Chapter 64 World Three (Fifteen)
Outside the window, the sun shone faintly, its orange light filtering through the glutinous window paper and pouring down onto the soft couch. The warm orange light struck Bao Shan's face, as if gilding the smooth lines of her face with a layer of gold.
Her eyelashes, like crow feathers, trembled unbearably, and her lips, as delicate and tempting as pomegranate seeds, made slight movements.
She opened her eyes and saw that the house was empty, the floor was as clean as before, and everything in sight was tidy without any trace of mess. It seemed that everything that happened yesterday was just a spring dream.
But Bao Shan knew that everything was real, not a dream. The soreness at the base of her thighs and the red marks all over her body that still remained and had not faded all left traces of Xiao Yujing.
Baoshan tilted her head slightly and saw the gorgeous dress placed next to her. She had asked Xiao Yujing to help her take it out yesterday.
The first time they made love, Xiao Yujing was unconscious, and he was close to her because of the drug and lust. But this time, Xiao Yujing was particularly sober, and with clear eyes, he personally stripped off her dress.
Bao Shan's seduction yesterday was particularly clumsy, but the method is not so much subtle as the effect. Bao Shan picked up the gorgeous dress at hand, the corners of her mouth slightly raised, with a gentle smile.
——Although Xiao Yujing didn't have a lot of affection for her now, he had made some progress. Compared to the last time when he left coldly, this time he at least still cared about her dress.
Baoshan changed her clothes, forced herself to endure the soreness and tenderness between her legs, and went to visit Wang.
Wang seemed to be in a particularly good mood, with gentle eyes and brows, and she gently told Baoshan not to bow.
She had just dealt with Madam Luo and had all the expenses of the other courtyards included in the main courtyard.
Wang was not kind-hearted and intended to help Madam Luo solve her flower problem.
In the past, if Madam Luo had any expenses for her villa and needed to spend money, she would ask Xiao Yujing directly, and Wang was not allowed to interfere.
But when the account books of the separate courtyard were merged into the main courtyard, Madam Luo had to make a living under Wang.
Even a silver needle or a piece of thin thread required Wang's approval before the mansion would allocate money for Madam Luo to use.
Wang naturally felt refreshed. She had just counted the expenses of the villa, and with a wave of her hand, she circled the items in the account book and cut out a lot of expenses.
The new fabrics purchased every month, the round pearls newly purchased in Lin'an City...
Wang crossed out the money one by one, sneering in her heart: This Madam Luo is really generous, she uses money like a boy giving away money, and she provides this concubine with food, drink, clothing and other necessities with exquisite care, she really provides this concubine with fine clothes and delicious food.
However, she will be in charge of the account books from now on, and she will probably never be able to do whatever she wants again.
After seeing how extravagantly Luo Madam uses flowers, look at the precious fan.
Although she was wearing a gorgeous dress, it did not look tacky, but instead made her look even more delicate and graceful.
Wang signaled with her eyes, and Liu Fang brought a double-buckled box with rosewood patterns to Bao Shan. Seeing Bao Shan's confused expression, Liu Fang opened the box, and the dazzling light inside made Bao Shan slightly dazed.
It turned out to be a box full of gems, the smallest of which was as big as a longan.
Baoshan's black eyelashes trembled slightly, and she asked softly, "Madam, the jade stones I gave you before haven't been used up yet. These..."
After all, he is still young, and the anxiety on his face can be seen clearly at a glance.
Wang Shi had no intention of vying for credit for others' achievements, and she explained, "This isn't something I gave you. It was given to you by Xiao Langjun. With your looks, you should dress up nicely, and it will please Xiao Langjun."
You did a good job yesterday, and being able to keep Xiao Langjun here is also a testament to your ability."
Bao Shan didn't know what to say. She twisted her handkerchief tightly with both hands and replied softly, "Yes."
Wang looked at Baoshan's ink-black hair. A pearl hairpin was adorned in her loose bun. The round pearls collided with each other, making crisp sounds as Baoshan leaned over. A trace of gloom flashed across Wang's eyes, and the frustration disappeared in an instant.
The reason why she married into the Xiao family was destined that Xiao Yujing would not even look at her, let alone speak softly to her.
