Chapter 16 Farewell to the Stars (Part 4) I don't want you.
Zhi Rou was stunned for a moment, but quickly realized that Wei Yuanzhan was playing a trick on her.
There are no persimmon trees at all.
Zhi Rou was furious, feeling wronged and her heart ached, but she still stubbornly glared at Wei Yuanzhan.
Just then, an old servant from the house passed by. Seeing an extra person, he stopped and his gaze lingered on her for a moment.
"Young Master," he addressed Wei Yuanzhan, "is this also your friend?"
Sheng Xingyun arrived through Wei Yuanzhan's introduction, making him a guest who had "taken the right path." However, the boy in the round-necked robe in front of him was quite unfamiliar, and judging from the way the group interacted, he could hardly be described as friendly.
After all, Wei Yuanzhan was a disciple personally accepted by Master Xuenan, and as the old servant follows his master, his heart naturally leans towards him.
She suddenly stared at him nervously, afraid he would say no. Then she would become a genuine thief.
Wei Yuanzhan ignored her gaze and looked only at the old servant: "Yes, we were just about to go out to feed the sparrows, so we'll be leaving now."
The old servant was relieved, exchanged a few words with him, and then turned and left.
Sheng Xingyun observed from the side and finally became certain: the person under the wall was the fourth young lady of the Song family.
She just didn't know when she and Wei Yuanzhan met. They seemed to be quite familiar with each other, but when she asked Wei Yuanzhan about it last time, he clearly looked impatient.
Sheng Xingyun frowned slightly and asked Chao Zhirou, "What, you two knew each other before?"
The tone that came out was familiar, not like he was asking her a question.
Before the old servant passed by, Wei Yuanzhan's gaze was actually on Zhi Rou's face. He saw that her lips were tightly pursed, as if she was about to cry. Startled, he immediately looked away in embarrassment.
When Sheng Xingyun asked him this question, he didn't rush to answer. Instead, he glanced at Zhi Rou again, coughed twice, and seemed a little uncomfortable.
Zhi Rou instinctively wanted to say she didn't know him, but as she was about to speak, she felt there was no need to.
She turned back to climb out again, but Wei Yuanzhan said from behind, "Where are you going?" His tone was filled with regret and panic.
Sheng Xingyun stared at the mute figure in front of her, raising an eyebrow slightly: "Why doesn't she like to talk to people? It was the same last time... Also, what persimmon? I don't understand."
Zhi Rou braced herself against the wall with one hand, then suddenly realized that since she had already been discovered, she might as well go through the front door. Climbing over from the inside out would be difficult and not very presentable.
Then she turned around and happened to hear Sheng Xingyun's words, and muttered something under her breath.
Does it sound like "dog persimmon" or... "dog prince"?
He pulled Sheng Xingyun along behind Zhi Rou, observing how she could get out without guidance.
Along the winding road, two boys walked leisurely behind, while a little girl in front looked left and right, occasionally stopping to ponder.
Sheng Xingyun seemed to have a special interest in Zhi Rou. He looked her over for a long time and whispered, "She doesn't seem to be from the Song family... Her appearance doesn't match, and her temperament is even more so."
The sons and daughters of noble families always possess an air of arrogance, like a cold and beautiful flower blooming on a high mountain.
Recalling the faces of the Song siblings, Sheng Xingyun's face twitched, but he immediately shook his head and turned his attention back to Zhi Rou.
He pondered and commented, "It makes sense. She has no father or brothers and used to live in the countryside. No wonder she always dresses like a boy when she comes out. If you cover her face, she's a complete wild boy." It's really a bit pitiful.
Wei Yuanzhan glanced at him, seemingly lost in thought, and snorted, "Quickly take back your sympathy. I think she's perfectly fine, as strong as an ox."
Sheng Xingyun was taken aback: "You fought with her?"
"No."
"Then how do you know she's as strong as an ox?" Sheng Xingyun glanced at Zhi Rou a few more times. "She's quite thin."
Wei Yuanzhan remained calm, rubbing the injury on his lower back with his other hand.
Several days have passed, but even the slightest touch still causes a dull ache. He occasionally thinks with relief that their feud wasn't too deep; if things had gotten worse, would her strength have been enough to kill him?
He had initially felt guilty for teasing her, but after this realization, he felt that his behavior was not excessive at all.
If he hadn't practiced martial arts and had a strong physique, how could he have managed to remain unscathed from her attack and avoid utterly humiliating himself?
Seeing that he didn't speak, but only slightly raised the corner of his mouth to reveal a mocking smile, Sheng Xingyun knew it was not a good time to continue asking questions.
The two followed Zhi Rou, keeping a polite distance between them.
Zhi Rou guessed that Wei Yuanzhan must have done it on purpose, treating her like a cat or dog being walked.
Based on her memory and a little judgment, she indeed arrived at the door after a while.
At this time, dusk was approaching, and the streets and alleys were filled with the rich aroma of cooking. Lanterns had been lit at some point, and two beams of light fell from overhead.
"Hey, how are you going to get back?"
Wei Yuanzhan stared at the lonely, dejected little figure before him, his long brows furrowing slightly. He told himself that he also bore some responsibility for the current situation.
Zhi Rou straightened her back, her gloom seemingly dissipated, but her voice sounded arrogant: "If I can get out, I can naturally go back."
