Water flows and flowers bloom
This half-poem is incoherent and leaves one bewildered, yet Wu Qi seems to see a frosty, snowy day, with Yi Shen standing within it, gazing out the window. He simply doesn't know which window it is, or what the scene is...
The melodious sound of the zither continued. Wu Qi closed the book, stood up, and straddled Yi Shen's lap. Yi Shen steadied the strings, put his arm around her waist, and with just one glance, he knew what she was thinking.
He asked, "Want to know what the last two lines are?"
"I'd like to know a little bit," Wu Qi replied.
"I can't think of anything." Yi Shen gently kissed her forehead. "Now that you're by my side, my feelings are different from back then. Even if I wrote it down, I wouldn't be able to express it properly."
Wu Qi asked with a hint of smugness, "So, which state of mind do you prefer?"
“No matter when, you’re always here.” Yi Shen hugged her tighter. “But if I really had to choose, I’d choose this moment.”
After all, at this moment, she was in his arms.
"Yi Shen, do you know?" Wu Qi, nestled in Yi Shen's arms, half-jokingly teased him, "When I was reading a storybook before, I saw two people who were in love with each other write a love poem together, and then they stayed together forever!! A love that lasts a lifetime!"
"The storybook also says that those who write love poems together will stay together in this life, continue their love in the next life, and never forget each other for three lifetimes."
She gently rubbed Yi Shen's cheek and coaxed, "What do you think, Third Young Master Yi?"
Yi Shen chuckled and said, "Very good."
"Shall I finish the remaining two lines?"
"good."
Wu Qi tentatively asked, "I wonder when you'll be able to finish writing this..."
No rush.
Upon hearing this, Wu Qi released her strength and let herself fall into Yi Shen's arms, resting her head on his shoulder. With a hint of coquetry, she said, "Yi Shen, I want to hear you play the zither. It's been so long since I've heard it."
Yi Shen held her in his arms and raised his hand to play the zither.
He started learning the piano in elementary school, and his piano skills are undeniable.
There was a saying that went, "When Yi San Gong plays a tune, even celestial beings from heaven flock to listen." However, Yi Shen had never played the qin outside, and it is unknown who overheard him playing and spread the word.
Sometimes, Wu Qi felt that people praised Yi Shen too much, as if he were born into the world holding a zither and poetry. But Yi Shen was just an ordinary person, walking in the world, nothing more.
Bearing too many expectations will lead to being strangled invisibly.
"When Master Yi plays a tune, even celestial beings from heaven vie to listen." When this saying was popular, countless people stepped into the gates of the Yi mansion, using gold and silver jewels or his great reputation to lure Yi Shen into playing a tune in front of everyone.
It's as if money and fame could buy him a song that would amaze the entire capital.
After Yi Shen rejected them, he didn't play the zither for a long time. In fact, he put the zither he had gone to great lengths to find in a corner of the room, letting it be trampled by dust, without ever glancing at it.
He's giving up playing the piano.
It is Wu Qi.
She stepped into his room, carefully took his zither, took his hand and led him to the mountain stream. Looking at him, she said with heartache and helplessness, "I've been here many times and looked around many times. There's definitely no one else here."
“Brother Weichong, you can play the zither here.”
There were many flowers blooming along the stream, in perfect season. It was hard to identify what kind of flowers they were, as there were several of each kind, as if all the flowers of the season had been transplanted here. However, the soil was loose, suggesting that someone had moved flowers from elsewhere to this place, just to create a place with flowing water and blooming flowers for someone to play the zither.
Yi Shen didn't know how she found this place, nor how many times she had come here.
Strangely, the flowers were clearly transplanted here, yet they seem to bloom in Yi Shen's gradually desolate and decaying heart soil, driving away the stench of money and fame, just for that place untouched by dust.
At that moment, Yi Shen really, really wanted to hug Wu Qi.
Not much, just one.
But he held back.
It was because he wanted to hug her, not she.
