Offering a small poem, begging for wisdom, and taking out a new confirmation of the intention
If it weren't for the last "Spit Star" sentence at the end, Xue Jiuyue would have been relieved. If "Spit Star" is Liu Che, then it means that Liu Che cares about her very much and is always with her; if "Spit Star" is not Liu Che, as he himself said, having such a friend is really beautiful.
Xue Jiuyue also admired his erudition. For example, he had just quoted Li Shangyin's poem, and had correctly interpreted the "just" in "只是近昏" (just near dusk) as meaning "only" or "but," thus assuming Li Shangyin was expressing sentimentality and lamentation, demonstrating his considerable poetic prowess. Coincidentally, this question, like the one from the afternoon, was also about Li Shangyin, so Xue Jiuyue replied, "Disgusting! I have a question for you."
"Um, my lady, do you think I'm disgusting, or do you think what you're asking me is disgusting? It's okay. No matter how disgusting it is, as long as you have any questions, I will tell you everything I know. Even if it's a fly, I'll swallow it with my eyes closed!"
As usual, Xue Jiuyue's lips curled up at the length of this long, rambling chatter, and even typing felt lighthearted. So, she concealed the person involved in today's confusion and described it in detail to "Spit Star."
"What do you think?"
"If it were just an explanation, I believe you should understand that Li Yishan's poem is difficult to interpret. The line 'The warm sun in Lantian makes the jade smoke,' in particular, must have a source, but unfortunately, the ancient texts have been lost, making it difficult to find the original source. Later interpretations can only rely on Dai Shulun's line 'The poet's scenery is like the warm sun in Lantian, the fine jade smoke, which can be seen but not placed before the eyebrows,' but whether it is appropriate is hard to say. However, you are not trying to guess Li Shangyin's original intention, but rather the intention of the gift giver. Therefore, you can judge based on the actual situation. Even if it deviates slightly from the poet's original intention, it doesn't matter. Just like 'The sunset is infinitely beautiful, but it is near dusk,' it does not affect the melancholy that many people use to lament the end of good times. So, in many cases, don't use your brain to think and analyze, but feel and experience with your heart!"
The answer still seemed ambiguous, but it was a wake-up call. Xue Jiuyue had never understood the true meaning of a single ginkgo leaf per day, always interpreting it through the language of the ginkgo blossoms. As "Spit Star" had suggested, it was quite possible that the sender's intended meaning had nothing to do with the ginkgo blossoms' language.
Xue Jiuyue closed her eyes and reflected. Although it was still like looking at the moon in water or flowers in the fog, she also felt the feeling of "the branches of the phoenix are still weak, but the shape of the dragon is already vague." The direction should be right, just waiting for an opportunity. So Xue Jiuyue put all these doubts aside for the time being and changed the question, "Did you spend Qixi Festival alone last night?"
"Single dog, what else can you do if you're not alone? I have words to prove it."
"Oh? Send it to me."
“I was just about to send it to Princess Yue for her appreciation!
Spreading Huanxisha Qixi Festival
The Milky Way and the clouds make the Magpie Bridge dazzling, the golden wind and jade dew are too enchanting; the falling pearl curtain cannot cover it all, the music is quiet.
"The dream fades, and the fragrance remains. I cuddle for a while, my eyes widen and tears fade away for the rest of the night; I am filled with new sorrows and old hatreds, and the rain falls gently."
This poem, "Spitting Stars," is beautifully written. The first verse describes a lonely person, unable to face the evening's joyous revelry, even with the doors and windows shut, unable to block out the laughter and chatter outside, tossing and turning in sleep. When he awakens, the beloved is gone, eyes closed, unwilling to wake, as if still clinging to the dream. Unfortunately, once he opens his eyes, tears flow uncontrollably, new sorrows compounded by old resentments, bringing down his tears like a relentless rain.
However, the mood of this poem, like the previous ones, was rather melancholy, and certainly not consistent with Liu Che's situation last night. It was as if he was intentionally or unintentionally distancing himself from Liu Che. Fortunately, Xue Jiuyue no longer worried about this unclear and incomprehensible fog.
The annual Qixi Festival came to a close with the aria "Tan Po Huan Xi Sha" sung by "Spit Star." Time sank into Xue Jiuyue's tailoring and cooking, waiting for the wind to ripple her hair into flowery blossoms.
Despite Qian Jianjun's repeated explanations before leaving, Gu Quyu was still left with a sense of emptiness and loss that filled the empty day. Fortunately, as soon as he got to work today, Qian Jianjun called Gu Quyu in private.
"Xiaoyu, I'm sorry, Xinyue is in a serious relationship recently. So she has to leave work normally. From now on, can you still trouble me with my dinner parties and social events..."
The sudden change made Gu Quyu suspicious. She said in a petulant tone, "Are you thinking of me again now? Wasn't it the serious time before?"
"Xiao Yu, I always know that you are good, so I am so entangled and cautious! Think about it, if I don't care about you, I will be casual, and you can still eat me, right?"
"Yes, can I eat you up? I don't know why you are afraid of me? I have been so proactive, and you, a grown man, still..." Having said this, Gu Quyu blushed like a crabapple flower, delicate and charming.
"Actually, the night you, Xinyue, and Mr. Zeng were drinking with me, I almost made a big mistake. That was the reminder that I must have a clear conscience, which is why I didn't make the same mistake again this time."
