"What? Are you angry?" At that moment, he actually...
Qin Weixi reached out and handed her the freshly roasted chicken wrapped in oil paper, calling out, "Little Master."
The young nun's eyes lit up, then her gaze became clear as a mirror. She clasped her hands together and said, "Amitabha."
Chu Yening stepped in front of Qin Weixi, his smile fading and a hint of anger appearing in his eyes.
"Why not go up the mountain? When will you come down?"
The young nun took off her hat, touched her bald head, revealing a row of white teeth, held up her hand to make a four, and then laughed, "Four days!"
Chu Yening said in a slightly stern tone, "Answer me."
The young nun scoffed, glancing at Qin Weixi beside her, and replied, "I just don't want to go up the mountain! I finally made it down, ate well, and had a good time. I've already asked someone to go up the mountain and inform Master Mingjing." She added, "A nun doesn't lie."
Chu Yening chuckled coldly: "Do you consider yourself a monk?"
Compared to outside the Jinian Nunnery, the young nun was less restrained and more childlike innocence.
Qin Weixi's heart trembled when he heard her address him as "Master Mingjing".
She tentatively asked, "Little Master, do you often accompany Master Mingjing?"
The young nun rolled her eyes at Chu Yening, then turned to her with a sweet smile and nodded.
Chu Yening suddenly said, "I'll send you up the mountain. Remember, if I find out you've left the nunnery again, I'll send you to the northwest to be fed to the wild wolves!"
Qin Weixi seemed to sense something unspoken, and looked directly at him with her almond-shaped eyes, as if the two were quite familiar with each other.
She immediately stepped in front of the young nun, her bright eyes, clear as if washed by a spring, glaring at Chu Yening.
He said coldly, "You must not bully the young master."
The young nun blushed upon hearing this, her large, bright eyes sparkling. She peeked out from behind Qin Weixi, meeting the anger in Chu Yening's eyes. Then, she raised one palm, feigning solemnity, and said, "Amitabha, how can you treat a nun like this, benefactor?"
Dusk had fallen, and wisps of smoke rose from distant chimneys as families lit lanterns in front of their doors. Chu Yening gazed at the figures before him. One was tall, the other short. Just then, Qin Weixi's stomach began to rumble; she hadn't eaten all day.
Chu Yening pursed his thin lips, turned around and walked away, concealing the obvious smile in his eyes, and said, "Aren't you going to follow me?"
"Where to?" Qin Weixi asked.
"Shuiyun Tower".
As dusk settles, the restaurant displays its signature dishes: roasted mutton, steamed pork with rice flour, pan-fried tofu, stir-fried pickled bamboo shoots, and a pot of fragrant lychee wine.
The waiter, seeing his fine clothes, knew he came from an extraordinary background and tactfully asked how he wanted to pay the bill.
Chu Yening raised her eyelids and glanced indifferently at the waiter.
The waiter was suddenly startled.
"Put it in Tao Laosan's account."
"Which...which Tao Laosan?" the waiter wondered to himself, but dared not ask further. Instead, he bowed and smiled, agreeing before quickly retreating. He peered out the window and saw a luxurious carriage with a lantern bearing the character "Chu" parked below. He then recalled the phrase "Tao Laosan." "Which Tao Laosan could it be?"
He hurriedly went to find the shopkeeper, who was also taken aback when he saw that it was the carriage of the Marquis of Jingning's residence. He quickly sent someone to deliver more dishes.
Suddenly, Jiuqu went up to the second floor, and Chu Yening walked over as if it were nothing.
"My lord, there's a tail."
Chu Yening walked to the window, glanced down at the bustling crowd below, and said with a playful smile, "Kill!"
Qin Weixi and the young nun stared at each other, and taking advantage of the moment, Qin Weixi approached the young nun and asked casually, "Little nun? Are you very familiar with him?"
The young nun looked at her and shook her head: "I don't know her well. It's just that that benefactor often goes to light the lamp alone." She paused, then added: "Oh, I forgot to tell you, benefactor, my name is Juechen."
Far from being seen.
Qin Weixi kept repeating this to himself upon hearing it.
Juechen gazed at the delicious food on the table, swallowing hard, but didn't touch a single bite. Qin Weixi thought for a moment, then pushed the two plates of vegetarian dishes in front of her and said, "Little Master Juechen, this is a thank-you gift for you."
Juechen, puzzled, asked, "Why this gift of thanks?"
Qin Weixi smiled but remained silent.
Juechen laughed and said, "Master Mingjing said that one should not take anything at will. If one has any delusions, one will want to take more and more."
