Chapter 48: "Song Xieqing, we are reconciled, right? ...
"Xiao Shi, have you ever glimpsed the Immortal Lord's appearance from the scrolls left by your ancestors?"
Shi Chunsheng sat idly on a low stool, throwing his fishing line into the lotus pond. "No."
Xie Shangqing rested her hands on the grass, gazing up at the birds soaring through the sky. "Yesterday, I visited the Zhu residence."
"You should know that my great-grandfather held this person in the highest esteem. His home is filled with portraits of the immortal, including his own handwriting, portraits by predecessors, and paintings he painstakingly studied. Yesterday, I not only met Lady Zhu, but also her husband."
Xie Shangqing glanced at Shi Chunsheng's expression and asked him with disdain, "You care so much about her, constantly asking people to inquire about her situation and seeking medical advice for her, yet you never visit Zhu's house in person, just because you heard about her remarriage with her husband?"
She deliberately dragged out the last two words, and Shi Chunsheng's five fingers gripping the fishing rod suddenly shrank.
The fishing line dangling from the rod trembled slightly, and just as a silverfish was about to take the bait, a girl's embroidered shoe touched the surface of the water, and the fish took flight. Shi Chunsheng saw her smiling radiantly, "Well, getting back to the point, although I haven't met the Immortal Lord, I've certainly met Madam Zhu's husband, right? Guess what?"
"Young Master Song looks just like the Immortal Lord! In other words... he's the exact same lookalike as your great-uncle, Song Lang!" Xie Shangqing saw Shi Chunsheng's brow furrowed, as if lost in a certain memory. She scooped up a handful of water and sprinkled it on him. Only after Shi Chunsheng regained his composure did she continue, "Not only did my great-grandfather meet the Immortal Lord, he even had the good fortune to receive his favor. You probably don't know that it was because of him that my great-grandfather became obsessed with becoming an official."
"His lifelong ambition is to be a historian, but his academic aptitude is really..." Xie Shangqing was amazed. "However, compared to my father, he can be said to be the reincarnation of Wenquxing."
Shi Chunsheng glanced sideways at the woman sitting on the ground by the pond, swinging her legs. He said calmly, "I, Shi, am a humble man, but I have had the pleasure of reading my father's essays. While they lack verve and verve, and their arguments are too formulaic, passing the imperial examinations was no problem. The one in them is a true gem in the rough. It's a shame that even with the new policies, without the protection of a prominent family, even this fine piece of gold and jade could easily be buried in the dust in the imperial court, where people eat meat but don't spit out bones."
She didn't quite understand what he said, so she asked out of boredom, "Oh, how is your cousin in Kyoto?"
Shi Chunsheng was speechless for a moment. His cousin was not a good student. He only hoped that his parents would face up to his shortcomings as soon as possible, let him find his own strengths, and no longer let him drown in the unbearable sea of books.
Xie Shangqing slapped her forehead, "Xiao Shi! You've strayed off topic!" She suddenly spoke seriously, "You said that when my great-grandfather was still able to walk, he would regularly hold a ceremony to burn incense and pay homage to the Immortal Lord. He even hoped every year that I would become a jade maiden and serve him with candles and whisks. With such devotion, how could he possibly forget the Immortal Lord's appearance?"
"Both Young Master Song and the Immortal Lord have the surname Song. Sadly, we only know his given name, 'Lang,' but not his courtesy name. A strange story from a vendor on East Street says that if a deceased person has unfulfilled wishes, if they have completed their meritorious deeds in life, they may be able to persuade the ghost messenger to return to the world of the living."
"Could it be that he achieved immortality and returned to his old home in a mortal body?" At this point, a thought flashed through Xie Shangqing's mind, and he exclaimed in surprise, "Didn't Song Xieqing appear on the jade statue where Zhu Hao threw the embroidered ball at the Immortal Lord? And, if I remember correctly, the Zhu residence, previously known as Songheju, must have been the Immortal Lord's former residence!"
