Chapter 56 Meeting "Come here."
Love? He was startled by this fleeting thought. Subconsciously, he wanted to argue, but after a moment, even though he deliberately avoided looking at the scene through the crack in the door, that scene was still deeply engraved in his mind, inch by inch stripping away his feigned calm and composure.
......yes.
He was jealous.
Angry, irritable, even...
It was out of jealousy.
Shi Wan looked so happy, her eyebrows relaxed, and a smile on her lips. She sat close to someone she had only known for a few days, and she seemed much more carefree than when she was next to him.
Jiang Xu suddenly remembered Shi Wan's previous accusations against him.
Extremely satirical, every sentence is barbed.
She sat huddled on the edge of the couch, tears welling in her eyes, sobbing softly, her chest heaving as she glared at him angrily. It seemed... that day she wore a lotus-colored undergarment, which made her skin appear extremely white. Even when a beautiful woman was angry, it had a unique charm in his eyes.
But he...
How could I remember it so clearly?
he......
How could he remember every single thing Shi Wan did, even such minute details, so clearly?
With the bright moon hanging high, it should be a time for family reunion and joy on New Year's Eve.
She loathed him so much that if he went in now, even this stolen New Year's Eve would be ruined.
For the first time, Jiang Xu felt a sense of trepidation, frozen in place, an uncontrollable conflict rising within him. Beside him, his personal guard, seeing his prolonged silence, glanced at him discreetly and tentatively asked, "Your Majesty, shall we... still go in?"
A moment later, the man's slightly hoarse voice rang out, "No."
"No need." She would be unhappy if she saw him now.
She would surely be frowning again, feeling depressed all her life, which would be bad for her health. The military doctor once said that she needed to rest and relax in order to gradually recover.
Now it seems that her health has greatly improved since leaving him.
Jiang Xu's footsteps blended into the thick layer of snow, carrying the cold wind, and vanished in an instant.
"Have our people keep a close eye on it."
"...Let's go."
......
Inside the courtyard, Shi Wan was amused by Tang Yun's adorable appearance. The little girl was dressed in a pink outfit, babbling away, and wearing a bright red tiger-patterned hat. She was incredibly cute.
She stared for a while, then suddenly, as if sensing something, looked towards the door.
A small crack appeared in the center of the worn-out door. Shi Wan stared intently at it, her heart suddenly clenching twice, a slight stinging pain that momentarily distracted her.
Caiyue gently nudged her arm. "It's already past midnight. I feel like Tangyun might be sleepy after playing around like crazy. Why don't we cook the dumplings we made this afternoon?"
Coming to her senses, Shi Wan finally responded.
The kitchen was small but bright, with a heavy curtain at the door. As the group entered, a warm yellow glow, along with rising white steam, rushed out. It collided with the chill brought by the lifted curtain and instantly condensed into a deeper milky white, which was quite beautiful.
The firewood in the stove was burning brightly. Zhang Yi had never seen anything like it before, and Tang Yun was giving him a lecture. Flames licked at the dark stove opening, and the cold water in the pot had already boiled. Everyone put the wrapped dumplings into the pot together.
A thick cloud of white steam, mixed with the aroma of grains, instantly filled the entire space.
As firecrackers crackle and the old year departs, the warm spring breeze brings new life to the land, creating a scene of harmony and joy.
Meanwhile, in Linzhou, Jiang Xu was in the courtyard, drinking alone.
The wine in the pot was getting cold. The man leaned against the vermilion pillar, a few drops of amber wine stains on his black clothes. His slender fingers gently caressed the cup. After a moment, he drank it all in one gulp.
This place was rented by his personal guards, hidden among several courtyards, neither too big nor too small, just right. Yet at this moment, the festive atmosphere of the surroundings permeated every inch of this space.
After another drink, Jiang Xu's tall figure was pinned to the ground by the cool moonlight, stretching and contracting infinitely, accompanied by the aroma of charcoal wafting from the half-open doorway.
The courtyard that Shi Wan rented was even worse than his.
Before leaving, he glanced at her from afar: the old bricks and tiles on the roof, the rough wooden table and benches in the yard, even the clothes she was wearing... She was willing to be like this.
She'd rather it be this way!
Jiang Xu threw the cups and saucers far away. He suddenly got up and went inside. Inside, the charcoal fire had already warmed most of the room. Jiang Xu looked indifferent, took a bath, and then went to sleep.
Lying on the soft pillow, he gazed at the canopy above his head, and after a moment, closed his eyes.
He was exhausted from the journey and suddenly got a moment to catch his breath. As time passed, he unconsciously drifted into a dream.
In his dream, the long staircase in front of him stretched endlessly upwards, and Shi Wan stood at the top, gazing at him quietly.
The two walked up and down, her expression indifferent. When she saw him step forward, she even sneered twice, then watched without any joy or sorrow.
There was no disgust as I had imagined, nor was there the obsequious flattery I was used to seeing.
It is indifference.
Utter indifference.
No matter how high Jiang Xu climbed, she remained at the top of the platform until she closed her eyes completely and stopped looking at him.
Turning my back, step by step.
I'm getting further and further away from him.
Until it completely disappears.
......
*
Two days passed in the blink of an eye. By the third day of the Lunar New Year, the snow had gradually stopped, and the thick clouds in the sky thinned out, revealing a patch of blue-white sky. The sky was much brighter, but the harsh winter cold still followed like a shadow, seeping into every crevice.
