Chapter 29 Chapter 29 Night Reunion
The house on Liushang Street was a whim he'd bought to house Quan's status. Aside from his closest confidants, she was the only one who knew where it was.
Not to mention the six people in the group, one woman with five attendants, exactly as stated in her travel permit. So many coincidences piled up one after another. If the figure beneath the veil wasn't her, how could such a perfect coincidence exist in the world?
No wonder there was no trace of her anywhere, no wonder all the clues seemed reasonable yet also suspicious. Now that I had figured out her intentions and looked back, all of this arrangement was truly, perfectly reasonable.
No matter how passionate the feelings are, they will eventually dissipate like smoke. What's more, the love between children is just a fleeting glimpse, as light as flying catkins, and not worth a sneer.
He had been sending letters and messages searching for her repeatedly these days, thinking of that fleeting chance encounter. Given Qin Jingyao's temperament, it was impossible, and he disdained to invest so much of his heart and soul in a woman. Even if a ripple of regret occasionally lingered in his heart, it was only a fleeting foam in the teacup, leaving not even a trace.
Unexpectedly, fate was unpredictable. Today, just when he had issued the final secret letter to terminate the search, things suddenly turned around.
Since she was already in the capital, and so close, Qin Jingyao didn't leave immediately. He first returned to his inner room, changed his clothes, tied his hair, and tightened the jade belt around his waist by three-quarters. Then he waved his sleeves and walked out, his steps faintly making the sound of gold and jade clashing.
Under the flickering fireflies, his dark robe fluttered like the wings of a night crow, rustling in the wind. The pent-up resentment of days melted away in an instant, like drinking ice in the dog days of summer. A chilling pleasure coursed through his chest and into his every limb.
He even laughed out loud, thinking to himself what a clever girl this was, she was able to manipulate all of them in the palm of her hand. In this world, she was probably the only one who had such courage and ability.
He should have been angry at her audacity, her sudden disappearance forcing him to search for her in the midst of his busy schedule, and he should have been furious at her reckless disregard for his own safety. But at this moment, he couldn't help but feel a certain admiration for her resourcefulness and cunning.
What moved his heart the most was that she went to great lengths to set up a maze, traveled thousands of miles without any hesitation, and even went against worldly ethics, just to get to where he was.
A carriage with a blue silk canopy pulled out of the palace gate, a gilded bronze token with the Chinese character "Tan" dangling from the eaves. Two snow-capped horses trod across the bluestones of the Imperial Street and disappeared at the end of the long street in a flash.
Qin Jingyao sat upright in the car, his auspicious phoenix eyes narrowed slightly, his inky black pupils revealing an indiscernible emotion. His expression had returned to its usual composure, save for a faint curve at the corner of his lips.
His slender fingers tapped lightly on his knees, at a steady pace, as if he was silently calculating something.
*
Longshuo was truly a place where the emperor stood at his feet, a gathering place for all directions. Delicacies from the south, exotic treasures from overseas, and strange objects from beyond the Great Wall—any conceivable rare item was readily available and exquisitely prepared in the densely packed streets and alleys of this capital, along with its brightly lit night markets.
Perhaps it is because girls are born with a love for shopping. Now that she has put her worries aside and doesn't have to worry about being short of money, and someone is taking care of everything for her, Lan Nongnong strolls leisurely through the streets.
If she saw something that caught her eye, she would just put it in her bag with a click of her finger. If she came across something priceless, she would just stop and stare at it, just to please her eyes. Wu An was carrying things by her side, and soon he had a lot of bags and parcels, but she still felt unsatisfied.
Walk from the center of the sun's shadow until dusk falls and the lights come on.
The night market was just beginning, but she was still in high spirits, walking briskly through the crowds. The sounds of hawking, haggling, and laughter echoed around her, mingling with the sweet aroma of the candy figurines and the smoke from the barbecue grills, making the night even more lively and lively.
He could hear the peddler beating the drum and watch the jugglers performing, but he didn't even notice that his sleeves were stained with icing sugar.
