You were perfectly capable of drinking at the banquet, so why aren't you today?
Cherry blossoms drifted down onto the fan, and Pei Xuanzhi waved the fan to brush the petals away.
He walked to the shade of the big tree where the temple keeper was, casually fanned the dust off the stone platform around the tree with a folding fan, and then sat down on the stone platform.
The temple keeper, having observed his attire and demeanor, knew he was either wealthy or noble. Noticing he seemed somewhat fatigued, he quickly poured him a cup of warm tea and offered it to him, smiling as he said:
"Young master, please have a cup of tea. It seems you have nothing to do at home today?"
Pei Xuanzhi casually fanned himself with one hand and took the teacup with the other, saying lazily, "Nothing much. I'm just new here and have been wandering around. I'm a little tired, so I'll rest here for a while, Daoist. I'll leave when the sun starts to set a little further in the west."
The temple keeper waved his hand and laughed, "It's alright, it's alright."
She glanced at the sleeves of his snow-white robe embroidered with gold thread and asked curiously, "Where are you from, young man?"
Pei Xuanzhi said, "This junior comes from Chang'an."
The temple keeper said knowingly, "Chang'an, no wonder."
It was almost afternoon, and most of the tourists were still having lunch elsewhere. In addition, lanterns were being lit up on several main streets, attracting many people to gather and watch.
At this time, there were more people leaving the Taoist temple than entering, so the temple keeper struck up a conversation with the young man who happened to be there.
In just a few words, I was surprised to find that this person was not old, but had a lot of knowledge. Although he had a cold and aloof appearance, he was very good at talking to people. His words were simple, but his meaning was profound.
The temple keeper couldn't help but bring a stool and a cup of tea to sit next to Pei Xuanzhi. Pei Xuanzhi led him to tell him all about the rare thing that happened to him when he was born—that he only laughed and didn't cry.
In his excitement, he abandoned his tea, took out the well-worn Qimen Dunjia scripture from his bosom, excitedly flipped through several pages, pointed to one section, and asked, "Young master, what do you think we should do about this section?"
Pei Xuanzhi glanced at it briefly and saw that it was a game of "Mountain and Water Change". He noticed that the temple keeper was very interested in the art of Qimen Dunjia, and the book was full of key points copied from other books.
He reached into his sleeve, pulled out two yellowed ancient scrolls, and handed them to the temple keeper, saying calmly:
"The changes that the senior sought are somewhat reflected in this book, but the essential techniques are still too few. Please keep this book for future reference and do not let it go to waste."
The temple keeper's eyes were full of eagerness, but he was too embarrassed to take it. Although he was in his thirties or forties, he was still a bit hesitant. "This... how can this be... young man, you are indeed from a prestigious family. Such scriptures are probably not suitable for outsiders, are they?"
Pei Xuanzhi placed the book in his outstretched hand. “Even if you have a million books, what use are they if no one reads them? For example, there are countless classics and rare and wonderful books in the library. Everyone knows they are treasures, but how many people actually study them diligently? Since you like it, senior, it is only in your hands that the author’s wishes have been fulfilled.”
Upon hearing this, the temple keeper felt a sense of appreciation and approval, and was overjoyed. "In that case, thank you for the book, young man."
He picked up the book and glanced at it. Although it was in excellent condition, the pages, worn from frequent reading, bore the author's name: "Qiongshui Kushan Zheye" (meaning "The One Who Has Died from Poor Waters and Dry Mountains").
The temple keeper's fingertip hovered over the author's name, and he hesitated before asking, "This person is...?"
Pei Xuanzhi smiled calmly, using the same answer his father had once given him, and said, "I don't know. It was by chance that I obtained this book."
Pei Xuanzhi sat under the shade of the tree, chatting casually with people, his gaze sweeping over the entire Taoist temple several times.
About the time it takes to drink a cup of tea passed before a tall, slender man flashed past from the corner behind the main hall of the Taoist temple.
He narrowed his eyes slightly, and his five fingers, hanging in front of his knees, gradually tightened their grip on the fan handle. "Are there any vacant rooms in the inn now?"
The temple keeper smiled and said, "There are only three guest rooms, and no one has vacated them yet. If you think it's alright, young man, you might as well stay for a few days and take a good look around the Qinghe Monthly Market. If you're lucky, you might even see members of the Zhou family participating in the Grand Night Tour."
