Gongzi Qi continued, "Not only that, do you remember the back mountain of the rainforest?"
Gongzi Yi laughed heartily, "Of course I remember! Wasn't it the place where he spied on respectable women bathing? He even said he'd take us there, but unfortunately we're not into that kind of thing."
Hua Wuduo noticed that there were fewer and fewer women around Gongzi Xiu.
Gongzi Qi then asked, "Do you still remember the apricot blossoms and spring rain?"
Gongzi Yi exclaimed, "Of course I remember! Xiu said that Du Qianqian of Xinghua Chunyu truly deserves to be called the number one courtesan in the capital. Her skin is so delicate and tender. After being whipped, ah... that feeling is truly intoxicating."
Hua Wuduo saw that Gongzi Xiu was completely alone.
We used to watch the sunrise together.
Gongzi Xiu's expression remained indifferent, seemingly unperturbed by their framing.
Seeing that everyone had left, Gongzi Yi and Gongzi Qi exchanged a glance and walked towards Gongzi Xiu.
Hua Wuduo was puzzled. Did they dare to touch Young Master Xiu?
Gongzi Yi and Gongzi Qi stood on either side of Gongzi Xiu and simultaneously grabbed one of his arms. Surprisingly, Gongzi Xiu was very obedient and did not struggle at all, letting the two of them carry him towards the fire. Gongzi Yi said to Hua Wuduo, "Wuduo, go and get a few jars of wine. We'll drink to our hearts' content today!"
Hua Wuduo said, "Alright!"
At this moment, several bonfires were lit on the shore of Daming Lake.
The people in the literary class were divided into two teams. One team was responsible for starting a fire, and the other team was responsible for riding fast horses to the nearby market town to buy wine. At this moment, the fire was lit and the wine was bought.
The martial arts team members were not idle either. They took this opportunity to show off their skills, catching many wild ducks and rabbits from the forest. After their raid, the creatures in the forest were likely nearly wiped out.
After a flurry of activity, everything was ready. Men and women sat together in groups, grilling meat, chatting and laughing, creating a lively atmosphere.
Young Master Yi, Young Master Xiu, Young Master Qi, and Hua Wuduo lavishly occupied a campfire. The three young masters were all a bit hungry, but none of them started grilling meat. They just stared at the meat Hua Wuduo was grilling over the fire, drooling as they watched.
As Hua Wuduo flipped the meat over the fire, he glanced around with a sense of resentment. He saw men diligently grilling meat by other fires, while women waited with sweet smiles, their group the opposite. No wonder the others preferred to squeeze in with a crowd and fight for food rather than join their group. Faced with these three pampered young masters who expected to be waited on hand and foot, Hua Wuduo resignedly continued grilling the meat.
The meat had barely been roasting when Gongzi Yi suddenly reached out, grabbed a rabbit that was roasting over the fire, blew on it casually, and took a bite. His mouth immediately filled with blood, a bizarre sight. Hua Wuduo stared in disbelief, while Gongzi Qi immediately withdrew his hand from the meat. Gongzi Xiu glanced away in disgust. Gongzi Yi, realizing something was wrong, spat out the meat, tossed the remaining pieces to Hua Wuduo, and covered his mouth, saying, "I tried it, it's not done yet, keep roasting."
"Oh." Hua Wuduo continued to roast it over the fire.
Gongzi Yi went to the water's edge to wash himself.
Seeing that Gongzi Yi had walked away, Hua Wuduo and Gongzi Qi couldn't help but laugh. A smile also flashed in Gongzi Xiu's eyes.
A moment later, the meat was finally cooked. This time, Gongzi Yi was very well-behaved and didn't rush to grab it. Hua Wuduo kept a portion for himself first and distributed the rest to the three of them. Then, while eating, he continued to roast the remaining meat over the fire.
All four of them were hungry, so they started eating without any hesitation.
Hua Wuduo was really hungry, and his mouth and hands were covered in oil from eating.
