Un registro de placer

Capítulo 7

He was puzzled, glanced at the large amount of food left in his bowl, and frowned, saying, "You don't like shrimp?"

Yue Ruzheng was stunned for a moment. It was the first time she had ever eaten pea shoots and shrimp. The bright green and milky white colors complemented each other, and the texture was smooth and delicious. However, as soon as she saw Tang Yanchu, that phrase came to mind, and she didn't eat with much enthusiasm.

But she quickly smiled and said with a delighted expression, "No way, this is the first time I've ever eaten such delicious food!"

Tang Yanchu sat upright by the bed, pouting, staring straight at her, and said, "You're lying. You haven't eaten much."

Yue Ruzheng hurriedly reached for the bowl of food, but Tang Yanchu suddenly raised her leg, placed it on the edge of the bed, and blocked her way, saying, "If you don't like it, just say so. Why lie?"

"I didn't..." Yue Ruzheng felt a little wronged, listlessly withdrew her hand, and lowered her head, saying, "Xiao Tang, don't be so sensitive, okay? I'm just feeling a little heavy-hearted because of what you just said."

"What did you say?" He remained indifferent.

Feeling frustrated, she turned her face away angrily and said, "I was upset for you because you said you might scare people! But instead, you blamed me!"

A hint of sadness flickered in Tang Yanchu's eyes, but it quickly vanished. He paused for a moment, then slowly lowered his leg and said, "You don't need to feel sorry for me. This is how it is. I'm used to it."

Yue Ruzheng let out a heavy sigh, leaning against the bed railing, gazing at his handsome face, trying to catch any sadness or other emotion he might have felt. But he remained serene, calm as unpolished jade, sitting motionless.

Yue Ruzheng felt that she really couldn't communicate with him any further. She had always thought that she was good at making friends, but when facing Tang Yanchu, it seemed that all her enthusiasm had turned into a wisp of smoke.

Helplessly, she picked up the bowl, grabbed a shrimp, and put it in her mouth.

"Are you really going to eat this?" Tang Yanchu glanced at her and said indifferently.

Yue Ruzheng, in a fit of pique, ate several mouthfuls, stuffing her mouth full, and said with puffed-out cheeks, "I'm not eating this to show you, but I just feel it's unnecessary to be sad for you. Rather than wasting this bowl of food, I'd rather finish it all."

Tang Yanchu was slightly taken aback. Seeing that she was eating with relish, she said, "Then you eat slowly. I'll go get back to work."

Yue Ruzheng lowered her head and only hummed in response. Tang Yanchu stood up, and as she turned around, the corners of her lips unconsciously pursed slightly.

After two more days of rest, apart from the still-unhealed wound on her foot, Yue Ruzheng's other abrasions and bruises had gradually improved. She had never liked quiet, and as soon as she could move a little, she wanted to get out of bed and walk. Tang Yanchu, unusually, frowned and didn't say much, only looking at her with a serious expression. Yue Ruzheng was still somewhat afraid of him, and helplessly pulled her feet back down, leaning against the bed rail and whispering, "Tang, when can I finally get out of bed? I'm afraid my legs will go numb."

Tang Yanchu pursed her lips, and after a while stood up, saying, "Then help me, and try to walk."

Yue Ruzheng opened her mouth, hesitated for a moment, and then Tang Yanchu turned to leave.

"No, no, wait for me!" Yue Ruzheng panicked, forgetting her injured foot, and stomped on the ground. Although she subconsciously put all her weight on her left side, her right foot hadn't put any weight on it for several days, and the moment it touched the ground, it hurt again.

Yue Ruzheng lost her balance and fell to the side. Tang Yanchu quickly stepped in front of her, and she grabbed his shoulder, putting all her weight on him.

Tang Yanchu glanced back at her with slight displeasure. Her face was pale, but she still had a smile on her face.

"I know you won't abandon me," Yue Ruzheng said shamelessly.

Tang Yanchu glanced at her sideways without saying a word. Yue Ruzheng was leaning against his shoulder, and it was the first time she had been so close to him in broad daylight. When she saw him glance at her, she thought he should have given her a disdainful look, but his eyes were slightly upturned, and this sideways glance seemed to carry a hint of anger.

Yue Ruzheng almost reached out to touch his eyes, but then suddenly realized how shameless she truly was. While her mind raced with these thoughts, Tang Yanchu, who had remained silent, carried her in place. He suddenly turned his head and, seeing her slightly flushed face, couldn't help but ask, "Yue Ruzheng, are you running a fever again?"

Yue Ruzheng said in a muffled voice, "Don't curse me."

Tang Yanchu was taken aback and said, "I was just asking. Do you still want to leave?"