Pei Xuanzhi asked, "Is anyone in the backyard? I'd like to go and see, but I'm afraid of disturbing them."
The temple keeper flipped through the book he had just acquired and replied, "Besides those who come to draw lots, there's no one else. Young man, you may go if you wish. It's just the two of us here, master and apprentice. Because of the monthly gathering, my apprentice's widowed mother came to visit. She took him out this morning and hasn't returned yet."
Pei Xuanzhi looked in the direction where the figure had disappeared.
He had always had a good memory; long ago, he had seen this person in a mass grave on a cliff deep in the ancient forest.
At that time, the sky was high and the snow was howling, and the wind was like a blade. He was pushed off the chasm and fell onto a protruding cliff, rolling into a pit of corpses on the precipice.
On the verge of death, he saw that among the countless dried corpses and bones of those who died in the war between humans and demons, there was only one man with white hair and a purple crown, his eyes closed and his hands forming a hand seal, sitting cross-legged in the sea of corpses like an immortal lord in the clouds.
This person clearly wasn't breathing that day, yet he somehow survived...
From his childhood to the present, this person's appearance has not only remained unchanged, but his hair has also turned black again, making him look much younger.
It is either his descendant or he himself.
Not long after the figure flashed by, he said goodbye to the temple keeper in a few words and followed the figure around to the back of the temple.
After following Tian Qingcheng for a short distance, they lost track of her on the busy official road.
Even when using yellow talismans to track the trail, the talismans that float out only fall down in mid-air.
It seems they concealed their presence, whether they sensed someone following them or were wary of the Zhou family of Xiling, and didn't intend to be discovered in the first place.
He wandered along the warm, breezy official road for a while, but when he got further away, he still couldn't find any signs worth pursuing.
The surrounding area was all plains and fertile fields, with no place to hide. The faint traces of their presence made them difficult to track down.
He turned back to look at the distant Tianqing City, bathed in the golden glow of the setting sun, with the fortune slip he had drawn that day still tucked into his sleeve.
A gentle breeze blew by, casually swaying the hem of his clothes.
A deep, muffled snort from a yellow ox rang out, and the wheels screeched to a halt.
An old man on the oxcart tugged at the reins, looked at the rather thin young man by the roadside, and asked, "Alone? Want to go? Five copper coins, I can deliver it anywhere in Tianqing City."
The old man had tidied up the cart fairly well, with several baskets of small bamboo lanterns and trinkets neatly stacked to one side, leaving just enough space for one person to sit.
Several vendors at the market passed by him, their carts all packed full.
The old man who stopped to greet him, hoping to earn some money for his journey, was the first to do so.
Pei Xuanzhi smiled and said, "Alright, please take me to the paper and pen shop closest to the Zhou family."
.
Yan Huanyue calmed the spiritual energy circulating in the spiritual veins, dispersed the hand seals at her fingertips, and opened her eyes to find the empty room bathed in the glow of the setting sun.
The person who should have been sitting at the table reading a book has disappeared. There is a piece of paper under the slender-necked bottle on the table, and several yellow talismans are pasted in the room to form a protective barrier.
She beckoned, and a piece of paper on the table floated to the bedside. It was written in elegant and refined handwriting: "Going out for a stroll, returning at dusk. Not running away, so don't worry."
The signature reads "Husband's Name" in small characters.
After glancing at it, Yan Huanyue flicked her hand, and the paper flew back onto the table.
Since Junior Brother Pei knew she would tell the sect about him, why didn't he take the opportunity to slip away during the Ghost Market, and instead brought her out of the earth's fissure...?
He would escape no matter what, and she couldn't just lock him up for no reason. Even if he escaped, it would only prove that he had something to hide, and it would just take time to catch him and bring him back to the sect to be questioned.
But if he doesn't want to escape, you can't drive him away no matter what you do; even if he goes to the ends of the earth, he will still come back on his own.
Yan Huanyue decided to wait a while, got out of bed, put on her cloud-patterned shoes, removed the barrier he had left behind, and opened the window to get some fresh air and check the sky.
Her room was on the third floor facing the street. Although the inn was located in a somewhat remote area, there were quite a few people coming and going on the street, perhaps because of the grand Qinghe Yueling Festival.
Her gaze passed over a covered bridge by the street and came to a low and narrow Taoist temple. Further ahead, across a street, stood a towering building that could not be ignored.
Yan Huanyue looked at the exquisite eaves of the pavilion, where a string of copper bells hung under the eaves, swaying gently in the wind.
