Early Spring Trip

Chapter 25

Su Xiucai was stunned for a moment, unsure whether to accept or not, his face turning bright red.

Chu Xia proactively placed it in his hand and then said to Qinglong, "Let's go."

The crowd gradually dispersed, but Su Fenghua, clutching the small pastry in her hand, stood motionless, watching Chu Xia's departing figure.

That night, Chu Xia searched the Jun residence but couldn't find Steward Cang, so she grabbed someone and asked, "Where is the young master?"

In the shimmering moonlight, Bai Xue's voice came from behind: "What do you want with the young master?"

"I need to see him... I have something to say." Chu Xia said hesitantly.

Bai Xue looked at her with a half-smile and lowered her voice, saying, "Young Master is at Wuliu Spring."

Chu Xia said thank you, lifted her skirt, and ran towards the Five Willow Spring in Shu Garden. Bai Xue pursed her lips and said softly, "It's you who should thank me, young master..."

When the site of Shu Garden was chosen, it is said that the old owner valued the hot spring water the most, as it had the effect of cleansing muscles and bones. He ordered his son to soak in it every day, and the son, with his profound inner strength, also benefited greatly from it.

Five Willow Spring is located in the southern corner of Shu Garden, separated from the surrounding garden scenery by an artificial hill. The gurgling of the spring water can be heard, and a faint smell of sulfur can be detected. A maidservant came out and went back in; Chu Xia waited for a long time before finally slipping quietly inside.

On her first visit here, Chu Xia was so choked by the swirling mist that she could barely open her eyes. She could only vaguely see the young master's back, while a young girl knelt by the hot spring, carefully lifting his black hair and wiping his back.

Whether it was from the steam or the heat, Chu Xia's cheeks were slightly flushed. Realizing it wasn't appropriate to leave now, she decided to quietly slip away.

"You can go out now. Let her come." The young master suddenly spoke. His voice was deep and pleasant, and it seemed unreal coming through the mist.

The girl obediently stood up, walked to Chu Xia's side, handed her the white cloth, and then left.

Chu Xia stood there somewhat bewildered, wondering... was she being asked to go over there?

Huh? She only works in the study; she doesn't seem to have done any of these servant's duties before...

"What are you doing standing there?" the young master said lazily. "Come here."

The young master's voice immediately woke Chu Xia up. She suddenly remembered why she had come, and quickly went over, saying, "Young master."

The young master's upper body was above the water, and Chu Xia could only see his back. His wet black hair was brushed aside by a maid, revealing his smooth back. He looked very languid, with his eyes half-closed, and he hummed in agreement.

Chu Xia quickly looked away, wanting to finish her story as soon as possible: "Young Master, does the Jun family still need any staff these days?"

The young master opened his eyes with interest, turned his head to look at her, and said, "What? You want to sign a contract of servitude?"

After he finished speaking, Chu Xia didn't reply, staring at him blankly... The young master's eyelashes seemed to be wet with spring water, adorned with a few small water droplets, and when he turned his head, the lines of his neck were slightly taut due to the force... So beautiful.

She forgot to speak, so the young master narrowed his eyes slightly, a half-smile on his face, and softly called her name: "Chu Xia?"

"Huh?" Chu Xia hurriedly came back to her senses, and blushed as she realized her embarrassment.

"If there's nothing else, please dry me off." The young master had a faint smile on his lips.

"Something's wrong, something's wrong." Chu Xia held the white cloth in her fingers, unsure where to begin wiping it, and stammered, "Today, Qinglong and I went to the City God Temple and ran into Su Fenghua."

The young master hummed in agreement, indicating that he was listening.

"We didn't get anything out of him. But Su Fenghua is quite pitiful." Chu Xia couldn't help but chuckle at his pedantic manner. "He's a poor scholar who can't even afford to eat. Young master, I heard the other day that the accountant needs someone. Why don't we do a good deed and bring him to the Jun residence?"

The young master raised a slight brow with his narrow eyes. Chu Xia's smile was understated, revealing only a small dimple at the corner of her lips, soft and delicate, like a crabapple blossom just beginning to open. He couldn't help himself for a moment, so he reached out his wet arm and touched her cheek.

Chu Xia watched his movements, her body stiffened, but she forgot to dodge.

The young master's voice seemed to possess a magical power: "Why have you come to beg me?"

Her cheeks were slightly damp, and Chu Xia was stunned... Yes, she should have gone to find the head steward. Why did she think of the young master first?

