Hua Chongyang stared at that back, a faint, composed smile on his lips, but he didn't turn around.
Why look back? That voice alone is enough. That low, slightly hoarse voice, when it first reached her ears, was like a thunderclap, almost making her lose her footing.
The culprit, Lan Fushun, then spoke again:
What does it mean to "raise children but not teach them, it's the father's fault"?
Hua Chongyang smiled and calmly explained:
"It means that if a child isn't raised well, it's because the father hasn't been a good parent. That uncle meant that Fu Shun's father is a bad father."
Lan Fushun frowned.
Despite his young age, dressed in brocade, he already possessed a certain air of authority. The waiter glanced up and down, not daring to offend anyone, and almost knelt down.
"Young lady—I'm begging you, children's words are innocent, but why take them so seriously?"
Lan Fushun, true to form, refused to be taken advantage of and pointed his finger at the man in gray:
"He was the one who spoke ill of my father first!"
The man in gray turned around, his face hidden behind a veil, it was unclear whether he was looking at Lan Fushun or Hua Chongyang.
In early autumn, the sky outside was clear and crisp. A gentle breeze swept through the room, lightly lifting the veil of the person in gray. Beneath the veil, a faint outline of a thin, pointed chin could be seen.
Hua Chongyang still smiled, glancing at the waiter and then at the man in gray:
"I just think this young master is right. It's the father's fault if he raises his children without teaching them. Where is he wrong?"
A crowd gathered at the bottom of the stairs to watch the spectacle.
Anyone could see that these two groups were no ordinary people, and now they were locked in a fierce battle.
The man in gray remained silent, staring intently down through his veil, but the tension seemed to grow ever stronger. Hua Chongyang, however, showed no fear, continuing to smile as he looked at the man.
"So, the most important thing for a mother is to have good judgment and remember to find a father who will love and educate her child. Young master, don't you agree?"
The man in gray stood there for a moment, still silent, before following the waiter, who was practically begging him to leave, upstairs.
She experienced for the first time what it meant to meet someone and not recognize them.
Hua Chongyang stared intently at the figure disappearing into the corner of the stairs, then turned around with Lan Wuxie in his arms and sat down at a table on the first floor, his eyes reddening with a smile:
"Good boy, Fu Shun. Once we find your father, Mom will definitely teach him a good lesson."
Hua Chongyang carried Lan Fushun and followed the man in gray.
From teahouses to bookstores, clothing shops, and gardens, Lan Wuxie was indeed a figure of great renown, commanding complete silence wherever he went. At first, Hua Chongyang wondered why he wasn't accompanied by anyone, but then realized that Lan Cao and the others had probably gone to clear the way for him. Sure enough, upon exiting a certain garden, Lan Wuxie walked straight to a sedan chair parked at the side gate, completely ignoring Hua Chongyang who had been following behind him.
Lan Cao, standing to the side of the sedan chair with a blade of grass in her mouth, turned her head listlessly and saw Hua Chongyang. She slowly opened her mouth, and the grass blade fell out.
"...You, you--"
Hua Chongyang carried Fu Shun forward and interrupted him directly:
"Brother Orchid, it's been a long time."
"You--you you you you you...flower--"
"Brother Lan Cao, aren't you busy? Let's speak privately."
She pulled the orchid away, without giving it a chance, to a tree some distance away. The orchid finally found its tongue:
"Hua Chongyang, you—so it was you who's been following the Pavilion Master all day?! They said there was a woman carrying a child who followed the Pavilion Master the whole way, I never expected that—"
"Didn't expect that? Heh." Hua Chongyang put down Fu Shun, patted his sleeves, and said, "Never mind if I didn't expect it. I knew all along that everyone in Lan Ying Palace was a heartless and ungrateful scoundrel."
The orchid fell silent, stammering for a long time:
"This, this... the sect leader... he can't remember anything..."
Hua Chongyang interrupted him directly: "You don't need to tell me. I can see it."
"Then--then this--"
The orchid looked like a heartless person bowing their head in repentance. The more Hua Chongyang looked at it, the more he laughed.
"It's not your fault."
"but--"
"But what a joke." She smiled again, "Don't tell him yet. Besides, we're not married yet, and I'm nobody to him."
"Can--"
Where are you going?
"The Pavilion Master suddenly said he was coming to Suzhou and Hangzhou a couple of days ago, and here he is. I tried to subtly inquire about it once, but he simply ignored me." Lan Cao said with a worried expression, "Now, I don't dare mention the past at all. You know, when his headaches flare up, he often can't leave the house for three to five days—"
Before the words were finished, Lan Wuxie called out calmly from the other end:
Orchid.