The moment she heard the sound of the copper bell, she felt a gaze fall upon her.
Following that gaze, she saw Jiang Xusheng leaning against the railing under the eaves of the second floor of the opposite pavilion, looking at her.
Yan Huanyue, who had said she was returning to her sect at noon, was now back in Tianqing City without any embarrassment at being discovered. She simply nodded to Jiang Xusheng in greeting.
Jiang Xusheng casually picked up a swirling leaf, fiddled with it for a while, and then gently pushed it with her fingertips. The leaf flew over streets, Taoist temples, and covered bridges, and finally drifted down to her window.
A voice echoed through the leaves into her mind, "The food and wine at Wanghailou are quite good. I hope you will do me the honor of coming and allow me to offer you a cup as a token of my gratitude. Fellow Daoists Tan and Xue are away on business, so you and Fellow Daoist Pei can come without worry and need not worry."
In Yan Huanyue's memory, apart from the day she went to the Chen Mingren Inn at the Jiang family's residence, she had not had much interaction with Jiang Xusheng.
But this person was indeed perceptive; seeing that she said she was leaving but didn't, she guessed that she didn't want to be with those two.
Yan Huanyue picked up the leaf and examined it for a while. The leaf then floated out of her hand and hung in front of her, drifting in the wind.
As a refreshing fragrance of grass and trees wafted through the air, several overlapping phantom spells fell into her mind. They separated, rearranged and demonstrated once more, and finally merged back into one.
Yan Huanyue came to her senses. The thin leaves in front of her were made very translucent by the sunlight of the setting sun, and the delicate veins on the leaves were clearly visible.
Following what she had just seen, she performed the hand seals in sequence and said softly, "Thank you for the invitation. I will arrive shortly after my husband returns from his sightseeing."
With that, he gently pushed the delicate leaf with his fingertip, sending it flying far away. It tumbled a few times in the air above the bustling streets and floated to Jiang Xusheng's hand, where it stayed quietly.
Jiang Xusheng listened intently, and after a moment, turned to his attendant and instructed:
"Prepare a fine banquet immediately. Also, include plenty of light and elegant dishes that are easy to digest, and preferably one or two dishes with Chang'an flavor... Also prepare some fragrant drinks and set them out in the open air of the Cloud Terrace. Then go to the Zhou family and invite Zhou Pingyi over."
Yu Yi, lounging on a recliner in the pavilion, said listlessly, "Fellow Daoist Jiang, are you inviting me or Xue San? If you're inviting me, there's no need to serve Chang'an cuisine. Yun Jing isn't far from Chang'an. Who would eat food from their own backyard when they're traveling far away?"
A servant from the Yu family chuckled, "Perhaps it's to entertain the Zhou family, or Miss Tan?"
Yu Yi curled her lips expressionlessly, "The Zhou family is the host, why would they let him host? They'd only eat at his meal if they were there to keep him company. As for Fellow Daoist Tan... it's just a matter of getting together for a couple of drinks, or adding an extra bowl and chopsticks to the main table."
Jiang Xusheng said, "It is Fellow Daoist Yan and his wife."
Yu Yi curled her lips with disdain, then smiled and said, "I heard from Xue San that she's not dead. You can run into her even in such a remote place. Are you just curious and want to see Pei Xuanzhi? You only said that Xue Tan and the other two weren't here. Then get me a set of chopsticks and a bowl, and I'll be your second host."
Jiang Xusheng was unaware of his personal grudge against Yan Huanyue. Based on Yan Huanyue's previous marriage agreement with Yu Zhao, he subconsciously refused, saying, "I'm afraid I'll disappoint you. I'll prepare a feast for you another day."
Yu Yi said, "What are you worried about, Fellow Daoist Jiang? Pei Xuanzhi snatched my wife away halfway through his marriage. He doesn't even bother to avoid my Yu family, so why should we avoid him? He doesn't know who I am anyway. Just say I'm an old acquaintance of yours, isn't that enough?"
Jiang Xusheng laughed and said, "If he were really honest and straightforward, that would be fine, but I heard he's not easy to fool, so we'll have a welcome dinner for you tomorrow."
Yu Yi said to the servant beside him, "Forget it, let's set up a table in Langge by Yuntai and eat there. This isn't Jiang family territory, they can't just kick us out."
The attendant smiled and said, "Yes."
