Chapter Twenty-Eight: Pure Joy
On this day, Yunyao dreamed of her mother.
In my dream, moonlight spilled through the butterfly-patterned curtains of my childhood, and my mother stood smiling gently by the window filled with the scent of jasmine. She was still the same gentle and beautiful woman I remembered.
Yun Yao wanted to speak but couldn't make a sound; her throat was choked with all the words she hadn't had time to say.
His mother's fingertips brushed against his burning eyes, the smile lines at the corners of her eyes like the softest willow branches in spring. "Ayao, Mom will take you to see the lotus flowers." They walked barefoot on the misty lotus pond, petals falling softly onto her shoulders. Her profile as she bent over to pick lotus flowers overlapped with his memory. Yunyao reached out to grab her fluttering hair ribbon, but stirred up ripples like scattered gold dust across the pond.
Suddenly, a draft swept through, swirling up petals that blurred the mother's figure. She looked longingly at Yunyao, her eyes overflowing with heartache. She opened her mouth, only managing to utter, "Ayao, Mother only wishes for your peace and happiness..." Before she could finish, the silver butterfly hairpin fell from her hair, disappearing into the unfathomable sea of clouds...
"Wait! Mom!" Yun Yao rushed into the void, her palm only clutching a wisp of jasmine fragrance that was gradually dissipating.
The first bird song came from outside the window, and Yun Yao opened his eyes. The damp marks on his pillow were like the morning dew that would never dissipate in his heart.
Because he dreamed of his mother, Yun Yao went to Zezhi Garden in Cuiwei Villa after finishing his work as an assistant that day. Zezhi Garden is built on a scenic area of lotus flowers. The Southern Dynasties' "Ode to the Lotus" records, "Visiting the most beautiful flowers among the crowd, setting a high name for themselves in Zezhi." This is also the origin of the name of Zezhi Garden.
Strolling through the garden, gazing at the vibrant lotus blossoms filling the pond, Yun Yao felt a strange sadness well up inside him. Once, he, his mother, and his grandmother would gather lotus flowers by Xiling Lake; now, he was all alone. The lotus flowers were still beautiful, the leaves still verdant, but the beauty of the past was gone forever.
He sat quietly in the pavilion by the lake, watching the lotus flowers sway in the wind on the lake, and seemed to see his mother's familiar figure. Tears blurred his vision without him realizing it.
Just then, Yun Yao heard a group of footsteps approaching from afar, slowly walking towards Zezhi Garden. Not wanting to run into anyone else at this time, Yun Yao quickly wiped away her tears and hid in a secluded spot under the wisteria trellis next to the pavilion.
Sure enough, the footsteps of that group of people were coming this way. Yun Yao glanced over quietly and saw the lady walking at the front. She was talking to a guest with an unfamiliar face but who clearly looked like a northerner. The two walked slowly, followed by several orderly attendants at a distance behind them. One of the attendants was Xing Yu.
Unlike his arrogant and sarcastic demeanor in private, Xing Yu now reverted to the person Yun Yao first saw when he entered Cuiwei Manor—a cold and aloof elite, almost like a completely different person.
As they slowly approached the small pavilion by the lake, Yun Yao, thinking of the embarrassment of being discovered, hid even further in the shadow of the flower stand.
At this moment, the lady's voice and footsteps suddenly stopped, and Zezhi Garden suddenly became quiet. For some reason, Yun Yao felt a chill run down his spine, and a sense of panic arose in his silence.
The guest from the north was somewhat puzzled but dared not urge them. He cautiously asked a question, but Yun Yao heard the lady smile and say gently to the guest, "That's enough for today. You can go back now. I will reply to that matter in a couple of days."
Upon hearing this, the guest immediately showed a delighted expression. He respectfully thanked the lady before leaving with his attendants.
After the guests left, the lady did not leave. Instead, she calmly and slowly walked into the pavilion, step by step, to the flower stand, and said with a smile, "Yun'er, aren't you coming out?"
Yun Yao was stunned; he hadn't expected that his wife had seen him all along.
He walked out somewhat embarrassed, and when he met the lady's smiling eyes, he couldn't help but ask, "Madam, how...how did you see me?"
At that moment, the lady suddenly grabbed his hand and pulled him into her arms.
The lady kissed Yun Yao's lips affectionately and said gently, "I saw the corner of your clothes peeking out."
Yun Yao never expected this reason; he thought he had hidden himself very well.
He looked at his wife, and their gazes met, revealing a subtle, intense passion.
Yun Yao immediately turned his eyes away and said softly, "Madam, I didn't mean to hide. I just didn't expect to run into you and your guests. I..."
Before he could finish speaking, Yun Yao's remaining words were swallowed by the lady's sudden, lingering kiss. The lady held his waist, her lips and tongue caressing his without restraint and with tender affection. Her hands caressed the young man with a firm yet ambiguous touch, making Yun Yao feel weak all over, yet also filled with shame.
"Madam...Madam..." Yun Yao couldn't help but slightly push away Madam's lingering embrace. Such intimate contact in broad daylight, in front of everyone, truly made Yun Yao feel ashamed.
