43 Chapter Forty-Three
◎The right balance of light and dark.
At the palace banquet, with wine clinking and countless secretly observing eyes cast at Ciying.
She sat upright next to the young man, and Zhu Guang, who was disguised as a maid, half-knelt beside her.
The young man handed Ci Ying a cup of warm tea. She took it wordlessly, the warmth tinging her palms. Zhu Guang, watching from the side, glared cautiously at Xie Huaijin. Then, carefully pouring a cup of his own, he handed it to Ci Ying, winking and asking her to replace the one Xie Huaijin had handed her.
Ci Ying was amused by Zhu Guang's little action and said "thank you" softly.
Zhu Guang narrowed his eyes and raised his head, meaning "no need".
The actions of the two people were not concealed at all, at least Xie Huaijin saw it all.
The young man was right next to them, wearing plain clothes with a faint fragrance on his body. After seeing the two people's little movements, he glanced at Zhu Guang indifferently. Zhu Guang sensed it and lowered his head quickly, fearing that Xie Huaijin would settle the score with her for the study and Mo Yu.
Fortunately, Xie Huaijin didn't say anything extra. He just poured himself a cup of tea and drank it lightly.
......
It was halfway through the banquet when Ci Ying saw the emperor and empress who had arrived late.
As if to avenge Xie Huaijin's absence from the palace banquet last time, the emperor and empress simply did not show up for the first half, and in the second half, the young emperor was completely at odds with Xie Huaijin and Ci Ying, and simply greeted the officials and ministers beside him.
The ministers looked at each other in confusion. Some glanced at Xie Huaijin covertly, some simply talked quietly with the emperor, but most did not take sides directly. Everyone could see that a storm was about to come.
Ci Ying also felt it. The atmosphere at the banquet was so tense that she couldn't ignore it even if she wanted to.
She looked intently at the person beside her, but her hand was held for no reason.
Ci Ying wanted to shake it off, but remembering what she had just said, she just curled her fingers.
She whispered, "Is the woman next to the emperor Miss Su?"
Xie Huaijin had never thought that Ci Ying would speak because of Su Xueruo. He stroked the teacup and said softly, "Well, she entered the palace and became the queen some time ago."
Ci Ying's eyes unconsciously looked towards the platform. A woman in gorgeous dress was sitting on the platform with a slightly bulging belly. She looked like she was pregnant but not for a long period of time.
Seeing Ciying looking at Su Xueruo's belly, the young man rarely explained a few more words: "She got pregnant two or three months ago."
Although Ci Ying didn't quite understand, she remembered that a woman's belly wouldn't bulge this much when she was two or three months pregnant. She hesitated and asked, "Two or three months?"
Xie Huaijin put down his wine glass without even glancing at the platform, and said softly, "Maybe it's twins."
Later, Xie Huaijin said that it was getting late and Ciying had just recovered from a serious illness, so she could go back and rest first. Ciying did not refuse, but only whispered "Okay". The young man touched her head and whispered, "Go to bed early."
Ci Ying could easily feel the faint envy in the eyes around her, as well as some anxiety that she could hardly describe. She looked at Xie Huaijin with complicated eyes. She understood better than anyone that Xie Huaijin was doing this on purpose today. Even when their relationship was good in the past, they were rarely so close.
Zhu Guang supported Ci Ying. When he turned around, Ci Ying unconsciously glanced at the platform. She did it almost subconsciously, but she met Su Xueruo's eyes.
Ci Ying found it difficult to describe the look Su Xueruo gave her when she looked over. She was looked up and down by Su Xueruo's eyes, and finally, Su Xueruo touched her abdomen in front of her.
Ci Ying came back to her senses and said softly, "Zhu Guang, I thought of an animal."
Zhu Guang glanced back obscurely: "What?"
While the two were talking, a palace maid came around the corner. Before she could approach, Zhu Guang persuaded her to leave.
The palace maid knelt down, and a ball of paper fell out of her sleeve as she trembled. Zhu Guang frowned, picked it up, and handed it to Ci Ying. The palace maid hurried away.