Yan Huanyue waited in the room for a while, and when she heard a slight noise by the door, she immediately made a hand seal and opened the door.
As soon as the door opened, two men stood outside, about to knock. Upon seeing her, they respectfully said, "Greetings, Madam. We are here on behalf of Young Master Jiang to invite you to Wanghai Tower for a chat."
Just then, the waiter outside the door happened to be carrying a pot of hot tea to another room. He passed by them, glanced into the room upon hearing this, and then quickly walked away.
It's a trip to Wanghailou, which isn't cheap. Why would someone invited to Wanghailou stay at this small inn?
Yan Huanyue said, "But my husband has not yet returned."
Jiang Xusheng's servant said, "Miss Zhou Pingyi from the Zhou family has arrived, so the young master sent the two of us to invite you two. Since Young Master Pei has not yet returned, we will wait downstairs for a while."
Yan Huanyue said, "No need. He may or may not return. Since Fellow Daoist Zhou has also arrived, I will leave him a note. He will come looking for it when he returns."
He then turned over the paper Pei Xuanzhi had left behind, wrote a few words, and followed two servants to Wanghai Tower.
The waiter who had just left the guest room to deliver tea to another room saw her follow two people out of the corridor, and her gaze couldn't help but drift towards the Wanghai Tower in the distance.
When Yan Huanyue climbed to the top floor of the Wanghai Tower, she saw Yu Yi sitting at a table laden with delicacies, smiling and saying, "Oh, you survived such a calamity, how did your face get injured? Did someone punish the wicked and promote the good?"
When Yan Huanyue saw him for the first time, her previously good mood couldn't help but sink. She looked at Jiang Xusheng, who was standing behind the door to greet her, and said, "I will not be ranked with this person."
Yu Yi scoffed and said, "As if anyone wants to be ranked with you."
Yan Huanyue said, "It's best that we share the same view."
Jiang Xusheng breathed a sigh of relief; indeed, not letting Yu Yi sit at the table was a wise decision.
"Fellow Daoist Yu is not taking a seat today. We are on the Cloud Platform. Fellow Daoist Yan, please."
Yan Huanyue stepped out of the pavilion and walked to the square platform about three steps wide that surrounded the highest pavilion.
Zhou Pingyi, whom Emperor Mingde had met that day, rose to greet him, saying, "It's been a long time. I was really worried when I heard that you survived such a calamity."
Yan Huanyue thought for a moment and said, "It was just a lucky climb."
Jiang Xusheng asked at the opportune moment, "Where is Fellow Daoist Pei?"
As Yan Huanyue sat down, she said, "Tianqing City is so prosperous that he lingered there and didn't know where he went. He hasn't returned yet. I was worried that with so many people around at night, he wouldn't be able to find his way back. I heard that you also invited Fellow Daoist Zhou, so I rushed over. I was thinking that if Junior Brother Pei hadn't returned by dark, I could borrow some people from Fellow Daoist Zhou to help me find him."
Zhou Pingyi was unaware of the affair between the couple, and now she assumed it was Yan Huanyue using the opportunity to praise Tian Qingcheng as an excuse. Feeling somewhat pleased, she lifted her skirt and sat back down, smiling as she said:
"Of course, if you ask, I will do my best to help you find Fellow Daoist Pei. However, he is exceptionally handsome, and I fear that seeing him under the lamp tonight might stir the hearts of many women in Xiling."
As Yu Yi listened to their mutual flattery, she raised her cup to clink with the servant beside her and joked, "My twelfth brother really captivated a lot of women at the Lantern Festival back then, do you remember?"
The attendant said, "I remember that when the Twelfth Young Master returned from the sect that year, he collected many lanterns at the lantern festival, and he even instructed that lanterns be given to everyone who visited the festival."
Yu Yi coughed, puffed out his chest, and said with pride, "That's right."
Oh, since you're so proud, why did you embezzle the precious medicine and artifact meant to cure your twelfth brother?
Yan Huanyue didn't even bother to look at him, and took the wine glass that Jiang Xusheng handed her with both hands.
Jiang Xusheng raised his wine cup, bowed deeply, and then smiled as he tucked his sleeves in, saying, "I owe a debt to Fellow Daoist Yan and the disciples of Tianyan for what happened that day. Otherwise, even if I were to die, it would not be enough to atone for my sins. It would have caused even greater bloodshed and implicated my Jiang family. At that time, I was too busy to thank you in person, so I raise a cup to you today."
