Chapter 57 Dust and Light (Sixteen) Taking revenge for Wei Yuanzhan. ...
The setting sun casts its glow, and banners are draped in rosy clouds.
Zhi Rou sat on the stone steps of the viewing platform, her sleeves rolled up. Wei Yuanzhan stood to her left, looking down at her. All he could see were scraped and bruised flesh. His brows furrowed slightly, and he suddenly regretted letting her mount the horse.
Thinking of himself, when his grandfather first taught him riding skills, he fell off his horse many times, but he got back up again and again. Ignoring the pain, he only wanted to tame the Yueying that his grandfather had given him.
He thought Song Zhirou was like him, with that competitive spirit that would make her focus on equestrianism. He also found her a gentle horse that wouldn't cause her too much suffering.
But I never expected her to be so preoccupied; she wasn't riding a horse at all. She was venting her frustrations.
"Hiss..." As the sake flowed onto her skin, Zhi Rou's brows immediately furrowed. Perhaps because she was in a bad mood, she didn't even cry out in pain this time, but bit down hard on her lips.
She hadn't finished washing the wine when she put it down, not daring to continue. Wei Yuanzhan, fearing she might catch a cold, simply sat down and grabbed her arm: "Don't move."
The jade bottle tilted, spilling all the wine. Because he was holding her, his palms were also wet. When they touched, they felt a sensation of both ice and fire.
"Do you care about too many people?" Wei Yuanzhan suddenly asked.
He still remembers that day at Chang Le Lou, when this Miss Jiang, whom he had just met, deceived him with her words. He doesn't like to comment, but indeed, from that day on, his impression of Miss Jiang was extremely poor.
Is someone who doesn't treat others with sincerity worth Song Zhirou's time and effort?
Zhi Rou frowned after listening, but did not reply.
Her childhood experiences in Luozhou made her very guarded. She longed for playmates, but also feared that the people she associated with were like Cheng Wu and his ilk, who treated her with mere charity and as a tool for amusement.
Jiang Luoya was the first person to take the initiative to show her goodwill and friendship after she arrived in Beijing.
Because of this special bond, Zhi Rou's feelings for Jiang Luo Ya were quite different. If Jiang Luo Ya treated her well, she would reciprocate twice as well; any new toys that her father and brothers gave her, she would always send to the Jiang family first, even though she knew that the Jiang family were merchants who were knowledgeable and worldly-wise, she never missed a single one.
Where exactly did things go wrong? Why is Jiang Luoya treating her like this?
Zhi Rou's brow furrowed deeply, and her fair cheeks, bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun, glowed with a hint of pink. She lowered her sleeves and stood up, her legs wobbling slightly from over-practicing, but she still managed to keep herself upright, so no one would notice anything amiss.
"Song Zhirou," Wei Yuanzhan called from behind.
She turned around and saw something flying through the air. She reached out and caught it, and heard him say, "This is a nice thing, here you go."
Zhi Rou opened her palm; it was her jade pendant.
The following afternoon, Zhirou hitched up a carriage and went to the Jiang family's house.
Jiang Luoya sat in the gilded, swirling courtyard, holding a cup of plum juice. Hearing of her arrival, she was initially delighted, but then, upon further reflection, thought she was too late.
Seeing a figure in the distance, Jiang Luoya pushed the soup bowl to the maid, picked up a book again, and covered her eyes.
Zhi Rou took off her boots and sat down without saying a word.
Her gaze lingered on Jiang Luoya's face with an almost tangible intensity. The latter lifted her eyelids and met her gaze briefly: "Why are you staring at me like that?"
"Are you angry with me?" Zhirou asked.
Jiang Luoya thought she had come to apologize, but to her surprise, she pretended to be confused and innocent, and a cold smile crept onto her lips as she looked away from her: "No."
“You’re lying,” Zhi Rou said succinctly.
She's fourteen now, but her speech and behavior still retain a childlike impulsiveness. Jiang Luoya used to like her, but now she finds this side of her truly infuriating.
