trip to Jiangnan to cultivate your mind and spirit?"
"I don't think so," Zhong Lishuo said with a smile, pointing at Yang Xiao. "Lingyu comes from Jiangnan, and isn't she just as fiery-tempered?"
Upon hearing this, Yang Xiao laughed and was about to hit him, but Zhong Lishuo pointed at her as if he had caught her red-handed, saying, "See, see, what I said came true."
He pointed smugly at Bai Ming and then at Yang Xiao, "First you made military orders at the slightest disagreement, then you started shooting at me the moment you saw me with a gun, and now you want to shoot me too..."
"Hey, that's enough," Yang Xiao interrupted Zhong Lishuo with a slap, "That's because you haven't met Cen Tongxi. She grew up in Jiangnan and has a temper even tougher than mine."
"Hmm?" Zhong Lishuo and Bai Ming exchanged a glance, then looked at Yang Xiao. "Who is this?"
Yang Xiao cleared her throat with a smile, "This person possesses extraordinary character, refined temperament, unwavering destiny, and remarkable literary talent. He is as serene as the moon in the sky, and his zither playing is like that of a celestial being in the shadows..."
"Alright, alright, that's enough," Zhong Lishuo interrupted with a smile when he saw her expression. "Even if this person is truly extraordinary, it's not as mysterious as you make it out to be."
"That's because you haven't seen her," Yang Xiao retorted, pointing at Zhong Lishuo.
“Alright, when Fei Mo transforms into a dragon one day,” Zhong Li Shuo stroked the head of his warhorse, “I will ride it down to Jiangnan and meet the immortal you mentioned.”
"So your black horse has a name." Yang Xiao smiled as she looked at the warhorse named "Feimo." "I've never seen you call it that before."
Upon hearing this, Zhong Lishuo laughed and teased, "I'm not like you, constantly calling out 'Chi Lian Chi Lian' all the time."
Before Yang Xiao could say anything, Bai Ming chimed in, "But haven't you noticed how Chi Lian and Ling Yu have been getting along better and better lately?"
“Exactly,” Yang Xiao nodded approvingly, then pointed at Zhong Lishuo, “Don’t be envious of me if Fei Mo doesn’t get close to you.”
“How could that be?” Zhongli Shuo waved his hand dismissively, then turned to Bai Ming with a smile, “By the way, Zhao Qing, what’s the name of your warhorse?”
As if sensing the conversation was about him, Bai Ming's warhorse shook its head slightly and trotted lightly across the fallen petals.
"To my shame, I had never thought about a name before." Bai Ming smiled, lowering his eyes, and reached out to stroke the white horse's mane.
"Such a beautiful horse, wouldn't it be a pity if it didn't have a name?" Yang Xiao also rode forward and reached out to touch Bai Ming's horse's head.
As if finding a kindred spirit, Bai Ma turned and leaned against Yang Xiao's palm, the distance between them unconsciously closing a few more notches. Yang Xiao chuckled softly, and her glance fell into Bai Ming's eyes.
“Naming is a major event in a horse’s life,” Bai Ming said with a smile, tilting his head at Yang Xiao. “Why don’t we entrust this important matter to General Lingyu, who is well-versed in poetry and literature?”
"Me?" Yang Xiao pointed to herself, then smiled and patted the white horse's head. "I really need to think about that."
All three warhorses slowly came to a stop, and Bai Mingzhong and Li An simply stood still, waiting for her to finish getting up.
But to everyone's surprise, Yang Xiao struggled for a long time and still couldn't come up with anything.
Actually, coming up with a name for the warhorse was a piece of cake for Yang Xiao. But she secretly wanted to incorporate Bai Ming's temperament into it, which made things much more difficult.
In such a short time, countless names flashed through Yang Xiao's mind. But these were either completely unrelated to the horse owner, or too similar to him, to the point that she felt she had given him a nickname.
She shrugged at Bai Ming in defeat and shook her head. "I really can't think of one right now. But if you trust me, I will definitely give it a nice and catchy name in the future."
“Okay,” Bai Ming agreed without hesitation, “I and it will wait for your name.”
Yang Xiaogang readily nodded, and Zhong Lishuo then jokingly said, "I thought that after knowing that immortal in Jiangnan for three years, you would also be a literary talent, able to come up with a name on the spot."
