Chapter 35 You...are prettier than flowers
"Yes, I didn't expect that even after being so far away, he would still remember me," Tang Xiaoning replied casually as she watched the birds hopping and chirping with great interest.
The bird's chirping gradually weakened until it fell silent and remained motionless.
"But this bird is only fun to look at," she said casually, poking at the still bird with her finger with a hint of regret. "It gets boring after a few chirps, it's not as good as..."
She deliberately dragged out the last syllable, her eyes darting around, her gaze subtly shifting from the mechanical bird to Li Minghua beside her like a cunning little fox.
She carefully observed Li Minghua's reaction, but the last half of her sentence remained unfinished, leaving her unsure of what to say.
Does it mean "It's not as interesting as the swordplay you taught me"? Or "It's not as interesting as having you by my side"?
Li Minghua seemed to be drawn to the light and shadows created by the window lattice, and naturally turned around and walked to a long table covered with a thin layer of dust.
On the table was the black jade bead that Tang Xiaoning had just described as "too composed."
She stretched out her slender fingers, picked up the cold bead, and unconsciously rubbed it slowly between her fingertips.
Sunlight illuminated half of her profile, her deep eyes gazing at a vague point outside the window, or perhaps just intently watching the deep luster between her fingers, making it impossible to discern her thoughts at that moment.
Tang Xiaoning was secretly delighted. She put down the mechanical bird that had already fallen silent, and like a light butterfly, she gracefully moved closer to Li Minghua, her shoulder almost touching her arm.
“Minghua,” she tilted her head, her voice tinged with a playful probing, her gaze sweeping over the gifts from the capital on the table, “Look at these gifts from my cousin, aren’t they all rather… um, ‘tacky’?”
She deliberately used a slightly disdainful tone, with a hint of seeking approval.
Li Minghua continued to caress the black jade bead without pausing, his gaze remaining lowered, his voice flat and emotionless: "Personal preferences differ, so there's no way to judge."
Her answer was as rigorous and restrained as ever, leaving no room for error.
"So what kind do you like?" Tang Xiaoning wasn't going to let her off easily.
She leaned closer, letting her warm breath brush against Li Minghua's ear: "Tell me! I'll take you!"
Her tone was affectionate and ingratiating: "Besides your precious sword?"
She added that she remembered clearly the focused look on Li Minghua's face when he wiped his sword, a look more devout than when he looked at any precious treasure.
Li Minghua's fingertips finally stopped moving. The warm, smooth feel of the black jade bead lingered on his fingertips.
She seemed to be seriously considering this problem, which was a "difficult problem" for her.
Silence filled the warehouse. After a long while, she finally raised her eyes, her gaze calm as she looked at Tang Xiaoning, who was full of expectation. With a rare, almost confused seriousness, she gave an uncertain answer: "...Anything practical will do."
Tang Xiaoning: "..."
The expectation on her face instantly vanished by half, then was replaced by a helpless yet amusing feeling of "I knew it."
Looking at Li Minghua's completely clueless and serious expression as he gave her the "practical" criteria, she really wanted to reach out and poke the head of this ancient "block of wood".
“Okay, ‘practical’…” Tang Xiaoning dragged out the word, repeating the broad and boundless answer with a helpless sigh, while her mind was already racing with calculations.
Practical?
Embroider a sturdier and more durable purse for her?
Or should I embroider a few handkerchiefs that are barely passable in terms of embroidery?
Or... why not be bold and make her a close-fitting undergarment?
Although my needlework skills are really...not presentable.
Thinking of this, she subconsciously lowered her head and twisted the hem of her clothes, her cheeks slightly flushed.
She stole a glance at Li Minghua, only to see him still stroking the "practical" black jade bead with an upright expression, as if he had just given her a perfectly clear answer.
Uncle Fu quietly tidied the shelves, taking in the interaction between the two. His wrinkled eyes curved slightly as he gently shook his head, sighed silently, and then smiled as if with satisfaction.
For the rest of the day, Tang Xiaoning's thoughts were like being drawn by an invisible butterfly, always drifting off to somewhere without her noticing.
She sat on the veranda, fiddling with the intricate mechanical bird, winding it up, and listening to it hopping and chirping.
But those bright eyes kept sneaking glances at the figure under the osmanthus tree not far away.
Li Minghua was sitting cross-legged on a blue stone under a tree, closing his eyes and regulating his breathing.
The golden rays of the setting sun filtered through the gaps in the branches and leaves, casting dappled light and shadow on her serene profile.
Her breathing was long and steady, as if she were one with the heavens and earth.
But Tang Xiaoning felt that when her gaze secretly traced the peaks of Li Minghua's eyebrows, the bridge of her nose, and the lines of her tightly pursed lips, Li Minghua's thick, raven-feather-like eyelashes seemed to tremble very slightly.
The tiny tremor made Tang Xiaoning's heart skip a beat, and her fingertips unconsciously tugged at the bird's wing, causing it to protest with a short, sharp chirp.
During dinner, Tang Xiaoning was even more absent-minded.
