Chapter 29
Just as dawn was breaking, the bamboo gate of Shuyu Courtyard was pushed open with a creak.
Sheng Xuan, dressed in a brand-new black riding outfit, with morning dew still clinging to his shoulder armor, clutching a red silk ribbon in his hand, walked with a light step as if treading on dew. As soon as he stepped into the courtyard, he called out, "Ze Lan! Are you ready?"
Just then, the curtain to the inner room was lifted, revealing Su Zhelan wearing a light green linen long gown. The fabric was something Gu Linzhao had exchanged with a merchant caravan in Jiangnan a few days ago; it was thin and breathable, and the morning light shone on it, giving it a pale green hue like newly sprouted willow buds.
A few orchids were embroidered on the collar, outlined with light gray thread, almost invisible unless you looked closely, which made his neck appear even thinner. The cuffs were slightly tight, revealing his fair wrists, and his hair was still a little damp, obviously he had just finished washing up.
When he saw Sheng Xuan burst in, his ears burned slightly, and he raised his hand to tidy his disheveled hair: "I just changed my clothes, please sit down first."
Sheng Xuan's gaze swept over him, her Adam's apple bobbing. She placed the red ribbon on the stone table but didn't sit down. Instead, she moved closer to Su Zhelan from behind, staring at his long, disheveled hair: "You didn't even tie your hair up. How did you go out?"
As he spoke, he grabbed the wooden comb from the table and clumsily inserted it into Su Zhelan's hair. The tips of the comb caught on the knot, causing Su Zhelan to gasp softly.
"Clumsy," Su Zhelan reached out to grab the comb, but Sheng Xuan pressed her wrist down. The young general's palm was cool with morning dew, but his tone softened: "Don't move, I'll go slowly."
He imitated the servant, gathering his hair behind his head, his fingertips trembling as he tied a red ribbon, the knot crooked and twisted like a struggling butterfly, "This...this is better than wearing it down."
The red ribbon was loosely wrapped around his neck three times, with a crooked knot at the end, hanging down to his side and gently brushing against his collarbone as he lowered his head.
The vermilion silk ribbon, damp with morning dew, stood out starkly against the light green fabric, like a drop of rouge accidentally spilled on a branch, or a newly fallen apricot blossom.
Su Zhelan glanced at herself in the bronze mirror and couldn't help but laugh out loud: "It's better than not getting pricked at all."
Before he finished speaking, soft footsteps came from outside the courtyard. Xiao Qiyun walked in carrying a food box. There were bits of flour on the cuffs of his moon-white long robe, which meant that he had prepared the breakfast himself.
When he looked up, he saw Sheng Xuan's fingertips tying the last knot behind Su Zhelan's neck, the red ribbon hanging on the moon-white long robe like a flower that had suddenly bloomed.
Xiao Qiyun paused, a faint hint of mischief flashing in his eyes, and slammed the food box onto the stone table with a thud: "Looks like I'm early."
Sheng Xuan hurriedly withdrew her hand, her ear tips as red as if touched by the morning light: "Who, who told him to do it wrong!"
As Su Zhelan turned around, the red ribbon swayed on his shoulder. He took the bowl of porridge that Xiao Qiyun handed him and said, "I'll eat with you. I'll leave after I finish."
Morning light streamed through the bamboo window, falling on the three of them. Sheng Xuan stared at the red ribbon tied behind Su Zhelan's neck, Xiao Qiyun looked at Su Zhelan's hands holding the porridge, and Su Zhelan's lips were still slightly moist with the aroma of rice. Suddenly, he felt that the morning breeze contained a taste sweeter than peach blossoms.
As soon as breakfast was finished, Sheng Xuan grabbed his saddle and ran to the stable. His black riding cloak billowed in the morning light, like an eagle eager to spread its wings.
As soon as Su Zhelan put down her porridge bowl, Xiao Qiyun half-supported and half-carried her out of the courtyard: "The carriage is ready, with three layers of cotton padding inside, making it more stable than riding a horse."
A black ebony carriage was parked at the entrance of the courtyard. The curtains were embroidered with dark orchid patterns, which echoed the light green long gown Su Zhelan was wearing.
When Xiao Qiyun lifted the curtain, a warm and cozy atmosphere rushed towards him—the interior was covered with soft cushions, and a small charcoal stove was placed in the corner, with a pot of aged tangerine peel tea warming on it. Even the carriage windows were covered with a layer of fine gauze to block out some of the spring breeze.
"Is it really necessary?" Sheng Xuan stood beside the carriage with Xue Dian Diao on his horse's mane, a newly picked peach blossom still tied to it. "This little breeze can't possibly hurt him?" He muttered, but reached out to shield Su Zhelan from the carriage roof so she wouldn't bump her head.