The treasured fan could occupy Xiao Yujing's attention to some extent, which was considered a good situation.
Bao Shan bowed gently and was about to leave when Wang suddenly said, "The maid Xuezhi has been sent to learn the rules these days. Let the other maids accompany you first. Once Xuezhi has learned the rules well, let her come back."
Baoshan nodded slightly.
Baoshan took the wooden box back to the room. The newly assigned maid was a taciturn one. Seeing that Baoshan liked quietness, she stood outside the house and did not enter the inner room.
Without the prying eyes, Bao Shan felt relieved. He opened the box, picked up a gem and placed it in his palm.
Whether intentional or not, the gemstones in the box were all the same color: turquoise, aquamarine, amazonite… some were the blue of rippling river water, others the blue of rolling deep sea.
Just looking at the colors of these gems, they seem as if they were just picked up from the bottom of a river, the deep sea, or a stream. They are transparent, clear, mysterious and fascinating.
Baoshan called her maid and asked her to wrap and inlay a few of the small gems with gold wire to make earrings and hairpins.
The maid tightly grasped the box in her hand and asked, "Young lady, do you have any other instructions?"
Bao Shan thought for a moment and then said, "Remember to tell the jeweler to, if possible, try to preserve the original appearance of these gemstones and avoid using too many complicated techniques."
Returning to simplicity is the most touching thing.
A new colleague recently arrived at the Ministry of Revenue where Xiao Yujing worked. He was the youngest son of Marquis Dingyuan, named Zhao Shu. He had always been favored at home and had developed a noble character.
But after arriving at the Ministry of Revenue, faced with the task of ticking notes and writing in pea-sized fonts, the young man, who was originally full of vigor and vitality, suddenly became extremely depressed.
His brand new brocade robe was stained with ink, and facing the books piled up like a towering mountain in front of him, he felt a headache.
Zhao Shu frowned and complained, "How long will it take to get all these books?"
His colleagues urged him to calm down and not get too impatient. Zhao Shu raised his eyebrows slightly, staring at Xiao Yujing, who was standing gracefully in the clear moonlight and breeze not far away, and asked angrily, "Why does he look so relaxed?"
The colleague followed Zhao Shu's gaze and saw that it was Xiao Yujing. He said with understanding, "Master Xiao, practice makes perfect. He naturally looks relaxed and at ease. If you..."
Before he finished speaking, Zhao Shu stood up from the chair, staring at Xiao Yujing with his eyes and gritting his teeth.
——It turns out that this is Xiao Yujing, the person his father praised every day.
Marquis Dingyuan said that he was young and promising. Although he came from a poor family, he was calm and capable of great use.
Marquis Dingyuan did not forget to take this opportunity to belittle Zhao Shu, saying that apart from his wealthy background, he was inferior to Xiao Yujing in every way.
Zhao Shu argued with Marquis Dingyuan for a long time. On impulse, he gave up the leisurely position he had originally chosen and went to the Ministry of Revenue.
Although this matter had nothing to do with Xiao Yujing himself, Zhao Shu couldn't help but vent his anger on him.
Zhao Shu walked up to Xiao Yujing in a threatening manner, ignored Xiao Yujing's nod, groaned, and grabbed the circled book to look through it.
The brush strokes are like dragons and snakes, the outlines are clear, and its cold and stern aura can be faintly seen.
Zhao Shu angrily threw the book down and thought to himself: I am indeed a little better than him.
When he heard that it was time for the next shift, Zhao Shu's gloomy eyes lit up again.
In terms of official achievements, he could not compare with Xiao Yujing, but when it came to interpersonal relationships, a poor scholar like Xiao Yujing could never match him.
Zhao Shu immediately dropped the book in his hand and praised him, saying that he would be the host and hold a banquet to entertain all his colleagues. He also invited the most famous singer in Lin'an City to sing songs and play the pipa as music.
Everyone naturally gave face to the youngest son of the Marquis of Dingyuan, bowing and thanking Zhao Shu. This lively scene made Zhao Shu feel a little more at ease, and the frustration and disappointment he had felt earlier due to his embarrassment also disappeared. Zhao Shu turned around and looked at Xiao Yujing. However, he found that Xiao Yujing's eyebrows and eyes did not show any joy, as if he was not going to leave.
