Yuan Ye (Part 1)
The car was filled with warm air, and the heater that was lit again made the air soft and warm, dispelling the chill that had seeped in from outside the car.
Qingshan leaned against the cushioned couch, the person in his arms sleeping soundly with his head resting on his shoulder. Her long hair, like an inky waterfall, flowed over his knees, swaying slightly with the shaking of the carriage.
He Shu's breathing was long and steady, and the warm breath brushed across the skin on the side of his neck, bringing a slight itch.
Occasionally, snowflakes blown by the wind would hit the car wall, making a rustling sound. Qingshan would subconsciously close his arms and hug the person in his arms tighter, for fear that the sound would disturb his sleep.
The rhythm of the ruts gradually slowed down and finally became steady.
The clever colt knew the way well and stopped in front of the familiar cottage on Luzhu Mountain without any guidance. It let out two heavy breaths filled with white mist and its hooves gently dug into the snow.
Qingshan lowered his eyes, his gaze gently falling on Heshu's sleeping face. Seeing his eyelashes unconsciously fluttering in his sleep like butterfly wings, he whispered softly:
"Wuming, we're home."
He bent his fingers and very gently brushed away the scattered strands of hair on the side of the other person's face. Although his movements were careful, he still caused a vague nasal mumbling, which seemed to express his dissatisfaction with being disturbed.
Qingshan couldn't help but chuckle and gave up the idea of waking him up immediately. He lowered his head and gently buried his nose in the hair that was full of the fragrance of soapberries. He took a deep breath and simply stopped calling out, allowing the man to continue sleeping in his arms.
A "meow meow" sound was heard not far away, with a bit of urgency. It must be Jin Wu who discovered the returning carriage and the familiar scent, but for some reason, he did not run over immediately as usual.
The warmth within the carriage was cozy and drowsy. In the corner, the flickering yellow light of a candle gently cast the figures of two people entwined and cuddling against the gauze curtains, elongating their tranquil outlines.
Qingshan was also infected by the quiet and warm atmosphere. He felt sleepy for a moment, yawned slightly with his hands covering his lips, and his eyelids gradually became heavy.
Just as he was feeling drowsy, a clear female voice that seemed unfamiliar to him rang out in the yard, like a stone thrown into a quiet lake, waking him up all of a sudden.
"How long do you plan to stay in the carriage? Although this carriage is nice, it is not a place to live in for a long time."
Listening to the footsteps approaching, accompanied by the squeaking sound of snow being trampled, he slowly stood up, leaned He Shu's head on his chest, and carefully moved it to the pillow behind him.
After making sure that the other person was still sleeping soundly, he leaned over to the window and reached out to lift a corner of the brocade curtain.
Outside the window, a woman in a crescent-shaped white dress approached, holding Jin Wu, who was still twisting and struggling, in her arms.
Her fingertips stroked the cat's smooth fur with a half-forced touch, her movements not quite familiar. She looked up at the carriage and said casually:
"Where are they going for a leisurely trip? They even borrowed Emperor Xuanyue's sedan chair. What a grand display..."
However, when she saw that the person sticking his head out of the car was not He Shu as expected, the woman's steps suddenly stopped, a trace of obvious surprise flashed across her face, she couldn't help but frowned, and subconsciously blurted out,
"He, no...where's He Wuming? Why are you here?"
Qingshan did not answer immediately, but just turned slightly to the side, revealing the figure sleeping soundly on the soft couch behind him.
Seeing this, the woman's gaze lingered on He Shu's sleeping profile for a moment, and she nodded in understanding, the confusion on her face disappearing.
She said no more, hugged the cat which had calmed down a little, turned around, stepped on the snow, and walked back to the yard.
Qingshan lowered the curtain, turned around, and carefully wrapped the cloak around Heshu. Then he opened the cotton curtain at the door, gently picked up the person who was still sleeping with his eyes closed, and walked down the carriage steadily.
As soon as his feet touched the ground, the spirit horse behind him let out a short neigh, and a faint light appeared around its body. The next moment, it disappeared, leaving only the carriage still parked there.
This not-so-small sound made Qingshan's heart tighten, and he quickly lowered his eyes to look at the person in his arms.
He Shu's long and thick eyelashes trembled rapidly, but did not open. Instead, they closed tighter, as if he was in a deep sleep.
With an almost inaudible chuckle and a slight smile on his lips, Qingshan continued to walk slowly towards the cabin, holding Heshu.
He walked through the thin snow in the yard and into the slightly warmer house. He placed the person on the bed with gentle movements.
Turning around to light the silver charcoal in the stove, he found that the uninvited guest in the yard had also quietly walked into the bedroom and was standing by the door, quietly looking at the simple furnishings in the room.
As soon as Jin Wu in her arms saw Qingshan and Heshu on the couch, she immediately struggled again, kicking around with her four little paws.
