Chapter 123
The two walked out of the study, crossed the courtyard, and came to a flower hall by the water.
The interior was equally elegantly decorated, with several exquisite breakfast items already laid out on a small round table: a bowl of steaming green rice porridge, several plates of refreshing side dishes, a basket of delicate crystal shrimp dumplings, and a few pieces of soft osmanthus cake. The aroma of the food was light and enticing.
Xiao Qiyun led Su Zhelan to sit down at the table, and personally picked up a porcelain spoon to serve Su Zhelan a small bowl of porridge, placing it in front of him. "Try this porridge, it's simmered over low heat, it's very good for the stomach."
He picked up another translucent shrimp dumpling and placed it on the small plate in front of Su Zhelan. "These shrimp dumplings are also good. The shrimp meat is very fresh."
Looking at the steaming porridge and delicate pastries in front of him, and Xiao Qiyun's attentive actions, Su Zhelan felt some of the gloom that had arisen from Sheng Xuan dissipate. He picked up a spoon, scooped up a small mouthful of porridge, and put it in his mouth.
The rice porridge was cooked until soft and sticky, with the natural sweetness of the rice grains. The warm liquid slid down my throat and soothed my slightly uncomfortable stomach.
"How does it taste?" Xiao Qiyun sat opposite him, served himself a bowl of porridge, and asked with a smile.
"Very good." Su Zhelan nodded, his voice still somewhat low, but a little more relaxed than before. He picked up the shrimp dumpling again, took a small bite, and the sweet and fresh taste spread in his mouth.
"That's good." Xiao Qiyun smiled and lowered his head to begin his meal.
During the meal, he would occasionally introduce the recipe or the source of the ingredients for one or two dishes in a gentle tone, breaking the silence in a way that was neither deliberate nor forced.
Su Zhelan ate quietly. Although she didn't have a big appetite, Xiao Qiyun's gentle company and the warmth of the food gradually relaxed her tense nerves. Sunlight streamed in through the carved windows of the flower hall, falling on the two of them, creating a peaceful and harmonious atmosphere.
However, Su Zhelan did not notice that when Xiao Qiyun added porridge to his bowl, his gaze fell on his profile and the faint blue shadow under his eyes, a hint of inquiry flashing in the depths of his eyes.
As Su Zhelan lowered his head to drink his porridge, a stray hair slipped down his forehead. Xiao Qiyun's fingertips twitched slightly, as if he wanted to reach out and brush it away for him, but he ultimately restrained himself.
"Didn't you sleep well last night?" Xiao Qiyun asked casually, his voice still gentle, as if it were just ordinary concern.
Su Zhelan paused slightly in his hand holding the spoon, the rising steam from the porridge bowl seemingly blurring his vision. He gave a muffled "hmm" without looking up.
Xiao Qiyun didn't ask any further questions, but considerately pushed a plate of refreshing pickled cucumbers in front of Su Zhelan: "This is refreshing and goes perfectly with porridge."
Breakfast ended in a quiet and slightly subtle atmosphere. Su Zhelan put down her chopsticks, feeling much warmer and more comfortable, and her spirits had recovered somewhat.
"Thank you," Su Zhelan said softly.
"There's no need for thanks between us." Xiao Qiyun smiled gently and put down his chopsticks. "I'm relieved to see that you're feeling better."
He stood up, his gaze falling on Su Zhelan. "Let's go back to the study together. The files you brought will probably take some time to work on."
Su Zhelan nodded and stood up with Xiao Qiyun. The two walked side by side out of the flower hall and through the quiet courtyard once more. The morning sun had risen higher and was shining warmly on them.
Xiao Qiyun slowed his pace, seemingly deliberately matching Su Zhelan's rhythm. He would occasionally turn his head to look at Su Zhelan, his gaze gentle and filled with silent concern.
"If you get tired, you can rest anytime." Xiao Qiyun's voice sounded particularly gentle in the breeze. "You can stay here as long as you want."
As Su Zhelan listened to these gentle words, felt the calm presence beside her and the warmth of the sunlight, the last trace of resentment that had arisen in her heart due to Sheng Xuan seemed to dissipate.
He gave a soft "hmm" and didn't say anything more, but his tense body visibly relaxed a lot.
Back in the study, sunlight still streamed through the window onto the desk, and the open book and the still-wet ink remained exactly as they had left it. Xiao Qiyun led Su Zhelan to sit down again on the soft couch by the window.
"You can stay here and read without worry, no one will disturb you." Xiao Qiyun's voice was as gentle as ever. He walked behind the desk but did not sit down immediately. Instead, he looked at Su Zhelan and said, "If you need anything, just call me."
Looking at Xiao Qiyun's gentle and refined face and concerned eyes, Su Zhelan felt a complex mix of gratitude welling up inside her. He nodded, "Okay."
