49 Aroma
In a daze, she thought she had fallen for him.
Can't sleep? What should I do if I can't sleep?
Du Zhijin: "Amo, do you have any sleeping herbs in your medicine pouch?"
She felt a pang of regret after saying that. If he had that herb, he definitely wouldn't have come looking for her!
Ying Jianhua raised his eyelids slightly, as if he wanted to glare at her, but he held back. He clenched his arms uncomfortably, his cheek slightly turned away from her, his eyelashes drooping gently: "Sleeping alone... is cold."
"Cold?" Du Zhijin looked at her short-sleeved shirt and then at his thin blue gauze robe, hesitating to speak.
"Are you sick? It's the hottest time of the year, how can you feel cold?" she asked worriedly, her words full of concern, but Ying Jianhua felt embarrassed upon hearing them.
Everyone says that stories are unreliable, and this is such a lame excuse. It's best to leave as soon as possible.
Before his pride was completely extinguished, Ying Jianhua turned to leave, but then heard Du Zhijin call out, "Wait!"
I was stopped by...
His body stiffened, the shame and embarrassment fading away, replaced by another emotion.
He only read the first few pages of "The Overbearing Immortal," including things like "Long Nights, Sleepless Nights, and Self-Recommendation"... As for what happened later, he knew nothing!
Although, although I am a doctor after all, I am not entirely ignorant about matters between men and women. But, but really, today, here?
He had almost forgotten why he had come, and with what kind of determination and courage he had knocked on Du Zhijin's door. Her face magnified and became clearer in his eyes, so close that it seemed within reach.
Breathing stopped.
Having known each other for several months, Ying Jianhua had never judged Du Zhijin's appearance in his heart. Firstly, it was impolite, and secondly, revenge was of utmost importance; he had no time to pay attention to the appearance of others. But at this moment, with her face just a step away from his, he suddenly realized that Du Zhijin could actually be called a "beauty."
Although her eyebrows weren't particularly long and thin, they were straight and thick; her eyes weren't the currently fashionable phoenix or almond-shaped eyes, but they were still bright and clear; as for smooth, fair skin? Nonsense. She was a sword cultivator, braving wind and rain, so what if her skin was a little darker? In his opinion, such skin was healthy, and those who excessively pursued fair skin were the ones who were sick...
Du Zhijin stopped in front of him, and seeing that he hadn't come to his senses for a long time, called out, "Amo? Can you hear me?"
Why did you suddenly start spacing out?
Ying Jianhua was brought back to her senses by her voice, and when she caught a glimpse of her parting lips, she was stunned.
Her lips were slightly thin and pale, but not the color of qi deficiency described in medical books. They seemed to be the shape of a heartless person as described in legends... How can one judge a person's character from their lips? Rumors are the least reliable, and stories are even more so.
So... he doesn't seem to mind being close to Du Zhijin.
"I can hear you. What were you trying to say?" He pursed his lips, biting them lightly, trying to make the color more vibrant.
He suddenly remembered that Zhao Zhonggan's lips were a deep crimson, like fresh, tender flowers, and that he was quick-witted and eloquent. Compared to the two of them, his own mouth seemed utterly bland and tasteless.
If only I had bought some lipstick at the rouge shop during the day... It's no use regretting it now. He secretly made a mental note and planned to buy it first thing tomorrow morning.
Perhaps it was because his lip-biting was too obvious, but Du Zhijin noticed and his gaze fell on his lips: "Does your mouth hurt?"
The painting should read: "Nothing, nothing..."
Thankfully, no one said it was ugly or anything like that...
"As a doctor, Amo, you should pay more attention to your health," she advised, adding, "I know why you came tonight."
Upon hearing this, Ying Jianhua's heart skipped a beat, and she almost suffocated.
Did she know why he came?
So, what does she mean? Acquiescence? Permission? Indulgence? Or—
"Here you are, Xingyue."
As soon as he finished speaking, a cold, sharp sword stood between them.
Yingjianhua: "?"
"???"
Du Zhijin: "Next time you want to borrow Xingyue, you can just say so. If that's not possible, you can also borrow Zuilan."
She's very helpful!
“…Thank you.” He took the excitedly buzzing Xingyue in a daze, thanked it in a daze, and then turned around in a daze.
A sudden thought struck him, and he abruptly turned around.
