Flowers bloom silently on Double Ninth Festival.
Was this arranged by Situ Qingliu, or did Bo Feng really intend to side with Lan Wuxie? Treating Lan Wuxie as an honored guest, yet not including Situ Qingliu, isn't this a gesture of goodwill towards Lan Wuxie?
As soon as the banquet began, many people from various sects at the table went to the front to toast Bo Feng and Lan Wuxie.
Hua Chongyang sat sideways at the table, coldly watching Lan Wuxie drink cup after cup of wine. He'd probably drunk a bit too much, because soon Lan Cao came forward, presumably to tell him to drink less. But as soon as Lan Cao approached, Bo Jiang also joined in, smiling and pulling him away. He even cheerfully snatched the wine pot from Lan Cao's hand to pour wine for Lan Wuxie, all the while glancing at Hua Chongyang with a smile.
Lan Wuxie accepted all the drinks offered, her eyes slightly tipsy at the banquet. In the end, Bo Jiang simply took Lan Cao's place, standing beside her to pour wine for Lan Wuxie.
Hua Chongyang's face remained impassive, but her fists clenched tightly in her sleeves; she truly felt an urge to step forward and slap Bo Jiang twice across the face. Bai Lu sat beside her, coldly playing with her chopsticks while making sarcastic remarks with sharp tongues:
"What are you angry about? Qing-gege should be angry! Bo Jiang cheated on him in front of everyone! Sigh, the world is going to the dogs, and the husband's authority is waning!"
Hua Chongyang filled his wine cup, took a sip, smiled, but muttered a vicious curse in a low voice:
"You don't know anything."
"If you've got the guts, go up there and grab Bo Jiang by the hair like Huang San does in a fight, then slap her twice across the face," Bai Lu chuckled. "From now on, I'll call you 'sister' whenever I see you, and I'll never call you Hua Chongyang again."
"Go ahead and do it if you dare!" Hua Chongyang sneered. "Go slap Bo Jiang twice, and I'll immediately give you the brothel owner's job!"
"Hmph, even if you kneel down and beg me, I still won't do it!"
"Your mother was blind back then, how could she have given birth to such a heartless wretch!"
The two men watched the banquet unfold with cold indifference, exchanging insults in hushed tones. Just as they were getting into the swing of things, someone approached the table:
"Master Hua, would you do me the honor of sharing a drink?"
Hua Chongyang and Bai Lu looked up at the same time, and then simultaneously, one raised an eyebrow and smiled, while the other raised an eyebrow and sneered:
"Become a Dharma Protector."
"Protector Chengda."
Cheng Sheng glanced at Bai Lu and nodded awkwardly:
"Young Master Bai."
Bai Lu simply pouted:
"I am unworthy of such an honor."
Hua Chongyang ignored her and raised his wine cup to clink with Cheng Sheng's:
"A pleasure to meet you. I am deeply grateful for your kindness at today's martial arts tournament."
As she tilted her head back to drink, she glanced at Xing Yanshui out of the corner of her eye, and saw Xing Yanshui at the opposite table, who was also there to offer a toast.
Cheng Sheng drank the wine, a smile playing on his lips as he looked at Hua Chongyang:
"Master Hua is too modest. It is your swordsmanship that is truly superb."
"Not at all, Protector Cheng, you flatter me."
After exchanging a few polite words, the two suddenly ran out of things to say. A moment of silence followed, and Cheng Sheng nodded, holding his wine glass.
"Well then, I'll head over now."
He glanced at Hua Chongyang again, then turned and left for another table.
Bai Lu watched him walk away before muttering under her breath:
"A toad trying to eat swan meat. You should stay away from him from now on, Hua Chongyang."
"I was never close to him to begin with."
"Stop interrupting! Don't tell me you can't tell this guy surnamed Cheng is interested in you. If I hadn't kept glaring at him, he wouldn't know how long he'd be standing here staring at you."
"Shut up!"
"Why should I shut up? Everyone outside knows you and I are a couple! Cheng Sheng dared to cheat on me right in front of me, look at his arrogance! If Lan Wuxie weren't here, I would have slapped that Cheng guy into the lake long ago, why would I wait for him to offer me a toast!"
Hua Chongyang was startled by these words and suddenly looked up.
Before anyone knew it, Lan Wuxie was holding a wine glass and toasting the people at the opposite table.
Her first reaction was that the sun had risen in the west; the usually aloof Lan Wuxie was actually willing to offer a toast.
But Lan Wuxie held a jade cup in his hand, a distant smile on his lips, and calmly raised the cup to indicate his presence before tilting his head back and downing the wine in his cup. This was perfectly normal. What was even more infuriating was that Bo Jiang and Bo Hai followed closely behind him, one pouring wine and the other carrying a wine pot.
Bai Lu looked up and saw it, clearly somewhat surprised:
"What's going on, Hua Chongyang? Has Lan Wuxie gotten involved with that guy surnamed Bo again?"
"You're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask?"
Not only the two of them, but even people at the table in front of them were whispering among themselves:
"Why is Lanying Palace so close to Nanchu Manor again?"
"Exactly. Bo Jiang isn't one of Situ Qingliu's men, so why is he standing by Lan Wuxie's side now?"
No one knew about the relationship between Bo Jiang and Lan Wuxie; even a year ago, when Hua Chongyang and Lan Wuxie separated, apart from the people in the brothel, no one knew that Bo Jiang had actually gotten involved with Lan Wuxie, and everyone thought that Bo Jiang and Lan Wuxie were irreconcilable enemies.