Ci Ying slowly unfolded the paper ball. On it was written in a woman's elegant handwriting: "Beside the Moonlight Pond, I hope Madam Xie can meet me."
"Zhu Guang, have you ever seen a snake in the mountains and forests?"
Ci Ying's sudden question startled Zhu Guang, and he subconsciously let out another "ah." Ci Ying described, "They are usually long, thin, and smooth, with pointed teeth hidden in a head about the same thickness as the body. Some of these teeth contain venom."
Zhu Guang later realized that Ci Ying had said, "I thought of an animal."
Zhu Guang had grown up with Xie Huaijin and Mo Yu, and knew a little about Su Xueruo. She whispered, "I've seen them, not necessarily in the mountains or forests. They're also common in damp places deep inside mansions. It's just that snakes in populated areas are mostly not very venomous."
"Are you going, Ciying?" Zhu Guang asked as he took the note from Ciying.
Ci Ying lowered her eyes, then shook her head lightly.
In the carriage, Zhu Guang whispered, "The Moonlight Pool is near the Central Palace. It's Su Xueruo."
Ci Ying nodded. She unfolded the note and guessed it the moment she saw it.
"What does she want from Ciying?" After leaving the palace and without so many ears around, Zhu Guang's dislike for Su Xueruo was clearly shown on his face.
Ciying asked, "What happened to her?"
Zhu Guang sighed and stuffed a hot water bottle into Ci Ying's arms: "I can't finish it in a short time. I will tell you in detail later. Anyway, he is not a good person..." As he spoke, Zhu Guang's expression became more serious and looked at Ci Ying: "If it is not necessary, Ci Ying, don't contact this person."
Ci Ying did not respond. If she guessed correctly, as long as she stayed in Chang'an, contact with Su Xueruo was inevitable.
Seeing that Ciying did not respond, Zhu Guang took Ciying's hand.
Ci Ying explained, "This isn't the first time she's come looking for me. Before... before I even went to Jiangnan, she secretly asked me to meet her. I don't normally interact with her, but if I'm not mistaken, Miss Su must have something I want to know."
"Then should we go back to meet him?" Zhu Guang lifted the carriage curtain and wanted to stop the coachman.
Ci Ying stopped the man and shook her head: "No need, we would be at a disadvantage if we went to meet him."
Wait for her to come to her in person, instead of using a note without even a signature.
What's more, compared to Su Xueruo's affairs, Ci Ying wanted to understand Ru Zhen's affairs more. The imperial physician said at the time that Ru Zhen's condition would be better if she and Yu Wenfu were with her.
But these days, Ci Ying didn't feel that Ru Zhen had improved, and even...
Ci Ying rubbed her forehead. She saw that Ru Zhen's condition was getting worse.
Hysteria, heart disease, heart disease needs to be treated with heart medicine.
If she wanted Ru Zhen to get better, she needed to find out the cause of her illness, and all this could not be avoided without looking back at what happened before and after the flower viewing banquet.
At night, the oil lamp cast the girl's silhouette on the wall.
She bit the pen and worked on the poem she was going to send to Jiangnan bit by bit. She had already written one on the way back, but perhaps a person's mood does affect many things. When she took it out and read it after returning to Chang'an, she felt that it was not suitable as the first article to pave the way for the identity of "Li Ci".
She destroyed the manuscript and started over again.
It was not until midnight that she finally wrote a new article, but she still felt unsatisfied. She wanted to destroy it but was afraid that she would not be able to write a new one even after a few more days. She frowned, folded up the article, and thought.
When there was a knock on the door, Ci Ying put down the pen in her hand.
She lowered her eyes for a while, then went to open the door. The young man was standing outside after changing his clothes. It was snowing heavily outside, and his face was as beautiful as jade.
She stood at the door and whispered, "What's going on?"
There was a charcoal fire burning inside and the candlelight was warm, but outside it was all white with snow and the cold air was puffy.
While Ci Ying was waiting for the young man's answer, she felt a chill. Her body hadn't fully recovered to begin with, and she suddenly started coughing. The young man said gently, "Won't you invite me in?"
