Returning home
Two months passed quickly, and the Wen residence became lively again. Madam Wen, along with Wen Jue and Wen Xiang'er, returned home from their hometown after visiting relatives. The once quiet residence seemed to be instantly infused with life, even dispelling some of the early autumn chill.
At dinner time, the hall was brightly lit and filled with laughter. Wen Xiang'er was clearly very excited, her cheeks flushed, and she chattered incessantly around her mother and brother, pouring out all the things she had seen and heard in her hometown.
"...The most exciting thing was Cousin Shuhua's wedding ceremony!" Wen Xiang'er's eyes sparkled, her voice crisp and fast. "The dowry alone was carried in eighty loads! It stretched along the entire street, all red, dazzling to the eye. My aunt was busy for several days just helping my cousin try on her wedding dress and put on her phoenix crown. The pearls on that phoenix crown were all as big as lotus seeds!"
As she spoke with great enthusiasm, she gestured: "On the wedding day, the gongs and drums were deafening, and the firecrackers were terrifying. My cousin's husband rode a tall horse to fetch her, but we, a group of sisters, blocked him at the door. We had to compose many poems and scatter countless red envelopes before we finally let him in..." She chuckled, as if she had returned to that noisy scene.
Wen Jue chuckled upon hearing this, picked up her chopsticks to serve her mother food, and said gently, "Xiang'er was so busy talking about the excitement that she forgot to mention the most exciting part of that day. On the wedding night, we boys secretly went to eavesdrop, and my eldest brother-in-law insisted that my cousin's husband fetch one of my cousin's personal belongings..."
Upon hearing this, Madam Wen coughed lightly and gave her eldest son a reproachful look: "Jue'er! You're joining in the nonsense too!"
Wen Jue readily fell silent, but the smile on her face remained. She added meaningfully, "In short, when I saw my cousin Shuhua early the next morning, she had styled her hair in a married woman's bun, and her expression indeed showed a touch of shyness and radiance that she had never seen before. It truly reflected the change that followed the line, 'A young girl in her boudoir knows no sorrow, and in spring she adorns herself and ascends the jade tower.'"
Upon hearing Wen Jue's words, the hall fell silent for a moment, the candlelight crackling. Madam Wen wore a wry smile, while Wen Tingyun shook his head and chuckled, seemingly exasperated by his children's liveliness. Wen Xiang'er, however, listened with even brighter eyes, resting her chin on her hand, her gaze drifting to the window, as if imagining a day in her distant future, murmuring, "So this is what marriage is like..."
The topic of marriage, the bridal chamber, and the bride created a subtle unease among the other two people at the table. Xuanji subconsciously lowered her eyelashes, staring at the embroidery on her skirt, feeling a slight flush on her cheeks. She couldn't help but recall the embarrassing misunderstanding at the beginning of the month. Although Li Yi later sent an extremely precious purple-haired brush as an apology, the two seemed to have returned to their normal relationship as senior and junior disciples. Now, listening to Wen Jue speak subtly yet knowingly about her cousin's changes "after one night," the embarrassment and shame of that night vaguely resurfaced.
That afternoon, she was standing alone under the corridor, staring blankly at the withered lotus pond, when Wen Xiang'er hopped over like a sparrow and grabbed her arm.
“Sister Xuanji, why have you been so absent-minded lately? Yesterday, when Father asked you about the deeper meaning of ‘Zhuangzi dreamt he was a butterfly,’ you gave completely irrelevant answers.” Wen Xiang’er tilted her head and blinked her big eyes at her.
Xuanji's heart skipped a beat, her cheeks flushed slightly, and she forced herself to remain calm, saying, "No, I'm just a little... a little sleepy." She quickly changed the subject, and Xiang'er didn't mind, "Sister Xuanji, don't daydream, come with me to find Brother Jingxiu to play a game of chess? He must be so bored by himself!"
Xuanji was pulled to her feet by Xiang'er. She glanced one last time in the direction of Wen Tingyun's study, forcibly suppressing her turbulent emotions, and managed a smile: "Okay, let's go."
