The one you long for, a once-in-a-lifetime encounter, sharing a cup of wine under the moon...
Yan Huanyue thought for a moment, then asked, "Second Miss, have you been feeling unwell lately? May I check your pulse?"
Under the eaves of the courtyard gate, hidden by bamboo groves, came a slow, unhurried sound of footsteps.
Lu Yan glanced at the snow-covered bamboo leaves under the courtyard ceiling, shook her head, put down the steaming teacup in her hand, and forced a bitter smile:
"Thank you for your concern. I was just thinking about my mother's illness last night and stayed up too late."
Yan Huanyue followed her gaze and saw Pei Xuanzhi exhaling a thin mist, carrying a food box, strolling over from outside the bamboo shadows, slowly walking across the eaves of the east wing.
A moment later, she arrived at the main room, stepped in while lifting her robe, and closed the wide-open door behind her, saying calmly, "The Second Miss has arrived."
He gently placed the food box on the table, and Lu Yan immediately stood up, smiling as she said:
"It's about the welcome banquet. I came to ask your opinion on whether to hold it today or some other day. Your wife said she can't make the decision for you, so she can only wait for you to come back."
Pei Xuanzhi glanced at Yan Huanyue, who looked completely detached from the situation.
He smiled and said to Lu Yan, "Second Miss is too kind. I think there's no need to trouble yourself. Just take good care of Madam Sun. I heard that Master is considering taking a concubine. She was very sad when she found out and even went to smash up the study."
Lu Yan was in a daze for a moment again.
My mother had taken care of my father for most of her life. When she was middle-aged, she was plagued by a serious illness. Not only did my father not go to her bedside to take care of her, but he could also immediately turn around and remarry.
Even though her mother was somewhat mad, when she went to the study, she would only tear up and burn the old paintings that she had hated for a long time.
For a few tattered paintings, Dad even hit Mom.
Pei Xuanzhi sighed and said, "I think the master doesn't need to take another concubine. He should take good care of Madam Sun. What do you think, Second Miss?"
Lu Yan naturally agreed with his statement. Her father was already quite old, and he still wanted to take a girl who was the same age as her younger brother, which made her feel uncomfortable. But if they had another child, the money would be what her brothers and sisters deserved.
But Dad always said that Mom was crazy, and that he always needed someone who cared about him to be by his side.
But Ah-Xuan said that today...
Now everyone in the family is very careful, afraid that not doing things his way will displease him.
Lu Yan snapped out of her daze and said, "Yes, I will talk to Father about it. I'll be going now."
Yan Huanyue got up to see him off, and Pei Xuanzhi followed behind her.
Waiting at the courtyard gate, watching Lu Yan walk a short distance away, a maid was waiting to greet her.
Yan Huanyue couldn't help but ask, "Xuanzhi, do you think your second sister is strange? Why is she always daydreaming? I'm never as obviously daydreaming as she is."
Pei Xuanzhi closed the courtyard gate tightly and followed her into the eaves.
The warm sunlight in the courtyard shone through the lush bamboo forest and snow, casting dappled shadows on them.
Pei Xuanzhi said leisurely, "Second Miss is not my sister, and besides, how could Senior Sister know that her absent-mindedness wasn't obvious? You were distracted several times while playing chess last night. What were you thinking about?"
Yan Huanyue stopped and turned to face him, asking, "Is this how I am when I'm lost in thought?"
As she spoke, she stared blankly at him, her gaze unresponsive even as the gold ribbon binding his hair swayed gently in the wind.
Even when she is quiet and reserved, her eyes and brows are always brimming with vitality, and she rarely appears so dazed and simple.
Pei Xuanzhi looked at his reflection in her eyes, pursed his lips, and clenched his fingers tightly in his sleeve, wanting to reach out and roughly rub her face.
His expression remained calm. He raised his hand and gently touched her long eyelashes with the tip of his right index finger, as if brushing against soft down feathers, melting straight into his heart.
Yan Huanyue continued to imitate Lu Yan earnestly, her mind blank, her eyes lifeless, lost in thought as if no one else was around, and said, "Look, this is how it is."
Pei Xuanzhi's fingertips traced the corners of her warm eyes intentionally or unintentionally as he quietly looked at her. After a moment, he leaned slightly towards her and said with a smile, "Senior Sister, you're not daydreaming; you have symptoms that require seeing a doctor."
