Chapter 23 Like a Dream (Part 3) No.
The implied lewdness in their words was self-evident.
"My darling, be gentle," the woman whispered, her voice trembling with a seductive quality. "I used to think you were just a wooden accountant, but I never knew you had such abilities. If I had known this before, I wouldn't have had to put up with Second Master's agonizing torment all these years."
"He's not good enough?"
"You good-for-nothing! You've become increasingly useless these past few years. You've already lost your potential as soon as you entered the family. How can you compare to me even a fraction of your abilities?"
Zhou Shiyin said "Oh" repeatedly, then asked with a hint of jealousy, "So, who do you think is better, me or your wife?"
"Xia Niang is crude and vulgar, and is worlds apart from Second Madam."
"But she's a notorious shrew, aren't you afraid she'll smell your perfume?"
"She went back to her parents' home for the Dragon Boat Festival."
"No wonder you hesitated to come with me the last few times I invited you, but you readily agreed today, my darling." Zhou was smug. "You must have been itching to come all this time, haven't you?"
Wen Kong frowned, his face frosty. The rest of the conversation no longer concerned the examination, and he felt it was offensive to his ears. He immediately turned to leave.
Unexpectedly, the sachet of mugwort in his sleeve fell to the ground. As he bent down to pick it up, several other sachets rolled off, scattering their green hues across the floor. This usually composed man was now unusually flustered.
It was during this brief delay that the blush-inducing lewd sounds inside the room abruptly ceased, followed by Zhou's startled shout, "There are people outside!"
Wen Kong knew something was wrong, and ignoring the sachet of mugwort on the ground, he hurried away. He wasn't very familiar with the paths of the Marquis's mansion, and apart from the routes to the three courtyards, the other side roads and corridors were all unfamiliar to him. He could only rely on his intuition to run towards the general direction of the back gate.
The shouts of the servants behind him drew closer, and the shimmering light of the setting sun cast his gray monk's robe into the corridor walls, making his figure appear and disappear in the dim light.
"Quick! Catch up with that monk ahead!"
"Second Madam said that a small jade ruyi ornament went missing from her room. That thieving bald man must have taken it!"
"Bring him to Second Madam, and there will be a hefty reward!"
Wen Kong strode out of the back gate of the Marquis's mansion, with footsteps following closely behind. He ran through several alleys and glanced at the slightly ajar side gate of the Xie mansion.
Wen Kong slipped inside. The gatekeeper was dozing at the door when the noise startled him awake. Seeing that it was the Fourth Young Master, he snapped out of his daze. "Fourth Young Master, why are you back at this hour? Did you come back to visit the Old Madam? Didn't they say they wouldn't let you in during holidays to avoid running into people?"
While the gatekeeper was still wondering, the servants from the Marquis's mansion had already chased to the alley entrance. Seeing the gray-haired figure disappear into the tall gate, the leader immediately rushed forward and shouted at the gatekeeper, "The one who just went in was a thieving monk who stole valuable jade artifacts from my mistress's room! Hand him over at once!"
Upon hearing this, the gatekeeper, dressed in an indigo cloth robe, frowned and slightly opened the door. "Insolence! This is the Xie family's residence. How dare you make a scene here and try to catch a thief? If you disturb the women's quarters, how many heads do you have to bear the consequences!"
Before the servant could argue further, he turned and pointed behind him.
Inside the courtyard, Wen Kong was walking away with a flick of his sleeve. His back was slender yet upright, and his steps carried an indescribable air of refined nobility.
"You all saw clearly," the gatekeeper said coldly, "that is my young master, who just returned from outside. Would the legitimate son of the Xie family covet a mere jade artifact from your Marquis's mansion? If you dare to spout nonsense and slander our reputation again, don't blame me for immediately reporting to the head of the family and personally going to your mansion to demand an explanation for the crime of slander!"
The servants were speechless and looked at each other in bewilderment.
Although the Xie family has been somewhat quiet in recent years, their noble lineage is still above that of the Marquis's mansion. How dare they act recklessly? Seeing that the thieving monk's figure had safely disappeared behind the screen wall, they could only grit their teeth, stomp their feet, and retreat in a huff.
The next morning, before dawn, a plain note was delivered by a servant of the Marquis's residence to Wen Kong at Baoxiang Temple. The note was written in sparse ink and contained only a few words, stating that there had been a change in the young lady's studies and that the calligraphy lesson would be temporarily suspended.
Wen Kongming understood that it must have been yesterday's events that exposed his hidden identity to the people of the Marquis's mansion.
"Second Aunt even said it was a chance encounter with Master on the street, but it turns out they were guilty and trying to frame me." After hearing Wen Kong's account, Ye Mu's eyes were filled with indignation. "Why didn't Master tell Grandmother the truth?"
Wen Kong naturally concealed the intimate and unseemly situation, only mentioning lightly that he had stumbled upon the two having a private conversation, saying, "The hustle and bustle of the mortal world is nothing but a mirage, why bother stirring up trouble?"
