Hibiscus as a Painting - Chapter 182
"How can we let him rush out..." Zi Jin was about to get out of the carriage when Cheng Qingsong pulled her back.
Cheng Qingsong sighed and said, "Let him rush it. He's skilled and won't make a mistake... You talk to the old man."
Zi Jin sat back down and, seeing Cheng Qingsong's slightly furrowed brows and preoccupied expression, asked worriedly, "Master, is something on your mind?"
Cheng Qingsong looked at Zi Jin for a while, then said after a long pause, "This old man has been learning martial arts and medicine since childhood, and has spent his life... living a solitary life. Only today have I gained such a well-behaved, obedient, and talented disciple like you. In just over half a year, you've achieved such skill. Logically, I, this old fool, should be satisfied and at ease with you. But seeing you completely controlled by that fool, so unambitious and uncompetitive, this old man is truly worried. Moreover, that fool already has a wife. Perhaps I shouldn't have let your relationship with that fool continue, but how can I bear to see you following him without any status or recognition?... But seeing you like this today, your master has to ask you one question: do you not want to marry that fool?"
Zi Jin stared blankly at the kind-faced old man opposite her, her heart overflowing with emotion and warmth. Since arriving here, she had met all sorts of people, but none had ever been as selfless and devoted to her as he was. Although Old Madam Yu had treated her well, she wasn't truly looking out for her. Only this old man, only this old man she had known for half a year, patiently taught her medicine, subtly nourished her body and detoxified her, and tried every means to strengthen her physique, yet he had never told her how much kindness he had bestowed upon her.
“I truly never intended to marry him,” Zi Jin said softly, her head slightly lowered.
"You!...You idiot! If you never intended to marry him, why did you...you idiot! You're making me so angry!" Cheng Qingsong's old face turned red as he pointed at Zi Jin's face, unable to utter a word.
Outside the carriage, Xiao Bai's face turned pale instantly. His hand holding the long whip trembled slightly, and he pressed his lips tightly together, a trace of pain flashing in his eyes.
“Master, please don’t be angry… Actually, for me, whether we get married or not doesn’t matter. As long as I can be with him, nothing else matters. I know best in my heart how he treats me.”
Cheng Qingsong stared at Zi Jin for a long time, then sighed: "Master knows you don't fight for it, but what woman in this world doesn't want a title... even if it's not for herself, even if it's for her future child... you, you!"
Seeing Cheng Qingsong's face gradually soften, Zi Jin quickly put on a smile and whispered, "Master, let's go back. It's not safe to leave the valley now... As for the weapon, let's leave it with your friend for now, and we'll go get it when we have time."
"What do you know! If you want that weapon, you should watch it as soon as it's forged... Fine, fine! Do as you please! This old man doesn't care anymore, go back if you want!" Cheng Qingsong was about to pull back the carriage curtain when he found that the carriage had stopped.
Xiao Bai lifted the carriage curtain and looked directly at Zi Jin, her expression strange, as if she was trying hard to suppress her anger: "I'm not going back." Three words spoken with absolute certainty.
Zi Jin stared blankly at Xiao Bai, never having seen him lose his temper like this before. What was wrong? "Xiao Bai?..."
"Xiao Zi doesn't want to... but I think... I don't want to go back."
Cheng Qingsong smiled and patted Xiaobai on the shoulder: "Young man, go inside and discuss it. I'll drive."
Xiao Bai looked at Cheng Qingsong and said again, "I'm not going back."
Cheng Qingsong narrowed his eyes to slits: "Don't worry, as long as you don't mention going back today, I absolutely won't be driving back."
Xiao Bai lowered her eyes slightly, slipped into the carriage, sat down next to Zi Jin, and gently pulled her into her arms: "Xiao Zi... doesn't want to..." Her previous rigidity was gone, and her voice was full of grievance.
Zi Jin hadn't yet recovered from Xiao Bai's earlier behavior when she suddenly realized that her attitude must have made Xiao Bai extremely uneasy. He was very perceptive and could always see through her thoughts at a glance: "It's not that I'm unwilling. Actually, getting married isn't that important. As long as I can be with Xiao Bai, nothing else matters."
“I want to… give it to Xiao Zi. We… get married… I really like it…” Xiao Bai buried her head in Zi Jin’s neck and said softly.
Zi Jin leaned against Xiao Bai's chest, listening to his steady heartbeat. Her conflicted and troubled heart calmed down considerably: "Okay, whatever you say, I'll listen to you."
Xiao Bai gently patted Zi Jin's back and whispered in her ear, "Don't worry... it's alright."
"Little Bai doesn't understand... Rouge Valley is heavily fortified, so they naturally wouldn't dare to go in. But if they don't give up, and we leave the valley now... what if they..."
