These past few days, Wang Hezhan finished up all his official business and prepared to take Xie Rongyue to Yangxia. At night, seeing her excitedly packing her luggage, he couldn't help but find it a little funny.
The room was brightly lit, and she was only wearing a close-fitting silk dress that outlined her slender and beautiful figure. Under the light, her exposed skin was smooth and shiny.
He walked over, wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, and spoke softly.
“An Yi has already checked. The Wang family owns a manor in Yangxia. You don’t need to bring so much luggage.”
His warm breath brushed against her neck, causing tiny goosebumps to rise slightly.
Xie Rongyue struggled to twist her waist and whispered, "I'm just bringing a few clothes that I usually wear."
As soon as Wang Hezhan hugged her, he became somewhat distracted. He didn't listen to what she was saying, lowered his head to suck her earlobe, lick her neck, and his hands wandered around restlessly.
She groaned, slapped his hand away, and murmured, "I still need to pack my things."
"Wow, you've gotten bold."
He chuckled softly and slipped his hand inside her clothes.
Xie Rongyue's legs went weak from his teasing. Just as she was about to say something, the voice of a guard suddenly came from outside.
"Master, the Sixth Young Master has arrived and is waiting for you in the study."
Wang Hezhan paused for a moment, then roughly kneaded her soft flesh before getting up and walking outside.
As soon as he left, Xie Rongyue immediately tidied up her clothes and put her bundle on the table.
Yangxia is far from Yandu, located in the southwest.
The next morning, the two rode to the dock and boarded their own ship to sail south, leaving Yandu.
The journey from Yandu to Yangxia passed through many towns, with green mountains surrounding both banks and long, rippling waters. As autumn deepened, the afterglow of the setting sun shone on the boat, casting a soft golden light upon the two people on board.
Xie Rongyue's mood improved considerably as she looked at the scenery along the way.
Wang Hezhan came out of the cabin, walked to her side, handed her a glass of fragrant drink, and chuckled.
"Do you like going out?"
She took it, her eyes sparkling with delight. "Yes, it's more fun than in Yandu."
A beautiful woman leaned against the boat, her face as radiant as a flower as she turned to look back. The wind blew her long black hair, adding a touch of disheveled beauty.
Wang Hezhan leaned down and kissed her on the cheek, saying, "I'll take you wherever you want to go in the future."
He was too close; the familiar scent of agarwood wafted into my nostrils, and his voice, both soothing and numbing, carried a bewitching quality that shot straight to my heart, causing a tingling sensation down my back.
Xie Rongyue looked away and took a big gulp of the fragrant drink.
This multi-story ship was specially built by craftsmen in the military camp by Wang Hezhan in his early years. It has everything, several floors, carved beams and painted rafters, and is magnificent and resplendent.
Even without docking, they can resupply themselves.
There were many towns along the way, but Xie Rongyue had never been out to play before, so she pestered him to come ashore.
The two went to Jizhou to see the Crescent Lake. In the center of the blue-green lake was a huge crescent-shaped glass lake, and the surrounding painted boats were bustling with activity, with lights stretching far and wide.
They also went to Xizhou to see the God of Longevity of the East Sea, climbed to the Temple of the Old Man Under the Moon to make a wish, and lingered on the back mountain, forgetting the time, and were locked on the pagoda and exposed to the wind all night.
Xie Rongyue complained that he was unrestrained, but he pestered her and made a scene at the sentry post behind the pagoda.
When I passed through Qingzhou, I happened to come across the Lantern Festival. Fireworks were set off all over the street, and the dazzling starlight was blooming freely.
She bought a rabbit lantern, and as she listened to the sounds of firecrackers, her laughter shone like silver bells.
The surrounding area was bustling with activity, with colorful lanterns shining brightly on both sides of the lantern festival. Countless talented men and beautiful women crowded on the high platform to guess lantern riddles.
Wang Hezhan was displeased and tried to pull her away, but she pushed him onto a high platform. When they came down, he took her to an inn with a dark face and deliberately tormented her for the night.