"Since you think that way, why ask?" Her fingertips lightly turned the pages of the book, her unadorned face revealing no sign of unease.
Zhi Rou couldn't understand why Jiang Luoya hadn't argued with her before leaving Beijing, and in just two months...
"What did I do wrong?" Her voice softened slightly.
After waiting for a long time without a response, Zhi Rou's usually bright eyes dimmed, revealing a helpless expression: "Luo Luo, if you don't tell me, I'll never know what you're thinking."
This sentence was like a scorpion's tail, stinging Jiang Luoya. She scoffed and closed the book: "Is that so?"
"Yuanfeng is only a hundred li from the capital. Even if the messenger travels slowly, ten days is more than enough for a round trip. I sent you a letter, but I haven't received a single reply. Did you not even read it?"
Zhi Rou was stunned for a moment: "What letter?" She replied, "I have never received it."
Jiang Luoya looked at her calmly, her pearly eyes not scrutinizing, but with a resolute gaze.
Zhi Rou frowned: "You don't believe me."
The sunlight paused for a moment, and Zhi Rou's hands, which were clasped on her knees, gradually tightened.
Jiang Luoya judged Song Zhirou by her own standards, believing that Song Zhirou couldn't possibly believe everything she said. Didn't Song Zhirou throw away the things the Song family brought last time without even looking at them?
Thinking of this, her heart, which had been overdue, started pounding again. She composed herself and said, "I don't disbelieve you, I'm just very tired. You can go back now."
This inexplicable feeling, which might be brought up again in the future to sow discord, made Zhi Rou very uncomfortable.
"Lolo, can you please stop? I've never lied to you," she said, her fingers slightly loosening, then slowly clenching again at the end, "When did you start distrusting me?"
Jiang Luoya raised her head.
The eyes opposite her were too clear, containing surprise and anger. Staring directly at her, Jiang Luoya's heart skipped a beat, and her fingers clenched slightly, her knuckles turning white.
The courtyard remained silent for a long time.
Suddenly a maidservant approached the table: "Miss, the young master requests your presence; a distinguished guest has arrived."
Without Jiang Luoya saying a word, Zhi Rou rose from her desk and gave her a particularly proper bow as a farewell.
When I went out onto the street, it wasn't yet bustling time, and the surroundings were quiet.
Zhi Rou wasn't in a hurry to return to the manor. Her thoughts were still unsettled, and she felt a lump in her throat. She turned to Pei Cheng and said, "Brother Pei, I want to take a walk."
The sun was shining brightly, casting a golden glow along the road. Zhi Rou was bathed in the light, casting a long, slanted shadow.
Pei Cheng followed behind her and always felt that the Fourth Miss was somewhat lonely. When she occasionally raised her sleeve in front of her, he almost thought she was crying, but then he thought that the Fourth Miss really didn't like to cry.
After walking for a long time, we turned into Chengping Street, where the area became lively. Vendors roamed the streets and alleys, and beautiful women leaned on railings. In front of a bamboo ornament stall, several young men were choosing bamboo hairpins for their sweethearts.
Zhi Rou walked with her hands behind her back, her eyes still showing no joy, but her brows were relaxed, and at first glance she looked much better than when she first left the Jiang residence.
"I can go back now," Zhi Rou thought.
As soon as she turned around, she heard a familiar voice coming from behind her, sometimes loud and sometimes soft. She stopped and heard that arrogant voice saying, "...He's such a coward, he didn't even step out of the carriage door...I'll beat him until he begs me for mercy."
As Zhi Rou listened, the corners of her lips slightly lifted, revealing a very contemptuous smile.
She turned her back again and saw He Tingzhou and several other playboys gossiping about Wei Yuanzhan. She no longer wanted to use her original plan; she wanted to take revenge for Wei Yuanzhan right now.
Chengping Street was spacious and bustling with people. He Tingzhou held a folding fan in his hand, raising and lowering it casually: "Let's go play Cuju tomorrow. Last time, the Song family interfered and we didn't get to enjoy it."