Ci Ying sometimes really admired Xie Huaijin. He knew their relationship best, but even when they were alone, he could still be so calm.
She made way: "Come in, it's just a bit messy."
The young man followed her: "Yeah, I know."
Ci Ying didn't even listen to what Xie Huaijin was saying. She just hummed and groaned before sitting back down at the table. She put away the scraps of manuscript paper one by one. The candlelight reflected on the girl's porcelain-white face. The young man stood upright beside her and said helplessly, "Ci Ying, I'm talking to you."
Ci Ying's fingers froze, and she only said, "I didn't hear it."
Xie Huaijin didn't expose the truth, but handed some books to Ciying. Ciying looked at the young man with doubt. Xie Huaijin said gently, "The book you mentioned before leaving Chang'an, you had already gone to Jiangnan when you found it. I suddenly thought of it when I returned home today, and I thought it might be useful to you."
Ci Ying was stunned, and the word "thank you" was stuck in her neck.
But fortunately the young man didn't want it either. He left quietly after saying "Go to bed early and wipe the ink from the corner of your lips before going to bed."
Silence returned to the house. Ci Ying looked at the books on the desk with complicated eyes. Most of them were ancient books. She had seen them in poems and essays before, and mentioned them to Xie Huaijin one day when she had nothing to do.
......
It was a long time ago.
It has been so long that Ciying no longer has any interest in reading these books.
Late at night, when Ci Ying blew out the candle, she remembered the young man's farewell words before he left. She went to the bronze mirror and put her face close to it. Sure enough, there was a faint mark of ink at the corner of her lips.
Only one lamp was on, so Ci Ying had to put her face very close to the bronze mirror to see clearly. She took a clean handkerchief and wiped it bit by bit until the skin beside her lips was rubbed red, then she lowered her eyes and put the handkerchief down.
There was a heavy snowstorm at night. People who came later said that this was the heaviest snowfall in Chang'an in ten years.
On the day when the snow finally stopped, Ci Ying finally found some clues about the missing hairpin that Ru Zhen mentioned.
It came from a maid named Yunxia.
Ci Ying was not unfamiliar with this name.
Yunxia and Ruzhen were both born into a family, their parents both being elders in the Xie Mansion, and they had both arranged a good place for their children. In the past, when the head of the family was still alive and the young ladies were still married, the position of personal maidservant was a popular position.
Yun Xia and Ru Zhen, one serves in front of the third lady Xie Anyun, and the other serves in front of the young lady.
Later, when Xie Anyun got married, for some reason she did not take Yunxia, her personal maid who grew up with her, with her, but instead took Chuntao, who was by the old lady's side.
Ciying was supported by Zhu Guang and walked into the lobby. It was cold as the snow was melting, and when she saw the wind, Ciying started coughing softly.
Zhu Guang ordered someone to close the door while pouring a cup of hot tea for Ci Ying.
Ci Ying stroked Zhu Guang's hand and told her not to keep busy, then looked at Yun Xia beside her. After not seeing her for three years, Yun Xia seemed to have aged a lot. At the age of nineteen, her face was full of cracks.
When Yun Xia saw Ci Ying looking at her, she quickly knelt down and said, "Greetings, Madam."
There was a cringe between his hands and feet, and his voice was trembling when he spoke.
Ci Ying was in a trance for a moment. In her memory, Yun Xia was not like this even when she was a maid. Ru Zhen always compared herself with Yun Xia because among all the children in the family, only they two were the prettiest and had the best places to live.
Ci Ying helped the person up, but when their hands touched, Yun Xia shrank back.
Yun Xia knelt down again, "I'm sorry, Madam. I... didn't mean it." Yun Xia kowtowed. Ci Ying sensed that Yun Xia seemed a little afraid of her, so she didn't rush forward again. She just said gently, "It's okay. I know you didn't mean it. Yun Xia, you get up first."
Zhu Guang handed over a cup of warm tea at the right time.
Yunxia took it and started crying for some reason.
