"Alright, you must be tired too, go and rest." Murong Shi's expression softened, and she gently patted her shoulder. Watching Zhuang Su slowly walk away, her gaze lingered on her retreating figure. Finally, she sighed softly, "Perhaps once she understands the meaning behind my words, she won't agree so easily."
Yan Bei happened to come out of the house. Hearing her sigh, he said calmly, "There are only a few people who know about the past. If you don't tell me and I don't tell you, as long as Li Jiu doesn't mention it to her, Qingchen herself won't tell him."
Murong Shi glanced back at him, her tone slightly cloying: "Have you forgotten that there was someone else back then?"
"You mean..." Yan Bei frowned, "He hasn't cared about the affairs of the East and West branches for many years, and now that things are peaceful with the Yiye Alliance, why would he cause trouble?"
“That’s why I said you’re a brute,” Murong Shi sneered. “Don’t forget, he may not be here, but his son is.”
"You mean..."
"Alright, let's put this aside for now," Murong Shi interrupted him, speaking casually. "It's just a pity that such a beauty like me is by his side, yet he doesn't even glance at me. I've been waiting for him for years, since the beginning." She looked at Fenfang in the distance, her voice slightly ethereal: "But it's no wonder. From the first moment I saw that woman, I knew that no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't compare to her. I just didn't expect that she would stay in Qingchen's heart for almost ten years."
Seeing her sigh, Yan Bei stood beside her without saying a word. After a long while, he slowly spoke, "That's how the world is. You wait for him, but others wait for you."
Upon hearing this, Murong Shi's expression changed, and she looked up to take out a hair ribbon from her bosom. She smiled and said, "I didn't bring anything else with me this time, but I saw that this hair ribbon is nice. And since you've always liked blue, I brought it to give to you."
"Give it to me?" Upon hearing this, Yan Bei hurriedly accepted it with both hands.
Seeing his expression, Murong Shi smiled and said, "I've seen all of this in my heart. I promise you, when Qingchen lets go, I will let go too, okay?"
Was this a response to his request? Yan Bei was momentarily stunned, but then he saw the figure in light robes gracefully drift away and disappear from sight. The hair ribbon in her hand was extremely light, yet it seemed as if a hand was gently caressing her in the wind.
"I'll wait." A silent murmur.
Yan Bei stood outside for a while, and when he turned back into the room, he saw Qing Chen leaning against the headboard looking at him with a playful expression. His face darkened: "You've been waking up and falling asleep so many times, and you can still get up on your own?"
Qingchen chuckled and glanced meaningfully at the door: "I woke up when you left, but I realized I woke up at the wrong time, so I kept quiet."
Yan Bei avoided his gaze and gave a muffled "humph": "You'd better worry about your own life or death first."
"Xiao Bei..." Qingchen chuckled sweetly (monk's narration: Oops, he used to call her Lao Yan, now he's Xiao Bei), "Tell me, have I delayed your marriage?"
Yan Bei became wary of his demeanor and ignored him.
Qingchen, standing to the side, continued to chatter: "Actually, Murong is a really good guy. You've got good taste too, kid. Remember to try harder in the future and win that girl over. You know, it's not good to waste such a good girl on me, a patient. But people aren't blind; if someone likes her, they'll find someone else. For example, that self-proclaimed romantic swordsman from the other day..."
"Stop!" Yan Bei finally lost his temper. "I should have just strangled you to death."
Upon hearing this, Qingchen's peach blossom eyes flashed with a hint of allure, and she looked on with pity: "Are you really willing to let someone die like this?" She blinked a few times, and a few crystal tears welled up in the corners of her eyes.
Yan Bei's face darkened: "Hmph, willing to give up? You don't value your own body, yet you expect others to?"
Qingchen smiled, turned over, lay back on the bed, coughed a few times to catch her breath, and then replied leisurely, "You're wronging me."
"Injustice?" Yan Bei sneered. "Dare you say you couldn't dodge that sword strike just now? Did you really need to go to such lengths to gain Su Su's sympathy?"
Qingchen didn't refute it. Recalling Zhuang Su's tense expression just now, the smile on her lips warmed up: "Anyway, my body is already broken, and it will be over sooner or later. That sword just now couldn't have pierced my heart."
Seeing his reaction, Yan Bei hesitated to say more, saying, "You still haven't let go."
Qingchen turned to face the inside of the bed, so his expression was not visible.