After saying that, he drank the wine in a very elegant manner.
Yan Huanyue returned the greeting and swiftly finished her drink. "It's what we should do. Fellow Daoist Jiang, you're too kind. How's the matter of finding the Crimson Pill going?"
Jiang Xusheng sighed, "I have done my best to find what I could, and I have sent people to deliver it back to the Jiang family for worship. After leaving Tianqing City, I will still follow the trail and visit each household to announce the death."
Confined to the pavilion, Yu Yi turned and leaned against the window, aimlessly surveying the bustling street scene.
From afar, I caught a glimpse of Xue Jingnian carrying a pile of things, strolling along the street with Tan Guiyi, as if they were heading to another street.
Tan Guiyi remained calm and looked around, while Xue Jingnian still seemed to be in a daze.
Yu Yi, ever the busybody, whispered to the servant beside him, "Go, block Fellow Daoist Xue and Fellow Daoist Tan, invite them over for drinks, and tell them that Yan Huanyue is also here."
Yan Huanyue hadn't said a word about Xue Jingnian and Tan Guiyi's sudden appearance in the top-floor attic of Wanghai.
Jiang Xusheng broke the ice first, saying, "It turns out that Fellow Daoist Xue was going to help Fellow Daoist Tan win a piece of cold jade. I thought they would be gone for a long time and take the opportunity to wander around..."
Yan Huanyue said, "It's alright. I appreciate Fellow Daoist Jiang's kindness. I'm a little worried because Junior Brother Pei hasn't returned yet, so I'll go look for him."
The waiter brought up two jugs of wine. Yan Huanyue said to the waiter, "Please pack a bowl of light chicken soup noodles, a bowl of stir-fried fresh bamboo shoots, and a bowl of pan-fried perch. I'm staying at Wenxianlou over there. Please return the food boxes before nightfall."
The waiter smiled and said, "No need to trouble yourself. You can leave it on the counter at the inn, and we'll go get it ourselves."
Yan Huanyue said, "Thank you. I'll start cooking now. Please bring it over when all the dishes are ready."
The waiter looked a little embarrassed and smiled apologetically, "We just finished using the sea bass. The kitchen just sent someone to get more, so it might be a little late."
Yan Huanyue said, "It's alright, we'll get back as soon as possible. You can go ahead and do your work."
The waiter then turned around and walked back into the pavilion.
Tan Guiyi walked to the table in the pavilion and sat upright, removing her veil to reveal her delicate face.
She had lost a lot of weight and was troubled by her worries; her energetic eyes sometimes showed a hint of melancholy.
Her ulcer should be on her left cheek. She drew a string of pale yellow and silvery flowers on the wound, which made her look even more elegant and refined.
Yu Yi, unafraid of stirring up trouble, raised a wine bowl and said to Yan Huanyue, "Today is in Tianqing City, a grand gathering. I heard that Fellow Daoist Yan, who had already left Tianqing City, has stayed again. It is truly remarkable."
"How about I offer a toast to everyone in turn? Fellow Daoist Yan, we're practically family, and you're Young Master Jiang's guest, so I'll offer you a bowl first. Please give me your due respect."
Yan Huanyue remained seated, not moving. She didn't find Yu Yi's words particularly friendly, and she had no desire to drink with him, so she said indifferently, "I'm not good at drinking."
She had just drunk the wine, and her refusal immediately created a tense atmosphere, especially in the eyes of the Yu family's servants, who felt she was somewhat ungrateful.
Xue Jingnian sat next to Tan Guiyi, looking at Yan Huanyue, who remained calm and composed on the cloud platform outside the door, and was about to explode with anger.
I told him I was going back to my sect, so why am I still in Tianqing City?
Everyone else knows where she is except him. He was heartbroken for so long, and after seeing her again, he didn't do anything at all. Why does she have to avoid him?
The atmosphere wasn't good; no one spoke. If someone was unhappy, they were unhappy, and Yan Huanyue wasn't afraid to stir up trouble.
Seeing this, Tan Guiyi unceremoniously picked up a wine bowl, drank it all in one gulp, turned the bowl upside down to show off its empty bowl, and laughed:
"Look at you, you're about to scare that young lady away. It's just a bowl of wine, I'll drink it for Fellow Daoist Yan. I'll offer Fellow Daoist Yan another bowl as an apology for what happened in Chang'an that day. If you're not good at drinking, you can use tea instead."
