33 Sleep Talking
"You like her, right?"
Nanke Wine truly lives up to its reputation as the signature drink of Wuyou Tavern. Its aftertaste is lingering and its effects are potent; even two bowls of hangover soup couldn't neutralize it.
So Du Zhijin had a dream after a long time.
She was genuinely surprised when she first realized she was dreaming. Since descending the mountain, she had rarely fallen asleep, and when she did have trouble sleeping, her dreams were always related to Dengxian Mountain.
This time is no exception.
From an outsider's perspective, she witnessed how she was chosen as a disciple by her master, Gu Zhang, and how she learned swordsmanship under her tutelage.
Her master was very strong and showed no mercy, often leaving her covered in bruises. These injuries enabled her to grow rapidly, transforming her from an ordinary person who couldn't even guide her internal energy into the "leader of the Dao debate" who defeated all her peers in just a few years.
Du Zhijin was fifteen years old that year.
This growth shocked many people. After all, everyone had seen during the initial spiritual root test that she was indeed of mediocre talent. Yet, her master had transformed her completely in just a few years, without any external assistance. No one knew how Gu Zhang had done it. They desperately tried to give their own unremarkable children or disciples to Gu Zhang, attempting to create another "Du Zhijin." But her master refused, saying that she would only have one disciple in this lifetime.
Du Zhijin had, of course, asked her master why. Was it really just because of a fleeting glimpse on the frozen lake? And why was her master so certain that she was a promising talent? What if she was an incorrigible piece of wood?
She asked him countless times, both in her dreams and in reality, but he never answered.
However, this time, Gu Zhang spoke up:
"Because it's you."
Is it her? What happened to her?
After saying this, Gu Zhang's figure in the dream gradually became blurry. The white clouds in the sky descended, entwining and enveloping her, as if to take her back to the sky.
The clouds drifted away with the wind, and Master also transformed into a wisp of green smoke, rising upwards. In his dream, Du Zhijin chased after them desperately, even throwing out two swords in an attempt to knock the clouds down, but all his efforts were in vain.
She watched helplessly as her master disappeared before her eyes once again, and the sound of that voice seemed to still linger in her ears.
"Because it's you."
"Master!"
She suddenly woke up from her dream, which also startled Ying Jianhua, who was guarding her bedside.
He propped his head up on the table and kept watch for half the night. When he suddenly heard her scream, his drowsiness was instantly dispelled.
"You're awake?" Her voice was heavy with sleepiness. Ying Jianhua's eyes were still sleepy, and her face was still blank. But she subconsciously protected the candle on the table and lit the oil lamp.
He has always been frugal, ever since he was in Wuling Village, always lighting only one lamp if possible. Even though Du Zhijin said she didn't lack money, he insisted on "increasing income and reducing expenditure."
The beauty was even more captivating under the lamplight. He gently lifted the lamp wick, his sleeve slipping down to reveal his snow-white wrist, while his face was shrouded in a hazy glow, like a dream.
Du Zhijin, still drunk, was stunned.
What did Huo Bai say again? The eldest son's wife should find a beautiful woman who knows how to manage a household... A beautiful woman is undoubtedly a good match. Wouldn't you say that Doctor Ying knows how to manage a household?
The sword cultivator, who had never considered money in his life, fell into deep thought.
Ying Jianhua approached with the oil lamp in hand, and seeing that her eyes were still glazed over, he frowned slightly: "Are you sleepwalking? You weren't like this before, your drinking manners are so bad?"
He was about to reach out to touch her forehead when she stopped him before he could.
Those who practice martial arts are like an ever-burning furnace, while he was born in the cold and had slept outside all night, so he was covered with a thin layer of coolness.
One is cold, the other is hot; water and fire mingle.
He was taken aback at first, then startled. Du Zhijin noticed his struggle and slowly released his grip.
What was she thinking just now? How could she bring Dr. Ying into the role of the "first wife"? How rude of her!
As her thoughts gradually returned, she recalled Ying Jianhua's question and replied, "It wasn't sleepwalking. Besides, I'm not a bad drinker."
"Heh." He scoffed lightly, too lazy to argue with the "patient" any longer, but secretly vowed never to let her drink again. Suddenly, he remembered her calling him "Master" when she woke up, and casually asked while taking her pulse, "Did you dream about your Master?"
Du Zhijin let out an "Ah," as if still immersed in a hangover, her words slow and deliberate: "Hmm. I... haven't dreamed of her in a long time." Her voice was accompanied by a barely audible sigh, like the autumn wind blowing leaves down, slowly erasing the last vestiges of life.
Even the faintest whispers were noticed by the painter. He paused, flicking his fingers, and deftly changed the subject: "That master who became an immortal? Perhaps he couldn't stand your rebellious disciple cursing after drinking."
"Swearing?" She was completely confused, but then she saw his sudden change in expression and felt a chill run down her spine.
Her intuition told her something was wrong!
Ying Jianhua narrowed his eyes, the silver needle in his hand flashing with a threatening light, like the Black and White Impermanence, the deadly Yama, making people tremble with fear.
She hugged the blankets and silently stepped back.
Even so, they still couldn't escape the sudden downpour.
Ying Jianhua gritted her teeth and said, "How dare you speak ill of me in front of outsiders? Du Zhijin, what have I done to wrong you?"
She blinked, cautiously probing, "Outsiders are..."
Then she received her first glare of the day (Note: It was past midnight, this was the next day).
