Chapter 56 The lake waters flowed gently, the boat rocked, and a green flower...
Qingduo was dumbfounded: "How...how did you know?"
“Fool,” Zeng Zhengqing sighed, “After spending so much time with you, if I didn’t know what kind of person you are, wouldn’t I have wasted these twenty years?”
"You certainly can't be considered a traditional, dignified lady, but you are lively and bright, intelligent and brave, and you treat people with utmost sincerity. You have your own charming qualities!" Zeng Zhengqing rattled off many of her virtues in one breath.
Ah! Qingduo's eyes sparkled as she looked at him. Of course she knew she was good, she knew she was incredibly good, but when Zeng Zhengqing unhesitatingly listed all her merits, it was as if every star in the sky was being called out one by one, forming a dazzling galaxy that made her shine even brighter.
She held his hand, moved, and said, "So I'm so good in your eyes! Thank goodness! I used to worry about which type you preferred, and I even went to great lengths to act like a well-bred lady!"
Zeng Zhengqing chuckled twice: "Back then, how could I have imagined that you were pretending to be a lady from a respectable family? I just thought you were quirky and came up with some new tricks, but I couldn't figure out your intentions."
What? A novel trick? She dressed up as a refined lady, but he considered it a "novel trick"? This was the greatest insult to her proud acting skills!
Qingduo was on the verge of tears: "Your insults are so awful!"
He was actually laughing! She shook off his hand with displeasure.
Zeng Zhengqing quickly grasped her hand in return and explained, "It was my foolishness. You have always been true to yourself, yet you were willing to restrain your true nature for me. It must have been very difficult for you. I will always remember this kindness."
"No!" After all, he had just praised himself for being "sincere," Qingduo said honestly, "I was after your money back then, and I had to perform well to stay!"
Zeng Zhengqing couldn't help but laugh and said, "It turns out I was just being presumptuous! It seems you've always stayed true to yourself and followed your heart's choice, without ever changing."
His gaze, soft as silk, fell upon her: "Ah Zhao, what I love is always the most authentic you."
A gentle voice rang in her ears. Qingduo stared at him blankly, momentarily lost in thought, forgetting even what she was about to tell him.
My blood surged, and my heartbeat became erratic.
Qingduo felt dizzy and unsure whether it was because of the alcohol, his praise, or because he had always appreciated her whimsical ideas, cherished her unpretentious nature, and treasured her unmasked self.
She gazed at Zeng Zhengqing's face and felt that he was as radiant as frost and as gentle as jade, and she felt an indescribable fondness for him.
What else was there to say?
Qingduo leaned forward involuntarily, then forward again. Her gaze slid from his brow to his eyes, and finally to his lips. She swallowed hard; the alcohol coursed through her veins, fermenting and burning hot throughout her body.
It's hot, so hot! Her mouth was dry, and she irritably tugged at her collar. The reeds were so dense, so airtight, so suffocating…
Opaque?
Opaque...
She remembered what she was supposed to say... what she was supposed to do.
"That's wonderful." She murmured, her right hand caressing his face. Suddenly, she leaned in and kissed his lips.
Like flint striking, sparks erupted one after another, exploding and scattering, greedily licking everything around them. The flames roared, carrying a scorching heat, baking the entire world. Gray, blue, white—all colors were banished, while golden-red surged forth—
The night suddenly became bright.
Heaven and earth are turned upside down.
"Thump!" The small boat shook.
"Are you... sure you want to stay here?" Zeng Zhengqing asked the person beneath him, his breath unsteady.
Father is right, the Zeng family is indeed a bit old-fashioned.
Without a word, Qingduo cupped his face and, with a hint of urgency, pulled him down, silencing his "rambling".
The lake water flowed gently, the boat rocked gently, and Qingduo's heart was finally firmly tied to him.
*
As Qingduo stepped into the water, it embraced her like a gentle arm. She quickly realized that this bath was different from the past. Reaching out, she couldn't find anything to hold onto; looking around, she couldn't see the edge. Even stranger, she didn't need to swim; she simply floated on the surface, light and airy.
She didn't know when, but her body warmed up, and she could even feel the slight coolness of the water flowing beside her. Yet, the approaching waves possessed a temperature she craved. Driven by instinct, she swam towards the source of the waves. The further she went, the warmer it became. Yes, the lake water at midday was different from that at night, thanks to the sun's rays. When this warmth gently collided with the coolness she felt, she shivered. But as the warmth spread throughout her body, a surge of joy flowed through her, and she comfortably opened up.
The fragrance of flowers enveloped the air like mist, which she enjoyed contentedly. Suddenly, a gust of wind blew, chilly and refreshing. She instinctively curled up to avoid the wind, and was startled to see her true appearance: a vibrant green. Then it dawned on her.
So I am a lotus leaf!
She accepted it, without any resistance. This is my "green," but what about my "flower"? Where is my "flower"?
The air was filled with the fragrance of flowers. She looked up, searching here and there. The delicate, subtle scent was everywhere, seemingly so close, yet elusive. She searched and searched…
...
Qingduo had a very long dream. In her dream, she was searching for lotus flowers. It was just a dream, but her limbs were really sore and swollen. These kinds of searching dreams are the most tiring! She closed her eyes and reached out to massage the back of her neck. A thought popped into her mind: Sigh! It's really uncomfortable on the boat!
etc!
On the ship?
Oh, that was a dream.
No! That's not it!
What is that?!
