Old friend
Spring days in Lin'an always carry a lingering dampness. After days of drizzling rain, sunlight filtered through thin clouds, casting a shimmering light on the damp bluestone pavement. The air was filled with the fresh scent of earth and flowers.
That day, Xu Xianyue, at the invitation of the wife of a retired Hanlin scholar in Lin'an Prefecture, traveled to the Shuyu Studio in the west of the city to attend a small gathering of art and collectibles. The elderly lady, a passionate collector of rare stones and exquisite handicrafts, was well-known among the families of the city's literati. Though Xu Xianyue's "Xianyue Pavilion" had only recently opened, the unique charm and spirituality of her works had already quietly spread among discerning circles, leading to the invitation.
Shuyuzhai is built by the water, with winding corridors and deep courtyards. The elegant gathering is held in the waterside pavilion, with windows on all four sides open to reveal a pond of newly blossoming lotus flowers, with the occasional koi carp leaping out of the water, stirring up ripples.
Xu Xianyue arrived neither too early nor too late. Inside the pavilion, a dozen elegantly dressed ladies were already gathered in twos and threes, admiring the various rare stones and antiques on display, chatting in low voices. She was still dressed in a simple, moon-white skirt, her hair pinned with a single, homemade, gray jade velvet flower hairpin shaped like a Taihu Lake stone. Her simple, cool look seemed a bit out of place compared to the glittering ladies around her, yet also unique in its own way.
She had no intention of socializing, and just stood quietly in a corner, admiring a Lingbi stone with a strange shape and warm color on the treasure box.
Just as I was concentrating, I heard a burst of hurried footsteps and conversations outside the pavilion.
"...Doctor Lin, please come this way. My mother has been restless and has had many dreams at night recently. Thank you for taking the trouble to treat her." It was a young man's voice, with respect.
"Mr. Li, you are too polite. It is my job." Another clear and gentle voice sounded, with a reassuring power.
This sound...
Xu Xianyue's fingers holding the teacup tightened slightly, almost imperceptibly, and she slowly turned around.
At the entrance to the waterside pavilion, the son of the old Hanlin family was leading a young man in a dark blue uniform. The man was tall and straight, with a handsome face. His eyebrows and eyes carried the elegance of a scholar, yet he had a calmer and more determined demeanor than the average scholar. If it wasn't Lin Qingyan, who else could it be?
How come he is here?
Xu Xianyue felt a flicker of surprise. The capital was thousands of miles away, and if he wasn't on duty at the Imperial Hospital, how could he be in Jiangnan?
Lin Qingyan had clearly not expected to see her here. His gaze, which had been politely scanning the crowd inside the pavilion, suddenly froze upon the cold, familiar figure. He paused, a look of disbelief and astonishment crossing his face. Then, that astonishment gave way to an uncontrollable, complex expression of surprise and concern.
"Miss Xu...Miss Xu?" He almost blurted out the question, with a barely perceptible tremor in his voice.
This call immediately attracted the attention of many people in the pavilion. Several ladies looked at the man and woman who were obviously acquaintances with curiosity.
Mr. Li, who was leading the way, was also stunned for a moment. He looked at Lin Qingyan and then at Xu Xianyue, somewhat confused.
After a moment of surprise, Xu Xianyue quickly regained her composure. Facing Lin Qingyan's fiery and complex gaze, she nodded slightly, her tone remaining calm, "Doctor Lin, how are you?"
Her calmness, like a basin of cool water, calmed Lin Qingyan's turbulent emotions. Realizing his own incompetence, he quickly calmed down and apologized to Mr. Li, who was leading the way, and the ladies who were casting glances at him. "My apologies. I didn't expect to run into someone I've met here, and I couldn't help myself."
Young Master Li suddenly realized and said with a smile, "So Imperial Physician Lin and Master Xu are old acquaintances? What a coincidence! Master Xu's skills are now highly respected in our Lin'an Prefecture!"
"Mr. Xu?" Lin Qingyan looked at Xu Xianyue with questioning eyes.
Xu Xianyue explained calmly, "Xianyue opened a small shop here to make a living."
Lin Qingyan gazed at her calm, unperturbed profile, a chorus of emotions welling up within him. He knew she had left Prince Jing's mansion, but he hadn't known she'd actually come to Jiangnan, where, with her craftsmanship, she'd established herself and earned the reputation of a "master." She looked thinner than she had in the capital, but the cool air between her features remained undiminished, instead adding a touch of calmness and peace. It seemed she had truly found the life she'd been searching for.
