Chapter 73: Missing Someone He is already the husband of the young lady of the Zhu family.
The winter wind was so noisy that even the trailing mourning banners wailed in my ears.
At this moment, no matter the sound of the wind or the voices of people, they all receded beside her ears like the tide.
Her mood was silent, yet like a landslide or tsunami.
Zhu Hao's knuckles curled slightly, then loosened and clenched again, over and over again. She straightened her trembling lips, and suddenly, Zhu Hao turned on her toes and lunged at the man.
Standing on tiptoe, hugging each other.
Huai Street was bustling with people and cars, but she was oblivious to the crowds around her.
After a long moment, a large hand rested on the back of Zhu Hao's slender neck, rough fingertips caressing her skin. He leaned over to her ear and asked with a smile, "Aren't you even going to look? You're just jumping at me like that? What if you pick up the wrong person?"
Zhu Hao swallowed the sobs threatening to burst out of his throat and hummed, "It's a mistake, it's not like I'm at a disadvantage."
Song Xieqing's fingertips brushed her neck, then pressed on her shoulders, their toes touching each other. He suddenly chuckled, and flicked her forehead with his finger just like he did in the past. Zhu Hao still had a fang-shaped green mask on her face, and although it was made of pottery, it made her dizzy for a short time.
He leaned over, peeled off her fang-covered face, and stroked her cheeks, which were dry and red from the cold wind, with the back of his hand. He pinched them gently and said, "No."
Facing her was a face she hadn't seen for five whole years. Tears welled up in Zhu Hao's eyes, but she tried not to blink, fearing that the tears would burst out and make him laugh.
Zhu Hao raised one hand, and when it was about to touch his face, his five fingers trembled subconsciously.
Song Xieqing bent his knees slightly, tilted his head slightly, and placed his chin and half of his cheek on the palm of her hand.
She carefully stroked Song Xieqing's eyebrows, outlined his nose, and lightly touched his lips. A tear slid down from the corner of Zhu Hao's eye and hit his eyelashes.
"Pianpian, don't cry."
The more he comforted her and the more he talked to her, the more Zhu Haoluo cried, but she bit her lower lip and held back her sobs, as if she was not sad at all.
Zhu Hao caressed his face inch by inch, then moved on to Song Xieqing's upper body, pinching his waist, pressing his chest, and even reaching directly into his collar...
She had no idea that Song Xieqing's hair from earlobes to neck was already as red as hanging blood.
"Pianpian, I'm fine, not injured." He panted slightly, grabbing her hand as she tried to move it away. "Huai Street is bustling with people, why do you have to be so frivolous with me here?"
Zhu Hao remained unmoved and simply raised his voice, "Song Xieqing! You've been gone for five years, how could you be unscathed?! You're trying to trick me, aren't you? You have some tricks up your sleeve, don't think I don't know..."
What he thought was one or two months actually felt like five years in the real world.
She squatted down and pinched his ankle upwards. Song Xieqing's knuckles turned white from clenching his fists. He calmed his breathing and saw that some tourists had noticed this place. Song Xieqing shot out a ray of green light. Immediately, the crowd around him stopped moving and the Huai River on one side stopped flowing.
Song Xieqing bent down and picked the man up. After Zhu Hao lifted his feet off the ground for a short while, he stepped on his boots.
He stroked her back again and again, coaxing her with a childlike tone: "Pian Pian, I'm really fine. I don't have any scars on my body. I just encountered a Mi Xiao. This monster is cunning and treacherous. It enjoys using illusions to confuse people and make them lose their way. It waits until travelers are exhausted before killing them. Mi Xiao is an ordinary little monster, so it is easy to deal with. However... since it has accumulated blessings for Pian Pian, it naturally became quite powerful. Although I killed it, Mi Xiao lost its cultivation before dying and used forbidden techniques to trap me for quite some time..."
"Pianpian, I'm sorry." Song Xieqing said in a low voice, "The time in the otherworldly realm is different from that in the human world and the Nine Heavens. For me, it's only ten days and half a month, but for the human world..."
He owed her so much that even the most basic companionship became a luxury.
Song Xieqing tightened his arms, rubbing her deep inside. He buried his head in her thin shoulders and neck, whispering, "Zhu Hao, if I'm not by your side, will you promise me that you won't argue with others about my trivial matters anymore? I know you're protecting me, but because of this, if you cause trouble again because of me, how can I feel at ease?"
"Look, they finally opened their eyes and saw the good in the young lady of the Zhu family. They accepted you, loved you, and shed the name 'disaster star'. How could I let you be dragged into this storm again because of my past? Pianpian... I'm afraid they'll bully you while I'm away from home."
The body in his arms trembled, his shoulders trembled, and Song Xieqing froze. He hurriedly lowered his head to see if she was crying. But Zhu Hao was not crying at all. She was clearly laughing so hard that she couldn't straighten her waist.
