Chapter 24 What kind of wine is this? The wine we drank in the bridal chamber...
Chu Shu put away the contract. As dusk fell, Xu Zangyu prepared to go back, but Chu Shu asked him to stay, saying, "Stay here. I'll get you anything you need."
"I'm afraid people will gossip about my senior sister."
“They have the guts to say it to my face, and besides, we love each other, so what are we afraid of in the face of gossip?”
Xu Zangyu decided to stay.
Chu Shu's courtyard is quite large, and there are still extra rooms.
I tossed and turned in bed for ages, unable to fall asleep for a long time.
Things were going too smoothly. Even the young master of Anxiang Tower couldn't get what he wanted, but in the end, he, a mere cannon fodder, succeeded. Moreover, he couldn't understand when Chu Shu had fallen for him.
I felt excited, but also inexplicably uneasy.
*
Xu Cangyu spent three days at Chaolu Peak, practicing his sword every day and eating and drinking with Chu Shu, watering the flowers in the courtyard in his spare time.
But on this day, Xu Zangyu heard some big news: Xiao Mingxin broke through to the Nascent Soul stage, and everyone in the sect was amazed by him.
Xu Zangyu remembered that he had promised Xiao Mingxin a few days ago to prepare a congratulatory gift when he broke through his limits, but he did not expect that Xiao Mingxin would break through so quickly.
I haven't prepared anything yet.
Xu Cangyu had no choice but to tell Chu Shu to go down the mountain first to prepare a congratulatory gift. However, Chu Shu said, "Why bother? I happen to have an unused guqin here. I'll just give it to your senior brother."
Although Chu Shu's guqin was unused, its quality was clearly exceptional. Xu Cangyu hesitated for a moment before saying, "You should keep this guqin; it's quite good."
"I don't lack rare things." Chu Shu didn't intend to let the person go, and in the end, he still had the disciple who was serving him deliver the zither to the Bamboo Grove Residence.
Talented individuals who break through to the Nascent Soul stage at a young age are rare, and quite a few people came to offer their congratulations. Xiao Mingxin looked at them one by one, staring at the entrance for a long time without saying a word.
The last young man arrived late. Xiao Mingxin vaguely remembered him; he was an outer disciple who served Chu Shu. He walked over respectfully, carrying a zither in his hands.
"Congratulations on Senior Brother Xiao's breakthrough to the Nascent Soul stage. Junior Brother Xu is busy at Chaolu Peak and cannot come in person, so he asked me to deliver the congratulatory gift."
Xiao Mingxin then looked at the guqin, which was luxurious and exquisite, unlike Xu Zangyu's usual style.
"Take this zither back with you."
"Huh?" The disciple was stunned.
"Since he doesn't have time, we'll wait until he has time to deliver it in person."
The disciples of Chaolu Peak rarely interacted with Xiao Mingxin. They had only heard that the eldest disciple of Zhuyu Peak was like an iceberg of cold snow. Only after seeing him today did they realize that the rumors were true. Standing next to him, he was almost frozen to death. He simply couldn't look directly into those cold eyes.
He didn't even dare to say a word of refusal, and hurriedly retreated with his zither in his arms.
The others noticed that Xiao Mingxin was in a bad mood, so after offering their congratulations, they left with him. The elegant residence quickly returned to its usual tranquility, but something seemed to be missing.
He looked at the soft grass, where a shadow seemed to be practicing swordsmanship, cunningly tricking another unsuspecting person into taking off their clothes, playing a childish trick on them.
After Jianying's consciousness returned to Xiao Mingxin's body, he was not angry at Xu Cangyu's deliberate humiliation. On the contrary, he was more willing to continue to pretend to be deaf and dumb in place of Jianying.
Some habits, once formed, are hard to break. When you're used to laughter and cheerful conversation, sudden loneliness becomes especially terrifying.
*
The guqin was returned, which didn't surprise Chu Shu at all. However, upon hearing the words that had been brought back, she still let out a cold laugh.
Xiao Mingxin's cultivation had been stuck at the late Golden Core stage for some time, so why did he unexpectedly break through at this moment?
Xu Zangyu felt a little embarrassed after hearing this, "I'd better prepare another gift and deliver it in person."
"Didn't he already say that you can send it when you have time? What's the rush?"
