Wandering Songs at the Ends of the Earth

Chapter 25

"Don't worry! No matter the age or gender, kill them all!" He turned back to smile at Jiu Ru and leaped down the wooden ladder.

"Be virtuous! Be virtuous for me!" Ruyi's shout echoed through the building.

He sang and played the zither and recited poems with the young gentlemen in the pavilion, chatting softly and winning their favor.

Amidst the blooming flowers by the lake, soft and clear laughter mingled. Oh, so she always had a sour face at the Prince's mansion; it turns out she can be quite charming!

During the midday tea break, Xingge tried to appear demure and gentle, but fearing she might ruin her makeup, she could only carefully savor her snacks.

"How many treasures did you collect today?" Jiu Ru, who had appeared beside him at some point, asked with a slightly weary tone.

Xingge lightly wiped her lips with a silk handkerchief, then leaned closer with a coquettish laugh and whispered, "Stop wasting your breath here! It doesn't count for you to talk to me! Look, look, that beauty over there seems a bit bored and is probably about to leave. Go quickly and stop her."

Jiu Ru sighed helplessly, got up and walked towards the beauty.

The flower festival was an unprecedented success, lasting until dusk. After everyone had left and the garden was empty, the two men took a jar of wine and sat facing each other on the gentle slope by the lake.

He downed three or five cups in quick succession, then seemed to catch his breath; his voice was hoarse and deep.

"You're cheating! What do you mean by simple! Listen to this, I'm speechless!" Jiu Ruzhen felt that she had said all the words she had in her life in one day.

"Then shut up! Look at me, I've been smiling so hard my face is stiff!" Xingge slapped her cheek hard, the makeup fell off, and there were still finger marks on her face, which was extremely comical.

Jiu Ruxiao lay sprawled on the grass, propping herself up on her elbows and half-lying on the slope. Xingge, constrained by her skirt, knelt on the ground. The two sipped their drinks slowly, remaining silent for a long time…

As Xingge looked up at the starry sky, the moon was soft and the stars were bright. A cool breeze caressed his face, and his fatigue gradually subsided.

"Come on, let's talk about something happy. What's the first thing you'll do after you take that seat?"

Jiu Ruxiao glanced at Xingge, feigning deep thought.

"Hmm... I'm going to uproot those willow trees by the lake in the Imperial Garden. Have you noticed that the northern willows aren't as graceful as the southern poplars? Each one is as thick as a basin, with leaves so dense and lush that there's hardly any space between them, looking like a club supporting a lion's head! But Father likes them."

"Oh, then after pulling them out, how about we just put up a fence where they were and let morning glories climb all over them? There's a section like that on the path from my house to the riverbank. In the early morning when the morning glories bloom, the path is a riot of colors. Walking through it feels like walking on a fairyland, and your heart will naturally blossom!"

Xingge gestured animatedly as he spoke, and Jiuru smiled indulgently, "Okay!"

After a pause, Jiu Ru lowered her eyes and asked softly, "You helped me so wholeheartedly, was it really only for that sword?"

"Of course not, it's mainly because I'm completely captivated by your smile, young master! Are you satisfied, young master?" Xingge gazed at him with deep affection for a long time.

Jiu Ru couldn't help but chuckle. As the two were laughing and joking, Ru Yi's laughter came from nearby, growing louder as it approached.

"Tsk tsk tsk, such sweet affection, they're so deeply in love!"

Xingge casually put his arm around Jiuru's shoulder, raised an eyebrow at Ruyi, and asked, "What? It won't work?"

As if on cue, she wrapped her arms around Xingge's waist, appearing quite intimate!

"Alright! Alright!" As expected, it's not surprising. "However, we'll have to go our separate ways tomorrow. Little Ge'er, Young Master Li invites you to a poetry gathering, and Ninth Young Master, Miss Yu invites you to a play. I've already accepted your thanks, so I can't refuse!"

"No..." Jiu Ru was about to refuse when Xing Ge pinched her shoulder.

"Alright, alright, Sister Ruyi's business is our business! But we've had a really tough day, could we settle the flower tax first, and then you can let us sleep in?"

"Well, I've already prepared it for you. Go after lunch tomorrow, okay?" Ruyi took out a stack of silver notes from her sleeve and handed them to Xingge.

"Alright! Let's continue, you may leave now!" Xingge stuffed the silver note into his sleeve.

