Chapter 11 011 Clothes Overlapping and Touching
Xie Huaiyuan frowned slightly, not understanding why Shen Rong was winking at him. He was about to get up and move away from the pavilion a little.
Shen Rongshi quietly pulled him aside and whispered, "The pavilion isn't very big to begin with. If you keep your distance like this, are you perhaps looking down on the young lady?"
No.
He had already seen people there when he entered the pavilion to take shelter from the rain, so how could he be so rude as to make so many demands?
Because of the rain, the breeze in the mountains and forests carried a chill. Lin Wan's spring clothes were damp with rain, and after a few more gusts of cold wind, she couldn't help but feel a slight chill all over her body.
Suddenly.
Achoo!
Lin Wan couldn't hold back any longer. She tried her best to hide and lower her voice, but the pavilion was so small that even the slightest movement could be heard clearly.
Shiliu: "Miss, have you caught a cold?"
Lin Wan looked at the person beside her, who seemed to have completely forgotten about her, and now she was catching a cold from the wind. She felt angry and covered her nose with her handkerchief: "Maybe so. I didn't expect it to be so cold in the mountains after the rain."
The cold wind blew harder and harder, and the branches and leaves in the forest rustled in the wind. Lin Wan pretended to look at the rain, looked around, and said helplessly, "It seems that this rain will not stop anytime soon."
Shi Liu stood up, glanced at the rain, and said anxiously, "If the rain were lighter, that would be good. Otherwise, who knows how long we'll have to wait like this."
They just didn't have umbrellas, but Xie Huaiyuan and the others did...
Lin Wan glanced at the umbrella placed on one side of the pavilion, pondering how to start the conversation.
Shen Rong asked, "I wonder if there are any servants at the foot of the mountain to greet you, young lady?"
Lin Wan: Yes, the carriages of the manor are parked at the foot of the mountain, but the rain hasn't stopped yet, so we can't go down the mountain.
Shen Rongshi stood up and glanced at the rain: "If you don't mind, we happen to have umbrellas, and we can take shelter from the rain together as we go down the mountain." After saying that, she still looked at Xie Huaiyuan, who remained silent.
Seeing the look in Xie Huaiyuan's eyes that seemed to be asking for his approval, he nodded helplessly and said, "Yeah, it's on the way anyway."
Unexpectedly, Shen Rong gestured with her eyes for her attendants to go ahead, saying she was going to the foot of the mountain to urge the carriage to prepare. She then grabbed her maid Shiliu and walked straight into the rain without saying a word.
A moment later, only she and he remained in the pavilion.
Lin Wan was overjoyed. She put aside her anger from earlier and did not show it. She stood up with great poise and politeness to thank him, saying, "Thank you for your trouble, young master."
Xie Huaiyuan reluctantly opened his umbrella. The large umbrella was just big enough to cover the two of them. He saw the girl lean down and step under the umbrella. Suddenly, a familiar, sweet fragrance wafted into his nose, as if he had smelled it somewhere before.
He couldn't help but frown. If no woman had ever gotten this close to him before, he had only glanced at her a couple of times when she stepped under the umbrella.
It was obvious that he didn't remember her.
Lin Wan's voice was soft and gentle, and the damp rain made it sound even more charming and alluring: "Actually, we met a couple of days ago."
"I unintentionally offended you at the Drunken Fragrance Restaurant last time. I hope you will not take offense."
Xie Huaiyuan lowered his eyes and glanced at her. Her elegant clothes were dampened by the rain, and her pretty and charming face was still visible. After all, many women had tried to get close to him in the past, so he was used to it. However, he just treated her as before. His voice was cold and distant: "It's nothing."
After walking down the stone steps for a while, they soon reached the flat main road at the foot of the mountain, where several carriages had been waiting for some time. Shen Rongshi had already gone to the carriages and was looking at them with a malicious smile.
Shi Liu arrived at the carriage first, took out an umbrella from inside, and decorated the umbrella with delicate magnolia blossoms. She held the umbrella open, quickly stepped forward, and took the umbrella from Lin Wan.
Lin Wan smiled gently, her dimples shimmering: "Thank you, young master."
Xie Huaiyuan immediately noticed the umbrella adorned with magnolia blossoms in front of him. After taking a closer look, he politely said, "It was nothing. Are you from the Su family?"
