Wearing hairpins by hand
Having saved the workers at the winery, Fu Zhiqiao was in a good mood. She wanted to go out and spend some money, but considering that there were government officials recruiting soldiers all over the streets and it was noisy, she decided to stay at home instead.
If Fu Zhi Qiao doesn't go out, Xie Zhuo can't see her.
Three days ago.
Xie Zhuo, with a thousand elite cavalrymen, officially took over the militia of Qingzhou.
Temporary barracks were set up outside the city. Tents were densely packed on the originally open land, and the open space not far away was fenced off as a training ground for the militiamen who had been recruited.
Several stones of varying sizes were placed at the entrance to the drill ground, the largest weighing over 200 jin (approximately 100 kg) and the smallest only about 60 or 70 jin (approximately 30-35 kg). This was a simple test for enlisting in the army. The first step upon entering the camp was personnel allocation. Militia members were assigned to different teams based on their strength, with stronger members receiving better conditions in their assigned teams.
Xie Zhuo spent three days dividing the militiamen into teams according to their skill levels and officially began training.
Military campaigns require good physical strength and agility.
Before being formally organized into units, the militia undergoes basic drill training to ensure everyone can understand military orders, recognize the army's flags and insignia, and is proficient in basic combat skills.
Xie Zhuo's task was to train these militiamen into qualified soldiers. He was busy training new recruits in the military camp during the day and couldn't find the time, so he had Wang Qianxin wait outside the Fu residence. He asked Wang Qianxin to tell Fu Zhiqiao that he was waiting for her in the courtyard in the north of the city.
As a result, Wang Qianxin waited outside the Fu residence for three days, but he didn't even catch a glimpse of Fu Zhiqiao.
Waiting like this can't go on any longer; the young master's patience is probably running out.
On the fourth day, Wang Qianxin took the initiative to knock on the door.
The vermilion gate slowly opened, and the gatekeeper poked his head out, looking at him suspiciously. "May I ask who you are?"
Wang Qianxin smiled kindly, "Young man, is this the home of Miss Fu Zhiqiao?"
"Who are you? What are you doing here?" The servant's eyes filled with wariness when he heard his young mistress's name spoken by a strange man.
"I come from the capital and have been instructed by my master to deliver something to Miss Fu. Please inform her of my arrival."
Without a formal invitation, do you think he can just see his daughter whenever he wants? The gatekeeper sized Wang Qianxin up and down. "Give me the letter, and I'll pass it in for you."
*
Ginkgo: "Miss, the gatekeeper just handed in a letter."
Fu Zhiqiao took the letter and saw that it was Xie Zhuo's handwriting.
Xie Zhuo has come to Qingzhou?
Fu Zhiqiao was startled and immediately sat up. Her letter had been sent out several days ago. Had Xie Zhuo not received it?
The next second she dismissed the idea. Even though he had already arrived in Qingzhou, he still sent someone to ask her to meet him. He must have been held up by something.
Fu Zhi Qiao washed up and changed her clothes. After thinking for a moment, she decided to keep the hairpin he had given her.
Fu Zhiqiao had visited the courtyard in the north of the city once before.
After walking along the bamboo path, the view suddenly opens up, with the surrounding scenery reflected in the water, making the pool as clear as a mirror. There are artificial mountains made of strangely shaped rocks, and water flows slowly from the rock walls into the pool, creating ripples on the surface.
The servant brought Fu Zhiqiao in and then left in a hurry.
As the sun began to set and the sky was gradually enveloped in rosy light, the servants had already hung lanterns around the waterside pavilion.
When Fu Zhiqiao arrived, Xie Zhuo had not yet returned. She was enjoying the scenery alone in the waterside pavilion, where there was a faint fragrance of flowers and a damp coolness in the wind.
Xie Zhuo was anxious to meet Fu Zhiqiao, so he rode back from outside the city at full speed, without even having time to change out of his armor.
Seeing Fu Zhi Qiao's back, he stopped in his tracks, a flash of surprise crossing his eyes. After catching his breath, he walked toward the waterside pavilion.
