Su Majestad - Capítulo 28
It's always right in front of me.
Her gentle face appeared in the mirror, her lotus-green robe elegant and graceful.
Tang Qiefang's fingertips lightly touched the face on the mirror, and suddenly, the face spoke: "Finished teaching?"
Tang Qiefang was startled, as if her soul had twitched inside her body. She quickly withdrew her hand, turned around, and saw Tang Congrong standing in front of her.
"It seems I've disturbed you," Tang Congrong said calmly. "I thought you'd have some free time after the female disciple left, so I came in."
Tang Qiefang smiled and came forward, "Looking for another chess game? I'm no match for you."
"I'd like to invite you to admire the moon," Tang Congrong said, then added casually, "I just realized I should have invited Yue Shenhong as well."
Tang Qiefang laughed loudly, "You sound like you're jealous."
"I might be jealous of you a hundred years from now," Tang Congrong said, then turned and left.
Yeah, why would he be jealous? Does he think everyone is like you? He gave a self-deprecating laugh and followed.
The moonlight outside was like water, and a full moon hung in the sky.
It's fifteen.
Tang Qiefang rubbed her forehead. "I didn't expect the moonlight to be so beautiful tonight."
With a beautiful woman by his side, the scenery was far more beautiful than the moonlight, so of course he wouldn't notice her.
"I'm just making it up to the Yue family."
"Is that so?" Tang Congrong asked casually, it was unclear whether he believed her or not.
The two walked side by side under the moonlight. The night was cool and still, and the spring breeze was gentle.
Tang Qiefang did not respond to the conversation.
Tang Congrong couldn't help but ask, "Why aren't you saying anything?"
Chapter 54
"say what?"
Tang Congrong was taken aback. These were such familiar words, only spoken by different people.
Usually, it was Tang Qiefang who would pester him to talk.
Something was subtly changing, but he didn't notice.
This discovery saddened Tang Congrong, who said softly, "That room was where we used to practice disguise techniques. My father spent a lot of effort to buy that glass mirror from a Persian merchant. I didn't expect you to let someone else in."
Tang Qiefang remained silent. At that time, he simply didn't want to be alone, didn't want to think about things he shouldn't have, and just wanted someone to keep him company. The so-called teaching of disguise was nothing more than a spur-of-the-moment decision.
Fortunately, Tang Congrong happened to see it. The excuse she made at Tingshui Pavilion was not exposed.
“But we rarely use it now, it’s a waste to leave it there. We might as well give it to Yue Shenhong to use. We can’t let it be too deserted.” Tang Qiefang smiled.
Tang Congrong frowned slightly. Tang Qiefang's playful laughter made him feel even more uncomfortable and unfamiliar than the indifferent Tang Qiefang of the past... There was no longer the tacit understanding that could be exchanged with a single glance. Tang Qiefang couldn't even sense what he was saying.
He stopped talking.
He wasn't a very good communicator to begin with.
Tang Qiefang was the one who spoke the whole time. He spoke in an exaggerated way, turning the smallest thing into a news story and a serious matter into a joke.
Tang Congrong suddenly missed the Tang Qiefang of the past.
Tang Qiefang has changed.
Silence grew deeper between them, as if no topic could continue. Even when they joked, there was an unspoken distance between them.
How long have these days been going on?
Yang Luoxue wrote back, mentioning a miraculous herb called "Green Dewdrop." It's a rare and exotic plant that takes four years to take root, four years to sprout leaves, and four years to bloom; it grows in extremely yin places and only appears once every twelve years. It has been eleven years since the last time it appeared.
So even if the leaves turn green, it won't be until next year.
Tang Congrong covered the letter and sighed. Fortunately, Yuewei Pavilion was in charge of the martial arts world at this moment, and the world was at peace. Otherwise, without Huaman Yuzhen and Tianxiang, the Tang Clan would truly be in turmoil.
Tang Qiefang had never asked about the cloud-patterned barrier. If he had, Tang Congrong wouldn't have known how to answer. But since he didn't ask, Tang Congrong couldn't help but worry. Why didn't he ask? Did he already know?
The pharmacy couldn't be closed for too long, so it resumed its usual medicine-making process. Tang Congrong had no choice but to frequently call Tang Qiefang to his side to prevent him from having the opportunity to refine the Heavenly Incense.
At first, Tang Qiefang would come whenever she invited him, but later he gradually started coming once every two invitations. He spent most of his time teaching Yue Shenhong about disguise and poisons.
One day, Tang Congrong had some free time and went to Fuxiao Pavilion. Tang Qiefang wasn't in the courtyard, the study, or the bedroom; he was in the room where the two of them had learned disguise since childhood.
Inside the room, Tang Qiefang carefully instructed Yue Shenhong, gently dipping her index finger in the medicine and applying it to Yue Shenhong's forehead.
Tang Congrong stood outside the window and did not go in.
Long, long ago, when they were still children, they would disguise each other in this very room. Sometimes they would transform each other into a girl, sometimes into an ugly monster, and sometimes into an old man.
Chapter 55
Because they practiced together, they found the art of disguise so interesting. Although one specialized in hidden weapons and the other in poisons, their skills in disguise were both extraordinary.
Now Tang Qiefang has changed his practice partner, Yue Shenhong, who calls him "Brother Tang" repeatedly, and he smiles as brightly as ever.
The smile first appeared at the corners of his mouth, then at the corners of his eyes and brows, and finally his eyes seemed to gleam with pearly light—his smile was like the east wind that urges the flowers and trees to bloom.