While others were unaware of what happened in Chang'an, Xue Jingnian remembered it clearly: in the restaurant, Yan Huanyue beat him up and then fought with Tan Guiyi.
In his opinion, he couldn't quite remember what it was about that day, so it probably wasn't that important, but the beating he received was still very memorable.
Tan Daoyou is broad-minded and can admit her mistakes and correct them. She has been traveling all over the place to find the medicine that the Yu family lost. If the two of them can reconcile, it would be a good thing.
Xue Jingnian also drank a bowl of wine, staring intently at Yan Huanyue at the banquet outside the door, and asked, "Yan Huanyue, why did you ask the waiter to bring you food just now? Are you leaving as soon as I arrive?"
Yan Huanyue glanced at him and said calmly, "I can't drink alcohol, and I can't sleep if I drink tea, so I won't disturb your enjoyment."
Xue Jingnian was already afraid that she would hate him and want to leave as soon as she saw him, so he wanted to prove that this was not the case.
Hearing her explanation, he became somewhat argumentative, desperately wanting to keep her there, and his tone hardened, "You can clearly drink, why not today?"
Yan Huanyue smiled casually, and made up a story in her mind: "I'm planning to have a child."
Xue Jingnian felt as if he had been plunged into a glacier, chilled to the bone. His eyes widened in disbelief as he said, "You're talking nonsense...you're talking nonsense..."
Yan Huanyue smiled silently, saying nothing, only hoping that he would never try to involve her again.
This silent rebuke seemed to treat all his hopes as a joke. Why... why say such chilling things to him...?
His elder brother once shattered his illusions, "Do you think marriage is just child's play? Pei Xuanzhi is a man, and he has half-demonic blood. He won't just leave a beautiful wife untouched. Even if he's really disabled due to illness, he has plenty of ways to deal with it. Why do you always think that marriage can be completely innocent? Can you do that yourself?"
"Of course I can!"
"Fool, you're not even qualified to touch that. Wait until you have the reputation and the qualifications, and if you can still act like this, then come and talk nonsense to me! Get lost, don't bother me!"
Xue Jingnian's mind was buzzing, and the whole world became a blur; he could only see Yan Huanyue.
Why is it that only she cannot have what he desires?
Xue Jingnian walked up to the cloud platform in a few steps, pointed at Yan Huanyue as if he wanted to question her, but he couldn't utter a single word.
The pain of believing she had died in the ghost market for days, combined with the sudden shock, caused him to feel a sweet taste in his throat. He bent over and spat out a mouthful of blood.
Jiang Xusheng immediately helped him to the side and fed him a pill.
Yu Yi glanced at Xue Jingnian, then at Yan Huanyue, and suddenly widened her eyes, covering her mouth in surprise.
Jiang Xusheng guessed what was going on, but directly stated: "I suppose you were injured in the Ghost Market without realizing it, and you've been running around for days. Now, a bowl of wine has brought it all out. There's no need for us to urge each other to drink. Fellow Daoist Yan not drinking isn't because I'm disrespecting you, so don't be angry."
Tan Guiyi sighed, "I know him. It's nothing more than... Fellow Daoist Yan, please consider this affection a little and don't torment people too much."
Yan Huanyue said, "What does his business have to do with me? I did nothing, so why is the blame being placed on me? He was the one who wanted to drink the wine, which aggravated his old injury. He should learn from this experience."
Having witnessed this scene, Yan Huanyue really didn't want to stay any longer.
He picked up his wine glass, stood up, and toasted Zhou Pingyi and Jiang Xusheng, saying, "Thank you for your hospitality today. I still need to go back and see if Junior Brother Pei has returned yet. If he hasn't, I'm afraid I'll have to trouble the Zhou family."
Zhou Pingyi returned the toast and said with a smile, "Just come find me."
"Yan Huanyue, you were lying all along..."
Yan Huanyue turned around and saw that Xue Jingnian's dark circles had not yet faded, and his lips were red. He looked unusually haggard and aggrieved, and his usual domineering demeanor was nowhere to be seen.
Yan Huanyue said, "You don't look well, you should get some rest."
"You know I'm not good enough, do you even care about me?"
Yan Huanyue was annoyed by his arrogance and his words in front of everyone, so she turned and walked towards the other side of the pavilion without looking back.
After descending two floors, she vaguely smelled a few wisps of cool fragrance floating in the wind.