She was always like this, taking his instructions lightly and having a stubborn temper, which left him with no choice but to obey her day after day.
Zhu Hao pecked his Adam's apple in a coaxing tone, "Song Xieqing, I promise you, I'll be more restrained from now on, okay? But... you also have to promise me something."
Song Xieqing raised his eyebrows. Did he think that he couldn't understand the deeper meaning of these words?
Zhu Hao's implication is that the debate will continue, but the sharp edge will be avoided at the appropriate time.
He originally wanted to "teach him a few words", but because of Zhu Hao's sudden kiss, he was already confused. Song Xieqing raised his hand to stroke his slightly moist Adam's apple. As his throat rolled, he said hoarsely: "Pianpian, I promise you."
She looked at him as if he were a fool, and angrily poked him with her elbow, "Nonsense! I didn't say a word, how can you agree to this..."
Song Xieqing smiled and approached, saying, "As long as you ask me, no matter what it is, I will definitely agree."
The warm and moist breath brushed Zhu Hao's cheeks red. Seeing her so careless, Song Xieqing secretly prepared several ways to "bully" her in his heart.
"That's right... well..." Zhu Hao opened his lips several times, still unable to recover from his tone. He only twisted the corner of Song Xieqing's clothes and said half-heartedly: "If you see someone misunderstanding you and throwing dirty water on you in the future, please make sure to defend yourself, okay? Song Xieqing, I know you have long since despised this reputation, but I just can't bear to see good people being slandered for no reason, while villains live in the world with a clean reputation. Song Xieqing, you are obviously a good person. The ancestors of the Huai people lived in the warm home you built for them. How can they have the right to slander you like this? Besides, if others don't believe you, will you really become mute? No wonder the people of this city ganged up on you, and you still worry about me..."
"Song Xieqing, false reputation may be insignificant to you now..." She raised her head, but her voice gradually became low, "But you should be glorious and admired by all. If you don't want to, then just think of it as me taking advantage of your affection and being angry, just for me... If I already mean so much to you..."
"To me, he is more graceful than Mount Tai."
He held her lower lip in his mouth, rolling and sucking it repeatedly. Although Song Xieqing listened to his words of blessing, his eyes were fixed on her lips, which were not lipsticked but rosy and moist, and her pearly teeth were occasionally revealed when she opened and closed them.
"Pianpian, I promise you."
"Song Xieqing! You clearly... um... you... you clearly weren't listening carefully!" Zhu Hao pushed him angrily and stepped on the tip of his boot. She finally escaped. "Hehe, let me test you first..."
Song Xieqing held her waist tightly, "Test me?"
He leaned forward, their jaws touching. Song Xieqing pulled her forward, and just as he was about to press against her again, Zhu Hao tilted her head, and his lips barely grazed her earlobe. Song Xieqing chuckled softly, then grasped the back of her slender neck. Zhu Hao was both angry and amused, and forced a cold tone as she said, "Well, let me test you. Please, Immortal Song, repeat everything I just said, word for word."
Finally, Zhu Haotian said, "You are not allowed to cheat with magic."
Before he could answer, Zhu Hao suddenly remembered what he said when he followed her. Zhu Hao pondered for a moment and asked him, "Why do you want to be humane?"
Song Xieqing changed his playful attitude and said seriously: "I want to grow old with you."
…
Miaoli had already prepared lunch at home and neatly laid out two sets of bowls and chopsticks.
Suddenly there was a knock on the door. Miaoli smiled, with one dimple deep and one shallow on her cheeks. She lifted her skirt and ran to the front door. The moment she opened it, she froze in place, her mouth wide open enough to fit an egg.
Zhu Hao covered his lips and smiled secretly, and gave Song Xieqing a look of reproach, "Look how scared you are of Miao Li."
Song Xieqing grabbed her hand, interlocked it with hers, and said to Miaoli tenderly, "Thank you for taking care of me these years, Miss Miao. Xieqing would like to express his gratitude."
After a while, Miaoli still stood there in a daze. Zhu Hao couldn't help laughing. He gently lifted Miaoli's chin, closed her wide-open mouth, and then pinched her cheeks. "Your soul hasn't returned yet?"
Miaoli nodded rapidly, her face full of joy. Seeing her sister happy, she naturally became happy too. She hurriedly welcomed the two into the yard and quickly added a set of bowls and chopsticks.
The three of them chatted non-stop throughout the meal, not just for the food but for family matters, peppering the table with inquiries like a barrage of witty questions: "Where has your brother-in-law been these past five years? Where did your sister meet him?"
Without waiting for Zhu Hao to respond, Song Xieqing had already taken up the conversation calmly, but it was not convenient for him to say it directly, so he just avoided the main point and made up some excuses to prevaricate. Seeing that he was serious and talking nonsense, Zhu Hao held a pair of chopsticks and tried to hold back his laughter.
