Unaware of what was happening, she blurted out: ...
Qin Weixi didn't stop for a moment, quickly returning to the place where everyone had rested and eaten. She calmed herself down and walked towards where they had originally sat, but she couldn't see Jiang Yuanfu and Zhao Shuhan anywhere; they were still deep in the peach grove.
Several family members were still gathered together, chatting and laughing, eating and drinking. Feng Hua's cheeks were bulging, like a little squirrel who had stolen some food. Meanwhile, on his brother's side, Tao Qingyun and Jiang Yuanjun had somehow gotten together and were whispering to each other. Ping An sat with his brother, who smiled gently and patted his head.
In such peaceful and serene circumstances, just as she was about to stroll forward, she suddenly heard heavy footsteps behind her. She quickly turned around and looked back, her mind flashing back to the cold embrace and the somewhat forceful strength she had just experienced.
She trembled and quickly ran towards Luo Ling, lifting her skirt.
Luo Ling quickly noticed her unusual behavior from a distance. For a moment, she seemed bewildered, then got up and hurried over. "What's wrong?" she asked.
Her face turned deathly pale in an instant. Just as she was about to explain to Luo Ling, she noticed out of the corner of her eye that Ping An was tilting her head and looking at her with a puzzled expression. Tao Qingyun and Jiang Yuanjun on the other side also looked at her.
Tao Qingyun suddenly called out into the distance, "Xiao Fenghua, quickly bring your daughter's hand warmer over."
Hearing someone call her out of the blue, Feng Hua quickly swallowed the food in her mouth, stood up, and said, "Coming."
Qin Weixi said, "It's alright, it's just windy in the mountains. Afu and Xiaoshu aren't here, so I'll sit with my brother."
Luo Ling smiled and gently patted her head, saying only, "Alright."
Seeing this, Ping An chuckled and asked, "Sister, do you want... do you want some candy too?"
She recalled the scene she had just witnessed, and seeing Ping'an's bright black eyes looking at her now, and couldn't help but smile. She instantly forgot about the harrowing moment. She asked, "Is Ping'an begging his brother to buy you candy?"
Ping An's ears suddenly turned red, and she lowered her head shyly, saying, "No. It's my brother teaching... teaching Ping An to read."
Qin Weixi suddenly realized what was going on and, imitating Luo Ling, gently patted his head. She then quickly took the purse from her waist and said to him, "It was my fault, little brother Ping An. These candies are for you."
Ping An's eyes lit up, and she suddenly spoke very quickly: "Sister, aren't you going to eat?"
Qin Weixi's eyes curved into a smile: "I'll give it all to you."
What have these innocent children done wrong? I remember Grandma Zhao even hired a tutor to teach the Zhao family's two children back then. Ping An, who is sixteen years old and the same age as Xiao Xing, is gradually getting better, so why can't Xiao Xing?
She lowered her eyes and remained silent. Ping An returned one of the candies to her, carefully placing it in her hand. Just then, a palace servant guarding the mountain brought over several bamboo baskets filled with washed, sweet, and juicy peaches.
The palace servants respectfully said, "My lords, this was just delivered by Eunuch Ding on horseback. We didn't dare delay and quickly cleaned it before sending it over."
"Eunuch Ding, who else could it be but Ding Wei, the Grand Eunuch of Cining Palace, residing on Xiaguang Peak?" The group couldn't help but sigh, realizing that the Empress Dowager had specially sent Ding Wei to deliver this message because she cared about them. Today should have been a day of festive decorations in the capital, with them celebrating the Empress Dowager's birthday on Xiaguang Peak, but Xiaguang Peak had turned them away.
Jiang Yuanjun said gently, "Since it is the Empress Dowager's birthday and the whole country is celebrating, you all work hard guarding the mountain. Go and take some of these peaches and share them with the other mountain guards."
The Crown Prince of Great Xia was known for his gentle and refined manners, and the palace servants did not fear him but respected him greatly. The leader of the servants bowed and said with a smile, "Thank you, Your Highness." He then bowed to the nobles sitting on the ground before leaving.