Upon hearing this, Qin Weixi smiled slightly, then, remembering Sister-in-law Zhu Ruo in the nunnery, he lowered his eyes and remained silent.
Juechen quickly realized what was going on and assumed it was because of what he had just said. After a moment of contemplation, he pretended to be an adult and comforted her, "Don't worry, benefactor. Juechen is not a true member of the nunnery. Juechen was taken in by the senior monk of the nunnery eight years ago. After the senior monk passed away, Juechen has been following Master Mingjing around, doing chores like sweeping and pruning flowers."
She regretted it as soon as she blurted out those words. She pounded her bald head under the little hat, wondering if she was possessed by a ghost and had lost her mind.
He quickly covered his mouth with both hands, shrank back, and didn't say another word.
Qin Weixi was somewhat surprised. The shopkeeper in charge of Shuiyunlou brought over a bowl of sweet fermented orange juice, which was made of milk with candied orange segments, and then sprinkled with a layer of boiled sugar syrup.
But they never ordered it.
Qin Weixi said, "Shopkeeper, we did not order this dessert."
Chu Yening suddenly turned back and sat down.
The shopkeeper was taken aback, glanced at the young man in brocade beside her, and then smiled and said, "This is a gift from Shuiyunlou today, made by a chef we recently hired from Jiangnan."
Upon hearing this, Qin Weixi glanced behind him and saw the shop's staff carrying plates of sweet wine to the customers. She smiled and said, "Thank you."
With steaming hot rice right in front of him, Qin Weixi picked up a tangerine, stirred it with a spoon, and put it in his mouth.
Chu Yening smiled, poured himself half a cup of lychee wine, and drank it all in one gulp.
"Shopkeeper, why are you offering complimentary dishes today? I've been to Shuiyunlou so many times, but I never knew they served such food." A charming female voice rang out from downstairs, growing louder as it approached, followed by a series of footsteps, as if a group of people were going up to the second floor.
Liang Xi!
Qin Weixi put down the porcelain bowl in her hand, her delicate eyebrows furrowing slightly, her lips pressed tightly together. Chu Yening watched, and for some reason thought of Zhoufeng, who also had this expression when it was unhappy, sitting quietly in place.
He glanced at the stairs, as if he sensed something. Just then, a loud "bang" was heard outside Shuiyunlou, and the diners saw fireworks suddenly burst into the sky outside the windows, illuminating the interior of Shuiyunlou with extraordinary brightness.
Chu Yening called over Jiuqu, who was nowhere to be seen, and then glanced at the little nun Juechen, saying, "Send her back to the nunnery." Then she pulled her up.
"What are you going to do?" A chilling sensation spread through her palm, seemingly reaching every part of her body, before leading her to a slightly ajar door behind her. A long corridor led directly to the back garden of Shuiyun Tower, through which the building's staff could access the back door.
Liang Xi, who had already climbed to the second floor, seemed to sense something, but in a daze, he only saw a corner of the red shirt.
Along the long street, children cheered – "Marry a new bride, marry a new bride, and stay together until we grow old."
Today, a family has a new bride, and relatives and friends have come to celebrate.
On the shores of Haizi Lake, as the Dragon Boat Festival approaches, some people have begun releasing river lanterns.
The two sat down on the stone steps. Chu Yening took out some bayberry candy from his pocket, which had been stored away for who knows how long and had melted a little. He then opened his palm and handed it to her.
Qin Weixi was taken aback and shook her head. But the hand reached out again.
She sighed softly to herself and took one from his palm.
"Selling jujube cakes! Fragrant and sweet jujube cakes!" An old man was selling jujube cakes by the river with a bamboo basket.
Chu Yening stood up and asked, "Haven't you eaten all day?"
She instinctively grabbed the corner of his long robe, then suddenly let go, saying nothing but shaking her head.
Chu Yening looked at her, then at the old man who had already walked away, and smiled helplessly. He then sat down, took her hand, and placed all the bayberry candies in her palm.
"What? Are you angry?" At this moment, he spoke with endless gentle words.
A two-inch-long knife mark was etched on her fair palm, and she remembered Tao Qingyun saying that he had made many contributions in guarding the border city in the northwest and resisting enemy troops over the years.
“Little...Eighth Sister. Some things shouldn't be taken too seriously!” He smiled, resting one elbow on the stone steps behind him, and looked up at the stars.
Then she saw his star-like eyes gazing at the shimmering water, and he said to her calmly, "Just go to fewer of these lousy banquets in the future."
