Reunion
Jingwan lowered her head, tears slowly welling in her eyes. Her hand, which had been gripping Lu Chang's clothes, finally fell limply. Her shoulders began to tremble. Unable to hold back the longing hidden deep in her heart any longer, she hugged him tightly, sobbing, "Brother, brother..."
Lu Chang returned the embrace, his longing for her deeply ingrained, and a tear slowly rolled down his cheek.
She looked up from his embrace, and the first thing she saw was his deep eyes, the same eyes he always looked at her when she saw him.
Her eyes couldn't hide her joy and admiration; she willingly indulged in it and kissed his lips.
And so, the kiss that should have been under the bright moon and the vast sea, under the dazzling stars, finally came to an end. In this desolate ancient mountain, there were only the two of them, just like the entwined vine in the mountain, their love lingering and expressing their longing.
Jingwan opened her mouth slightly, letting him stir it around in her mouth as he pleased. She also became playful and followed him around.
They embraced tighter and tighter, but neither of them wanted to stop. Every brief glance they exchanged would fuel their love, until they heard voices approaching from the mountains and saw the firelight.
It must be someone sent by Lord Yuan to find them. Jingwan got off Lu Chang's lap embarrassedly, wiped the saliva from her lips, and helped Lu Chang up.
Yuan Cheng, carrying a torch, came to them; he had actually come in person.
Seeing Jingwan standing safely in front of him, he finally breathed a sigh of relief. Looking at Lu Chang, he saw that Lu Chang was leaning on Jingwan and seemed to be uncomfortable. Lu Chang asked the clerk to help him up and led his men down the mountain.
When the doctor was cleaning Lu Chang's wound, Jing Wan was about to go in with him, but Yuan Cheng grabbed her sleeve and pulled her outside.
He looked at Jingwan for a long time before saying, "Don't do such dangerous things for him again."
Jingwan was unconvinced. She was willing to do it, and if she were given the choice again, she would still do it this way!
Yuan Cheng knew countless people, so how could he not know what she was thinking? However, he didn't want to speak harshly to her, so he could only patiently reason with her: "Love others first, then love yourself, Jingwan, don't you think so?"
This one sentence shut Jingwan up. She was actually a very smart girl. Seeing Yuan Cheng's still worried expression, she had no desire to argue with him anymore. She felt warm and pleased.
Being loved is a blessing, whether it's the love of family, friends, or lovers; it's all like a gentle breeze.
Having grown up without a father, she values this preciousness more than her peers.
Love others by loving yourself first. Isn't this advice a reflection of Yuan Cheng's own self-respect?
Jingwan looked up at him and said, "Lord Yuan looks a bit like my father!"
She wasn't saying that Yuan Cheng's behavior resembled Gao Yun's; she just wanted to tell Yuan Cheng that his actions were quite befitting of a father.
Yuan Cheng patted her little head without saying anything.
If life allowed, he would love to have a daughter like Jingwan, cherish her from the moment she was born, personally bury a pot of Daughter's Red wine for her, teach her to read, accompany her as she grows up, watch her get angry with him over another man, and finally send her off to get married with a heavy heart.
How wonderful that would be!
There will never be another chance like this. I only hope that when I go to the underworld, I will see that I did some good deeds in this world, and that the King of Hell will take pity on me and give me a good ending in my next life.
After a period of recuperation, Lu Chang's injuries had mostly healed. Jingwan removed the gauze from his wounds and looked at the wounds that were slowly scabbing over with a relieved smile.
Lu Chang didn't care about the injury; he simply dragged the man onto the bed and teased him while pinning him down.
Fangjuan didn't notice what the people inside were doing before she entered the house. It wasn't until she heard laughter that she hurriedly retreated outside, but it was enough to disturb the people she was close to. Lu Chang held Jingwan in his arms, listened to her deliberately soft breathing, and saw the rosy face of the person in his arms. He was moved again and couldn't help but kiss her fragrant face.
Fangjuan only came in after receiving Lu Chang's instructions, but she only dared to lower her head and report to Lu Chang that someone had come to visit her home.
Lu Chang then remembered that he had made an appointment with someone today, so he had to part with the warm and soft woman in his arms for the time being. He changed his clothes and went to the study.
The guests didn't leave until evening. During dinner, Lu Chang asked Jingwan if she would like to stay with him in Shiyu City for a while.
"It wasn't as bustling as Jinning back then, and the places to stay weren't as nice as they are now. The only fun thing there was the sea, but spending too much time at sea could get boring..."
Jingwan put down her chopsticks, her face serious: "Wherever brother goes, I will go."
Lu Chang didn't care who was around; he lowered his head, kissed her, and left.
During this time, they all grew to enjoy doing this, this... intimate and joyful thing.
The construction of Shiyu Water City is at a critical stage, and Lu Chang has to oversee every detail. Since he cannot travel back and forth between the two places, he can only bring Jingwan with him.
Lu Chang had other intentions regarding this water city, and he placed great hopes on it. He insisted on personally inspecting the site for both the construction of the water gate and the building of the breakwater.
Because he visited the area daily and even personally moved the stones, over time, the fishermen of Shiyu Town came to know Lord Lu just like the mountain people of Chaozhou.