Wen Xiang'er led him all the way to the warm pavilion in the backyard, where he indeed saw Lu Jingxiu sitting alone by the window in front of the chessboard, a black piece between his fingers, deep in thought as he pondered the unfinished game. The afternoon sunlight streamed through the fine windowpanes, softly bathing him and outlining his quiet, focused profile.
"Brother Jingxiu!" Wen Xiang'er's voice preceded her arrival, and she rushed over like a cheerful little bird. "Don't just stare at the chessboard alone, I'll play with you!"
Lu Jingxiu looked up at the sound and saw them. A gentle smile immediately appeared on his face. "Xiang'er is here, and so is Junior Sister Xuanji." He stood up and nodded slightly in greeting. "Perfect timing, I was getting bored setting things up all by myself."
Xiang'er sat down opposite Lu Jingxiu without any hesitation, waving her little hand: "Come on, this round doesn't count, let's start a new one! Sister Xuanji, sit next to me and watch how I beat Brother Jingxiu!"
The game had barely begun when Xiang'er made her moves with lightning speed and great momentum. But soon, she fell into Lu Jingxiu's gentle trap. Seeing her large group of stones about to be surrounded, Xiang'er clutched her white pieces, her little face scrunched up in distress.
"Oh no!" she suddenly cried out, reaching out to grab the white piece that had just been placed. "That doesn't count! I made a mistake, I didn't see it clearly! I want to play again!"
Before her fingers even touched the chess piece, Lu Jingxiu smiled and gently blocked her hand with the handle of his fan. The movement was gentle but carried an undeniable meaning: "Xiang'er, a true gentleman never goes back on his moves."
"I'm not a gentleman! I'm a young lady!" Xiang'er acted shamelessly, pouting and looking at Lu Jingxiu with pleading eyes. "Just once, Brother Jingxiu, just this once! Okay?" She drew out her words and began to whine.
Xuanji, who was watching from the side, was about to speak up to smooth things over when she saw Lu Jingxiu smile helplessly and soften his tone: "Alright, alright, this is the only time, don't let it happen again."
Xiang'er immediately cheered, quickly picked up the "bad piece," carefully placed it in a new position, and proudly raised her chin at Lu Jingxiu.
Lu Jingxiu nodded good-naturedly: "Yes, this move is indeed much more ingenious." Then, he very "naturally" adjusted his response, as if the winning opportunity had never existed.
In the following games, a similar scenario played out twice more. Lu Jingxiu subtly guided the game, ultimately leading to a situation where Xiang'er won a narrow victory after a "hard-fought" battle.
"I won! Brother Jingxiu, you lost to me!" Xiang'er jumped up happily, clapping her hands, her cheeks flushed, completely forgetting that she had just tried to cheat.
Lu Jingxiu put down the chess piece in his hand and laughed, "Yes, yes, Xiang'er's chess skills have improved rapidly. I, your senior brother, am completely defeated."
"Of course!" Xiang'er said proudly, hands on her hips. "I'll beat you again next time!" She was satisfied with her win and was then attracted by the birds flying by outside the window. She skipped and hopped to chase after them.
For a moment, only Xuanji and Lu Jingxiu remained in the warm pavilion. Lu Jingxiu slowly and methodically tidied up the chess pieces, while smiling gently at Xuanji: "I apologize for making you laugh, Junior Sister."
Xuanji shook his head, looking at the gentle and refined young man in front of him. He recalled the boundless tolerance and patience he showed when Xiang'er took back her move earlier, and his envy grew even stronger.
"Senior Brother Lu treats Xiang'er so well," Xuanji said softly, a hint of melancholy unconsciously creeping into his voice.
Lu Jingxiu paused in tidying up the chess pieces, and said gently, "Xiang'er is like my little sister, lively and lovely. My master and mistress have been very kind to me, so making her happy is just a small matter."
His words were frank and natural, which only highlighted how dark and complicated Xuanji's inner thoughts were.
Xuanji lowered her eyelashes, concealing the complex emotions in her eyes, and responded softly, "Mm."
She stood up and said softly, "I'm going to check on Xiang'er." She left the warm pavilion almost hastily.
Lu Jingxiu watched her hurried departure, a faint hint of doubt flashing in his eyes, but in the end he just shook his head and continued to put the black and white chess pieces back in their places.
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