She had already rambled on to this point, yet the person beside her remained as calm as usual. Furiously, Xie Shangqing pulled out a yellowed scroll from her sleeve and flung it into Shi Chunsheng's arms. "Hey, this is a painting by the famous scholar Ping Yishui of the old dynasty. Open your eyes and take a closer look. How much does Madam Zhu's husband resemble your great-uncle Song Lang?"
Shi Chunsheng put down his fishing rod, slowly opened the reel, and was horrified at first sight.
Amidst the dead silence, there was a sudden sound of porcelain falling to the ground in a house not far away. The two turned their heads. Xie Shangqing smiled. She first went to the woodshed to pick up a piece of rough wood that she was familiar with, and then walked to the outside of the house where the sound came from.
Shi Chunsheng carefully put the scroll away and asked her, "Miss Xie, how do you treat it?"
"Haha, first I'll give him a beating to avenge my imprisonment."
…
The two-day period passed in a flash. Qiao Mei actually had nothing worth packing up except the guzheng that had accompanied her since she was a child, and the guzheng inlaid with silver thread that her mother Chen had commissioned a guqin maker to carve for her from high-quality poplar wood when she became famous for her music.
Liu Rutang had already sent someone to carry the luggage that she had packed yesterday onto the carriage, including the various farewell gifts that Zhu Hao had asked someone to send. However, Qiao Mei didn't know how to choose between the two guzhengs in front of her.
After much deliberation, she made up her mind to send someone to deliver the silver-thread-inlaid konghou given by Mother Chen to Yusha at Baihua Tower. Even if she had no intention of learning to play the konghou, if she encountered difficulties in the future, she might be able to exchange it for some working capital. She only hoped that Yusha could leave that turbulent place as soon as possible.
Qiao Mei walked out of the attic holding the guzheng, which was a little peeling but carried all the hard work and joys and sorrows of more than ten years. As soon as she walked out, she saw her mother standing on the side of the carriage with her hands on her hips, chattering something with Lu Jue.
The mother and daughter huddled together, crying and wiping their tears for a long time. Seeing that it was really getting late, Lu Jue had to urge them.
Even after Qiao Mei got into the sedan chair, she was still reluctant to let down the rolled-up curtain. When she was a child, she was sold to Huaicheng by a matchmaker. Qiao Mei didn't like this place very much, but because her mother and friends all lived here, Huaicheng naturally became her home.
As the horse neighed loudly, the wheels started moving. Liu Rutang chased after it on foot for a long distance, tears streaming down his face.
Yusha stood alone at the window corridor of Baihua Tower, holding the silver-threaded guzheng in her arms. She took in the entire scene. Family affection was too distant to her. The facial features of the relatives who flashed through her mind had been worn away by time.
The strong wind blew down the curtains of the carriage that Qiao Mei was riding in, and Yusha dared to openly look at the carriage that was moving further and further away.
Suddenly, a small, two-finger-long red gold plaque blocked her view. Yusha's maid, Liu'er, explained, "This was given to you by Master Lu Jue through his servants. Apart from that, Master Lu Jue... said nothing."
Yusha took it and looked at it carefully, but saw that it was engraved with animal patterns that looked like the family crest. This thing was certainly not an ordinary gold bar.
Her gaze crossed the crowd of pedestrians and landed steadily on the young man riding the black horse.
How promiscuous.
…
In the room filled with the smell of medicine, Zhu Hao stared at the wedding invitation on the round table in a daze. Li Yuan's parents, who had asked her to embroider their wedding dress last month, will hold the wedding ceremony tomorrow.
Zhu Hao still had no appetite today, but her energy and spirits had improved compared to the day before. She threw back the covers, using her hands to support herself on the edge of the couch to stand. Perhaps because she had been bedridden for so long, her lower limbs gradually began to warm up, like ice shards about to melt in spring. She hadn't been out of bed for nearly half a month, so she practiced walking by holding onto tables, chairs, and counters. Unexpectedly, she'd only taken two steps when she was choking and coughing.
She could only half-lye on the beauty chair, and Zhu Hao took out an account book from the low cupboard to look at it. After just a few glances, she felt a frequent pain in her head, which made it impossible for her to concentrate. Even her eyes were gradually blurring. The last line of defense in her heart completely collapsed at this moment, and white tears rolled down from the corners of her eyes.