As the group was sharing peaches, someone slowly returned from the depths of the peach grove.
Upon seeing the visitor, Songyang hurriedly took some peaches and went to greet him: "My lord, the palace servants have brought peaches."
Before he even got close, Chu Yening heard the faint sounds of laughter drifting into the peach grove. Looking further afield, he saw a girl sitting alone, her back to him, aloof and cold, clad in a snow-white silk dress. A sudden pang of sorrow gripped his heart. He gently lifted his eyelids and glanced towards the laughter. The most striking figure in the crowd was undoubtedly Jiuqu, who was wolfing down peaches while animatedly telling jokes to Luo Yuan and a few others.
He chuckled coldly: "Idiot!"
Jiuqu subconsciously turned around, looking at the large, pink peach in her master's hand, and then subconsciously opened her mouth. Chu Yening let out another cold laugh, and tossed it lightly with her hand. Everyone saw that Jiuqu's mouth was now stuffed with a round, plump peach.
"You, get out—"
Hearing the noise behind her and that all-too-familiar voice, Qin Weixi quickly turned around. Just then, Chu Yening also looked at her again. Their eyes met across the distance, but Chu Yening didn't take another step forward. Instead, he covered his chest with one hand and strode towards the edge of the peach grove.
Qin Weixi suddenly felt a sharp pain in his heart. It was completely inexplicable.
Tao Qingyun's seemingly casual gaze shifted back and forth between the two of them before she finally smiled.
Just after noon, the group began packing up their sachets to head down the mountain. Several subordinates went to look for the horses grazing in the wild. The group stood outside the garden, listening to the faint chanting coming from the nunnery. Jiang Yuanjun asked, "Should we ask someone to find that young nun?"
Luo Ling called out to him, "Let's go down the mountain. If she can find peace here, that's what matters. She doesn't like being disturbed; if she's well, then we're well too."
Qin Weixi smiled faintly, glanced at the nunnery, then turned away and looked back without looking back. A tear slid down her cheek, and Chu Yening appeared out of nowhere beside her, silently standing behind her, separating her from the others.
Before leaving, Zhao Shuhan placed a ribbon woven from five-colored silk threads into Qin Weixi's palm. She said softly, "Thank you for what happened that day. I didn't have anything to give you, so I thought I'd make this five-colored silk ribbon. I don't know if you'll like it. It's the Dragon Boat Festival now, so use it to ward off evil spirits. Let those demons and monsters stay far away."
Qin Weixi opened his palm and, seeing her generous and cheerful expression, immediately accepted it.
"It's a small gift but a big token of my appreciation. I really like it. Thank you, Xiaoshu."
Just as Luo Ling was about to remind her that the carriage was ready, she turned around and saw the little interaction between the two of them. With a smile in her eyes, she walked forward and said, "Is there a gift for me? Little Shu can't be biased."
Zhao Shuhan blushed upon hearing this: "There is a reason. I only prepared it for Xiaoxing."
Qin Weixi smiled faintly, looking at Luo Ling: "Brother has learned to make fun of people now."
Luo Ling smiled but remained silent, her gaze gentle. She then looked at Zhao Shuhan and said, "I noticed that Ping An seems quite interested in Go. How about I teach him another day?"
Zhao Shuhan's eyes lit up: "Is this alright? You work with Ajun, where do you find the time to spare?"
Luo Ling chuckled: "If people only live to live, that would be too boring."
Zhao Shuhan pondered for a moment, then smiled and said, "That would be wonderful, thank you, A-Ling."
Qin Weixi suddenly remembered that Zhao Shuhan was the same age as her brother. Luo Ling's birthday was in January, so Zhao Shuhan's birthday should be in June, making her a little younger than her brother. She looked down at the colorful rope and smiled, "It's only natural to give gifts in return. It's almost Shuhan's birthday, so I'll give you a gift too."
Zhao Shu smiled sweetly and replied generously, "That would be great."
At the foot of the mountain, a young man in purple robes was riding his horse at full speed towards Little Penglai.
