Chapter 28 Xie Rongjing saw her younger brother stunned...
Xie Rongjing saw his younger brother freeze, even stopping his movements while drinking, and a hint of disappointment flashed in his eyes.
He wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on Xie Baoqiong's head, saying, "It doesn't matter whether Qiong'er is prepared or not."
As he finished speaking, Xie Baoqiong savored the floral and fruity aroma in his mouth. A thought flashed through his mind: in storybooks, mortals often exchanged flowers as gifts. Although the day for giving flowers wasn't necessarily a birthday, it seemed the custom was the same. He read aloud:
"Brother, when the flowers I planted bloom, I will pick them and give them to you."
Xie Rongjing's eyes widened slightly, and he couldn't help but feel puzzled: "When did Qiong'er plant flowers?"
"This morning, the flower seeds were given to me by my brother yesterday."
Xie Baoqiong answered frankly. In his memory, the time it took for the seeds to grow from planting to flowering was sometimes just the time it took for him to take a nap. In no time at all, he could hand the flowers over to Xie Rongjing.
Xie Rongjing estimated the flowering period, said nothing more, then pinched Xie Baoqiong's round face and teased:
"Qiong'er certainly knows how to use someone else's flowers to thank Buddha."
Xie Zhu stared at the soft flesh in Xie Rongjing's hand, slightly lost in thought: "Qiong'er's height doesn't seem to have increased at all since she returned to the manor." Her face, however, has become a bit rounder.
“Father, my brother has only been back at the manor for a short time, so the changes are naturally not obvious,” Xie Rongjing said.
Although Xie Rongjing came to her rescue, Xie Baoqiong only realized his weakness after Xie Zhuo pointed it out: he was a stone, and his original form was almost impossible to change.
As for his human form, he had never considered changing his appearance, but when someone pointed it out, he couldn't help but be troubled by a new question: how much taller should a mortal grow?
After finishing three large bowls of rice with a question in mind, Xie Baoqiong was still struggling with her doubts when Xie Zhuo led her out of the courtyard.
A few steps away, a servant carrying a lantern walked ahead, the round light illuminating the two of them.
A glint of light peeking out from Xie Zhuo's belt caught his attention: "Father, what's this?"
Xie Zhuo followed his gaze, raised his hand and took out a gourd pendant. He couldn't tell what material it was made of, but it was smooth and lustrous, unlike any ordinary object.
Xie Zhuo explained the origin of the item to him, and upon hearing that it was a gift for her, Xie Baoqiong took a long time to recall the name Lin An from her memory.
Taking the gourd pendant Xie Zhuo handed him, Xie Zhuo's voice, carried by the summer breeze, gently rang out above him: "I was thinking of having someone check it first before handing it to you."
The gourd pendant felt cool to the touch, and Xie Baoqiong could sense the circulating spiritual energy within it. He could only tell that it was a decent magical artifact, but that was all he could discern.
If it is a defensive magic artifact as Xie Zhuo said...
He glanced at Xie Zhuo's figure. Today, Xie Zhuo was wearing a wide-sleeved robe. When the wind blew, the robe fluttered like the leaves of green bamboo in the backyard, reminding people of the weak scholar in the storybook.
I always felt that this magical artifact was more suitable to be kept by Xie Zhuo.
Before the item could be returned, Xie Zhuo said, "But the Imperial Preceptor had some important business to attend to some time ago and has not yet returned. You can keep this pendant for now, and if you don't like it, have someone put it away."
Xie Baoqiong's attention was instantly drawn to the Imperial Advisor mentioned in Xie Zhuo's words. She imitated Xie Zhuo by tucking the gourd pendant into her belt and asked, "Father and Lord Lin are acquainted?"
He remembered that he first met Lin Zhechun at the Marquis's residence.
"We have some personal relationship," Xie Zhuo replied.
Having witnessed the sorcerers and cultivators of Dasheng praising Lin Zhechun during the spring search, and hearing about Lin Zhechun's secretive and unassuming manner, Xie Baoqiong became even more suspicious of Xie Zhuo.