Ci Ying then learned about Yun Xia's story over the years. Back then, Xie Anyun was exiled to the farm because of the flower-viewing banquet. Yun Xia was the only servant in the farm willing to follow him. The servants in the farm bullied the weak and feared the strong, and Xie Anyun was a paper tiger. Yun Xia suffered a lot for Xie Anyun at the farm.
Later, the old lady sent someone to take Xie Anyun home. Yunxia originally thought that she would be able to live a good life in the future after this experience. However, when she asked Xie Anyun to release her when she was old enough, Xie Anyun repeatedly refused. Later, he was afraid that she would hook up with the new son-in-law, so he promised her to a lame gatekeeper.
That lame fellow...was old and useless, always enjoying beating people. Yun Xia's sleeves were covered in bruises.
Yun Xia had thought about exchanging her life for the cripple's, but her parents were already old, and she had a younger sister who also worked in the Xie Mansion. If she really did so, she was afraid that her sister would lose her rare opportunity and her parents would be ashamed of her.
As Yun Xia spoke, tears began to fall.
He knelt down again and said, "I heard that Madam is investigating the incident of the flower viewing banquet. I served the Third Miss back then and know some of the inside story. Now I can tell you everything. I only ask..."
Yun Xia kowtowed again: "I only ask Madam to help me escape from this sea of suffering."
Ci Ying was speechless for a long time. She half-knelt down and helped the man up, saying softly, "Okay, don't be afraid. I'll take care of it for you."
Yun Xia burst into tears. Ci Ying helped her up. This time, Yun Xia didn't hide anymore. She just said with red eyes, "Back then, the Third Miss bribed Ru Zhen with a sum of money to make Madam look bad at the flower viewing banquet, but..."
Yun Xia seemed to be reminiscing, her eyes were a little blank, as if she was thinking of her youth.
"At the time... I was extremely disgusted with Ru Zhen for accepting Third Miss's money. I even went to her and mocked her. Ru Zhen, for once, didn't argue with me. She just kept covering a pearl flower in her arms. I asked her what it was, but she wouldn't tell me. I asked her several times, but she got annoyed. When she kicked me out, I saw it. It was a very low-quality pearl flower from the Treasure Pavilion. I... wanted to buy it before, but I hadn't saved up enough money yet, so I recognized it immediately."
"Is it the Treasure Pavilion on Chang'an Street?" Ci Ying asked.
Yun Xia nodded. "A few days ago, I heard from...my sister that Madam was looking for something that happened back then. I suspect there might be some connection, Madam."
Ci Ying responded to Yun Xia's serious plea. She touched Yun Xia's head. They actually didn't know each other when they were young.
She knew Yun Xia more from Ru Zhen's words. Even if Yun Xia was just as biased as described by Ru Zhen, she shouldn't... shouldn't be treated like this by Xie Anyun.
She said gently: "Thank you, the information you told me is very useful to me."
Ci Ying helped Yun Xia up again. "I need to ask you first. If you're not married, you'll be old enough to leave the mansion in two years. If you divorce that cripple, do you want to stay in the mansion, or do you want the mansion to give you some money so you can move out early?"
Yun Xia hesitated and said, "That lame guy..."
Ci Ying held Yun Xia's hand and said, "Don't worry. If what you said is true, the Xie Mansion will no longer keep him. If you want to stay in the mansion, you don't have to worry about meeting him again in the future."
Yun Xia and Ci Ying stared at each other for a long time, and under Ci Ying's encouraging gaze, she said, "Madam, I, I still want to stay in the Xie Mansion. My family is all there, and I don't know where I can go if I leave."
Ci Ying said "OK" in a gentle voice, called the maid beside her, and asked her to take two guards to help Yun Xia move, and by the way, take the lame man to the execution hall and try him according to Yun Xia's confession. If he really beat his wife, his other leg would be crippled and he would be kicked out of the house.
After Yun Xia left, Zhu Guang angrily said, "When I saw Xie Anyun that day, I thought she had calmed down. Who knew she was so vicious? How could she treat him so badly just because she was afraid her son-in-law would be attracted to her because of her maid's beauty?"