"Alright, alright, I don't have time to bother with you. I have things to do in the North Tower, so I have to go back first."
"Wait a minute." Qingchen suddenly called out to him, and said patiently, "Old Yan, I need your help with something."
Yan Bei frowned: "What is it?"
"I want to send Susu to your South Courtyard North Building to learn something." Qingchen blinked his slender eyes slightly. At this moment, a gust of wind passed by, and his black hair brushed against the corner of his mouth, making him look somewhat bewitching.
Chapter Six: Qiao Rong, the Young Lady of the South Courtyard (Part 1)
That day, Zhuang Su wanted to find Shen Jian, but when she turned around to look for him, he had already disappeared. She was angry, wondering if he even cared about her. But then, thinking about all her own actions, her anger subsided. No matter how she thought about it, she was in the wrong first.
The next day, she intended to come and look after Qingchen, but Qingchen closed the door and her faint voice reached her ears: "Today, go to the South Courtyard to learn some skills from Murong."
Murong Shi herself was refined and elegant, but the South Courtyard was never a good place. Li Jiu had already prepared carriages and horses, but Zhuang Su saw that Qing Chen refused to see him. There was nothing he could do. He thought to himself that he lacked ability and was always causing trouble for others, so he steeled his heart and complied with the arrangement.
The carriage traveled through the bustling lower-end of the town at the foot of the mountain, passing through several deep alleys, and finally stopped in front of a house.
Zhuang Su got out of the car and looked around. There was no signboard at the entrance of this house, and there were few people outside. It seemed to be an ordinary household with a simple and elegant facade.
Li Jiu stepped forward and knocked on the door. After a short while, he could vaguely hear footsteps inside. As they drew closer, the door creaked open, and a servant's head peeked out: "Who are you looking for?"
Li Jiu took out a letter from his bosom and handed it over. The servant took it and glanced at it. He hurriedly stepped aside and opened the door wide, saying repeatedly, "So it's someone from Shengxiao Valley. Please come in quickly. My young lady has been waiting for a long time."
Li Jiu glanced at Zhuang Su and said indifferently, "Su Su, you can go in by yourself. Miss Murong has her own arrangements. I should go back to take care of the Valley Master." His tone was somewhat indifferent, but still polite. Zhuang Su vaguely remembered that day when Qing Chen called him into the room. There wasn't much noise, but when he came out, his expression was quite unpleasant. After that, his attitude towards her had always been like this.
Perhaps—he got scolded by Qingchen.
Zhuang Su nodded obediently. Li Jiu got into the carriage and sped away. The servant who had been waiting behind Zhuang Su smiled kindly at her and led the way for her.
Zhuang Su was led there by him, silently observing the surrounding layout. She hadn't expected that the small courtyard would be so charming. The pavilion inside was divided into several side rooms, and looking up, she saw a woman in each room, some weaving and embroidering, some painting, and some drawing eyebrows, each with her own unique posture.
Seeing that each of these women was beautiful and had a unique charm, Zhuang Su was so captivated that he felt as if he had entered a fairyland, where each of them was like a fairy from Mount Gushe.
Zhuang Su was dazzled by the sights along the way. The servant led her towards the backyard, where they gradually entered a garden, immediately filled with fragrance. Squinting through the riot of flowers, she caught a glimpse of a figure through the flowerbeds—slender and graceful, dancing lightly.
A few delicate melodies tinkled softly in the distance.
The woman stood on copper bells, their tinkling echoing softly with every movement, the sound spreading in all directions on the wind. Her slender, alluring figure and captivating smile made all the flowers in the garden pale in comparison. A slight smile played on her lips, a smile that could topple empires. A gentle breeze swirled around her, a light veil draped over her; with each gust, the veil trailed behind her, dancing in the wind, its long shadow stretching out and lingering in the air…
Beauty. At this moment, Zhuang Su couldn't think of any other word besides "beautiful."
After Murong Shi finished dancing, she turned around and saw Zhuang Su standing there in a daze. She couldn't help but call out, "Su Su, come here."
Zhuang Su then came to her senses. Murong Shi's courtyard also had her unique scent. Zhuang Su comfortably enjoyed the moment, watching Murong Shi gently peel a grape with her slender fingers. Under the gaze of Murong Shi's beautiful eyes, she vaguely felt that the fruit in her hand must be exceptionally delicious. Zhuang Su couldn't help but feel a little envious. Her gaze inadvertently fell and she caught a glimpse of the boy behind Murong Shi secretly smiling.