Yan Huanyue followed the faint fragrance and looked up, only to see a figure in a snow-white dress fluttering in the wind outside the west pavilion.
Further west lies the silent, imposing clock tower, from which the occasional drumbeats carried on the cool breeze from afar.
That thin, helpless corner of clothing looked utterly lonely and desolate under the magnificent golden sunlight of the setting sun.
Yan Huanyue stopped in her tracks and called out softly, "Xuanzhi? What are you doing standing silently in the wind again?"
As Pei Xuanzhi turned the corner, his robes swayed, and he walked in from outside the door, saying with a cold expression, "I saw you here just now, so I came up to look for you."
Yan Huanyue asked, "Then why don't you go up? Young Master Jiang probably wants to see you today."
Pei Xuanzhi said coolly, "I just arrived. If I were to go up there, this matter would definitely be brought to light today, and the whole world would know about it. He would be fine, but those who listen to the gossip would only criticize you."
Yan Huanyue immediately distanced herself, saying, "This matter has nothing to do with me; you must have heard it."
Pei Xuanzhi stood inside the doorway, his back to the setting sun, shrouded in a dark shadow. He looked at her expressionlessly and said casually:
"certainly."
But why did you still feel sorry for Xue Jingnian in the end?
Why?
Yan Huanyue waved, and Pei Xuanzhi walked to her side and followed her downstairs.
Yan Huanyue asked, "Where did you go today?"
"I wandered around."
Are you hungry?
"some."
"I've ordered some food for you. Wait for me when we get to the first floor."
Pei Xuanzhi couldn't help but glance at her and nodded, "Okay."
When she arrived on the first floor, the waiter was about to take the food box upstairs. Seeing her coming down, he handed the food box to her.
After Yan Huanyue paid the bill, she pulled Pei Xuanzhi out through the back door and went around to the inn.
When the innkeeper saw them return, he immediately hid to the side and watched.
Just now, the young man returned, and before he even entered the room, he only said that the woman had been invited by some young master to Wanghai Tower to reminisce. The young man pushed open the door, glanced at her, and immediately chased after her.
He doesn't look too good right now...
Once back in her room, Yan Huanyue laid out the food from the food box.
Pei Xuanzhi sat down on the stool next to her and then noticed that the words on the paper on the table were written on the reverse side.
only......
He scooped a spoonful of soup from the bowl and held it to Yan Huanyue's lips, "You should eat some too."
Yan Huanyue sniffed the smell of alcohol on her body and said, "No need, I've already eaten. We need to leave as early as possible tomorrow, so I'll go wash up first."
Pei Xuanzhi almost put the warm spoon into her mouth again.
Yan Huanyue stepped aside, unconsciously licking the soup stains from her lips, and said, "No need, you eat it."
He seemed not to hear her at all, almost obsessively bringing the spoonful of soup to her lips, looking calmly into her eyes, without uttering a sound.
Yan Huanyue brushed his hand away, got up and walked towards the side room where hot water was running, casually saying:
"You eat it yourself."
Pei Xuanzhi remained seated, still holding the spoon, and drank the soup in one gulp.
He watched her retreating figure in silence, his face shrouded in the shadows of the lamplight. He remained motionless and silent until she entered the side room.
The gentle sound of the shower water echoed in the room, and the steam and warm fragrance spread throughout.
Pei Xuanzhi sat quietly with his eyes lowered, but his Adam's apple bobbed up and down, and his breathing began to become somewhat difficult.
He raised his hand and tugged at his collar, revealing the bite marks she had left beneath his neatly trimmed clothes...
Shouldn't she feel the most sorry for him, the one she personally inflicted so many wounds upon?
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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 2024-05-29 23:50:05 and 2024-06-05 01:40:20!
Thank you to the little angel who threw the landmine: 1 Cute Cheese;
Thank you to the little angels who watered the nutrient solution: Yun Xiaoxi, Yuzhongwulai, Paopao (30 bottles); Qianbei (20 bottles); 42623556, Qianning (10 bottles); Maodoli (8 bottles); Xiyun, Zuoge Xiaofupo, wutuo, Kuangbaodashiniu, Lanzeduofangcao (5 bottles); Jiubudian, shineyale (2 bottles); Xixi, kurosakiiji, Xutuzhi, Moshangyanyuyao, momo, Xiaminglang, 42293163, Geyunduan, and Gongyuanshuo (1 bottle).
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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