“…Little Zi, don’t be afraid…I’m here, I’ll always be here.” Xiao Bai gave Zi Jin a warm smile, then gently kissed Zi Jin’s forehead, letting her lean comfortably against him, and touched Zi Jin’s slightly bruised eyes: “Sleep…we’re here, I’ll wake you.”
Having practiced the piano since midnight, Zi Jin felt incredibly tired. She gazed quietly at Xiao Bai's smiling face, and the unease in her heart gradually dissipated, slowly calming her down. She smiled gently at Xiao Bai, leaned against her reassuringly, and soon fell into a deep sleep.
Listening to Zi Jin's long, even breaths, Xiao Bai looked at the carriage curtain and said, "Mountain Town, not."
“It’s not a mountain town, but a small town eighty miles north of Rouge Valley. Given our driving speed, we should be able to get back before sunset.” Cheng Qingsong’s deliberately lowered voice came from outside the car.
Xiao Bai gently patted the sleeping Zi Jin, his dark, warm eyes overflowing with tenderness and love. His hand slowly slid across Zi Jin's forehead, eyebrows, eyes, and cheeks, gently caressing her lips: "Xiao Zi..."
A soft, gentle call, like a gentle song, is filled with so much reluctance to part, joy, and an intense, inseparable love.
Love and hate leave no trace, deep affection is hard to wait for; the descendants of the gods, three generations of marriage and grudges, how can the past grievances be recounted? (Part Two)
How can we talk about past grievances? (Part 2) An old horse-drawn carriage slowly travels along the bustling street. The old man driving the carriage wears a straw hat, which blocks out the light and also covers most of his face.
Inside the carriage, a man dressed in coarse white cloth wore a veil and a bamboo hat, but although the veil concealed his face, it couldn't hide his knee-length silver hair. The woman's waist-length hair was black with a piercing dark red tinge to her eyes, and her phoenix eyes shone brightly, like the vibrant morning sun full of spring's vitality. With a smile on her lips, she nestled obediently in the man's arms, lifting the curtain a crack and gazing intently at the street outside.
"Little Purple... go down?"
Zi Jin suddenly turned around, looked at Xiao Bai's exposed white hair and shook her head: "There's nothing to see, you can see it from the car."
“If you want to go for a walk, go ahead. It’s not very close to the mountain town. If you don’t play for long, no one will notice,” Cheng Qingsong said, poking his head in.
“But…” Zi Jin hadn’t finished speaking when Xiao Bai pulled her up without saying a word and quickly jumped out of the car.
Cheng Qingsong quickly tied the carriage outside the market and followed three steps behind Zi Jin and Xiao Bai. He shook his head helplessly; the person in charge seemed to be his precious apprentice, but that wasn't the case at all…
Zi Jin walked cautiously beside Xiao Bai, looking around suspiciously and on guard, her playful expression completely gone.
Looking at Zi Jin subtly shielding him beneath her, Xiao Bai felt a surge of warmth in his heart. His gentle eyes seemed to melt with tears. He reached out and took Zi Jin's hand: "Don't be afraid, I'm here... You play."
Zi Jin turned around and met Xiao Bai's smiling face, and most of her unease disappeared: "I don't like this place. Let's go and take our measurements, then get our weapons and go back to the valley."
Xiao Bai nodded slightly and followed Zi Jin's footsteps toward the cloth shop.
The cloth shop seemed to be doing very little business. The shopkeeper was dozing off against the counter. The two assistants, who had been dozing by the door, immediately perked up when they saw customers arrive and hurriedly welcomed the three of them in. The shopkeeper also quickly got up and began introducing the various fabrics without hesitation.
Upon entering the shop, Zi Jin was dazzled by the sheer quantity of silk fabrics displayed. She stared blankly at the shopkeeper's enthusiastic descriptions of the various items, momentarily at a loss for what to do. Having lived here for so many years, she had long forgotten the feeling of shopping. Her first shopping trip was when she sneaked out of the palace with Xi Le, but back then, their separate thoughts led to a bitter argument. The second time was with Jun Lin in Lizhou, but with ulterior motives, she had no intention of actually shopping. She wondered what to do this time…
"Little Purple?"
A soft, gentle voice sounded in her ear, and Zi Jin instantly came back to her senses. She glanced at Xiao Bai and smiled slightly, then picked up the reddest piece of silk in the shop and held it up against Xiao Bai: "I wonder what you would look like in red?"
Xiao Bai stood up straight and, through her veil, glanced at Zi Jin and said, "This... I really like it."
Zi Jin looked at Xiao Bai's appearance, her dark eyes narrowing into slits: "Then let's take it, I like it very much too."
"Are you two looking to order wedding attire?" the shop assistant asked, bowing as he approached Zi Jin.