Chapter 20 Chapter 20 She Avoids, He Chases
Shuyun got up in a panic, rinsed off the herbal soup, and hurriedly took the silk to wipe the water. Her fingers trembled uncontrollably, and she tied the belt several times before she could fasten the small dress.
"Sister Yun, don't be anxious. I'll wait for you to come out."
Xiao Ye's voice came from the other side of the curtain again, and he had no intention of leaving.
Shuyun became even more flustered. She put on her clothes carelessly and even tied her belt incorrectly.
After a long time, the hanging curtain was lifted, and Shuyun's face was rosy, her hair was slightly wet, and she was wearing a green skirt, looking elegant and graceful.
Xiao Ye sat on the edge of the couch, stroking the baby on his lap from time to time, and looked up at her.
Shu Yun pursed her lips, gathered her clothes, and tucked the wet hair behind her ears. She had no way to avoid it, so she could only choose to remain in the dark. She asked, "Brother, didn't you go out to watch the dragon boat race? Why are you here so suddenly?"
Xiao Ye's long fingers appeared and disappeared in the cat's fur. "My sister seems to really hope that brother is not at home."
Shu Yun's mouth froze, her eyes dodged, and she smiled, "Brother, that's not true. I just think it's strange that even Brother Qi has gone out to watch the dragon boat race, but you're still in the mansion."
Xiao Ye: "Brother wanted to go too, but Sister Yun, the cat, was too naughty and scratched my clothes."
There were a few scratches on the hem of the robe, leaving some threads.
Is he here to call for punishment?
Is it such a fuss to make just one piece of clothing?
"Tuantuan, don't grab things randomly." Shuyun went over, bent down and hugged the cat, her black hair hanging down, and the wet ends of her hair brushed across the back of the man's hand.
After bathing, a light medicinal smell mixed with a hint of sweetness, like mellow fruit wine, is tempting to taste.
Xiao Ye curled his fingers and gently pinched the water stains on his fingertips.
Shuyun held Tuantuan in her arms and tapped its head. Tuantuan let out a soft, sticky cry, with a hint of grievance.
Xiao Ye looked at the kitten in her arms and said, "This little ball still wants to avoid its brother. It's so small and confused that it keeps running around in circles in these small courtyards. Where can it go?"
Shuyun's expression changed slightly, and her scalp felt slightly numb.
Shu Yun looked down at the snagged hem of Xiao Ye's robe and changed the subject, "I'll give this dress to my brother as compensation."
"It's just a piece of clothing. There's no need to spend money on it, sister."
Xiao Ye sat beside the couch and said, "I'm a little thirsty. Sister, please make a pot of tea."
"Qiongzhi." Shuyun called out outside, but no one answered.
Xiao Ye was calm and composed, and said calmly, "I'm afraid he's been lazing around somewhere. Please help, sister, to serve tea."
Shuyun had no choice but to put Tuantuan down, wash her hands in the basin, wipe them with a towel, and then slowly get the teapot to pour tea.
Xiao Ye lowered his head to sip his tea and sat for a short while, not staying long.
Shuyun saw him off from the dormitory. When she saw his strong figure disappear from her sight, her nervous heart calmed down.
After a long time, Qiongzhi appeared in the room. She came in a hurry and beads of sweat oozed from the tip of her nose.
Shu Yun looked at her and asked, "Where have you been?"
Qiongzhi scratched her head, looking as if she had done something wrong. "I don't know why I fell asleep outside, and when I woke up I hurried back to the house. The girl...the girl came out of the bathroom."
Shu Yun's hands and feet suddenly felt cold, and she asked, "Didn't you put the bucket of hot water in the bathroom?"
Qiongzhi was puzzled, not understanding what was going on. "Ah? What hot water? The young lady sent me away, and I haven't been to the bathroom since then."
Shuyun's face suddenly turned pale, and a dense chill rose from her feet and spread to her back, making her feel terrified and uneasy.
*
Two days later, Lin Yunxi borrowed the manor of the Prince of Huainan and invited Shuyun to spend the summer at the villa in the suburbs of Beijing.
Shuyun has been avoiding Xiao Ye these two days, but she lives near Xiao Ye, so where else can she hide?
Shuyun accepted her friend's invitation and brought enough clothes to stay in the farm for ten days.