Ci Ying's expression was also complicated. As the wind blew, she leaned on Zhu Guang's shoulder.
After a long while, Zhu Guang heard Ci Ying say softly, "Not bad."
Zhu Guang looked at Ci Ying and saw her looking down at his slender white hand. The girl turned her palm to the back of her hand, then slowly turned it over again, and said softly: "Fortunately, I can help her now."
Zhu Guang was speechless. Although Ciying was talking about happy things, she could sense the complexity in it.
Following the clues Yun Xia gave, Ci Ying found the Treasure Pavilion.
Before Ci Ying could speak, the waiter saw the carriage at the door and hurried forward to greet it, "Madam, please come in."
Zhu Guang, holding the sword, went in with Ciying. Ciying walked around and finally stopped at a cabinet far from the door. She picked up a pearl flower and asked, "How much silver?"
Even though Ci Ying had taken the cheapest item in the store, the waiter didn't dare to be rude: "Madam, it only costs ten taels of silver."
Ci Ying picked one up and asked casually, "Has this style been around for the past two years?"
The waiter hurriedly shook his head: "No, except for the custom-made styles in our Treasure Pavilion, the others are replaced every six months. The one in your hand was just purchased in February of this year."
Ci Ying gently pinched the pearl flower and asked, "Have the ones from last year and the year before been sold out?"
The waiter hesitated. "Madam, there might be some left in the warehouse, but...it might have been gathering dust in a box for a long time. If you want it, I might have to go look for it."
Ci Ying said softly, "Sorry, I want one of the two models from four years ago."
The waiter left in a hurry. Ci Ying turned around and put the pearl flowers in her hand back into the box. She seemed to have thought of something, and tears were already in her eyes.
A quarter of an hour later, the waiter placed two clean pearl flowers in a box and handed it to Ciying respectfully.
Zhu Guang took out some silver from his purse and handed it to the waiter.
Ci Ying looked at the two pearl flowers in her hands and clenched them gently.
......
When the maid came to the courtyard, Ciying had already asked Yunxia to identify the pearl flower that Ruzhen had lost that year from the two pearl flowers in the Treasure Pavilion.
The hairpin is made of silver-white, and the pearl part is a blue bird made of tiny gemstones.
At this time, someone from the courtyard brought in a strange maid. The beautiful and tall maid knelt down respectfully when she saw her and said, "Madam, the young master invites you to have dinner."
Zhu Guang rolled his eyes at the side, and Ci Ying said softly, "Yeah, okay, I get it."
The maid left, and Zhu Guang buried his head in the table: "How annoying."
Ci Ying simply pinched Zhu Guang's face: "So cute."
Zhu Guang blushed, looked at Ciying, stood up and took off all the hairpins on Ciying's head, and urged Ciying to change into a plain white long dress.
Ci Ying listened to the instructions with amusement, and heard Zhu Guang muttering softly, "You should go to see him in plain clothes. Yes, widowed, widowed, Ci Ying, let me put on some powder for you."
Ci Ying stopped Zhu Guang's hand and said softly, "Okay."
Zhu Guang laughed and said, "I'm going to make him so angry. But Ciying, how come she looks even more beautiful without makeup or hairpins? No..."
Zhu Guang hit Ci Ying's face a few more times. Ci Ying watched him with a smile. After all, she was going to see Xie Huaijin, so she didn't care about it now.
That being said, everyone loves beauty.
Ci Ying looked at the rosy face in the bronze mirror and couldn't help but make up for it.
Zhu Guang laughed out loud, and Ci Ying also laughed.
Zhu Guang said arrogantly: "If only the young master had something wrong..."
Ci Ying's eyelids twitched as she heard Zhu Guang counting off the words: "Broken legs, bedridden. Blurred brain, can't remember anything. Half-dead. Dead..."
The more he spoke, the more frightening it became, and Ci Ying quickly covered Zhu Guang's mouth.
The two of them laughed together again.
......
As they walked on the road, Ciying's smile faded.
After moving out of the main courtyard, she rarely came to Xie Huaijin's place, and when she did, it was only to the study. After returning this time, unless Xie Huaijin came to look for her, she tried not to meet with Xie Huaijin.