Suddenly, Miaoli jumped up from her chair, "My steamed pork with rice flour is still in the pot!"
After saying that, Miaoli put down his chopsticks and rushed to the kitchen.
For a moment, there were only two people left in the dining hall.
Zhu Hao glanced sideways at Song Xieqing, but when she turned around, she saw him also looking at her. Zhu Hao turned her head away stiffly, picked up a piece of chestnut cake and put it in Song Xieqing's bowl.
He picked at the food a few times with the aid of his chopsticks, but he was not in a hurry to savor it. He smirked and said, "Well, I made this. Miaoli taught me for a long time, and I was only able to barely master a few of these little dishes. The kitchen still has quite a few fruits. I was thinking that if we couldn't finish them at home, I would ask Chunsheng to take some back to Beijing... Now that you're back, you don't have to worry about not being able to finish them."
Song Xieqing: ...
Zhu Hao stared at him thoughtfully, "Huh? It's so rare to see an Immortal Monarch eating? Do Immortals... really only eat the essence of the sun and moon?"
Song Xieqing picked up the chestnut cake and put it into his mouth.
…
It was dawn, and a thin ray of sunlight filtered through the carved window into the inner room, waking Zhu Hao up suddenly. She hurriedly stretched her arm out from the warm quilt and touched the outer couch.
Zhu Haoshou paused and sat up suddenly.
She had repeated this action several times during the night, fearing that Song Xieqing would disappear when she woke up. Therefore, every time she woke up, she would confirm again and again whether Song Xieqing was still there. She could touch Song Xieqing every time, or be coaxed to sleep in his arms.
But now, looking around, my pillow is empty.
Zhu Hao felt a pang of pain in her nose. She didn't bother to put on her clothes or slippers, but ran off the bed barefoot. Just as she rolled up the embroidered curtain, she saw Song Xieqing leaning against the window, holding a piece of golden paper with a phoenix pattern on it. It was the marriage certificate that they had signed under his "coercion and inducement" when they first met.
Song Xieqing seemed to recall something interesting, with a smile on his lips. He pinched the gold paper with two fingers, and in the blink of an eye, it turned into ashes and disappeared.
He and she had already solemnly worshipped heaven and earth, and had asked a matchmaker to come to their home to exchange engagement letters. The marriage certificate was also a real marriage certificate. Therefore, the gold paper that was used as a joke to scare her not to marry again was no longer useful. Now he was the legitimate husband of the young lady of the Zhu family.
On the contrary, Zhu Haode, upon seeing this scene, stood before him with her eyebrows raised, hands on her hips, and angrily demanded, "Song Xieqing, you are such a jerk! If you tear up the marriage certificate or remarry, I will be reduced to ashes along with this certificate! I should have seen through your lies long ago..."
Song Xieqing conjured up a girl's embroidered shoes and silk stockings out of thin air, helped her sit down, and tied her stockings and shoes. He said with a smile: "Pianpian...you really..."
It's really easy to cheat.
He swallowed the last few words to prevent Zhu Hao from getting angry. Now he couldn't stand Zhu Hao's cold eyes at all. Even a moment would be enough to make him heartbroken.
Song Xieqing put on the last shoe for her and tilted his chin to the side. "Good morning?"
She looked in the direction she was looking and saw a knee-high mahogany box filled with neatly stacked men's belongings, and the marriage certificate came from it.
Needless to say, the things in the box naturally belonged to Song Xieqing.
He actually turned them out one by one...
Zhu Hao felt a little guilty at the moment, but pretended to be frank and said, "You've been gone for five years, and your things have been occupying my dressing table and closet. I find them an eyesore, so why not put them away?"
Song Xieqing: "No."
So, Zhu Hao watched Song Xieqing put the items in the mahogany box back onto the long table and wardrobe one by one, and all of them were placed in a conspicuous place.
Best wishes: "..."
He is over a hundred years old, so he is not childish at all.
Song Xieqing was busy sorting out her old things. Zhu Hao looked around and noticed a pile of things of various sizes wrapped in colorful silk and fine satin piled under the windowsill. A rough count revealed that there were more than ten of them. They were neither hers nor Miao Li's. She approached and asked, "What are these?"
Song Xieqing took a look and asked, "Why don't you take it apart and see?"
Zhu Hao was just waiting for him to say this, so she immediately squatted to one side, holding up her skirt and untying the silk belt. A piece of silk was slowly spread out, revealing a small green wooden box the size of a palm. When she opened the box, she saw a piece of paper with the ink not yet dry, on which were written a few powerful words: Congratulations to Pianpian on her twenty-first birthday.
Inside the box lies a pair of silk-wrapped pearl and jade earrings, glistening and translucent in the sunlight.