Hua Chongyang sneered.
Who is Bo Feng and Bo Jiang trying to impress with their performance today?
Just as she was thinking this, Lan Wuxie walked up to her and Bai Lu:
"Master Hua."
Hua Chongyang raised his eyes.
He seemed to have lost weight again. He wore a deep emerald green robe embroidered with gold thread, which complemented his snow-white face, making him look both noble and elegant. In particular, he had a rare smile on his face, which, although distant, made him appear even more noble and graceful.
However, the title "Master Hua" was so offensive to Hua Chongyang that he could only suppress his discomfort and respond with a smile.
"Honorable Lord Laulan, esteemed presence."
As she spoke, she calmly and slowly raised the wine pot to pour herself a drink. Holding the wine in her right hand and grasping the dark green sleeve with her left, she stood up, her dark green gauze dress fluttering lightly in the wind.
Even if you lose something, don't lose your grandeur.
Bo Jiang stood behind Lan Wuxie and added with a smile:
"Since becoming the head of the brothel, Headmaster Hua has become increasingly beautiful. This dark green silk robe is truly stunning; from afar, her flowing garments make her look like a celestial being from a painting. Brothels really do produce beauties."
Bai Lu, having inherited Huang Sanzhen's sharp tongue, disregarded her resentment towards Lan Wuxie and, before Hua Chongyang could even speak, raised an eyebrow and sneered, first retaliating against Bo Jiang:
"There's no way around it, we Chongyang people are always running around working, unlike you, Miss Bo, who's in bed all day with your legs spread wide, lying there until your back aches."
Bo Jiang's smile froze instantly.
Lan Wuxie seemed oblivious to the exchange of swords between Bo Jiang and Bai Lu, smiling as she looked at Hua Chongyang, her expression resembling that of an old friend reunited.
"The first cup is to honor the Flower Pavilion Master's loyalty and righteousness. For her family and sisters, she's willing to give up everything—no, what she can give up is naturally less important than those things, isn't it?"
After saying that, he tilted his head back and downed a glass of wine.
Hua Chongyang still smiled, tilted his head back and drank the wine, but felt increasingly awkward.
Lan Wuxie extended his wine cup backward, and Bo Jiang refilled it. He stared intently at Hua Chongyang, still smiling.
"The second cup is to honor the peerless beauty of the Flower Pavilion Master. I heard that Protector Cheng of Goose Foot Valley fell in love with you at first sight, but I thought it was just a rumor. Who knew that I just saw the two of you raising your glasses and chatting so tacitly."
He tilted his head back and downed another glass.
Hua Chongyang spent all his energy on smiling, and couldn't even lift a wine glass.
Lan Wuxie turned her hand back and waited for the wine cup to be filled:
"The third cup—what else is there to say?"
His lips moved, and after a long pause, he smiled and said:
"It seems like that's all."
He tilted his head back and finished it off.
His face flushed a rare rosy hue, and his dark hair fell beside his face, making him look exceptionally alluring.
He had just put down his wine glass when he reached out for Bo Jiang to pour him more; Lan Cao squeezed through the gap behind Bo Jiang and stopped him, whispering to him:
"Master, please don't drink anymore."
Lan Wuxie held the cup, her slender fingers covering her forehead, her eyes lowered and a faint smile on her face.
"It's rare to reunite with an old friend, what's wrong with having another drink? Who knows if we'll ever see Master Hua again?"
He stubbornly held out his wine glass, waiting for the wine to be poured.
Lan Cao glanced at Hua Chongyang, then reached out and pressed down the wine pot that Bo Jiang offered, helplessly whispering to dissuade Lan Wuxie:
"Your health is paramount. The Pavilion Master still has a fever and cannot drink any more alcohol."
Lan Wuxie seemed not to hear, reached for the wine pot, poured himself a full glass, his laughter clear and articulate, his eyes bright and alert.
"I am not sick."
He brought the wine glass to his lips.
Hua Chongyang, ignoring Bai Lu's cold glare, was about to reach out to stop him when Bo Hai, who had been standing behind Bo Jiang, suddenly stepped forward and grabbed Lan Wuxie's wrist as he raised his cup.
"If others don't care about you, then Pavilion Master Lan should care even more about your health."
Hua Chongyang was slightly taken aback.
A gentle breeze lifted the thin veil on the sea surface, and in a fleeting glance, Hua Chongyang and Bailu caught a glimpse of a snow-white, pointed chin behind the veil, so delicate that one couldn't help but want to reach out and pinch it.
It looks so familiar.
Bai Lu squinted and whispered in Hua Chongyang's ear:
"Hua Chongyang, this Bo Hai, why does he look so familiar? It's like he's—"
Before he could finish speaking, Bo Feng, holding a wine glass, walked over from the opposite side, laughing loudly:
"Master Lan. Master Hua."
Bo Jiang and Bo Hai stepped back.
Lan Wuxie turned to the side, and Hua Chongyang moved his almost frozen hand, widening his smile:
"Leader Bo."
"A cup of wine, please forgive any shortcomings, hahaha." Bo Feng clinked glasses with Hua Chongyang and Lan Wuxie, but didn't drink. He raised his cup to Lan Wuxie, "There's something I need to discuss, and I'll use this wine to embolden myself and bring it up with Pavilion Master Lan."