If he wanted a Mrs. Xie, she would give him a Mrs. Xie.
As for the rest, Ciying couldn't think of anything else.
So when she sat down in front of the desk, Ci Ying didn't say anything.
Seeing her coming, the young man first raised his eyes and glanced at her lightly, then his eyes slowly fixed, and a smile appeared on his lips. Ci Ying blushed again, not knowing whether it was because of anger or shame.
She buried her head in her food. The young man spoke, a rare moment during a meal: "Are you in a good mood today?"
Ci Ying hadn't actually noticed it herself, but after hearing Xie Huaijin say that, she felt like she was feeling better than usual. She whispered, "It might be better if we didn't have to walk back and forth on the snowy road and get our shoes and socks wet."
"Are your shoes and socks wet? I was inconsiderate. Go to the inner room and change into clean clothes first. I will ask the servants to clean the snow and water on the road later. This kind of thing will not happen again in the future." The young man looked down.
Ci Ying quickly retracted her foot and said, "No, it's almost time, let's eat."
Anyone could see the panic in them, and it seemed that what they said was not quite true.
After saying that, Ci Ying buried her head in her food, even eating the dishes she didn't like very much.
She had just wanted to secretly tell her that it was troublesome for her to come for dinner and she didn't want to come in the future, but she never thought that Xie Huaijin would actually ask her about her shoes and socks. Ci Ying didn't want to mention shoes, socks, and feet at all.
She will never forget the consequences of running out barefoot that day.
She was really scared.
The young man smiled faintly again, and Ci Ying thought that Xie Huaijin seemed to be in a good mood.
When two people are in a good mood, they should not eat together. It will make both of them feel worse.
Ci Ying was eating the food in the bowl. Suddenly, there was a bowl of soup in front of her, and then there were some more dishes in the bowl.
She couldn't help it, and said a little stiffly: "I've almost used it up."
Ci Ying really didn't know how to face Xie Huaijin.
He was afraid of irritating Xie Huaijin and making him crazy, but he also wanted to stab him a few times. After all, it was a waste to use such a troublesome thing as concealing his emotions on Xie Huaijin.
Even Ci Ying herself didn't realize that after everything was exposed, she slowly began to show the shadow of "willfulness".
Covering her head, covering her eyes, and covering her ears, she and he could still get along well. Ci Ying added restrictions little by little, and the dinner went on like this.
The charcoal fire in the house gradually heated up.
Ci Ying coughed twice and started eating again.
Seeing this, Xie Huaijin stood up and opened the window. The cold wind lowered the temperature in the inner room a little, and Ci Ying didn't feel as stuffy as before.
But she didn't say anything, just ate quietly. When she was little, when she couldn't write poetry, the scholar would not give her food. There were many times when she almost starved to death, and it was the embroiderer who secretly brought her food at night.
But the embroiderer did not dare to give too much, and only saved a little from her own pocket every day.
Ciying was hungry most of the time, and later, during floods and famines, she became even hungrier. It wasn't until she was sold to the Xie family by a man that she finally stopped being hungry, but it became a habit.
Most of the food on the table was what Ciying liked, so even if there were some that she didn't like, there was no reason for Ciying to waste it.
Xie Huaijin used less and put down his chopsticks before Ci Ying.
Seeing that Ciying was eating happily, he smiled gently and spread some more.
Ciying was a little annoyed, but since it was in her bowl, she ate it all anyway.
After finishing the meal, Ci Ying wanted to leave, but Xie Huaijin stopped her, saying, "Something has been sent from Jiangnan. Don't you want to go take a look?"
Ci Ying raised her eyes and looked at Xie Huaijin. After a few glances, she followed Xie Huaijin in silence.
Following Zhu Guang, she also began to complain in her heart.
Xie Huaijin has so much on his mind, why not care about something else? It would be a bad idea to spend all his time on her!
Of course Ciying didn't show it. She could almost guess what Jiangnan could send.
It was her manuscript that was published in a book!
The first step of her, Li Sheng and Xie Ran’s plan was successful!
