Agreed
While Xiao Wan'er and Pei Yingguan were communicating, it was already the end of the year.
"Master, that Pei Yingguan is here again!"
On the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month, when the entire villa was immersed in the New Year atmosphere, the gatekeeper suddenly ran to the owner of the villa.
The villa owner, who had been in a very good mood, suddenly looked downcast. He wanted to get angry, but considering it was the end of the year, he only managed a cold complaint.
"Why is he here again?"
"Let him in," he ordered the gatekeeper, and then sent them away, obviously not wanting to continue the topic.
Elsewhere, Xiao Wan'er finished her morning training and was about to return to her residence. She had always been diligent and self-disciplined in her practice, not even during the holidays.
Seeing the old man fishing by the water, she walked over and sat next to him.
"Senior, you've almost caught all the koi in this pond."
The owner of the villa would probably go crazy again after seeing this.
The old man put away his fishing rod and picked up his fishing basket to call it a day. But there was not a single fish in the basket.
"I'm not fishing anymore. I can't catch any more fish." He was about to leave with his fishing rod and basket on his back. Before leaving, he seemed to have thought of something and told Xiao Wan'er, "You don't have to come here from tomorrow. You can continue your practice after the Lantern Festival."
After saying that, he left quickly without waiting for Xiao Wan'er's response.
"You're walking so fast..."
Xiao Wan'er muttered softly and walked towards her own residence. At the door, a handsome young man in a brocade robe stood there, holding a sword. Sensing someone approaching, he turned his head in their direction.
"Brother!" Xiao Wan'er also recognized Pei Yingguan and walked quickly to him. "Brother, have you been waiting for a long time?"
"Soon," Pei Yingguan looked at her with a smile, "Will you go in together?"
"Okay." Xiao Wan'er took Pei Yingguan into the residence.
Pei Yingguan did not return to Chang'an for too long, and the furnishings in his residence remained unchanged during this period. He moved into the room where he had lived during the previous sect competition.
After tidying up the house, he walked out of the room and saw Xiao Wan'er still in the hall.
"Brother, how long do you plan to stay here this time?"
"I'll leave after the Lantern Festival," Pei Yingguan replied. "Let's not talk about how long I'll stay. Is anyone giving you any trouble while you're staying at the villa?"
Xiao Wan'er shook her head: "No."
She usually has no contact with people in the villa.
"I wonder how you have progressed lately, senior brother? Would you like to spar with me?" After not seeing each other for a few months, Xiao Wan'er wanted to practice with Pei Yingguan again to see how much progress they had made.
But this time Pei Yingguan refused.
"Forget it. I'm probably no match for you, Junior Sister."
"Forget it then." Xiao Wan'er didn't insist anymore.
The two stayed in their respective rooms all afternoon. In the evening, Pei Yingguan walked to the door of Xiao Wan'er's room, saw her meditating, and walked back.
The next day was the last day of the year.
Xiao Wan'er didn't finish her meditation until almost noon. She opened her eyes, exhaled slowly, and carefully savored the insights she had gained from this meditation. Just then, Pei Yingguan and the old man pushed open the door outside the house and walked into the courtyard.
"Junior sister, would you like to have something to eat together?"
Hearing this greeting, Xiao Wan'er immediately walked out of the house. Pei Yingguan and the old man set up a pot with boiling water in it. The two of them sat around the pot, leaving an empty seat for Xiao Wan'er. Beside the pot was sliced meat.
Xiao Wan'er sat in the empty seat and looked at the meat.
"Mutton, fish, chicken, not bad."
As she was speaking, Pei Yingguan had already picked up a plate of meat and put it all into the pot.
While the meat was still undercooked, Pei Yingguan pulled out some bottles and jars filled with various seasonings from his personal space. He prepared the dipping sauce to his liking, and Xiao Wan'er and the old man followed suit.
The meat was cooked quickly, and the three of them ate it while enjoying it.