Lin Zhechun, who is not close to cultivators, has a private relationship with Xie Zhuo, who is a mortal. Either Lin Zhechun has something to ask of him, or Xie Zhuo has extraordinary abilities.
As if he could hear the confusion in Xie Zhuo's heart, Xie Zhuo brought up a past event:
"It is said that the Imperial Preceptor came to Dasheng a hundred years ago. I was still young when I first met him. At that time, your mother and I were not yet married. One day, my father and brothers had just returned from their campaign, and I skipped school to go to the city gate to see them..."
Xie Baoqiong made no attempt to hide her surprise. Xie Zhuo's demeanor and the impression he gave would never have led anyone to believe that he had also skipped school in his youth.
Perhaps his expression was too blatant, Xie Zhuo stopped talking and slowly threatened him:
“Although it’s not a formal class, you’re allowed to ask for leave in the future, but you’re not allowed to skip my classes, otherwise…” Xie Zhuo thought for a moment, then said lightly, “I’ll ban your snacks.”
His lighthearted words posed no threat to Xie Baoqiong, since Xie Rongjing in the Marquis's mansion would feed him anyway. He then urged Xie Zhuo to continue the previous topic.
Seeing that he seemed confident and didn't take the words to heart at all, Xie Zhuo sighed inwardly.
"My brother seemed to notice me in the crowd. Fortunately, the crowd was chaotic, and I hid behind the crowd the moment he looked at me. It was in that moment of hiding that I saw the Imperial Preceptor, who was almost only mentioned in rumors."
I don’t know how long he stood there, but no one except me noticed his presence. The crowd didn’t find anything strange about that vacuum area until I looked at him, at which point he turned to face me.
Thinking about it later, I realized he must have noticed my intrusion long ago, but he just kept quiet. Otherwise, he wouldn't have said that to me...
Xie Baoqiong's curiosity was completely piqued by Xie Zhuo's words, and she urged, "Father, what did he say to you?"
Xie Zhuo smiled gently, but his eyes, hidden in the darkness, held no smile, only a cold indifference. However, his tone remained unchanged as he spoke to Xie Baoqiong: "It's been too long, Father doesn't remember."
This is similar to when you're reading a storybook and you come across a plot hole that the author has left unresolved.
Fortunately, Xie Zhuo started talking about something else, and Xie Baoqiong patiently continued listening:
"The second time I saw the Imperial Preceptor was when I went to a banquet with my mother. The banquet was dull, and after informing my mother, I wanted to go back to the carriage to wait for her to return home together."
After hearing about Xie Zhuo's truancy, it seemed normal for Xie Zhuo not to want to attend the banquet. Xie Baoqiong was completely at ease this time and listened attentively.
Her face was half-hidden by a round fan; from that moment on, even the moonlight paled in comparison, and the morning sun could not match her radiance.
Xie Zhuo paused for a moment: "It's your mother."
"And then?" Seeing that Xie Zhuo was about to remain silent again, Xie Baoqiong grabbed Xie Zhuo's hand and shook it, but found that Xie Zhuo's hand was a little cold. She thought to herself that humans are fragile and then tightened her grip on Xie Zhuo's hand.
"This was my second meeting with the Imperial Preceptor." Xie Zhuo stopped telling the story, only mentioning, "At that time, the Imperial Preceptor occasionally stayed at the Princess's residence, and I would occasionally meet him when I went to look for your mother."
Later, I went to see him to find your missing mother and you. The Imperial Advisor was known for his ability to know everything, and I thought that as long as I paid some price, I could get the answers I wanted.
But the phrase "the time is not yet ripe, and one must not interfere with cause and effect" trapped me for over a decade.
Xie Zhuo stopped in his tracks and looked up at the plaque of the courtyard in front of him: "We've arrived. The story is almost over. Go back and get some rest."
Xie Baoqiong immediately gripped Xie Zhuo's hand tightly, unwilling to let go, and said with dissatisfaction:
Why do Dad's stories always end without a conclusion?
Xie Zhuo did not pull away from his hand, letting him hold it firmly, and leaned down to coax him:
"Qiong'er, your father also hopes that these stories can be continued, so that people will not have any regrets."
