27 teasing
"At your age, you really should enjoy yourself." Wen Xuanqing placed his hands on his hips, gazing at Yun Ruchen with satisfaction. Then he looked at Bai Yuge, whose aura of aloofness and aloofness was truly stunning. He returned his gaze, his eyes narrowed in a teasing veil. "Why not just have him take her too? It's normal for someone as young and powerful as you to have a few close friends." Feng Jingluo was speechless. She wasn't embarrassed, but these two were. "You and Jiang Chen must have something in common, both of you outspoken." Their eyes met, and Yun Ruchen's eyes shifted downward, seemingly focused on the bouquets in the nearby flowerbed, oblivious to Wen Xuanqing's teasing. But he quickly averted his gaze, staring for a few seconds before his flustered lips trembled as he dodged again. This reminded Feng Jingluo of a small beast she had encountered while descending the mountain. It was so frightened by her that it froze in its tracks, its eyes frozen in place, yet it remained where it was, daring not to flee. She suddenly wanted to touch Shao Zong's head to see if it was just as furry. Glancing to the side, Bai Yuge was much more composed, not looking away, not taking Wen Xuanqing's words to heart. If he hadn't clenched the cloth at his side, it would have been more convincing. "Don't pay attention to her words." Feng Jingluo changed the subject in time. "It happened suddenly. We should have a tight schedule, but we still have plenty of time to reach the Snow Country. What are your plans next?" Jiang Chen waved his hand. "Let's stay in the Snow Country for a while. The forbidden area will be opened soon, so we need to rest and recharge." Wen Xuanqing agreed. "It's rare for me to come out of seclusion, so you should spend some time with me." She immediately lost interest in Feng Jingluo's young husband and wanted to chat with her and Jiang Chen, accompanied by the vast snowfield and aged wine. Xue Yunlan hurried over, calling out a few times outside before entering after receiving permission. She bowed and said, "I kindly request that you remain in the Snow Country for a while, so that we can entertain our distinguished guests." Xue Yunlan stood straight, her face devoid of worry, her eyes gleaming. "My king will host a palace banquet tonight, inviting only a few of you to share. Please stay a few days, so that we can show our appreciation and repay your kindness." The three of them exchanged a smile, and Wen Xuanqing readily agreed, "Then I'll truly enjoy myself." The palace banquet was modest, a place where Xue Qingtang could rest and relax. Now, the long table was laden with delicacies, brimming with incense, and melodious pipa music played behind a screen. Maids came and went, adding to the scenery, adding dwarf pines and placing tender green peonies in vases. There were also bamboo tubes connected together, letting water gurgle, imitating the flow of clear water...
"At your age, you should really enjoy yourself." Wen Xuandan put his hands on his waist, looked at Yun Ruchen with satisfaction, and then looked at Bai Yuge. Although she had a cold and aloof temperament, her appearance was really excellent.
Turning his gaze back, his eyes narrowed with a hint of sarcasm on his face, "Why not just accept him too? It's normal for someone as young and powerful as you to have a few close male friends."
Feng Jingluo was speechless. She didn't feel embarrassed, but these two people were so embarrassed that they didn't know what to do.
"You and Jiang Chen must have something in common, both of you are outspoken."
Their eyes met, and Yun Ruchen's eyes moved to the lower side, as if she was staring at the bouquet of flowers in the flowerbed not far away, and she didn't hear Wen Xuanqing's teasing.
But soon, he turned his gaze back, stared at her for a few seconds, his lips trembled in panic, and he looked away again.
This reminded Feng Jingluo of a little beast she met when she went down the mountain one time. It was so scared when it saw her that it dared not move, even its eyes were stiff, but it still stayed where it was and did not dare to run away.
She suddenly wanted to touch Shaozong's head to see if it was as furry.
Looking to the side, Bai Yuge seemed much calmer. He looked straight ahead and didn't take Wen Xuanqing's words to heart at all. If he hadn't clutched the cloth at his side, it would have been more convincing.
"Don't pay attention to what she said." Feng Jingluo changed the subject in time. "This happened suddenly. We should have a tight schedule, but we still have plenty of time to reach the Snow Country. What are your plans next?"
Jiang Chen waved his hand and said, "Let's stay in the Snow Country for a while. The forbidden area will soon be opened. We need to rest and recuperate."
Wen Xuanqing agreed, "It's rare for me to come out of seclusion, so you must spend some time with me."
She immediately lost interest in Feng Jingluo's young husband and wanted to chat with her and Jiang Chen, accompanied by the vast snowfields and aged wine.