Zhu Hao took a brocade box nearby and covered it with a piece of paper as before: I haven't returned from Qiqiao yet, and I'm sorry for letting you down. I present this small gift to comfort my longing.
Beneath it lay a string of ice crystal beads and hibiscus jade pendants.
Zhu Hao raised her eyes and stared at Song Xieqing for a long time. She remained silent and lowered her head to continue picking out the piled items.
——Congratulations to Pianpian on her 22nd birthday. Under the flowery letter, a man and a woman were snuggling together, and their eyes and brows looked 70% similar to each other.
——Congratulations to Pianpian on her twenty-third birthday. The black lacquer and gold-painted dressing table is filled with various kinds of powders and rouges with the fragrance of orchids.
——During the Lantern Festival, although I am away from home, I still want to smile happily. In the jewelry box, there is a pair of glass flower and bird bracelets that are translucent and flawless.
——Congratulations to Pianpian on her twenty-fourth birthday. A white jade hairpin carved with two butterflies is holding a stack of banknotes.
I don't know how long it was before tears fell on the square bricks. Zhu Hao took down all his belongings. During the five years when he was away, Song Xieqing did not miss any of his birthdays or other small festivals.
The skylight in front of them was suddenly obscured by a tall figure. Song Xieqing swung a moon-white gown with silver threads in his hand, squatted down and asked her, "You found this in the box. Is it for me?"
Zhu Hao wiped away his tears and said, "No."
She stared at him and snorted, "It's for my lover."
"To give it to my lover?" Song Xieqing raised an eyebrow, "Then I want to wear it."
He was always casual. As soon as he finished speaking, he immediately loosened his clothes. Zhu Hao's eyes were wandering and she didn't know where to look for a moment. Although they had been married for a long time, she could not change her shy nature after all. Even if she just glanced at Song Xieqing, she blushed.
Amid the rustling of clothes, Song Xieqing had already changed into new clothes. They were a perfect size for him, and were as white and soft as the moon, as bright as a jade tree. The intricate silver patterns on the collar shone in the sunlight, and the dark green belt showed off his sturdy waist, which made his slender figure even more prominent.
Song Xieqing turned in front of her and sneered, "How come the lover that Shopkeeper Zhu secretly kept is the same height as me? Could it be that he found a man who looks a bit like me, and seeing him makes him miss me and relieve his longing for him?"
Zhu Hao smiled but didn't answer. Song Xieqing's mind raced through the thought. She still remembered the snow-blue gown she had made for him the first time, and it hadn't been the right size. But now this one fit him so perfectly... Could it be that she had really kept a gigolo during the five years he was away from home? And what a coincidence, her figure was so similar to his.
Unusually, he showed a hint of panic and asked, "Pianpian, I think you haven't measured my height before?"
Zhu Hao pursed his lips to suppress his smile and said seriously, "I haven't measured it yet, so I won't say anything? It wasn't originally for you..."
Song Xieqing's eyes darkened. He approached her while undressing, and pushed her against the table, leaving her with no way to retreat. "I know. Is this the new dress from Yilou?"
Zhu Hao couldn't hold it in any longer. Looking at Song Xieqing pretending to be calm, he held his shoulder and laughed out loud.
Seeing that the man in front of him looked really bad, Zhu Hao quickly put her arms around him and said, "Silly, I've never measured myself, but you and I hug each other every night... well, I've hugged you so many times, is it possible that I can't even remember the size of my husband?"
Song Xieqing finally let out a sigh of relief and hugged her back, "Pianpian, you really are..."
Zhu Hao interrupted him, "Song Xieqing, you are really easy to fool."
Song Xieqing: ...
The couple stayed in the house to tidy up, and Zhu Hao carefully put away the things Song Xieqing had given him. The sun was shining outside the window, and the snow had just melted. It happened to be market day, so the two of them planned to stroll around Huai Street together.
Song Xieqing and her walked shoulder to shoulder through several long streets and short alleys, when suddenly a shout came into their ears from the side.
"Wish the young lady—"
The couple looked towards the source of the sound at the same time. Song Xieqing saw a man in a blue shirt, who looked quite handsome. When he turned his face slightly, he looked a bit like himself.
Zhu Hao recognized him and looked a little unnatural at the moment, because this person was the young man in blue clothes whom she had mistaken for Song Xieqing at the funeral banquet of the Shi family a while ago.
Song Xieqing stood quietly with his hands behind his back. He had already noticed Zhu Hao's abnormality. He took in the scene calmly.
The young man in green robes approached the two of them. He glanced up and down at Song Xieqing, tilted his head and asked, "Miss Zhu, how have you been lately? Is this... your brother?"
Song Xieqing:?
He suddenly remembered a joke he had just made - could it be that he had found a man who looked somewhat like him, and seeing him made him miss me, and helped ease his longing for him?
Song Xieqing wished her well and waited for her answer.
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