"Are you really going?" Jiu Ru asked with a smile as she watched Ru Yi walk away.

Xingge chuckled and stood up. "If you go to this place, there'll be another. You think you can get back to the capital alive? Go back and pack your things. Get up at dawn tomorrow, I'll come find you!"

40. Asking about feelings

As the moon sank in the west, the building fell silent. Xingge, carrying her luggage, easily found her way to Jiuru's room on the third floor.

Jiu Ruqi leaned back in her chair, muttering softly, "Sleepy! Just tell Ruyi we're not going!"

"She'll cry, make a scene, and threaten to hang herself!"

Knock her unconscious!

"I can't do it!"

"I'll do it!"

"I can't bear to see Your Highness tired!" Xingge said with a smile as she pulled Jiu Ru up from the chair and pushed her to the window.

Clearly, they couldn't bear to touch a single hair on Ruyi's head! Jiuru sighed and jumped out of the window, and Xingge followed her down.

Just as Jiu Ru landed, she heard the window of the ground floor behind her suddenly open.

“Little Ge’er! I knew it was you…” As expected, Xing Ge had run away in the middle of the night and had been waiting for people to come down. Hearing a noise, he jumped out to catch her, but before he could finish speaking, he felt a pain in his neck and his vision went black.

Seeing Ruyi slumped by the window, Jiu Ru turned to Xingge and chuckled, "Not tired at all!"

Xingge stepped forward helplessly, "This position is too ugly, she will be sad when she wakes up!" He moved her left and right, finally arranging Ruyi into a frail and sleepy position leaning against the window.

Winding through mountains and swiftly along the road, the sky tinged with the first blush of dawn, Jiu Ru lightly crossed a stream, and there she saw the flower-lined path that Xing Ge had described as making one's heart bloom. In the morning light, morning glories, glistening with dew, stood shyly amidst the lush green vines. Xing Ge dismounted, humming a tuneless melody, and strolled leisurely among them. Jiu Ru stood still, watching that joyful figure gradually disappear into the green shadows, her heart suddenly clenching. She spurred her horse forward, startling the delicate blossoms along the path. Rounding a bend, several small houses with black tiles and white walls came into view, and under the mulberry tree in front of the door, a pretty girl stood smiling and waving to her.

Jiu Ru was amazed by the pristine simplicity of the courtyard.

"The villagers in the back village will help look after it." Xingge unloaded his luggage from his horse, walked to a house, and handed over the bundle in his hand.

"Don't get too excited, you can stay in Lao Ze's bedroom!"

Jiu Ru snatched the bundle from him, pushed open the door, and went inside. Xing Ge chuckled and went back to her room to pack.

By the time everything was ready, the sun had already risen over the mountain. Xingge insisted on blindfolding Jiuru with a ribbon and led her to the study. Jiuru's eyes were completely dark, but she smiled and let the cool, slender hand guide her. When the light returned, the painting came into view.

He gazed at her silently for a long time, his heart trembling. His mother in the palace had never smiled so warmly and brightly...

"Only this smile has stayed with me for ten years!" Xingge whispered, gazing affectionately at the painting.

After a moment of silence, Xingge smiled and said, "You ask me why I'm helping you so wholeheartedly? I made a promise to Aunt Wan to make your wish come true and to let you always have a smile like Aunt Wan!"

When Jiu Ru turned her head to look back, her dark eyes gleamed, no longer cold. A thousand emotions surged within her, reflected in her shifting gaze.

I've remembered your promise!

"Once you're in your seat, remember to smile a lot!" Xingge patted Jiuru on the shoulder. "I'm so hungry! Let's go find something to eat!"

As they circled around the mountain, Jiu Ru suddenly saw a patch of blooming flowers in the valley, with what appeared to be several tombs in the middle. Just as she was about to ask, Xing Ge turned his face away as if he hadn't seen her and ran down the mountain to the stream.

"You stay on the bank and start a fire, I'll go catch some fish and shrimp." Xingge handed the tinder to Jiuru, took off his shoes and socks, and stepped into the stream.

Imagine sitting on a meadow by a stream, bathed in warm sunlight. The verdant mountains are interspersed with a few bright red blossoms, their reflections blending seamlessly with the water's hues. Peach-colored figures nimbly dart left and right in the stream, like butterflies playing on the water.

"Why not use kung fu?" Jiu Ru shouted with a laugh.

