0088 Guanyin Swallow (Part 1)
On the seventh day of the third month of the sixth year of Chongde, an auspicious day was chosen according to the calendar, which was perfect for raising the roof beam and offering thanks to the earth god.
A light rain fell before dusk yesterday. When Shu Fu opened the window this morning, she saw a stretch of green embankment, two rows of green willows, shimmering in the sunlight, all lovely in the clear blue sky. A cool, refreshing breeze occasionally wafted in, its sweetness penetrating to the very core of her being.
Beneath the pink and white walls, a line of maids with double buns carried various food utensils as they passed by, like spring light draped in silk and jade.
In the distance, a solitary figure peeked out from a small window on the other side of the river. The head maid was about to give a slight bow when, unexpectedly, the figure quickly closed the window shut on its own.
When the maids saw this, they thought that her surprised appearance made her seem like a child. After laughing, they went about their business.
Unbeknownst to anyone, inside the waterside room, Shu Fu was being held by the waist and pressed against the window, subjected to a barrage of wet kisses.
Shu Fu, slightly out of breath, pulled Zhan Yaoguang's face from her neck. Seeing his dark eyes moist, his lips red, and his dazed appearance, her anger subsided slightly. She said to him in a clear voice, "Why did you suddenly run over here! Just now, a row of sisters walked by, and they almost saw you."
Zhan Yaoguang was still half asleep when he bit her ear again, mumbling, "I'm not ugly, I probably won't embarrass you..."
Shu Fu was furious and kicked him. Seeing his eyes gradually clear, she said seriously, "There's a banquet for the New Year at the end of today, and I have to go out to help her. I might not be back all day. You can stay here and relax... or go out for a walk if you like, just don't let anyone find you..."
The boy was already feeling down because he had been forcibly woken up. Hearing her say that, he felt even more like he was being treated like some kind of object that couldn't be seen in the light of day. Although he nodded in agreement, he was still dejected and not very happy.
Shu Fu finished giving her instructions and was about to leave when she couldn't help but turn back for a second. She saw him standing there silently, and she wondered if it was just her imagination, but the ends of his hair didn't seem as curly as they used to be.
A pang of sadness shot through her heart. She secretly complained that he was too good at making people feel sorry for her, but her body moved toward him involuntarily. Finally, she stood in front of him and, taking him by surprise, planted a wet kiss on his cheek.
Zhan Yaoguang looked up in bewilderment, only to hear her say:
"I'm telling you this time, I'm only going out for a little while, I didn't abandon you—"
As soon as she finished speaking, the girl lifted the hem of her skirt and ran out of the room like a rolled-up cigarette.
The boy stood there stunned for a long time before he came to his senses.
He leaned back in the swan-neck chair, his fingertips gently tracing the spot on his cheek where she had kissed him. Then he covered his forehead with his hand, his heart pounding, his lips dry. It was a strong, joyful impulse that almost made him want to laugh.
...
Shu Fu went to Li Miao's room and saw that she had not finished her morning makeup, so she volunteered to go up and help her put on her hairpins.
A banana leaf hairpin adorned with pearls and red gold was placed in her raven-black hair. Li Miao peeked at her in the mirror and saw that the girl's hibiscus-like face reflected the red pearl hairpin in her hair, making it blush almost to the point of dripping.
She couldn't help but ask, "Did you run here? Why is your face so red?"
Shu Fu was speechless for a moment, but fortunately Li Miao did not delve into it and continued, "Have you finished washing up? I'm going to take you to see someone later. That person is a bit special, so you should already have a good idea of who he is."
Shu Fu recalled what they had said in the waterside pavilion that day, and her curiosity was piqued. However, she suppressed her impulse and did not ask who the person was.
By the end of the day, carriages and horses of nobles from Chang'an gradually arrived from all directions. Li Miao personally greeted a few distinguished guests, and left the rest to Lin Shuangyu to manage.
Lin Shuangyu was dealing with these important people for the first time, so she was a little awkward at first.
But Li Miao valued her so much, and Shu Fu was always by her side, helping her to deflect some of the contemptuous words that were intentionally or unintentionally revealed. Gradually, she became more at ease and led the group of young men and women on a leisurely stroll through the villa, explaining the various ingenious designs and ideas within.
When Cai Cai came out to find Shu Fu, several ladies had already been impressed by Lin Shuang Yu's talent and handed over their invitations, repeatedly saying that they wanted her to design and build gardens for their families in the future.
Shu Fu was completely relieved. She quietly told Lin Shuangyu, and then she and Cai Cai avoided the crowds and walked towards a shady spot.
"Where is your mistress slacking off, leaving so many guests here? Luckily, Sister Ayu is very clever and has managed to keep everyone in line. You should tell her later that we need to prepare a generous gift to thank Sister Ayu."
By this time, the two had left the crowd, crossed the winding bridge, and arrived at the open space on the other side. Across the water, they could see that on the opposite bank, a game of guessing riddles and riddles had been set up on the meadow, making it a very lively and interesting feast.
Upon hearing Shu Fu's words, Cai Cai smiled and said, "The princess has her own place to go and entertain distinguished guests. She sent me to invite the second young lady to come along."
Shu Fu's heart skipped a beat, and she couldn't help but feel a little nervous. So she quickly tugged at Cai Cai's sleeve: "Sister Cai Cai, please tell me quietly, what exactly is the identity of this distinguished guest?"
Cai Cai pretended to be mysterious: "The princess forbids me to say it, so I dare not speak casually. There is only one thing, Second Miss, don't show any timidity in front of that person. That person likes generous and proper girls the most."
Based on the various events that had occurred recently, Shu Fu had a vague guess. Before she could speak, Cai Cai led her to the main hall of the villa.
There was no one else inside, only Li Miao sitting there. Several small windows were open on the side wall, letting in slender strands of golden sunlight, like butterfly tails, shining brightly and warming one's heart.
Shu Fu stepped into the room and saw Li Miao leisurely sipping fragrant tea from a white porcelain cup. She walked over to her and deliberately pointed at her with her finger: "What a lazy Princess Miao Miao! You dumped me and Sister Ayu over there to fob us off, while you're here leisurely drinking tea!"
Li Miao smiled and poured tea for Shu Fu, saying, "Shu Fu is wronging me. I told you that we had important guests coming, so I came ahead of time to prepare."
With the conversation centered on this topic, Shu Fu couldn't help but ask, "Who exactly is this person? You've been keeping me hanging for days..."
As she spoke, she dipped her fingertip in the tea: "Is this the character..." The water had barely dripped onto the table, the character still unformed, when a clear, melodious voice announced from behind her—
"Her Majesty the Empress has arrived."
———
Let's move on to another long storyline... (fingers)
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