Looking back now, Yi Shen still doesn't think that falling in love with Wu Qi is an inconceivable thing. On the contrary, it is a natural thing for him to fall in love with Wu Qi, just like water flowing into the sea or the sun setting in the west, sooner or later, and irresistible.
And he never thought of resisting.
The music stopped, but his heartstrings were moved. The lingering sound echoed in the air, and all was silent except for the birdsong. Wu Qi fell asleep in his arms, and more and more flowers bloomed in the soil of his heart.
Yi Shen looked at Wu Qi, who was fast asleep in his arms, and said softly, "When will you finish writing the other half of the love poem?"
He wanted to stay with her in this life, continue the relationship in the next, and never forget her for three lifetimes.
When Wu Qi woke up again, it was already dark, and he had an outer robe draped over his shoulders.
She fell asleep in Yi Shen's arms.
Wu Qi has been sleeping more and more these past few days, or rather, she's tired. The coursework at Cizi Pavilion is indeed not difficult for her, but the Cannon Blade takes up most of her energy, and sometimes she even dreams about glittering armor.
She was so tired from both her dreams and waking up that she would fall asleep as soon as she felt a little relaxed and comfortable.
"Awake? Are you hungry?" Yi Shen asked.
Wu Qi shook her head, turned her head and kissed him, and murmured with some sleepiness, "Not very hungry."
"Then we'll eat together later." Yi Shen adjusted his outer robe, which was about to slip off, and asked Wu Qi, "Will you complain about Master Sun?"
His question was by no means unexpected.
Most teachers would turn a blind eye to Wu Qi's studies after she entered the Moonfall Camp. They would initially have high expectations for her, but then they would lower them to seven or eight points, and then to five or six points. Only Teacher Sun remained strict with Wu Qi as usual.
"No." Wu Qi leaned close to Yi Shen's ear and whispered, "The Master gave me the pardon."
She had never told anyone about this, not even Wu Shanyun and Qi Kong knew about it, but Yi Shen said, "I know."
Wu Qi exclaimed in surprise, "When did the Master tell you this?"
Yi Shen replied, "On the day we went to Langyue Tower for dinner, the Master took me to the inner chamber and told me that you have a pardon from death."
"What else did the Master say?" Wu Qi asked.
"The Master also said that no matter whose life Xiao Qi saves with the pardon, as long as Xiao Qi uses it willingly, then the pardon is worth using."
That day, Master Sun said to Yi Shen, “Wei Chong, I know you are fond of Xiao Qi. Xiao Qi is kind and intelligent, and she will never make any big mistakes that will be cursed by future generations. However, the path she is going to take is extremely dangerous. I gave her a pardon so that she could walk this path more smoothly.”
"As for who she uses this get-out-of-jail-free card on, I can't control that."
“But, Weichong, I hope you will not betray her.”
Master Sun shouldn't have said those words to Yi Shen. Whether from the perspective of an elder or from the perspective of a teacher, he had no right to intervene between Wu Qi and Yi Shen, nor did he have the right to say those words to Yi Shen. But he truly felt sorry for Wu Qi.
He was certain that Wu Qi would achieve great things, but the road ahead was fraught with danger, and she was vulnerable to betrayal again, especially by Yi Shen, which could easily cause her to lose her true self.
At that time, Yi Shen said, "No, I will never betray her in this lifetime."
Yi Shen didn't feel presumptuous at all; on the contrary, he was very fortunate that there were people like Master Sun who cared about Wu Qi, and he hoped that there would be more and more people like him.
After hearing this, Wu Qi nestled in Yi Shen's arms, remaining silent for a long time. She heard Yi Shen say, "Little Qi, Master Sun likes you very much."
That kind of affection is the love and appreciation that elders have for younger generations.
Wu Qi said, "I will try my best not to disappoint Master Sun."
From that day on, Wu Qi devoted eight or nine tenths of his energy to the Cannon Scale, spending his days either at Ci Zi Pavilion or Yue Duo Camp. Wu Shan Yun and Qi Kong often couldn't find Wu Qi in the mansion. Once or twice was fine, but after three times, Qi Kong stopped Wu Qi, who was about to go to Ci Zi Pavilion, and said, "Little Qi, you should stay home and take good care of yourself."