There was an ancient zither not far away; the piece that the boy had just played must have been the one he was playing.
I never expected someone so young to have such skill. The piece you just played was like a flowing stream, and at first listen, I thought it was played by some kind of reclusive sage.
"This is my apprentice, Murong Shuangfei." Seeing Zhuang Su's expression, Murong Shi guessed what she was thinking and couldn't help but smile. "He's a lecherous man. You'd better stay away from him."
"Pfft." Zhuang Su was putting a grape into her mouth when she heard this and choked, coughing repeatedly.
Murong Shuangfei appeared beside Zhuang Su at some point, gently patting her back to help her catch her breath, and said with a smile, "Master, what are you saying? You make me sound like some kind of lecherous rogue. There are so many beautiful ladies in this building, how could I possibly have designs on your guests?"
The implication was that she wasn't pretty enough. Zhuang Su rolled her eyes and irritably brushed his hand away: "I'm fine."
Murong Shi gave Murong Shuangfei a playful glare, then said to Zhuang Su, "Speaking of which, Qingchen sent you here, but even I don't know what I need to teach you. The brothel's staff are never really useful."
Zhuang Su thought for a moment and said, "Just now I saw those girls learning music, chess, calligraphy and painting. It's good to learn those. Aunt Liu used to say that my mother was proficient in all of them, and I want to be like her."
"Aunt Liu?" Murong Shi's smile faded slightly. "Liu Rushu?"
"Liu Rushu?" Zhuang Su was slightly surprised. "Aunt Liu's name is 'Liu Ziyi'. I've never heard of Liu Rushu."
Murong Shi looked at the distant sky and said calmly, "I lost my composure just now. Perhaps I was too concerned about that woman." However, her expression was somewhat cold at the moment, but it gradually softened, and she smiled, "If you want to become a woman like your mother, that's easy to do. But today is your first time in the South Courtyard, so why not walk around and get familiar with it first?"
"Good." Zhuang Su hadn't quite enjoyed the sightseeing yet, but upon hearing Murong Shi's words, her face immediately lit up with a smile. She lightly jumped off the chair, then suddenly remembered something and asked with a hint of nervousness, "Miss Murong, Su Qiao was brought to the South Courtyard by you that day, how is she now? She shouldn't have been sent to a brothel, right?"
Murong Shi recalled the situation back then and remembered that the two of them were close. Hearing this, she couldn't help but smile: "I will never go back on my word. If you miss her, I will have someone take you to see her?"
Zhuang Su was overjoyed: "Great!"
Murong Shi called for someone to lead the way, then turned and headed towards the pavilion not far away. Aunt Liu? Who else could Aunt Liu, the one Zhuang Su spoke of, be but Liu Rushu? So many years had passed, yet hearing that woman's name again, she realized she could never forget her. The South Courtyard. If it weren't for her, how could she—Murong Shi—have been trapped in the South Courtyard for her entire life…
Murong Shi was slightly lost in thought when she faintly heard the sounds of string and wind instruments, clear and pleasant. When she turned around, she saw Murong Shuangfei sitting at the zither again, her white robes fluttering, playing melodies. Her heart couldn't help but feel a little relieved.
Murong Shi smiled slightly, reclined on the chair, and closed her eyes to rest. Murong Shuangfei was her chosen successor; however, she wondered what would happen if such a clever and astute young man were to take over the Southern Courtyard one day…
On the other side, Zhuang Su was led into a small building. She was surprised to find that the layout here seemed to be separated from the outside world, presenting a completely different scene. At this moment, someone was playing the zither inside. If Murong Shuangfei's zither music was ethereal and light, then this person's zither music was charming and heartbreaking.
The person upstairs glanced down, fixed their gaze, and then suddenly sprang to their feet and hurriedly ran downstairs. Zhuang Su found it amusing, and in the blink of an eye, Su Qiao was already in front of them.
After a long time apart, the first impression was that Su Qiao had become much fuller. She ran up to Zhuang Su, intending to hug her, but glancing at the people around her, she suppressed her joy and said with her usual grace, "Zhuang Su, it's been a long time. What brings you here?"
Seeing her feigned composure, Zhuang Su couldn't help but tease, "It seems Su Qiao has been behaving quite well lately, she's starting to act like a young lady of high society. I wonder what kind of trouble she'll cause in the future."
