Chapter 107 A Red String Ties Affection, A Sachet Conceals Meaning
After the production team gave a brief opening introduction, Yan Shu walked in from the door.
She wore a light purple dress, which accentuated her outstanding temperament.
A hint of surprise flashed across Qu He's eyes. She hadn't expected it to be Yan Shu. She recalled that the last time they met was during the kiln opening ceremony, when she only caught a fleeting glimpse of him.
She subconsciously looked at Yan Shu's neck, but the familiar mutton-fat jade buckle was nowhere to be seen. Instead, there was a swallow pendant inlaid with diamonds.
"Hello everyone, I am Yan Shu. It is an honor to come to Chengqi and exchange ideas with you all."
Yan Shu smiled politely and spoke softly, but Qu He noticed that his gaze seemed to linger on her for a moment.
After a brief greeting, the recording began.
Perhaps to accommodate Yan Shu, the production team arranged for the afternoon recording to focus on a combination of oil painting and pottery.
Qu He listened from the side and found that Yan Shu's words were indeed insightful.
She discussed everything from color matching to texture representation, and how to combine oil painting patterns with ceramics, presenting a clear and insightful explanation.
She had to admit that Yan Shu did indeed have a solid foundation in the field of oil painting, and many of her viewpoints were worth learning from.
It was already evening when the study and game recording ended. Qu He took off the microphone, sat in a chair, and sent messages to Zhuang Bieyan.
He had something come up in the afternoon and went out mysteriously.
Upon seeing the message on her phone saying he had arrived at the door, Qu He packed her things and was about to get up and leave when Yan Shu walked towards her.
Yan Shu smiled gently at her, "Teacher Qu He, I came in a hurry today and didn't have time to greet you. I have a dinner appointment with the program crew tonight, would you like to join me?"
For some reason, Qu He always had a strange feeling whenever she saw Yan Shu.
Even though she's smiling now, I still feel there's something else hidden in her eyes that makes me uneasy.
Especially when she thought about that mutton fat jade buckle, was it really what she thought it was?
"Teacher Qu He?" Yan Shu called her again when she didn't respond.
Qu He snapped out of her reverie, thinking that she probably wouldn't have anything to do that evening, and was about to agree when she heard the assistant director who had just passed by say jokingly, "Teacher Yan Shu, today is Qixi Festival, Teacher Qu He must have a date with President Zhuang tonight! Let's not be third wheels."
Is today Qixi Festival?
Qu He was stunned for a moment, not quite reacting.
Upon hearing "Qixi Festival" and "President Zhuang," Yan Shu's expression stiffened slightly, and she forced a smile, "Yes, I almost forgot, you'll definitely be with President Zhuang on such an important day..."
Just then, a figure entered through the door. Zhuang Bieyan, carrying a bunch of pink lychees, walked straight toward Qu He.
The stagehands and college students nearby started joking, "Wow, Mr. Zhuang is so romantic!"
"No wonder I didn't see President Zhuang this afternoon, he was preparing a Qixi Festival surprise!"
The assistant director quickly grabbed the behind-the-scenes cameraman and guided him step by step to film this scene.
Qu He looked up at the pink lychee that had just been placed in her hand.
Zhuang Bieyan's gaze softened: "Happy Qixi Festival."
From the moment he walked in, Yan Shu's gaze remained fixed on him, her hesitant eyes seeming to hold a thousand unspoken words.
"Mr. Zhuang, hello. I'm Yan Shu." She called out, her voice trembling slightly.
Zhuang Bieyan then turned to look at her, his gaze calm and devoid of any emotion. "Hello."
After a brief greeting, he immediately looked away, took Qu He's hand, and said, "Let's go."
Qu He looked at Yan Shu somewhat embarrassed.
Yan Shu quickly composed herself and smiled at her, "It's okay, we can make an appointment next time."
After saying that, she left with her assistant.
On the way back to the hotel, Qu He was preoccupied with Yan Shu's jade buckle and didn't even respond when Zhuang Bieyan called her several times.
"What's wrong?" he asked, turning his head during a break at the red light.
"It's nothing." She shook her head, realizing this wasn't the way back to the hotel.
Where are we going? Aren't we going back to the hotel?
Zhuang Bieyan curled his lips and looked at her, saying, "I'll take you to celebrate Qixi Festival."
Jiangcheng is a gentle southern city.
Qu He is a native of the North, but this is her first time celebrating Qixi Festival in the South.
Zhuang Bieyan took her to Pingnan Road, near the Celadon Town, where there was a Qixi Festival event that night.
The car stopped at the entrance of Pingnan Road, and Zhuang Bieyan led her in by the hand.
"So you came here this afternoon?"
"Yes, I heard there are activities here for Qixi Festival, so I wanted to bring you here."
Zhuang Bieyan held her hand tightly. This was the first Qixi Festival he and Qu He had spent together. This year, he was finally able to watch her from afar, unlike in previous years.
"There are many people, don't let go."
"good."
At night, the entire street is filled with lanterns, and the lanterns under the eaves form a sea of lights, reflecting off the stone pavement.
The cruise ship slowly sailed by on the river, with staff dressed in Hanfu carrying palace lanterns and occasionally playing the zither and singing Jiangnan folk songs.
The two walked forward with the flow of people, and the roadside vendors greeted them warmly.
Zhuang Bieyan would stop whenever he saw something interesting, and soon his hands would be full of things.
"Zhuang Bieyan, how come you're even better at shopping than me?" Qu He complained, but her eyes were fixed on the sugar figurine not far away.