Seeing her eating habits, Gongzi Yi scoffed without hesitation, while Gongzi Qi, with his refined manners, shook his head at Hua Wuduo's behavior. Hua Wuduo pretended not to hear or see anything and continued to eat and drink heartily. In her view, one should eat meat and drink wine in large quantities when traveling the martial world; only then would one appear bold and like a true martial artist.
Of the group, only Gongzi Xiu looked at her with a strange glint in his eyes, but Hua Wuduo pretended not to notice.
With meat at the bottom, Young Master Yi immediately raised the wine jar in his hand and said, "Drink!"
Gongzi Qi raised the wine jar, Gongzi Xiu followed suit, and Hua Wuduo followed. Without saying anything more, the four of them tilted their heads back and drank.
Holding the wine jar and drinking, he felt incredibly refreshed. After taking a big gulp, Gongzi Yi exclaimed, "Good wine!"
Gongzi Qi smiled and said, "It's the finest Daughter's Red wine, aged for six years. Yu must have bought it herself."
Young Master Xiu did not respond.
Hua Wuduo wiped the wine stains from the corner of his mouth and smiled, "That's right, this wine must have been bought from Zhang's Wine Shop in Liushi Town."
***************
Gongzi Qi looked at Hua Wuduo and said, "You have a good eye for wine. It seems you're a wine lover too."
Hua Wuduo smiled and said, "My greatest wish in life is to taste all the fine wines and delicacies in the world, and to collect all the rare weapons and hidden weapons in the world."
"What do you mean by 'wine addict'? She's just a glutton," Gongzi Yi said, taking things out of context.
Before Hua Wuduo could react, Gongzi Xiu suddenly said, "Being able to eat is a blessing."
Young Master Xiu's sudden remark caused the other three to look at him simultaneously, their faces bearing the same expression, as if questioning him: So you can talk after all?
As for what he actually said and for whom he said it, it seems to have become no longer important.
After several rounds of drinks, the men's eyes were slightly hazy with intoxication. Gongzi Yi leaned slightly and whispered in Gongzi Xiu's ear, "Xiu, thank you."
Upon hearing this, Gongzi Xiu's gaze darkened.
With her keen ears, Hua Wuduo secretly glanced at Gongzi Yi. Had she heard correctly? Looking up at the setting sun, she asked doubtfully, "That should be the west, right?"
Gongzi Qi, standing to the side, wore a faint, warm smile and took a sip of wine.
Everyone had eaten and drunk their fill when suddenly the sound of a zither arose. A woman in the crowd stood up and danced to the music. The woman had a graceful figure, and one could tell she was a great beauty without even looking at her. Just then, Hua Wuduo heard someone exclaim, "Qi Xin! It's Qi Xin dancing!"
Hua Wuduo was suddenly startled; she had completely forgotten about Qi Xin.
One of her purposes in coming here was to see the future most beautiful woman in the world with her own eyes, but she had forgotten such an important thing. Fortunately, it was not too late. She immediately widened her eyes and stared intently at the woman dancing in the arena, trying to find as many flaws as possible.
Qi Xin truly lived up to her reputation. With so many lecherous men eyeing her, she could still dance so elegantly for them. Hua Wuduo couldn't help but admire her. But just then, Hua Wuduo vaguely heard Gongzi Yi say, "Wuduo, thank you."
Hua Wuduo's heart skipped a beat, thinking she had misheard. Her first thought was that Gongzi Yi should be drooling and staring intently at the beautiful woman, and couldn't possibly have any feelings for her... But she still couldn't help but cautiously turn her head to try to confirm. She looked at Gongzi Yi and saw his expression. Her heart finally settled down. He was indeed drooling and staring intently at the beautiful woman. She must have misheard. She then looked at Qi Xin as if nothing had happened.
Qi Xin's dance is elegant and graceful; when she stops, she is light and charming, and when she moves, she is as soaring as a swallow.
