Chapter 84 Ah Chao, my heart is as hard as iron.
The room was quiet.
Song Baoyuan finally turned aside. "You don't need my response, so what do you expect me to say?"
At least he was not rejected, Xie Yuchao breathed a sigh of relief, even though this answer did not give him any promise.
Without warning, he asked, "Are you free later?"
Song Baoyuan was a little confused, "What?"
"If you have time, can you go somewhere with me?"
Song Baoyuan nodded hesitantly.
After the snow, it gets dark earlier, but there are a lot of people going out tonight, especially by the river.
The banks of the Guandu River were packed with people watching, many clutching small white porcelain vases or gourds. In the center of the river, rows of flower boats drifted slowly along the current, musicians playing music and dancers performing.
It's very lively.
Song Baoyuan stood on the bridge and knew better than anyone why all this happened.
Qianqian Pavilion spent a lot of money to celebrate its fifteenth anniversary.
"It's started." Xie Yuchao beside her reminded.
As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of fireworks exploding in the sky and the cheers of the crowd rang out.
Song Baoyuan looked up in a daze, and saw brilliant fireworks, as if the whole world was full of colors.
"Luckily I made it in time."
Amidst the clamor, Xie Yuchao, wearing a mask, leaned close to her ear and whispered, "When I arrived, they were already prepared. I almost thought I wouldn't be able to make it."
It’s impossible to miss it, it will take several waves, Song Baoyuan thought.
"Does it look good?"
Hearing the question, Song Baoyuan glanced sideways, "You just want to take me to see the fireworks?"
"Um."
With the mask covering his face, Xie Yuchao gained more courage. "Someone told me that fireworks should be watched with the people who matter to you."
Song Baoyuan looked around and muttered quietly, "Everyone is watching it together."
"What did you say?" Xie Yuchao didn't hear clearly.
"I say..." Song Baoyuan stood on tiptoe and leaned close to his ear, "If you want to watch the fireworks, I have a better place to go."
Xie Yuchao tilted his head, "Where?"
Song Baoyuan didn't answer, turned around and ran, squeezing into the crowd.
"Eh?" Xie Yuchao was a little slow to react and hurriedly chased after him, fearing that he would lose him.
Inside the Qianqian Pavilion, there was singing and dancing, and the aroma of wine filled the air. Its main building was the highest point in the capital, except for the watchtower.
"You want to drink?"
As soon as he entered Qianqian Pavilion, Xie Yuchao asked.
Song Baoyuan walked around the corridor and knocked on an inconspicuous door.
Soon, a woman in her forties, dressed elegantly, opened the door. She was surprised to see the newcomer. "Miss? Why are you here?"
"Is anyone upstairs?"
The woman shook her head. "There's no one here for now, but I'm not sure if my husband will come."
"I want to go up." Song Baoyuan said directly.
The woman glanced at Xie Yuchao behind her without leaving any trace, and asked gently, "Do you want to send some wine and food over?"
"Don't bother. I'm just telling you something. Just go about your business."
After Song Baoyuan finished speaking, she continued walking upstairs.
Xie Yuchao continued to follow behind, and only after the woman returned to the house did he ask, "Who is that?"
"Qiong Niang, the one in charge here."
"Why does she listen to you?"
"Because she is my mother's friend and has watched me grow up."
Song Baoyuan pushed open the door of the top floor, and the fireworks that were originally far away in the sky became right in front of her.
Unlike the exquisite furnishings elsewhere in Qianqian Pavilion, the furnishings here are simple and rustic. The tables and chairs are a bit old, and there are some children's belongings.
Song Baoyuan was still young at that time, and Qianqian Pavilion was a restaurant after all, not suitable for children to enter, so her parents reserved this place for her.
Xie Yuchao's hand stroked a carving on the table, which was a rough ingot pattern.
Yuanbao, Baoyuan, he suddenly had an epiphany and realized.
"Do you think this is a better place to watch the fireworks?" Song Baoyuan asked, turning around.
When her eyes met the raccoon mask with small flowers, the melancholy in her heart disappeared.
"Um."
"There's no one else here, can you take off your mask?"
"Um?"
Xie Yuchao laughed and took off the mask, "You don't like it?"
"I don't like it." Song Baoyuan turned her face away.
"Then throw it away." Xie Yuchao walked to her side. "Whenever you encounter someone you don't like in the future, be this decisive and sure, okay?"
Song Baoyuan was stunned and did not answer.
Because in this place that was both suitable for viewing and overlooking, she saw a familiar figure among the crowded crowd on the ground.
In front of the vendor selling candied haws, Jiang Keyu was holding her daughter, and next to her was Liu'an holding his son.
He will most likely come over, Song Baoyuan thought.
*
Jiang Keyu didn't want to go out at first, but her child was clamoring to watch the fireworks, and it was unsafe with so many people outside, so she came to Qianqian Pavilion.
Today was a special day; many distinguished guests had come to Qianqian Pavilion, and the several managers were very busy. He didn't want to disturb them, nor did he want to attract attention, so he went straight upstairs without saying hello.
But he was stopped by Qiong Niang.
"My dear husband is here after all."
"Well, the two of them want to watch the fireworks."
Jiang Chengyou and Jiang Suisui greeted politely, "Aunt Qiong!"
"It's been so long since we last met, come and let Auntie Qiong give you a hug."
Qiong Niang took the child and shook her head at Jiang Keyu.
Jiang Keyu felt something was wrong and frowned and asked, "What's wrong?"
"I didn't know you were coming, there was already someone upstairs."
Jiang Keyu was stunned. He knew that guests were not welcome upstairs. If there was someone there, there could only be one possibility.