"Committed a big mistake? Have a clear conscience?" Gu Quyu was completely puzzled.
"Yes, I was sincere that night... but it was these four words that made me stop in my tracks in the end. My heart told me that I should love you and cherish you. I don't know if what I did at the time was right, but I could feel that no matter what choice I made, I would be heartbroken! My brain told me to see clearly and think clearly, but I don't know if it was desire or emotion, I don't know if it was love or friendship, I don't know... I hope that in the future I will recall this moment as an unforgettable beauty, not a period of unbearable guilt. So..."
Qian Jianjun's explanation was vague, so Gu Quyu asked tentatively, "So you stayed in the living room watching over me all night?"
Gu Quyu's question reminded Qian Jianjun of another "hero" who played a crucial role that night, but he was subtle in his response. "Xinyue told me that only after desire can one see one's true nature... But I've also figured it out. I should face our feelings head-on, not just avoid them."
"Do you really have to treat yourself so badly? Do I scare you that much?" Gu Quyu was three parts angry and seven parts distressed. "Why are there so many twists and turns? If you like each other, we can be together. If you don't like each other, we can break up. I won't cling to you. To put it bluntly, you just don't trust me. It's okay, don't explain. I won't embarrass you in the future! I can wait until you see and understand, and you can trust me."
"I'm just afraid I've delayed you. You're such a good girl, how could I possibly deserve you... Hey, it's not that easy to see yourself clearly!" Qian Jianjun frowned, "Xiaoyue keeps saying that I don't see myself clearly..."
"I knew you were completely obsessed with Xue Jiuyue. You men, frankly, all judge by appearances! But what's the point? She's only for admiring from afar, never for playing with!" Gu Quyu was filled with jealousy, but she handled it perfectly, playfully and coyly, perfectly expressing her feelings of anger, annoyance, love, and infatuation, letting them flow naturally and from the heart. Then she added indignantly, "Hmph, that's right. What's unattainable is best! If she hadn't been playing hard to get with you, constantly opposing me..."
"You really misunderstood Xiaoyue. She always defends you! Including this time, I originally wanted to avoid you and think things over before facing you. But Xiaoyue persuaded me to try to accept your feelings."
"real?"
"How can I lie to you about this?"
Qian Jianjun's eyes were bright and he never lied, which forced Gu Quyu to believe him, but left him full of doubts.
The afternoon sun evaporated the extra colors of the world, leaving only a scorching heat that made people hide. But Cheng Qing, who had been hiding for a long time, suddenly appeared and brought a surprise to Xue Jiuyue who was busy with her handicraft.
"You finally showed up. I thought you were on the run for your crime!" Xue Jiuyue made no secret of her complaints and expectations towards her best friend.
"Well, to be honest, I really want to hide away and give myself some peace and quiet, so I keep finding excuses to go on business trips."
"Now that you're back, have you figured it out or solved it?"
“None at all!”
"That……?"
"Look..."
Cheng Qing took out a small brocade box.
Just by looking at the appearance, Xue Jiuyue could basically guess what it was. When he opened it, he saw that it was still a seal.
Unlike the bloodstone given to Xue Jiuyue, which exudes surging vitality, this seal is emerald green all over, appearing graceful and reserved.
Xue Jiuyue couldn't recognize the stone, so she asked Cheng Qing, who was interested in stone and seal carving, "What kind of jade is this?"
"Ya'an Green from Shuchuan Ya'an."
"Shuchuan? He is from Shuchuan!" Xue Jiuyue blurted out.
"Him?" Cheng Qing was full of doubts. "You know that too?"
"Yeah! This is a gift from Ren Hongyi, right?"
"Yes! Look at the seal."
"Is it 'The moon shines brightly over the sea, pearls shed tears, the sun warms the blue fields, jade smokes'? Next to it is also inscribed, 'The Jinjiang River nears the west, misty waters green, fresh rain on the hilltops, lychees ripen'?"
"How do you know?"
"I also have one..."
Xue Jiuyue described yesterday's experience and her own guesses to Cheng Qing in detail.
Comparing the two seals, not only are the stones used different, but the calligraphy styles are also quite different. Cheng Qing's seal is a positive-text bird-insect seal script, which appears to be wandering and turning, like the tenderness of the heart.
Looking at the seal that Xue Jiuyue brought over, combined with the details she described, and comparing the two, Ren Hongyi's feelings were expressed almost accurately, which was what Xue Jiuyue guessed, "I return your pearl with tears in my eyes, I regret that we did not meet before you got married"!
"He sent me a message on Monday saying there was a package for me, a little gift for me, and asked me to check it. I just got back today and I'm confused and don't quite understand it, so I came to consult you."
"It seems that this is his gift to you for Valentine's Day. But he is politely rejecting you."
"Rejection? Do you really think it's a rejection?"
"Isn't it? Those two lines implied such an obvious rejection?..." These two lines were very popular, but Cheng Qing didn't know the meaning behind them. So Xue Jiuyue read Zhang Ji's "Song of the Virtuous Wife" to her in detail.
"I've never made it clear, so would he refuse? This isn't so much a rejection as it is a seduction!"
"Seduction?" Xue Jiuyue shook her head, unable to believe it.
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