Ci Ying was undoubtedly happy. She walked around the study with the book in her arms. Her body froze when she met the young man's smiling eyes. She didn't know when they became so close.
Ci Ying felt a little awkward and wanted to push the man away and go back, but the young man grabbed her hand.
"Very happy?" The young man's voice was gentle.
Ci Ying was sitting in front of the desk. Although she was not being held down, she still felt something was strange.
The shyness and resentment of the past have now become a somewhat strange emotion.
Ci Ying felt a little awkward and wanted to push him away, but the young man looked at her gently and said, "Would you be happier if it was the first one?"
Ci Ying stopped resisting and her hand holding the book suddenly tightened.
The young man looked at the girl's reaction and actually no longer needed an answer. Just as a smile was about to bloom in his eyes -
Ci Ying's eyes shifted from the book to Xie Huaijin, and she slowly asked, "What do you want now?"
The happiness just now disappeared in an instant. The girl's face was solemn, wary and hesitant. When she looked up at him, her eyes were full of distrust.
The study fell into silence for a moment.
Ci Ying silently pushed him away and said softly, "Although my shoes and socks are not wet today, I don't want to dine with you anymore. Xie Huaijin, thank you. I'm very happy to see this book..."
"But." Ci Ying handed the book back to Xie Huaijin and said seriously, "Mr. Li and Xie Ran will mail it to me. I also have the first manuscript in my hand, so..."
It was already dark outside, and the servants in the yard had already lit the lanterns.
The light dimly illuminated the girl's face. After the happiness faded, there was actually no expression left. She loosened her grip on the book and said softly, "It's yours. You can take it back."
After saying that, Ci Ying ran away.
She was afraid of Xie Huaijin's kindness, as she had paid a price for it every time in the past.
But now, she really has nothing.
......
Only the young man was left in the study.
The tall young man looked at the book in his hands with indifferent eyes, and the smile on his face faded little by little, like stars scattering at dawn.
He sat back quietly at the table, where the book, still smelling of ink, lay quietly.
The ink paper used by the bookshop is naturally not as good as the rice paper used by Xie Huaijin. Although it looks soft, the inside is as sharp as the poems and essays contained therein. If you accidentally use a little force, it will leave a bloody mark.
The wind blew it up, turned a few pages, then blew it down, turning all the pages back.
The wind blew again, and the young man stretched out his slender, bony fingers and lightly pressed on a page.
The girl's thoughts were vividly expressed on the page. Even though Xie Huaijin had read it once before, he was still... "moved" when he read it again. His eyes were calm as he stared at every sentence and every word on the page. After a long time, his fingertips gently stroked them.
"Mo Yu." The young man opened his lips.
A ghostly figure appeared in front of the desk, and the young man softly ordered, "Go and bring Mr. Li back."
Mo Yu hesitated.
The young man said gently, "It's almost her birthday."
Before Mo Yu could think of the connection between Ci Ying's birthday and Mr. Li, she heard Xie Huaijin whisper, "If you don't like this gift, you will probably like Mr. Li."
The words actually implied that Li Sheng was being given to Ci Ying as a gift.
Mo Yu: “…Yes.”
After hesitating for a moment, Mo Yu asked, "Does it require purification?"
The room fell into silence until the candlelight was dimmed by the wind for a moment. The young man then gave a gentle instruction: "Don't use it for now. He is weak and has taken the medicine prescribed by the imperial physician."
"I shouldn't let Madam get pregnant." Mo Yu added in his mind and retreated silently.
Xie Huaijin was the only one left in the study.
The young man's eyes gradually became calm, and at first glance they looked like a quiet lake in winter, with only a thin layer of ice on it, which would break in an instant if a bird fell.
There was snow on the ice, or perhaps blood.
In the dim candlelight, the young man lowered his eyes to look at the hand holding the pen. When his fingertips rubbed the white jade ring, blood came out for some reason. When he looked over, a drop of blood was seeping into the unhealed wound on the palm of his hand.
The shades are just right.
【Author’s words】
More 2000 [rice dog]
Chirp!
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