Fu Zhiqiao also heard footsteps and turned around.
Xie Zhuo slowly walked up to her and stopped. For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Their eyes met, and sparks flew.
Fu Zhi Qiao's lips curled up slightly. She had dressed up specially before coming. She wore an elegant white gauze dress, and her black hair cascaded down like flowing clouds. Her beautiful and extraordinary face was now gilded with a layer of golden light by the sunset, making everything around her pale in comparison.
Xie Zhuo gazed greedily at the face he had longed for day and night.
"Why did it take you so long to reply?" His eyes were fixed on Fu Zhi Qiao, not wanting to miss a single expression on her face.
The days of waiting for a reply were long and unbearable, and Xie Zhuo never wanted to go through that again.
Fu Zhi Qiao hadn't expected his first question to be about this, and she said guiltily, "I... I've been too busy..."
Xie Zhuo: ...
Can two months of agonizing waiting be dismissed with a simple "I'm too busy"? Not a single day after he returned to the capital did he stop thinking about her, but it turned out she didn't think about him at all, and couldn't even be bothered to reply to his letters!
Am I really that unimportant?
A sense of resentment rose in Xie Zhuo's heart.
"I'm sorry, I was wrong!" Fu Zhi Qiao admitted her mistake in a second, acknowledging that she was indeed in the wrong.
Hearing her readily admit her mistake, Xie Zhuo felt even more aggrieved, as if he had punched a cotton ball with all his might. This feeling of not getting anywhere was truly heart-wrenching.
Silence.
Fu Zhi Qiao took his hand and said, "I'm sorry! Please don't be angry anymore!"
"I'm not angry," Xie Zhuo replied casually.
Not angry? Nobody would believe that! Fu Zhi Qiao muttered to herself, then scratched his palm with her fingers, with a soothing tone.
Xie Zhuo remained silent. Fu Zhi Qiao secretly glanced at him. His dark pupils were filled with coldness, his lips were pressed into a straight line, and his eyes were lowered as if he were thinking about something. He was surrounded by a cold aura, and his aloof and indifferent appearance was somewhat intimidating.
This person seems a bit difficult to appease!
Despite his clearly aggrieved expression, Xie Zhuo put on an indifferent facade, which only excited Fu Zhi Qiao.
Although Xie Zhuo's face was expressionless, his actions told a completely different story. He took the initiative, holding Fu Zhi Qiao's hand tightly in his palm, showing no sign of letting go.
Xie Zhuo was extremely handsome, with striking features that showed no trace of femininity, and a tall and straight figure like a bamboo stalk.
Clad in golden lacquered Qilin armor, he exuded an aura of domineering arrogance, while the stray hairs hanging down his forehead carried a touch of wildness, making it hard to look away from his face.
At first, Fu Zhi Qiao thought Xie Zhuo was a cold person, but after getting to know him, she realized that was not the case at all. Xie Zhuo was just cold on the outside, but actually very warm on the inside.
What to do? Xie Zhuo seems even more alluring now...
Fu Zhiqiao let out a soft breath and admitted that she was indeed lusting after his good looks!
Fu Zhi Qiao's eyes flickered slightly. She took a step closer, rested her head on Xie Zhuo's chest, and wrapped her arms around his waist.
Xie Zhuo tensed up instantly; he hadn't expected Fu Zhi Qiao to be so direct.
After a moment, Xie Zhuo relaxed. The person in his arms had her cheek pressed tightly against his chest. Looking at her fluffy head, he couldn't muster any anger.
The fragrance of his daughter lingered in his nostrils, and his mind slowly returned to normal. Thinking about what he had just said, he wondered if his resentment had been a bit too much. Actually, he wasn't that angry; he was just worried about her safety. She had just gathered a group of bandits; what if something happened to her?
Oh no! Does she think he's a stingy person?
Xie Zhuo was extremely conflicted. Should he explain? He said hesitantly, "Um, I'm not angry with you, I'm just worried..."
