He forgot how he nodded. He only saw her happily supporting her cheeks with both hands, and the moonlight drew a graceful curve on her face. Her voice was very soft, like the sound of continuous waves and fine sand, which gradually penetrated the tranquility of the night and slowly walked into his heart.
A long, long time ago, you owned me and I owned you.
A long, long time ago, you left me and flew into the sky.
The world outside is wonderful, but also helpless.
When you feel that the world outside is wonderful, I will be here to sincerely wish you well.
Whenever the sun sets, I am always here waiting for you.
Although there is rain in the sky, I am still waiting for your return.
The singing sounded along with the night wind, quietly echoing in the courtyard filled with the fragrance of Duruo. Chu Qiao turned her head, her eyes were so clear. She stretched out her hand, very carefully and slowly approached Zhuge Yue's hand, unlike any other time before, like a girl in her first love, her fingertips trembling with nervousness, little by little, she touched the back of the man's hand, and then, gently pinched his fingers with her fingers, her fingertips were so cold, like the water in a deep pool.
Zhuge Yue turned his head and looked at her, his expression blank. The night wind blew between them, and the fragrance of the flower buds in the pavilion was overwhelming. They sat on the steps like children, holding hands, and no one spoke first.
They have always been in opposition, but once they stand in a straight line, they seem to be confused about their own positions.
Zhuge Yue wanted to laugh, but he felt that he absolutely could not laugh at this moment. He frowned seriously, and the expression on his face was very intriguing.
Having let go of her worries, Chu Qiao became very natural. She held his hand, stared with wide eyes and asked, "Zhuge Yue, is Qinghai okay?"
"Hmm?" The man was slightly stunned, then said, "It's okay."
"Is it beautiful there?"
Someone replied, quite unromantically: "There are a few good places."
“Is Qinghai cold?”
“It’s not cold in the summer, but it’s cold in the winter.”
Chu Qiao said hopefully, "The people there must be very simple."
"Are you stupid? There are bad people everywhere. All crows are black. Who doesn't have selfish motives?"
"Ah?" Chu Qiao finally frowned, "Then Qinghai isn't very good either."
"When did I say that place was good?"
Chu Qiao was speechless. Is this what a man would say before eloping with a woman?
“But there’s one good thing about that place.”
Chu Qiao asked, "What's the matter?"
Zhuge Yue smiled proudly, "I have the final say over that place." Zhuge Yue laughed twice, but when he found that no one was cheering him on, he stopped talking in frustration, "Xing'er, since when?"
Chu Qiao was slightly stunned, turned around and asked, "What did you say?"
Zhuge Yue was silent for a moment, as if he was having a hard time speaking. His brows slowly furrowed, and after a long while he finally said, “Since when did you stop hating me?”
“Who said you don’t hate me anymore?” Chu Qiao said angrily, pointing her fist at her head, “I remember everything.”
Zhuge Yue glanced at her with disdain, "You say one thing and mean another."
The moon shines quietly on everything below. In fact, many times, some things only require a few words and a small action, but to get to this point, you have to wait for so many years.
The osmanthus tree swayed, and the man's fingers naturally turned over and held the woman's cold fingers in his palm.
So many years of hard work, so many years of persistence, it seems like they were just waiting for this one action.
He turned his head and grinned happily at an angle where no one else could see.
On the second day, the suspension bridge was finally repaired. They left Qiufeng City, crossed the Muling River by water, and then went ashore in Qiusha County, where they were about to go their separate ways.
The weather was fine, the sky was clear and blue, and two teams of carriages stopped where they were, with Zhuge Yue and Chu Qiao standing at the front of the team.
Zhuge Yue looked towards the north coolly and said, "I am leaving now."
"Oh," Chu Qiao nodded, "Let's go."
"Stop hanging around with Li Ce and go back to your inn if you have nothing to do."
"Who's fooling around?" Chu Qiao frowned.
"snort!"
“Zhuge Yue, we are about to separate, please restrain yourself and leave a good impression on each other.”
Zhuge Yue snorted awkwardly, “I have never had a good impression of you.”
Chu Qiao was so angry that she went up to strangle him, "Are you still human? Do you still have any humanity? Who was it that cried and begged me in the beginning?"
Being pinched by Chu Qiao hurt Zhuge Yue, and he also got angry, "Chu, when did I ever cry and beg you?"
No? Chu Qiao thought about it and it seemed like there wasn’t one.
But it's almost the same, why do you have to be so indifferent after you succeed? Besides, it can’t be considered a success now, right?
She glared at him fiercely, "Just pretend."
The cold war lasted for a while, they looked at each other angrily, and the original sadness of separation gradually faded away.
After all, it's one step closer, isn't it?
At the very least, I can joke around naturally now.
“I’m serious.” Zhuge Yue suddenly said in a serious tone, “Stop fooling around with Li Ce, and don’t interfere in Bian Tang’s state affairs. I find you, a woman, really like to meddle in other people’s affairs.”
have a finger in the pie? Chu Qiao stared at him and said unhappily, "I just wanted to give him a warning."
"So what now? What are you going to do?"
Chu Qiao said angrily, "Aren't you leaving? I'll go say goodbye to him."
Leaving? Where are you going? Zhuge Yue's mood suddenly improved a lot. He cleared his throat somewhat unnaturally and said, "Anyway, you better be careful. That jerk Li Ce is not a good guy either."
Chu Qiao shook her head and said with emotion: "The so-called crossing the river and destroying the bridge is probably referring to people like you."