It found an opportunity, kicked back suddenly, and jumped out of the unfamiliar arms nimbly. With a "meow", it quickly leaped towards Qingshan, and was caught steadily by his outstretched arms. He held it in his arms and rubbed its furry little head as if to comfort it.
"Young lady, are you a guest of my master Xuan Tongzi?"
Qingshan asked softly as he slowly walked towards the study connected to the bedroom, his voice very low.
Before he set out for Shenyue Town, he had specifically entrusted Jin Wu to the care of his master, Xuan Tongzi. Now, this strange woman had suddenly appeared here with Jin Wu, presumably from his master's place.
And judging from her behavior just now, she must be very familiar with Wuming, and they must be old acquaintances.
“…I guess so.”
The woman's answer was filled with some hesitation.
The two sat down opposite each other on the chairs in the study, and the reflection of the snow outside the window made the room a little brighter.
Qingshan had a polite yet distant smile on his face and asked directly:
"I apologize for not welcoming you and not being able to entertain you well. I wonder why you are looking for Wuming?"
"No problem."
The woman waved her hand nonchalantly, her attitude calm.
"I wish you no worries..."
She gave her name, which was Heqi, but Qingshan still didn't recognize her.
"It's Wuming... a fellow senior sister. I haven't seen my junior brother for a long time and I miss him. I happened to be out on business these past two days and passed by here, so I thought I'd stop by to see him and catch up."
As she spoke, she looked up and down the person sitting opposite her without leaving any trace, and a trace of imperceptible relief flashed in her bright eyes.
Then, she suddenly turned her head and looked towards the bedroom, saying with emotion:
"Your health... looks much better than before. Your Qi and blood are full, and your spirit is stable. Seeing that Junior Brother has finally achieved his wish and found a good match, I, as your Senior Sister, can rest assured."
Hearing this, Qingshan paused his fingertips caressing Jin Wu. He lowered his eyes, gazing at the warm golden color in his arms, lost in thought for a moment.
He searched through his memories of several lifetimes, but could not find any trace of the woman named Zhu Wuyou in front of him.
I've never seen her before around Wuming, but she obviously knows a lot of inside stories. Not only is she acquainted with the master, she also has a close relationship with Wuming. She also seems to have a lot of insight into their affairs from her words... Maybe she is also from the fairy world?
While I was thinking to myself, the little guy in my arms suddenly twisted restlessly, as if he couldn't stay still.
He suddenly came to his senses and raised his hand in confusion. Jin Wu seized the opportunity and jumped out from his lap with a "whoosh", running straight to the bedroom with a clear goal.
"Jin Wu!"
Qingshan subconsciously lowered his voice to stop him.
"Your brother is still resting, don't disturb him!"
As soon as he stood up, he heard the woman opposite him say:
"It's okay, Wuming already..."
"Oh!"
Before she finished speaking, a head popped out from the study door, followed by He Shu's obviously anxious and deliberately raised voice, interrupting He Qi.
"Senior Sister Wuyou! Long time no see! You're really... really a rare guest!"
He Shu didn't care about the little cat who was trying to climb up by clinging to his trouser legs. He almost staggered to He Qi and grabbed her arm with such force that He Qi frowned slightly.
When he got off the carriage just now, he was awakened by the neighing of the spirit horse and the cold air.
But when he found himself in Qingshan's arms, in front of everyone, he was too embarrassed to "wake up" and face them immediately, so he simply played along and pretended to sleep all the way.
After being put on the bed, he quietly slipped out of bed and hid outside the study to eavesdrop for a while, but was discovered by the clever Jin Wu first.
Seeing that Heqi seemed to be about to say something, he was afraid that she would accidentally reveal her embarrassing thoughts or pretend to be asleep, so he jumped out and interrupted her.
"Since Wuming has woken up, I won't bother you two any longer with your reminiscing."
Qingshan said, and stood up obediently, walked to Heshu's side, raised his hand very naturally, and gently tidied his hair, which was a little messy from sleeping all the way, behind his ears, with gentle and skillful movements.
"I'm just about to go to the city to buy some food and festival supplies. It's getting late. If Miss Zhu doesn't mind, why don't you stay and have a simple meal with us?"
He casually picked up Jin Wu, who was still clinging to He Shu's legs, and placed her in his arms. He tilted his head slightly and asked softly with concern:
"You've been running around all day, why don't you take a break? But are we disturbing you with our conversation?"
This sudden approach, brought with it the fresh and clean scent of Qingshan, caught He Shu off guard and made his face blush instantly.
When he thought of Heqi still watching him intently, he turned his head abruptly, stretched out his hand with shame and anger, and pushed Qingshan lightly:
"I, I'm in good spirits! I've slept so long in the carriage that I'm already well rested. I'm not as frail as you say!"
He Qi watched the affectionate interaction between the two leisurely, his eyebrows slightly raised, and his eyes looking at He Shu were full of teasing.
The words of refusal that were on the tip of her tongue suddenly stopped in her throat. She nodded and agreed readily.
"In that case, I'm sorry to bother you."
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