By this time, the people around had already left, and Su Qiao no longer needed to pretend. She grabbed Zhuang Su and said angrily, "Look at you, you only know how to make fun of me as soon as you arrive. If those people had seen me acting crazy, I would have been in big trouble."
“It seems Miss Murong is very strict with her…” Zhuang Su was amused by her words. “I was sent to Shengxiao Valley a while ago and adopted by my father. Today, my father asked me to come and see Miss Murong, so I had some free time to come.”
Su Qiao asked curiously, "Shengxiao Valley? What kind of place is that? You're lucky to have a 'father'. You don't have to study music, chess, calligraphy, and painting like I do every day."
“Shengxiao Valley…it must be a theatrical troupe.” Zhuang Su stammered, managing only this description, and chuckled dryly. “You can’t say that. It’s because I have such a ‘father’ that I’m probably going to have to learn those arts and crafts.”
"What?" Su Qiao looked at the obvious smile in her eyes and sneered, "You're actually happy to be learning these things?"
Zhuang Su was amused by her expression and smiled: "Has Miss Murong been teaching you to play the zither lately? I heard she really didn't send you to a brothel. Then where is our Xiao Qiao, who is so graceful and charming, being planned to go?"
"Do you want to know?" Su Qiao glanced around, making sure no one was watching, before whispering mysteriously in Zhuang Su's ear, "I'm going to—Yintang."
The soft words brushed past his ear, and Zhuang Su's dark eyes lit up slightly: "You mean you're going to Yintang?"
Su Qiao was somewhat puzzled by her expression: "Yes, what's wrong?"
Zhuang Su swallowed hard. "Then do you know what Yintang does? What's inside... um—" Before she could finish, Su Qiao covered her mouth. Su Qiao glared at her and whispered in her ear, "Is Yintang something you can just mention casually? If someone hears this, I'll get scolded again."
Zhuang Su nearly choked from being suffocated by her hand, gesturing wildly before Su Qiao finally came to her senses and released her. Relieved to breathe fresh air, she took several deep breaths, her finger trembling slightly as she pointed at Su Qiao's nose: "You...you want to suffocate me?"
Su Qiao pursed her lips, unconvinced, and pulled her towards the small building, muttering, "Silly Su, if you're going to talk about it, you should wait until we're inside..."
Chapter Six: Qiao Rong, the Young Lady of the Southern Courtyard (Part Two)
Zhuang Su followed Su Qiao into the house, admiring its furnishings and sighing with admiration. Although there were no antiques or decorative items, several cleverly placed carved vases showed great attention to detail, complementing the clean and tidy interior of the small house. She sat down at the table, casually picking up some pastries to eat. The sweet taste filled her mouth, and she clicked her tongue as she chewed, saying, "You're so kind to flatter me. Every day in Shengxiao Valley, I never acted like a young lady like you."
Seeing the obvious envy in her eyes, Su Qiao couldn't help but chuckle: "Don't mention 'Miss' to me. Although the young lady is good to me, she is always treated like an 'object'. Remember, I just said that I am going to Yintang."
Zhuang Su swallowed the pastry in her mouth and asked, "What kind of place is Yintang exactly?"
Su Qiao pursed her lips mysteriously and whispered, "It's a place for murder."
Her smile was somewhat sweet and alluring, but devoid of warmth.
Zhuang Su's heart skipped a beat, and her pupils widened slightly: "A place for murder? You must be joking."
This was certainly not something that should be said in such a slightly joking tone, but Su Qiao maintained the same expression, somewhat languidly: "It's true, the girl told me that day. She said I could choose between a brothel and a silver shop. What do you think you would choose if it were you?"
Zhuang Sujing remained silent upon hearing this question. Indeed, it's better to cause others unbearable pain than to make oneself suffer; people are always selfish.
“Zhuang Su, it seems you know very little about the One Leaf Alliance.” Su Qiao sighed upon seeing her expression.
Zhuang Su looked calmly out the window and nodded silently: "I do know very little."
Su Qiao glanced at her: "Being part of the One Leaf Alliance, there are some things you should know. If you don't, you might suffer later. I don't know much, but it seems I know more than you. Do you want to hear it?"
"Hmm." Zhuang Su responded listlessly. At this moment, Zhuang Su inexplicably thought of Shen Jian. Could it be that even after leaving Beilou, he still wanted to kill people?