Chapter 19 Parting Thoughts: Though the return date is set, the sorrow of parting lingers like silk threads.
As dusk fell, Su Jinxiu finally put away the end of the embroidered pendant on her shawl. The pendant, embroidered with the Three Friends of Winter on silk, would be attached to the end of the shawl and would sway gently with the hem of her skirt as she walked, exuding elegance with every step.
Today, Huayun Pavilion's reputation is growing stronger day by day, like a spring stream rising on the bank. Literati and scholars in the capital consider it an elegant pursuit to collect embroidery made by "Lady Jinxiu". Young ladies from the inner chambers are even breaking down the threshold to order fabrics and patterns. Su Jinxiu has become the second-in-command, busy with designing patterns and supervising the work all day long, with little time to rest.
After placing the pendant into the small nanmu box, Su Jinxiu took out the plain hairpin from the drawer and picked up the silver thread.
Just as she was about to add some details to the hairpin, her fingertips suddenly stopped. The image of intertwined branches flashed through her mind, but intertwined branches are mostly used to symbolize a harmonious couple, and the meaning was too obvious. After thinking it over again and again, she finally changed to the more childlike double swallows carrying spring.
A soft knock came from outside the pavilion, and then Linlang came in carrying a piece of plain silk, her face showing some anxiety: "Jinxiu, I just can't seem to embroider this Classic of Filial Piety properly. I've tried three times and it still doesn't work."
Su Jinxiu took the plain silk and examined it closely before pointing out, "You're using raw silk, which is too loose and will allow ink to seep through. First, soak the raw silk in light starch water for half an hour, let it dry, and then stretch it into a frame. When embroidering the radical for 'boat,' use a loose stitch to pick up the characters, and the stitches should be sparse. When embroidering the radical for 'grass,' use a solid stitch to layer the characters, and the stitches should be dense. With the contrast between loose and solid stitches, the characters will naturally appear lively." Finally, she added, "Embroidering Xiaowen requires ingenuity to reveal one's heart, rather than simply wasting time."
No sooner had she spoken than a soft rustling of clothes came from the pavilion door. Su Jinxiu looked up and saw Danli walking by with a lacquer tray, glancing casually into the inner room.
Linlang's eyes lit up, and she quickly replied, "Okay! Thank you, Jinxiu, I'll go try it right away!"
Su Jinxiu turned around and counted the remaining embroidery work on the table and put it back in the box. She then took the hairpin with the sentiment and gently tucked it into her sleeve. When she turned around, she saw Linlang still practicing her needlework on the starched silk at the table, so she went up to her and gently instructed her: "Don't be greedy and tire yourself out. It's getting late. You can continue embroidering tomorrow."
Linlang looked up and smiled, "I understand, Jinxiu. You should also take your time!"
Su Jinxiu smiled and nodded before pushing open the door and leaving the main hall. As she walked through the courtyard, she saw the hollyhocks under the eaves in full bloom, their deep red and light pink hues complementing each other beautifully. She couldn't help but stop, gently touching and admiring them with her slender fingers, thinking that it would be good to plant some at home.
Suddenly, two hands came from behind and covered her eyes.
Su Jinxiu felt a slight chill and subconsciously reached out to lift her wrist, but a teasing voice came first in her ear: "Guess who I am?"
She recognized the voice immediately, having heard it day and night. Su Jinxiu paused, a slight smile playing on her lips as she deliberately drew out her words with a hint of amusement: "Oh? Could it be She Xiang?"
She pressed her hand, which was covering her eyes, slightly harder, with a hint of defiance: "Her hands are that broad? Guess again."
She suppressed a laugh and changed the subject, continuing to tease him: "Then... could it be Young Master Xie?"
The palm suddenly stiffened, and the next moment the voice in her ear was tinged with gritted teeth, and added a rule: "Sister only has three chances."
Su Jinxiu could no longer hold back and chuckled softly: "You want me to guess, yet you call me 'elder sister.' I only have one younger brother, so...you must be my younger brother?"
His words hit the nail on the head, and the pressure on his eyes instantly loosened. Su Jinxiu placed her soft hand on his wrist, and with a gentle pull, she removed the restraint. When she turned and looked up, the smile on her cheeks had not yet faded, and she met Wen Shiqin's eyes.
However, there was no trace of the lightheartedness that followed his playful banter on his face. After a long, unfathomable silence, he finally spoke in a low voice: "Xie Hongying, do you often seek me out at this time?"
He was the one who started the joke, and I just went along with it and said a few jokes, but he turned sour first.