“If Master is truly so open-minded,” Ye Mu suddenly leaned forward, his clear eyes looking directly at him, “why don’t you tell your disciple why you were abandoned by the Xie family and sent to this Baoxiang Temple for solitary cultivation back then?”
Because he always avoided answering, she didn't want to ask about his family affairs anymore. But when she heard that he, a scion of a noble family, had been chased by servants for several streets as if he were a thief, she felt sad and couldn't help but ask softly, "You are so good, why didn't the Xie family want you?"
Wen Kong was suddenly startled. Was he alright?
He scolds her, rebukes her, punishes her, ignores her. Is he a good person?
Wen Kong's throat moved slightly. "How can you be so sure that I was unwanted?"
Ye Mu pointed to the old wound on your wrist, your clothes, and this residence. The Xie family has been noble families for generations. Even if a member of the family becomes a monk, why would they be so stingy as to not even provide a thick cotton coat? Unless, you are an abandoned child.
Wen Kong remained silent. How could a seven-year-old girl see things so clearly?
The meditation room was utterly silent, with only the rustling of the cold wind through the bare branches outside the window.
After a long silence, Wen Kong finally said, "It's getting late, you should go back."
Ye Mu waited for a long time, only to receive this sentence. Disappointed, she slumped back onto the couch, pulled the blanket over herself, and said, "You're trying to get rid of me again."
She could hear the nanny calling from not far away, as if she was looking for her, but she still didn't want to move. She twisted the corner of the quilt in frustration, wanting to lie down a little longer.
The room was eerily silent; even his words were cold. Only the blankets felt soft.
The old woman's calls from outside gradually approached. Wen Kong saw that she was still lying there and wouldn't move. He wanted to drive her away but couldn't, and he couldn't scold her but could only sigh softly, "I'll tell you next time when you come."
"Really?" She sat up abruptly, tilted her head back, and extended her little finger, wrapped in an apricot-red sleeve. "Pinky promise!"
Wen Kong looked at the chubby fingers and finally gently hooked them.
"And Master, please don't always call me Little Benefactor or Fourth Miss. It sounds too formal."
"What's it called?"
"Fourth Sister, that's what everyone calls me."
Wen Kong shook his head, "No, that's the girl's childhood name, I can't call her that."
“Then call me by my full name,” she said, stamping his thumb with her own and smiling sweetly. “Ye Mu, call me Ye Mu.”
-
Two months passed before the snow fell in December. Grandmother worshipped Buddha on the first snowfall, and Ye Mu finally found an excuse to follow her.
Not seeing Wen Kong in the front yard, Ye Mu, clutching the newly made cotton shoes in her arms, went alone to the back yard. The path beside the woodshed was covered in deep snow, and because she was small, each step she took left deep and shallow footprints, the snow reaching above her ankles.
After finally reaching the door of the small, dilapidated house, it was still empty and desolate. This time it wasn't locked. Ye Mu thought that Wen Kong had probably been sent to do chores again, so he stood under the eaves and decided to wait for a while.
"Fourth Sister." It was the guest monk who arrived.
He clasped his hands in a gesture of respect, "Fourth Miss, are you here to find Junior Brother Wen Kong? There's no need to wait any longer. Last month, Ninth Master Xie returned to the capital and took Junior Brother with him."
"Ninth Master Xie?" Ye Mu thought of the title and assumed it referred to Wen Kong's father. She was puzzled. "Wasn't Master sent away by his family? Why has he been brought back now?"
The monk in charge of receiving guests said, "Master Xie Jiu has been traveling around for many years. This time he has returned with Junior Brother Wen Kong to travel around, not to return to the Xie residence."
Standing for so long, the snow melted and seeped into her embroidered shoes, soaking her socks. Ye Mu's feet were practically encased in icy water. "Did Master Wen Kong leave me even a single word?"
The monk in charge of receiving guests shook his head. "No."
"Do you know when Master Wenkong will return?"
The monk in charge of the guest said, "This is your first time traveling far away. You should return in about a year. Brother Wenkong should be back next autumn."
Ye Mu stood in the swirling snow, snowflakes clinging to her eyelashes, her face turning red from the cold. In a year, his feet shouldn't grow too fast, right?
She pushed open the door and put the cotton shoes into the closet.
The following autumn, when Wen Kong still hadn't returned, Ye Mu put the medical books he had brought into the cabinet.
In the autumn of the third year, when Wen Kong still hadn't returned, Ye Mu cleaned the small house, framed a copy of the Diamond Sutra that he had made himself, and hung it on the wall.
In the autumn of the fourth year, Ye Mu had grown much taller. She brought two chairs and put cushions on them, having heard that Ninth Master Xie had taken him to the south.
