Chapter 580 Unaware of the Gentleman Zhao Qingxiu, Yang Lianghan Passes By Without Entering [Seeking Monthly Tickets!]
It was approaching dawn.
On the main thoroughfares, apart from the fireworks and lanterns that burn until dawn, there's not much left to do for entertainment.
The bustling venues, including the brightly lit lantern festivals, theaters, and mansions, have stopped accepting guests and are waiting to see off the last batch of customers.
The stalls selling candied hawthorns, wooden combs, and kites on both sides of the street also gradually closed down.
Only food vendors selling breakfast snacks, such as bakeries and restaurants, started opening their doors and starting to bustle with business.
After leaving the theater where the siblings were, Ouyang Rong and Zhao Qingxiu did not immediately return to the quiet courtyard.
Ouyang Rong insisted on taking Zhao Qingxiu to stroll along this busiest thoroughfare on the Lantern Festival.
Previously, when Ouyang Rong led Lady Rong and his junior sister through, they always used the speed route.
It was almost closing time, but Ouyang Rong was walking very slowly with Zhao Qingxiu, who was blindfolded and using a cane.
The two walked and stopped intermittently.
When a noisy commotion came from a place that drew Zhao Qingxiu's attention, Ouyang Rong helped her walk over to stop and listen.
If Zhao Qingxiu encountered something that interested her but couldn't see, Ouyang Rong would describe it softly, telling her the whole story.
That small face with slightly dull, dark eyes listened with exceptional focus and concentration…
As they walked along, they found places where they could queue up for entertainment, so the two of them quietly joined the queue.
If the shopkeeper comes over with an embarrassed look and tells them that they are closed and no longer accepting customers, they are neither annoyed nor disappointed after waiting for a long time.
Walk along the street to the next store.
During this time, Ouyang Rong removed the sky-blue satin ribbon that Zhao Qingxiu had been using to blindfold her and temporarily tucked it into his sleeve.
As a result, many passersby assumed that the pretty young woman with a bamboo cane was just a young woman with mobility issues or recovering from a serious illness, walking with her lover and his family.
There were far fewer of those curious and strange looks.
Although there weren't many to begin with.
For some special reason, both of them happen to have the constitution of gathering and storing energy. When Ouyang Rong and Zhao Qingxiu walk together, they are practically an invisible pair.
However, seemingly worried about something from the beginning, Zhao Qingxiu appeared to have silently sealed off her spiritual energy cultivation and weakened her perception while standing beside Tan Lang, showing no trace of the way she had moved stealthily and undetected in the complex alleys of Chengtian Temple earlier today.
Now he is no different from a blind person, and can only try his best to walk by feeling his way with a cane.
Ouyang Rong was much the same.
What "Master of Butterfly Loves Flowers"? I don't know him. He's just a slightly more handsome, idle scholar-official...
In addition, there is one more point worth noting.
Zhao Qingxiu's hairstyle was a high bun with a hairpin inserted into it.
A bun is a type of hair knot that is coiled on top of the head or at the back of the head.
The saying "when leaving the boudoir, one should put up one's hair" refers to the fact that in the Great Zhou Dynasty, women only put up their hair after marriage.
Unlike unmarried young women, they don't have long, flowing hair.
After a young woman leaves home to marry, she will tie her black hair into a bun, inserting a jade hairpin or comb. Only her husband can untie the bun after nightfall, symbolizing their love lasting until old age and their eternal union...
Although both Zhao Qingxiu and Rong Zhen wore a pair of mandarin duck jade hairpins, Zhao Qingxiu's hairstyle was different from that of Xie Lingjiang, Rong Zhen, and other unmarried young ladies who wore their hair in a bun with their hair parted at the temples.
The former's marital status is immediately apparent.
Zhao Qingxiu must have been wearing her hair in a bun since she was a child bride, and she may have overlooked this detail.
But Ouyang Rong had put jade hairpins in the hair of several young ladies tonight, so it was impossible that he hadn't noticed the difference.