"Who else could it be? Your Little Red."
Du Zhijin rubbed his ears suspiciously.
Did she mishear? It seems that Dr. Ying gets quite angry every time she mentions the name "Xiao Hong"?
Although it was just suspicion, she wisely chose to avoid the direct confrontation: "No, no, even if I were to offend you, it would definitely be me who offended you. So, what exactly... what did you say?"
After speaking, she quickly pressed down on the two swords that were faintly hot under the covers.
She was indeed threatened, but this wasn't something that could be resolved with a sword!
The silver needles were probably just props used for show, and were taken back before they were even used. At this moment, Du Zhijin was extremely grateful that she had bought him this acupuncture tool when she had nothing better to do. If it weren't for their friendship, he might really have died from the needles!
Ying Jianhua crossed her arms, her eyes cold, but upon closer inspection, they seemed to hold a hint of resentment: "You, Du Zhijin, accused me of cheating in front of others. I even stayed here to watch over you all night, you have no conscience."
The second half of the sentence drifted out from between his teeth, like a muttered murmur, which Du Zhijin caught with his sharp ears.
She sat up straight immediately, surprised: "You kept watch all night?"
He spared her half a glance: "Otherwise, what else can you expect? Does your Xiao Hong even know anything about medicine? He only comes up with terrible ideas."
This resentment didn't come out of nowhere. If Jiangwei hadn't suggested that Du Zhijin go drinking, she wouldn't have gotten drunk, and he wouldn't have had to stay up all night taking care of the drunkard.
Thinking of this, he said fiercely, "You are not allowed to drink alcohol anymore!"
"Yes!" she swore, raising her hand with utmost sincerity.
The night ended with Du Zhijin swearing to the heavens that he would never drink again. After confirming that she had sobered up, Ying Jianhua prepared to go back to her room to sleep. Just as she was about to cross the threshold, she suddenly called out to him, "I remember now."
He asked, "Remembered what?"
She became hesitant and stammering again. Ying Jianhua, displeased, urged, "Speak quickly if you have something to say."
"Hmm...you're the one who asked me to say it." Du Zhijin scratched his face, his eyes darting around. "I just remembered why I said you were cheating."
“That day, the day we were fishing by the stream, you clearly promised that if I caught a fish, you would let me out for half a day to get some fresh air.”
Instead of getting a half-day off, she was confined to her quarters for three days. She held a grudge and resentment, hating herself for not standing up for herself, and only dared to voice it in her drunken sleep.
Upon hearing this, Ying Jianhua raised an eyebrow: "You've been holding a grudge for so long over such a trivial matter?"
She wanted to say that he was the same.
She had only mentioned her master once, but he remembered it.
The consequence of mentioning a minor matter to Dr. Ying was that he ate fish for every meal.
Breakfast was fish porridge, lunch was steamed fish, and dinner was boiled fish.
Eating fish is fine, after all, there are many ways to cook fish. But the fact that the fish was so bland for all three meals made me lose my appetite.
Logically, since they were staying at the inn, they could simply tell the waiter what they wanted to eat. However, the problem was that Du Zhijin had entrusted all his money to Ying Jianhua for safekeeping, and Jiangwei was penniless. Therefore, among the three of them, only Ying Jianhua had the right to order food.
"Eat up, why aren't you eating?" Ying Jianhua slowly tucked a handkerchief into the corner of her mouth, looking at the two people in front of her who hadn't touched their food with a forced smile.
Du Zhijin shook his head fiercely: "I've stopped fasting."
Crimson Tail: "Foxes, foxes don't eat fish..."
In the past, when food and clothing were scarce, he would have devoured even the simplest dishes, like steamed or boiled fish, or West Lake vinegar fish with red tail. But after spending these few days with his benefactor, his appetite had become quite discerning.
But who is he to be so picky?
Just as he reached for his chopsticks at the bland, oil-free boiled fish, Ying Jianhua interrupted him: "Go buy whatever you want to eat on the street. Are you looking miserable because you think I'm mistreating you?"
What's worse, they both had that expression on their faces, which made him feel very uncomfortable being left out.
Knowing that Du Zhijin had no money, he handed her a small brocade pouch, indicating that she should take it with her when she went out.
Du Zhijin took it and noticed the bright "wood" character embroidered on the lower right corner of the brocade pouch, which matched her public persona.
"How thoughtful of you, Dr. Ying." She smiled, clasped her hands in a fist salute to him, and happily walked outside. She was fasting, but her cravings were still strong; she felt nauseous if she missed even one meal, let alone three.
Jiangwei wanted to go with her, but when she caught a glimpse of Ying Jianhua looking at her, she silently sat back down.
Seeing that he was sensible and that the scene was slightly unpleasant, she poured him a cup of tea before he began. Jiangwei thanked her quietly, but held the tea without drinking it.
He suddenly laughed: "It's not poisonous."
Jiangwei froze.
"I've said it before, you don't need to treat me as a competitor." He looked at his shattered reflection in the teacup and said leisurely, "While she's not here, let's have an open and honest talk?"
Jiangwei was somewhat at a loss: "Talk...talk about what?"
"You're going to pretend even when she's not here? Nobody here will pity your stupidity." Ying Jianhua curled her lip in disdain and cut to the chase, "You like her, don't you?"
[Author's Note]
I'll definitely update early tomorrow [crying emoji] By the way, I just realized I didn't have comments enabled before, but I have now! Hope there are lots and lots of comments! [rose emoji]
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