Zhao Shu strode up to Xiao Yujing with his brows tightly furrowed, as if a ball of ink was crowded between his eyebrows.
"This singing girl plays the pipa so well that she was once known as 'The Music of the World'. It would be a shame if Mr. Xiao didn't go."
Xiao Yujing raised his eyes and looked directly at Zhao Shu. There was a gentle smile on his face, clear and shallow, like a handful of deep spring water, but without much warmth.
The youngest son of Marquis Dingyuan seemed to have a sudden ill will towards him. He was flipping through the books just now, and now he specially invited him.
Xiao Yujing could clearly see the teasing and expectation in Zhao Shu's eyes. He had no time to think about how he had offended Zhao Shu, nor did he want to try to persuade him and resolve the conflict between them so that he could live in harmony with this new colleague.
Because it is too troublesome and has no benefit.
Marquis Dingyuan had many children, including many successful legitimate and illegitimate sons.
Moreover, no matter what the final outcome was, Zhao Shu would not be able to inherit the title. He could only give this favored youngest son a sum of money and an idle and useless official position after his elder brother took over the title.
Xiao Yujing politely declined, "No need, there are people waiting for you at home."
Zhao Shu suddenly became interested, as he had heard a lot about this top scholar who was as handsome as Wei Lang.
Before the parade and horse racing, there were the wife and a spoiled and favored concubine. Seeing Xiao Yujing's anxiety, they were probably afraid that the night would be long and the beauty would have to wait in vain.
Zhao Shu sighed, "What a pity! That singer's pipa playing was so exquisite, but Mr. Xiao can't hear it anymore."
Listening to Zhao Shu's words, Xiao Yujing suddenly imagined a pair of slender hands, as soft and delicate as flower petals, gently stroking the strings of the pipa with tenderness and affection.
No matter how good the sound of the pipa is, it cannot compare to the beautiful sound of the precious fan.
Xiao Yujing should have gone along with it, agreed with Zhao Shu's words, nodded in agreement, expressed regret, and ended their boring conversation. But he frowned and blurted out.
"It's not a pity."
"I've heard better lutes."
Zhao Shu naturally didn't believe that the singer he invited to the banquet was Xiao Yujing, but the most beautiful person who played the pipa in Lin'an City must be lying.
I didn't expect that these literati, who claimed to be scholars with great respect for their words and manners, would tell such lies that were easily exposed.
But before Zhao Shu could expose Xiao Yujing, he found that there was nothing in front of him, and there was no trace of Xiao Yujing.
"Mr. Xiao? He has already returned home from his duty."
The night is dim, and a solitary lamp hangs under the eaves, emitting a hint of warmth.
Late at night, Xiao Yujing paused in front of Baoshan's side courtyard. It was so late and the dew was heavy, Baoshan should have fallen asleep. Xiao Yujing's eyes darkened, and just as he was about to turn and leave, he heard the wooden door creak behind him.
A clear and moving voice sounded, with a hint of lingering softness.
"Xiao Lang."
Xiao Yujing turned around and saw Baoshan with a happy face. She was holding a floor-length crimson gauze lantern in her hand. The dim light made Baoshan's face look a little hazy, like a layer of orange gauze, shadowy and unclear.
Only two deep sapphire earrings swayed gently, caressing Baoshan's earlobes and neck.
Under the flickering lights, the deep blue color makes the treasure fan look like a monster from the deep sea, which is extremely charming.
Baoshan walked lightly with lotus steps and came in front of Xiao Yujing. She gently raised her porcelain-white face, her skin was as smooth and delicate as cream.
Her soft voice, echoing in the dead of night, made people feel that the woman in front of them was a ghost.
I have always heard that spirits and monsters often use their beauty and wonderful sounds to seduce people.
If monsters really have physical forms, they would be like a precious fan.
"Are you here to see me, Xiao Lang?"
Xiao Yujing leaned down and fiddled with the blue gemstone earrings hanging from Baoshan's earlobes. It was a kind of natural beauty, without too much decoration, but it made people's hearts surge.
Xiao Yujing admitted it himself: "Yes, I came to find you."
Come find my little mermaid.
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