Just as Su Jinxiu was about to explain, Linlang's voice came from behind her, teasingly: "Oh, Jinxiu, who is this?"
The two were currently entwined, their clothes overlapping and their hair slightly parted. In Linlang's eyes, they appeared extremely intimate, and with their good looks, it was hard not to speculate.
Unexpectedly, Su Jinxiu looked up and smiled: "This is my younger brother."
Linlang nodded in realization: "Oh! This is the younger brother you always talk about?" As she spoke, her gaze swept over the two of them, and she clicked her tongue in admiration: "Your younger brother is so handsome, but he doesn't look much like you."
Before he could finish speaking, Wen Shiqin spoke first, with a hint of deliberateness: "He is not my biological brother."
Linlang was taken aback at first, her eyes darting between the two of them before she smiled knowingly and said, "Oh, is that so?" She didn't linger, only saying "You two chat" before winking at Su Jinxiu as she left.
As soon as Linlang's figure disappeared around the corner of the courtyard wall, Wen Shiqin stubbornly pressed on, "Sister, you haven't answered me yet. Does Xie Hongying really often come looking for you at this time? Also, why did you guess his name first?"
"I just mentioned it casually. Didn't I mention She Xiang's name earlier?" Su Jinxiu explained helplessly.
He wouldn't have cared much about anyone else, but it was Xie Hongying.
In their previous life, the two also became sworn friends by chance. When Xie Hongying was first met, he was a rare kind-hearted person among the privileged children. He came from a wealthy family, and his parents were not scheming. Later, he proved to be no ordinary person. He not only earned some fame in the military, but also became more and more responsible, making him a reliable person to entrust one's life to.
Wen Shiqin often thought to himself that if his elder sister could marry him, there would be no strife within the household, and she would have a wealthy family to rely on. Her future life would be stable and smooth, making her a good match.
He secretly went to great lengths to bring them together, creating numerous opportunities for them to meet, hoping to create a beautiful love story.
Looking back now, he only regrets not being able to raise his hand and slap himself a few times.
As soon as Su Jinxiu finished speaking, she saw Wen Shiqin take a deep breath, his brows furrowing even more tightly, and his jawline straightening.
Her heart skipped a beat, realizing something was wrong. Judging from his expression, he was either about to throw a tantrum or his eyes were about to well up with tears. So she quickly took out the hairpin adorned with silver swallows from her sleeve and handed it to him: "Look, the hairpin you wanted, it's just finished."
All the lingering resentment and bitterness vanished.
This is a love-themed hairpin, a hairpin adorned with silver threads and two swallows.
Although she had to throw a tantrum to get it, she did it anyway; the swallow carrying the spring branch in its beak showed that she had put her heart into it.
Does her willingness to go to such lengths suggest that her overstepping affections and undisguised intimacy might not be one-sided?
Wen Shiqin stroked the hairpin heavily with his fingertips, clearly feeling even the fine traces of the silver thread, before carefully tucking the hairpin into the lapel close to his chest.
Seeing his seriousness, Su Jinxiu frowned and cautioned, "Why are you putting it on your chest? This hairpin has sharp edges and corners; be careful not to scratch your skin."
Wen Shiqin looked up at her, his eyes sparkling: "Even if it hurts or scratches me, it doesn't matter. I wish I could insert it into my heart and be with me every day."
Su Jinxiu was taken aback by these words. She reached out and gently patted his arm, both angry and helpless: "Nonsense!"
Remembering that Wen Shiqin was visiting Huayun Pavilion for the first time, Su Jinxiu asked, "Since you're here, would you like to come with me to see my embroidery room?"
Upon hearing this, Shi Qin nodded in agreement, and Su Jinxiu then led him towards the inner courtyard.
And so we walked through the corridors adorned with vibrant hollyhocks, through the painted halls with hanging embroidered fabrics, and through the silence woven by time.
The entire journey was only a few feet long, yet it inexplicably evoked memories of a lifetime of good times.
Upon reaching the main room, Su Jinxiu's eyes shone brightly as she spoke eloquently about the exquisitely embroidered items on the shelf.
When talking about his current position in the embroidery workshop, he mentioned the reputation he had built up, and even recounted the embroidery work he had recently taken on for the noble family and the silver coins that had been deposited into the treasury, as if he knew each and every one of them by heart.
Wen Shiqin remained silent throughout, standing quietly to the side listening intently, his gaze fixed on her smiling eyes and brows, never wavering. Only after she finished speaking did he slowly open his mouth, each word sincere: "Sister, you possess both stunning beauty and unparalleled embroidery skills. You are a fairy maiden descended from the heavens, and even more so, the Bodhisattva Guanyin who guides me to transcend the mortal world."