"What did you say?"
Zhuge Yue was really about to get angry out of shame. Chu Qiao raised her hands, with an expression that showed she was unwilling to follow him, "Why don't you leave? It will be dark soon. If you don't leave, then I will leave."
Zhuge Yue hesitated for a long time, and suddenly took out a white jade bell from his arms. It looked ordinary, and held it to her lips and said, "Sing the song you sang last night to me again."
Chu Qiao was stunned and asked, "Why?"
Zhuge Yue's face suddenly turned red, which was surprisingly very cute. He frowned and said, "Why bother asking so many questions? Just sing when I tell you to."
"Singing also requires a good mood. I'm in a bad mood right now and don't feel like singing."
Zhuge Yue stared at her with the murderous look he had cultivated over the years, and did not look away for a long time.
Chu Qiao felt a little guilty when he looked at her, and whispered, "So many people are watching here, if I sing, they will all hear me, how can I still be a human being?"
Zhuge Yue reluctantly accepted her explanation and said, “Then say something to it.”
"say what?"
The man almost gritted his teeth and said, "Whatever!"
Chu Qiao immediately shouted at the bell: "Zhuge Yue is a bastard!"
The sound was so loud that even the many followers below looked at it sideways.
Zhuge Yue was furious and turned away. Chu Qiao saw that the joke had gotten out of hand, so she quickly took a step forward, grabbed his hand, and said to the little bell, "Remember, I'm waiting for you."
Just one sentence calmed the man's temper. In fact, he was a very easy-to-please person.
“What is this thing?” Chu Qiao touched it twice in confusion and felt that it was like stone but not stone, like jade but not jade. It was extremely finely crafted, with a bell-like shape but twists and turns inside, like a human ear.
Zhuge Yue ignored her and just said, “Hurry up and leave, stop dawdling.”
Is he still right?
The two walked into the team and were finally about to leave. Chu Qiao couldn't help but solemnly reminded them: "Be careful."
Zhuge Yue waved his hand calmly and got on his horse calmly. He looked aloof, arrogant, indifferent, and superior. "Remember what I said."
After saying this, he walked away in a very arrogant manner, surrounded by a group of guards.
The figure gradually went away, but Chu Qiao was still standing there, not able to react.
Jingjing came forward and murmured in a fascinated tone: "Sister, my brother-in-law is so cold."
Chu Qiao blushed, turned to Mei Xiang and said, "Mei Xiang, do you know what this is?" Then she described the appearance of Zhuge Yue's little bell.
Before Meixiang could speak, Ping'an said, "Sister, if you are not mistaken, that should be the legendary Mutual Understanding Bell. I heard that it is one of the three great treasures of the Wind Language Tribe in the southwest. The Wind Language Tribe members are extremely skilled in craftsmanship and are proficient in mechanical secrets. This Mutual Understanding Bell was made by the eighth-generation chief of the Wind Language Tribe himself. It is said that as long as you speak loudly into the bell, the sound will be preserved by the bell. Once it is blown by the wind, the sound will be repeated, and even the tone of voice will not change. However, the Wind Language Tribe has always been secretive, and no one has heard of them for many years. The Mutual Understanding Bell has long been lost. Sister, where did you see the bell, and did you hear the bell speak?"
Chu Qiao was slightly stunned. The horse hooves in the distance had already disappeared, leaving only a line of dust flying on the plank road.
"The bell of knowing each other?"
Zhuge Yue abandoned his chariot and rode on horseback. Now they were close to the border of Daxia. The people who were going to pick them up were just ahead, so they no longer had to be careful to conceal their whereabouts.
The weather was warm and there was not a breath of wind, but when the horse ran, a slight breeze still blew over and brushed against the bell around his neck.
"Remember, I'm waiting for you." The woman's murmur was gentle and lingering, ringing softly in the ears, like a clear lake, quietly gathering the smoke-like dust.
The corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl up slightly, but before the smile reached his eyes, another voice suddenly rang out harshly: "Zhuge Yue is a bastard!"
The sound was so loud that all the guards who were riding their horses were startled. They stopped their horses in horror and looked at him.
Zhuge Yue's expression instantly became as ugly as it could be.
On the eastward post road, in the carriage, Chu Qiao was still trying to think and mutter to herself, "Isn't that like a tape recorder? A bell for knowing each other? What's the principle behind it?"
"Sister, what is a tape recorder?" Jingjing came forward and asked with blinking eyes.
Chu Qiao heard this and explained to her enthusiastically: "This recorder..."
Meixiang sat at the other end of the carriage, watching Chu Qiao explaining the principles of the tape recorder to Jingjing, and couldn't help but smile.
In fact, life is often like this. Those who are involved are confused, while those who are not involved can see things clearly. Many things are not as complicated as we imagine. It is just because of some obsessions in our hearts that we stubbornly stick to them and waste our precious time. No matter how smart a person is, he will be at a loss if the same thing happens to him.
Sometimes, just taking one step forward will change everything in the future.
"The road has not yet come to an end. There may be other unexpected events. Are you afraid?"
The wind blew through the clear water of the deep pool, creating a shallow ripple.
She gently leaned her head on his shoulder, and the fragrance of Duruo slowly drifted over. Her voice was very low, as if it had broken through all the hesitations in her heart, and gradually condensed into three short words: "I'm not afraid."
He smiled gently, put his arm around her waist, and sat there until dawn.