After eating, the old man rubbed his stomach and stood up to say goodbye.
"I'm leaving now, old man. You two youngsters, have fun!"
Xiao Wan'er and Pei Yingguan looked at each other in bewilderment. After a moment, they silently cleared away the pots and dishes, and then Pei Yingguan looked at Xiao Wan'er expectantly.
"Junior sister, are you willing to visit the villa with me?"
Xiao Wan'er smiled and nodded: "Senior Brother invites me, how dare I refuse?"
The two wandered aimlessly side by side through the villa. With the New Year just around the corner, the villa was meticulously decorated, creating a festive atmosphere. While the residents were displeased by these two, whom they viewed as imperial lackeys, they kept their composure, considering the New Year. Many of the villa's stewards exchanged friendly greetings.
It was not until late at night that the two of them finished their stroll and returned to their residence. After entering the courtyard, Xiao Wan'er was about to continue walking towards her room when Pei Yingguan suddenly called her.
"Junior sister."
He called out to Xiao Wan'er and then stopped.
"Hmm?" Xiao Wan'er turned around to look at Pei Yingguan. Seeing that he had stopped talking, she asked him puzzledly, "What's wrong?"
Pei Yingguan felt his breathing quicken. He stumbled for a long time before finally closing his eyes and speaking with some determination: "I have long been attracted to you, Junior Sister. I wonder if you are willing to be my Taoist partner?"
Xiao Wan'er wasn't surprised by Pei Yingguan's words, but she couldn't help but think of Liu Mingyin's confession a few years ago.
Why do so many people like to say these things on New Year’s Eve?
This time, she was also not prepared to agree: "Brother, you may not know, I had a divination about this matter some time ago, and the result was very bad. Perhaps you and I are not suitable."
But Pei Yingguan did not flinch. His eyes suddenly widened before he quickly regained his composure.
"Junior sister, compared to divination, I believe that success depends on human effort."
With a determined look on his face, he walked up to Xiao Wan'er, almost face to face, and vowed, "The ultimate outcome of relationships isn't determined by divination, but by how we interact. We've been brothers and sisters for many years and know each other well. I believe we can get along well and won't end up in a disastrous situation. And even if it does, you've already told me, so why can't we avoid it? The future is constantly changing with the present. Perhaps from the moment you told me your original future, everything has changed."
Xiao Wan'er listened to all this quietly, watching him silently. His usually serious face was etched with visible tension. Even though his hands were trembling, he forced himself to hold them steady, clenching them into fists.
"Junior sister, please don't reject me so bluntly, okay?"
Xiao Wan'er unconsciously grabbed the edge of her clothes and rubbed it for a while before slowly answering, "Brother, can you give me some time to think about it?"
"Okay, I'll wait for you." Pei Yingguan was relieved that he wasn't rejected directly. His tense body relaxed. He immediately changed the subject to divert Xiao Wan'er's attention. "It's almost time for the New Year's Eve party. Let's go drink Tu Su wine."
The owner of the villa ordered that everyone living in the villa could go to the banquet hall on New Year's Day to get a cup of Tu Su wine per person.
The two of them didn't want to miss out on the free wine, so they went together.
After returning to her residence, Xiao Wan'er took out the tortoise shell and readied herself again. The result was still bad. She sighed softly, put the tortoise shell away, and seeing that it was already dawn, she returned to bed and tossed and turned for a long time before finally falling asleep.
When she opened her eyes again, it was already daybreak. Xiao Wan'er dressed neatly and walked into the yard. Pei Yingguan had been standing there for who knows how long.
"Junior sister, Happy New Year." He smiled and waved to Xiao Wan'er, as if Xiao Wan'er had not put aside his confession last night.
"Happy New Year," Xiao Wan'er responded, noting that the sun had already passed due south. "What time is it now?"
"It's past the time of Wei Zheng."