Shi Wan had barely spent a short time playing in the snow with Tang Yun when her hands became so cold she could hardly stand it. She had been taking her medicine according to the previous prescription every day, and perhaps because she was in a good mood, she hadn't had any major health problems for a long time, except that she would occasionally catch a cold.
For example, right now, her nose is a little stuffy, and whenever she talks to others, she speaks in a coquettish tone, "Tang Yun, did you say what I asked you to say to that brother today?"
"I've already said it." Upon hearing this, Tang Yun hurriedly ran to her side, counting on her fingers with a serious expression. She didn't know Zhang Yiwen's name, so she simply followed Shi Wan's lead and referred to him as "he," saying, "First, I'll give him the New Year's gift and ask him to take good care of me."
"Secondly, it's to make him familiar with me."
"Third, we must keep this a secret and not let Mother know."
Upon hearing this, Shi Wan smiled gently and said, "Great job, you did very well."
"In that case, let's keep it a secret after we get back from playing, okay?"
"Okay!" Tang Yun reached out to take Shi Wan's hand, but noticing her low body temperature, a hint of anxiety appeared on her small face. "Sister Wan'er, are you alright...?"
"I'm sorry, it's Tang Yun's fault. I should have known better than to make you play games with me today..."
"It's alright. I just wanted to play in the snow, so I asked you to come along." Shi Wan smiled and took her hand, and they walked together.
After offering a few words of comfort, I noticed the little girl's face brighten again at her words, and I felt a little relieved.
She left without saying goodbye tonight. Now that she's gone, I don't know if I'll ever see Caiyue and Tangyun again. Although the past few days have been stressful, they've been relatively smooth. As time went by, Shiwan found herself craving this brief period of peace.
But... if Zhang Yiwen can find her, then Jiang Xu must be able to do the same. She definitely cannot stay here for long.
Perhaps if they go south, when the autumn imperial examinations arrive in August, students from all over will flock in, making it easier for them to take advantage of the chaos.
Thinking of this, Shi Wan felt a pang of sadness. She quietly gazed at the snow before her, her steps uneven as she made her way forward. Though the journey was difficult, it was nonetheless her own.
The snow was still quite thick, like a plain white velvet blanket, pressing down the tree trunks and covering the path. It was heavy and spread out in front of us. Looking into the distance, the road was wide and long.
After gazing at it for a moment, the sorrow in her heart finally dissipated.
Night had fallen, past 7 PM, and the chill was biting, stinging Shi Wan's face.
The courtyard slept soundly in the inky night, the noise of the past few days and the firecracker debris from New Year's Eve now covered by newly fallen snow.
As you walk along the road, the red lanterns hanging under the eaves sway gently in the chilly night wind, casting a faint, fragmented light.
She quickly packed her bags, still wearing the indigo straight jacket she had come in. She walked lightly, leaving faint marks in the snow. At most, these marks would be wiped away by the new snow or the night wind in an hour.
Just like all her past experiences in Linzhou.
Coming to her senses, the chill crept up her shoes. Shi Wan stopped looking back and focused on walking forward. She had inquired and learned that the evening of the third day of the Lunar New Year was the time when the boats would reopen after their New Year's rest.
She had to be careful with her money. Renting a vehicle would be too extravagant, increase the difficulty and danger, and attract attention.
All things considered, taking a boat south again is now her best option.
At night, the bustling streets and noisy voices of the daytime were swallowed up by the cold night. Now, only the echo of her footsteps on the snow could be heard, soft and slow, yet eerily reassuring to Shi Wan.
Suddenly, in the distance, it looked like a figure was standing there.
Shi Wan was already on edge, and she almost immediately snapped back to her senses to look. He was very tall and quite muscular, and seemed to be... a man?
Upon closer inspection, it vaguely resembles...
She instinctively held her breath, afraid to take another step forward.
Jiang Xu? No, it can't be.
He couldn't possibly come looking for her so quickly, or rather, he wouldn't come looking for her in person at all. The so-called search for his concubine was just another pretext, using her as a cover, as before. In reality, he had another purpose.
In a moment of distraction, the fear of being tricked when she first escaped resurfaced. The man's smug and superior attitude, like a cat playing with a mouse, always made her already racing heart beat even faster.
As the night breeze grew cooler, Shi Wan was so frightened by this bizarre conjecture that her jade-like body felt cold. She subconsciously rubbed it to calm herself down and hesitated before taking two more steps forward.
However, where she had just been gazing, in the dim light under the tree, a figure suddenly emerged, with sharp, handsome features and a tall, imposing stature.
It was Jiang Xu.
Shi Wan's heart tightened, and she immediately calmed her breathing.
In complete silence, at a distance that was neither too close nor too far, their eyes met. Jiang Xu's eyes were extremely deep, with a turbulent undercurrent in them.
The man's deep voice, carrying the chill of the wind, filled Shi Wan's ears.
He nodded slightly, without the slightest surprise, and called out her name.
“Shi Wan”.
Seeing that she was just frozen in place, he said again, "Come here."
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The author writes: "Amidst the crackling of firecrackers, the old year departs; the spring breeze brings warmth to the New Year's wine." This is from the poem "New Year's Day" by Wang Anshi of the Northern Song Dynasty.
I'm here!! I worked late today, didn't get home until 9 pm... [crying emoji]
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