Chapter 32
The carriage rolled over the cobblestone road, the bumps as gentle as a cradle. The golden rays of the setting sun shone through the fine gauze of the carriage window, casting soft spots of light on Su Zhelan's cheeks. He was already sleepy, and the steady swaying made his eyelids gradually droop. His head swayed gently with the rhythm of the carriage, like an orchid wilting in the wind.
"Tired?" Xiao Qiyun's voice was extremely low, almost touching Su Zhelan's ear. Seeing that Su Zhelan didn't respond, but only her eyelashes trembled, he knew that he had already dozed off.
His sleeve gently brushed against the top of Su Zhelan's hair. He carefully reached out and supported Su Zhelan's swaying nape, slowly pulling his head onto his shoulder—his movements were so light as if he were afraid of breaking glass. His fingertips even rested on his own shoulder first, afraid that the fabric would rub against Su Zhelan's face.
As soon as Su Zhelan's head touched Xiao Qiyun's firm shoulder, she felt as if she had found a support, and her breathing became more even. Her nose brushed against Xiao Qiyun's neck, bringing a slightly itchy warmth.
Sheng Xuan watched with envy, and was about to reach out to let Su Zhelan lean on him when Xiao Qiyun swiftly grabbed his arm. The pale figure turned half an inch to the side, blocking his view, and put his other hand to his lips, making a shushing gesture—his brows furrowed slightly, his eyes carrying a warning of "don't wake him," and the undeniable aura beneath his gentle exterior suddenly revealed itself.
Sheng Xuan's words caught in his throat. Looking at Su Zhelan leaning comfortably on Xiao Qiyun's shoulder, and then at Xiao Qiyun's matter-of-fact attitude of "I'm taking care of him," he felt a tightness in his chest, like a damp cotton ball. But when he noticed Su Zhelan's furrowed brows gradually relaxing in her sleep, he didn't dare to say anything more and reluctantly withdrew his outstretched hand.
The carriage fell silent, save for the crunching of the wheels on the road and Su Zhelan's soft breathing. As the sun slowly set and the carriage grew darker, Xiao Qiyun looked down at the person leaning on his shoulder, his fingertips unconsciously twirling a stray strand of Su Zhelan's hair, a barely perceptible satisfaction hidden in the tenderness in his eyes.
Sheng Xuan stared at their shoulders touching, then suddenly pursed his lips, as if he had made up his mind. He quietly moved his fingers, slowly probing towards the center, his fingertips first touching the back of Su Zhelan's hand, the warm touch making his heart skip a beat.
Seeing that Su Zhelan was still asleep and Xiao Qiyun was not disturbed, he mustered his courage and gently hooked Su Zhelan's fingers together, then slowly tightened them—the moment their fingers intertwined, he even held his breath, and the thin sweat from his palms dampened the spaces between Su Zhelan's fingers.
Su Zhelan seemed to stir in his sleep, which startled Sheng Xuan so much that he almost let go, but he saw that Su Zhelan just leaned closer to Xiao Qiyun's shoulder, his breathing still even.
Sheng Xuan breathed a sigh of relief and secretly glanced at Xiao Qiyun. The other man was looking out the window, his profile appearing particularly gentle in the dim light, as if he hadn't noticed Sheng Xuan's little action.
They remained silent the entire way.
As the carriage entered the general's mansion, dusk had already fallen.
Su Zhelan was still fast asleep, leaning on Xiao Qiyun's shoulder. Sheng Xuan held his hand tightly, and Xiao Qiyun's hand supporting the back of Su Zhelan's neck remained still.
When the servant lifted the curtain, this was the scene that greeted him: a figure in green was nestled between the two, one head resting on the shoulder of the moon-white figure, the other hand held in the palm of the figure in black. In the dim light, there was a strange yet peaceful harmony.
Xiao Qiyun's fingertips gently landed on Su Zhelan's shoulder, patting it very lightly: "We've arrived, wake up."
Su Zhelan's eyelashes trembled, and he slowly opened his eyes. Dusk seeped in through the car window, turning the carriage yellowish. He was still a little drowsy and subconsciously wanted to raise his hand to rub his eyes, but his wrist was gently pulled—the warm touch from his palm was very clear. It was Sheng Xuan's fingers, interlocked with his, and even the thin sweat between his fingers was warm.
"..." Su Zhelan's mind cleared up instantly, his pupils contracted slightly, and his fingertips subconsciously tried to pull back, but Sheng Xuan quietly tightened his grip. He turned his head to look at his side, where Sheng Xuan's ears were flushed red in the dim light, and his eyes were somewhat evasive.
