0083 Spring Outing (Part 3)
Shu Fu never expected that she would meet the person Li Miao had mentioned so soon, even though she hadn't seen him yet, the person she had thought of by chance after seeing a cat in the waterside pavilion would be found so quickly at Changyi Villa.
In the past few days, Changyi Villa has been busy preparing for the celebratory banquet. Various kinds of fine wines, fresh fruits, and meats waiting to be cooked and roasted are being sent to the villa from outside in a continuous stream.
As for Shu Fu, Li Miao didn't ask her to worry about these things. Rather than asking her to help out, it would be more appropriate to ask her to relax. So when she had nothing to do, she would go to the horse farm behind the villa to practice her riding skills, just so that she wouldn't hold the other girls back.
However, Shu Fu hadn't ridden a horse in a long time, and these last few times she had overdone it, her limbs and waist and hips ached so much that she couldn't lift them.
After working non-stop for several days, Li Miao had a rare moment of free time and saw Shu Fu looking so dejected. She was startled for a moment: "What's wrong with you? Did some sharp thorn grow out of your bed while you were sleeping and sting you like this?"
Shu Fu buried her head on her shoulder like a spoiled child: "I was riding a horse, and the little pony was not well-behaved at all. It bounced me so much that my bones felt like they were going to fall apart."
Upon hearing this, Li Miao considered for a moment before saying, "How about this, I'll hire a massage therapist for you?"
“No need,” Shufu said lazily, closing her eyes listlessly. “I didn’t strain anything, just some muscle soreness. I’ll be fine after a couple of days of rest.”
Despite saying that, Li Miao still invited a Hu woman skilled in massage, and Shu Fu had no choice but to nod in agreement.
On this day, after riding a horse at the horse farm, Shu Fu took a bath in the fragrant hot spring. When she came out, the shimmering golden light from the sky had splashed all over the ground, thick and sparkling, extending all the way to the hem of her skirt. On a whim, she tiptoed and walked inch by inch along the edge of the shimmering light.
The wisp of blue sky on the other side resembled a small whisk. As she approached the door, the fan-shaped surface of the sky scattered, completely obscuring the golden light above her head.
Shufu pushed open the door and went in, lighting the lamps one by one. Then she lay down on a long, square embroidered cushion, closed her eyes, and waited for the Hu woman to arrive.
She didn't know how much time had passed, and she seemed to be about to fall into a drunken dream, when the knocking on the door finally sounded.
"Please come in."
The knocking stopped, and then the door was pushed open, and a person slowly stepped in.
Shufu lay on the mat without raising her head, and said softly, "Thank you for your trouble, sister."
After a long while, she heard the sound of boxes being unloaded, but the person's breathing was so faint as to be barely audible, let alone any response.
Her brows were furrowed, then she suddenly opened her eyes and turned around abruptly.
A young man dressed as a Hu woman stood under the lamp, which made him appear even more beautiful, with fair and clear skin.
It was Zhan Yaoguang.
Zhan Yaoguang looked at her from afar, not saying a word at first, but Shu Fu always felt that he was about to burst into tears.
Fortunately, he didn't burst into tears in front of her. His voice was a little hoarse as he slowly said, "It's fortunate that you recognized me, otherwise I would have thought you had long forgotten me..."
"Feifei? What are you doing here?" Shufu asked, quite surprised.
Zhan Yaoguang pursed her lips and slowly moved in front of her, her tall figure blocking out a patch of light: "I wanted to see you, so I came."
However, the truth is—
When he woke up that day, he didn't see her beside him, but he vaguely remembered that she had said she would be back soon when she left in the morning. So he went out himself and bought some food and toys, waiting for her to come back so he could share them with her.
But he never expected that Shuf would never return.
After calming down, he quickly recalled that on the day they had their argument, there were clearly two notes on Shu Fu's desk. She burned the one that Liang Zhiyan had invited her to, so she must have gone to accept the invitation from the other one.
Zhan Yaoguang remembered that the place was called Fanchuan, which was located in the suburbs of Chang'an.
He was able to travel all the way from the southern border to Chang'an, so finding Fanchuan would be a piece of cake. In fact, he arrived near Changyi Villa at dusk on the second day.
He hesitated several times before going in to find her, not because the princess's attendants were particularly skilled, but because he himself had trapped himself.
He kept replaying the events of the day the conflict broke out, wondering if she didn't want to see him at all.
