Chapter 242 - Communication
On the other side of the bridge, children were chasing butterflies, their silver bell-like laughter filling the flowers.
There was a young couple cuddling on a bench, whispering sweet nothings;
There were also several students in Confucian robes, drinking and writing poetry in the pavilion, looking very elegant.
Xie Zhao lay on the bridge railing, looking at the lively scene full of the flavor of life, and felt that all the fatigue of the past few days and all the previous troubles were washed away.
He turned his head to look at Chu Linyuan beside him. The afterglow of the setting sun gave his cold outline a warm golden edge.
"Brother," Xie Zhao's voice was lazily filled with satisfaction, "It would be great if it could always be like this. No more sect matters, no more fighting and killing. Just the two of us, with Gungun, walking around, eating delicious food, and having fun."
Chu Linyuan looked at him silently, the setting sun reflected in his deep eyes, as if the ice and snow were just melting.
He reached out and held Xie Zhao's hand on the railing, interlocking their fingers with a firm grip.
"Yeah." He responded softly, "Come out more often from now on."
There were no more promises, but it made Xie Zhao feel more at ease than any oath. He knew that Chu Linyuan would do what he said.
They strolled in the sea of flowers until the sunset completely sank into the distant mountains and a magnificent sunset glow ignited the horizon.
The tourists gradually dispersed and the surroundings became quiet, leaving only the rustling sound of the wind blowing through the sea of flowers and the occasional chirping of insects.
After playing all day, Xie Zhao finally felt a little tired. He yawned and naturally leaned his head on Chu Linyuan's shoulder. Gun Gun was also tired from playing. He lay at his feet, hugging his boots, and his eyelids began to fight.
The last rays of sunset sank reluctantly into the horizon, leaving only a few wisps of crimson clouds with golden edges on the horizon.
Chu Linyuan held Xie Zhao, who was leaning drowsily on his shoulder, in his arms. Gungun, whose eyelids were also drooping and who was clinging to Xie Zhao's boots, walked slowly towards the outside of the peach forest.
Right on the edge of the sea of flowers, next to the quiet pond, there is an inn called Qixiaju.
The inn is not big, it is an elegant wooden and stone structure. When you open the window, you can take in the endless sea of flowers and the sparkling pool water. It is an excellent location for viewing the scenery.
Chu Linyuan asked for a room upstairs and pushed open the carved wooden window. The evening breeze immediately rushed into the room carrying rich floral fragrance and moist water vapor.
Outside the window, the sea of flowers under the moonlight has a hazy and dreamy beauty. The pond reflects the stars, the moon and the lights of the inn, as if it were sprinkled with broken diamonds.
"It's wonderful..." Xie Zhao collapsed on the couch by the window, taking in the beautiful scenery outside and sighing contentedly, not wanting to move a finger. Gungun had curled up at his feet, snoring softly.
Chu Linyuan walked over to him and picked him up.
"Eh? Senior Brother?" Xie Zhao was startled and subconsciously hugged his neck.
"Bath." Chu Linyuan said concisely and carried him to the bathtub that had been prepared behind the screen and exuded the fragrance of herbs.
The warm water dispelled his fatigue. Xie Zhao squinted his eyes comfortably and let Chu Linyuan gently wash him.
In the misty water vapor, neither of them spoke. Only the sound of flowing water and each other's breathing close to each other were intertwined, and the atmosphere was warm and affectionate.
After showering and changing, Xie Zhao wrapped himself in soft pajamas and lay by the window, gazing at the night view. Suddenly, he felt a little hungry. They had been so engrossed in the fun that they had forgotten to eat dinner.
"Senior Brother, I'm hungry..." He turned around and looked at Chu Linyuan eagerly.
Chu Linyuan walked over to him and pulled out a few still-warm snacks from his storage ring—they were bought when he left Jinguan City and stored with heat-retaining talismans. "Take some for now. We'll go fishing tomorrow."
"Fishing?" Xie Zhao's eyes lit up, he took the snack and took a bite, "Yes! There are so many fat fish in the pond! Let's catch them ourselves and ask the inn kitchen to cook them! Do it yourself and have enough food and clothing!" He was immediately looking forward to tomorrow's activities.
That night, the two of them slept in each other's arms, with the fragrance of flowers and the moonlight outside the window, and each other's scent beside the pillow, and they slept especially sweetly.
The next morning, sunlight shone through the window lattice, awakening the sleeping sea of flowers and the travelers in the inn.
Xie Zhao got up energetically, took Chu Linyuan to the inn to rent fishing gear, ran excitedly to the pond, and chose a good spot under the shade of a tree.
