Chapter 8 The Slow-Returning Guest (Part 7) The young man's hand on her shoulder gently...
At midday, the thin mist dissipated, and the alleyways were bathed in a soft glow.
Sheng Xingyun thought for a moment and then offered a different explanation: "She is beautiful, and she is a girl."
Wei Yuanzhan raised his eyebrows hesitantly and carefully examined Song Zhirou through the golden light.
From her unsteady steps to her tender face, half hidden beneath her cloak, which dared not be lifted...
Wei Yuanzhan pursed his lips.
After a while, he shifted his gaze from Song Zhirou and looked at the dense crowd around him, his expression darkening.
Suddenly, his sleeves fluttered, and Sheng Xingyun pulled his arm, asking in a low voice, "Do you know why so many people want to become Master Xue Nan's disciples?"
His expression was inscrutable, causing Wei Yuanzhan to furrow his brow slightly. After a moment of silence, he said, "Sir, your martial arts are superb, and many people admire you. What's so strange about that?"
Sheng Xingyun curled his lips and said, "Being Mr. Xue Nan's apprentice can prolong one's life."
Before he could finish speaking, Wei Yuanzhan had already looked him over several times as if examining a patient, and then suddenly smiled: "Mr. Xue Nan is only over thirty years old, where did he get a disciple who has been with him for decades? Are you stupid?"
Thinking back to his rambling manner just now, Wei Yuanzhan couldn't help but put his hand to his face and laugh again.
Sheng Xingyun was stunned by his sarcasm. Gradually, he came to his senses, gritted his teeth, and put his arm around Wei Yuanzhan's shoulder: "Who's the fool?"
Wei Yuanzhan never took the usual playful banter to heart. He would simply stand there steadily, smiling without saying a word, no matter how Wei Yuanzhan tried to engage him.
In a fit of anger, Sheng Xingyun quickly separated from him and shoved him. As he turned and regained his footing, a dark shadow fell towards him.
Instinctively, Wei Yuanzhan reached out and pressed down on the person's shoulder, but he didn't want to use too much force. She bumped into him, cloak and all, and pressed herself into his arms.
He was almost embracing the dark figure tightly.
Soon, Wei Yuanzhan came to his senses, his handsome eyebrows twitching imperceptibly as he glanced down at her.
A warmth that wasn't his own enveloped him; something pressed against his forehead, soft and warm, like the fine hairs adorning the hem of his garment…
Zhi Rou reacted instantly.
She tried to leave, but as soon as she made a move, a swollen pain shot through her ankle, and she lost her balance, falling heavily back into the boy's chest.
But at that very moment, Zhi Rou saw half of the boy's face. She couldn't say she was familiar with him, but the arrogant yet restless feeling in him suddenly reminded her of someone.
Zhi Rou's ears felt slightly hot. Not wanting him to recognize her, she simply closed her eyes and let go, pretending to faint.
Fortunately, this act didn't have to last long. When Xue Nan came to hug her, the boy's hand on her shoulder exerted a little force, pushing her away.
At the same time, Sheng Xingyun's voice came from behind, full of apology: "I'm sorry, I just wanted you to talk to me. Are you alright?"
Wei Yuanzhan glanced at him, shook his head, and looked back at Xue Nan. His originally tall figure now appeared exceptionally kind as he held a girl who looked like a zongzi (sticky rice dumpling) in his arms.
His first words were filled with such kindness as he said to Wei Yuanzhan, "Thanks to you, he didn't fall to the ground."
Wei Yuanzhan dared not take credit, his eyes darting around haphazardly, and he casually replied, "It's nothing."
The young man was shy, so Xue Nan smiled and said, "Although I don't take on apprentices, I do have some good tea at home that I can offer. Would you like to come in?"
Upon hearing this, Wei Yuanzhan felt a pang of disappointment. He then composed himself, cupped his hands in thanks, and said, "Then thank you very much, sir."
Qiyun Garden was originally the residence of Wu Wei, the former Vice Minister of Revenue of the previous dynasty. He had a difficult time in the imperial examinations in his early years and was not appreciated by the last emperor of the previous dynasty until he was fifty years old.
Therefore, later on, most of the people who rented this house were talented but unappreciated scholars. The interior decoration remained unchanged and was preserved from generation to generation, with a scholarly atmosphere everywhere.