It seems that he will also leave Xie Zhuo with a story that has no ending.
Burned by her own thoughts, Xie Baoqiong let go of Xie Zhuo's hand and stared at Xie Zhuo, her reflection in his eyes.
Is it Mushi?
Or is it Baoqiong?
...
Perhaps he can keep it a secret forever?
The moment the thought crossed his mind, he broke out in a cold sweat.
Even a stone with a layer of jade skin is still just a stone.
He will return to his Four Waters Mountain to cultivate his Tao.
Xie Zhuo and he were ultimately not on the same path.
Seeing Xie Baoqiong release her hand with a displeased expression, Xie Zhuo assumed that she was dissatisfied with his words. He sighed and stroked Xie Baoqiong's face: "Qiong'er, what should your father do?"
The heat on her face pulled Xie Baoqiong back to reality. Xie Zhuo murmured a question to himself or to him, but he didn't know. Xie Zhuo didn't continue speaking.
That night, Xie Zhuo finally took him into the courtyard. After lighting the candle, he noticed the sweat on his forehead and frowned. He touched his forehead and then ordered someone to brew a calming medicine for him to drink. He left only after seeing that he had fallen asleep.
The next day, Xie Zhuo got up early to go to court and did not return until noon. Unusually, he even gave Xie Baoqiong a day off for her morning classes.
Having been given herbal medicine last night, Xie Baoqiong got up early this morning and, seeing that she didn't have to go to class, squatted in the yard, staring intently at the mound of earth.
Si Xi passed by the courtyard several times, seeing that no one moved an inch, and worriedly went forward:
"Young Master, what's wrong with you?"
"I'm waiting for the flowers to bloom," Xie Baoqiong said without turning her head.
"Oh my, young master, these flowers will take at least a month to bloom. How long are you going to be squatting here?"
Xie Baoqiong always felt that the flowers seemed to bloom faster when they were in Sishui Mountain, but perhaps it was because the varieties of flowers were different.
He stood up and patted the hem of his robe: "I'm going to find my brother."
Unable to send flowers, Xie Baoqiong pondered what else he could give Xie Rongjing. He couldn't give the jade pendant Xiaochun had given him; Xie Rongjing had plenty of gold and silver; he couldn't give the small seal and fox fur Lin Yu had given him; and he couldn't give the gourd pendant because he wanted to save it for Xie Zhuo.
All that remained were the fruits from Sishui Mountain. Xie Baoqiong returned to the house alone and poured all the fruits out of her sleeve, piling them into a small mountain of red and green fruit.
I think about the preparations that characters in storybooks would make when giving gifts.
Then he found another box and emptied all its contents, which clattered and piled up all over the floor.
I emptied the box and carefully selected a few perfectly shaped fruits to put inside.
He intended to close the box, but after glancing at the fruit, which didn't look so appetizing against the brocade background, he paused, his brows furrowing in distress.
After a long while, he gritted his teeth, his spiritual power surged in his hand, and an object fell into the box with a "thud". He looked at the inside of the box with satisfaction and closed it.
—
The white jade carved box was placed in a conspicuous place. Before Xie Rongjing could ask anything, a servant explained, "It was just delivered by the young master."
Xie Rongjing nodded knowingly, and when he picked up the box, he noticed that there was a folded piece of paper underneath.
Upon unfolding it, there was no writing on the top, only a few flower shapes sketched in ink.
He smiled silently, understanding that this was his younger brother's compensation to him after learning the flowering season.
He had intended to keep the box as a keepsake, but Xie Rongjing was also curious about what his compensation would be.
The box was easy to open. Xie Rongjing held the paper in one hand and gently pushed it open with the other, revealing the scene inside the box.
A few bright red wild berries.
besides,
A piece of bluestone.
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Author's Note: Su Xiaochun (pulling Xiaobao's collar): Do you remember what you said before you came down the mountain? You've only been here a few chapters, and you've already been fooled!! Humans are all evil!!!
Xie Rongjing: This... uh, young master fox, please release my brother.
Xie Baoqiong: I don't know (●°u°●), that's how it's written in storybooks, the protagonist always gives personal items as gifts.
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