Xu Zangyu always felt something was strange. It seemed that he was being pampered by Chu Shu. Although their time together was sweet, this sweetness was mixed with a suffocating desire for control.
He now even needs Chu Shu's permission to go out.
After a long silence, Chu Shu naturally realized that something was wrong.
"We just signed the guarantee a short time ago, and you're already getting impatient? All I did was tell you not to rush back, and you're getting angry with me over such a small thing?"
“I didn’t mean to argue with you, it’s just… it’s not right for me, as a disciple of Zhuyu Peak, to always stay here.”
“Even after we become Daoist partners, you will still be living here.”
The two parted on bad terms.
Night fell, and a solitary figure stood alone on the moonlit ground. Half a pot of wine had been drunk, but no guests arrived.
Behind the soft thud of falling objects, a secret joy, which had been stirring up Chu Shu's anxieties, sprouted from the ground, only to vanish the moment she turned away before it could grow into a towering tree.
"Why is it you?"
The world was shrouded in mist, and Chu Shu's eyes were colder than the night, piercing through the moonlight with a sharp edge, directed at another person whose purpose was unclear.
Where is Xu Zangyu?
Hearing Xiao Mingxin call that name, Chu Shu's expression turned even more unpleasant. "He's asleep, it's inconvenient for him."
Chu Shu even casually cast a soundproof barrier in Xu Zangyu's room right in front of him, and Xiao Mingxin did not stop him, but only mocked him.
“Xu Zangyu is from Zhuyu Peak, there’s no reason for him to stay here with you. Even if you’ve been acting for a long time, don’t forget your true identity. You should know that Xu Zangyu can’t accept this.”
A slight, almost imperceptible stiffness appeared on Chu Shu's face, but a seductive smile appeared the next moment. A marriage contract with clear handwriting was displayed in front of the two of them, with Xu Zangyu's name written on it and his fingerprints imprinted on it.
It can be seen that there was a lot of blood flowing from the fingers at that time, which spread on the roll of paper and intertwined with another bloody finger mark.
Two different bloodlines were fused together here.
A sense of unease crept onto Xiao Mingxin's face, and Chu Shu finally felt a little better.
“He has already agreed to become my Daoist partner, so you don’t need to remind me. I hope that Senior Brother Xiao will not mind my previous offense and will present us with a wedding gift.”
No one responded for a long time in the courtyard. Xiao Mingxin had disappeared suddenly, unaware that this action would only make him more embarrassed.
Chen Zhiguang was fast asleep in the middle of the night when suddenly someone broke open his door. A hunched figure stood at the door, like a wandering ghost that had crawled out of the underworld, devoid of any human presence.
Chen Zhiguang was terrified, but when the figure got closer, he realized it was Xiao Mingxin.
He didn't breathe a sigh of relief; instead, he became even more nervous, clutching the protective jade pendant at his waist, cold sweat beading on his forehead. "Big...Senior Brother, what's wrong?"
"Do you still have any more herbal bath packets to prepare for me?"
"...Huh? Senior Brother, aren't you...already healed?"
Xiao Mingxin raised her lifeless eyes. "I think the poison wasn't completely removed. It must be."
He had taken Xiao Mingxin's pulse and wanted to say that the poison had indeed been completely eliminated, but given Xiao Mingxin's condition, Chen Zhiguang was no longer sure. He stiffly climbed off the bed and prepared another dose of medicine for him. Before he could even take Xiao Mingxin's pulse, the person in front of him disappeared.
Chen Zhiguang slapped himself. "Am I sleepwalking?"
Xiao Mingxin is really too strange.
*
Xu Cangyu has always been carefree. After a good night's sleep, he acted as if nothing had happened. He practiced his sword as usual when he woke up in the morning, but the piercing gaze behind him made his movements much slower.
His back was almost pierced through. After practicing for a while, Xu Zangyu had no choice but to put down his sword, close his eyes and meditate. Chu Shu was in a bad mood, so he shouldn't go up and add fuel to the fire and get scolded.
He huddled behind the tree, but the gaze followed him, getting closer and closer. Xu Cangyu couldn't help but feel nervous. He secretly opened one eye to peek, but was caught red-handed by Chu Shu who was walking over. He then closed his eyes again as if nothing had happened.