What followed was a cough even more violent than before, as if she was determined to vomit out her heart and lungs. Now, all her strength was drained out, and she didn't even have the energy to walk back to the couch.
Zhu Hao knew Qiao Mei was leaving today, and she had sent a gift with her. She also learned from the doctors that it was Miss Qiao who had asked Master Lu Jue to come to the Zhu residence to treat her. Qiao Mei had also visited last night, repeatedly reassuring Zhu Hao and assuring her that her trip to the capital was to fulfill her own long-cherished wish, not to negotiate a deal with Lu Jue, and urging Zhu Hao not to feel guilty or sad.
She also said that her mother Liu Rutang was usually outspoken and quick-witted, so if there were any occasional disagreements, she hoped she would be more tolerant.
Take care of her? Zhu laughed. It was their whole family who should take care of her... Now that she was so ill, all the work of the clothing building fell on Liu Rutang's shoulders. Her serious illness had held many people back.
Zhu Hao originally wanted to see Qiao Mei off in person today, but now her broken body makes it impossible for her to do so.
At this moment, the door suddenly opened, and it was him again.
Song Xieqing picked her up and she snuggled in his arms. The whole inner room was filled with the stench of medicine that even the incense could not cover up. Only his arms were filled with the pleasant scent of pine.
He covered Zhu Hao with the quilt, tucked in the corners, and left the inner room without saying a word.
Except for the time when Miaoli came into the room to feed her medicine and Zhu recovered for a while, other than that, at night, she lay on her side on the bed with her empty eyes open, motionless, meditating.
Little did he know where Qiao Mei was going.
As the sun and moon were about to set, Zhu Hao finally felt a little sleepy. When she was about to close her eyes, she felt an unbearable itching in her throat as if it were being bitten by thousands of ants.
The incessant coughing sound could be heard outside the courtyard. Song Xieqing condensed a faint light on his fingertips and flicked it out. A point of fluorescent light dragged out a firefly-like tail feather, and it flew in through the tightly closed small window. In an instant, the coughing sound stopped abruptly, and only the sound of intermittent chatting could be heard from inside.
"My nickname is A-Yin. As for my full name... I've forgotten it, Pian-Pian. I've been wandering in the world of the living for a hundred years, the only thing I remember is going home. And... I have a brother who hates me deeply, and a husband who pursued me with five thousand elite soldiers, and it was he who killed me."
Her tone was clearly cheerful, but Zhu Hao couldn't help but sense a hint of sadness. Not wanting to expose the scars, she changed the subject and said, "Where are the other wandering souls? A few days ago, I remember seeing several butterfly shadows."
The silver butterfly on the pillow danced with the candlelight, "Your husband scared you away..."
Zhu Hao pursed his dry lips and asked, "Ayin is not afraid of him?"
"I always feel that...he has nothing to be afraid of."
In other words, it seemed familiar to her.
Silver butterflies danced under the waning moon and candlelight. Zhu Hao asked her, "Where is A-Yin's home? When do you plan to leave?"
Upon hearing this, the silver butterfly flapped its wings excitedly. "My hometown is the prosperous Yingdu, but the desert is coming. I have traveled for a hundred years, and the desert has always swept me away, leaving me no idea where I am going. Pianpian doesn't know what the desert is, right? This desert is not the same desert as that other desert. It is the dust from the underworld that blows down from the living world. It only affects souls and is invisible to ordinary people. The way to overcome this is to temporarily reside in a home filled with spiritual energy. Pianpian's home is Fangfang, probably because a human god is in charge."
Zhu Hao paused for a long time, then said softly, "Ayin, Ying Dynasty is now our homeland, but the capital has not been moved."
Her wings drooped. "Pianpian, is everyone well fed and well clothed? Are there any who have been displaced by the war? How are the generals of the new nation? Can they defend the border?"
"Peace reigns over the land, and the people live in peace and prosperity."
…
Ever since Zhu Hao woke up, she had only eaten half a bowl of porridge every day to warm her stomach. Until the night before, she suddenly told Miao Li that she wanted to drink sweet soup. Miao Li was very excited. She thought that the appetite meant that her sister's condition had improved. Therefore, before daybreak, Miao Li had already rushed to the East Market without stopping.
