Chapter 32 End of the Study
The time of studying in the Cloud Recesses was coming to an end in a blink of an eye. The children of various noble families were packing their bags and preparing to return. Jin Ling also received a message from Jinlintai, urging him to go back and preside over the clan's end-of-year sacrifice.
The day before leaving, Jin Ling came to Si Zhui with a small cloth bag. Si Zhui was sorting out his lecture notes. When he saw him come in, he put down his pen and smiled, "Are you all packed?"
Jin Ling placed the cloth bag on the table, and said awkwardly, "This is for you."
When the cloth bag was opened, a jade pendant was found inside. The jade was transparent and engraved with Jin's peony pattern. The edges and corners were polished to be round and smooth, and it was obvious that it was an object that was often touched.
"This is..." Si Zhui recognized it. This was the amulet that Jin Ling had worn since he was a child. It was said to be able to ward off disasters and avoid misfortunes.
"Last time you were injured, I wanted to give you something, but I didn't know what." Jin Ling turned his head away, looking at the ginkgo tree outside the window. "I've worn this jade pendant for over ten years, and it's quite effective. Take it. If you run into trouble during night hunts in the future, it might be able to help you."
Si Zhui gripped the jade pendant tightly, feeling the warmth on his fingertips, and his heart warmed. "Thank you, Jin Ling."
"What are you thanking me for?" Jin Ling turned around, his expression returning to normal. He lowered his head and whispered, "...When you have time in the future, come to Jinlin Terrace. I'll ask the kitchen to make you your favorite lotus seed soup."
"Okay." Si Zhui nodded with a smile, took a wooden box from the bookshelf and handed it to her, "This is for you."
Inside the wooden box was a stack of talismans, each bearing the defensive talismans Wei Wuxian had taught him. Instructions for each talisman were written in small handwriting in the corners. "This is the talisman I drew. It's stronger than ordinary talismans. Carry it with you, so you can handle any evil spirits you encounter."
Jin Ling took the wooden box, opened it and took a look. He couldn't help but smile slightly: "The painting is quite good."
The next morning, Jin Lingtai's carriage stopped outside the gate of the Cloud Recesses. Lan Jingyi tugged at Jin Ling's arm and grumbled, "You must practice swordplay diligently when you get back, or I won't be able to defeat you next time we meet."
"You?" Jin Ling raised an eyebrow. "Even if you practice for another ten years, you might not be my match." Having said that, he turned around and hugged Lan Jingyi tightly. "...Take care."
Lan Jingyi was stunned for a moment, then blushed, scratched his head and smiled: "You too, don't always have a stern face when you go back, or you'll be careful that no one will want to play with you."
Sizhui stood aside, watching their bickering, and suddenly felt a pang of unease in his throat. The past six months of studying, the diligent study in morning classes, the sparring matches in the sword field, the side-by-side battles during night hunts—those noisy days had unknowingly left a deep mark on his heart.
Jin Ling walked up to Si Zhui and patted his shoulder: "I'm leaving."
"Yes." Si Zhui nodded. "Be careful on the road. When you get to Jinlin Terrace, remember to send a message to let us know you're safe."
"Got it." Jin Ling climbed onto his horse, looked back at the white walls and black tiles of the Cloud Recesses, then at Si Zhui and Lan Jingyi standing in the morning light. Suddenly, he raised his lips and said, "I'll come again to study next year."
The sound of horse hooves gradually faded away, and the carriage disappeared at the end of the mountain path. Lan Jingyi was still standing there, watching, muttering, "She's walking so fast, she didn't even wait for me to say a word to her."
Si Zhui patted him on the back: "We'll see each other again."
When he returned to the quiet room, Wei WuXian was sitting in the courtyard, turning over and drying herbs. Seeing him come in, he smiled and asked, "Have you finished sending Jin Ling off?"
"Yeah." Sizhui sat down next to him.
“Can’t bear to part with it?” Wei Wuxian handed her a piece of dried osmanthus flower. “Try it, it’s sweet.”
Si Zhui put it in his mouth, and the sweet fragrance of osmanthus spread on the tip of his tongue: "A little bit."
“Silly boy.” Wei Wuxian ruffled his hair. “All good things must come to an end, but as long as we remember it in our hearts, no matter how far we are, it doesn’t matter. Look at me and your father. We were separated for so long, but aren’t we doing fine now?”
Lan Wangji emerged from his study, holding a map. He handed it to Sizhui, "This is a topographical map of the area surrounding Jinlin Terrace. It marks the areas where evil spirits often appear. If you're ever going to Jinlin Terrace, you can use it as a reference for night hunts."
Si Zhui took the map and saw that there were annotations made by Lan Wangji in red ink on it, which recorded in detail the habits of evil spirits in various places, and his heart warmed again.
That evening, Lan Xichen sent over a jar of freshly brewed osmanthus wine, saying it was "for Jin Ling's practice and as a reminder for Si Zhui." Wei Wuxian immediately opened it and poured Si Zhui a sip: "Try it, it's sweet, not intoxicating."
Sizhui took a sip, the fragrance of osmanthus mixed with the aroma of wine spreading through his throat, warm and cozy. He watched his father and his father sitting under the lamp talking, and watched the ginkgo leaves falling outside the window. He suddenly understood that while separation may bring melancholy, it also makes us cherish the time we spend together. Just like this osmanthus wine, it takes a long time to brew to achieve such a mellow taste.
He picked up a pen and wrote on the last page of his lecture notes: "Jin Ling returned today and gave me a jade pendant. I gave him a talisman in return. Although I regret parting for now, I look forward to meeting again."
The autumn light outside the window was just right, filtering through the lattice onto the writing, as if gilding it with a gentle golden edge. Sizhui knew that the years in the Cloud Recesses would continue, and the time spent with friends would, like the autumn sunshine, remain forever in his memory, warming every day to come.
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