Chapter 53 Dust and Light (Twelve) An arm wrapped around Zhi Rou's waist...
Along the path, shaded by bamboo groves, Zhi Rou and Song Hanjin walked hand in hand for a while. Noticeing Song Hanjin's gloomy expression, Zhi Rou quietly frowned and asked, "Sister, do you not want to go to the Yining Marquis's residence?"
Since leaving Danyu Garden, Song Hanjin had not spoken again. Now that she was asked, she hummed softly, "If Mother doesn't answer, what can I do?"
After saying that, she added, "It's all my brother's fault. If he had insisted, would Mother have disagreed?"
The complaint was loud, as if it were being deliberately told to someone.
Song Qiyu looked at her from behind, and smiled helplessly: "I'm right here, do you want to keep something a secret from me, little sister?"
Song Hanjin stopped, her words lingering in her heart for a long time before she finally couldn't help but ask, "Why didn't you go to play Cuju today, brother? Is it Wei Yuanzhan's birthday? Is it something you really interested in?"
In August, Song Qiyu had no intention of taking the imperial examination in the capital.
If this news reached his father and mother, it would inevitably cause a stir. To minimize their anger, he intended to comply with his parents' wishes for a few months, and then discuss the matter properly once the situation calmed down.
Song Qiyu didn't respond, which made Song Hanjin even angrier. She twirled her dress and strode quickly toward the corridor.
She did not want to see Marquis Wei and his wife.
Recalling the earlier incident where she and Wei Mingying overheard their mother talking to the Lady Hou, she felt extremely displeased.
Zhi Rou couldn't care less about Song Qi Yu. Seeing her third sister's displeasure, she quickly chased after her and took out a wooden contraption from her bosom, shaped like a rabbit.
"Wood, bow to your third sister." With a flick of her finger, the rabbit head bowed slightly, and its two ears folded down, making it exquisite and interesting.
Song Hanjin's furrowed brows gradually relaxed: "Where did you come from?"
"I made it," Zhi Rou said proudly. She cut off the rest of her words, not telling her that it was a gift for Wei Yuanzhan.
They didn't go to the Marquis's residence until evening. Zhi Rou spent an hour making a fuss in Xixiang Garden.
When Wei Yuanzhan was mentioned, her bright eyes suddenly dimmed for a moment: "If he leaves the capital... Mother, I will lose another good friend."
In Zhi Rou's mind, she always believed that friends are separated by distance.
Although Lin He often heard her mention Wei Yuanzhan, she didn't actually know him and her impression of him was just that he was the son of an old friend.
If it weren't for the incident fifteen years ago, Lin He might have become quite familiar with him. But times have changed, and now she doesn't want Zhi Rou to get too close to the Wei family.
She paused for a moment, then offered words of comfort: "Nothing in this world is permanent. You've met a group of new friends since you left Xiao'e, haven't you?"
Zhi Rou stubbornly said, "But I don't want to change."
These words were so childish that they made Lin He laugh. She glanced at her indifferently and said, "Silly girl."
A moment later, Xinghui's urging voice rang out from outside: "Miss, Fourth Miss! It's time to go!"
Zhi Rou straightened her clothes and got up from the stool: "Mother, I'm going."
"Don't you want some snacks?" Lin He asked worriedly.
She caused a ruckus in the house for an hour without eating a single thing. Now that she's at someone else's table, she has to observe proper etiquette. Won't she go hungry?
"Third sister said that the chef at the Marquis's residence was hired by Yupinzhai, and his skills are excellent. Let me have a taste." As she spoke, she opened the door and went out. Wen Linhe muttered something inside the room, but I couldn't hear it clearly. It was probably about her manners.
When they arrived at the Marquis's residence, the daylight was still there, and the birds cast a red glow, casting a gentle hue over the streets.
Zhi Rou and Song Hanjin got out of the car, and several boxes of gifts were carried in front of them. They entered the Marquis's mansion in complete silence.
"Third sister, who are those people?" Zhi Rou asked, glancing at them.