"Honey pears, lotus seeds, red dates..." Miaoli walked while counting the ingredients in the basket, wondering what else she had not prepared.
"Myori?"
She looked up when she heard the voice, and saw a tall girl in apricot-colored clothes standing outside the rice shop. Miaoli's face, which had been depressed for many days, finally showed a hint of joy.
She called out loudly: "Ayu!"
Zhang Yu was also overjoyed. She quickly stepped forward, put her arm around Miaoli's shoulders, and said in surprise, "I thought you looked like me, so I shouted out a name like I was betting on something. I didn't expect my bet to be right! You really are my real Miao girl!"
"Last year, I married the eldest son of this rice shop from Nanjun. Wonderful! I've always wanted to write to you, but I didn't know where to send it! Grandma Cao wouldn't tell me where she sold you!" She laughed with tears in her eyes, and said excitedly, "Who would have thought that I would meet you in Huaicheng!"
Miaoli's smile vanished upon hearing this. Her palms sweating, she asked anxiously, "Ayu, how could you not know where I live? Last April, I clearly received the mushrooms you sent from Nanjun..."
Zhang Yu asked curiously, "When did I send you mushrooms? Besides, I got married last year during the Lantern Festival. April? I'm no longer in Nanjun. How could I send them to you? I know you're not a good cook. If you don't cook them well, they can be poisonous! Why would I send them to you?"
Miaoli no longer cared about anything else. She ran quickly towards the sidewalk leading to Zhu's house. No matter how Zhang Yu shouted at her from behind, she couldn't move her steps at all.
Nanjun was rich in mushrooms. Last year, she had consumed uncooked mushrooms, which caused her to lose her mind. She forgot to turn off the eaves lamp while on patrol at night, causing sparks to drift in through the uncovered window with the wind, causing the Zhu residence to catch fire.
Miaoli recalled the details of that day while running in the wind. The mushrooms were given to her by Lin Bo, the manager of Zhu's house, who said that they were brought by porters from Nanjun. The name written on the outer package was indeed Zhang Yu. A Yu was illiterate and could only write her own name with difficulty. The handwriting on the outer package was neat. Miaoli originally thought that it was written by Zhang Yu's ghostwriter, but she didn't know that Zhang Yu had never sent mushrooms to her!
Knowing that she was from Nanjun before being sold to the Zhu family, and knowing the names of her friends, Miaoli had no living relatives, so she had to use Cao Po to inquire. Who would have the time to ask about such trivial matters? And who would ask Cao Po so that she would tell these things?
It's funny to say that although she was sure that she became unconscious because of eating undercooked mushrooms on the day of the incident, Miaoli also answered with this reason when the authorities questioned her. In fact, she only felt dizzy that night and could not remember many things at all.
Now that she thought about it, had she really neglected to extinguish the eaves lamp and close the small window? Or had someone taken advantage of her moment of distraction to commit such a tragedies? At the time, Sister Zhu was the only one trapped in the fire. No matter how foolish she was, she could easily guess who was trying to harm her sister.
Just as they were about to reach Zhu's residence, Miaoli felt a sudden pain in his arm and was suddenly dragged into a narrow old alley.
A familiar yet frightening face approached her, and behind him followed several strong men with swords.
"...Mr. Zhu." Miaoli tried hard to hide the panic on her face, but the man in front of her still forced her to retreat. In the end, Miaoli was pushed against the cold alley wall by him, the basket in her hand fell, and the food was scattered all over the ground. She had nowhere to retreat.
Zhu Qi lifted her chin, pinched her neck with one hand, and spoke in a voice that only the two of them could hear clearly.
Miaoli collapsed to the ground, "Sister Zhu treats me very well, how can I..."
Before she could finish her words, a strong man pried open her mouth and stuffed a pill into it without any explanation. He didn't let her go until she swallowed it.
"Wonderful logic. This poison erupts suddenly every month. Therefore, remember to seek the antidote from me on this day of every month. If you don't take it, your internal organs will be torn apart and you will die. You will be devoured before death, and your afterlife will be disgusting."
