After a quick meal, Xiangru cleaned up the dishes and went out.
Before leaving, she specifically told Zhu Xinning, "Miss, I'm going to play with the young master. I won't be back for at least an hour or two, so don't think I'll be back right away."
"..."
"Miss, how about I lock the door again when I go out?"
"..."
Seeing Zhu Xinning's pretty face slightly angry, Xiangru chuckled: "Alright, alright, I won't lock it, but I can tell everyone else that no one is allowed to come over this afternoon!"
"..."
After saying that, seeing that Zhu Xinning got up and seemed about to make a move, Xiangru didn't dare to stay any longer and ran away as fast as she could, saying as she ran, "Miss and Young Master...you two stay here...well!"
"..."
Zhu Xinning was both amused and exasperated, feeling both embarrassed and angry. After a long while, she spat out, "That brat, she never learns her lesson. Just wait until I get back, I'll teach her a lesson!"
Jing Zhe smiled and said, "It's alright. Xiangru seems to be quite clever!"
"..."
Zhu Xinning glanced at Jing Zhe, opened her mouth, but ultimately didn't say anything.
The two sat for a while longer, and Jing Zhe suggested writing a poem. Zhu Xinning thought about it and finally asked Jing Zhe to bring the brush, ink, paper and inkstone to the stone table in the courtyard, saying that she would be more inspired to compose poems and lyrics in front of the osmanthus swing in the courtyard under the bright sun.
What she was really thinking was that Xiangru was too quick to speak, and she might have actually told the other servants not to come over here. The servants were timid and probably wouldn't dare to come over, but they might still say something inappropriate!
What if Madam Zhu and the others heard this?
When I came over, I saw that the two people were locked out of the yard, and the house door was also closed. I wondered what they were doing inside.
It's better to stay in the yard; even if someone comes, it's all clear at a glance, saving us from gossip!
Jing Zhe didn't think much of it and obediently brought out the writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone.
I've already flirted with Zhu Xinning once, that's enough for today. This kind of thing needs to be done gradually, not by constantly trying to provoke her.
Moreover, he was thinking of finishing the writing as soon as possible and going back to the newspaper office before closing time in the afternoon to see how they were doing.
Although everyone acted normally when it was said, who knows if they would say one thing to your face and another behind your back?
...
Standing in the courtyard, pen in hand, Zhu Xinning suddenly found a feeling she once had. She slowly strolled around the osmanthus tree and the swing. Most of the osmanthus flowers had already withered, with only a few stubbornly hanging on the branches, swaying in the wind.
Occasionally, when the wind picks up a bit, some of them will be blown down and land on the ground, the table, or on the two of them.
Seeing this, Zhu Xinning smiled slightly.
"Zhe'er, do you remember when you were little, you said you would shake osmanthus flowers for your older sisters when you grew up?"
Jing Zhe laughed after hearing this: "How could I not remember? I was too young back then, so my older sisters had to climb the tree and shake it. Last time I went home, I even told my fifth sister that our osmanthus tree was too thick to shake anymore."
Zhu Xinning smiled gently, then went to the stone table, dipped her brush in ink, and began to write smoothly.
Jing Zhe leaned closer to look and softly recited the poem.
"Singing and dancing in the courtyard under the osmanthus tree, siblings swinging among the flowers."
I recall a few things from years past, which I write down before the setting sun by the red window.
A gentle laugh filled the garden, and fragrance wafted through the air.
While the words aren't exactly great, they do reflect Zhu Xinning's current state of mind quite fluently and aptly.
After listening to Jing Zhe read it, Zhu Xinning felt a little embarrassed.
"Oh dear, it's been too long since I've written anything, and I can't come up with any good poems right now. I think I'd better forget about it; posting it here would just make people laugh! Zhe'er, you should write one yourself and post it!"
Zhu Xinning had witnessed Jing Zhe's writing skills. He hadn't written many poems, but any one of them was a masterpiece that would shake the world, far surpassing any casual narrative poem she had written. That's why she felt embarrassed.
After saying that, he was about to put it away, but Jing Zhe stopped him with a smile: "I think it's great! Poetry should be a true reflection of the heart, not just a matter of piling up fancy words."
As he spoke, he picked up the Xuan paper and let it pass through the wind, and the ink dried instantly. Then he folded it up.
"When I get back, I'll have them print it."
Seeing that Jing Zhe agreed, Zhu Xinning was still very happy. She didn't ask for more, but urged him, "Zhe'er, have you already decided what to write? Hurry up and write!"
In her memory, Jing Zhe could write famous quotes with just a few words, and she was excited just thinking about it.
Jing Zhe did not refuse and said with a smile, "This poem is specially written for my sister. After you finish writing it, please keep it."
After listening, Zhu Xinning was stunned and tilted her head back, "Which sister was it written specifically for?"
The older sister and the second older sister are not the same. After all, Jing Zhe has too many older sisters. If he doesn't specify, who would know which one he is referring to?
"Of course it's my second sister!"
After speaking, Jing Zhe took the pen from Zhu Xinning, got into position, and wrote it in one go.
From the moment Jing Zhe began writing, Zhu Xinning watched intently, not even blinking. She was captivated by his appearance, not even by the poem itself. Then she turned her attention to the poem itself, her eyes glued to it, unable to look away, and she couldn't help but read it aloud in a low voice.
"The winding path by the pond is less frequented in autumn."
The osmanthus leaves, damp with water, retain their crisp air even as autumn departs.
The evening mist paints the sky with vibrant colors, while the osmanthus trees conceal the warbling of orioles.
Looking at it from the wind, the fallen flowers are even more clearly visible.
Lingering, I feel the cold dew; the moon's shadow stretches across the clear night.
A chilling sensation pierces the skin; one might mistake it for the morning cold.
A glance is enough to see each other, yet a single step feels like crossing a fortified city.
"Those we love are separated by mountains and seas, but mountains and seas can be leveled."
Jing Zhe originally wanted to write a famous poem, even if it wasn't something like "A smile that could launch a thousand ships, leaving all the beauties of the palace pale in comparison," it should at least be something like "A peerless beauty dwells in a secluded valley." But then he thought that if he wrote such a poem directly to Zhu Xinning, not only would she not be able to accept it at first glance, but even outsiders would probably think he was too frivolous, which would not be good for Zhu Xinning's reputation.
So I wrote this poem, which can't even be considered a classical poem.
This poem was originally posted on the poetry and prose section of Peking University's Weiming BBS by a Peking University student named littlesen. Although the poem sounds relatively simple, it is not an exaggeration to call it a masterpiece compared to most of the talented people of this era.
Besides, this poem is quite fitting for the occasion.
After reading it, Zhu Xinning's eyes lingered on the last sentence, her gaze conveying emotion and sparkling with delight.
“Those we love are separated by mountains and seas, but mountains and seas… can be leveled.”
Undoubtedly, the last sentence had a tremendous impact on her. If even mountains and seas could be filled, this kind of love is truly enviable and something to aspire to.
Recalling what Jing Zhe had said before—that this poem was written specifically for her—Zhu Xinning's heart beat even faster.
Jing Zhe smiled and shook his head.
I said I wouldn't flirt, but I still did it one last time...
————
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