"That's torture, what a sin! What are you staring at?! Quickly, start a fire!"

"Young Master Sima, no rush, take your time!" Xingge had already brought the spoils of war ashore and was sitting leisurely to one side.

Despite exhausting all his tricks, the withered branch only emitted a muffled wisp of smoke, almost stinging his eyes until they watered. Anger rose within him, and with a mighty blast, he blew hard, instantly causing a stinging pain in his eyes as the dust filled his vision!

"Ah, your eyes are gray? Come here." Xing Gexi smiled and waved.

Jiu Ru obediently stepped forward, waiting for Xing Ge to blow away the ashes. Unexpectedly, her nose was struck hard, and she felt an unbearable pain, tears welling up in her eyes...

"you!"

"Have you made it out yet? If not, come again!"

Jiuru was still furious, but the stinging in her eyes had subsided, so she could only turn away and wipe away her tears!

In the end, it was Xingge who lit the fire. The flames licked at the fish and shrimp, filling the air with a delicious aroma. Xingge smiled and handed a piece of Kuaijiu to him.

"Well then! The market starts tomorrow, so this will be our meal today. I'm sorry to trouble you, young master!"

Jiu Ru angrily accepted it and devoured it fiercely!

Feeling sleepy after a hearty meal, the two found shady trees to catch up on their sleep until the sun set.

"I need to take a bath, could you please excuse me?" Jiu Ru stretched, having been running around all day and covered in smoke and fumes, she had never been this dirty!

"No need to avoid me, come with me!"

As they followed the song upstream, they soon saw a huge rock, two or three people high, blocking one-third of the stream.

"Both sides were originally mine, but now the left side is yours!" Xingge said, turning to the right side of the boulder. Seeing that it remained motionless for a while, he chuckled, "What, afraid I'll climb over and peek?! Don't worry, we'll just keep talking and listen to our voices!"

Jiu Ru then realized what was happening, and seeing that Xing Ge had turned to the right, she smiled, shook her head, and walked down the left side.

The clear stream water soaked my skin, gently creating small eddies around me. My fatigue gradually disappeared, and I felt as if I were closing my eyes and sinking into the water, my body and mind floating with the waves, almost falling asleep... Suddenly, I surfaced, and there was no sound around me!

"are you still there?!"

"Hey! You're really scared?! Haha!" A lazy, contented laugh came from the other side of the stone.

Jiu Ru felt at ease; as long as you were there, that was enough! Suddenly, she caught a glimpse of some children's scribbles on the stone wall.

"Did you draw this duck?"

"That's a swan!" the person on the other side of the stone exclaimed urgently.

"Oh! This sparrow!"

"Wild goose! What kind of look is that!"

"Oh, and there are rats too!"

"It's the Jade Rabbit, the Jade Rabbit of the beautiful Chang'e!" came the roar.

Jiu Ru looked at the jade rabbit's round ears on the wall and laughed, "It's a jade rabbit! This jade rabbit's ears are really long!"

The moon had risen above the eastern mountains, and a soft, white mist floated around, making one feel completely refreshed.

"Young master, have you soaked enough? I've gone from eighteen to eighty, I can't take it anymore!" The sound of water suddenly rose from the other side, and Jiu Ru slowly got up.

The girl in front wore a pink dress, her black hair still damp, draped obediently behind her, the ends playfully swaying with her steps. Jiuru, suddenly seized by a playful impulse, rushed forward, gave a sharp tug, and leaped away.

"Ouch! You're asking for it!" Xingge cried out in pain, got up and chased after him.

On a secluded mountain path, two figures chased and played, their clear laughter echoing through the valley, like spirits wandering through the forest at night.

She slept soundly through the night, without a single dream, until the sun was high in the sky! Jiu Ru could hardly remember the last time she had slept so well. After quickly tidying up, she went to find Xing Ge to comb her hair, but the house was empty! A thought flashed through Jiu Ru's mind, and she went out and ran towards the back mountain...

Looking out into the flower-filled mountain valley, the weeds around the tomb have been cleared away, and a figure in white is kneeling in front of a tombstone, carefully tracing the engravings on it with his hand. After a long while, the figure moves to another tombstone and gently touches the engravings on it again...

Jiu Ru felt a pang in her heart, her eyes stung with tears, and she turned back.

Ten days have passed like a dream; my return is imminent.