Gongzi Qi softly recited beside her: "Swimming and turning like light snow, gracefully moving like a dragon in flight. Her hands droop like willow branches, her skirts trail like clouds. Her eyebrows are slightly furrowed, her movements graceful, her sleeves rise and fall as if full of emotion. On the Lantern Festival, she adorns her hair with green buds, and the Queen Mother waves goodbye to the flying jade."
Qi Xin's dance was extremely light, extremely graceful, and extremely elegant.
Just then, Qi Xin suddenly seemed to lose her balance, let out a soft cry, and fell into someone's arms. The person who supported her was none other than Gongzi Xiu. Hua Wu was very surprised, wondering when Gongzi Xiu had gotten there and was standing there.
At that moment, Qi Xin and Gongzi Xiu's eyes met. Qi Xin suddenly seemed shy, her face flushed, and she hurriedly twirled in Gongzi Xiu's arms. Her sleeve brushed against Gongzi Xiu's cheek, seemingly leaving a lingering fragrance, before she vanished from everyone's sight. She even forgot to take the handkerchief that had fallen onto Gongzi Xiu. Gongzi Xiu glanced in the direction Qi Xin had disappeared, expressionlessly tucked the handkerchief into his sleeve, and turned to leave in the opposite direction.
A thought suddenly popped into Hua Wuduo's mind: Was it Gongzi Xiu who was seducing Qi Xin, or was it Qi Xin who was seducing Gongzi Xiu? But then she thought again, perhaps she was overthinking it, and maybe it really was just a coincidence.
She secretly compared Qi Xin and her sister in her heart, and finally decided that her sister was more beautiful!
Looking up, she was surprised to find that Gongzi Yi, who had been beside her, was nowhere to be seen. At this moment, Gongzi Qi, who was standing nearby, explained, "He went to chase after Qi Xin."
What? Hua Wuduo immediately got up to chase after him, but was stopped by Gongzi Qi, who smiled and said, "No rush."
Hua Wuduo hesitated. It was indeed not a good idea for her to follow Gongzi Yi after he went to chase after a beautiful woman, but she was still worried that if that guy died, she would have to pay with her life.
Gongzi Qi seemed to have seen through her thoughts and said, "See, aren't we back now?"
So fast? Hua Wuduo looked in the direction Gongzi Qi pointed and sure enough, he saw Gongzi Yi walking towards them with a smile on his face.
The music ended, and the crowd dispersed.
On the embankment, students from Nanshu Academy and Beiyu Academy bid each other a reluctant farewell.
Hua Wuduo was bored and stole a glance at Gongzi Yi, who had been chuckling to himself since the beginning. He wondered what benefit Qi Xin had given him that made him so happy, like a bear that had just stolen honey.
At this moment, Master Ji approached them with small, square steps. Standing next to Hua Wuduo, Master Ji sighed deeply, "Alas, it's always like this."
Hua Wuduo sensed the Master's helplessness and was about to offer some words of comfort when Master Ji said to her in a very ingratiating manner, "Wuduo, could I trouble you with something?"
Upon hearing that the Master needed her help, Hua Wuduo immediately replied, "Master, you are too kind. Please just give your instructions, and I will do my best to fulfill them."
The Master laughed and said, "Could you stay and clean this up?" He pointed to the wine jars scattered haphazardly on the sandy beach behind them, along with bones strewn everywhere...
The teacher smiled kindly at her, but Hua Wuduo was stunned. She racked her brains but couldn't find a suitable reason to refuse. She looked at Gongzi Yi, but saw that he was still chuckling to himself and couldn't be counted on. She then looked at Gongzi Qi, who saw her pleading look and smiled warmly at her. Gongzi Qi then said to the teacher, "Teacher, I, along with Yi and Xiu, are willing to stay and help Wuduo clean up."
Hua Wuduo was moved to tears upon hearing this.
The teacher hesitated for a moment, then said, "Very well, but hurry up and catch up. Don't be playful." The teacher seemed to have already seen through Gongzi Qi's thoughts. Gongzi Qi smiled, clasped his hands in a salute, and said, "Yes, I obey the teacher's command."
