rushing to
When Lu Chang arrived in Chaozhou, it was already May. On the way there, everyone's clothes were getting lighter and lighter. Even if they were sitting still, they would sweat profusely from their foreheads. Jing Wan was the worst affected. Wu Xia said that she was really made of water, with endless sweat. She had wiped several handkerchiefs with her sweat.
If she could, Jingwan really wanted to be like the dogs she met on the road, sticking out her tongue to cool off.
When they arrived at Jinning, the capital of Chaozhou, there were still three days before he was to take office. The carriage traveled into the city and drove until it reached a wide street. The street was quiet and there were no idle people coming and going. Lu Chang got out of the carriage and reached out to help Jingwan down. She kept waving a round fan and looked at the house in front of her.
Lu Chang told her in the car that he had already arranged accommodation in Jinning, and this must be the place.
The gate swung open with a bang, and an old man stood in neat rows with dozens of servants to greet him. A servant came over and led the carriage to the back gate. The old man stood in front of Lu Chang and said respectfully, "Young master, you must be tired from your journey. Your meal has been prepared."
Lu Chang glanced at Jing Wan. She had never experienced such hot weather before. She had been so hot for days that she couldn't eat. Now she was covered in sweat and just asked the housekeeper to prepare hot water so she could take another shower.
The house wasn't large, and its exterior decorations were ordinary, but once you stepped inside, you realized it was a hidden gem.
After passing the screen wall, a winding path leads to a secluded spot. After crossing three thresholds and circling a long corridor and a small bridge, you finally arrive at the courtyard where Jingwan lives.
Yuqin Pavilion sits atop a two-story building, its eaves soaring and adorned with golden bells that jingle in the wind, dispelling any trace of the summer heat.
The second-floor window was open, with pots of unidentified small flowers on display, and a calligraphy and painting could be vaguely seen hanging on the white wall inside.
She had never seen such an exquisite little building before, and couldn't help but take a few more glances. A maid came over and said with a smile, "Please come in, Miss. Steward Wang has instructed that you will be living in Yuqin Pavilion from now on."
She was somewhat incredulous, her hands still tucked into her chest, pointing a finger at the small building: "I...I live here?"
Fangjuan nodded and extended her hand to greet her: "This way, miss."
The small building looked exquisite, and the interior decoration was really pleasing. The first floor was a hall, but it was not as solemn and cold as the Gao family's. In the center of the rosewood table were blooming flowers, which should be a type of flower unique to Chaozhou, which she had never seen before.
Two white jade bottles were placed on either side as decorations. She didn't know what kiln they were fired in, but she just thought they were beautiful.
The most interesting thing is the square lamp hanging overhead. The lamp surface, made of silk, is embroidered with the four scenes of pine, plum, bamboo and chrysanthemum. Slender bamboo strips are wrapped with wide and long silk cloth and rotate down in two circles around the lamp. The silk cloth is decorated with poems and paintings, giving the hall a more refined and elegant atmosphere.
She was still admiring the hall when she followed Fangjuan upstairs. The upstairs was even more elegant, with a corner of an empty platform covered with a carpet and a small table with fruits on it, and a swing standing still next to it.
Fangjuan led her into the main room, where Jingwan realized that bathing and sleeping could be done in different places. Behind the screen was a huge bathtub, big enough to fit two more of her inside.
The maids brought in bathrobes, flower petals, and tea seeds, lining them up neatly in front of her. The hot water was ready, and Fangjuan tested the temperature before smiling and saying, "This servant will assist you in your bath, Miss." As she spoke, she reached out to untie Jingwan's sash, startling Jingwan, who clutched her clothes and took two steps back, saying, "No need for that, I can do it myself. You may all leave!"
She doesn't have the habit of stripping naked in front of others.
Fangjuan thought she had done something wrong and offended her, and was at a loss. She was too busy to come to the rescue of everyone. She took the plate from the maid's hand, placed it on the small table, and sent everyone away.
Fangjuan recognized her and dared not have any further doubts. She withdrew with her maids.
Wuxia sprinkled the flower petals into the bucket, rolled up her sleeves and stirred the water. Once the water temperature was right, she called Jingwan over.
Having known each other for four years, they were already quite familiar with each other. Jingwan hung her clothes on the screen, then stepped naked down the small wooden ladder into the bathtub. When most of her body was submerged in the water, she felt as if she had truly come back to life.
Wuxia used a bath stone to scrub her skin a couple of times, and her thin skin immediately turned red. She could only put the bath stone down and gently rub it with her hands.
Jingwan scooped up a handful of water, which dripped through her fingers, leaving a few petals stuck to her hand. She smelled her arm and could still smell the fragrance of roses.
"Come and take a bath too, this tub is big enough." She invited Wuxia to bathe with her, but she declined. Wuxia stood behind her and quietly massaged her hair. After all the acupoints on her head were massaged, Jingwan sighed comfortably.
After bathing, she sat in front of the dressing table and looked in the bronze mirror at Wuxia wrapping Jingwan's hair with a towel and wiping the water off it strand by strand.
She was very tall and strong, but her delicate mind was unmatched by ordinary girls. Jingwan smiled and enjoyed the tranquility of the moment.
After her hair was half-dry, Wuxia removed the headscarf and gently combed her hair with a jade comb. When the last strand of hair passed through the comb teeth, Wuxia said, "I'm leaving tonight. This is the last time I'll comb your hair."
