Chapter 11 A Love Story at a Mountain Temple
Mei Jiashan turned his face away and said in a low voice, "You may all step back."
The pageboy looked worried, but at Zhu Xiyue's signal, he also left.
Only Mei Jiashan and Zhu Xiyue, who was a head shorter than him, remained in the pavilion.
“If you want to form a marriage alliance with the Zhenguo Mansion, why are you so attentive to my elder sister? What do you take my elder sister for?”
Zhu Xiyue was furious.
Mei Jiashan lowered his head and after a long while, he spoke: "I love A Ning."
"Mei Si! Shut up!"
"You dare to shout like that and say such shameless things?"
Zhu Xiyue's voice was trembling with anger, and she wanted to pounce on this person and beat her up again: "You said you liked her, what are you doing now?"
Mei Jiashan remained silent. He could tell his sister about his plans, but he couldn't tell Zhu Xiyue, who had been raised with the virtues of a gentleman.
Zhu Xiyue had already answered for him: "You also feel it's dishonorable, don't you?"
Zhu Xiyue pressed further, like an angry little lion: "Contentment brings no disgrace, knowing when to stop brings no danger. There is no such thing as having both! Cousin Mei, the daughter of the Zhu family can only be married as a legal wife, never as a concubine."
"That's all I have to say. You'd better take care of yourself." Zhu Xiyue left angrily, leaving Mei Jiashan standing there, rooted to the spot.
When Ruyu and the others returned, they saw Mei Jiashan with dull, lifeless eyes and lips that had turned pale from the mountain wind.
"Young Master, it's time to go down the mountain." Ruyu took the fox fur coat that Mei Jiashan had taken off earlier and helped him put it back on.
Mei Jiashan hummed in response, his hands tucking his fur coat around his waist, his expression desolate.
Mei Jiashan returned to his residence, and not long after, Doctor Jiang came in at the agreed time to report on Zhu Xuanning's condition.
When she learned that her appetite was better today than yesterday, Mei Jiashan's gloomy face showed a slight smile.
“The young lady is much better now, and even her symptoms of worry have only slightly lessened. Mental illness requires mental medicine.” Doctor Jiang’s words made Mei Jiashan grip the corner of the table tightly.
Zhu Xuanning had basically recovered, and when she heard that she wanted to go to a temple to burn incense and calm her mind, Madam Zhu agreed.
Zhu Baoyue insisted on going too, but Zhu Xuanning gently patted her head and persuaded her to stay.
Yunshan Temple is renowned for its literary tradition, and even after the imperial examination season has passed, it still attracts a large number of worshippers.
Zhu Xuanning quietly followed the ritual to worship Buddha. It wasn't until noon that she told her servants that she was feeling sleepy and wanted to take a nap. Then she took Pomo into the temple's guest room.
Zhu Xuanning arrived earlier than Mei Jiashan. When Mei Jiashan opened the door, Zhu Xuanning was looking down, staring blankly at the teacup in her hand.
She heard the door open and looked out; the rising steam from the tea clouded the girl's expression.
The shimmering light poured in, dotting the girl's brows and dazzling his eyes.
Zhu Xuanning smiled and called out "Cousin," at which point Mei Jiashan's hand, which was bracing against the door, suddenly tightened.
"A-Ning." Mei Jiashan entered the room, but dared not look at her.
Zhu Xuanning made him some tea.
The tea leaves curled up along with the water ripples, then sank to the bottom of the cup.
"My cousin hasn't come to see me for several days. Why do you suddenly want to see me today?" Zhu Xuanning rested her chin on her hand, looking at him with a bright and sparkling gaze.
That gaze was gentle, tender, and filled with the emotions of a young girl—something Mei Jiashan had longed for for a long time.
Their relationship seemed to have progressed rapidly because of that incident.
Mei Jiashan's eyelashes trembled as he hurriedly drank the tea, only to find it bitter, just like his current mood.
"Ah Ning, are you feeling better? Have you received any of the things I sent you these past few days?" Mei Jiashan changed the subject and asked softly.
Zhu Xuanning nodded, still pressing for an answer: "Cousin, you still haven't answered me."