Xue Yunlan hurried over, called out a few times outside, and only came in after receiving permission. He bowed and said, "I sincerely ask you to stay in the Snow Country for a while, so that we can entertain some distinguished guests."
Xue Yunlan straightened her back, her face devoid of worry, her eyes sparkling. "My king will be hosting a palace banquet tonight, and has invited only a few of you to share in the feast. Please stay a few days, so we can show our appreciation and repay your kindness."
The three of them smiled at each other, and Wen Xuanqing agreed directly, "Then I'm really going to enjoy myself."
The palace banquet was small, a place where Xue Qingtang could rest and relax. Now, the long table was filled with delicious food, and the air was filled with fragrant incense. Behind the screen, the sound of pipa music filled the air.
Maids came and went, adding to the scenery, placing dwarf pines or delicate green peonies in vases. There were also bamboo tubes connected together, with water flowing through them, imitating the sound of clear flowing water.
After everything was ready, Xue Yunlan invited a few people over. Xue Qingtang was waiting outside the door. She was wearing a snow-white long dress, which made her look more holy. Today was a private banquet, so she only wore casual clothes.
After a few people took their seats, drums and music began to play, and the bouquets in the vases placed at intervals on the table emitted a faint fragrance.
Xue Qingtang took the wine from his sleeve, filled it, raised it, and nodded to Wen Xuanqing in thanks, "If it weren't for you, Senior, I would have died by now."
After finishing the wine, he filled the glass again and said to Feng Jingluo, "Thank you, Miss Feng, for taking the trouble to send me back to the Snow Country."
After the third cup, she smiled at Jiang Chen and said, "Thank you, Miss Jiang, for using the elixir to repair the damage to my body."
"I will never forget your great kindness. You will always be the benefactors of the Snow Country."
"This is serious." Wen Xuanqing raised his hand and pressed it down. "Since this is a private dinner, you and I are just equals. Why be so polite?"
The fruit wine had a light aroma that was not intoxicating. Wen Xuanqing raised her glass. Although her face was not old and her temperament was playful and free-spirited, when she looked at others and smiled, there was a hint of kindness in her eyes due to her age.
Xue Qingtang nodded and chuckled. At this moment, she was very grateful for her decision to go to Qinzhou City.
Fate is truly wonderful.
Amidst the clinking of glasses, there are women's laughter, some are smiling silently, some are laughing loudly, some are smiling with curved eyes, and some are just a slight smile, each one is beautiful in its own way.
After the private banquet, Yun Ruchen and the other two went back to their residence early. Wen Xuanqing pulled the two of them, and without getting rid of the smell of alcohol, they staggered along the stone road. The temperature in the snowfield protected by the magic circle was just right, while outside the magic circle, heavy snow was falling in the sky.
Among the three, Jiang Chen was the youngest and acted unsteadily. He drank one cup after another until his face turned red, and half of his body was completely supported by Wen Xuanqing.
Perhaps because she had been refining weapons for many years, Jiang Chen could feel the bulging muscles of the arms that were hugging her.
Wen Xuanqing had a warm scent on her body, and leaning on her shoulder made Jiang Chen drowsy.
Feng Jingluo also let the alcohol take over her. Her eyes blinked slowly, still clear and her steps steady.
Walking along the stone path, on the left is the garden's rockery and pond, where a few colorful koi fish play beneath the lotus leaves. On the right, dwarf pines stand verdant, emitting bursts of refreshing fragrance. The heavy snow has made even the thousands of lanterns in the snowy plains dim and dim.
Like an unconscious dream, the heavy snow in the far north did not affect the shining stars in the cloudless sky.
Wen Xuanqing stopped and looked up, gazing at the overly bright stars through the snowflakes.
Her expression was briefly dazed, then her eyes curved into a smile. She hadn't seen the starry sky in a long time. She didn't know when her life had become so dull, consisting only of refining weapons, replenishing materials, and refining weapons again.
"What are you looking at?" Feng Jingluo asked. She pushed away the hair stuck to the corner of her lips and looked up at the sky following Wen Xuanqing's gaze.
"Lonely." After saying this, Wen Xuanqing couldn't help laughing, lowered his head and shrugged, laughing silently.
Feng Jingluo looked at her, shook his head gently, and looked up at the sky again. "The world is inherently lonely. You have to give up before you can gain. Watching the world's vanity while being intoxicated is a wonderful thing."
"I'm not as open-minded as you." Letting go of Feng Jingluo's arm, she stood up straight, still looking at the falling snow, letting Jiang Chen half lean on her arms.