Fortunately, news later came from the villa that they were looking for a massage therapist, a woman of Central Asian descent, to help Miss Shu.
The news was so timely it was almost divine revelation, so he used some tricks to easily replace the Hu woman, and after grooming and disguising himself, he sneaked into Changyi Villa.
Why did you leave me again?
Shu Fu lay face down on the low couch, and Zhan Yaoguang squatted down, very close to her. He extended a finger and gently touched hers like a snail touching its shell, then bent his knuckles and firmly gripped her index finger.
Shu Fu felt a warmth on her fingers and a tickle in her heart. She hesitated for a long time before answering, "We haven't made up yet... That night, didn't you want to take the bedding out to sleep? I thought you didn't want to see me..."
—In fact, on the morning he left, when he came to hug her, she just thought he was still asleep.
"You're wronging me!" Zhan Yaoguang raised her head, her eyes gleaming with anger as she glared at her. "I've never wanted to look at you!"
In his view, it was because she didn't want to see him.
But he missed her so much that he came anyway.
He suddenly stood up, paced restlessly around the room, and curled his hair upwards.
But when he turned his head to look, Shu Fu was still lying on the couch, seemingly dazed, staring at him directly without giving any response.
Zhan Yaoguang's arrogance vanished as if doused with water. He walked to her side again, squatted down a second time, his eyelashes casting varying shades of shadow on his face, and his voice was hoarse and strained: "I asked you if we had made up, but you didn't answer me."
He thought to himself, how could he bear to be angry with her like this?
Upon hearing this, Shu Fu frowned slightly, sat up, and looked at him: "When did you ask? Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
Upon hearing this, Zhan Yaoguang felt as if the clouds had parted and the fog had cleared. He vaguely sensed something and tentatively began, "It was that night at the end, I..." He stopped abruptly, then revealed a look of sudden realization, "I remember now, you seemed to be trembling the whole time, almost fainting... So, you didn't hear me?"
As soon as this thought came to mind, all the grievances, disappointments, and gloom that had been on his face disappeared, replaced by a faint sense of anticipation.
Shu Fu's ears suddenly felt hot, and she subconsciously reached out to cover his mouth, but left his extremely captivating eyes exposed, staring straight at her without blinking.
After a long standoff, Zhan Yaoguang was the first to back down. He pulled away her hand that was covering her face and asked softly, "Then let me ask you one more time: have we made up?"
These words were exactly what she wanted to hear. She had never intended to be at odds with him in the first place. It was just that she was liking someone for the first time and she didn't want to be at a disadvantage so easily. She took even the slightest movement from him as a provocation.
Looking into his honest and open eyes, Shu Fu felt a slight warmth in her chest and quietly nodded.
Zhan Yaoguang finally showed a relieved smile.
"Can we stop arguing from now on?"
As soon as he said it, Zhan Yaoguang himself felt it was bizarre. After all, he was determined to be with her for life, and how could a pair of vibrant lovers remain forever ordinary and mundane?
After thinking for a moment, he added, "Fine, you can be angry with me, but you have to tell me why you're angry so I can explain it to you..."
“Afu,” the boy squatted down in front of her bed, looking at her intently, “if we break up because of these awkward things, I will really be sad for the rest of my life.”
Looking at his earnest expression, Shu Fu felt a slight tug at her heartstrings.
Both were very young, even naive, and each was the other's first experience with love. They knew nothing, yet they were able to explore and learn together.
This feeling is very subtle, like a touch of green that accidentally sprouts on a branch after a spring rain. Once it takes hold, it will soon bloom into a brand new flower that will last for a year.
Those untouchable flowers bloomed in her heart, and Shufu suddenly felt a strong urge to say something to him.
She solemnly hummed in agreement and said, "From childhood to adulthood, my teachers and the books I've read have all taught me that one should be introspective and reserved. So many times, what I say and do is not what I truly want. Moreover, I was born in Chang'an, while you grew up in the southern borderlands. Our geography and customs are different, and our understanding is also different. If there is anything you find difficult to understand, you must tell me directly."
Zhan Yaoguang was taken aback at first, then her eyes lit up for a moment, feeling a great sense of satisfaction that her emotions had been responded to.
A slight smile appeared on his lips as he extended his pinky finger and hooked it tightly around her little finger: "Then you can't deny it. The Nuo God is my witness, we'll always be the best of friends."
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