However, he never asked Zhao Qingxiu the question of "why the embroiderer girl has her hair in a bun".
They remained old acquaintances from Longcheng, fellow patients at the "Beitian Nursing Home".
To other passersby, who would have thought that the young couple's relationship was so novel and complicated?
The two of them strolled along the main road like any ordinary young couple on the street until they reached the end of the thoroughfare.
Further ahead is the west gate, where soldiers on night duty patrol the city walls; walking forward leads out of the city.
Ouyang Rong and Zhao Qingxiu stopped.
The night is too short; it's already past midnight.
After their visit, Ouyang Rong escorted Zhao Qingxiu back to her quiet courtyard by Xingzi Lake.
Ouyang Rong got out of the car and helped her into the courtyard.
Having just entered the house, Zhao Qingxiu fumbled her way to the main room to light the lamps.
After Ouyang Rong waited for her to enter the house and for the lights to come on, he belatedly said:
"No need for that trouble, Miss Embroiderer, I'll be leaving in a bit..."
Zhao Qingxiu returned to the courtyard, placed the oil lamp on the stone table beside her, and drew a few words on the palm of his hand.
Are you hungry again, young master?
She immediately went to the kitchen to put on her apron.
Ouyang Rong quickly grabbed her, and touched his stomach with his other hand, saying:
"Wait, I'm not hungry. Let's get some rest and eat tomorrow."
Zhao Qingxiu: "Mmm."
He finished speaking, word by word.
The atmosphere between the two quieted down.
Zhao Qingxiu tilted her head slightly, facing Ouyang Rong who was standing still.
It seemed they were waiting for him to speak.
Ouyang Rong didn't move, and neither did she.
After waiting a while, Ouyang Rong realized he was feeling a bit awkward.
He looked around, then covered his mouth and coughed:
"Well... if there's nothing else, I'll be going now. I had a really fun time tonight, haha. I hope you get some rest, Miss Embroidery..."
After saying that, he slowly moved away.
Upon hearing this, the embroiderer waved her hand at him and said, "Ah, ah."
It seems like he's being told to be careful.
Ouyang Rong walked to the door, saw the cold night outside, and felt that something was missing. He couldn't help but stop and turn back to ask:
"What is the embroiderer going to do now?"
Zhao Qingxiu tilted her head slightly.
Ouyang Rong subconsciously tilted his head as well.
A moment later, Zhao Qingxiu pointed in the direction of the bathroom not far away.
Ouyang Rong said calmly:
"Then we'll need to boil water. Here, let me help you. It's already so late, and your aunt has already gone to bed. If we go back now and wake her up, we'll just get scolded. Going back later will allow her to sleep a little longer..."
What he said was reasonable and well-founded.
Zhao Qingxiu stood still, her jade staff tucked under her elbow. Upon hearing this, she grasped it with both hands and placed it in front of her, lowering her head as if somewhat shy.
"Okay, okay, wait a moment."
Seeing that she didn't refuse, Ouyang Rong dashed off to the kitchen to boil water.
All that could be heard from inside the kitchen was the clanging and jingling sound of him running around burning firewood.
Zhao Qingxiu opened her mouth slightly, and after a moment, silently went to the master bedroom to get clean clothes...
A short while later, in the bathroom.
Whoosh—!
The hot water was poured into the wooden tub, and white steam billowed out.
Ouyang Rong noticed that there was no screen in the bathroom.
He walked to the door and said to the pretty young woman leaning against the doorframe:
"Miss embroiderer, the hot water has been poured in. There's another bucket of hot water boiling. If it's not enough, just call me later..."
"Okay, I'll leave after you've finished showering. Be careful while you shower, don't fall, and take care of yourself."
"Don't worry, I'll be waiting for you in the yard."
Zhao Qingxiu nodded timidly.
Ouyang Rong strode out the door, leaving the bathroom to Zhao Qingxiu.
Zhao Qingxiu seemed to glance back at Tanlang, who was sitting upright on the stone bench in the courtyard, before entering.
Ouyang Rong held his breath and waited in the courtyard.