A servant in a blue robe was already standing beside the carriage. Seeing that Su Zhelan was about to get in, he hurriedly stepped forward, lifted the curtain, and bowed respectfully, saying, "Please, young master."
Xiao Qiyun didn't respond to Sheng Xuan's words, but instead helped Su Zhelan bend down to get into the car, his fingertips lightly protecting his waist: "Your leg is just getting better, don't push yourself." After Su Zhelan was settled, he took out a thin blanket from his sleeve and covered his knees, "If you get sleepy on the way, lean against it and sleep for a while, I'll keep an eye on you."
As Sheng Xuan mounted her horse, the soles of her boots made a sound on the bluestone slabs. She leaned out of the carriage and saw Xiao Qiyun straightening the red ribbon tied behind Su Zhelan's neck. The ribbon had been loosened by the morning breeze. Xiao Qiyun's fingertips circled the ribbon halfway around, his movements more efficient than Sheng Xuan's last night, but he deliberately left a section hanging down at her collarbone, like a red apricot blossom.
"Let's go, let's go!" Sheng Xuan tugged at the reins, and the Snowdrift shuffled forward with tiny steps. "If we dawdle any longer, the flowers will wither!"
The attendant gave a soft shout, and the carriage slowly began to move.
Su Zhelan lifted a corner of the carriage curtain and saw Sheng Xuan riding on horseback, half a foot away from the carriage. His black cloak fluttered in the spring breeze, but he would occasionally pull on the reins and look back. On his white mane, dotted with snowflakes, the peach blossom swayed like a dancing flame.
The carriage was very smooth; the attendant was an excellent driver, and the wheels rolled over the bluestone slabs with almost no creaking. The charcoal stove in the corner was burning brightly, and its warm aroma wafted up, mingling with the fragrance of tangerine peel tea that Xiao Qiyun had offered, keeping the spring breeze out of the fine gauze window.
“He’s even more anxious than Xue Dian Diao.” Xiao Qiyun’s voice came from the side, as he flipped through a book and pointed to the “peach blossom” entry. “This flower is delicate and can’t stand the cold, just like you.”
Su Zhelan's ears turned slightly red, and her gaze drifted out through the gap in the carriage curtain—Sheng Xuan was pulling the reins back, and Xue Dian Diao's originally brisk pace suddenly slowed down, turning into a leisurely stroll. The cloak of her black riding outfit was lifted and fell by the wind, like a cloud that was always reluctant to fly away.
Despite his superb riding skills, he deliberately kept his horse and carriage running side by side, even matching the rhythm of the horse's hooves on the bluestone slabs with the sound of the wheels rolling over them, as if afraid of moving even half a step too fast.
The attendant was actually driving the carriage quite fast, but Sheng Xuan was urging the horse to move even slower. The white mane of the snow-spotted eagle occasionally brushed against the carriage shaft, and the peach blossom on the horse's mane trembled in the wind, as if Sheng Xuan was deliberately letting it get closer to Su Zhelan.
Occasionally, pink and white petals would drift by, and Shengxuan would always raise his hand to block them, as if afraid that the petals would fall into the car and startle people. When his dark sleeve swept across the horse's mane, it carried a scent of grass and trees.
As soon as the carriage passed the wooden gate of the hunting ground, Su Zhelan was startled by the pink and white blossoms that flooded in through the window—vast peach groves stretched across the slope, creating waves of pink when the wind blew, and even the air was filled with a sweet fragrance.
"Get out of the carriage." Xiao Qiyun lifted the curtain and stepped down first. When he turned around to help Su Zhelan, he gently lifted his waist with his fingertips. The servant in the blue robe was about to step forward to help, but Xiao Qiyun waved his hand to stop him: "Go to the East Manor to rest. I'll come to pick you up at 5 PM."
The servants responded and left. Sheng Xuan was already leading Snow Point Eagle around under the peach tree. When he saw Su Zhelan come down, he immediately patted the horse's neck and shouted, "See? My horse is very intelligent!" He deliberately made Snow Point Eagle lower its head, and the horse's mane brushed against Su Zhelan's shoulder, picking up a peach petal.
Xiao Qiyun shook his head helplessly, his gaze falling on Su Zhelan's open cloak.
When he got out of the car, the wind was strong, and the cloak tie came undone, revealing a light green long robe underneath. He reached out to tighten it for Su Zhelan, his fingertips tracing the collar to the back of her neck, tying the tie into a tight knot: "The wind is strong in the mountains, don't expose your neck."
Su Zhelan's ears turned slightly red as she watched Sheng Xuan still "showing off" to the horse, and couldn't help but laugh: "It seems to really understand what you're saying."