Fu Zhi Qiao wrapped her arms tightly around him, pressing the two close together: "I know."
When you love someone, your eyes don't lie. You'll find yourself looking at them without thinking, wanting to treat them well, and your eyes will be full of affection.
Fu Zhiqiao could feel Xie Zhuo's enthusiasm. Every time he saw her, his eyes would light up, filled with tenderness and doting affection.
A tight embrace encircled his waist, and a surge of heat rose from where he had been held. Xie Zhuo immediately fell silent. The sudden intimacy made him feel somewhat uneasy. He recalled the unexpected hug at the lantern festival, and the unspeakable things in his dreams…
He realized he had been a bit too reckless. Xie Zhuo's heart raced, his face flushed red, and even his ears felt hot.
He laboriously reached out a hand to stroke her hair, and the two of them nestled together quietly, neither of them uttering a word.
The servants tactfully stood guard at the garden entrance, leaving the entire waterside pavilion space to the two of them.
As the night grew colder, the two went indoors.
"When did you arrive in Qingzhou? How long will you stay?" Fu Zhiqiao asked. Xie Zhuo held a position in the army and should not be able to leave the capital at will.
Xie Zhuo took off his armor and changed into civilian clothes, then briefly explained that he had come to recruit soldiers.
"So it was you, the conscription general sent by the imperial court!"
Upon hearing that Xie Zhuo would be staying in Qingzhou for a month, Fu Zhi Qiao breathed a sigh of relief. There was no internet or airplanes in Da Wei, and it would take ten days to half a month to send a letter. She didn't want to face the problem of a long-distance relationship so soon after starting a relationship.
During the conversation, Xie Zhuo glanced at Fu Zhi Qiao's head and noticed that she wasn't wearing the hairpin he had given her. He awkwardly asked, "Why aren't you wearing the hairpin I gave you? Don't you like it?"
The topic changed so quickly that Fu Zhi Qiao was caught off guard.
"The hairpin is beautiful, I like it very much!"
"If you like it, why haven't I seen you wear it?" Xie Zhuo's eyes were burning with desire, implying that you shouldn't leave until you explained yourself clearly.
Fu Zhi Qiao's smile deepened. Xie Zhuo had always presented himself as a noble young master in front of her, but she never expected him to have such a silly and arrogant side.
Thank goodness! I'm so glad I brought the hairpin with me before I left home, otherwise I wouldn't know how I would have handled this situation.
Fu Zhiqiao took the wooden box containing the hairpin out of her purse and placed it in Xie Zhuo's hands: "I want you to put it on me yourself."
Xie Zhuo was a little nervous, his fingers slightly clenching the hairpin in his hand. This was the first time in his life that he had helped a woman put on a hairpin, and he was a little unsure of how to begin.
Fu Zhi Qiao waited for a long time, but the person in front of her still didn't make a move, so she impatiently urged him.
Xie Zhuo had no experience whatsoever. He held the hairpin tremblingly in one hand, cautiously testing it on her scalp, afraid of accidentally pricking her. After carefully putting the hairpin on, he breathed a sigh of relief, "All done."
It truly lives up to its reputation as the prized possession of Cuijing Pavilion.
His judgment was correct; the jade and gemstone lotus hairpin suited her perfectly. The gemstones on it exuded a noble air in her hair, but under her radiant beauty, even the most exquisite jewelry seemed somewhat dim.
Is it pretty?
"Beautiful." Xie Zhuo was dazzled by the bright smile. The hairpin complemented the beauty, and he looked at himself with great satisfaction.
"It's past 7 PM, I should go back now."
"I'll take you home." Xie Zhuo escorted her all the way home.
The carriage stopped in front of the Fu residence. Fu Zhi Qiao lifted the curtain to get out of the carriage, but Xie Zhuo gently pulled her wrist and said, "Wait."
"What's wrong?" Fu Zhiqiao turned around, looking puzzled.
Xie Zhuo's cheeks flushed slightly, and he coughed softly: "Tomorrow... will we be able to meet again?"
Even before they parted, he already felt reluctant to leave.
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