During this time, the evening breeze made the icy white jade hairpin on his headdress jingle.
However, his attention was drawn to the sound of water running in the bathroom.
The faint sound of water hitting the woman's delicate skin could be heard.
For some reason, the image of the red tooth mark on Ouyang Rong's fair neck flashed through his mind... He felt inexplicably hot, tugged at his collar, stood up as if to take a walk to get some fresh air, but then stopped, sat down again, and looked around.
At one moment, he took a deep breath, quietly took off the icy white jade hairpin, and placed it on the table. The pendant end hung over the edge of the table... The wind blew past the pendant, and the crisp sound remained.
Ouyang Rong quietly walked over, carrying a bucket of pre-prepared hot water, and approached the bathroom door with a focused expression, his footsteps barely making a sound.
Finally, we arrived at the door.
He tentatively reached out and pushed the door open.
Who would have thought, "Squeak—!"
The bathroom door latch made a very jarring sound, shattering the quiet atmosphere in the courtyard.
When he closed the door just now, there was no such ear-piercing sound; it was smooth and silent. Good heavens, this broken door of yours is making noise from only one direction, isn't it?
For a moment, Ouyang Rong, standing in front of the bathroom door, felt extremely awkward.
What's even more awkward is that after the door bolt clicked, the steamy bathroom suddenly fell silent.
The sound of water flowing over the skin stopped.
Ouyang Rong stopped in front of the door.
There was complete silence inside the door.
An eerie, deathly silence fell over the room.
Looking at the half-open door that remained silent for a long time, Ouyang Rong's expression underwent a series of fascinating changes.
However, what surprised him most was that the bathroom door was unlocked.
The embroiderer is... completely unprepared for him!
Ouyang Rong suddenly felt a little guilty and ashamed.
They truly regarded him as a virtuous gentleman.
After a short while, he sighed with sorrow and took the initiative to walk around the doorway.
At the same time, he called out towards the door:
"Hey, why isn't the door locked, Miss Embroidery? It was blown in by the wind. I'll close it for you. You can continue washing. It's alright, I'll be watching over you."
After speaking, without waiting for a reply from inside the bathroom, the upright Ouyang Rong walked back to the courtyard, sat down again on the stone bench, and stared intently.
After a while, a dazed voice finally came from inside the bathroom, from a thin young woman whose head had been submerged in water for a long time:
"Ah... um."
Inside the courtyard, Ouyang Rong vigorously wiped his face, his expression somewhat melancholy.
She was clearly his own child bride, and he even bit her hard. Why did he pretend to be a "patient at the Beitian Nursing Home"?
A short while later, the bathroom door opened, and a slender figure emerged weakly from the bathroom. The evening breeze ruffled her skirt, making her appear frail and delicate.
When Ouyang Rong saw this, he was worried that she would be blown away by the wind at any moment.
Zhao Qingxiu, wearing a faded nightgown, groped her way toward him and wrote words in his palm.
Thank you, young master.
"It's okay, it's okay, as long as you're done washing."
Despite the clear sound of wooden fish drums filling his ears, Ouyang Rong's face fell. He forced a smile and got up to take his leave.
This time, Zhao Qingxiu tugged at his sleeve, asking in confusion, "What's wrong?"
"Young master, could you stay with me a little longer? Hearing Yuzan's voice puts my mind at ease, just like when you were waiting outside the door."
When Zhao Qingxiu brought up what had just happened, Ouyang Rong blushed, but when he looked down, he saw that her face was full of anticipation.
His heart seemed to be touched, and a warm feeling of "being needed" rose in his heart.
“Okay, I’ll go with you.” Ouyang Rong nodded.
About half an hour later.
“Longling…Longling…” In the master bedroom, Ouyang Rong sat upright at the table in the outer room, occasionally raising his hand to flick the ice-white jade pendant on his hair ornament.
At this moment, the crisp sound of the wooden fish that had been ringing in his ears stopped. Ouyang Rong did not check how much merit he had gained... He slowly turned his head and looked behind a rolled-up beaded curtain. From the direction of the bed in the inner room, he could hear the even breathing of a sleeping girl.