Gungun also woke up and followed closely, full of curiosity about the thin fishing line. He squatted beside Xie Zhao, staring at the water intently with dark circles under his eyes.
Fishing is a job that requires patience. Xie Zhao was initially enthusiastic, but after waiting for a long time without seeing the float move, he began to get impatient, adjusting the bait and muttering to himself, "Fish, fish, take the bait!"
On the other hand, Chu Linyuan still looked like an iceberg, holding a fishing rod, sitting as steady as a pine tree, looking at the water calmly, as if he was not fishing, but in meditation.
Just when Xie Zhao was about to give up and was about to suggest using talismans to fry the fish, the fishing rod in Chu Linyuan's hand suddenly sank!
"Bait!" Xie Zhao jumped up excitedly.
Chu Linyuan shook his wrist steadily, and a huge fish that was about a foot long and gleaming with silver light and covered with full scales was pulled out of the water, jumping around in the sun!
"Wow! Senior brother is so awesome!" Xie Zhao quickly picked up the scoop net to help.
Perhaps it was a good start, as Xie Zhao's fishing rod began to catch fish one after another. Although the fish were not as big as the one caught by Chu Linyuan, they were still plump enough.
Gungun looked at the fish struggling in the bucket, and kept making excited "hmm" sounds. He stretched out his little paws to try to catch it, but was picked up by Xie Zhao with a smile.
After a busy morning, they had a good harvest. They handed the largest fish to the inn kitchen, requesting that they steam, braise, or stew them in soup, and returned the rest to the pond.
When the delicious fish feast is served on the table, the satisfaction of obtaining delicious food through one's own labor is incomparable to any delicacies from land and sea.
Xie Zhao ate with great relish. Even Chu Linyuan, who usually had no requirements for food, picked up his chopsticks a few more times.
Just as they were feasting on the lunch they had "earned", the Star Token on Xie Zhao's waist began to flash - it was a call from Su Tang.
Xie Zhao wiped his mouth and answered the call. Su Tang's energetic voice immediately filled the room:
"Second Brother! Big Brother! You've gone too far! You went sightseeing without us! You even went fishing! You even had a feast! I even saw the pictures of our encounters that fans took in the livestream! The peach blossom forest! The sea of flowers! And you and GunGun! Jealousy has made me unrecognizable!"
Xie Zhao proudly raised his chin towards Xing Yin Ling: "Hehe, are you envious? Who asked you to stay behind to guard the sect? This is called "the capable should do more work". We are enjoying life for you~"
"Bah!" Su Tang retorted angrily, but then became excited again, "But I have good news for you! Everything is fine with the sect! Xiaolu and I have managed everything in perfect order, and the disciples are practicing very hard! Uncle Chen is still the same, but the area he sweeps has been expanded... Oh, right! The most important thing is Senior Sister Luo!"
She lowered her voice, gossiping excitedly, "Senior Sister Luo is going crazy in the palace! Oh no, she's really thriving! His Majesty, feeling guilty, has granted almost every request of hers, showering her with rewards! The Empress Dowager also particularly likes her, thinking she's straightforward and capable! Now, the concubines in the harem avoid her when they see her! Even the Empress!"
Su Tang emphasized, "The queen who used to be the best at putting on an act, now when she sees Senior Sister Luo, her smile is so fake it's almost falling to the ground. She doesn't even dare to fart! She's afraid that if Senior Sister Luo gets upset, she'll give her some beauty tonic to keep her youthful forever!"
Xie Zhao laughed heartily upon hearing this, imagining how overbearing Luo Hongyi was in the palace. Although Chu Linyuan remained silent, a barely perceptible hint of relief flashed across his eyes.
Knowing that Luo Hongyi was safe and had established a firm foothold in that cannibalistic place, they felt relieved.
"That's good! Tell Junior Sister Luo to work hard! Our Guixu Sect will back her up!" Xie Zhao said with great pride.
After chatting with Su Tang for a while about the sect's recent situation, Xie Zhao and Chu Linyuan were completely relieved to learn that everything was stable. There was no news about Tie Niu for the time being, but his life plate was intact.
After finishing the communication with Su Tang, the smile on Xie Zhao's face became even brighter, as if it was filled with sunshine outside the window.
He picked up a piece of tender steamed fish with chopsticks, carefully removed the small bones, and then naturally handed it to Chu Linyuan's mouth, his peach blossom eyes curved: "Brother, try this, the most tender piece!"
Chu Linyuan was drinking the fish soup slowly, and when he saw this, he paused slightly.
He raised his eyes to look at Xie Zhao, whose eyes were full of anticipation and a little pride, as if he was presenting a treasure.
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