Yan Huanyue immediately recovered and said, "That's exactly what I was saying. I just felt that the Second Miss was too lost in thought. I even handed her the tea, but she was still spacing out."
Pei Xuanzhi said, "I think Second Miss is alright. She's not as oblivious as you, Senior Sister. You're worrying too much. In that case, I'll remind Master Lu after we finish eating to ask him to call a doctor for Second Miss. If she really needs any medicine, I can send it over." Yan Huanyue nodded and said, "Alright."
Back in the main room for dinner, Pei Xuanzhi still ate with difficulty, sipping the porridge little by little, struggling against this sustenance.
She said softly, "I've had someone clean up the backyard. It's not a big place, but it should be useful for Senior Sister if she wants to practice her swordsmanship."
Upon hearing this, Yan Huanyue took a clean pair of chopsticks, added a piece of steamed crispy pork to his plate, and said with a smile, "Ah Xuan, thank you very much."
Pei Xuanzhi was suddenly choked, covering his mouth and coughing. The pink liquid instantly spread from under the overlapping collar to the corners of his eyes, and his eyes were also choked and watery.
How could he have never realized that this seemingly ordinary title, which he had been using for so many years, could cause him to lose his composure like this?
Yan Huanyue handed him a cup of hot water and gently patted his thin back. She wanted to laugh but felt it wasn't appropriate, so she could only say, "You choke on your food like a cat eating grass."
Pei Xuanzhi forcefully suppressed the restless and turbulent golden mist in his soul, suppressing its urge to manipulate him into lying in her arms and letting her hold him tightly and pat him more.
Everything is fine now...
He turned his head to look at her, tears welling up in his eyes and silently streaming down his face. He looked pitiful, but he still waved his hand and said in a muffled voice, "I feel unwell. Please help me catch my breath, senior sister."
Yan Huanyue gently patted his back and asked, "I noticed that you seem more distant from the Lu family than from me before, so why did you come back?"
Pei Xuanzhi leaned against the edge of the table, squinting his eyes contentedly, and said in a lazy tone, "I came to Chang'an for a stroll. I renovated this courtyard, and I like living here."
Yan Huanyue asked, "Did the Sect Leader examine Madam Sun's illness when he came?"
Pei Xuanzhi gave a soft "hmm," his long, captivating eyes half-closed, and said softly:
"He couldn't figure out what was wrong either, he just gave her some pills to stabilize her soul. I heard that Madam Sun is now sometimes awake and sometimes insane..."
Yan Huanyue stopped, picked up her chopsticks and took a bite of the fragrant crispy pork, saying, "I was thinking of paying my respects, but it seems best not to disturb them for now."
Pei Xuanzhi was like someone walking on soft, drifting catkins, relaxed and at ease, when suddenly he stepped into a precipice where the wind howled and snow raged, plummeting downwards, his emptiness and loss slowly accumulating...
He sat up straight, picked up his chopsticks and ate the meat on his plate. He wiped away the tears that had come out from coughing earlier with his sleeve and said in a low voice, "Senior Sister, you can just walk around the courtyard... Is there anywhere Senior Sister would like to go?"
Yan Huanyue thought for a moment and said, "I'm not familiar with this place, so I really don't know where it's worth going, but I'm not in a hurry to go out either."
Pei Xuanzhi said, "Then let's wait until it snows next time, and I'll take you on a pleasure boat to tour the city."
After all, it was her first time visiting the legendary Chang'an. Besides drawing restrictions and wielding her sword to arrange formations in the backyard every day, Yan Huanyue began to secretly look forward to snow.
But she wouldn't just wait for Pei Xuanzhi to take her to Chang'an.
Chang'an was so prosperous that she had visited the city alone several times during her cultivation.
I have seen colorful lanterns like clouds on cold winter nights, pedestrians like woven fabric, and dazzling iron flowers illuminating the carriages and horses of envoys from various countries near Hanguang Gate.
She once sat on the roof of a tavern, looking back at the north, with the sounds of sheng, xiao, qin, and drums accompanying poetry, songs, and dances playing under the eaves.
Today, a member of the Xue family on night patrol passed by the rooftop where she briefly stopped, and they exchanged a few words by chance.