No! He didn't come to borrow Xingyue, he came to—
"Actually, I've been wanting to ask this for a while now. Ah Mo, what are you putting on? It smells so good." After saying that, she took a deep sniff in front of him, then fell into thought, "It smells a bit like osmanthus. Could it be from what I drank last night?" "You're mistaken. It's just the smell of medicine," Ying Jianhua interrupted her, saying decisively.
He wouldn't tell her that the incense was made with seven different kinds of flowers and herbs, and that it needed to be steeped for at least an hour to make the fragrance last.
He bathed, changed his clothes, washed his hair, and put on perfume before her, only to receive a sword in return.
This is enough to show that Du Zhijin had absolutely no interest in him.
...What a foolish, self-inflicted suffering, and self-degrading act. He took a deep breath, silently cursing himself, and left without looking back, carrying Xingyue. Before returning to the house, he encountered Zhao Zhonggan, who had also come to see Du Zhijin.
Zhao Zhonggan's eyes immediately locked onto Xingyue in his arms, his tone tinged with envy: "Young Master Amo, you've also come to practice swordsmanship with your senior sister? Your senior sister is actually willing to lend you Xingyue... It seems I still need to work harder! I'll strive to touch Xingyue Zuilan as soon as possible!"
Ying Jianhua didn't listen carefully to what he said at all, nodded perfunctorily, and closed the door.
In the pitch-black room where no lamps were lit, he slowly slid down the wooden door.
What did he just do?
Did she seduce Du Zhijin? And failed to seduce her?
It's true, it's true...
He covered his face and remained motionless for a long time. Moonlight shone through the window and through his fingers, revealing a glistening trace.
"Senior Sister? What's the next move?" Zhao Zhonggan arrived as promised to seek guidance in an open space outside the inn. He wondered if it was just his imagination, but his senior sister seemed somewhat distracted tonight.
My gaze kept drifting upstairs, but all I saw were rows of tightly closed windows.
Hearing his words, Du Zhijin withdrew his gaze, gripped Zuilan in the backhand, and unleashed a short, sharp sword flash. Zhao Zhonggan clapped his hands in approval and immediately grabbed Hengqiu to ponder the move.
Accompanied by the syllables "Hehehahei," her gaze once again lingered on the upstairs.
That was Ying Jianhua's room. He went back inside without turning on the lights.
Was he afraid? She didn't think Amo didn't want to sleep alone because he was cold. He could take care of himself; even if he caught a cold, he would just force himself to drink medicine and heal on his own.
The only time he had ever knocked on her door because he couldn't sleep was after encountering the Phantom Demon.
That phantom demon was much weaker than the one in Wanze City, but he was still truly shocked. She stayed with him all night before he recovered. Tonight is only two days after the phantom demon died; perhaps she shouldn't be so careless.
A delicate fragrance wafted over, smoothing away her slightly furrowed brow. Du Zhijin was startled, and after searching around, she realized that the fragrance was coming from her hands.
The hand that touched the painting.
Her thoughts were racing, and she couldn't help but recall the stunning moment when she opened the door.
A light veil beneath the moon, a celestial being, like a painting.
In a daze, she thought she had fallen for him.
Du Zhijin placed his palm on his chest, feeling its normal rhythm, and slowly raised his head.
The night is silent, and the bright moon remains the same.
————
The three of them had originally planned to set off yesterday, but Zhao Zhonggan suddenly changed his mind and wanted to stay in Wanze City for another day, so the two had no choice but to agree.
Du Zhijin guessed: "It seems he received a letter from his family, instructing him on how to do things."
As she spoke, she stole glances at the face of the person beside her. Because she was worried that Ying Jianhua had not yet emerged from the shadow of the illusionary demon, she paid special attention to his condition.
However, he remained calm, with only a slight powder mark at the corner of his eye, as if he were covering up some kind of mark.
Ying Jianhua's words interrupted her continued thinking: "He did indeed purchase a lot of things. By the way, did he reveal his true identity to you?"
"Hmm? Identity? That wasn't mentioned. But, he's probably some high-ranking official or a wealthy merchant," she said. "You reminded me, I should ask what his family does."
“If he is a member of the royal family, we might be able to find a way to exonerate Prince Chengduan. If he is just a wealthy merchant, we must distance ourselves from him before taking any action, otherwise we will drag his family into this mess.”
Ying Jianhua only wanted to casually change the subject to divert her attention, after all, her gaze was too obvious, and he had not yet gotten over what happened last night.
I never imagined that this would also be related to me.
