With a soft creak, the bamboo door was opened from the inside. The two instinctively looked up and saw a woman with her hair tied up in a small bun.
She was probably a maidservant here.
This maid was quite well-mannered. Even though the two of them were grown men, appearing so abruptly outside their gate, she didn't panic or shout. Instead, she calmly bowed to them.
However, she seemed unaware of their identities, merely offering a curtsy without any further interaction. Only after the curtsy was completed did she step aside.
"Please come in, the master has been waiting for a long time."
This sounded a bit strange, as if she already knew they were coming back. Lu Huai and Shu Zhan exchanged a glance, then followed her invitation and entered the courtyard.
This small courtyard, hidden deep in the bamboo forest of the prefect's mansion, is separated from other courtyards by only one door, yet it seems to be a world apart.
Outside the courtyard stood Qin Huaiyan's magnificent mansion, complete with artificial hills and ponds. Inside, however, there was nothing but a stone table and a willow tree.
It doesn't feel like the territory of a prefect's mansion, but rather like the Bamboo Green Cottage where a hermit lives. Even the breeze carries the fragrance of green bamboo, making people feel refreshed and relaxed.
If scholars and poets saw this, they would probably have to memorize far more than just those three hundred poems now.
However, although Lu Huai considered himself a poet, he only wrote one poem in his life, "Lamenting Baldness," so he had no desire to write poetry, since even if he did, he couldn't.
As the saying goes, birds of a feather flock together. He wasn't one to appreciate things, and his close friend Shuzhan was even less so. He was good at eating, drinking, and having fun, but when it came to romance... well, forget it.
"Young master, the master invites you in." The maid who led them in came out of the room, curtsied to Lu Huai, and said.
Lu Huai snapped out of his daze and nodded subconsciously, "Thank you."
The maidservant withdrew and stood to one side with her hands clasped.
Lu Huai took a step, and Shu Zhan followed him. The next moment, they were stopped. It was the same maid who had just stepped down and hadn't even warmed her seat yet.
She lowered her head. "Young master, the master only allows you to enter alone. As for this young master, please wait here. I will serve you pastries and fill your cups with tea shortly."
"Huh?" Shu Zhan pointed to himself. "Oh, then I won't go in. Chang Jue, be careful. Call me if anything happens, and I'll come in and save you right away."
Lu Huai absentmindedly hummed in agreement, then lifted the curtain at the door and entered the room. Unexpectedly, there was another curtain inside; judging by its color, it was likely strung with crimson crystal beads.
He lowered his head, not daring to lift it. After all, someone wearing this color was most likely not a man. Sure enough, his guess was confirmed the next moment.
A soft laugh came from behind the beaded curtain, deep and charming, undoubtedly a woman's. Hearing this voice, Lu Huai subconsciously frowned, somewhat unsure whether Qin Huaiyan was setting him up.
As if sensing his confusion, she chuckled softly twice, casting a shadow on the ground, seemingly propping her chin up as she scrutinized him. Finally, she spoke.
"Lu Huai?"
The familiar voice reached his ears, and Lu Huai abruptly looked up, staring in shock at the person behind the beaded curtain. When his gaze fell upon her face, his eyes widened instinctively.
"It's you?!"
...
...
Shu Zhan sat listlessly at the stone table, cracking sunflower seeds and drinking tea as he did so.
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