Mei Jiashan's fingers tightened, but he didn't know how to speak, and even his gaze became bitter.
As he pondered, the girl slowly moved closer. Mei Jiashan caught a faint scent of sandalwood, and when he looked up, the girl with her fair face and snow-white cheeks was already magnified in his vision.
Mei Jiashan froze.
"Cousin, I miss you. Have you missed me?" The girl looked up at him, leaned closer, and whispered softly, her eyes filled with such deep affection that it was impossible to ignore.
Mei Jiashan's taut rationality finally broke down. He hugged Zhu Xuanning, but dared not use force. The words he uttered were nasal: "I miss you too, Aning. I miss you so much."
How could she become a concubine? How could she endure the humiliation of being a concubine? He loved Ah Ning so much that even the slightest frown from her would break his heart.
"Ah Ning, I love you."
"Wait for me for a while, okay? I will marry you and treat you as a wife."
Faced with a choice between power and love, Mei Jiashan made a choice; he naively chose love.
Zhu Xuanning understood. She lowered her eyes, her gaze showing some emotion, but that was all.
"Okay." Zhu Xuanning smiled sweetly.
Mei Jiashan also left a piece of jade as a token of their love, and he looked at Zhu Xuanning with burning and expectant eyes.
Zhu Xuanning blushed and gently kissed his cheek: "Can this be considered a token of my love for you?"
What a joke! Tokens of love are just leverage against her in the future; she'd never give them away.
This kind of invisible and intangible "kiss of love" will not give anyone any leverage, and it can also win the other person's heart. Even if she is caught hooking up with other powerful people one day, and the other person is desperate and tells her, she can still play the weak and accuse the other person of having unrequited love and slander her innocence.
Mei Jiashan's face flushed red. His fingertips trembled, and his breathing became rapid as he tried to hide his unusual expression: "Yes, of course it counts."
I can't ask for anything more; this is enough.
Mei Jiashan said this to himself.
Zhu Xuanning spent the afternoon there and noticed that whenever she teased Mei Jiashan, he would always blush and coax her.
Zhu Xuanning was very curious about how much restraint the other party could muster. It wasn't until she teased Mei Jiashan until his body temperature was burning hot, his fingers were tightly clasped around hers, and his eyes were deep that Zhu Xuanning dared not cause any more trouble.
Before leaving the guest room, Mei Jiashan pulled Zhu Xuanning aside and restyled her hair.
The mirror was blurry, reflecting a couple who looked like a perfect match.
Mei Jiashan lowered his head and carefully did her makeup; the two looked like a real "husband and wife".
His hands were very skillful, even neater and more beautiful than the one used for splashing ink. Zhu Xuanning was surprised that a rich young master had such good skills, but she didn't ask any questions. She just praised him with a mesmerizing smile.
Amidst those sweet, praising words, Mei Jiashan lost her senses, and her face gradually flushed.
He tucked the last pearl flower into Qingya's hair, stroked the top of the girl's head, restrained his desire, and looked at her with gentle eyes like the hazy moonlight: "From now on, I'll do your eyebrows and hair, okay?"
"Okay." Zhu Xuanning replied happily, but she didn't have such fantasies in her heart; she knew that day would never come.
She wouldn't stay for Mei Jiashan, and the Mei family, who wanted to marry a noblewoman, was destined not to allow Mei Jiashan to be so absurd.
Those budding feelings that shouldn't have existed were all ruthlessly and coldly nipped in the bud by Zhu Xuanning.
In the evening, Zhu Xuanning left the Buddhist temple; to avoid being noticed, Mei Jiashan left the temple much later.
However, there were spies in front of both the Zhu and Mei residences, who delivered the message as soon as the two men left their homes.
The informant couldn't tell whether the two met at the Buddhist temple, but he knew that both of them had come to the temple.
Song Zhaohan held the letter that was handed to her and let out a cold laugh.
The clattering of the hoop stopped abruptly.
"What letter could make you so angry?" The boy opposite Song Zhaohan covered his cough, a hint of curiosity showing in his sickly eyes.