“Prince Chengduan is gone. Du Zhijin, if you went to Liulijing for this matter, we shall now part ways with Zhao Zhonggan,” he said.
He used to disdain running away, but now he fears facing it.
Or rather, he was afraid of being discovered by her true self, so whenever Prince Chengduan was involved, he wanted to retreat into his shell.
Du Zhijin readily agreed: "Okay, I won't mention it anymore. But don't misunderstand, I'm going to Liulijing because the great demon on the map has appeared, and I have no choice but to go."
After saying that, she unfolded the map and pointed to the red dot near Liulijing.
Ying Jianhua breathed a sigh of relief, then looked at the map with mixed feelings.
It's hard to say whether he fears being exposed or the great demon more.
Zhao Zhonggan was very generous, hiring three carriages in one go. One was for Du and Ying, one was for himself, and the third was for the purchased goods.
At first, he wanted to share a carriage with Du Zhijin, but the things he bought couldn't fit in one carriage. Some of the valuable and private items had to be kept under his own supervision, so the plan to share a room and meals had to be abandoned.
Ying Jianhua was extremely skilled at organizing odds and ends, so their carriage was not only spacious but also very comfortable. As the two were talking, there was a knock on the carriage wall. Du Zhijin lifted the curtain and exclaimed in delight, "Xiao Hong!"
Jiangwei was busy renting a house yesterday, so she couldn't go with them. She came to see them off early this morning.
He wore a shy smile, but seemed more poised and confident than when they first met: "My benefactor, Young Master Amo, I've come to see you off."
Du Zhijin smiled and asked, "Have you found a house? Do you have enough money? If not, I have some more here, you can take it all."
Jiangwei quickly waved her hand, refusing her kindness, and replied one by one: "I've found a house, near Miss Huo Qing. I have enough money. I have the hundred taels I got last time, and I'll have eighty taels left after renting the house."
Ying Jianhua nodded: "Rentals usually require three months' rent upfront. Housing in Wanze City is in high demand, so you paid for a year, right? Twenty taels a year... no more, no less. As long as you don't live off your savings and have some income, one hundred taels should be enough for you to live on for two or three years."
“I know, thank you for your guidance, Young Master Amo. Oh, by the way, I brought some things with me this time.” As she spoke, Jiangwei handed the heavy bundle to Du Zhijin and introduced, “The pig’s trotters and pig’s head meat here were given by Miss Huo Qing. She went back to see Miss Huo Bai, so she couldn’t come.”
Du Zhijin picked up a string of sword tassels that would last her for five hundred years and exclaimed in shock, "You made all of these? That's wonderful! Now Xingyue and Zuilan won't have to fight over who gets the sword tassels you gave them."
He said shyly, "I have nothing of value to offer but this is all I can do to repay my benefactor. I am deeply grateful for your kindness."
She pulled out another book and asked, "Is this book also for me?"
"The book isn't," he quickly explained, glancing cautiously at Ying Jianhua beside him. "The book... the book is a gift for Young Master Amo."
"Me?" Ying Jianhua was genuinely surprised to find herself involved.
After all, his relationship with Jiangwei was only so-so, and he had even scared the fox before.
Jiangwei nodded, her tone sincere: "Thank you for taking care of me along the way. Please accept this small token of my appreciation."
After hearing his words, Ying Jianhua felt a mix of emotions.
After a moment, he took the book from Du Zhijin and thanked him, saying, "Thank you."
Upon hearing this, Jiangwei felt relieved and went to deliver farewell gifts to Zhao Zhonggan, making sure no one was left out.
Du Zhijin blinked and teased him, "Young Master Amo, now that you've accepted someone's book, you can't secretly call them a 'vixen' anymore."
Ying Jianhua glared at her, but didn't say a word in rebuttal.
This morning, the weather was fine and the sky was clear, even better than a spring morning.
It is a good day to say goodbye.
Zhao Zhonggan announced the departure, and the carriage wheels rolled forward, adding ruts to the solid road of Wanze City.
Suddenly, as if sensing something, Du Zhijin lifted the carriage curtain and looked out into the city.
On the bell tower not far away, a man leaned against the roof and raised his gourd of wine towards her.
It was Master Jun.
Du Zhijin smiled, and to Ying Jianhua's astonishment, Xingyue flew out and collided with the wine gourd in Jun Lao's hand.
A few drops of cloudy wine splashed from the bottle and fell to the ground, a farewell gesture.
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