"What's wrong?" Xiao Qiyun's voice sounded above him, slightly hoarse as if he had just woken up. He had already straightened up, his gaze falling on Su Zhelan's frozen hand. He raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything, only following Su Zhelan's gaze to look outside. "Are you still half asleep?"
Su Zhelan's cheeks flushed slightly. She hurriedly shook her head, pressed her other hand against her sleeve, and hid her clasped hands inside her clothes. Her voice was still a little muffled: "N-nothing."
He tried to pull his fingers away, and this time Sheng Xuan loosened his grip, letting him withdraw his hand. The moment his fingertips left, it felt as if the sweat from the other's palm still lingered, sticky and making him a little uncomfortable.
"Let's go, it's time for dinner." Su Zhelan lifted the carriage curtain slightly to avoid their gazes, speaking as naturally as possible, as if the hand-holding earlier was just an illusion.
Sheng Xuan immediately stood up, his movements so fast he almost bumped into the roof of the car. He bent down and jumped off, landing steadily on the ground. His black cloak swept past the wheels as he turned around, looked up, and stretched out his hand into the car, palm up, his knuckles still slightly red from nervousness: "I'll help you."
Su Zhelan looked at his outstretched hand, then glanced at Xiao Qiyun beside him—the pale figure was slowly adjusting his clothes, a faint smile playing on his lips, as if he understood everything, yet said nothing. He took a deep breath, placed his hand in Sheng Xuan's palm, and the moment his fingertips touched the calluses, the other firmly grasped it and gently pulled it down.
As soon as her feet touched the ground, the evening breeze blew by, carrying the sweet fragrance of the late-blooming osmanthus in the General's Mansion. When Su Zhelan looked up, she saw that Xiao Qiyun had also gotten out of the carriage and was standing two steps away, watching them. The moonlight fell on his moon-white long robe, as gentle as an undisturbed stream.
“Dinner should be ready by now,” Xiao Qiyun stepped forward and stood naturally on the other side of Su Zhelan. “I heard there’s soup simmering in the kitchen, perfect for warming up.”
Sheng Xuan held Su Zhelan's hand tightly, and upon hearing this, gestured with his chin toward the kitchen: "Hurry up, don't let it get cold."
The three walked side by side into the mansion. The twilight stretched their shadows long. Su Zhelan was sandwiched in the middle. The warmth of Sheng Xuan's palm still lingered on her left hand, and she could smell the light mint scent on Xiao Qiyun's right. She suddenly felt that this dinner would probably be spent in an inexplicable silence again.
Dusk, like cotton wool soaked in ink, pressed down little by little. The stone path of the General's Mansion was illuminated by lanterns with a warm glow, and the osmanthus trees on both sides shed golden confetti, which rustled underfoot.
Sheng Xuan held Su Zhelan's hand tightly, his grip not heavy, but with an unyielding stubbornness that wouldn't let go. He took large strides, pulling her forward on his own. Su Zhelan stumbled a couple of steps, her fingertips gently struggling against his palm, but she couldn't break free.
"Slow down..." Su Zhelan's voice was soft, with a hint of helplessness. Her gaze swept over Xiao Qiyun beside her, and seeing that he was looking down at the road, as if he hadn't seen their clasped hands, her cheeks flushed even more.
Sheng Xuan acted as if he hadn't heard her, without turning his head, but simply pulled Su Zhelan's hand closer to him, his fingertips even unconsciously rubbing Su Zhelan's knuckles—the place he hadn't touched enough when their fingers were intertwined earlier.
Xiao Qiyun followed half a step behind, the mint basket in his hand swaying, the leaves occasionally making a soft rustling sound. His gaze never left the two clasped hands; Su Zhelan's slender, white fingers were enveloped in Sheng Xuan's large palm, like an orchid held in the palm of his hand.
At first, his eyes still held their usual gentleness, but as he watched Sheng Xuan pull the reins tighter and Su Zhelan struggle but ultimately couldn't shake him off, that gentleness gradually faded, replaced by a barely perceptible darkness.
The lantern light fell on his face, half bright and half dark. The collar of his pale white robe was lifted by the wind, revealing his taut collarbone. He twisted the ribbon of the mint basket between his fingers, making the cotton rope crumple. Green leaves peeked out from the gaps in the basket, their tips being quietly snapped off.
“There are steps ahead.” Xiao Qiyun suddenly spoke, his voice clear and gentle, as if he hadn’t been disturbed. However, his gaze shifted from the two people’s hands to the stone steps ahead. “Walk slowly.”