"Zhao Qing asked me to take it because she trusts me, so why are you being so cheeky?" Yang Xiao laughed and scolded. The three of them were chasing each other again, laughing and joking among the flowers.
-
Watching the three playfully bickering ahead, Zhong Li'an and Qi Kun followed slowly behind, like elders in a family.
“Look at them,” Zhong Li’an pointed to the three figures in the distance and sighed with a wistful smile, “It’s so good to be carefree.”
Qi Kun nodded with a smile, then turned to look at him, "Does my lord have something on his mind?"
Zhong Li'an smiled and sighed, "I am in a high position with great power and many affairs in the state. I used the excuse of celebrating the victory to come out and relax with everyone."
"Is the lord worried about the spy operation?" Qi Kun glanced at Zhong Li'an with a smile, then changed the subject, "The lord is wholeheartedly devoted to the people and has worked tirelessly for them. We and the people remember this in our hearts."
As he spoke, he looked up at the three young generals running ahead, “The three generals appear carefree, but their ambitions are as vast as mountains and rivers.”
“That’s true.” Zhong Li’an nodded with emotion. “The burdens on the three of them are heavier than the last. Yu De is determined to fight for himself and the people, and he has won every battle. Ling Yu is determined to seek justice for her family and the common people and is determined to demand an explanation from Chang’an. And Zhao Qing can’t stand seeing the people suffer and is determined to overthrow the corrupt government.”
Qi Kun nodded in agreement and looked ahead. He saw that the three generals, who were carrying heavy responsibilities, had no idea what they were talking about. They were laughing and joking as they enjoyed the scenery and flowers, looking very happy.
Looking at Zhong Lishuo's most vivid back view, he couldn't help but sigh with a smile, "Yude really has a special fondness for flowers."
“Who says otherwise?” Zhong Li’an shook his head with a smile, looking up at Zhong Li’s back with a smile. “Yu De has always liked things with vitality since he was a child. Back then, he could squat in the neighbor’s flower bed for an entire afternoon. I couldn’t persuade him otherwise, so I could only buy a bunch from the neighbor and grow it in a pot so that he could watch it while practicing martial arts.”
Upon hearing this, Qi Kun couldn't help but chuckle, "I can relate to that situation all too well."
“A kindred spirit, Gu Fan.” Zhong Li’an smiled and nodded at Qi Kun. “Fortunately, he is now exceptionally skilled in martial arts and has his own ambitions. I am quite satisfied. Whether he is unconventional or carefree, I have him under my watch and nothing will go wrong.”
Qi Kun responded, pondered for a while, then turned back and smiled at Zhongli An, "My lord need not worry. I already have a way to deal with the spies."
"Oh?" Zhong Li'an was taken aback upon hearing this, but then sat up straight with delight and looked at Qi Kun. "Please enlighten me, sir."
"We have just conquered the three provinces of Qing, Yan and Yu, and with the addition of Ji, we have occupied four provinces in this chaotic world. Apart from Ji, the other three provinces are not yet fully stable, so we must not rashly send troops again, but must first rest and recuperate."
Zhong Li'an nodded. "That's for sure."
"As for spies, we must be wary of them, but we must not be too obvious about them." Qi Kun held the reins and patiently looked at Zhong Li'an. "To cure the problem, we must cure its root cause."
I intend to draft a new set of military orders for our lord and the three generals. The reasons for this will need to be discussed in detail upon our return to camp.”
"Alright, then I'll trouble you, sir." Zhongli An nodded. "After we've recovered, where should we go next? Should we take advantage of the chaos and attack Bingzhou directly?"
Upon hearing this, Qi Kun quickly shook his head, "No, no, although Bingzhou is in chaos, the power under Xiao Yan and his sister is equivalent to two-thirds of the whole world. If we attack directly, the chances of winning are probably slim."
“Aside from Bingzhou, there is still another force that rivals us.”
Qi Kun turned his head and exchanged a glance with Zhong Li'an, then nodded slightly. "Then let's go to a place where the flowers are in full bloom."
Zhong Li'an gazed at the flowers in the woods, "Could it be..."
"Jiangnan".
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