Xiao Qiyun smiled, then sat down behind the desk and picked up the book again. He didn't immediately turn the pages; his gaze lingered on Su Zhelan's face for a moment, carrying a subtle, unspoken meaning, before he slowly lowered his eyes and focused his attention back on the pages.
Silence returned to the study. Su Zhelan picked up his teacup, which had been refilled with hot tea. He took a deep breath, finally picked up a scroll, and slowly unrolled it.
Su Zhelan was immersed in the text of the case file, his chaotic thoughts gradually settling down in his focused concentration. Those cold words and clues seemed to have become a temporary haven for him to escape reality. Occasionally, when he encountered something obscure and difficult to understand, he would unconsciously frown and ponder, his fingers tapping lightly on the pages.
Behind his desk, Xiao Qiyun's gaze seemed to be fixed on the books, but more often it was on the focused figure by the window. Occasionally, he would put down his book, get up to pour Su Zhelan a cup of hot tea, or offer a few well-timed words of guidance in a gentle tone when Su Zhelan encountered difficulties. His presence was strong, yet not intrusive, like a silent barrier shutting out the disturbances of the outside world.
Time slipped away quietly amidst the scent of ink and the aroma of books. As the last rays of the setting sun faded and twilight descended, candles were lit in the study. The soft glow dispelled the gloom and revealed the obvious weariness on Su Zhelan's face. He rubbed his slightly throbbing temples and gently closed the scroll in his hands.
"Finished reading?" Xiao Qiyun's voice rang out at the right time, as gentle as ever. He put down the book in his hand and looked at Su Zhelan's slightly tired face.
"Hmm, almost done..." Su Zhelan responded softly, his voice slightly hoarse. He stretched his stiff neck and then realized with a start that it was already dark outside the window. "It's... this late."
She looked at Xiao Qiyun apologetically, "I've bothered you all day."
"Don't say I'm bothering you." Xiao Qiyun stood up, walked to the window, and smiled gently at Su Zhelan. "I'm glad I could help. Seeing how focused you were, I didn't have the heart to interrupt." He paused, his gaze sweeping over the faint blue shadows in Su Zhelan's eyes. "Are you tired? I'll take you home."
Su Zhelan wanted to decline, but the deep fatigue in his body made him feel powerless. He nodded: "...Okay, thank you for your trouble."
Xiao Qiyun walked to the soft couch, naturally picked up the files Su Zhelan had placed aside, and tidied them up for him. "Let's go." He stepped aside, gesturing for Su Zhelan to go first.
The two walked out of the study one after the other. Lanterns were already lit in the courtyard, their dim light casting swaying shadows on the stone path. A cool night breeze swept by, causing Su Zhelan to instinctively pull her clothes tighter.
Xiao Qiyun walked beside Su Zhelan with steady steps. He noticed Su Zhelan's movements and his brows furrowed almost imperceptibly. "It's chilly at night," he said softly, reaching out to remove his moon-white gauze outer garment and gently draping it over Su Zhelan's shoulders.
Su Zhelan was slightly taken aback, feeling a warm sensation from body heat and a faint scent of ink on his shoulder. He instinctively wanted to refuse, saying, "No need..."
"Wear this on." Xiao Qiyun's voice was gentle but firm. He gently pressed his hand on Su Zhelan's shoulder and then withdrew it. "You're still weak, don't catch a cold." His gaze lingered on Su Zhelan's slightly thin clothes for a moment, with a hint of barely perceptible concern.
Feeling the undeniable force and the concern in his words, Su Zhelan stopped refusing and whispered, "...Thank you."
The two walked side by side along the quiet courtyard path. The glow of the lanterns lengthened and shortened their shadows. The night breeze rustled softly through the bamboo leaves. They walked in silence, only the sound of their footsteps echoing gently on the bluestone slabs.
Soon, they arrived at the entrance of Su Zhelan's courtyard. The gate was ajar, and warm light shone from inside.
Xiao Qiyun stopped and handed the dossier to Su Zhelan. "We've arrived." His voice was gentle, his gaze falling on Su Zhelan's slightly tired face.
"You look exhausted, get some rest." He paused, his tone as natural as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "As agreed, I'll stay with you tonight."
Su Zhelan was slightly taken aback, his tired mind somewhat sluggish. He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but looking at Xiao Qiyun's gentle yet unquestionable eyes, and feeling the immense exhaustion surging deep within his body, he could only nod weakly in the end: "...Mm."
He simply didn't have the energy to argue or refuse. All he wanted to do was lie down.
Xiao Qiyun smiled and gently pushed open the courtyard gate.
Inside the gate, a figure paced anxiously in the courtyard; it was Sheng Xuan. Hearing the door open, he immediately turned around excitedly: "Su Zhelan! You're back! I..." His voice trailed off when he saw Xiao Qiyun behind Su Zhelan!