The Master smiled and shouted, "Mount up, everyone, let's go!"
Everyone had left, but Gongzi Xiu was forcefully held back by Gongzi Qi. It's unclear what Gongzi Qi said to him, but Gongzi Xiu stayed. Gongzi Yi, having recovered from his reverie, was extremely reluctant when he heard he had to clean up the leftovers. Gongzi Qi, however, said it was no problem at all. Hua Wuduo was just momentarily excited when he saw Gongzi Qi mount his horse and ride off…
The flowers were few, and I wanted to cry but had no tears.
The afterglow of the sun spilled onto the shore, and the setting sun made Daming Lake shimmer with gold, giving it a lazy and warm feel.
Hua Wuduo resignedly cleaned up haphazardly.
Gongzi Yi watched her from the side, occasionally kicking a bone right under her nose and shouting, "There's more here."
Young Master Xiu sat on the shore, gazing at Daming Lake, seemingly lost in thought.
Hua Wuduo no longer asks for anything; the fact that the two of them didn't run away is already a great favor.
Just then, the sound of horses' hooves was heard on the embankment. Gongzi Qi, riding on horseback, called out, "Yi, Wuduo, Xiu, I'm back!"
Hua Wuduo was quite surprised. Hadn't he run away? Why was he back?
But then four or five strong men rushed down from the embankment. Without saying a word, they started helping Hua Wuduo get ready. Hua Wuduo immediately realized that Gongzi Qi hadn't run away but had gone to find help.
Hua Wuduo immediately became happy, leaped onto the embankment, and walked towards Gongzi Qi.
Gongzi Yi shouted to the embankment, "At least you still have a conscience!" and then went up to the embankment.
Young Master Xiu by the water turned his head to look, then turned his head away again.
Gongzi Qi laughed loudly, "I have more than just a conscience, look what else I brought!"
Gongzi Qi pointed to the carriage behind him, and Hua Wuduo's eyes widened immediately, as if they were shining. His gaze was fixed on the several wine jars placed on the carriage. Hua Wuduo rushed over, picked up one of them, sniffed it, and suddenly jumped up, shouting, "Heavens! Eighteen-year-old Daughter's Red! Qi, you're amazing! Amazing!" Hua Wuduo hugged the wine jar and excitedly jumped around Gongzi Qi.
Gongzi Yi said dismissively, "Drunkard," but a faint smile flickered in his eyes.
Gongzi Qi seemed to be infected by her enthusiasm and said with a smile, "Not only do we have wine, but we also have a lamb. Let's roast the lamb here tonight."
Hua Wuduo's expression changed slightly upon hearing this. Gongzi Qi smiled and said, "You don't need to lift a finger, they'll grill it." He pointed to the people he had brought down to the embankment.
Upon hearing this, Hua Wuduo, who was holding a wine jar, suddenly burst into laughter, which immediately startled Gongzi Yi, who took several steps back and stared at her as if he had seen a ghost.
The night was dark and the moon was high in the sky. The four of them sat around the fire, drinking and eating meat. They were quite comfortable. This time, they didn't have to hold the wine jar anymore. Gongzi Qi had thought of everything and even brought wine cups.
After several rounds of drinks, Gongzi Yi said, "Hua Wuduo, why don't you dance for us too?"
Hua Wuduo glanced sideways at Gongzi Yi and said, "I only know how to fight, not dance. If you want to see 'Xiang Zhuang's sword dance,' I can give it a try." As she spoke, she raised an arm toward Gongzi Yi, clearly intending to shoot silver needles at him.
Gongzi Yi immediately dismissed the idea, saying, "You'd better save your breath. There are two top experts here; you won't get the better of them."
Gongzi Qi laughed and said, "I never said I would protect you."
Gongzi Yi exclaimed in surprise, "Qi, we've known each other for so many years, and you've only known her for a few days. You wouldn't have turned against us already, would you?"