The usually chattering people were unusually quiet at this moment.
She held the small bowl, her eyes occasionally drifting towards the person opposite her.
My gaze fell on Li Minghua's hands holding the chopsticks, watching her calmly pick up a small piece of steamed sea bass and put it into the bowl.
Then I noticed that she seemed to have taken a few more bites of the plate of bright green stir-fried vegetables.
Tang Xiaoning stared at the food in her bowl, barely touching it, her mind racing with a restless thought:
Sea bass? She seems to like it? Should we ask the kitchen to make more next time?
Would it be easier for her to pick up the vegetables if we put them on her side?
Li Minghua maintained her composure, remaining calm even in the face of adversity, eating quietly and with deft movements.
But when Tang Xiaoning's gaze lingered on her face for a long time once again, her fingers holding the chopsticks paused slightly, then she continued eating as if nothing had happened, but her Adam's apple bobbed almost imperceptibly.
Xiao Cui, the maidservant who was serving the dishes, keenly noticed the unusually sticky smell in the air.
She couldn't help but steal a glance at the unusually quiet young lady, then at the sullen-faced guard Li, her eyes filled with doubt.
After dinner, dusk fell, and the sky was filled with a magnificent sunset.
As usual, the two took a walk in the garden of the mansion to digest their food.
A gentle breeze, carrying the lingering warmth of the day, brushed against my cheeks, bringing with it a rich floral fragrance.
Before I knew it, I had arrived at Xijiao Garden, where a cluster of gardenias was in full bloom.
The pure white flowers clustered among the dark green leaves, resembling solidified cream under the glow of the sunset, their fragrance so rich it was almost intoxicating.
"Wow, it smells so good!" Tang Xiaoning took a deep breath, and the rich, sweet aroma instantly filled her lungs.
Her eyes crinkled into a smile, and the fragrance lifted her spirits.
She took a light step forward, reached out and carefully broke off a small branch of the most fully bloomed gardenia, the branch still glistening with night dew.
She turned around, her eyes shining with anticipation, and held the pure white flower to Li Minghua's nose:
"Minghua, smell this! Do you like the scent? Isn't it especially fragrant?"
Li Minghua was caught off guard by the rich fragrance of flowers presented to her. She subconsciously lowered her head slightly and sniffed the pure white flowers.
The overly sweet and intense fragrance suddenly rushed into her nostrils, completely different from the fresh scent of herbs and trees and the cold smell of ironware that she was used to.
She almost instinctively furrowed her brow.
“The fragrance is too sweet,” she said, raising her eyes to meet Tang Xiaoning’s expectant gaze. She offered a practical assessment that perfectly suited her identity and way of thinking: “It’s easy to give away our whereabouts.”
His voice remained as clear, cool, and steady as ever.
Tang Xiaoning's bright smile froze instantly.
Her hand, holding the flower branch, froze in mid-air, like a child who hadn't received the expected candy. The expectant light in her eyes quickly dimmed, the corners of her mouth turned down slightly, and she glared at Li Minghua angrily.
"Can't you just say 'looks good' or 'smells good'?"
They have to bring up the issue of their whereabouts being exposed!
What an oblivious guard…
Her tone was full of frustration and coquettishness.
Looking at her visibly downcast face and accusing eyes, Li Minghua seemed to finally realize, with a belated dullness, how "awkward" his answer had been.
A rare hint of helplessness flashed across her eyes. She pursed her lips, hesitated for a moment, and then added dryly, trying to salvage the situation, "...The flower is innocent."
It's as if it's saying, "The flower isn't at fault, I am."
Tang Xiaoning: "..."
She felt a lump in her throat, almost laughing in exasperation at this blockhead who had never learned anything.
She abruptly pulled back the flower branch, gripping it tightly in her hand, her fingertips squeezing so hard they almost squeezed the tender petals dry.
She stomped her foot hard, her voice tinged with embarrassment and a hint of grievance:
"Li Minghua! You're such a blockhead! A cold, hard, rotten blockhead!"
After saying that, she turned around angrily and wanted to leave, never wanting to talk to this female knight who could associate all beautiful things with fighting and killing again!
Just as she turned and took her first step, a warm, slightly calloused hand suddenly grasped her wrist.
The sudden touch instantly shattered Tang Xiaoning's anger.
She stopped abruptly, her heart skipping a beat as if gripped by that hand.
She could clearly feel the warmth of the other person's palm and the roughness of their fingertips.
She didn't turn around, but stood frozen in place, all her senses focused on the small circle of skin that was being held, which was burning hot.
Li Minghua's voice came from behind.
The voice was no longer its usual calm and cool tone, but instead carried a rare hint of hesitation and... tension?
“You…” she seemed to start, then paused, as if carefully choosing extremely difficult words.
After a few seconds of silence, Tang Xiaoning could even feel the fingers gripping her wrist unconsciously tighten slightly.
Finally, that deep voice, carrying a resolute seriousness, rang out again, clearly reaching Tang Xiaoning's ears:
"You...are prettier than flowers."
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