Lan Nongnong felt like a fish in water in this bustling street market, sometimes stopping to haggle with vendors, and sometimes squeezing into the crowd to listen to some interesting stories about the city.
This kind of unrestrained happiness was even greater than the last time she was with Yao Jing. After all, in front of her loved one, she always had to be reserved. It was not like now, where she didn't even bother to straighten the crooked pearl in her hair.
She had already removed her veil and replaced it with a fox mask with a white face and a red nose, revealing a small, delicate nose tip. A silk velvet bunny ear headband swayed gently with her steps, making her half-hidden face look even more lively.
The night market was bustling with people of all kinds. Wu An followed closely, his eyes fixed on the crowd, not daring to slack off even for a moment.
Lan Nongnong was completely immersed in the colorful street scene, dazzled by it all, and had no idea that she had already become the focus of everyone's attention.
She held the newly acquired colorful glass beads in her left hand and a candied haws in her right hand, taking a bite from time to time, glancing at the rouge shop and the ceramic stall. When she came to her senses, she had already reached the end of the night market.
As he was taking out a small bamboo water bottle from his shoulder bag, his bright eyes moved around casually. When his eyes accidentally passed by something, he suddenly froze as if struck by lightning.
The bamboo tube raised to his lips stopped in mid-air, and the next moment he turned his head suddenly, his eyes piercing that place like lightning.
A tall figure slowly approached from the darkness, gradually outlined by the dazzling lights of the night market. The flickering flames illuminated a face she knew all too well. The handsome face that had haunted her dreams now appeared even more dignified and extraordinary in the interplay of light and shadow, as if a deity had appeared from heaven.
“…”
"Yao Jing..."
Lan Nongnong stood there in a daze, her eyes wide open, her lips trembling unconsciously, and she murmured the name that had lingered in her mind thousands of times.
She had been secretly looking forward to meeting him by chance during the day, but she never expected that at this moment, he would suddenly turn around and meet her again in the dimly lit place.
"Yao Jing, Yao Jing!"
If this isn't fate, then what is?!
Reunion should have been a joyous occasion, but Lan Nongnong suddenly felt a pang of pain in her nose, and her vision misted over. Her fingers unconsciously loosened, and she didn't even notice the carefully selected items falling to the ground.
There was a lot of noise all around, and Wu An's exclamation was close to her ears, but she seemed to be in the void, with only that figure in her eyes. She no longer cared about anything else, letting her pearl hairpins scatter and her silk stockings get covered in dust.
She went against the bustling crowd and through numerous obstacles, with tears of joy in her eyes and burning emotions in her heart, and ran towards him without hesitation.
*
"Yao Jing!"
The woman's joyful call was still ringing in his ears when her soft, fragrant body crashed into his arms. Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, she threw herself upon him with such reckless abandon, like a burning flame, burning her love through the flesh of their bodies, burning deep into the depths of his heart.
A feeling of contentment flowed through his body like a warm current, reaching his soul. It was as if this softness in his arms was meant to fit perfectly here.
Qin Jingyao stretched out his arms, then closed them, his iron-clad arms catching the person firmly. With a twirl of his toes, he carried the person in his arms into the darkness, their backs to the bustling crowd. His attendant guards followed him like a shadow, instantly forming a formation behind him, like an invisible screen, dividing this world into two realms of light and darkness.
Wu An was shocked and was about to step forward when he was stopped by Tongze. He instinctively turned his hand back, but the force was instantly taken away and he was twisted to the side.
*
The fox mask with charming eye contours was gently lifted by slender fingers. As the ribbon slid off, a small face as rosy as jade suddenly appeared. There seemed to be vitality flowing under the white and rosy skin, and the blood of youth was beating under the skin as thin as a cicada's wing, just like a night-blooming cereus suddenly blooming in the dark night, appearing in the dim light.