Pei Yingguan's answer surprised Xiao Wan'er a little. She didn't expect that she had slept for so long.
Without much time to be surprised, Pei Yingguan invited her to have something to eat with him.
"I have some mutton, vegetables, and wine in my personal space. There's a small kitchen in this house. Why don't we make some mutton and vegetable soup and share it with the wine?"
"Sounds great." Xiao Wan'er walked into the small kitchen without hesitation.
The two of them finished a mutton and vegetable soup together, and cooked a small pot of glutinous rice, which they ate cleanly with wine. During the entire meal, Pei Yingguan did not mention the confession.
Time passed day by day, and New Year's Eve was not mentioned by the two as if nothing had happened. Various lanterns were gradually hung in the villa. Until the evening of the Lantern Festival, Pei Yingguan, dressed in a white brocade robe, knocked on Xiao Wan'er's door.
"There are many lanterns lit in the villa tonight. Junior Sister, would you like to enjoy them with me?"
Xiao Wan'er was willing to go, so she changed into some gorgeous clothes and went out with Pei Yingguan.
Lanterns hung along every road in the villa, and the various colored lights shone brilliantly in the night. The gold ornaments on Xiao Wan'er's head complemented the lights, and Pei Yingguan was mesmerized for a moment.
"Senior Brother? Senior Brother!" A hand suddenly flashed before his eyes. Pei Yingguan suddenly came back to his senses, lowered his eyes, and looked at Xiao Wan'er who was a little confused.
"Brother, what were you thinking about just now? Keep going!"
Xiao Wan'er walked in front, and Pei Yingguan calmed his mind and followed closely behind her. The two of them walked under the light all the way to the largest garden in the villa.
During the Lantern Festival, the owner of the villa specially invited a team of actors to perform in the open space of the garden. Lanterns were hung from high to low along the edge of the garden. Under the illumination of the lanterns, the shadows of the actors were clearly imprinted on the ground, dancing along with the figure of the owner.
But when Xiao Wan'er and the others arrived at the garden, some of the lanterns had already been taken away.
"Abbot Xiao, Fellow Daoist Pei, nice to meet you." The owner of the villa was quite friendly to the two this time.
"Nice to meet you. May I take one of these lanterns?" Pei Yingguan also asked the owner of the villa with a smile.
"Whether it's a verbal or physical duel, the winner can take one." The owner of the villa bowed, "Fellow Daoist Pei, please."
Pei Yingguan really walked onto the fighting stage. Fighting required that one's cultivation skills were restricted, and one could not use any weapons one brought with him. Pei Yingguan took a sword from the weapon rack beside the stage and fought with the villa owner's brother.
The clash of weapons didn't end until half an hour later. Pei Yingguan, sweating all over, walked up to Xiao Wan'er holding a peony lantern.
"This is for you. Do you like it?"
"I like it very much," Xiao Wan'er took the lantern, "It's very beautiful. Thank you, Senior Brother."
"I'm glad you like it." Pei Yingguan also smiled happily.
After taking the lantern and admiring the scenery, the two returned to their residence along a road they had not taken before. When they reached the gate of the courtyard, Pei Yingguan suddenly stopped.
"Junior sister, I'm going back tomorrow," he said. "Have you thought about what happened on New Year's Eve?"
Xiao Wan'er was at a loss for words. Her master's dying words, the ominous hexagram, the lantern in her hand, and the memories of their time together flashed through her mind. During her long silence, Pei Yingguan almost thought he was being rejected again. With great difficulty, he forced an expression of indifference, hoping to get Xiao Wan'er to forget the incident.
At this moment, he heard a response that sounded like the sound of nature.
"I don't know if the future will change, but I'm willing to give it a try." Xiao Wan'er smiled gently, her eyes twinkling like stars, filled with anticipation. "Let's try to get along first."
Pei Yingguan heard his voice change in pitch.
"Wan'er, I'm so happy."
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