A cold laugh, utterly mocking, drifted over his head. Chu Shu walked past him to the nearby pavilion, passing him as if she had no choice but to.
Although they were far apart, Xu Zang could feel the gloomy aura slowly pressing down on Chu Shu. His left arm was numb with cold, so he turned his back and secretly moved forward several steps.
Sure enough, it's much better now.
The person sitting in the pavilion downed a cup of cold tea, but this was far from extinguishing the fire in their heart. Chu Shu gripped the teacup in her hand tightly, but still couldn't throw it away.
We still can't be too nice to Xu Zangyu. If we ignore him now, won't things turn upside down later?
He's not a ghost, why would he need to hide from him repeatedly?
Does Xu Zangyu really expect him to bow down and apologize? What a joke! Does he really think he's someone important?
Xu Cangyu felt sleepy after meditating with his eyes closed for a short time, but a sudden gust of cold wind made him sneeze.
Strange, it's not a rainy day today, so why is it so cold?
A corner of a garment blew against his face, and Xu Zangyu reached out and grabbed it. He could clearly feel that the corner of the garment was being pulled by something else; it wasn't his own clothing.
He lifted his eyelids and saw Chu Shu, whom he had dragged in front of him. Her phoenix eyes were cold and angry. He couldn't pretend not to see her now, so he could only laugh awkwardly and let go.
But Chu Shu remained standing there. Xu Cangyu hesitated for a moment and said, "Excuse me, Senior Sister, is there anything else?"
With innocent-looking eyes, it speaks infuriatingly; though timid, its claws are sharp enough to scratch.
Xu Cangyu didn't understand why Chu Shu suddenly frowned, and he was also stunned when Chu Shu lifted him up and pressed him against the tree.
Chu Shu's hand almost dug into the flesh of his waist, kneading it almost imperceptibly, before being suddenly released when Xu Zangyu confirmed it.
"You stepped on the wine I buried."
"……Um?"
Chu Shu squatted down and dug in the dirt where he had just been sitting, letting the mud get all over his hands. The dark grime was very glaring against his fair skin.
As he dug halfway through, someone squatted down beside him and helped him dig.
The moment their fingers touched, there was a momentary pause in their bodies. Chu Shu saw the surprise welling up in their eyes. "I found it."
An unopened jar of wine was handed to him. "Is this the one?"
Chu Shu had almost forgotten that there was a jar of wine buried under the tree many years ago. If Xu Cangyu hadn't happened to be hiding under the tree, he wouldn't have suddenly remembered it.
He couldn't quite remember what the wine was, until he lifted the thick seal and was struck by its rich aroma.
"What kind of wine is this? It smells so good!"
It takes several years of burial to produce such a mellow and sweet aroma.
Chu Shu cast a cleansing spell, instantly wiping the wine jar clean, along with Xu Cangyu's still-retracted hand. Xu Cangyu, thinking he was having a bout of germaphobia, then wiped himself down.
Suddenly, someone grabbed his chin and forced him to drink a mouthful of alcohol.
"Can you taste it?"
The aroma of wine, along with the delicate fragrance of flowers, lingered on his tongue, seeping into his stomach with a warm sensation. He recalled the tea that Chu Shu brewed with floral dew, its steam also filled with floral fragrance. The floral scent in the wine was a smell he had once encountered.
"Is it a pear blossom?"
Chu Shu took a big gulp from the jar and said, "It tastes good. This is pear blossom wine that I buried five years ago. It tastes just right now."
Xu Cangyu asked, somewhat confused, "Back then, Senior Sister was drinking alcohol before she was even fifteen?"
Chu Shu didn't know how much she had drunk. She sat lazily on the ground, propped up with only one hand, and her eyes were flushed with a seductive red. "Oh, the wine I buried back then was for when we would drink it in our wedding night."
"Cough cough"
Xu Zangyu choked and coughed violently.
Chu Shu ate all the remaining wine from the jar, leaving the empty jar rolling around at his feet.
His supporting hand gave way, and he collapsed to the ground.
"You're drunk, why don't you go back to sleep?"
Chu Shu was amused by his antics, unsure whether he was pretending not to understand or genuinely clueless.
"Only you can say something like that. Anyone with a modicum of sense would have kept their mouth shut at this point."
The world spun around him as Chu Shu pressed down on him.
A note from the author:
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