The carriage was a little bumpy after leaving the city. Shuyun calmed down after being helped down from the carriage by Qiongzhi. The maid who was waiting at the entrance of the manor had come up to her, led her inside, and put her luggage in the side room.
Shuyun brought Tuantuan along, and now he is rolling around happily on the lawn. He especially likes the foxtail grass by the path.
The winding path leads to a secluded place, with lush trees on both sides, providing shade. The further you go in, the cooler it gets.
This farm is an asset of the King of Huainan in the capital, occupying almost half of a hill. There are hot springs in winter and pavilions under the trees in summer. Now it is a great place to escape the summer heat.
When Li Ce was five years old, he left his fiefdom and was sent to the capital. He spent more than ten years in the capital and never returned to his fiefdom to reunite with his family.
Apart from the Huainan Palace, this villa is the place where he has stayed the longest.
"Yun'er." Lin Yunxi was playing in the water by the lotus pond in the back mountain. Seeing the maid leading Shu Yun over, he wiped his hands and walked over with a smile.
On the Dragon Boat Festival, Lin Yunxi saw the other girls from the Marquis' Mansion alone on the lakeshore. After asking Xiao Qi, he learned that Shuyun was not feeling well and did not come out.
During this period, Lin Yunxi heard that Zheng Shaojiu was going to marry a girl from the Wei family. They were obviously a couple in love, but they could not be together because of their parents' orders. Lin Yunxi was also annoyed with Zheng Shaojiu. If he insisted on marrying Shuyun, the marriage might have a chance of turning around.
"I borrowed this farm from the Prince of Huainan. Let's have some fun here these days." Lin Yunxi didn't mention Shuyun's sad story. He took her arm and walked to the lotus pond.
Shuyun was not in the mood, but she still went with Lin Yunxi to appreciate the lotus flowers beside the curved bridge. On the one hand, she didn't want to spoil her friend's fun, and on the other hand, she wanted to use this trip to avoid the man in the mansion.
A small boat stopped by the pond. Two people got on the boat. The oars stirred the water, ripples appeared on the surface of the water, and a long water line was drawn in the lotus pond.
Shuyun advised herself not to think about sad things and forget about things that cannot be undone.
As Lin Yunxi talked to her, Shuyun's mood gradually improved. The boat slowly passed by. She leaned against the wall, hanging her hands on the surface of the pool, and the cool water flowed through her fingertips.
Shuyun glanced at Lin Yunxi who was picking lotus flowers at the stern of the boat, scooped up a handful of water and splashed it onto the water on her side, causing some splashes.
Lin Yunxi turned around and saw her playing in the water by the boat. After a while, he put down the lotus, leaned against the wall of the boat, straightened his wide sleeves, and scooped up water to splash at her.
The two of them were having a great time playing in the water, splashing water everywhere, and not a single fish dared to swim near the boat.
"Good sister, I was wrong, I was wrong."
Water splashed down, Shuyun raised her hands to her face and begged for mercy.
Lin Yunxi smiled and moved closer, wiping the water off her with a handkerchief. In fact, both of their sleeves were wet.
The boat floats slowly without oars on the water surface where green lotus leaves sway, and dragonflies rest on the tips of the lotus leaves.
Shuyun and Lin Yunxi were lying on the bow of the boat, chatting. When they looked up, they saw the azure sky, the emerald green lotus leaves, the pink and white lotus flowers, and the occasional chirping of cicadas and birds. A breeze blew, bringing cool and comfortable comfort.
The two of them picked a bunch of lotus flowers in full bloom and went to the octagonal pavilion to arrange the flowers.
The maid in the manor found a few vases and let the two of them choose. "The prince has given the order, so the two girls just enjoy themselves.
The maid brought a fruit plate and said, "There is a peach tree in the farm. The peaches are ripe now. I picked some and invite the girls to have a taste."
Shuyun and Lin Yunxi spent the entire afternoon in the villa arranging flowers, playing in the water, playing with cats, and picking peaches under the tree. They had lunch in the pavilion by the water later.
The evening breeze is pleasant and the stars in the sky are bright.
Shuyun was lying on a rattan chair, holding Tuantuan on her lap, looking up at the stars. Lin Yunxi, who was lying on a rattan chair next to her, chatted with her casually.