After saying that, Zhu Qi saw that the woman kneeling on the ground still hadn't expressed her opinion. He was furious and was about to kick her, but suddenly there was a howling sound behind him. Zhu Qi turned his head and was hit directly in the face by a stick.
…
Zhu Hao opened her eyes at dawn. Her complexion seemed to be better today. Perhaps it was because she had secretly gone out yesterday. When she took a step again today, her legs and feet seemed to be more flexible.
In order to get Miaoli away today, she told her last night that she wanted to drink sweet soup this morning, so Miaoli should not be at home now.
Zhu Hao slowly moved to the wardrobe and changed into a crimson spring dress with a white collar and a moon-shaped border. She tied her waist-length hair into a bun and fixed it with a wooden hairpin. Then she washed her face, wrapped herself in a cotton cloak, put on a hood, and then she bent down and pushed open the door like a thief.
As soon as I opened the door, the first person I saw was Song Xieqing.
"You want to stop me?"
"no."
Zhu Hao walked around him and walked forward slowly, panting. Walking from the inner room to the outer courtyard had made her exhausted. Fortunately, Zhu Hao had informed the coachman Qiu Er yesterday that he was waiting outside. He must have parked the carriage outside the house at this time.
It had rained in the middle of the night, and the bluestone bricks were inevitably potholed and filled with water. In order to take a detour, she encountered a large puddle in front of her, which she could hardly cross in one step. If she went straight, her shoes and socks would definitely get soaked. Just as Zhu Hao was hesitating and thinking about going back, she suddenly felt her heavy body lighten.
Song Xieqing passed Zhu Hao's back and knees and lifted her up with one hand. Zhu Hao was forced to put her arms around his neck. Half of her face was hidden under the hood, so she didn't see his lips and eyebrows raised after he succeeded. In a blink of an eye, Song Xieqing took a step with his long legs and easily crossed the puddle.
Too close... Zhu Hao couldn't help but tighten her hands on his neck, the loose hair on her forehead brushed against his brow, and Zhu Hao lowered her eyes and saw his Adam's apple with a red mole rolling unnaturally.
His voice was low: "Want to take the luggage home?"
The person in his arms responded in a muffled voice, and before the last syllable had faded away, Zhu Hao raised his eyes and saw that the surrounding scenery had suddenly changed - the simple courtyard was decorated with round flowers made of red silk. Zhu Hao recognized this place, it was Li Yuan's home.
Song Xieqing put her down, one arm lightly protecting her back. Zhu Hao gently tugged at his sleeve, "Qiu Er is still waiting outside the house. He's a simple man. If he doesn't see me for a long time, he will just stand outside and wait."
Song Xieqing lowered his eyes and glanced at Zhu Hao's knuckles. He let her pull at the corner of his sleeve and said, "I will cast a spell to send him back to his room."
Zhu Hao wanted to say something else, but a few people came out from the side room, among them were Fang Xuyin and Li Yuan.
It was already May, and most people were wearing light gauze skirts, but Zhu Hao was the only one who was wrapped in three layers of clothing, even his head was covered with a hood.
Fang Xuyin didn't know whether to laugh or cry, but since she had come, it meant she was feeling much better today. She held Zhu Hao's cold hand, her eyes moistening uncontrollably. Fang Xuyin had visited her several times while she was bedridden, and now that she was finally able to recover, her heart was finally at ease. However, Fang Xuyin couldn't help but ask, "Who asked you to come when you're in such poor health?"
Having said this, she glared at Song Xieqing accusingly, "What if something happens? You should go back and recuperate as soon as possible. The shopkeeper Liu and I will help you. Don't worry about it these days. Just serve your husband well and he will take good care of you."
Li Yuan's face was also filled with worry. "Manager Zhu, the wedding invitation sent to the Zhu residence was just to ask for good luck. I... you haven't recovered yet, how could you leave for such a trivial matter..."
Zhu Hao wrapped herself up tightly. There was no wind today, but she hadn't been out for a quarter of an hour when she felt a little groggy. She smiled, revealing her white teeth, "Why do you have to chase me away? I'll be back after the wedding banquet. Just relax. I have my husband by my side. What could possibly happen?"