She fell asleep, sleeping very soundly.
This is quite rare, because she should be a Qi cultivator with a higher level of spiritual cultivation than him. In such a deep sleep, she has no defenses against him at all... including being bullied and harassed by him.
Ouyang Rong remained silent for a moment, then calmly stood up. Without going into the inner room, he turned and left the master bedroom, gently closing the door behind him.
Ouyang Rong left the quiet courtyard and took a car home. Halfway there, he suddenly felt that this slow, peaceful way of living together wasn't so bad, except…
"Yue Nu... Are the family members you mentioned the Yunmeng Nujun? Are you still very familiar with that 'Zhishuang Xiaoniangzi'... We can't let Rong Nushi know, no, Rong Nushi knows that I have such a former child bride. I confessed before, but I didn't know that I could still pick her up... That would be awkward."
"To be honest, was I abusing my power for personal gain, or did I have some selfish motive as Ms. Rong mentioned? But to be precise, I was the one who did the Buddha incident, and the warrant issued by Yunmeng Jianze was just a way to take the blame for me. Thinking about it this way, it's only natural to hide Xiu Niang. She did nothing and is innocent."
The logic was now closed again, and Ouyang Rong nodded slightly.
Back at the mansion in Huaiye Lane, Zhen Shuyuan and the others had already gone to bed. However, Zhen Shuyuan might be quite happy that he was returning home late tonight: her blockhead nephew had finally come to his senses and knew to ask young ladies out for a stroll under the moon and flowers on the Lantern Festival... But if she knew that he had invited three women out in one night, she would probably have a different expression.
However, the noise of Ouyang Rong's return still woke up Ye Weilai, who was a light sleeper. The little girl groggily propped herself up and got up to greet him.
"Here you go." Ouyang Rong took out a pair of jade hairpins with mandarin ducks from his sleeve and handed them to Ye Weilai in a serious manner, as if it were just a casual gesture.
The white-haired girl paused for a moment, then her little face lit up with a smile under the lamplight...
Before long, Ouyang Rong finally managed to coax Ye Weilai to sleep, but he didn't immediately wash up or rest.
He silently walked to the study, passed the wardrobe, opened the door, but his inspiration was gone. At least he could have some peace and quiet tonight.
Ouyang Rong did not take out the [Craftsmanship], but instead reached past the Mo family sword box and pulled out a... luminous pearl, or rather, a relic of a certain high monk, from the depths of the top shelf of the wardrobe.
It was the little trinket he had brought from the Pure Land Palace, and he had kept it by his side for a long time.
The relic, shaped like a luminous pearl, emitted a hazy, silvery-gray moonlight.
Ouyang Rong blew out the candle, picked up the bead between two fingers, squinted at it, and muttered softly:
"A dragon emerges from the abyss, carrying the bright moon and poems... Bright moon... Upon closer inspection, this seems to be the most fitting... When she asked about it that night, I suddenly thought of this thing... So this thing is not ordinary? Um, I almost sold it back then."
"Is it a dream? It seems she started testing me back in Longcheng. It looks like this dream has been going on for a long time. She seems to believe it quite strongly. Wait, could the poem 'Returning Home' by Tao Yuanming that she repeatedly asked Da Lang and Xiao Shi Mei to find be the same poem in the dream?"
"Speaking of which, what kind of dream is this, and which master interpreted it? Is it really true that she can soar to great heights after obtaining the bright moon and the poem? Something feels off. Why should I... why should the hidden dragon be ridden? It all seems so absurd."
He pursed his lips and glanced at the dark gray dawn sky outside the window: "Why does this prince always talk to me like a riddle? But touching this thing like this doesn't seem to have brought any good fortune..."
Unfortunately, no one answered these murmurs.
The study was quiet. Ouyang Rong silently played with the luminous pearl for a while, then stroked his chin, lost in thought.
At one point, the sound of a rooster crowing came from outside the window; it was already dawn.
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(End of this chapter)
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