They were impeccably dressed and walked silently, like a snake.
“People from the palace,” Song Hanjin said, glancing at Zhirou before adding slowly, “It has nothing to do with us.”
The front courtyard of the Marquis's residence.
Wei Yuanzhan was sitting in the hall when he heard that the Empress's people had arrived. He frowned, got up, and went outside to greet them with his father.
The leader was a man who bowed to Wei Jingfan and said, "Lord Wei." He then turned half a step and addressed Wei Yuanzhan, "Heir Apparent Wei."
Seeing that he was a stranger, Wei Yuanzhan casually agreed and returned the greeting.
In the blink of an eye, Wei Yuanzhan saw the Song family members walking through the corridor. His heart was pounding, and his eyes were focused, staring intently at them.
As the last figure walked in, a smile played on his lips, but his mind was elsewhere. He only hoped that his father would finish his social engagements soon so he could go find her.
When Wei Jingfan first heard that the Empress had sent someone to the residence, he was surprised. After a moment's thought, he guessed that His Highness's intention was still towards Mingying, and felt a surge of annoyance.
The Wei family is at the pinnacle of power. Mingying entering the palace will only bring disaster. Why doesn't Aunt understand this?
He didn't want to pay attention, but he couldn't overcome Her Majesty the Empress's authority, so he had to mediate.
After receiving the gifts, Wei Jingfan invited them to stay for tea and personally accompanied them to the flower hall.
"Cousin, third sister, fourth sister." Wei Yuanzhan walked up to Song Qiyu and the other two, and when he spoke, he teased them in a lukewarm tone, "It's quite surprising that you've taken the time to come."
Hearing his sarcastic tone, Song Hanjin's already pale face became even more unpleasant. She forced herself to endure it and listened as Song Qiyu said, "Young Master Wei, happy birthday, may you be free from illness and worry."
He withdrew his clasped hands, his eyes unchanged, and his voice suddenly lowered a few decibels, "My sister and I really did it on a whim and didn't prepare any gifts. I hope Your Highness won't mind?"
Wei Yuanzhan smiled, his gaze fixed on Zhi Rou: "It's good that you're here."
He looked up again. "It's so stuffy here. Shall we talk in the pavilion?"
Song Qiyu didn't care; since she was already here, she had to put on a good show. Song Hanjin remained silent, her gaze wandering elsewhere.
Taking advantage of her momentary lapse in attention, Zhi Rou stepped forward and whispered, "Wei Yuanzhan."
He turned his face down, and something soft and warm slipped into his sleeve.
Wei Yuanzhan was startled; it was her hand.
The backs of their hands touched, Zhi Rou felt it for a moment, then immediately turned to his palm, stuffed the gift inside, and casually asked, "Where's Sister Wei?"
As he spoke, his hand was already withdrawn.
Apart from Lan Ye, no one else saw what they were doing under their sleeves.
It's just a gift, why is she making such a fuss? For some reason, Wei Yuanzhan felt a secret joy, though he kept his expression composed.
“In the afternoon, a Taoist priest came to the mansion, and she was afraid of being tainted by bad luck, so she hid in her room.”
"Has there been any news from Sheng Xingyun?" Zhi Rou asked.
With outsiders present, Wei Yuanzhan did not want to say much: "I have Changhuai handle it, there will be no mistakes."
He was only talking to Zhi Rou, ignoring the two behind him; it was too obvious. Wei Yuanzhan thought for a moment, then turned slightly to Song Qiyu and said, "How many points do you think you'll get in the autumn imperial examinations in August?"
Beside the waterside pavilion stands a pomegranate tree, its blossoms in full bloom, a fiery red hue filling the eye.
"What, does the young master intend to learn from me?"
The shadows of the trees swayed on Song Qiyu's face, obscuring the expression in his eyes. Only his low voice could be heard, "There is more than one path to achieving great things than the imperial examinations. Doesn't Your Highness understand?"
Wei Yuanzhan raised an eyebrow and glanced at him.
A hint of melancholy crept onto that face that shared a sliver of his own blood.