"She's here?"
"yes."
"Who's here?" Jiang Chengyou asked, looking up.
Qiong Niang couldn't bring herself to say it in front of the children, so she just said, "He came with a guest, and it looks like a man."
Jiang Keyu understood immediately.
*
Song Baoyuan stood in front of the guardrail, looked up at the fireworks, her mind drifting away.
This was a little different from what Xie Yuchao had imagined. He frequently glanced at the people beside him, afraid of being discovered, so he immediately looked away every time.
He asked uncertainly, "Are you still angry with me?"
Song Baoyuan came back to her senses and said, "No."
"Did something else happen to make you unhappy?"
When she didn't respond, Xie Yuchao knew he was right. "What's the matter? Can't you tell me?"
Song Baoyuan pondered for a long time.
She couldn't help but think about what happened last night. The myriad of thoughts were tangled together, making it hard for her to breathe.
It seems like I am trapped in a dilemma, a cage.
Suddenly, warmth enveloped her.
Xie Yuchao took off his cloak and covered her with it. "The wind is strong up there. You already look pale. Don't catch a cold."
His voice was very soft. "No matter what it is, you can say it if you want to. If you don't want to, forget it. But I'm here. I will help you and take responsibility for you."
Song Baoyuan's eyes were sore.
After a while, she suddenly asked, "What do you like about me?"
"Hmm..." Xie Yuchao didn't rush to answer, his face showing a look of serious thought. "It should be a feeling. Being with you makes me very happy and at ease. So I greedily think, it would be great if we could be like this forever."
"But I'm already married."
Xie Yuchao chuckled, "Blame me, I came too late."
Song Baoyuan raised her eyes in surprise and fell into his clear eyes.
"That's your experience, not your stain. I don't care."
"I have children."
"They're very cute." Xie Yuchao said, his ears reddening with the shyness of a young boy. "If, if you're willing, I will definitely treat them... as my own children."
Song Baoyuan's eyes paused slightly. "Also, our statuses don't match. You are the eldest son of the Prime Minister's family. You have a bright future and will meet many beautiful girls in the future. Besides, you are still young..."
"Aren't you young?" Xie Yuchao raised an eyebrow. "You're only two years older than me, but you make it sound like there's a twenty-year age difference. Besides, although I seldom go out, it's not like I haven't seen other girls. In my heart, you're the best."
The words that came out of his mouth seemed particularly sincere and did not arouse any suspicion from others.
It would be a lie to say that Song Baoyuan wasn't moved.
"You, that father you mentioned who was very strict with you, would definitely not agree."
"Who's afraid of him?" Xie Yuchao snorted. "As long as the spring imperial examination is over next year, I can enter the officialdom, and he won't be able to control me anymore. If he agrees, that's great. If not, I'll set up my own school."
Song Baoyuan looked at his solemn oath and uttered four words with mixed feelings, "High treason."
When their eyes met, Xie Yuchao restrained his expression and said in a deep voice:
"My heart is as hard as iron."
"Bang!"
The second wave of fireworks arrived as promised, drowning out Song Baoyuan's heartbeat.
They saw themselves reflected in each other's eyes.
Under his increasingly scorching gaze, Song Baoyuan lost her temper. "Then, then, what if you fail the exam?"
Xie Yuchao: “?”
She was the first one to question this.
He straightened up. "You don't even need to ask me that. Go to the teahouse tomorrow and ask it in public. People will defend me. They'll probably say they're more worried about the exam room exploding than about me failing the exam."
Imagining this scene, Song Baoyuan suddenly smiled.
Xie Yuchao immediately felt relieved, "I'm finally happy."
Song Baoyuan realized it later, and the fog in her heart seemed to dissipate a little.
So she said, "Thank you, Mr. Xie."
But Xie Yuchao didn't like this sentence. He pursed his lips and leaned forward.
"I don't want you to thank me, I want... you to love me."
Song Baoyuan subconsciously took a half step back, but quickly pulled it back.
"It doesn't matter if you can't do it for now. You can try to change to a less unfamiliar name first."
Song Baoyuan clasped her hands behind her back, "What do you want to be called?"
The distance between them was so close that Xie Yuchao could smell her fragrance. "A Chao, call me A Chao, okay?"
"A-Chao?"
"Yeah." Xie Yuchao couldn't help but smile, "Scream again."
Song Baoyuan blushed and said in a low voice, "A Chao."
Xie Yuchao stared at her moving lips, and an impulse surged in his heart.
"What's wrong?" Song Baoyuan noticed that he was hesitant to speak.
"Can I kiss... no, hug you?"
After Xie Yuchao finished speaking, his head was buzzing. Fearing that he would be offended, he made excuses incoherently, "I know it was unreasonable, I was wrong, you pretended you didn't hear me, or I was just talking in my sleep..."
"Can."
Xie Yuchao was stunned.
Song Baoyuan's ears felt hot, and she turned sideways uncomfortably, "Forget it."
"No!" Xie Yuchao took a big step and stood in front of her again, "You can't regret it."
"Oh." Song Baoyuan lowered her head.
In silence, Xie Yuchao carefully reached out his hand and placed his palm on her waist.
The soft touch made him feel numb and stiff.
He gently held the person in his arms and did not dare to move.
In the unfamiliar embrace, Song Baoyuan found the long-lost peace of mind.
She leaned on Xie Yuchao's shoulder, felt something, and looked up.
In front of the open door stood Jiang Keyu, dressed in a dark robe. With delicate features and an upright figure, she was incredibly handsome.
When Song Baoyuan discovered that he was there, their eyes met.
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