“Of course!” Sheng Xuan immediately raised his head, then suddenly led the horse closer to Su Zhelan, the stirrups scraping the ground with a soft sound. “Want to try it? I’ll hold the reins, it’ll be more stable than flat ground.”
As if receiving a command, the snow eagle obediently bent its front legs. Xiao Qiyun supported Su Zhelan's knees and lifted them up, placing his palms on Su Zhelan's heels: "Step firmly, I'll support you."
Once Su Zhelan was settled, she handed the reins to Sheng Xuan, her fingertips brushing against the back of his hand. "Walk slowly, don't jol him."
Sheng Xuan's Adam's apple bobbed as he took the reins. He pulled the horse forward a couple of steps, then suddenly stopped. Su Zhelan's cloak billowed in the wind, the hem brushing against the horse's belly. He hurriedly turned around, only to see Xiao Qiyun already holding down the corner of Su Zhelan's cloak, his fingertips lightly pressing on Su Zhelan's forearm: "Hold on tight to the saddle, don't be afraid."
As the wind swept past, carrying peach petals, Su Zhelan looked down and saw Xiao Qiyun still standing there, looking at her with a worry in his eyes softer than the falling petals. Sheng Xuan, on the other hand, led the reins forward at a very slow pace. His black cloak swept across the grass, startling a few pink butterflies, as if he were clearing the way for the person in front of him.
The snow-spotted eagle's coat was groomed until smooth, and Su Zhelan's grip on the saddle gradually loosened. The red silk ribbon behind his neck hung down, intertwining with the peach blossoms on the horse's mane, the pink and white mixed with vermilion, like rouge crushed by the spring breeze. He suddenly felt that riding under the protection of two people made him look forward to the depths of the peach blossoms ahead even more than when he was out enjoying spring alone.
The snow-spotted eagle's hooves rustled softly across the peach-blossom-strewn grass. Sheng Xuan led the way on the left, his pace extremely slow, the cuffs of his dark riding attire occasionally brushing against the horse's belly, as if checking to make sure Su Zhelan was seated securely; Xiao Qiyun followed closely on the right, riding another white horse, the edges of his long robe fluttering in the wind.
"It seems... it's not swaying anymore," Su Zhelan said softly. The saddle pad that she had been gripping so tightly that her fingertips had turned white was now loosened a little, and the thin layer of sweat on her palms was cooled by the spring breeze.
The snow eagle's back is broad and stable, making it more reassuring than the deer I remember.
Sheng Xuan immediately stopped, and when she turned around, the light in her eyes was brighter than the peach blossoms on the horse's mane: "Really? Then let me loosen the reins a bit and see?"
He carefully loosened his grip by half an inch, and seeing that the Snowdrift was still obediently following his steps, he suddenly grinned and said, "I told you it was steady!"
Xiao Qiyun gently spurred the horse's flanks, and the white horse moved closer. He reached out to straighten Su Zhelan's cloak, which had been ruffled by the wind: "How are you feeling? Is your leg uncomfortable?" His fingertips touched Su Zhelan's knee, and he could feel a slight tremor beneath the thin blanket—not pain, but relaxation after tension.
Su Zhelan shook his head and tried gently squeezing the horse's belly. The Snowdrift actually moved forward two steps, its steps as light as if it were walking on clouds. His eyes lit up, like a child who had discovered a new toy: "It...it listens to me!"
Seeing this, Sheng Xuan abruptly released the reins and took a half-step back, but still maintained a distance where he could protect it at any moment: "I told you it's intelligent! Why don't you try riding it yourself?" Before he finished speaking, he hurriedly added, "Slow down! I'm right here!"
Xiao Qiyun chuckled and said to Su Zhelan, "Give it a try. The Snow-Spotted Eagle is gentle and won't cause trouble." He turned his horse around and rode alongside the Snow-Spotted Eagle, saying, "I'll follow beside you."
Su Zhelan took a deep breath, tightening his grip on the reins, but slowly found his rhythm. Peach petals fell on his shoulder, swept away by the wind of the horse, revealing a few red spots on his light green robe—dye from the red silk behind his neck, like a drop of rouge accidentally spilled.
"I think... I'm ready." Su Zhelan's voice was filled with joy.
Sheng Xuan's eyes widened, then he mounted his horse. His dark figure landed nimbly on the saddle, yet he maintained a three-foot distance from Su Zhelan: "Then I'll walk alongside you!"
Su Zhelan watched the Snowspot Eagle's steady gait, then suddenly blinked, her fingertips gently twirling the reins: "How fast can it...run?"