As soon as he finished speaking, a carriage bearing the insignia of the Marquis's mansion drove up from the alley entrance and stopped near the gate.
Ignoring Zhi Rou's stubbornness, Wei Yuanzhan simply said, "Get in the car."
Before she could react, she turned around, her deep, beautiful features illuminated by the firelight: "I don't want you."
Upon hearing this, both Wei Yuanzhan and Sheng Xingyun were stunned.
A cold wind raged through the three of them, the lanterns turned slightly, and the boy's face gradually darkened.
He had never been so embarrassed.
The opponent was just a naive little child who only knew how to play with a slingshot. Wei Yuanzhan sneered inwardly.
Without another word, he strode into the car. Seeing Sheng Xingyun's worried expression, he raised an eyebrow impatiently: "Are you going to spend the night here?"
Sheng Xingyun was embarrassed and could only swallow his words, then followed him onto the carriage.
After everyone left, Zhi Rou looked like a puppet whose bones had been removed, her spine drooping inch by inch, her expression dim and somewhat powerless.
With an empty stomach and all alone, he had to sneak back home unnoticed before the mansion discovered him. All this for a mere, fabricated persimmon.
She was so disappointed she wanted to cry, but no matter how hard she tried, not a single tear came out.
Fortunately, she had money, and she quickly recovered from her brief emotional turmoil, her mind clearing up. At least she no longer owed Wei Yuanzhan anything.
Across the slanting street was a cart shop. It wasn't completely dark yet, and the surroundings were dimly lit. Zhi Rou ran over and, after much persuasion, finally rented a donkey cart and asked someone to drive her to Qufei Lane.
That was the closest and most remote place to the Song family's private school.
Inside Longyue Pavilion, after the head maid gave the order to help the Fourth Miss find the turtle, only Xinghui was living in fear throughout the entire courtyard.
She knew that the Fourth Sister was missing, but dared not make a sound. She simply carried a gauze lantern and wandered around aimlessly.
The light and shadow flickered continuously, projecting from inside Longyue Pavilion to outside the courtyard. The light refracted and flashed a few times, and soon it illuminated a furtive figure in the garden.
Xinghui was about to shout when Zhirou quickly stepped out of the darkness, put her index finger to her lips, and told her to be quiet.
Then, when she came over, Zhi Rou said, "Help me."
With Xinghui's help, Zhirou quietly returned to her room, changed her clothes, and began to eat heartily at the table.
The turtle had already been taken away from her hiding place by Xinghui, and the crowd dispersed, unaware of anything unusual.
Xinghui let out a long sigh, went inside and closed the door. She stood beside her, her eyes still wide with lingering fear as she looked at her: "Fourth Miss, are you alright? Is anything wrong?"
Zhi Rou just shook her head.
She must be very worried because I left the manor without informing her today.
Xinghui remained silent for a while, thinking that the Fourth Miss should be alright, before sitting down beside her and saying directly, "Next time this happens, please let me know. I don't know where you're going, but at least I need to know when you'll be back."
Zhi Rou opened her mouth, expecting her to ask something, but to her surprise, the question was easily brushed aside.
A moment later, Zhi Rou's eyebrows curved into a smile, revealing a charming smile: "Okay. Thank you, Sister Xing Hui."
More than ten days later, an invitation was sent from the Jiang family residence in the east of the city to the Song family residence. Along with some letters, it was personally presented to Xu Yueyuan by Steward Zou.
One of the letters came from the south. Xu Yueyuan glanced at it and casually put it aside. After opening the rest of the letters, she turned her attention to the invitation from the Jiang family.
The Jiang family was originally the oldest merchant family in the capital. Although they had some prestige, they had no connection with aristocratic families.
The turning point was twelve years ago when Jiang San Gongzi asked Shen Min, the daughter of the Dali Temple Minister, to marry him. In one fell swoop, he rose to power and became a legend in the capital.
The Third Young Master Jiang of that time is now the master of the Jiang family.
Xu Yueyuan put down the invitation and said to Liu Mama beside her, "Madam Jiang invited me to bring a few of the younger generation to visit her newly built garden."
She turned to look out the window, her delicate brows furrowing almost imperceptibly: "On such a cold day..."
Granny Liu glanced at her, then stepped forward to close the window. She returned and, with a smile, advised, "It's almost the New Year, this is just for the sake of celebration."
White smoke drifted from the stove. Xu Yueyuan's jade fingers pressed the invitation card, her thoughts drifting back to the past.
At that time, she was still unmarried, and Xu Yueqing and she had no ill feelings towards each other. The three of them ate and slept together, lying on the same bed, telling each other their girlish secrets.
Recalling this, Xu Yueyuan felt a tightness in her chest. After a long while, she raised her eyes again and changed her words, saying, "You're right."
She picked up the unopened letter beside her and handed it to Granny Liu: "Please take care of these for me."
The household often receives some unimportant letters, and Xu Yueyuan, following old custom, habitually has them stored in the wooden box at the back.
Granny Liu reached out and took it.
There were two letters today. One was written on rough paper, but the handwriting was neat. She glanced down and saw that it was from Luoyang.
The envelope was addressed to: Zhi Rou.
A note from the author:
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