The smile on his face froze instantly, then turned into a look of surprise and obvious displeasure.
He strode forward, his brows furrowed, his gaze sweeping between Xiao Qiyun and Su Zhelan. His eyes darkened when he saw the pale white outer garment on Su Zhelan's shoulder that clearly didn't belong to him, and he muttered with a hint of displeasure, "Tsk... why did he bring you back?"
Su Zhelan looked at Sheng Xuan's face, which had been filled with "Praise me!" but instantly turned into surprise and displeasure, and a ridiculous weariness welled up in her heart—this guy... why is he still here?! Shouldn't he be... Su Zhelan's mind was a little sluggish due to exhaustion, and for a moment she didn't realize why Sheng Xuan was still there.
Xiao Qiyun, however, seemed completely oblivious to Sheng Xuan's displeasure and ignored his slightly sour mutterings. His gaze remained gently fixed on Su Zhelan.
Just as Sheng Xuan approached, Xiao Qiyun naturally reached out and gently grasped Su Zhelan's wrist. His movement was gentle yet carried an unyielding strength, and the warmth of his fingertips transmitted through her slightly cool skin.
"Let's go, Zhelan." Xiao Qiyun's voice remained gentle and calm, as if he were talking about something perfectly ordinary. He took Su Zhelan's hand and walked straight past Sheng Xuan without pausing, as if the other party were just a decoration on the roadside.
Su Zhelan stumbled from his sudden movement, instinctively following his steps forward. The warm touch on his wrist and the undeniable strength made him forget to struggle, nor was he able to. He was simply passively pulled by Xiao Qiyun, brushing past Sheng Xuan.
"Hey! Wait!" Sheng Xuan was annoyed by Xiao Qiyun's complete disregard and his direct pulling of Su Zhelan away, but he didn't fly into a rage. He was more annoyed by Xiao Qiyun's overbearing attitude.
He immediately followed, muttering, "What's the rush? You've had a long day, can't you walk slower?"
As he spoke, he squeezed to the other side of Su Zhelan, trying to separate Xiao Qiyun and Su Zhelan with his body, but the action was not violent, more like a way of declaring his presence.
Xiao Qiyun ignored Sheng Xuan's approach and muttering. He pulled Su Zhelan to the door, gently pushed open the half-closed door with his other hand, then turned to the side and naturally put his arm around Su Zhelan's shoulder, half-protecting and half-pushing him into the room.
Sheng Xuan followed closely behind, stepping inside and closing the door behind her, her actions carrying a hint of defiance.
"Bang!" The door shut out the night wind.
Inside, the light was warm and soft. Xiao Qiyun then released his grip on Su Zhelan's wrist, as if his forceful action had never happened. His face still held that gentle and refined expression, even carrying a perfectly appropriate hint of concern.
"Alright, you're finally back." Xiao Qiyun's voice was as gentle as ever. He looked down at Su Zhelan's slightly pale face. "You must be exhausted. Go and rest."
Su Zhelan gave a low "hmm," her voice hoarse and filled with weariness.
He held the volumes of files, feeling as if they weighed a ton. He stopped looking at the two people beside him, each with their own thoughts, and just wanted to find a place to put down this heavy burden and bury himself in the covers.
He carried the dossier and walked unsteadily toward the desk in the inner room. When he gently put the dossier down, he could even feel his arm trembling slightly.
After doing all this, he breathed a sigh of relief and turned to walk towards his familiar bed, wanting nothing more than to collapse down immediately.
However, when he turned around and his gaze habitually fell towards the bed, he suddenly froze!
He blinked, thinking he was just seeing things. But when he looked again—yes! The well-fitting, carved wooden bed he had slept in for so long was gone! In its place was… a new bed that took up almost half the room, excessively large, intricately carved, and clearly very expensive!
This bed is not only large, but also extremely luxurious. The carvings at the head and foot of the bed are so exquisite that they are breathtaking. The brand-new brocade quilt is laid out neatly and gleams softly in the candlelight.
Su Zhelan stood frozen in place, his mind blank with shock and exhaustion. He stared blankly at the unfamiliar and extravagantly large bed, unable to react for several seconds.
Just then, Sheng Xuan's voice, filled with barely suppressed excitement and a hint of boasting, rang out behind him, tinged with a touch of smugness.
"How is it, Zhelan? The new bed! Big and comfortable, right? I had it specially made! It was just delivered and made up today! I guarantee you'll sleep soundly! You'll never have to worry about being cramped again!"
Su Zhelan suddenly turned around!
His gaze fell directly on Sheng Xuan's face, which was filled with the expression "Praise me!" Sheng Xuan was standing not far behind him, her eyes sparkling, like a large dog waiting for its master's praise, and she even puffed out her chest slightly.
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