She stopped what she was doing, and suddenly opened her eyes. The scene of last night's passionate embrace was vivid in her mind's eye, and the murmurs and whispers were still clear in her ears. The image of herself rushing towards him was like a tidal wave, breaking through all her defenses of shame...
Fangqing was directing the young maids in the courtyard to move flowerpots: "Be gentle! Be careful! This cinnabar osmanthus is very precious!"
Suddenly, a sharp, piercing sound, like a kettle boiling, came from inside the room: "Ah—"
The little girls were startled by the sudden screams. Some of their hands trembled, and the flowerpots immediately fell. Fortunately, Fangqing reacted quickly and caught the edge of the pots. The girls carefully placed the flowerpots on the ground, feeling a wave of relief. They patted their chests and breathed a sigh of relief. Suddenly, they remembered Qingduo's screams from inside the house and hurriedly ran back inside.
"Young Madam! Young Madam!"
They ran to the bedside, but instead of the young mistress, they saw a clump of blankets, shivering.
The group looked at each other, unsure of what to do. Finally, they all turned to Fang Qing, since she was the young mistress's personal maid.
Fangqing stepped forward, but no matter what she asked, Qingduo wouldn't answer. Having no other option, she gave the others a look, and the maids worked together, pulling and dragging, until they finally pulled out a ripe "radish."
Qingduo's face turned bright red. When she looked up and saw so many people around her, she gasped and pulled the blanket back up.
Fang Qing vaguely guessed what had happened. After all, when the young master brought the young mistress back yesterday, her hair was styled in a completely different way than the way she had styled it. She immediately dismissed the other maids and bent down to ask, "I've sent them away. Young mistress, what's wrong with you?"
The "bundle" stopped shaking, and Qingduo slowly crawled out from inside. She glanced around and, sure enough, no one was there. She hugged Fangqing tightly and cried out, "I'm not the young mistress!"
She even cried out, "I'm an old lecher—"
*
The man sat sideways, his outer robe loosely draped down to his waist, where a striking red mole adorned his taut waistline, making it impossible to look away.
Qingduo felt her fingertips burning, and the heat surged up her arm like crazy, quickly reaching her face, making it feel hot and burning.
Ever since she had the idea of using her paintbrush to record their life together, she has been trying to depict the little scenes of their time together. Yesterday, she had just drawn a side profile of Qingqing when an overwhelming feeling of excitement overwhelmed her, making it difficult for her to put the brush down.
The tender emotions in the eyes and brows of the person in the painting seemed to transform into breaths that landed on my ear.
Qingduo closed her eyes.
This was bound to happen sooner or later; she had been mentally prepared for it. Even though she had long been aware of her feelings for him, in her sober moments, the most she could manage was a physical embrace. To rush forward like this, without any regard for consequences… she hadn't anticipated it, and now she was completely bewildered.
How should she face Zeng Zhengqing? After he discovered that she was not a virtuous woman, he also discovered another characteristic of hers—
Thirst.
It's like jumping straight to the other extreme.
Qingduo covered her face, her heart screaming:
Shameful! Shameful!
She grabbed the drawing paper on the table, her cheeks flushed, and raised her hand to tear it to shreds. But as soon as she touched the paper and her gaze fell on the painting, her heart softened, and she felt a pang of reluctance. She had painted loving couples before, but back then it was merely imitation. Now, understanding the true meaning, she painted again, and the emotions in the eyes and brows were genuine and heartfelt, stirring the heart, completely different from before.
But this absolutely cannot be left at home! If Qingqing accidentally finds it, I'll not only pounce on her but also draw it...
sky!
Qingduo suddenly remembered that Qingqing had mentioned in the carriage last time that Shouzhentang had been able to gain a foothold over the years, likely because it had powerful backers. She feared that the Zeng family's bookstore might have to close down if it competed with them, and she had even boasted that she would support him by selling paintings. She also recalled that she had previously sold a painting for one or two taels of silver under the name of Mengyouxian's disciple. Tearing it up would be a waste, but selling it would at least earn her some money. She immediately decided to sell the painting.
Fortunately, she had only painted his profile; the rest wasn't finished yet. So she simply changed the entire background, turning it into a picture of a handsome man bathing. But after finishing the painting, her face was still flushed and burning, and she didn't dare to look at it any longer! She quickly rolled up the scroll and ran to Tang Li's place, asking Aunt Zhu to help sell the painting, and repeatedly telling her not to open it under any circumstances.
Qingduo first gave some money to Aunt Zhu as a thank you, and then put the rest into her purse. She tossed the purse around as she walked, pondering whether to go to Sister Lu Nong's place or go straight home. If she went home, she was afraid of seeing Zeng Zhengqing. Given her current situation, she felt too embarrassed to see him. After thinking it over, she finally decided to go to Sister Lu Nong's place, and even considered staying there that night instead of going home.
She had just tied the purse around her waist when she suddenly felt someone brush past her. She was also pulled back a couple of steps by a force. She looked down and saw that the person was holding the purse, and the strap was about to break. He was about to succeed.
"Robbery!" Qingduo broke out in a cold sweat and instinctively grabbed her purse, shouting, "Thief! Thief! Robbery!"
The man wasn't tall, about the same height as Qingduo, but he was at least twice as strong. Fearing someone would come to help her, he grabbed the purse and pulled hard. Qingduo bent over, desperately trying to sit back, and even as he dragged her forward, her feet scraping against the ground with a loud "scratching" sound, she stubbornly refused to let go.
That's Qingqing's "money for selling herself"!
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Author's Note: [Phew! Finally got to the point!]
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