He lowered his eyes to gaze at the pair of eyes that were as bright as stars, and gently stroked the dimples that he had not seen for a long time. Tenderness gradually appeared in his eyes, but there was an undercurrent surging in the depths, and a low laugh escaped from his throat: "Silly Nong Nong,"
Lan Nongnong missed him so much that she couldn't help but press her cheek against his palm, nuzzling it like a cat. Her delicate hands slid from his waist to his back, wrapping themselves tightly around him, her entire body entwined in his embrace like a vine. Suddenly, she tilted her face back, her nose slightly red from rubbing against him, but her eyes were surprisingly bright, like a cat just out of its nest, charming and naive.
As soon as her red lips parted, a string of silver bell-like words uttered, "Hahaha, you didn't expect to see me here? Are you surprised? Are you surprised?"
"Does our reunion resemble that poem? I searched for him among the crowd for a thousand times, but when I turned around, he was standing in the dimly lit place!"
"Yao Jing, Yao Jing, do you miss me?"
"I miss you so much..."
Lan Nongnong expressed her longing for him without hesitation, and didn't care about the eyes of those around her. At this moment, her heart and eyes were filled with only him, and she didn't want to look away for a moment.
The heartfelt feelings on paper were ultimately separated by a layer of ink. But now, I hear her soft whispers with my own ears and see her eyes moving. The feeling is like a sudden downpour in the scorching summer, refreshing from the tips of my hair to my fingertips.
A shiver snaked up her spine, her Adam's apple rising and falling in the darkness. But the woman, completely enveloped by the figure, was completely unaware of it.
"I am overjoyed to meet Nong Nong again after such a long separation."
He smoothed the pearl flower in her hair with his fingertips, but suddenly changed his tone, "But Nong Nong hasn't sent any news for over ten days, not even a single word. How should we discuss this matter?"
As soon as the words fell, Lan Nongnong's shoulders trembled. It was not known whether it was because of the dangerous hoarseness in his voice, or because she sensed his different and imposing aura.
This was clearly an act of settling accounts with her.
The sweet smile on her face suddenly froze, her eyes wandering like a startled bird, her lips, which were even more crimson with molasses, just opened slightly, but before she could say anything, he interrupted her.
"This isn't the place for conversation. Nong Nong, please think carefully about how you should explain this to me."
His tone was casual, but Lan Nongnong felt her scalp tingling for some reason. She opened her lips hesitantly to defend herself, but suddenly she felt something tighten around her waist, and she was unexpectedly picked up by the waist. Sudden weightlessness, she hurriedly clung to his shoulders.
The night breeze, carrying a sweet fragrance, blew towards her. Lan Nongnong swayed slightly as she looked up. In the flickering light, his profile seemed as if it had been sculpted, making her momentarily dazed. When she came to her senses, she was already in a moving carriage. He lowered his eyes and glanced at her, a hint of a smile on his lips, looking at her leisurely.
The carriage was completely silent, with only a glass lamp in the corner emitting warm light. The warmth of his chest shone through her thin summer clothes, burning her skin.
Lan Nongnong looked away suddenly as if she was scalded, and hurriedly let go of her hands that were clinging to his shoulders and was about to stand up. Before her toes touched the car board, her waist felt tight and her whole body was pressed back firmly onto his legs.
"Yao, Yao Jing, you, you let go first. It's hard for me to talk to you if you sit like this! Oh, right, Brother Wu was just with me. He must be very worried when I suddenly disappeared."
Lan Nongnong stammered, avoiding looking at him.
She could feel him looking at her, the exposed skin on the side of her neck burning as if on fire, the veins throbbing beneath the skin. Her hands tried in vain to push against his iron-like arms, but it was like an ant trying to shake a tree, and even the jade bracelet on her wrist made a crackling sound.
Although they had been so intimate in Yuqing, she was suffering from a high fever and was in a confused state of mind at that time. Her closeness to him was just a clinging attachment during her illness. It was nothing compared to her clear mind at this moment. The contact of their skin was like a prairie fire, burning her soul.
After all, they had been separated for a long time. Her feelings for him grew deeper, but her body felt unfamiliar with his closeness.
Her thoughts were so straightforward that they could be seen through at a glance, yet Qin Jingyao showed no sign of letting go. She had been the one who had provoked him, who had written letters expressing her longing, who had traveled thousands of miles in pursuit, and who had already poured this burning passion into his arms, so how could he allow her to escape?