When Wei Yuanzhan first came to Qiyun Garden, he was led by Xue Nan, around the flowing water bridge, through two corridors, and arrived at the west wing.
"Please have a seat." Xue Nan settled Zhi Rou on the couch, took a few steps away, and pulled out two chairs with backrests for them. "I'll go find some dry clothes and come back to make you some tea."
Wei Yuanzhan hadn't expected the house to be like this, with not even any servants. He didn't want to bother them, but Xue Nan was very polite, pressing her hand on their shoulders and saying, "It's alright, I'm the same way by myself, it's no trouble at all." With that, she stepped out of the room.
Sheng Xingyun watched him leave, clapped his hands, and looked back at Wei Yuanzhan with a proud expression: "Thanks to you, the envious looks they gave me just now were so satisfying! It's just a pity that Mr. Xue Nan doesn't accept disciples."
Wei Yuanzhan's heart was entirely with Xue Nan. After he left, his interest gradually waned, and he responded somewhat perfunctorily.
Sheng Xingyun found him too bland and went to the bedside to look at Zhirou.
The sunlight streamed in through the windows, casting a soft glow throughout the room.
The young girl lay on the couch wrapped in a cloak, revealing a fair face. A butterfly was embedded under her slightly raised brow bone, and it seemed to tremble slightly as if sensing something.
Sheng Xingyun was overjoyed: "You're awake?"
Zhi Rou gritted her teeth secretly, fearing that he would continue to speak. She forced her stiff body to remain still and dared not move an inch.
Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned. Sheng Xingyun was convinced that she had woken up, and for some reason, he felt that she would be an interesting person, so he lifted the hem of his robe and sat down at the other end of the long couch.
"May I have your name?"
Are you Mr. Seymour's daughter?
Why are you all wet?
After he asked a series of questions, the person on the bed still did not respond, not even opening his eyelids, his teeth clenched, as if he were having a nightmare.
A glimmer of light shimmered on the floor tiles, and the room was completely silent.
Wei Yuanzhan's gaze lingered on the couch for a moment, and he almost laughed.
Still pretending.
She then raised her eyebrows and called Sheng Xingyun back: "Stop arguing. Aren't you tired?"
Sheng Xingyun clenched her fist, somewhat puzzled: "Was she doing this on purpose?"
Wei Yuanzhan remained noncommittal. Casually turning around, he caught a glimpse of a long shadow in Yu Guangzhong's footsteps.
Xue Nan stepped in, carrying a blue robe, and stood by Zhi Rou's bed for a moment.
Hearing the footsteps, Zhi Rou knew it was him returning. Her bones were so sore that she twisted her body, coughed twice in a mock manner, and slowly opened her eyes.
Her skills were not particularly good. Xue Nan had already seen through her feigning sleep, but not knowing the reason, she did not expose her.
He smiled and said, "You're awake. Change your clothes. The doctor will be here soon."
It turned out there was an old servant in the house, who had been sent to fetch a doctor before returning.
Zhi Rou Bi Qing's eyes swept over the three people in the room: "I... am not available."
The child's voice was innocent and slightly hoarse.
Xue Nan smiled and said, "Nobody's looking at you." After saying that, she turned her back and waved her hand, signaling the two boys to turn around.
He didn't know the child on the bed was a girl, but Wei Yuanzhan and Sheng Xingyun did.
Their cheeks flushed, and they ran outside one after the other to wait.
In early winter, everything is quiet. The shadows of the trees cast dappled sunlight onto the eaves, and the sound of murmured conversations drifts from inside the house.
"You don't remember me?"
“The person you saved on Yangzi Street in Luozhou last autumn was me. I recognize your sword.”
After saying this, the room fell silent for a moment.
Zhi Rou was worried that he wouldn't be able to see her features, so she quickly raised her hand to brush the wet hair from her forehead, tilted her round face up, and looked up with bright eyes.
“It’s you.” Xue Nan studied her for a moment, her memory flashing back to Luozhou, to that narrow, seemingly endless alleyway, where there once lived a girl as fierce as a cheetah.
His long robe billowed as he sat down, glanced at her a few more times, and chuckled softly, "How did we end up in the capital?"
Zhi Rou didn't know how to answer, so she only said that she was going to the capital with her mother and would stay there temporarily.