He used taxes to offset the construction costs of the city, which the fishermen were naturally happy to accept. In the past, everyone knew that the daily wages earned working for the government were only enough to buy a pancake to fill their stomachs, and that paying taxes meant handing over most of their fishing earnings over several months to the government. Now, as long as they worked regularly each month, once the water city was completed, they could calculate the time it took to build the city and offset a large portion of their taxes.
While labor costs were saved, many other expenses remained. From quarrying stones in the mountains to building the dam, every step required money. Yuan Cheng was also worried about how to keep up with the funding. If the money ran out and the construction of the water city was not carried out smoothly, then all the previous manpower and resources would be wasted.
Lu Chang invited him to meet a man at Shiyu Port: "He just arrived in Chaozhou today. Why don't you come with me to greet this wealthy merchant?"
Seeing his confident demeanor, Yuan Cheng readily agreed.
That day, the sea was calm and the seabirds flew low and called out above the surface. It was already evening, and only a few wisps of light, long, colorful clouds drifted at the horizon.
What remains is an endless blue sky, with a thin line separating the sky and the sea. Tiny fishing boats glide across the water, looking especially charming.
The fish are swimming towards the shallow waters to feed, and the fishermen take advantage of this opportunity to go out fishing. Occasionally, a few boats return and dock at the pier.
As soon as Cui Dongchi disembarked, he saw Lu Chang waiting on the shore. They had been separated for a long time, and seeing each other again today made him even more excited.
Lu Chang was reserved while Dong Chi was unrestrained. He patted Lu Chang's shoulder heavily to show his longing.
Looking at Yuan Cheng standing beside him, Cui Dongchi already knew who the newcomer was.
Jingwan never expected that she would see Chunlai again a year later. Last year, when Chunlai left Lingnan, she had mentioned him several times. Her cousin said that once he finished his work, he would take her to Jianchuan for a trip, and then she would go to see Chunlai. Little did she know that she would be busy for a whole year.
Lu Chang took Yuan Cheng and Dong Chi to the study to discuss important matters, while Jing Wan took Chun Lai upstairs. Ali had already forgotten about this guest and crawled under the bed when she saw her.
Jingwan had to drag it out by its tail, and after forcibly holding it and letting Chunlai pet it, she finally let it go.
Chunlai held Jingwan's hand, her face beaming with the joy of seeing a friend she hadn't seen in a long time. She was a servant born into the Cui family and served in Cui Dongchi's quarters. She knew that being with other maids in the Cui family was rather awkward, and she herself was somewhat distant from others. Now, seeing Jingwan, whom she had met in Lingnan, she naturally had much to say to her.
“We’re going to stay in Lingnan for a long time and won’t be leaving for a while. That’s great, Jingwan, I can spend more time with you.”
Jingwan excitedly invited her to stay in Shiyu City for a while, and also offered to take her sea fishing on a boat.
She's recently taken to fishing, sometimes sitting for half a day at a time. Lu Chang forbids her from going far away, and he supervises the construction work on the shore, glancing up at her every now and then to make sure she's safe. But a few days ago, the wind and waves were so strong that the small boat almost capsized. Lu Chang forbids her from going again, and if she insists on going, he must accompany her.
Chunlai had traveled to many places, and Cui Dongchi had done business in various places. She had accompanied him on his travels for many years, but they had never had time to quietly enjoy the scenery outside Jianchuan. When she received Jingwan's invitation, she naturally accepted.
Chunlai looked at Jingwan and felt that she was different from when she met her last year: "You look much better. You are always smiling. It seems that you are doing very well."
Jingwan was not shy about sharing her happiness with her, and she naturally nodded: "My cousin treats me very well, and I am always happy when I am with him."
When Chunlai heard her mention Lu Chang, she was happy for her, but when she thought of the matter that the young lady from the family had asked her to inquire about, her heart sank slightly.
Gu Qingchen also came to Lingnan. However, she couldn't stand the boat ride and was dizzy and vomiting the whole way. As soon as she got off the boat, her servants in Jinning City took her back to her settled home, so she didn't come along.
When Cui Dongchi returned from Lingnan last year, he mentioned to his older sister, Gu Qingchen, that Lu Chang probably had a confidante. Gu Qingchen immediately became alert. She was always proud and did not want to lose her dignity as an older sister in front of her younger brother. She did not ask her brother any questions, but instead called Chunlai, who had accompanied her, to ask him.
Chunlai knew this young lady's temperament; she was extremely proud and never wanted to be deceived, nor could she bear to hear the cruel truth. So she could only tell her that a cousin lived in Young Master Lu's house.
"Cousin, did you hear Young Master Lu call her 'cousin'?"
Spring should come. She lowered her head and stood with her back bent. In front of Gu Qingchen, she had always been a maid who knew how to behave properly.
Gu Qingchen's hands, clasped behind her back, gripped her sleeves tightly. Chunlai noticed that her breathing was much more rapid than before.
Having received no useful information, Gu Qingchen dismissed Chunlai and never contacted her again.
Unexpectedly, this young lady insisted on coming along on this trip. For reasons unknown, Cui Dongchi agreed to his elder sister's request.
While traveling on the boat, Gu Qingchen overheard her younger brother chatting and learned that Chunlai knew her cousin who lived at Lu Chang's house and that they had a good relationship. Gu Qingchen then called Chunlai into her room alone and slapped her across the face.
Kneel down!
As soon as spring arrived, he knelt down, not even daring to touch his face, which was still burning with pain.
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