In the autumn of the fifth year, Ye Mu gleaned some fragments of conversation from her father and a guest. They talked about a monk in an ancient temple in Jiangnan who, through his chanting, debated Buddhist scriptures and doctrines, captivating the local elders and gaining great fame. She then added new bowls and chopsticks to his small house.
In the autumn of the sixth year, the old lady mentioned in casual conversation that the Ninth Master of the Xie family, who was obsessed with seeking immortality and Taoism, had fallen from a sheer cliff on his journey to the west. His son went to save him but his fate was unknown. The servant who accompanied him ran back to the city to report the death. The Xie family mourned for three days, and the sound of weeping shook the capital.
In the autumn of the seventh year, the mountain gate was deserted, the temple bell tolled in vain, and there was no news.
In the eighth year, the frosty sky was tinged with the light of dawn.
"Autumn is approaching again," Zijing said, gently combing Ye Mu's long, dark hair that reached her waist with a rhinoceros horn comb. In the bronze mirror, the girl's eyebrows and eyes had lost their childlike roundness and softness, and her features were clear and beautiful, with eyes like autumn water. "Is Fourth Sister going to Baoxiang Temple today?"
"Of course I'll go."
Zijing gazed at her reflection in the mirror and sighed softly, "But I heard that Master Kong has been out of contact since last year..."
“Even if it’s not for that, I still want to go,” Ye Mu said. “Didn’t Grandmother say that Cousin Wang sent an invitation and is coming today? I need to find an excuse to avoid her.”
“That’s strange,” Zijing put down her comb and picked up a plain silver hairpin to tie her hair up. “Fourth Sister is usually very considerate in her dealings with people, so why is she so unhappy whenever this Miss Wang is mentioned? She is the First Madam’s cousin, and it is normal for her to visit our household.”
"I just can't stand the sight of her." Ye Mu got up and went inside the screen, changing into a moon-white silk dress. "Some people are just born to clash."
Su Yao and Ye Mu were quite destined to meet. Although Su Yao was a year older than Ye Mu, they were born on the same day of the same month and both loved to eat pastries made of various flowers, especially osmanthus and poria cocos cake. So when the two first met in their previous life, they felt that they had met too late, as if they had met old friends again. From then on, they shared meals and slept together, and gradually became close friends who could talk about anything.
Ironically, it's probably because their tastes are so similar that they even share a liking for men. This Su Yao is the one who had a secret affair with Jiang Si in her past life.
Hearing that she was coming today, Ye Mu decided to avoid seeing her and dressed up early before heading out of the mansion.
"Fourth Sister".
Before even reaching the gate, Ye Mu heard a call. He stopped and turned around to see Ye Xingjian walking briskly towards him from the other end of the covered walkway.
Today he was wearing a dark blue robe with subtle patterns, a very dignified color, but because he was walking in a hurry, the wide sleeves fluttered in the wind, adding a touch of spirit.
Why is my brother leaving in such a hurry?
“I just went to your courtyard, and Zijing said you left the manor.” Ye Xingjian stopped in front of her, his breathing still not calm, fine beads of sweat on his forehead, and a few strands of dark hair slightly damp and clinging to his temples.
"It's not like I'm not coming back." Ye Mu chuckled, her eyes crinkling. She pulled a plain silk handkerchief from her sleeve, tiptoed slightly, and raised her hand to wipe away the thin layer of sweat from his brow. "People outside say that Ye Dianbu of the Hanlin Academy is dignified and composed, but I think it's all nonsense. Where is there any semblance of composure in him?"
Ye Xingjian didn't look at her with a second glance, letting her do as she pleased.
As dawn broke, the light enveloped Ye Mu, outlining her increasingly slender figure in her moon-white silk dress. Her once flowing black hair was loosely tied up, revealing a section of her fair and jade-like neck. The childishness in her eyes was fading, and her gaze, as gentle as a lotus leaf glistening with dew, was gradually revealing her graceful charm.
Ye Xingjian was in a daze. When did the little dumpling who used to follow him around asking for candy grow into such a beautiful girl?
As the girl raised her hand, her sleeve slipped down, revealing a section of her fair wrist. The smooth, creamy sheen was dazzling in the morning light. She was so close, the faint fragrance of her hair wafting through her hair, the slight warmth emanating from her fingertips through the silk handkerchief—all of this suddenly made Ye Xingjian freeze.
He almost immediately raised his hand, gently pried her wrist open, took the handkerchief, and his tone and expression became solemn, "Fourth Sister, you have already undergone your coming-of-age ceremony and are now a young lady. Such behavior is not in accordance with etiquette."
“Brother is getting more and more fond of lecturing people now. Ever since you entered the Hanlin Academy, you’ve been saying no to this and no to that. It seems like all those laws and codes you’ve studied are written just for me.”
Ye Mu didn't take it seriously, her smile widening as she tilted her head and asked, "May I ask, Ye Dianbu, what rule of etiquette did I violate by wiping my brother's sweat?"
A note from the author:
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