Yun Yao felt quite pressured by his wife's recent enthusiasm for him, or rather, for their intimate relationship. He felt he should take the initiative to cool things down a bit, lest everything spiral out of control inexplicably.
However, Yun Yao's efforts were unsuccessful. In fact, he understood why: ultimately, the lady was the one in control of this relationship.
At this moment, the lady clearly didn't want it to end like this. She gazed at the well-behaved and charming young man, his blushing cheeks even more beautiful than the lotus flowers in the pond that day. As if drawn in, she kissed him again.
Amidst their passionate tug-of-war, the sound of a pebble falling into the water caught Yun Yao's attention. He looked up and realized that most of the entourage, including Xing Yu, hadn't left, but stood silently not far from the corner of the pavilion. Xing Yu's expression as he looked at him and his wife was both shocked and complicated.
Yun Yao instantly despaired. What difference was there between this and being in public? He knew he didn't have that kind of thick skin. So when his wife tried to coax him to kiss her again, he decisively pulled away and firmly refused.
The lady glanced around and smiled, "I know, Yun'er is shy." She leaned close to the boy's ear and whispered, "Then let's go somewhere where we won't be disturbed."
With that, she pulled Yun Yao aside and walked out. Yun Yao had no choice but to follow. The attendants understood the lady's signal and dared not follow any further. Only Xing Yu couldn't help but take a small step before stopping.
When Yun Yao looked back at him one last time, Xing Yu had his head down, making it impossible to see any expression on his face.
What surprised Yun Yao even more was that this time, the lady did not take him back to the camphor garden, but instead took a specially made car and left Cuiwei Villa.
The car drove out of the quiet and secluded Xiling Lake scenic area, which was not yet open to the public. It passed by various famous attractions along the beautiful Xiling Lake shore. Yun Yao, as a local, knew very well that some of these areas were usually crowded with tourists and frequently closed off. But this time, the black car carrying his wife passed through smoothly without any obstacles, and there were no other vehicles or pedestrians around. Yun Yao guessed that there must have been some prior control measures in place.
As the car drove past the scenic area, Yunyao saw the familiar bustling commercial district of Nanhang. It was adjacent to the scenic area with huge foot traffic, and the scenery was beautiful and the land was extremely valuable.
Once upon a time, a distant cousin of Yunyao wanted to open a restaurant here, but the exorbitant rent and the inability to find a good location without connections made him give up.
As Yun Yao was reminiscing about the past, the car suddenly turned and entered a secluded alley.
The car slowly began to climb the hill. This road is not usually open to the public, so having such a place in the bustling commercial center makes it seem quite extraordinary.
Looking out the window at the increasingly serene and beautiful scenery, Yun Yao realized that the car was heading towards the famous Jade Mountain by Xiling Lake.
Finally, the car stopped halfway up a mountain. Yun Yao got out and found that it was a newly built complex of antique-style buildings. The location was excellent, with a panoramic view of Xiling Lake and the bustling central business district below.
"Yun'er, come here." The lady got out of the car and gestured for Yun Yao to come over. Two or three uniformed staff members had already opened the previously closed building doors.
Yun Yao followed the lady to the main pavilion in the center of the complex. The pavilion had three bays with a surrounding corridor, a hipped roof covered with blue glazed tiles, and a gilded finial that shimmered. The eaves and pillars were decorated with carved lattice windows, and there were balustrades with lotus scroll patterns. The skirting boards were carved with shallow reliefs of the eight scenic spots of Xiling Lake. Opening the windows, one could overlook the vast expanse of silver waves on the lake below, a scene that seemed like a dream.
"This place is so beautiful," Yun Yao couldn't help but exclaim. He looked around and asked, "Will this place be developed into a new tourist area or a new commercial district?"
The lady did not speak, but smiled slightly and gestured for Yun Yao to look up. Yun Yao looked up and saw a plaque with the inscription "Qinghuan Tower" hanging under the eaves of the second floor of the magnificent pavilion.
Looking at the inscription on the plaque, Yun Yao felt that the calligraphy style looked somewhat familiar. Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck him, and he remembered a time when he and his wife were copying ancient calligraphy together in the study. His wife had playfully held his hand and together they wrote down a line from the ancient poet Su Shi: "The greatest taste in life is simple joy."
"Madam, the inscription on this plaque..."
The lady squeezed the young man's hand and said calmly, "Some time ago, one of my former students came to see me. He mentioned this newly developed area and wanted to express his gratitude." After the lady's brief explanation, Yun Yao understood.
At this moment, the lady looked at Yun Yao with some pity and said, "I heard from Shi Yao that because of your father's matter, your family has no remaining property. This Qinghuan Tower looks quite nice to me. In the future..." The lady smiled gently at Yun Yao and continued, "It will be yours."
Seeing Yun Yao's shocked expression, the lady chuckled and affectionately patted the boy's cheek. "Yun'er, you don't need to worry about anything else. Shi Yao will take care of it for you."
At this moment, as the sun sets, the smoke and dust on Jade Stone Mountain clear away, and the sky and mountains blend into one color reflected in the lake.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com