Sheng Xuan hummed in response, paused for a moment, but did not loosen his grip. He simply turned to protect Su Zhelan, pulling her closer to him as they ascended the steps, almost half-supporting and half-dragging her.
The fragrance of flowers mingled with the warmth of the lanterns, but it couldn't suppress the tense silence between the three of them—Sheng Xuan's possessiveness was blatantly displayed, Xiao Qiyun's thoughts were hidden in the shadows of his lowered eyes, and he himself was like a string pulled by two forces, suspended in the middle, unable to move forward or backward.
Turning past the moon gate, the lanterns in the dining room shone the warmest, and the aroma of chicken soup wafted from within. Sheng Xuan slowed her pace, turned to look at Su Zhelan, her stubbornness softening slightly, replaced by a hint of expectant anticipation: "We're almost there. The kitchen is simmering your favorite bamboo fungus chicken soup."
Before Su Zhelan could respond, Xiao Qiyun caught up from behind and stood beside them. The lantern light fell on his face, and he regained his gentle demeanor, as if the darkness in his eyes just moments before was merely an illusion caused by the twilight. "Let's go in, the soup should be boiling soon," he said, raising his hand to brush the petals off Su Zhelan's shoulder.
Sheng Xuan immediately pulled Su Zhelan towards him, avoiding Xiao Qiyun's hand, and led her across the threshold of the dining room.
The lanterns in the dining room were brighter than those in the corridor, casting a warm yellow light on the rosewood table, making the dishes steam. Gu Linzhao was sitting at the head of the table wiping his jade chopsticks. When he saw them come in, he looked up and smiled, "You're finally back. I've warmed the soup up for the third time."
Su Yan sat down next to Gu Linzhao, peeling an orange in his hand. The sweet fragrance of the orange segments mixed with the aroma of chicken soup wafted over. "Have a seat, we've been waiting for you."
Su Zhelan bowed and glanced around the table. Before Sheng Xuan could pull him, he quickly walked to the empty seat next to Su Yan and sat down. With the master here, Sheng Xuan never dared to be too presumptuous.
Sure enough, Sheng Xuan frowned upon seeing this, wanting to say something, but was stopped by Gu Linzhao's eyes. He could only sit opposite Su Zhelan sullenly, his gaze still fixed on Su Zhelan across the table.
Xiao Qiyun sat down naturally next to Sheng Xuan, picked up the serving chopsticks and first put a piece of rib on Su Yan's plate, saying in a gentle tone, "Sir, the ribs are stewed until very tender today."
Su Yan, biting into an orange, looked at Su Zhelan and asked, "I heard you went to the peach orchard? Did you have fun?"
Su Zhelan paused, his hand holding the chopsticks. In an instant, Sheng Xuan's confession, that impulsive kiss, Xiao Qiyun's gaze from behind the tree flashed through his mind... Those chaotic images made his heart ache. He didn't speak, but just nodded slightly, his ear tips starting to burn again.
Seeing that his face was pale and there were dark circles under his eyes, Su Yan assumed he was tired, so she softened her tone and said, "You must be tired. Don't stay up too late after you finish eating. Go back to your room and rest."
Su Zhelan hummed in agreement, lowered her head and took a sip of the soup. The fresh and smooth taste of the bamboo fungus calmed the turmoil in her heart.
The dinner table was relatively quiet. Gu Linzhao and Sheng Xuan occasionally exchanged a few words about military affairs, Xiao Qiyun chatted with Su Yan, and Su Zhelan focused on eating her rice, trying to avoid Sheng Xuan's gaze and refusing to accept the dishes Xiao Qiyun offered.
After the meal, the maid cleared away the dishes and chopsticks. Sheng Xuan immediately stood up and walked to Su Zhelan's side: "I'll take you back to your room."
Before he could finish speaking, Gu Linzhao suddenly said, "Sheng Xuan, wait a moment. Sheng Chi just sent someone to tell you that he has something important to discuss with you and is waiting in the study."
Sheng Xuan was taken aback, and the excitement on his face faded considerably: "What can't we talk about tomorrow?"
“I heard it’s an urgent message from the border,” Gu Linzhao put down his teacup, his tone leaving no room for doubt, “Go ahead, don’t keep your brother waiting.”
Sheng Xuan bit her lip, her gaze sweeping over Su Zhelan's face twice, full of reluctance, yet unable to disobey Gu Linzhao's words.
At this moment, Xiao Qiyun wiped his hands and stood up, the hem of his moon-white robe sweeping across the chair leg. His voice was clear and gentle: "Since Sheng Xuan has something to do, I'll take Su Zhelan back. It's on my way anyway."