Hearing that Jiaozhou had a lot of delicious food, the two of them made a special trip to Jiaozhou to eat drunken crab with Shaoxing wine, go boat racing, watch the flower girls' martial arts competition, and admire the maple leaves all over Fragrant Hills.
The journey took too long, and he was always being urged to hurry by messenger pigeons.
The two stopped playing around and headed straight for Yangxia.
Last night, Wang Hezhan drank alcohol, and Xie Rongyue came out alone, leaning on the bow of the boat to look at the scenery.
As you travel south, the scenery on both sides becomes increasingly beautiful. When crossing the Jeju River, you can see that the mountain peaks on both sides are covered with snow, which never melts. However, at the foot of the mountains, there are green hills and clear waters, with flowers blooming everywhere, creating a beautiful and picturesque landscape.
There are many boats on the river, but they appear so small beneath the towering peaks.
When Wang Hezhan came out, he saw her standing on the bow of the boat, wearing a smoky purple dress. She was slender and surrounded by a layer of sorrow, as if she would fall over if the wind blew.
He walked over, wrapped his arms around her waist from behind, and asked softly.
Have you eaten yet?
Xie Rongyue paused for a moment, then turned around with a smile. "I've eaten. Why did you wake up so quickly? Does your head still hurt?"
Last night, when I passed through Liangzhou, I ran into his friend, and he drank a lot of wine.
"It hurts~ Rub it for me---"
He leaned forward and whispered into the crook of her neck.
Xie Rongyue glanced around and gently massaged the sides of his forehead.
"Moon, you smell so good."
He put all his weight on her and greedily inhaled the fragrance of her neck.
Yangxia is in the southwest, close to the southern border. After the two arrived in Yangxia, Xie Rongyue returned to the old house and went to pay respects to their ancestors with her uncle, while he went to take care of his own business.
During the Lantern Festival, the streets were filled with lively laughter. The two went out and strolled through the lantern fair, carrying lanterns, watching acrobatics, appreciating music, and listening to songs and dances from the West Tower.
The lantern festivals in the southwest are very different from those in the central plains. People on the street are dressed in various styles, and the bright lights shine on their faces.
Xie Rongyue stood in front of the mask stall, picking out masks and putting them on his face one by one. Seeing that he was about to get angry, she quickly grabbed a face mask, laughed, and ran away, with the people behind her chasing after her.
The crowd gradually surged onto the bridge, and laughter and chatter filled the air. The two were separated by the crowd.
In the brightly lit night, surrounded by bustling crowds, she hurried back wearing a mask, calling out his name loudly.
The lively sounds of gongs and drums filled the air, the stilted buildings were brightly lit, and the sea of people, high and low, obscured her view and drowned out her voice in the jubilation.
Xie Rongyue was pushed off the bridge. She crossed the Huahu Pavilion and waved towards the bridge, hopping and skipping but unable to see anything. Dejected, she decided to turn back.
At that moment, thousands of lights lit up the sky. She stood by the lake, looking up at the fireworks bursting in the sky, and stopped in her tracks.
The crackling sounds overhead were dazzling, and the surrounding crowd was lively and laughing, with lanterns held high in their hands and flowing down the flower river.
Her heart skipped a beat. She glanced back casually, and in the dim light of the lanterns, that dark figure appeared before her eyes, as if a scene from a thousand mountains and rivers had been frozen in a moment.
The lights flickered, everything before my eyes went from bright to dim, the dazzling light and shadow flashed back and forth in an instant, a suffocating pain surged up, and my detached thoughts gradually awoke in the illusory world.
All past memories vanished in that instant, the icy lake water obscuring the surrounding atmosphere.
Xie Rongyue lay in the water, no longer able to feel her surroundings; only that familiar face lingered and haunted her vision.
Sunlight shone down from above into the water, making the pale, bloodless face look like a dead person. The body temperature gradually dissipated, and the person sank straight to the bottom of the lake.
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