Hearing that she was a fellow Daoist from the north, he insisted on inviting her to try a bowl of thick wine.
The thick liquor was heated, so it was warm when you drank it.
Yan Huanyue thought that perhaps most people in Chang'an liked this kind of food.
The man said, "Hey, it looks like it's going to snow. It's really cold."
Yan Huanyue smiled and said, "You've all worked really hard."
The man said, “This is nothing. Everything is peaceful. Even night patrols are easy. If there is any turmoil, then we’ll have to risk our lives. Like under these eaves, they sing and complain all day long. I don’t quite understand, but I still hope to hear this noise every day and drink a bowl of thick wine.”
After finishing his bowl of wine, the man put down his cup, stood up, and said, "Fellow Daoist, please return the cup to the tavern. I still need to go and report on tonight's events."
Yan Huanyue stood up, made a hand seal to greet him, and said, "Thank you for the bowl of wine, fellow Daoist."
The man's smile was simple yet tinged with a sense of magnanimity and ease. "Since we are like-minded friends, there is no need for such formalities. It is a rare opportunity to meet in this lifetime, and to share a cup of wine under the moon. This is already a great fulfillment. I wish you a smooth and safe journey to Chang'an."
After saying that, he turned around, jumped off the roof, and disappeared into the dark alleyway outside the bustling city.
Yan Huanyue stood under the cold moon, the wind chilling her sleeves, her back against the magnificent and prosperous scene of fireworks, looking at the dark alleys between the streets lit by candlelight.
This is all Chang'an, this is all of the human world.
She leaped off the roof with two wine cups in her hands, and a drunkard shouted, "Let the dance begin! Let the dance begin!"
Immediately, a melody of zither music responded to the drunkard's cheers, flowing like water into the cool moonlight, and the eyes of those under the eaves urged her to dance for everyone.
Yan Huanyue felt slightly embarrassed, but she was caught up in the atmosphere and cupped her hands in apology, saying, "I'm sorry, I really don't know how."
Suddenly, a group of men and women rushed into the courtyard and danced around her, the sound of waist bells, ankle bells, and the jingling of pendants on her sashes mingling with the beat of drums.
She was really bad at dancing, so she simply slipped out of the crowd and placed her wine cup in front of the tavern counter.
A woman selling snacks who was passing by asked her if she had encountered any trouble, since she was dressed so thinly.
Yan Huanyue explained briefly and bought a bag of fancy mashed potato snacks for Pei Xuanzhi to take back.
When they returned, Pei Xuanzhi was nestled on a small couch in the main room, wrapped in a brocade quilt and reading a book.
Anyway, after that night, he tacitly agreed that he would stay on the small tatami mat on his first night back, and that he should stay on the small tatami mat there from now on.
As soon as she entered the room, Pei Xuanzhi looked up and asked calmly, "Where did you get this fragrance from, Senior Sister?"
Yan Huanyue said, "It seemed like someone was burning incense at the tavern earlier. I brought you some snacks. Shall we bake them by the stove?"
Pei Xuanzhi lowered his eyes. "No need to trouble yourself, I'm full."
"It's made with mashed potatoes, which you like. They said it was freshly made at dusk. Are you sure you don't want to eat it?"
She remembered what he liked...
The boy's lips curled up slightly, and his eyes rippled gently with spring-like tears.
He looked down at the pages of the book and said softly, "Then let's eat one."
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Author's Note: Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 01:50:39 and 23:28:49 on November 27, 2023!
Thank you to the little angel who threw the landmine: 56486469 (1 landmine);
Thank you to the little angels who irrigated the nutrient solution: Chunzhoubudu 20 bottles; Xuyuan, Bukeyanshang, callme, Ibaraki-dalao, tameless. 10 bottles; Epidemic Prevention and Control, Suspending Weight Loss 6 bottles; Hanju, Dongpo Crispy Pork 5 bottles; Beetroot, Aladdin's Lamp, Huidudu, Xingxingchiduoduo, Tuoyanzheng Luntai, Zhizhifuzhizhi, Xin, AAA Special Grade Chef, Momo Xiaomaopi, Cute Cheese, Zhouman's Sword Bone, Atypical Tongrennv, 17098382, Haaa, Fengxueyeguirenbugui 1 bottle;
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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