The carriage had a plaque engraved with the character "Su" hanging on it. The character was written by Su Gong himself back then, and he recognized it at a glance. Only the "Su Mansion" in the capital would have such a plaque.
Lin Wan stopped in her tracks, standing gracefully in the misty rain. She turned and looked up at him, her eyes sparkling, and smiled sweetly: "Engineer Su is my maternal grandfather."
"So she's the teacher's daughter."
Even if Lin Wan was very direct, he never asked her name. He really is a blockhead!
Only after Lin Wan's carriage had left did Xie Huaiyuan coldly hand the umbrella in his hand to the servant, turn around and get into the carriage.
After spending quite a while in the rain, my clothes inevitably became damp.
Shen Rongshi, meanwhile, leaned comfortably against the soft cushions inside the car, sipping tea and smiling as she looked at him.
Xie Huaiyuan took the initiative to ask, "You knew all along that she was the teacher's granddaughter?"
"It was she who delivered the brocade box containing Lord Su's poetry collection." Shen Rongshi was stunned for a moment, then suddenly sat up.
Xie Huaiyuan simply responded with an "Mmm" and then ignored him.
"Hey, don't you think this woman looks familiar?"
"Oh? No, I don't know him."
Upon hearing this, Shen Rongshi put down his teacup and said slowly, "You really don't know her? It's a pity that the girl's beautiful face has been ruined because of you. She's right, you are truly blind and blind."
Xie Huaiyuan, who had just raised his teacup to drink, looked at the slight ripples on the surface of the teacup in his hand with a somber expression. In a flash, a figure appeared, and he slowly said, "Is it her?"
Shen Rongshi wasn't too surprised by his cold reaction; he simply sighed and changed the subject.
-
On the night she returned to the manor, Lin Wan indeed caught a cold and fell ill. For the previous two days, she had a high fever and constant nightmares, and no matter how much she was called, she could not wake up. This alarmed the people in the manor and also frightened Meng Shi. She stayed in the room for two consecutive days until the fever subsided and the doctor said that there was nothing wrong, and only then could she breathe a sigh of relief.
The old lady was always concerned about her condition. If it weren't for the fact that the household was worried that she might catch the illness, she would have gone to check on her long ago.
On the third day, Lin Wan finally woke up, but she was weak all over. Her originally fair face was now sickly pale and delicate. Having just recovered from her illness, she had little appetite and only took a small sip of porridge before refusing it.
Shiliu placed the bowl of medicinal soup that had been brewed in the kitchen on the table beside the bed, noticing that the girl hadn't drunk much of the porridge: "Is there anything you'd like to eat, young lady? I'll have the kitchen staff make it."
Madam Meng specifically instructed that a small kitchen be set up in the courtyard so that medicine could be brewed for Lin Wan. Now it's convenient for her to cook something in her own courtyard.
"No, I have no appetite." Lin Wan frowned as she stared at the bowl of dark, bitter medicine. Just looking at it made her smell unpleasant, and she didn't want to drink it anymore.
She remained silent, thinking that it was really not worth it for her to get sick like this. It was infuriating that the person didn't seem to remember her at all!
Lin Wan grew angrier the more she thought about it, and couldn't help but pound the soft blanket beneath her a few times to vent her anger.
This person is just as cold and indifferent as when their eyesight was better. It's infuriating!
At that moment, a person walked in from outside; it was Su Furong.
"You're finally awake! How are you feeling now? Is there anything still bothering you?"
Lin Wan forced a smile: "You're much better now. How did you get here? Don't let your illness upset you."
She coughed lightly twice as she spoke, her eyes revealing a lingering sickness that made her even more endearing.
"No way, I'm perfectly healthy, unlike you who's so delicate." It was the first time Su Furong had seen a woman who was still so charming even when she was sick, so she couldn't help but take a second look. "I came here this time to talk to you about going to the Peach Blossom Banquet together next month."
"A peach blossom banquet?"
Su Furong tilted her head slightly and said loudly, "I heard that this year's Peach Blossom Banquet is hosted by the Prince of Xiangyang's Mansion. All the noble families in the capital will attend, so it will be very lively. Therefore, you should take good care of your health."
"The Prince of Xiangyang's residence?"