“Because… the head steward is very fierce.” Chu Xia sniffed and looked down at her fingertips.

The young master smiled, but said, "I'm going to stand up now."

Chu Xia had only seen his upper body initially, but upon hearing this, she stammered, "Oh, I... I'll go out first..."

Before she could finish speaking, her foot slipped, and she fell sideways into the spring. She couldn't swim and panicked as soon as she touched the water, feeling herself sinking to the bottom.

After a long while, she finally felt relieved when her foot touched a rock. Then, she felt light as someone grabbed her and pulled her out of the water.

Chu Xia coughed incessantly after choking on water. A hand gently wiped the water droplets from her face: "Are you alright?"

She opened her eyes. In the bright moonlight, the young master was half-naked. Perhaps because he was wet, his skin seemed to have a faint, moist glow. Only the scar on the side of his neck—the one she had bitten herself, now a light brown mark—was somewhat shocking to behold.

Perhaps due to nervousness, or perhaps unintentionally, Chu Xia unconsciously swallowed a little saliva.

They were so close that the young master could see her make such a subtle movement. For a moment, his pupils constricted slightly, and he couldn't help but pull her even closer to him.

The young master's smile deepened. She couldn't swim, and although she was unwilling, she could only cling to his shoulder. So he "reluctantly" put his arm around her waist.

A faint scent of grass and trees filled the air, and spring water dripped gently from her hair and clothes, rippling in concentric circles. Suddenly, Chu Xia screamed, "Let me go!"

The young master pursed his lips and readily agreed, "Alright."

He did indeed let go. Chu Xia hadn't been holding him very tightly to begin with, so she leaned back and tumbled down.

Fortunately, she managed to hug his neck again. Chu Xia was both surprised and embarrassed, and could only whisper, "Young master, please help me up first."

The young master hummed in response, tilting his head back slightly so that his cheek brushed against her ear. He smiled faintly and asked, "You want me to help Su Fenghua?"

In her panic, she could only nod haphazardly.

The young master wrapped his hands around her waist, lifting her slightly as he laughed, "You're almost strangling me to death."

Chu Xia quickly let go. He supported her waist with one hand and gently lifted her chin with the other. His eyes sparkled, and he looked as radiant as a star: "I can agree to your request—but you must also agree to one of mine."

Hot, weak, and struggling to breathe, Chu Xia's voice had become muffled: "What?"

He smiled, leaned closer, and gently brushed a strand of wet hair away from her head: "Just agree first."

At this rare moment, Chu Xia managed to maintain the last shred of composure, murmuring, "What...do you want me to do now?"

He looked at her intently, as if making a promise: "It won't be like last time, girl, I promise."

Chu Xia knew she was gradually sinking into the starlight, so she gave up struggling and nodded, "Okay."

Chapter Twenty-Four

When Chu Xia returned to Linfeng Pavilion that night, her long hair was wet, but she was so sleepy that she leaned over and fell asleep on the bed.

The young master was discussing matters outside and didn't return until very late. As he passed by her, he sighed helplessly and tugged at her arm: "Your hair isn't dry, and you're already falling asleep like this?"

Startled awake, Chu Xia rolled over unhappily, trying to brush his hand away. But his hands were rather persistent; he first turned her over, then gently stroked her hair. Chu Xia initially found it annoying, but couldn't escape, so she simply sat up, muttering without opening her eyes, "What are you doing?"

He simply... dried her hair. Chu Xia didn't know how he did it, but it seemed as if the young master's palm was filled with warmth, as if he were enveloping her in a small heater, making her feel cozy and extremely comfortable. She tilted her head and fell asleep again.

The next morning, Chu Xia groggily opened her eyes and saw the young master standing by the window, gazing at the Cangjiang River scenery with his hands behind his back.

He didn't turn around, but asked, "Awake?"

"Could you please..." Chu Xia glanced at her clothes, thankfully they were all dressed properly, "...not just suddenly appear in front of me like this?"

Chu Xia's soft complaint made the young master smile. He turned around and said mischievously, "Why don't you say that you fell asleep last night and wouldn't let go of me?"

He turned around, and Chu Xia noticed that his clothes were open, revealing a glimpse of his firm chest through the gaps in his white silk robe.

"Ah!" Chu Xia remembered Su Xiucai's favorite saying, "Do not look at what is improper," and quickly covered her eyes. "You—your clothes are disheveled, what kind of behavior is this?"