The sound of rustling footsteps grew louder as they approached. Outside the door, the old servant led the doctor over, and after reporting his arrival, stopped in front of the house.
When the doctor arrived, Xue Nan made room for him to examine her, listen to her heart, ask questions, and feel her pulse. He then prescribed several doses of medicine, which Zhi Rou drank and fell asleep.
She slept quite soundly. When she awoke, the sun was setting, and candlelight shone through the curtains, casting a soft glow on the woman. Half-asleep, Zhirou glanced at the person sitting quietly by the bed and tentatively called out, "Mother?"
Her voice was very soft, almost like a feather brushing past, leaving no trace.
Lin He heard this, and suddenly got up, parted the curtains, and sat down in front of her. Her slender shadow blocked the candlelight, and her brows and eyes gradually relaxed.
Lin He patted her hair: "Are you hungry? I'll have someone bring you some food."
Zhi Rou remained silent. Wherever Lin He went, her eyes followed, never leaving her side.
When Lin He returned and found her like this, she was also a little surprised. Just as she was about to speak, she heard her ask, "Mother, aren't you angry?"
She had just woken up, and perhaps because the blankets were too thick, there was a thin layer of sweat on her forehead.
Lin He pulled her out of the blanket, wiping her face with a handkerchief as she said, "What are you angry about? Are you angry that you're avoiding me and not coming to see me, or that you ran away on your own and made yourself miserable?"
After wiping her, he glanced at her and smiled helplessly: "Silly child."
The awkwardness of the past few days was wiped away, and Zhi Rou was happy. With a giggle, she threw herself into Lin He's arms.
After chatting for a while, she suddenly remembered something, slapped her thigh, and said, "Where's Sister Xinghui?"
When Xing returned to the Song residence, the sky was already turning blue. She hurried towards Longyue Pavilion, and as soon as she entered, she saw a row of people kneeling under the corridor.
Manager Zou stood under the gauze lantern, his gaze sweeping over her. His expression softened slightly. After learning from her whereabouts, he beckoned and ordered his men to search near Lingzhen Bridge, determined to bring the Fourth Miss back safely.
Xinghui was young and had never encountered anything like this before. Thinking of the Fourth Miss being stranded outside, she burst into tears, wetting half of her sleeve. Then she heard someone from the front yard say that the Fourth Miss had returned.
She saw Zhirou again at Xixiang Garden.
Zhi Rou was wearing only a plain cotton coat. She sat on a stool facing Lin He. She looked at the candlelight in the room, which was getting dimmer and dimmer. She was a little tired. Her chin was resting on her collarbone. She didn't say a word.
When Xing came in, she suddenly perked up, jumped off the stool, and stumbled over to him.
Seeing that the corners of her eyes were red, he paused and asked, "What's wrong?"
Xinghui sobbed, "Fourth Miss..."
When she cried, Zhi Rou didn't know how to respond; she could only watch as Zhi Rou's nose twitched.
After a while, Zhi Rou got excited, pulled her down onto the couch, and told her about her experiences that day.
For example, the renowned Mr. Xue Nan turned out to be an old friend of hers; in order to avoid Wei Yuanzhan, she lay down with her wet clothes until half of her body went numb...
Xinghui listened attentively, and her sobs gradually subsided.
As Zhi Rou continued speaking, she suddenly realized that she had overlooked something.
The next day, Zhi Rou did not go to the family school.
She was still recovering from a cold, and her left foot was also abraded. Lin He took her to Xixiang Garden and took care of her personally.
Even so, the story of what Zhi Rou experienced yesterday still spread throughout the entire mansion.
The servants of the second wife said that the fourth young lady ran away yesterday, and the second master dismissed all the maids serving at Longyuexuan. The second wife and the second master had a long argument about this.
They sent people to look for the Fourth Sister, but there was no news for a long time. It wasn't until dusk that the Fourth Sister was brought back by a carriage.
"It seems that it was Young Master Cousin who escorted Fourth Miss back. Isn't that strange? Young Master Cousin and Fourth Miss are completely unrelated, how did they meet..."
Song Qiyu was walking under the trees, preparing to enter the family school.
Upon hearing his attendant mention this, he raised an eyebrow and asked, "Wei Yuanzhan?"
A note from the author:
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