With irresistible force, his slender fingers gently grasped her chin and turned her face away, chuckling softly, "Someone will arrange it with him. It's really Nong Nong, are you going to be estranged from me after just a few months?"
Lan Nong's cheeks were flushed, her teeth biting the soft flesh inside her lips unconsciously, and her eyes, which were forced to meet his, were filled with shimmering water.
He was dressed in a long, dark robe, a faint line of snow-white brocade visible at the lapels, and the air of freshness after a bath lingered around him. His black hair, half tied up in a jade crown, fell behind his shoulders, highlighting the lines on his forehead like the undulating mountains in the distance.
There was a hint of deepness in the auspicious phoenix eyes with eyelashes like crow feathers, a hint of a smile, a nose like a hanging gall bladder, lips as thin as a blade, and every contour of the jade-like face seemed to be carefully carved by nature. Although he was clearly close at hand, he exuded an untouchable sharpness.
Perhaps because he had returned to his own territory, his features took on a certain air of dignity that hadn't been apparent in Yuqing, a calmness like that of a chess player strolling leisurely in a garden. The warmth that now spread across his eyes and brows diluted the inherent coldness of his features, making them even more captivating.
Seeing that he was more charming than before, Lan Nongnong's mind was like sparks flying. It took her a long time to regain her consciousness. She said dazedly: "I like you so much that I can't wait to be estranged from you."
A low laugh rolled out of his throat, numbing Lan Nongnong's ears and making her soul feel like it had been shaken out of her body. When her consciousness returned to its place, she felt as if thousands of ants were crawling all over her body, and even her fingertips were numb and she had no place to rest.
Her eyelashes fluttered, and she took several deep breaths to suppress her embarrassment. Suddenly, her eyes widened, and she forced herself to put on a fierce look, "Anyway, I'm coming down now!"
He had both her body and heart firmly under his control, and seeing her embarrassed and angry expression, Qin Jingyao chuckled and loosened his restraints. Suddenly, his arms felt lighter, and the soft body on his knees slipped away like a fish.
As soon as she was free from his presence, Lan Nongnong became more conscious. She quickly took two steps back, turned around and sat down in the armchair diagonally opposite her. She grabbed the purple clay teapot fixed with a magnet and poured a cup of tea.
He didn't care whether it was hot or cold, he tilted his head back and drank. He saw his slender throat rolling slightly as he swallowed. After a cup of warm water went down his throat, the boiling heat in his body gradually subsided.
"call,"
Lan Nongnong closed her eyes and took a long breath. When she opened her eyes again, a smile appeared in her eyes. They were in love with each other, and their reunion after a long separation should have been as sweet as honey.
In this case, what's the harm in being a little more clingy and infatuated?
As she thought about it, her previous embarrassment instantly vanished. She leaned her elbows on the table, her chin resting on her palms, and looked at him with a smile on her face. She had a lot to say, but she couldn't stop.
"Yao Jing, how could it be such a coincidence? You went to the night market, and I went too. As soon as you looked up, I happened to see you. Isn't this the case of fate meeting each other even though they are thousands of miles apart, and minds connecting with each other?"
"Have you missed me these past few days since I've received your letter? Are you happy that I've come all the way here to find you?"
Suddenly he straightened his back and said proudly, "I have made it this far on my first long journey. Isn't that amazing?"
Without waiting for a response, he continued his praises, "Longshuo truly lives up to its reputation as an imperial capital. The city walls are magnificent, the people are thriving, the millions of lights shine like a swimming dragon, and even the beast's mouths on the eaves exude majesty. Just now, standing in the street, I saw the shadowy palace in the distance. Even in the dark night, the towering momentum is still awe-inspiring..."
"...I visited the shops in Longshuo today. They are indeed much more prosperous than those in Yuqing. Although the prices are slightly higher, the craftsmanship of the two places is unique and it is worth the money."