"When I persist in something for too long, I sometimes doubt myself. Not in terms of whether it's right or wrong, but whether I can really succeed." Decades passed by in a flash, a fraction of her lifespan. Yet, she had already cultivated a Heavenly Grade Spiritual Treasure for years, yet she still couldn't grasp the possibility of reaching the next level.
He tilted his head and smiled as he met Feng Jingluo's gaze, observing his own reflection in her dark eyes. "What about you? Becoming an immortal is even more incredible than me refining a divine weapon. It's been so long since anyone in this world has become an immortal, so long that it's almost become a myth recorded in books."
"Me?" He was slightly distracted, then laughed dumbly, "If I say I will definitely become an immortal, wouldn't that be too arrogant?"
Wen Xuanqing laughed so hard that Jiang Chen, who was leaning on his shoulder, began to tremble. She opened her eyes in a daze.
"That's like you. Sometimes I really doubt your decisiveness, calmness and lack of emotion."
"You think too highly of me." Feng Jingluo couldn't tell if he was looking at the sky or something beyond it. "I also have things I like and dislike, things I can't let go of, but they're nothing compared to the persistence deep in my heart."
"Everything beautiful that I see before my eyes is too short-lived. Even if I clench my hands tightly, I cannot grasp it forever." Feng Jingluo narrowed his eyes, as if he could not see the sky clearly, but the faint light that flashed in his eyes made Wen Xuanqing unwilling to look away.
"Just like this wine, no matter how intoxicating it is, there will always be a sobering moment." He raised his hand, turning it over and counting each callus. "I simply... cherish every time I get drunk, but I must stay sober and move forward."
"Only immortality can allow me to see more and keep the black bird humming."
"You are so free and easy that I feel ashamed of myself." Wen Xuanqing thought of the first time she met Feng Jingluo. She was still thin and frail, like a pool of stagnant water, and no matter how much her emotions surged, she could not be stirred. This made her curious and interesting, so she decided to travel with her.
After getting to know her, I realized that although she had no expression, she was calm and reliable, and she was mature like an old woman at a young age.
Looking at her was like looking at an immovable monument, and after a while it started to feel unreal.
"I was actually a little surprised to learn today that you were getting married. It was hard for me to imagine who you would like." Wen Xuanqing smiled playfully, and the fur on his face was itchy.
"I saw the jade pendant around his waist. I made it in my early years. It seems you love him very much."
This time, Feng Jingluo didn't answer immediately. He was silent for a moment before saying, "People are three parts sentimental and seven parts nostalgic for the world. I should be the same. The path to immortality is not out of reach. There is still a long way to go between human and immortal."
Hearing this, Wen Xuanqing's lips parted in astonishment. After a long while, he spoke with difficulty, "It seems you have already seen that path."
"You really are incredible."
The road has always been there, but too many people are reluctant to let go.
Feng Jingluo closed her eyes, smelling the pine scent wafting in, listening to the sound of snow rubbing against each other and piling up, and even the myriad scenes farther away appeared in her mind.
The world is so beautiful. If we only focus on a few people and things, wouldn’t we miss out on so much?
A scene appeared in her mind. The world was like sweet fruits scattered on the ground, and she wandered through it, passing through each world and observing the beauty in them.
"Thinking about it this way, I also gave up a lot for weapon refining. Now when I think about it, I feel sad and regretful, but I have never regretted it." Wen Xuanqing suddenly asked, "If we are destined to part, why not be bolder and just marry him and leave no regrets."
Feng Jingluo opened his eyes, his expression as if he was looking at a guy tempted to commit a crime, which amused Wen Xuanqing so much that Jiang Chen was shocked and propped up his body in a daze.
"This moment is enough. I will cherish this memory, and I think the Young Master will do the same. If there is more... I'm afraid Ruchen won't be able to let go. The word love is like sweet water when it's just right, but it's like a poisonous wine that burns your internal organs when it's too much."
"So, you won't touch that cold piece of wood?" Wen Xuanqing patted Jiang Chen's head and let her continue to lean on his shoulder, mumbling something in his drunken mouth.
Her brows furrowed slightly, then raised, and she looked at Wen Xuanqing and chuckled, "Of all debts, the debt of love is the hardest to repay."
"Bai Yuge is a serious, even stubborn person. The stronger his obsession, the harder his path to immortality becomes. Why would I harm him?"
Wen Xuanqing crossed his arms and laughed uncontrollably, "If he heard this, he would probably never forget you."
Feng Jingluo had no choice but to laugh too.
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