"Yes, I do," Yue Ruzheng said, pursing her lips.

"Then be careful." Tang Yanchu saw that she was gripping his shoulders tightly before taking a step forward. Yue Ruzheng, relying on his left foot for support, half-hopped and half-walked to the window.

"Sit here for a while." Tang Yanchu slowly squatted down and let her sit at the desk. Yue Ruzheng reached out and pushed open the window. A gentle breeze carrying a faint fragrance wafted in, making the whole room fresh and bright.

"It smells so good, what is it?" Yue Ruzheng asked, taking a deep breath.

Tang Yanchu glanced out the window and said, "Isn't there a peach grove up ahead? The weather has warmed up these past few days, and the peach blossoms are gradually blooming."

Yue Ruzheng struggled to sit up and looked outside. Sure enough, in the grove in front of the courtyard, there were clusters of pink buds, hidden among the tender green leaves, looking even more delicate and charming under the warm sunlight.

Yue Ruzheng breathed in the long-awaited fresh air, rested her chin on her left hand, turned her head to the side, and saw the rattan bookshelf by the table. Out of curiosity, she reached out and reached for it. She casually unfolded the scroll on the top and saw that it was a square scroll, about four feet eight inches in size, with the words "Tomorrow, spring will pass over the small peach branches" written on it.

"Who wrote this?" Yue Ruzheng was not an expert in literature and asked casually.

Tang Yanchu replied earnestly, "Are you asking who wrote it, or who penned these words?"

When Yue Ruzheng asked the question, she hadn't thought much about it. She simply looked up at him, smiled mischievously, and said, "Then just tell me everything."

Tang Yanchu leaned down slightly and said, "This sentence was selected from that collection of poems." As he spoke, he gestured with his eyes, and Yue Ruzheng turned to the side following his gaze, seeing many collections of poems neatly arranged on the bookshelf. Following his gaze, Yue Ruzheng pulled out a thin collection of poems titled "Bai Shi Ci" (White Stone Lyrics).

Yue Ruzheng flipped through the collection of poems, which was filled with tiny, densely packed characters that made her dizzy. She rolled up the collection, rested it on her chin, and then picked up the small paper-cut book, smiling brightly, and said, "I know, you wrote this."

Tang Yanchu nodded somewhat awkwardly. Yue Ruzheng sighed and said, "Little Tang, your handwriting is better than mine. My master mustn't see it, or he'll scold me for being lazy and not practicing calligraphy when I was little."

He replied calmly, "My handwriting isn't very neat, so you shouldn't compare yourself to me."

Yue Ruzheng's smile faltered slightly as her gaze fell on his sleeve hanging by the table. She stammered, "Little Tang...did you learn to write on your own, or was someone teaching you?"

"Someone taught me." He looked down at his sleeves, but there was no sadness in his expression.

Yue Ruzheng wanted to ask more questions, but he said, "I'm going to dry the herbs. You sit here by yourself, and call me when you want to go back to bed."

Yue Ruzheng paused, already turned and left. She wasn't sure if her question had inadvertently touched on his feelings, so she didn't call out to him again. She simply sat by the exquisite window, quietly watching him carry the bamboo basket over his shoulder to the center of the courtyard, then sit on the ground and use his feet to pick out clusters of herbs, spreading them out one by one in the sunlight.

The pale golden sunlight shone on him, casting a warm glow on his dark blue clothes. But his eyes remained as cold and indifferent as ice and snow.

Chapter Six: Green Fences and Hanging Flowers

Nan Yandang Mountain is near the East China Sea, and the mountains are often rainy and humid, with lush vegetation. In front of this courtyard, peach blossoms are red and green, and the air is filled with fragrance. On sunny and warm days, they attract young butterflies to flutter about, their white shadows shimmering.

After several days of rest, Yue Ruzheng's foot injury had gradually healed, but she still couldn't walk with much force. She counted the days; she had arrived here on the ninth day of the second month, and now it was the nineteenth—a full ten days had passed. Her senior uncle and brother were on their way and should have already reached Luzhou. She wondered if Mo Li had gone to Yinxi Xiaozhu, and how her master had dealt with him. Although she believed her senior uncle would definitely help, Mo Li was not a kind person after all. What if he had gone to Yinxi Xiaozhu before her senior uncle arrived in Luzhou…

The mere thought of this matter transformed Yue Ruzheng's relaxed mood into anxiety. She even considered going to the town at the foot of the mountain to see if any travelers from the direction of Luzhou were coming and could gather information. But she couldn't go far, let alone descend the mountain. Just that morning, she saw Tang Yanchu about to head down the mountain again, and couldn't help but sit by the window and call out, "Little Tang."