Wei Yuanzhan knew the source of his melancholy and said with a smile, "Cousin, are you also going to join the army? Your son is a precious gem, is your aunt willing to let him go?"
Song Hanjin frowned upon hearing this. What military service? Who gave him permission to go?
Zhi Rou was not surprised.
The older brother practices martial arts and loves playing Cuju (ancient Chinese football). In these two aspects, he and Wei Yuanzhan are very similar. The older brother is good at studying, as is Wei Yuanzhan, but studying is a skill, not an interest. Otherwise, why would the older brother spend his free time practicing martial arts?
We arrived at the waterside pavilion, where lush greenery caught our eye, and the winding corridor stretched out like a jade ribbon. All around was quiet.
Just then, a cry of surprise rang out. Someone had fallen into the pond, creating ripples.
Few in the capital were skilled swimmers. The man struggled desperately, his hands flailing on the water's surface as if trying to grab onto something, much like a trapped beast.
Song Hanjin had never seen such a scene before, and she shrank back in fright, momentarily forgetting to ask her older brother about the imperial examination.
Wei Yuanzhan frowned deeply and told Lan Ye to call for help, still trying to figure something out in his heart.
Of their group, only Zhi Rou knew how to swim. Seeing the man's intermittent cries for help, each one filled with despair, she hesitated for a long time before jumping in.
In his haste, Wei Yuanzhan gave chase, but Lan Ye, thinking he was going to follow and rescue the person, quickly stopped him: "Master, you mustn't!"
Wei Yuanzhan was truly anxious. He shoved away the hand in front of him, but Lan Ye wouldn't let it go. He was furious: "Go and call for help!"
The once calm water surface became turbulent.
The woman who had fallen into the water kept waving her arms. Zhi Rou tried to grab her several times, but her body seemed to tremble in the waves, and her vision was blurred by the water, making it difficult to see clearly.
Almost entirely through brute force and determination, Zhi Rou reached her neck, tightened her grip, and dragged her ashore.
I'm so tired, and it hurts so much.
Zhi Rou coughed violently, her throat felt like it was burning, and she was too weak to care about the woman anymore.
Wei Yuanzhan immediately ran to her, pulling at his clothes, haphazardly unbuttoning and taking off his outer robe, and wrapping it around Zhi Rou, covering her up completely.
Then his voice snapped down, radiating inexplicable anger: "Are you crazy?!"
Whose life could be more important than hers?
Zhi Rou coughed for a long time, her face pale, but her lips were bright red. When she looked up, her eyelashes were still damp with tears: "I'm afraid she won't be able to wait for anyone else to come, and none of you will be able to help her..."
"Then you don't need to save me!" Wei Yuanzhan tried his best to hold back, but in the end he couldn't stop himself. He regretted it as soon as the words left his mouth; he shouldn't have been so harsh with her.
Song Hanjin and the other two had never seen Wei Yuanzhan so out of control, completely abandoning his manners and composure. He was nothing like the heir of a marquis's mansion.
Although Song Qiyu was surprised, she didn't show it on her face, but looked at Zhirou with concern in her eyes. Song Hanjin hurriedly went to help her up, gently stroking her back with her hand: "Fourth sister, are you feeling very unwell?"
Zhi Rou was slightly exhausted and felt wronged by Wei Yuanzhan's scolding, so she just shook her head and didn't say a word.
When the servants of the Marquis's mansion arrived, the woman who had fallen into the water was taken care of. She coughed up the water from her chest and was helped by several maids to the west warm pavilion.
Song Hanjin wrapped Wei Yuanzhan's outer robe tightly around Zhirou and helped her to her feet. Perhaps because of her empty stomach and the rescue, Zhirou could barely stand and almost fell.
"Fourth Sister!" Song Hanjin's pupils suddenly dilated, and she wrapped one arm around Zhirou's waist, intending to pick her up horizontally.
“Your Highness,” Song Qiyu interrupted, “let me do it.”
Wei Yuanzhan turned his head and heard him say, "I am her elder brother."
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