He was happy for her, but at the same time, he felt an indescribable bitterness and melancholy.
"I see." Lin Qingyan suppressed the turbulent emotions in his heart and tried to make his tone sound natural. "Miss Xu...how are you?"
"It's fine." Xu Xianyue answered briefly, his eyes returning to the Lingbi stone, as if he didn't want to talk more.
Seeing this, Master Li felt that the atmosphere between the two was a little awkward, but he tactfully stopped asking questions and hurriedly led Lin Qingyan to the inner room. "Doctor Lin, my mother is waiting inside. Please come this way."
Lin Qingyan looked at Xu Xianyue deeply, his eyes contained too many unfinished words. In the end, he followed Master Li and left the pavilion.
After he left, the whispered discussions within the pavilion continued. Several ladies looked at Xu Xianyue curiously, whispering among themselves. But Xu Xianyue seemed oblivious to them, quietly sipping her tea and admiring the view outside the window, as if the previous episode had never happened.
About half an hour later, Lin Qingyan finished taking the old lady's pulse and prescribed a calming prescription. He then politely declined Young Master Li's invitation to stay for dinner and returned to the waterside pavilion. His gaze, almost immediately, locked onto the cold figure still standing alone by the window.
He took a deep breath and walked over.
"Miss Xu." He stopped two steps behind her and spoke much more slowly.
Xu Xianyue turned around and looked at him: "Is Doctor Lin done with the pulse diagnosis?"
"Yes." Lin Qingyan nodded, looked at her, hesitated for a moment, and couldn't help asking: "Miss Xu...is everything okay? Are you used to living in Lin'an?"
"Imperial Doctor Lao Lin is concerned about me. Everything is fine." Xu Xianyue said in a light tone with obvious courtesy.
Lin Qingyan looked at her distant attitude, and the faint flame of hope in his heart seemed to be extinguished a little. He was silent for a moment, and whispered, "The prince... he misses you very much."
Xu Xianyue's eyes moved slightly, he picked up the teacup, gently stirred the foam, and did not respond.
Lin Qingyan looked at her indifferent profile and sighed inwardly, but he also knew that some words were useless. He then said, "I've come to Lin'an this time on orders from the Imperial Hospital to exchange medical expertise with the Jiangnan Medical Guild and purchase a batch of medicinal herbs unique to the South. I'll be staying for about half a month."
He paused, looking at Xu Xianyue, his tone carrying a barely perceptible hint of anticipation: "If Miss Xu is free... could Qingyan come visit and see her 'Xianyue Pavilion'?"
Xu Xianyue raised her eyes and glanced at him. His gaze was clear and sincere, filled with pure concern and curiosity about his craft, without any other impurities.
She pondered for a moment, then nodded. "If Doctor Lin doesn't mind my humble abode being so simple, then it's perfectly acceptable. My shop is in Qinghefang, south of the city, and its sign is 'Xianyue Pavilion.'"
Lin Qingyan's eyes suddenly lit up, and she quickly bowed: "Thank you, young lady! Qingyan will definitely keep you company!"
As we were talking, the gathering was drawing to a close, and the ladies began to take their leave one after another.
Xu Xianyue also said goodbye to the host.
Lin Qingyan looked at her departing figure blending into the misty rain of Jiangnan, and did not move for a long time.
Meeting old friends again feels like a lifetime ago.
She is still that cold and idle moon, but now, she has fallen into the gentle water town of Jiangnan and found her own orbit.
And he is still the imperial physician who pursues the path of medicine, but there seems to be an indelible shadow of "Xu Xianyue" left in his heart.
After seeing off the guests, Master Li returned and saw Lin Qingyan still staring at the door in a daze. He couldn't help but jokingly said, "Doctor Lin and that Mr. Xu seem to have a close relationship?"
Lin Qingyan came back to his senses, suppressed the emotion in his eyes, and restored his usual gentleness and elegance. He said lightly: "Just an old friend."
However, only he himself knows how many thrilling pasts and unspeakable emotions are contained in the word "old friend".
The rain in the south of the Yangtze River began to fall again, blurring the street scenes and some thoughts that had just begun to ripple.
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