La lluvia primaveral es como el vino, los sauces son como el humo

Capítulo 37

"None of us will die, sheep kidney."

She grasped his hand; his hand was cold and trembling slightly. He squeezed her tightly in return, as if trying to crush her and embed her into his body.

No one will die.

She repeated it, as if speaking to herself.

Chapter Twenty-Two

The fisherman rowed the boat back, and the small boat swayed slightly on the lake, the water splashed up by the oars wetting the hem of Yichun's clothes.

The fog gradually dissipated, revealing a clear and bright scene, even more beautiful than the previous misty landscape. Unfortunately, no one was in the mood to appreciate it anymore.

Halfway through the journey, a tinkling sound of a sanxian (a three-stringed plucked instrument) suddenly came from afar. It was lively and leisurely. After playing for a while, a man sang: "Far from right and wrong, seeking wine, the land is warm in Jiangnan, swallows are happy to live, people are leisurely in the north of the water, spring is priceless. A cup of tea, five-colored melons, flowers of all four seasons."

The scene, the sounds, and the people evoked a sense of vastness and refinement within one's heart, as if one were in a fairyland.

The singing grew closer, and a small fishing boat with a black awning slowly approached through the thin mist.

The person rowing the boat looked over with big eyes and grinned at Yichun: "What a coincidence, to meet here."

After saying that, he turned around and shouted into the cabin, "Master, come out quickly! Your sweetheart is here too!"

The person in my heart.

Yang Shen's eyebrows suddenly twitched, and he looked down at Yi Chun, whose face was full of confusion.

The bamboo curtain was lifted, and Shu Jun, with his hair down, lazily poked his head out. He looked around and asked seriously, "Where is it?"

Little Pumpkin started winking again: "Stop pretending to be stupid. Who is it that mentions that person ten times a day in front of me? Now that they're right in front of me, you're already putting on airs."

Shu Jun sighed: "I mention Little Pumpkin's name more than twenty times a day, does that mean I like you?"

Little Pumpkin laughed and said, "Of course, in Master's heart, I am naturally number one."

Shu Jun glanced at him but didn't say anything.

"You're here to cruise the lake too?" Yichun asked. Actually, she was more curious about what Shu Jun did for a living. She had never seen him do anything serious. He just wore expensive clothes, stayed in the best rooms, ate at restaurants that cost more than one tael of silver, and traveled around sightseeing.

Could he be from a wealthy family? But he's very skilled in martial arts; she's witnessed it.

Shu Jun didn't answer her. Instead, he patted his boat deck and said, "I'm in a good mood today. Come on over, I'll take you to my villa."

This person has always been willful and capricious, hot and cold. He was icy cold just two days ago, but today he suddenly extended an invitation. He's really hard to fathom.

Yi Chun was trying to figure out how to politely decline, as she and Yang Shen were in a hurry to return to Jianlan Manor to see their master. To her surprise, Yang Shen readily agreed: "Thank you for your kind invitation, but we would be impolite to refuse."

She was taken aback. Yang Shen quietly squeezed her hand and whispered, "There's something fishy about Master's matter. Don't rush back."

The fishing boat drifted slowly westward, finally mooring beside a huge lake reef as evening approached. A small courtyard had been built on top of the reef, surrounded by a low white wall. The courtyard's blue-tiled roof was visible, neat and clean, quite different from Shu Jun's usual extravagant lifestyle.

The furniture inside was all made of old rattan, and there was no luxurious decoration.

Little Pumpkin served fresh tea along with a plate of juicy melons, and said with a smile, "Sister, just tell me what you like to eat, and I'll let you try my cooking today."

Yichun took a big bite of melon, mumbling, "Anything is fine. By the way, Shujun, you have so many strange things. Did you sing that song just now? What was it called? It was really nice."

Shu Jun leaned back lazily in the wicker chair, resting his chin on his hand, and smiled slightly: "Little Ge likes it? Then come to my room tonight, I'll sing again, just for you, no one else can hear it." — This was a typical mischievous urge, he was about to do something naughty.

Yang Shen cleared his throat and said calmly, "Thank you for the invitation, Young Master Shu. We wouldn't dare to disturb your dinner. We'll leave after a short while." — This was a typical way of changing the subject while also subtly warning him.

Yichun continued munching on her melon, seemingly oblivious to everything. —This is a classic case of…either feigning ignorance or genuinely being naive.

Shu Jun said casually, "Anyway, you're all fine and I'm fine too, so why not stay here and enjoy ourselves for a few days instead of going out and shouting for war?"

Yang Shen's expression hardened: "...Are you aware of our feud with Yan Yufei?"

“How would I know?” He laughed. “I just ran into Xiao Ge at Chuying Garden that day and heard that she works for Yan Yufei. You left again a couple of days later. Yan Yufei is always stingy. It’s normal for him to give you a taste of your own medicine, even if he doesn’t kill you.”

Yichun quickly swallowed the melon in her mouth: "Shujun, are you helping us? Thank you!"

Shu Jun turned his head away and said calmly, "Why would I help you? Don't overthink it."

Yichun didn't care at all, and patted his shoulder with her hand, which was covered in melon juice: "Don't say that. I know you're not a bad person, you're just a bit mean-spirited."

Shu Jun frowned as he looked at the large stain on his shoulder. Then he looked up at her and saw her bright, sparkling eyes. He found himself speechless again.

He had met many people, and among those he had known since childhood, most were cunning and selfish. In the martial arts world, who doesn't seek their own benefit? Since when did the word "knight-errant" change its meaning? Anyone who has learned some kung fu, carries a weapon, and has been wandering the martial arts world for a few years dares to call themselves a knight-errant.

He also met many intelligent people, some with photographic memories, some with brilliant writing skills, and some with first-rate strategies.

He could always categorize them, some into those that could be touched and others into those that could not.

When he first met Ge Yichun, he placed her in a category he would not want to have any contact with.

A dirty little girl, incredibly naive, she's bound to get into big trouble when she ventures into the world, and associating with her will only bring him endless trouble.

But he seems to be wrong.

She cannot be simply described as "naive".

How would you describe it most appropriately?

Shu Jun held his chin and scrutinized her carefully, looking her up and down, as if he wanted to take off her clothes and examine her thoroughly, completely ignoring Yang Shen's cold gaze.

She has a chivalrous spirit... but not entirely, because of her young age, she is mostly reckless.

She was smart... or rather, her intelligence was rather chaotic, sometimes shrewd and sometimes dull.