Zhuang Bieyan smiled indulgently and led her toward the sugar figurine stall.
As they were talking, the two walked to a small shop with a sign that read "Qixi Sachet".
The shop owner, an elderly woman dressed in Hanfu, greeted them with a smile, "Handsome young man and beautiful young woman, would you like to have a sachet made?"
"Making sachets is an ancient Chinese tradition for Qixi Festival. Back then, couples would write down their wishes and put them in the sachets. Tonight, there's an event on Pingnan Road where couples can walk across the Magpie Bridge with their handmade sachets and be happy for life."
Qu He took these words as just marketing tactics from the store and let them go; they had already bought too much stuff tonight.
"Thank you, we're just taking a look."
After she finished speaking, she was about to leave when she saw Zhuang Bieyan standing still, his gaze fixed on the sachets on the wooden shelf, his eyes looking extremely serious.
Qu He pulled his hand. "You want to do it?"
Zhuang Bieyan looked at her without saying anything.
He never believed in gods, Buddhas, or metaphysics, but at this moment, he wanted to believe in that promise of lifelong happiness just once.
From only being able to watch her from afar to finally being able to hold her hand openly, every step he took was filled with trepidation. He wanted to grasp every thought that could be connected with her for a lifetime.
Qu He looked at the seriousness in his eyes. Although she didn't understand why he was so persistent, she still smiled and said, "Then let's make one."
Zhuang Bieyan took the process of making the sachets very seriously. He personally selected the spices and chose the fabric for the sachets.
The two sat at a small table writing notes. After Qu He finished writing her message and folded it, she peeked to the side, but before she could see Zhuang Bieyan, she put the note away.
"What's so mysterious about it?" she muttered.
Zhuang Bieyan carefully folded the paper and handed it to the shopkeeper. "Does Ahe want to know? But the shopkeeper said it has to be kept a secret."
"Who...who wants to know? Not at all! I don't want to!" Qu He denied, though her words contradicted her true feelings.
Zhuang Bieyan didn't expose her, but just smiled and let her awkwardly turn her head away.
The shop owner took their notes and put them into a sachet, sealed it, tied a red tassel to the opening, and handed it to them. "Take this sachet and go to the Magpie Bridge ahead. Remember to hold hands as you walk."
The so-called Magpie Bridge is actually the stone arch bridge in front of it.
The bridge was crowded with couples, all holding hands and walking slowly forward.
As they crossed the bridge, Zhuang Bieyan held her hand tightly. When they reached the middle of the bridge, Qu He looked up at him and noticed a glint in his eyes. "What are you thinking about?"
"I was thinking, thank goodness you're here with me now." Zhuang Bieyan's voice was very soft, but it still made Qu He's heart skip a beat.
After crossing the bridge, a street vendor, an older woman, approached with two red strings and began promoting her wares: "A thousand-mile marriage is tied by a single thread, a red string binds the two souls together. Wearing a red string on Qixi Festival symbolizes never being apart. Handsome guys and beautiful girls, would you like to buy two?"
Qu He subconsciously waved her hand to refuse, but Zhuang Bieyan spoke first, "Buy two."
The auntie smiled so much her eyes narrowed. "Okay, here you go. Remember not to take it off today!"
She pulled out two red strings and handed them to him, then continued to promote, "Would you like a sachet too? After midnight, take the red strings off and put them in the sachet, then place them under your pillow. This symbolizes eternal love!"
Qu He smiled helplessly. This aunt was simply a born salesperson; her sales pitch was too polished.
"No, no, we have sachets." She refused and pulled Zhuang Bieyan forward.
Zhuang Bieyan was pulled along by her, looking thoughtfully at the red string on his hand and then at the sachet in his other hand.
After walking the entire Pingnan Street, Qu He leaned on Zhuang Bieyan's shoulder, so tired that she could barely keep her eyes open. On the way back, she fell asleep shortly after leaning against the passenger seat.
When I woke up, the car was already at the hotel entrance.
Just as she was about to unbuckle her seatbelt, she noticed a red string tied to her left hand.
She held up her hand in front of Zhuang Bieyan and waved it, then raised his right hand with the red string tied around it, and asked with a smile, "When did you tie this? Does President Zhuang even believe in this?"
Zhuang Bieyan's ears burned slightly. He turned around, took her hand, and gently stroked the red string: "Ahe, I want to never be separated from you."
Qu He was a little teased by his sudden sweet talk.
Back in the room, he repeatedly told him not to take it off even when showering.
Qu He had no choice but to respond several times.
But as soon as I stepped into the bathroom, he followed me in.
What are you doing?
"To supervise whether you've actually removed the red string."
"I said I wouldn't pick them."
Qu He reached out to push him away, but he pulled her into his arms instead.
"Ahe, I need to see it with my own eyes to be at ease..."
A river of spring water encircles the flower, red ropes intertwine, figures blend together, and clouds and rain immerse them.
At the end, Qu He was carried out.
I felt completely weak and fell asleep the moment my head hit the pillow.
In the quiet night, only a bedside lamp remains lit.
Zhuang Bieyan held Qu He in his arms, their fingers intertwined, his eyes filled with tenderness as he looked at her sleeping face.
The alarm clock vibrated gently in the early morning, and he carefully turned it off.
He carefully turned the person in his arms over, gently untied the red string on her hand, took off his own, put them together in the sachet, and then carefully pressed it under the pillow.
He lay back down, pulled Qu He into his arms, and gently kissed her forehead. "Ahe, we will never be apart."
Moonlight streamed through the gaps in the curtains, falling gently and lingering on their clasped hands.
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