Lan Cao responded and turned to look at Hua Chongyang; Hua Chongyang glanced at the hanging sedan curtain and gave a bitter smile:
"Go ahead. If you can't say it, then don't say it for now."
Lan Cao walked back to the sedan chair in a huff.
The sedan chair was lifted.
After walking for a while, Lan Wuxie suddenly asked from inside the sedan chair:
"Who is that person?"
Lancao, lost in thought, asked in return:
"Who? What did the Pavilion Master say?"
"That woman from just now."
Lan Cao looked back at Hua Chongyang, who was still standing under the tree, and hugged Lan Fushun. She felt even more heartbroken and forced a smile as she answered perfunctorily:
"It's an old friend, someone I knew from childhood."
No one answered from inside the sedan chair.
Lan Cao couldn't help but say another sentence:
"She brought her child to Suzhou to look for someone."
Who are you looking for?
"He's the child's father," Lan Cao blurted out. "She was deeply in love with her lover, but fate played a cruel trick on her—and they were unfortunately separated."
94. Fengqiao Cave
That evening, Lan Cao sneaked out to find Hua Chongyang.
When I entered the inn room, Hua Chongyang was busy, taking a moment to coax Lan Fushun. At first glance, Lan Cao seemed a little downcast.
Why are you packing your things?
"It's not here anymore."
The orchid was startled and horrified:
"You can't leave!"
Hua Chongyang looked up, raised an eyebrow at him, and continued working on his hands. Lancao followed him around like a little shadow, unsure whether to stop her or not.
"You're leaving, what will happen to the Pavilion Master?"
Hua Chongyang went over to pour water for Fushun, then went back to the bedside to pack his bundle, ignoring him completely.
"The Pavilion Master has only temporarily forgotten—who knows what might happen if he remembers!"
Hua Chongyang had already packed his bags.
The door creaked open, and Ye Laoqi walked in:
"Hey, everything's packed. Are you leaving now?"
Hua Chongyang nodded and went over to pick up Fushun:
"Okay. I'll take my things and leave now."
Lan Cao stared blankly, completely at a loss.
As a result, Hua Chongyang carried Fu Shun to the door, turned around, raised an eyebrow and glared at him:
"What are you standing there for? Lead the way."
Hua Chongyang, carrying Fu Shun's luggage, checked into the inn where Lan Wuxie was staying.
The inn was a famous one in Suzhou, known as Fengqiao Cave. Surrounded by water on three sides and connected to the outside only by a bamboo bridge, it contained small, interconnected suites of rooms separated by artificial hills, trees, and flowing water. Lancao kept muttering to herself as they walked, and when they reached the bamboo bridge, she pulled Hua Chongyang aside:
"Slow down."
Hua Chongyang raised an eyebrow:
"what?"
The orchid sighed dejectedly:
"When I told the Pavilion Master, I described you as a forsaken woman who had traveled a thousand miles to find her husband. Who knew you would just strut in here with Fu Shun in your arms like this? You should at least act like a forsaken woman and cover up my lie for me."
"I'm a discarded wife." Hua Chongyang turned around, picked up Fushun, and began to walk briskly again. "But even if you're a discarded wife, you don't necessarily have to look so gloomy, do you?"
Lan Cao stared in disbelief. By the time he came to his senses, Hua Chongyang had already booked a room with the innkeeper and walked to the door, putting Fu Shun down and closing the door behind him.
"You go back first. I want to take a bath with Fushun."
Bang! The door slammed shut.
Lan Cao touched her nose, turned around dejectedly, walked around a trellis of ivy, a bend in the stream, and a wooden bridge, and walked back with a heavy heart. She saw Lan Wuxie standing under the rose trellis, touching fish food to feed the koi in the stream.
"...Ah, Master."
The orchid felt involuntarily guilty.
The moonlight was fresh and picturesque. Lan Wuxie neither looked up nor replied, casually tossing the fish food; but as he did so, Lan Cao felt increasingly guilty and began to explain:
"...Um, that mother and child were all alone and unfamiliar with the area; they were truly pitiful. I went to settle them in—"
The koi in the water crowded together, vying for fish food. Lan Wuxie seemed not to hear anyone speaking, scattering all the fish food, clapping his hands, and sitting down. A maidservant had already brought him a handkerchief. He wiped his hands clean, turned around to hand the handkerchief back, but suddenly a loud laugh came on the wind.
Lan Wuxie stopped moving.