The young master, as smooth as jade, to Song Zhaohan's right glanced at her and smiled: "He wasn't faking it; he was genuinely angry. Every hair on his head was radiating fury."
Only one boy, as white as snow and as smooth as frost, remained unmoved, still focused on the cards in his hand.
"I won." He spread the cards on the table, his expression cold and aloof, only revealing a hint of emotion when he won.
"Hey, Song Zhaohan, is your house on fire?" His friend called out as Song Zhaohan stood up and stopped playing cards.
"Okay, I'm not fighting anymore. I have some things to take care of. I'll bring some people next time." Song Zhaohan replied, and as he left, the other three people saw the sinister look on his face.
"Who provoked him?" The aloof young man asked the person beside him with a slight look of confusion in his eyes.
"I don't know." The jade-like young man answered slowly, then turned to the handsome young man with a soft "Ah," and asked, "Is the girl you like really going to marry into the Mei family, the merchants? Are you really willing to let her go?"
The sickly boy, who had just caught his breath, suddenly turned gloomy, but still grunted and said, "I don't like her. Don't drag me into this and ruin her reputation."
The weather in early spring is also changeable; it may be sunny at noon, but rain may start to fall in the afternoon.
As Zhu Xuanning lifted her skirt to get into the car, the rain had already soaked the ground.
The carriage lurched halfway through the journey, and Zhu Xuanning bumped her hand because of the jolt.
"What's wrong?" she hissed, clutching her scraped hand, a sense of unease creeping into her heart.
"The road is muddy, and the wheels are stuck in a small pothole. The servants are clearing it, so don't worry, Miss." Po Mo pushed open the car door and comforted Zhu Xuanning after seeing the situation.
But this explanation did not reassure Zhu Xuanning, who still frowned.
Besides Pomo, the only people who came out of the Zhu residence with her were a coachman and a servant, and it was unclear when they would be able to set off.
"My master is the young master of the Duke of Sheng. May I ask if the carriage ahead is that of Miss Zhu?" The sound of a carriage approached from afar, and a strong voice came from outside.
Zhu Xuanning suddenly tightened her grip, and the stinging sensation brought her back to her senses.
Po Mo looked at Zhu Xuanning in surprise and whispered, "When did Miss meet that young master?"
Mo became wary, thinking it was probably another powerful person who had fallen for the young lady's beauty.
"Don't be afraid, Miss, I'll go and refuse him." Po Mo said, about to get off the carriage, when she heard the servant speak again.
“Miss Zhu, your carriage is stuck deep and won’t be able to get out anytime soon. It’s getting dark and the road is uneven. I’m afraid you’ll get stuck again if you continue on your way, and you’ll have to sleep outdoors in the open. My young master has a manor nearby. You can rest there.”
If you agree, send someone to deliver a letter to your residence, simply stating that you will be staying at Yunshan Temple.
The servant's words were reasonable and flawless, and even the Yunshan Temple had been taken care of.
The carriage was halfway there, and neither the Zhu residence nor Yunshan Temple was close.
Zhu Xuanning frowned, lifted the carriage curtain with her fingertips, looked up at the rain falling from the sky, and finally could only accept Song Zhaohan's "kindness".
Upon hearing the message from Po Mo, the servant carrying the umbrella ran back with a delighted expression.
As Song Zhaohan listened to the servant's report, her gaze was fixed on the pale fingertips that had just lifted the carriage curtain, and she hummed in response.
With Song Zhaohan's help, Zhu Xuanning's carriage was finally pushed out of the small ditch, and the coachman drove the carriage to follow behind Song Zhaohan's carriage.
"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing," Zhu Xuanning comforted the anxious and worried Po Mo, then whispered some instructions to her.
When the carriage slowly came to a stop, Song Zhaohan's servants stepped forward and spread several layers of Shu brocade embroidered with golden auspicious clouds in front of Zhu Xuanning's carriage. The long Shu brocade stretched all the way from one end of the carriage to the manor.
Po Mo helped Zhu Xuanning down, and they walked along the clean path paved with Shu brocade to the manor.
Song Zhaohan never showed her face from beginning to end, but Zhu Xuanning knew that this was just the calm before the storm.
He knew he had met with Mei Si.
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