Lin Yunxi lay on his side, propping up his head and looking at Shuyun, "Yun'er, a while ago my distant cousin sent me some paper flowers. They're made of paper, and they look novel and beautiful when pinned in the hair. They're not available in Beijing. I was thinking about making some myself, but I'm not good at handicrafts. Yun'er, do you want to try?"
Shuyun is dexterous and has loved handicrafts since she was a child. Before she returned to the Marquis' Mansion, she liked to tinker with nine-link rings and stack wooden blocks. However, Wang Huilan thought that the daughter of the Marquis' Mansion should be good at needlework, flower arrangement, music, chess, calligraphy and painting, so she did not allow Shuyun to tinker with those little gadgets.
Shu Yun was idle and said, "You can give it a try."
Lin Yunxi ordered someone to go back to the side room and get the tongcao flowers from her jewelry box.
It’s hard to see clearly at night, but the tongcao flowers feel soft and delicate, as if you had picked a real flower.
Shu Yun took it in her hand. It was the first time she had seen such a hair ornament. Suddenly, she had an idea. "There is no shop in the capital that sells tongcao flowers. If Yunshuang Pavilion can be the first to try it out, it will be a good opportunity for us to try it out."
"A huge hit! The girls will definitely love it!" Lin Yunxi clapped his hands. "Why didn't I think of this place? It'll be all the rage in Beijing by then!"
Lin Yunxi smiled and said, "The fragrance that Frost Lady creates is unique. Over the years, just selling rouge, powder, and spices has made Yunshuang Pavilion famous. If we have Tongcao flowers, it will be the icing on the cake!"
It was Lin Yunxi who first suggested that Shuang Niang open a shop. Later, the business grew bigger and bigger, and her vision was always right.
"You will make a lot of money." Shuyun said in a low voice.
She needed money, lots of it, to escape from that place, escape from his sight, and start a new life.
Shuyun smiled with her lips curved, and suddenly there was light ahead of the dark clouds.
The next day, Shuyun carefully studied the tongcao flower. It looked simple, but she was confused about how to make it.
Shu Yun held her chin in her hand and said to Lin Yunxi, "I want to go to Yangzhou and visit the master who makes tongcao flowers."
Frowning, Shuyun said worriedly, "But I can't let my family know why I went to Yangzhou."
Given Xiao Ye's personality, it wouldn't take long for him to guess what she was thinking. Lin Yunxi said, "I'll send a message to my cousin and ask her."
Finally, she found something that interested Shuyun, and after a while, she was no longer sad.
Lin Yunxi was delighted and took a bite of the lotus pastry. She was so smart to come up with such a perfect idea.
Life in the villa was pleasant. Shuyun was happy every day, picking flowers, playing in the water, enjoying the cool air under the pavilion, and drinking tea and eating peaches.
The peaches are sweet, but the grapes on the vine are not yet ripe, they are still green and astringent.
At night, I would lie on a rattan chair with Lin Yunxi, watch the stars and have a drink.
She has learned how to drink! She can drink three glasses of sweet fruit wine without getting drunk!
That day, Shuyun woke up from her nap. Lin Yunxi was still sleeping in the next room, so she didn't disturb him and went to the lotus pond in the back mountain to enjoy the scenery.
The sun is shining brightly in the sky, the water surface is sparkling, and the breeze is blowing, and the green lotus leaves are rolling in the wind.
The willow branches drooped, and the jade-like branches placed a square brocade handkerchief on the stone by the pool. Shuyun sat down, adjusted her shawl, held a round fan in one hand, and touched the water on the shore with the other hand to cool down and relieve the heat.
At this moment, there were only her and Qiongzhi by the pond. Shuyun wanted to stay cool, so she took off her embroidered shoes and socks on the shore and submerged her snow-white feet in the water.
Shuyun sat on a rock on the shore and played with water. Water splashed under her feet and fell on the floating lotus leaves. The small water droplets seemed to be covered with a layer of white frost, gurgling along the veins of the lotus leaves and falling back into the water.
"Sister, you are so elegant."
When Xiao Ye's voice came, Shu Yun was suddenly startled. She didn't hold the fan firmly and it fell from her hand. She looked up stiffly and saw a man in a royal blue robe with wide sleeves and a round collar pushing aside the willow branches hanging down the main road.
His burning eyes stared at her feet playing in the water, as if he wanted to swallow them.
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