Fang Xu was unwilling to give in, but who didn't know that Zhu Hao was the best at showing off?
However, before she could persuade him, the door of the house with paper-cuts pasted on the window on one side was wide open, and an old couple in crimson wedding dresses walked out slowly, one leaning on a seat with wooden wheels while the other was supported. They didn't know when the number of visitors to the courtyard gradually increased. The couple's temples were gray, but the hardships they had experienced in half a lifetime could not erase the joy that overflowed inadvertently today. Their mother Liu no longer had the dull expression she used to have due to her madness.
The wedding banquet was not grand, and the newlyweds' cottage was not well decorated. The ground was only paved with hard soil. Despite this, the wedding ceremony was delayed for a full twenty years.
A cluster of peach blossoms was finely embroidered on Zhu Zhanhong's wedding gown, with branches sticking out from the sleeves, as if reaching back to twenty years ago when a young man climbed a peach tree, picked peach blossoms from the branches for his young lady, and pinned them in her hair.
The so-called growing old together, the two of them have been married for a long time. Zhu Hao was filled with sadness, and she glanced at Song Xieqing.
She never had white hair in her life.
Suddenly, there was a deafening sound of firecrackers outside the door, sparks flew everywhere, and it was like thunder in her ears. Zhu Hao didn't feel uncomfortable, but sweat began to seep out of her forehead. She felt as if her whole body had no bones, and she fell backwards.
Amidst the boiling heaven and shaking earth, only one person cared about her.
Song Xieqing held her tightly in his arms. Zhu Hao clutched his collar and said softly, "Song Xieqing, I want to eat wontons."
For the past half month, she had been eating liquid food. Meat was fishy and would only make her vomit. At most, she would chop it into foam and put it into porridge. Perhaps it was because the porridge had been too bland recently. Today, she had finally managed to sneak out of the house without Miaoli's knowledge, so she naturally couldn't miss such a good opportunity.
Song Xieqing remained silent. The woman in his arms raised her head, resting it against his chest, and asked with eyes full of smiles, "Is this okay?"
He was at his wit's end and could no longer resist her.
…
Song Xieqing bid farewell to everyone in the Li family. Fang Xu knew that Zhu's health had improved and he had just started to recover. He had been saved from the brink of death, so resting in bed was the most important thing for him. Seeing that the couple was planning to leave was exactly what she wanted.
Although the two claimed to go home, Song Xieqing hugged Zhu Hao and went to a wonton shop in the west of the city that had been open for over a hundred years.
When he was a human being, he came here with his younger brother.
The reason why this shop has survived for a hundred years is that it relied on bloodline to continue to this day. When he was a human being, he had no wives or concubines. Although his uncle often sent maids to his room, he had no intention of doing so. Today, a hundred years have passed since his death, and there are no flesh and blood relatives by his side. The only ones left in the world are the clan members who have the blood of his younger brother.
He fixed his gaze on Zhu Hao, his eyes gleaming with a clear light. Aside from his few blood relatives from the side branches, he still had his wife in the world...
Although, for now, she is only his wife in name only.
The vendor brought a bowl of steaming wontons to the table. He secretly glanced at the woman next to the handsome man. People were coming and going on the street, all wearing thin clothes and pants, but this woman seemed to be in the middle of winter.
Song Xieqing and Zhu Hao sat on the same bench. When he glanced at her from the side, he could only see the profile of her face under her hood. If she bent her neck lower, he could only catch a glimpse of the tip of her nose.
Song Xieqing stood up, moved towards the desk opposite her, and sat down opposite Zhu Hao.
The two of them sat facing each other, so he could clearly see Zhu Hao's pale face hidden under the hood.
But she seemed a little unhappy, biting her lower lip and staring at him.
Song Xieqing sighed inaudibly, "This way, I can see clearly how you are doing."
This sentence is indeed a bit implicit. It does not mean "I want to see you", but rather, it is to make it easier to find out your situation.
Zhu Hao lowered her head, the white smoke rising from the porcelain bowl brushing her cheeks. She asked, "Song Xieqing, you don't want to eat?"