Su Zhelan looked up at Xiao Qiyun, then glanced at Sheng Xuan who was being stared at by Gu Linzhao, and finally nodded: "Thank you for your trouble."
Sheng Xuan watched as Xiao Qiyun walked to Su Zhelan's side, and the two walked out side by side, their hems occasionally brushing against each other. Her heart felt like it was being choked by the sweet juice of orange segments, both sour and bitter, but she could only be held down by Gu Linzhao and watch them disappear into the lantern shadows under the corridor.
The lanterns under the eaves stretched all the way to the backyard, casting their shadows long and short. Su Zhelan walked rather quickly, the hem of his light green robe sweeping across the stone path, stirring up a little dust—he wanted to get back to his room as soon as possible, away from these chaotic thoughts. Xiao Qiyun behind him, however, was in no hurry, his footsteps slow and soft.
"It's windy today, your collar is loose." Xiao Qiyun suddenly spoke, his voice carried away by the night wind. Before Su Zhelan could turn around, he had already taken two quick steps, reached out and adjusted the red ribbon behind Su Zhelan's ear, his fingertips brushing against the back of Su Zhelan's neck, making Su Zhelan shrink back from the coolness.
Su Zhelan stopped abruptly, turning aside to avoid his hand: "No need, we're almost there."
Xiao Qiyun's hand froze in mid-air, then he casually withdrew it and tucked it into his sleeve, his fingertips curling slightly. He looked at Su Zhelan's reddened ears, a gentle smile appearing in his eyes, and said in a tone as if he were talking about something ordinary: "Shengxuan was abrupt today...."
Su Zhelan's back stiffened abruptly, her fingers gripping the hem of her sleeve digging into her palm. Abrupt? How could he have known…
The scene by the stream that afternoon flashed through my mind: Shengxuan's confession, that uncontrollable kiss, my own frantic struggle...
So he saw everything? When did it start? Was it when Shengxuan hugged him, or even earlier—the moment Shengxuan said "I like you"?
Countless questions clung to him like vines, tightening his throat. He looked up at Xiao Qiyun, whose eyes still held their usual gentleness, even with just the right amount of concern. Yet, deep within those eyes, it seemed as if a pair of eyes had been hidden, seeing everything that had happened that afternoon.
“You…” Su Zhelan wanted to say something, to ask him how much he had seen, to ask him if he had done it on purpose, but the words that came out of her mouth were all disordered breathing.
He hurriedly lowered his head, avoiding Xiao Qiyun's probing gaze, a blush spreading from the tips of his ears to his cheeks. The light from the corridor lamp fell on his trembling eyelashes, casting dappled shadows; he just wanted to find a corner to hide in.
Silence spread between the two, with only the soft rustling of the night breeze carrying the fragrance of osmanthus through the pillars.
Su Zhelan gripped the hem of her dress tightly and subconsciously took a half-inch step back, as if she wanted to distance herself from the topic.
Seeing his flustered and evasive manner, Xiao Qiyun's smile deepened, but he didn't press the matter further. He simply sighed softly and changed the subject: "It's chilly at night, let's go back."
When they reached Su Zhelan's door, the light from the corridor lamp fell directly on the door knocker, casting their shadows on the brass ring. Su Zhelan raised her hand to push the door open, but Xiao Qiyun gently pressed her wrist down.
"Shall I go in and pour you a cup of tea?" Xiao Qiyun's thumb gently caressed Su Zhelan's wrist bone, the movement as light as a feather. "There's still some mint water left, brew it to calm your nerves."
Su Zhelan shook her head, pulled her hand away from his, and touched the cold door knocker with her fingertips: "No need, I'm not thirsty." He pushed open the door, stepped inside, and said, "Thank you for bringing me back. Get some rest."
Seeing his avoidance, Xiao Qiyun's smile faded slightly, but he didn't insist. He took a half step back, moonlight falling on his shoulder, his moon-white robe gleaming coldly: "It's chilly at night, remember to close the window."
She paused, then added, "You didn't eat much for dinner, so I asked the kitchen to leave some lotus seed soup. I'll have the maid bring it to you later."
Su Zhelan's heart skipped a beat, and she hurriedly waved her hand: "Really, it's not necessary..."
"Listen to me." Xiao Qiyun's tone softened, carrying a gentle tone that left no room for refusal, like coaxing a child, "Lotus seed soup is calming, you... I'm afraid you won't sleep well tonight."
Looking at his gentle features, Su Zhelan suddenly felt that what was hidden beneath that face was even more unfathomable than Sheng Xuan's recklessness.
But he didn't refuse again, nodded, and gently closed the door.
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