She suddenly leaned forward again, her eyes gleaming with curiosity. "I heard that the Red Di delegation is coming. Yao Jing, you've traveled a lot. Are they really big and strong, with eagle eyes and long beards? Can they speak the Central Plains dialect? Do you know other languages?"
"...Brother Lin said that high-ranking officials and dignitaries are everywhere under the emperor's feet. When I was in Yuqing, I heard about a general named Qin, who was a master of strategy and had made great achievements. I wonder if I can get a glimpse of this noble man during my visit to the capital..."
"Yao Jing..."
She seemed to want to fill the gap of the past ten days in one breath, and did not allow him to interrupt her, just talking and asking questions on her own.
Qin Jingyao smiled, and he was actually eager to listen to her witty words. He felt that her voice was clear and melodious, like jade beads rolling on a platters, ding-dong-dong knocking on the tip of his heart.
The cheek held in the palm of her hand is the size of a palm, just like a flower bud about to bloom, shining brightly under the light. The tip of her tongue occasionally flashes between her cherry lips, and when she speaks of her pleasure, her pearly teeth are slightly exposed.
There was a lively look in the corners of his eyes and eyebrows, and the fresh energy in his body spread out so recklessly that even the air seemed to be filled with joy.
He stared at her silently, his eyes as deep as a lake. After she finished speaking, he spoke with a half-smile under her earnest gaze, "It's no coincidence. A servant from the mansion reported that a woman had been lingering in front of the house for a long time, but left without knocking. Even if you were wearing a veil, no one in the world could find me at that address except for the thick fog."
So as soon as I got the news, I ordered people to follow the direction you left and ask around. "Nong Nong, tell me, is the fate between you and me destined by heaven or by human hands?"
"Nong Nong has gone through so much trouble to come here, and I cannot help but be delighted by your sincerity."
Lan Nongnong was secretly touched by his words, and suddenly she realized that when they met again, there seemed to be no surprise in his eyes. She was about to nod, but he froze her body with a question.
"Tell me, why haven't you written to me in the past ten days? Why have you concealed your whereabouts? If you intend to come to the capital, just mention it in your letter and I will send someone to bring you safely. The journey is thousands of miles long, and people are treacherous. Have you ever imagined the hardships of the journey? What if something unexpected happens, or if you trust someone too easily and end up in the wrong person? The capital is vast and crowded, and there are all kinds of people. You can't just sit back and relax once you arrive."
"Now that you've arrived in Beijing, why don't you come see me?"
Lan Nongnong regretted that the topic didn't change, but she had anticipated his questioning. She knew that her actions were bold, and she had deliberately kept it a secret from him, causing him to worry. This was indeed a bit willful.
Although her original intention was to give him a surprise, as he said, in this world where transportation is slow and letters are far away, even if she had someone to protect her, it would be extremely dangerous for her, a girl without any relatives around her, to travel thousands of miles alone.
Lan Nongnong quietly glanced up at him, knowing that he was worried about her. But perhaps because of a guilty conscience, even though he only looked at her lightly, his gaze seemed to carry a thousand pounds of weight, weighing heavily on her heart.
His tone also dropped. "I just missed you, wanted to see you, and wanted to give you a surprise. I'm not acting rashly. Brother Lin is Aunt Qingfeng's nephew. He is a man of integrity and is very trustworthy. The guards who escorted me this time were all carefully selected by Brother Lin."
"The aunts knew I was coming, but I asked them to say they didn't know in order to surprise you. I also kept Qingluo and the others in the other courtyard a secret."
"I've even thought of a way out. I left a letter for Aunt Liu, asking her to send it to you seven or eight days after I leave, informing you of my whereabouts..."
Qin Jingyao didn't know that there was a saying in later generations that "sincerity is the killer skill", but his heart softened when he saw her sincerity and straightforwardness, but his face remained cold.
He was moved by her boldness and courage for him, but such a risky move was a one-time thing and should never be repeated. He would not curb her nature; under his wing, she could retain her purity forever. But he also wanted her to remember this lesson and not act recklessly again.
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The author has something to say: 1 From the Southern Song Dynasty. Xin Qiji's "Qingyu'an. Lantern Festival"
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