"I don't like it."
She nodded, the fluff on the brim of her hat swaying slightly with her movements. "Well, it seems I haven't seen anything that Immortal Song likes."
Song Xieqing cast a meaningful gaze on Zhu Hao. He tapped the table lightly and smiled silently.
"Song Xieqing."
"Um."
Zhu Hao raised his eyes and said, "I'm sorry."
"That day in Zhe'e Zhai, I shouldn't have been so inexplicably angry with you. I only blamed you for giving up your own life, but..." Her voice was hoarse, "I never asked why you didn't want to live. If a person prefers death to life, they must be suffering unbearable pain. Song Xieqing, now my sick body can keep me breathing for a while, but I can no longer do anything. In other words, it's the same as being dead."
"I've come to my senses. I can no longer eat my favorite snacks, nor can I stroll through the small courtyard I meticulously decorated brick by brick. I can barely even look after the shop my parents left me, and I can't concentrate on the simplest account books. I... often feel drowsy and can't even walk. Like today, it's you who's holding me."
She stirred the wontons in the bowl and said sullenly, "This... is so boring."
"If I only have a year or two left to live," she paused. "I mean, if... if I have to spend the rest of my life bedridden, I would rather trade two years of my life for a healthy and healthy me, even if it means I only have a month left."
"Good luck," he interrupted. "Only a few days now? Has your spirit already worn out? You, have no desire to live?"
After the last word fell, Song Xieqing's bent fingers relaxed. She had just begun to feel better today, and he really shouldn't have said such harsh words. So, Song Xieqing changed his tone to a gentler one, "Do you still remember what I told you?"
Without waiting for her to answer, he continued, "You will remove the curse for me, my lord. I will clear all obstacles for you."
Couldn't she just tell him what she wanted, what she wanted to do? These days, she'd been lying on the empty couch, tears welling in her eyes. Why? Why didn't she order him around, didn't she order him around? Only she could break this curse. Since she held his life in her hands, she could be more willful. Why was she so docile?
Song Xieqing didn't look at her at this moment. When he raised his head suddenly, the corners of her eyes and the tip of her nose were red. Zhu Hao stared at him angrily, "What nonsense are you talking about? When did I ever say I didn't want to live anymore?"
The hot wontons were steaming in the bowl, making her eyes moist. She didn't care how hot the wontons were, and just quickly scooped some into her mouth.
Zhu Hao's tongue was burned as if it were pricked by a needle, and her pale face turned red in an instant.
She finally had a reason to cry, gasping for air and grumbling about how hot it was. Zhu Hao's tears rolled into the porcelain bowl, creating ripples on the soup. "I will live well and eat heartily. When I return home, I will follow the doctor's instructions and take my medicine. I will do my best to live my life."
Song Xieqing moved the still steaming wontons in front of her to himself. He cut the wontons in the porcelain bowl into two halves with a spoon, then scooped up the wontons with the soup, placed them on his lower lip and blew on them.
He even put the spoon to his lips to test the temperature, and only after making sure it was warm did he bring it to Zhu Hao's mouth.
"Song Xieqing." Her face was hidden in the furry hood, and her dark eyes rolled around. "You seem... a little different."
"Song Xieqing, are you..."
He forcefully fed the wontons into her mouth.
"...You, what are you doing?!" Zhu Hao nearly choked on the sudden spoonful of wontons. "How dare a mortal woman trouble the Immortal Lord? I can do it myself."
Song Xieqing pushed the wonton back to her as he said, saying, "Remember to blow it.
Zhu Hao blinked and asked somewhat unsurely, "Song Xieqing, are we reconciled?"
Song Xieqing raised his eyebrows. Why would he get angry with a girl?
-----------------------
The author has something to say: Yesterday and today, the collection suddenly increased rapidly. I don’t know which little cute tap water is responsible [burst crying] I am so moved [burst crying]
Damn, my keyboard died halfway through writing this afternoon, and typing on my phone made my eyes go dark [cracked]
Accept your fate, man. You can no longer hide your love for her. Come on, kneel down under her skirt. [Clown]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com