When Qi Kong said this, it meant that she was going to travel with Wushan Yunyun again, and the return date was uncertain.
Wu Qi reached out and hugged Qi Kong, and for some reason asked, "Where are Mother and Father going this time?"
“Changru Town,” Qi Kong replied.
Wu Qi asked, "Where is this?"
Qi Kongdao said, "It's a small border town, and I've heard that its fruits are especially sweet. I'd like to go and try them. If the fruits are really that sweet, I'll write to you, and you and Weichong can go and try them too."
"good."
"Shall we go now?" Qi Kong instructed, "Don't overwork yourself. Eat whatever you want, and go out and have some fun if you get bored. Don't stay cooped up in the house all day, or you'll get moldy."
Wu Qi laughed and said, "Then I'll be Wu Qi who's moldy."
"Then you're my moldy daughter."
"Then do you despise me?" Wu Qi asked.
"Don't you mind? It shouldn't matter if it's moldy, right? I'll take you to Changru Town to sunbathe and eat some sweet fruits. Sooner or later, you'll become a daughter who won't get moldy."
The two hugged and laughed for a while before Qi Kong said, "Let's go."
Wu Qi said, "I will miss you."
"Your father and I will miss you too."
After Qi Kong and Wu Shanyun left, Wu Qi had no more attachments in the Wu Mansion and slept directly in the Moonfall Camp for several nights. Yi Shen did not stop him after learning about this, but one night, Wu Qi secretly slipped out of the Wu Mansion and just as he was about to go to the Moonfall Camp, he happened to run into Yi Shen standing outside the Wu Mansion.
He carried a piece of rice cake and asked, "Want to go to Moonfall Camp for a midnight snack?"
Wu Qi was stunned for a moment, then realized what he meant and burst into laughter: "Let's eat, let's go to Moonfall Camp for a midnight snack!!"
After finishing their midnight snack, the two spent the entire night at the Moonfall Camp.
Lin Kuo stayed up with Wu Qi for several days and fell asleep in Ci Zi Pavilion because he was so tired. He was scolded by Master Sun, but he was still sleepy. He was kicked by Master Sun and woke up.
He perked up, turned to look at Wu Qi, and saw that she looked radiant. He immediately asked in surprise, "Isn't Xiao Qi sleepy at all?"
Song Yinxing said, "She can't sleep well when she has something on her mind."
Looking at Wu Qi, she suddenly realized that Wu Qi was completely forcing himself to navigate between Ci Zi Pavilion and Yue Dui Camp.
It was as if some force was holding her up.
That drive told her she had to build the cannon fin.
But what exactly is that force?
Song Yinxing guessed that it might be Wu Qi's ideal, or it might be something he did to impress the emperor, or it might be paving the way for killing Wei Luanhua and General Wei.
Wu Qi could not forget the old man's death; she knew it.
“I will go to keep Xiao Qi company tonight,” Song Yinxing said to Lin Kuo.
Lin Kuo nodded and said, "Then I'll go too. I can't endure it for more than a few days."
"Why?" Song Yinxing asked.
"Who knows, His Majesty might send Wei Chong and me to oversee this year's Dragon Gate Examination." Lin Kuo yawned, leaning against Song Yinxing's shoulder, his eyes wearily looking ahead, but his words were remarkably clear. "The Dragon Gate Examination has been held annually since its inception. Now that General Wei has returned to the capital, His Majesty has ordered another Dragon Gate Examination, it's blatantly obvious..."
Before he could finish speaking, Song Yinxing understood.
The Emperor already knows that Zhao Xiwei stole Li Shuying's position during the Longmen Examination. Furthermore, the Emperor also knows that General Wei Mao was involved in Zhao Xiwei's successful appointment, along with the missing Liu Ge and various bribes for official positions…
The deceased Zhao Lang could not control everything, but General Wei could.
His Majesty's decision to hold the Longmen Examination again this year is a blatant way of telling General Wei that he is about to start settling scores.
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