Suddenly, he saw a crowd of people and horses coming towards him. Looking at the faces of the people on the horses, the young man in purple was taken aback. Without further hesitation, he pulled on the reins and dismounted.
The group of people opposite also saw the person who suddenly appeared at the foot of the mountain. Tao Qingyun recognized him at a glance and said with some surprise, "Liang Gou'er?"
Chu Yening, standing beside him, frowned slightly.
Looking again, Liang Lang was still standing in the same spot, but his gaze was directed in their direction, clearly waiting for them. Seeing this, Luo Ling quickly ordered everyone to stop their horses and carriages.
Liang Lang had already turned around and taken a basket of snow-white rabbits from the horse. He placed the basket at his feet, then cupped his hands towards the women's carriage: "Miss Xiaoxing, in the past, it was all because I was young and ignorant. I hope you will not take it to heart."
The boy in purple stood under the scorching sun, his forehead covered in sweat, his face flushed, head bowed, a stark contrast to them.
Ping An, who was sitting in one of the carriages with the other women, hadn't yet realized what was happening. Seeing the carriage stop, he lifted the front curtain and chanted, "Horses run, horses run."
Qin Weixi gently lifted a corner of the car window curtain and was somewhat surprised to see Liang Lang behaving in a way that was different from when he was a teenager.
Back then, during the Lantern Festival, Xiaoxing fell ill because of the rabbit that died unjustly. She was furious and the next day ordered Chu Yening to bring Zhoufeng and Tao Qingyun to "kidnap" Liang Lang's classmate to Shuiyun Tower after school at the Imperial Academy. Then, she used his name to invite Liang Lang to the gathering.
Unaware of the impending trouble, Liang Lang quickly went to the appointment. Tao Qingyun, meanwhile, led her servants to block the Liang residence to prevent Liang Xu from causing trouble. However, when Liang Xi returned home from school and learned from the servants that Liang Lang had gone to the appointment, he immediately sensed something was amiss and led all the servants of the Liang household to the appointment.
Several people in Shuiyun Tower got into a fight over a disagreement.
That day, Liang Lang called her a "barbaric woman," and before she could even land a punch on his nose, Chu Yening threw a punch, knocking out a tooth. Seeing her brother wronged, Liang Xi immediately grabbed her hair. The group quickly erupted into a brawl.
She faced Liang Xi. Chu Yening faced Liang Lang. Zhiqi, Zhibi, and others confronted several servants and maids of the Liang family, along with a few teenagers named Queshe Jiuqu.
Finally, she twisted an inch of Liang Xi's once-proud hair, biting it hard into her snow-white wrist, leaving a striking teeth mark. Liang Xi screamed in fury. Chu Yening beat Liang Lang black and blue, making him cry and wail. Zhou Feng, like a little madman, bared his fangs and threatened Liang Lang. The matter only came to a temporary end when his elder brother Luo Ling and his brother arrived one after another and separated them.
Later, when Grandmother Zhao learned of this, she summoned them to the palace. Openly, she reprimanded them, but secretly she thoroughly inspected her and Chu Yening to prevent them from getting hurt. Then, looking up at her messy hair, she laughed until tears streamed down her face. She then invited her and Chu Yening to have lunch at Cining Palace. Later, she remembered that sunset when she, holding Zhoufeng's hand, left the palace with Chu Yening.
She had messy, disheveled hair that day, and Chu Yening, like Liang Lang, had a bruised and swollen face. Neither of them looked any better than the other. The two looked at each other and burst into laughter.
She didn't know why she blurted out, "Fourth Brother, if I get married in the future, you have to support me!"
Unexpectedly, the boy in red also gave her a defiant smile and said, "Fine!"
Under the blazing sunset, within the high walls of the palace, the young man with his sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, dressed in a long, flowing, pigeon-blood-red robe, captivated her. She gave him a mischievous smile and said, "Fourth Brother, you're so handsome. Who will end up with this good looks?"
The young man smiled, grasped her wrist, his eyes filled with arrogance and stubbornness, yet also with a clear smile: "Come on, I'll take you to see Liang Lang!"
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