The young master looked at her with great interest, slowly walked over, bent down and said, "Is this the first time you've seen me like this?"

Uh... those were all accidents at Xiaojing Lake and Wuliu Spring, okay?

Chu Xia refused to open her eyes, so the young master laughed: "Was it Su Fenghua who taught you to speak like that?"

“Young Master promised me last night,” Chu Xia reminded him.

"Hmm." The young master pondered for a moment, "Do you still remember what you promised me?"

Chu Xia nodded, then added, "As long as... as long as you don't sell me."

Her voice was soft and weak, but the young master did not laugh. Instead, a tenderness appeared in his eyes, and he gently twirled a strand of her hair with his fingertips, whispering, "What a silly child."

In the afternoon, Chu Xia and Qinglong went to find Su Fenghua. They first looked for a small stall on the street, but after searching around, they couldn't find it. Someone reminded them, "Scholar Su? He just packed up and left."

"You're home so early?" Chu Xia asked, somewhat surprised.

"Scholar Su is having a lucky day! Someone invited him to copy Buddhist scriptures! They even provide food and lodging, which is much better than living in that little thatched hut." A man selling clay figurines nearby said with obvious envy.

"Where did he go?" Chu Xia asked, somewhat disappointed.

"I suppose he's going home first. He'll pack up before he leaves," the vendor chuckled. "But Scholar Su is penniless; I wonder what he has to pack up."

The two hurried towards Su Xiucai's house, and halfway there, they happened to encounter a theatrical troupe, with crowds thronging the street. Qinglong frowned: "Let's go, let's take a shortcut."

He led Chu Xia into an alley, where it immediately became much quieter. Qinglong said smugly, "If we're talking about the streets and alleys of Cangzhou City, there's not one I don't know."

Before he could finish speaking, the young man suddenly stopped, his delicate eyebrows furrowing slightly.

"Hello--"

"Shh." Qinglong gestured for silence, then suddenly leaned down and pressed his ear to the ground.

Chu Xia stood nervously to the side, while Qinglong's playful expression had faded, replaced by an unusual calm as he said, "Now walk back, out of this alley, blend into the crowd and don't come back. Go now!"

Chu Xia nodded hurriedly, then turned and ran.

As Qinglong watched her figure disappear, he gathered his strength and leaped onto the roof, heading straight west. Sure enough, after gliding through two streets and alleys, he saw two figures in the distance, followed by screams. Without thinking, Qinglong reached out and plucked a roof tile, using it as a hidden weapon to slash it away.

The man had no choice but to turn around and block. Taking advantage of this brief moment, Qinglong rushed to the two men and saw that Su Fenghua was leaning against the wall, covered in blood.

Azure Dragon was both shocked and furious, and struck out with a palm at the person who had attacked him.

The man dared not be presumptuous. He released Su Xiucai, drew a sword from who-knows-where, parried the palm strike, and shouted, "Who are you?"

The person had a stiff expression and a sallow complexion, suggesting they were wearing a mask. Their voice was high-pitched, indicating they were a woman.

Qinglong snorted and stood protectively in front of Su Xiucai, angrily saying, "Look at you, a woman, yet you have such a vicious heart."

Without a word, the woman thrust her longsword at his chest. Qinglong dodged, then turned to look at Su Fenghua first: "You won't die anytime soon, will you?"

"I won't die..." Su Xiucai said through gritted teeth, "Young master, a good man doesn't fight with a woman—"

Qinglong ignored his annoying chatter and turned to fight the woman. The more he fought, the more alarmed he became. The woman's martial arts were extremely subtle and unique, unlike anything he had ever seen before.

The woman thrust her sword diagonally toward his right shoulder. Qinglong focused, intending to strike her chest, when suddenly Su Xiucai weakly said from behind, "Men and women shouldn't touch each other..."

Although Qinglong's attack was slower than the woman's, it was more than twice as fast. He was about to injure the woman, but upon hearing those words, he vaguely sensed something was amiss and withdrew his attack. He was immediately in a sorry state and found himself in a predicament.

Behind him, Scholar Su sighed deeply and murmured, "Amitabha..."

Qinglong felt humiliated when his shoulder blade was pierced by the longsword. His youthful temper flared, and he became even more furious, his attacks becoming increasingly ruthless. The woman sneered, her gaze turning menacingly towards Su Fenghua, but ignoring Qinglong's attacks, she flicked out a hidden dart.