“It was originally the Xiangyang Prince’s Mansion that organized this last year, but since the Crown Prince was away on disaster relief last year, it was moved to this year. Even the Xiangyang Princess, who hasn’t been seen in a long time, returned to the capital for this. Oh, aren’t you going to drink your medicine? It’ll probably taste even worse if it gets cold. Why don’t you go get some of my candied fruit for you…” Before Su Furong could finish speaking, she was surprised to see Lin Wan decisively pick up the medicine bowl and drink it all in one gulp. “To get rid of the bitterness in my mouth?”
Shiliu was even more surprised. She put her hands down and Lin Wan placed the empty medicine bowl in her hands.
"No need, it's not bitter." Lin Wan wiped the corner of her mouth with a handkerchief, her sincere smile unable to be concealed.
It doesn't matter that he didn't recognize her when they met last time. She'll go see him again. She's going to the Peach Blossom Banquet!
Ten days later, Lin Wan had fully recovered from her illness. Su Furong was in the mood to buy a dress for the banquet, so she took her out on a fine sunny day.
Although Lin Wan had gone out twice since arriving in the capital, she had never enjoyed strolling through the streets as much as she had.
The streets were bustling with activity, with people dressed in splendid clothes all around, and the roads were teeming with traffic. Both sides of the streets were lined with all kinds of shops and stalls.
Su Furong, with practiced ease, led her to a very expensive clothing store to choose clothes. Not only did she pick out clothes, but she also gave Lin Wan her opinion.
"What a coincidence, Furong," a graceful woman dressed elegantly said as she entered the shop.
It turned out to be Li Linglong from the household of the Vice Minister of Rites. Since it was better to meet by chance than to invite her, she invited Lin Wan to a friend's banquet. Lin Wan declined, saying that she had just recovered from an illness and was feeling a bit tired, so she could not attend.
After watching Su Furong and the others leave, Lin Wan's legs felt a little sore and she was indeed tired. Standing on the bustling street, she looked around, wanting to find a place to rest.
As she looked up at a teahouse on the street corner, bathed in sunlight, she happened to catch a glimpse of a handsome face through the window on the second floor…
For a moment, she thought she was seeing things and hallucinating.
Bathed in the warm sunlight, she walked through the crowd and went straight to the teahouse. The noisy din faded away, and his figure gradually became clear. Lin Wan's breath suddenly stopped...
It really was him!
It's Xie Huaiyuan!
Lin Wan's heart pounded wildly, as if it had collided with a deer.
She told Shiliu, who had brought the clothes she had bought, to wait for her at the carriage.
After hesitating for a moment, she lifted her skirt and entered the teahouse. She went up to the second floor and immediately saw Xie Huaiyuan sitting in a private seat by the window.
For some reason, several tables near him were empty, and he didn't see any servants with him.
Lin Wan paused slightly, then stepped forward boldly, saying, "What a coincidence, we meet again."
After a long while, there was no response.
...Alright, she hesitated for a moment before sitting down opposite him, taking off her white veiled hat and holding it in her hand.
The smell of alcohol?
As she got closer, she realized that what was on the table was a wine pot, not a tea pot, and the aroma of wine wafted through the air.
Seriously? Drinking in a teahouse in broad daylight?
She raised the corners of her lips slightly, feigning surprise: "Young master, why are you here all alone?"
Xie Huaiyuan looked up, her figure reflected in his cold eyes.
"What a coincidence! I was just strolling through the market," Lin Wan said with a smile.
He looked at her quietly.
Lin Wan still didn't hear his response. She glanced at the wine pot on the table, wondering if he was drunk.
She was delighted and moved a little closer, noticing that his wine glass was full. "So you can drink alcohol in a teahouse after all."
She moved even closer to him, close enough to see the slightly reddened tips of his ears. Not hearing him say anything to stop her, Lin Wan felt secretly pleased and moved even closer. "Young Master, are you drunk?"
Xie Huaiyuan did not answer, but lowered his head to pour another cup of wine and drank it all.
Lin Wan's heart skipped a beat. Had he forgotten her again? Hadn't they met twice just two weeks ago? How long had it been, and he couldn't recognize her again?
She moved a little closer, so close that the hems of their clothes touched. "Why are you ignoring me again? Don't you recognize me anymore?"
Bright sunlight streamed through the window into the teahouse, illuminating Lin Wan's fair and delicate face. The slightly red scars on her face were particularly striking in the sunlight.
Suddenly, Xie Huaiyuan stopped picking up his wine glass, slowly raised his eyes, and glanced at her.
"Does your face still hurt?"
A note from the author:
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