He was a very perceptive person, and even when he was flattering someone, he could say things that were very soothing. Su Jinxiu had forgotten this and was caught off guard, falling into his trap. Her cheeks flushed red as he praised her.
Seeing this, he added, his tone even more earnest: "What I said is all true. Sister is so capable. If I ever become destitute and helpless, can I rely on you for help?"
Su Jinxiu was amused and smiled, lightly tapping his forehead with her fingertip: "Why not? I'll provide you with all the food you need."
The words were on the tip of his tongue, but he stopped himself from speaking.
He gazed at the stray strands of hair falling beside her temples, her profile bathed in the evening light, exquisitely detailed like a fine brushstroke. His Adam's apple bobbed slightly, and after a long pause, he finally managed to continue his unfinished sentence:
"I've come to say goodbye."
Su Jinxiu paused in her tidying up, then looked up at him, her eyes full of surprise: "Where are you going?"
"A friend asked me to go with him to handle some official business, which will require me to leave the capital for a while." Seeing Su Jinxiu's bewilderment, he couldn't bear to let her worry, so he assured her, "It will be at least half a month, at most a month or more, but in any case, it will not exceed two months before I return."
Su Jinxiu couldn't describe the feeling in her heart at this moment, only knowing that there was absolutely no joy. A thousand words were on the tip of her tongue, but only a soft whisper remained: "This departure will last so long?"
Wen Shiqin saw her reluctance clearly and couldn't suppress his laughter. In the end, he couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Su Jinxiu was already feeling unwell, and seeing that he not only offered no comfort but also smiled brightly, she was utterly puzzled.
"Still laughing? Are you even going to do something serious?"
Wen Shiqin quickly raised his hand and slapped his mouth hard, then quickly composed himself and said solemnly, "It is of course a serious matter, sister, please don't be angry."
Su Jinxiu lowered her eyes to conceal her emotions, then quickly composed herself and took out a box containing silver, saying, "Since you are traveling with high-ranking officials, you will need to make arrangements and entertain guests along the way. It's safer to bring more silver. Don't deprive yourself because of financial constraints." She then added, "Also, prepare two sets of thick satin clothes. The wind is strong when riding a horse, so be careful."
As she spoke, she took out a plain embroidered handkerchief, carefully arranged the silver from the box inside, and said softly, "This should be enough, right?"
Wen Shiqin deliberately avoided answering, instead walking around behind her, bending down with his tall, slender body, his well-defined knuckles supporting him on the table in front of her, trapping her firmly in the small space between his arms and the table, his chest almost touching her back.
He then bent down and gently rested his head on her shoulder, his warm breath brushing against her neck: "How much is this? I can't see clearly, sister, let me get closer to see."
As soon as he finished speaking, he actually put most of his weight on her shoulder. Su Jinxiu swayed a little when he pressed down on her, and her heart skipped a beat. She hurriedly reached out to hold the table, but instead pressed her hand on his right hand, which was resting on the table. He then turned his hand up and intertwined his fingers with hers.
Unable to free her right hand, in a panic, she could only grab his collar with her left hand, trying to push him away, her voice urgent: "Aqin, stop it, get up..."
Wen Shiqin's reply fell into her ears, accompanied by his warm breath and his sure-fire mischievousness that she would indulge.
"I won't get up."
He nuzzled her shoulder with his head, his tone softening: "Sister, how can you be so kind to me? I have no way to repay you."
"I'm being nice to you, not asking for anything in return, so don't talk nonsense." Su Jinxiu turned her head away, avoiding his advances, but her voice was weak.
“That won’t do.” Wen Shiqin chuckled, his breath brushing against her reddened earlobe. “I’ve been thinking about how to repay you, sister, day and night.”
"Why don't we wait until I return..."
He only said half of what he meant, leaving the rest unsaid, deliberately keeping people in suspense.
At first, she wanted to hear the second half of his sentence, but the longer he dragged it out, the more serious he seemed to become. So Su Jinxiu quickly interrupted him softly, "We'll talk about your return when you come back safely."
Wen Shiqin was taken aback at first, then chuckled softly in her ear: "I'll do whatever you say, elder sister."
The restraints behind her gradually loosened, and he no longer pressed his weight on her shoulders. Su Jinxiu had just breathed a sigh of relief when she heard him say in a low voice, "But if you want me to stop talking now and continue when I return, I will definitely collect all the interest from those days."
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