I said, "Could it be because I slept on the princess couch and got caught? Or maybe Zi Mo exposed me before she died."
I said again, “It’s rare to pass by here. The scenery is beautiful. The lotus seeds are ripe, the lotus flowers are blooming, the lotus pond is green, the lotus roots are white, and even the air has the smell of late summer.”
Lou Xiyue remained indifferent, ignoring my words.
I rubbed my forehead and said lightly, "Lou Xiyue, I feel a little dizzy."
He glanced down at me and said casually, "Hmm?"
I said, "Don't run anymore, I'm really a little dizzy."
He slowed his horse's pace and asked, "Dizzy?"
I said weakly, "I might be carsick."
Lou Xiyue said, "..."
I looked around. Ji Jiu was behind me, but no one else was chasing after us. Da Feng hadn't followed. I wondered if he was worried about the basket of lotus seeds and had eaten them at the tavern.
We passed by that lotus pond.
Large swaths of lotus flowers floated to the surface of the water, their dense leaves turning the clear pond water green.
A small boat glides gracefully across the pond. The boatman sits at the bow, carrying a wine jar, while the lotus-picking girl, dressed in a short floral jacket, stands barefoot in the boat, her trousers rolled up, picking lotus pods and placing them into her basket.
Beside the lotus pond stands a pavilion, its pillars carved with water lilies, a scene of intoxicating beauty amidst the lotus blossoms.
People were playing in the pavilion.
A boy in a coarse cloth shirt and a girl with her hair in a topknot sat side by side on a bamboo mat.
The little girl had rosy lips and white teeth, and was very pleasing to the eye. She took out the lotus pods from the basket, peeled them open to reveal the tender white lotus seeds, and handed them to the boy.
The boy smiled brightly and ate the lotus seed. He rolled up his trousers and plunged into the pond. After some time, bubbles appeared in the pond, and he popped his head up, holding a piece of lotus root in his hand, whistling at the girl in the pavilion.
A gentle breeze stirred the lotus leaves in the pond, causing them to sway and the air to fill with mist. A touch of embarrassment appeared on the little girl's smiling face.
The sky was a deep blue, with white clouds drifting by, and wild geese flying south. Water plants swayed in the wind, and ripples spread across the pond.
As I gazed at the carefree girl in the lotus pavilion, I thought of Qi Xiao.
I haven't been able to find her since we parted ways.
The image of her smiling at me in my mind is gradually fading. She is my sister, but I don't know where I left her.
I said, "When I was a child, my family was poor and we had nothing to eat. I used to catch fish by the river in Yangzhou."
Lou Xiyue reined in her horse and whispered in my ear, "Since you're feeling dizzy, go rest in the pavilion for a while."
The little girl in the pavilion looked at the boy in the pond with a smile in her eyes, dangling her toes and singing a tuneless little song.
I rest my chin on my hand and look at the young people in the lotus pond and pavilion, their hearts just beginning to stir with love, and I recall many bygone days.
I sighed, "Time flies. I was once this age too."
Lou Xiyue sat down next to me, resting his chin on his hand, seemingly lost in thought. Then he said, "You loved listening to operas when you were little, didn't you?"
I was taken aback, finally free from the days of talking to Lou Gongzi like a mum on a cow for so long.
I turned my head to look at him.
His eyes were like feathers, with slightly upturned tips, and he smiled faintly, "You're definitely not an easy girl to deal with."
I raised my chin and said, "How could you, a son of a wealthy family, know the hardships of us common folk?"
Lou Xiyue rested her forehead on her hand, "Xiao Xiang, you..."
He paused halfway through his sentence, then stopped talking.
I said, "What about me?"
Lou Xiyue looked at me, lowered her head slightly, and curled the corners of her lips indifferently, "Is there some kind of medicine that will make you forget some people and some things after you take it?"
I was baffled. "What are you talking about?"
Lou Xiyue unfolded her fan and gazed leisurely at the lotus pond. "I'm thinking—"
He raised an eyebrow and said teasingly, "Have you taken the wrong medicine?"
I said, "You're the one who took the wrong medicine."
Lou Xiyue lowered her head and chuckled softly. She got up, exchanged some silver for lotus pods, and handed them to me.
Laughter drifted over, and I looked over to see a girl among the lotus-picking girls, her face flushed. She pushed her boat to the shore, holding a pink lotus in her hand, and walked barefoot to Lou Xiyue. She placed the lotus in his arms, her almond-shaped eyes brimming with joy.
Lou Xiyue was clearly caught off guard and coughed lightly, covering her mouth.
The girls in the pond gathered in twos and threes, teasing the pavilion, "Young master, come home with Abi."
I glanced at Ji Jiu; she sat to the side as if nothing had happened, looking at Lou Xiyue expressionlessly.
I looked again at the girl picking lotus flowers; her eyes were brimming with springtime longing.
I took one last look at the little girl sitting on the mat in the pavilion, watching with anticipation as her older brother and sister fell in love at first sight.
In the sweltering summer heat, people are restless. Everyone is hoping something will happen.
I'm also restless.