Jingwan didn't react immediately and asked, "Don't you live here?"
As soon as he finished speaking, he realized something was wrong and abruptly turned to look at her: "Are you leaving me?"
Wuxia said, "With the young master by your side, he can protect you. Besides, I still have things to do."
Jingwan slowly turned around. In the bronze mirror, she lowered her head, and her straight back was hunched over. She asked Wuxia in a low voice where she was going.
I have no time to speak, I cannot speak.
Jingwan didn't ask any more questions.
She wanted to keep her, but she knew that such a capable person shouldn't be stuck with someone as incompetent as herself; she had more important things to do.
Facing separation again, she hasn't yet learned how to handle this emotion perfectly.
This departure may be the last time we meet. We are not plants or trees, how can we be without feelings? After four years together, she was reluctant to part, but in the end, she could not defy the arrangement of fate. Her fate was not to enjoy the peaceful life in a room. Only the person in front of her was the one she cherished and wanted to hold in the palm of her hand.
Everyone has their own path to walk; just know what you want.
Wuxia stroked the soft hair, feeling a pang of sadness. Before leaving, she couldn't help but break her long-standing habit and tell Jingwan the truth: "Do you know that I am not from the Central Plains?"
Jingwan slowly raised her head, her eyes reddening. She wiped her eyes hard and mumbled softly, "I know."
Wu Xiao looked at her in surprise.
Jingwan said, "I accidentally saw a wolf totem on your back once, and that's how I guessed it."
"I see," she smiled knowingly, continuing to braid Jingwan's hair. "I was originally going to destroy it, but I couldn't bear to. I'll look at it occasionally to remind myself not to forget so many things from the past."
Like the people of the Northwest, the Rong people worship the wolf as their totem, but only the Rong people tattoo it on their bodies. When it is hot in the Northwest, the Rong people often go shirtless. Jingwan saw this many times and was naturally familiar with it. When she was young, she loved beauty and even learned to draw various patterns on her arms with tree sap.
"Internal strife broke out within the clan. My father was betrayed by his own people and died in the desert. My relatives were also implicated, but I was lucky enough to be rescued by General Lu. Later..."
She shook her head: "There's not much to say about what happened after that. It was all fighting and killing, nothing interesting." Silver threads were mixed in with her braids, which made the girl's delicate and lively appearance even more apparent.
Wuxia placed a pearl hairpin on Jingwan's head one last time. She placed her hands on Jingwan's shoulders, looked at the beauty in the mirror, and had nothing more to say. She silently thought in her heart, "Take care."
They didn't even have a chance to eat a meal; at the huge table, there were only Jingwan and Lu Chang.
When the maid came over to serve the dishes, Lu Chang first brought out serving chopsticks to serve Jing Wan some food. Although they were in Chaozhou, the table was full of Northwest cuisine. She chewed on the lamb neck meat and finally had a bit of an appetite. Seeing that she was eating with her head down, Lu Chang picked up two more pieces of meat with alternating layers of fat and lean meat. Afraid that she would get tired of it, he also asked the kitchen to make two appetizers from Jinning.
Since she was full, she took a walk around the house. Lu Chang led her around and chatted with her.
Jingwan was still holding the little kitten. Looking at the ordinary-looking courtyard, she saw a lotus pond inside with a small boat moored by the pond. She couldn't help but whisper to her cousin if the government's salary was extremely high enough to afford such a large garden.
Lu Chang took her hand and tried to lead her onto the small boat. Seeing the tiny boat resting on the water's edge, Jingwan felt a little flustered and shook her head, refusing to get off. But the playful kitten in her arms jumped off and landed steadily in the boat.
Lu Chang boarded the boat first and reached out to Jing Wan, but she shook her head, unwilling to get off. He really didn't think Jing Wan would be afraid of water. He had seen Jing Wan swim in the Blackwater River like a little fish, without any discomfort in the water. It wasn't until he forcibly brought her onto the boat and saw her gripping the edge tightly with both hands, occasionally looking at the bottom of the water in a panic, that Lu Chang suddenly remembered a letter from Wu Xia. When Jing Wan fell into the water at the banquet of the Princess of Runan, it was Wu Xia who rescued her.
Lu Chang had wondered how she could have drowned. But because he was worried, he hadn't thought about it much. But seeing her afraid of the small pond today, he suddenly became suspicious.
Lu Chang asked her directly, "At the Prince of Runan Manor, was someone deliberately pushed you into the water?"
He mentioned the Prince of Runan's manor, and Jingwan was shocked. Why would her cousin say that?
Jingwan immediately shook her head: "It was really my fault for falling down by accident, and no one pushed me."
Lu Chang didn't believe it: "I know you're a good swimmer. Even if it's cold, you wouldn't drown as soon as you fall in." He thought about the letter Wu Xia had sent and carefully read the words again. The problems became more and more obvious and were about to surface.
Jingwan suddenly grabbed Lu Chang's arm. But "grab" wasn't quite the right word; she was so scared her fingernails were practically digging into him. She told Lu Chang the truth: "Cousin, there's someone underwater. I fell in and they grabbed my feet. They dragged me to the bottom of the lake, and no matter how much I struggled, it was no use."
The June sky, however, sent a chill down her spine. Jingwan shuddered, and Lu Chang tenderly pulled her into his arms, soothing her gently: "It was your cousin's fault. Don't think about it anymore, don't think about it anymore, it's all in the past."
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