Sheng Xuan's eyes lit up, and he suddenly pulled on the reins. The black horse reared up, its front hooves drawing an arc in the air, scattering peach petals all over the ground.
"That's easy!" He patted the horse's neck, his black cloak billowing in the wind, and shouted, "Watch closely!"
Before he finished speaking, he spurred his horse, and the black horse shot off like an arrow. The dark figure lay on the horse's back, his cloak and mane tangled into a cloud of black mist. The sound of the horse's hooves pounding the grass changed from a "shush-shush" to a "tap-tap" of heavy rain, startling the birds in the forest into fluttering flight. Pink and white peach blossoms were swept up and danced wildly in the air, like a rain of flowers being cleaved apart.
Su Zhelan straightened up as she watched, her hand unconsciously loosening its grip on the reins, and she let out a soft gasp.
Just as the snow-capped eagle carrying Shengxuan spun around on the slope a hundred meters away, then rushed back at lightning speed, its hooves stopped half a foot in front of him, and the flying petals covered his face.
"How was it?" Sheng Xuan reined in his horse, his forehead damp with sweat, his eyes shining brighter than the sunlight. "Fast enough, right?"
Su Zhelan wiped the petals from her face, her cheeks flushed, her voice still carrying a mixture of surprise and excitement: "So amazing! Like...like a gust of wind!"
His eyes sparkled as he gazed at Shengxuan, even more intently than when he looked at the peach blossoms. The red ribbon behind his neck swayed in the wind, like a heart beating too fast.
Sheng Xuan smiled even more smugly, and was about to say something more when he saw Xiao Qiyun cough lightly.
The figure in the long robe was still riding a white horse, slowly following behind, playing with a freshly broken peach branch in his hand, the petals falling softly as he twirled them.
His face still held a gentle smile, his gaze fixed on Su Zhelan's hair streaked with petals, while his fingertips unconsciously twisted the peach branch into a curve—Su Zhelan's gaze had been completely fixed on Sheng Xuan's back.
From the moment Sheng Xuan rode off on horseback to the moment Xue Dian Diao charged back, Su Zhelan's lips never fell, and even her fingertips trembled slightly. That bright, radiant joy was like a hook, making Xiao Qiyun's heart ache.
He subtly spurred the horse's belly, and the white horse trotted closer, stopping just half a foot between Su Zhelan and Sheng Xuan. "It runs fast," he said in a clear, gentle voice, like bamboo leaves soaked in morning dew, "but there's a stream deep in the hunting grounds, shallow and flat. Running there, the splashes of water from its hooves are much more beautiful."
As he spoke, he looked up at Su Zhelan, a faint smile in his eyes, and gently traced the white horse's mane with his fingertip: "It's much more interesting than just watching the speed."
Su Zhelan's attention was indeed drawn, and she turned to look at him: "The stream? Is it far from here?"
Sheng Xuan, standing nearby, grew anxious: "How can it compare to how fast and energetic I was running just now!" But then she saw Xiao Qiyun pull out a folded piece of paper from his sleeve, which unfolded into a hand-drawn map of the hunting grounds. He pointed to a place marked with the character "Xi" (stream): "It's not far. Go south for about half a mile. The stones by the stream are smooth from being washed by the water. You can sit down and rest there."
He didn't look at Sheng Xuan, but only at Su Zhelan, speaking as naturally as if he were talking about something ordinary. But in his heart, he was thinking—he had to find an excuse to let Su Zhelan ride his white horse. This horse was gentler, and when it ran, the wind around its temples would carry the fragrance of orchids.
The wind swirled peach petals onto the map, and Su Zhelan's fingertips lightly pressed the spot where Xiao Qiyun had landed, her eyes once again filled with the anticipation she felt when she first saw the peach blossoms.
Sheng Xuan was still muttering to herself, "What's so fun about a stream than horse racing?" but she didn't notice that Xiao Qiyun's fingers, which were twirling the edge of the map, curled up slightly, as if he were clutching something that was about to slip away.
Xiao Qiyun also gently lifted the reins, and the white horse trotted forward, keeping pace with the Snow Point Eagle. He took out a small porcelain bottle from his sleeve and tossed it to Su Zhelan: "Have a throat lozenge. It's windy, don't choke."
As Su Zhelan caught the porcelain bottle, her fingertips touched its coolness. When she looked up, she saw Sheng Xuan looking back. His black cloak swept across the peach blossoms, scattering a shower of pink and white petals. Xiao Qiyun's gaze fell on the hand holding the porcelain bottle, and the smile in his eyes was softer than the spring breeze.
Three horses galloped forward, their hooves light as heartbeats, the fragrance of peach blossoms wafting up and tinging their shadows with a blush.
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