She picked up another bayberry candy and popped it into her mouth, seemingly oblivious to the sound, as she watched with him as the river lanterns floated on the water. On the opposite bank of Haizi Lake, a father-like figure led a child, who carefully placed a river lantern on the lake. There were also young couples; the woman held her lantern, gazing at the clear lake with a gentle smile, while the man watched her intently. Further away, in the distance, ordinary people dressed in coarse cloth, an elderly couple, faced with the gentle breeze and backed by the crescent moon, walked hand in hand along the lakeside.
Just as General Chu Lanzhe had hoped, the world is now at peace and the world is filled with the sight of wisps of smoke rising from chimneys.
Qin Weixi turned around to look at the young general beside her, who had been stationed on the frontier for ten years, guarding the peace of the country. She recalled his nonchalant attitude and cold words in the Imperial Garden. At the same time, she couldn't help but look at the knife mark on his palm.
A strange feeling crossed my mind.
She knew it was pain. But she didn't know why she was in pain.
The winters there are cold, and the place is desolate.
Chu Yening turned his head and looked at the lake, where bright lights twinkled. The person in front of him seemed to have transformed from a young woman into a beautiful young girl, wearing a snow-white silk dress, with her hair piled high, and her bright eyes meeting his. The white jade hairpin in her hair swayed back and forth in front of him.
A girl once said to her, "Fourth Brother, once the people have clothes to wear, food to eat, and a sun to shine, will you and Uncle Chu never go to that dangerous place again?"
But his father fought for his country and died for his country.
He stood up, his black and pigeon-blood red brocade robe reflected on the lake, and turned to look down at her.
The girl put the candy in her mouth, enjoying the cool breeze by the lake, her eyes half-closed in apparent contentment. Suddenly, she opened her eyes, turned away, and took off the purse tied to her waist. Then she turned back, opened her palm, and offered him the last piece of bayberry candy and a handful of Tongling crisp candies from the purse.
He suddenly squatted down, his eyes swirling with emotions, and reached out to take her outstretched palm in his hand. A gentle smile played on his lips as he spoke softly, "From now on, there will only be sweetness, no bitterness. Hmm, I'll give you mine too."
Qin Weixi looked up at him, opened her mouth, and asked, "Did you take the wrong medicine?"
He smiled, his eyes crinkling, and seemed to be in a very good mood. He said, "I'll take you home."
The carriages that used to be parked on both sides of the road have disappeared, replaced by a tall, magnificent horse with a coat as glossy as black satin, without a single blemish.
She recognized the horse; it was a gift from the Marquis of Jingning to his beloved son, the heir apparent, for his eleventh birthday. Crossing rivers and climbing mountains was no problem for him. However, he was somewhat difficult to tame, so she later named him Aoying.
Later, when he went to the Northwest, Aoying was left in the mansion, and there was probably no one else who could ride it.
This horse was fiercely independent back then, always holding its head high, its bright black eyes seemingly looking down at them, often tilting its head back to the sky. Its proud air made it seem as if no one could catch its eye.
It took Chu Yening more than half a month to train it before it was tamed. Then, together with her brother, she taught her to ride a horse. When they were young, she laughed at him, saying, "They say that pets follow their owners. Look at its unruly spirit, doesn't it look just like you, Fourth Brother?"
Chu Yening remained silent, her face tense. She laughed heartily, circling the stubborn horse: "How about we name it Aoying?"
The boy raised his chin, his face still tense, but he smiled and said, "That works too."
More and more lanterns appeared on Haizi Lake, accompanied by the joyful sounds of children and the tender whispers of a young couple. Suddenly, Chu Yening leaped onto his horse, bent slightly, stretched out an arm, and with one hand, lifted the girl who had stopped in place and turned back to look at Haizi Lake onto the horse.
Qin Weixi exclaimed in surprise, instinctively calling out, "Chu Yening!"
Chu Yening laughed heartily, this time completely encircling her in his arms. He gripped the reins tightly and spurred his horse away. The horse's hooves kicked up dust, leaving a trail of swirling clouds behind it.
It feels like yesterday.
In the bustling streets, restaurants and taverns on both sides were teeming with activity. Some noblemen sitting on the second floor heard the hearty laughter and the sound of horses galloping downstairs, and peered out the window.
Some people seemed a little incredulous, rubbed their eyes, and then their eyes lit up.
"Come and see! The young Marquis of Jingning is riding a horse through the streets with a girl in his arms, his mouth practically stretched to the back of his head in a grin. He's having a wonderful time!"
People put down their chopsticks and bowls, and a crowd surged forward, their shiny black heads crowding out of the window.
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