Speaking of Song Qiyu, a tall, thin man added, "He may be a bit aloof, but he's really good at it. I'd like to go to the Song residence to ask him for advice."
Recalling their meeting at the Cuju field that day, He Tingzhou was completely convinced: "Song Qiyu is indeed not bad..."
Before he could finish speaking, something suddenly flew from behind his waist. He struggled and rolled from the middle of the street to the edge. A fortune teller was packing up his stall, and He Tingzhou landed right at his feet.
The folding fan fell from the air in a smooth arc, landing with a "thud" not far from him.
He Tingzhou turned his head angrily, and a pair of boots stepped over, the hem of his robe swaying. Looking up, he saw a "young man" wearing a narrow-sleeved, round-necked robe.
He bent down to pick up the fan, patted it symbolically with the back of his hand, then walked up to him, knelt down, and said, "Brother He, be careful. It's noisy here. You almost got hit."
After saying that, she handed him the folding fan and gave him a friendly smile.
Song Zhirou.
A carriage slowly drove past him at that speed; what was the point of talking about a collision? Did they think he couldn't watch where he was going?
He Tingzhou gritted his teeth in anger. His companions gathered around, looking at the stranger with puzzled expressions, and asked, "Are you alright? How did you fall..."
He Tingzhou refused the folding fan, so Zhi Rou casually handed it to each of them. She was young, and her movements carried a hint of nonchalance: "Since there's nothing wrong, I'm relieved."
"Don't go!" He Tingzhou said, as if he was about to retaliate.
Zhi Rou neither dodged nor flinched, but even glanced at him with disdain: "Brother He, you want to thank me? No need, just be careful in the future."
There was a hidden meaning behind it.
He Tingzhou assumed she was seeking revenge for the Spring Banquet. Thinking of his own younger sister, he felt both ashamed and guilty. He had promised to teach Song Zhirou a lesson, but had failed to do so. Now, he was being tricked by her instead, and he couldn't help but clench his fist.
She was impeccable in her male disguise, but her voice alone was enough to arouse suspicion.
The two boys traveling with He Tingzhou noticed something amiss and secretly said, "There are too many people here, it's not a good look."
He Tingzhou glanced around furtively.
A few days ago, someone from the palace sent someone to their residence to "give him some pointers." His father was furious, and if it weren't for his mother and brothers protecting him, he would probably have had both legs broken under family law.
Yesterday, he stopped Wei Yuanzhan out of anger, but he didn't dare to make a scene in the bustling city... Yesterday. He Tingzhou suddenly realized something, his gaze lingered on Zhi Rou's face for a moment, and then he chuckled.
"You guys are really something, so loyal and righteous." The comment was quite amusing.
Those around her couldn't understand what she was saying, but Zhi Rou frowned in disgust and took a half step forward: "I helped you, and instead of thanking me, you're saying these sarcastic things."
Normally, she wouldn't openly provoke anyone, but she was already in a bad mood today, and He Tingzhou had crossed her line, which was really unbearable.
Seeing the two men on the verge of exchanging blows, the young man beside them quickly stepped between them, smiling and smoothing things over, saying, "Where's the sarcastic tone? Aren't you talking nicely?"
He Tingzhou held the boy's shoulder to make him turn away, deliberately looking Song Zhirou up and down, his tone even more sarcastic: "Young Master Song is kind-hearted, you should thank him."
Before he could finish speaking, a ball suddenly came flying at his feet, landing right at He Tingzhou's feet.
It is a long separation.
Wherever he went... Zhi Rou looked on in the distance, wondering if her older brother was there too.
In an instant, her sharp edge vanished. She unintentionally hid her left arm behind her back, took a small step, and distanced herself from He Tingzhou.
They recognized the man as Song Qiyu's attendant. He was tall and imposing, unlike the other young men, so they all stepped back, unwilling to speak.
Changli bowed to Zhirou, his voice low and gentle.
"Please get in the carriage, young master."
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