Une jeunesse errante

Chapitre 95

The study became so quiet. A breeze blew in, ruffling a few strands of his hair and brushing against his fair, rosy cheeks, making him look incredibly beautiful. Lu Qingcheng felt an indescribable fondness for him, wishing she could hold him tightly. A yellow butterfly flew in, fluttering around them. The white fox nimbly got up, waving its paws and hopping and skipping after the butterfly.

Kiyomi Tsuki suddenly pulled her hand back and forced a smile, saying, "That's strange, where would butterflies come from in winter?"

"The unusually warm weather probably made the butterflies think that spring had arrived, so they emerged from their cocoons."

Lu Qingcheng sat up straight and leaned against the lacquered table. He was so close, and his pleasant scent, along with his intense, persistent, and infatuated gaze, caused Qing Jianyue to experience a chaotic and unsettling tremor within her.

"Oh, well, based on my experience, the weather will get cold soon, and there might even be a blizzard tomorrow."

Qing Jianyue felt his cheeks burning, and he stammered. Lu Qingcheng seemed not to hear anything, staring straight at him, and then, in his excitement, grasped his hand again. Fear flashed in Qing Jianyue's eyes, and he pulled his hand back forcefully, hiding it behind his back like a child, as if that would help him avoid his harassment.

Lu Qingcheng smiled, but quickly put on a stern face and threatened, "Next time you come across something you like, tell me. If I find out you've gone to see Qingfeng, I'll break your legs."

Kiyoshiki stuck out her tongue in fright, "I haven't even had a chance to look for Qingfeng yet."

A fierce, predatory glint flashed in Lu Qingcheng's eyes. Qing Jianyue felt a sudden unease. Lu Qingcheng abruptly stood up. "It's almost noon. I'll tell them to prepare lunch."

As he opened the carved door and stepped out, Qing Jianyue's tense mood immediately relaxed. He had an indescribable feeling in his heart, a feeling that was very unfamiliar and had never been experienced before; it was extremely strange. Yes, Lu Qingcheng was acting strangely all day, and he himself felt strange as a result.

Suddenly, the white fox howled and pounced into his arms, licking his face repeatedly. Qing Jianyue dodged it, picked it up, and got off the kang (heated brick bed) to walk to the door. Pushing open the carved door, he looked into the courtyard. Several slender bamboos stood there, and Lu Qingcheng, his robes fluttering in the wind, stood there with a cold and stern expression, exuding an air of noble majesty. Qing Jianyue stared at him, completely mesmerized.

Chapter Thirty-Seven: Turmoil

A soft, sweet laugh rang out from the garden gate. He Yunya and Xu Yun, hand in hand, swayed as they entered, surrounded by four maids. They curtsied to Lu Qingcheng, their captivating beauty even stirring Qing Jianyue's heart. Xu Yun said something that made Lu Qingcheng smile. In that instant, Qing Jianyue felt both awkward and uncomfortable.

Seeing them chatting and laughing so happily, Qing Jianyue was a little puzzled. What topic could have piqued Lu Qingcheng's interest so much? Whether intentionally or unintentionally, He Yunya slowly turned her head and gave Qing Jianyue a smiling wink. Qing Jianyue hurriedly retreated back into the house, suddenly feeling an inexplicable regret, and couldn't help but blame herself for being too timid and not being open and aboveboard enough.

The laughter quickly moved closer. Since things had come to this, Qing Jianyue simply went back to the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) and put the white fox in the large vine basket. The carved door opened, and Lu Qingcheng led the way in, followed by Xu Yun and He Yunya. These two beauties, who seemed to have stepped out of a painting, immediately brightened the room.

"Why is Young Master Jianyue hiding and afraid to come out and meet people?"

He Yunya immediately started making things difficult, and she had a wicked smile on her face.

Qingjian Yue had anticipated that this woman wouldn't have anything nice to say, and calmly smiled, "I saw that the Lord of the Fortress was having such a pleasant conversation with the two young ladies, so I didn't want to go out and disturb them."

Upon hearing this, Lu Qingcheng gave him a deep look, as if she were making a defense, and said, "Miss He and Miss Xu made some snacks and dishes. My mother tasted them and thought they were good, so she asked them to send some over. I was just saying that I could have sent someone to deliver them, why did I trouble them to deliver them personally?"

Xu Yun said shyly, "I had nothing better to do anyway, so I brought it over. I also wanted to check how Fox's injury is healing."

Kiyoshi thought to herself: My fox has become your excuse for looking at people.

The white fox didn't care about excuses; it happily wagged its large tail and let out a melodious cry. He Yunya swaggered over, her eyes sweeping over Qing Jianyue, a mocking smile playing on her lips. Qing Jianyue felt extremely uncomfortable, as if someone had seen right through her.

Unlike He Yunya, Xu Yun didn't rush over to see the white fox. Instead, she eagerly called for the maid to bring out the snacks and side dishes. Of course, she was clever; she didn't try to ingratiate herself with Lu Qingcheng, but instead pulled Qing Jianyue aside. She knew that food wouldn't work on Lu Qingcheng, who had never lacked anything. But Qing Jianyue was different; she was notoriously greedy and loved trying new things. This tactic worked perfectly. Qing Jianyue, drooling over the table full of food, forgot all her unpleasantness, picked up her chopsticks, and, at Xu Yun's suggestion, tried this and that, enticing Lu Qingcheng to eat quite a bit as well, praising it highly. Xu Yun beamed with smug satisfaction.

While eating, Xu Yun noticed that Lu Qingcheng's study was adorned with numerous calligraphy and paintings by famous artists. She had long heard that Lu Qingcheng enjoyed collecting calligraphy and paintings, and it seemed this was indeed true. So, she began to appreciate the paintings and calligraphy covering the walls. She had truly captured Lu Qingcheng's taste, successfully drawing his attention to her.

They talked endlessly about poetry, calligraphy, and painting, leaving Qing Jianyue feeling neglected. Qing Jianyue watched them stand side-by-side, admiring a painting with great enthusiasm, and felt a sour pang in her heart, like a vat of vinegar being boiled over. On the kang (heated brick bed), He Yunya stroked the white fox fur, her red lips pursed in a wicked smile.

Gradually, Qingjian Yue grew impatient, thinking to himself: Damn it, what am I doing? This is really getting more and more strange. They're just admiring a painting. Bah, what's so great about a painting on paper? No matter how beautiful it is, it can't compare to the masterpiece of nature. Suddenly remembering that Qingfeng had mentioned earlier that the winter plum blossoms in his garden had bloomed early, a thought struck him, and he smiled and said, "Lord, I suddenly remembered something and would like to take my leave."

Lu Qingcheng turned around, and Xu Yun looked over as well, still holding the painting in her hands. Lu Qingcheng asked, "What is it?"

"Qingfeng said that the wintersweet in the backyard of Peony Pavilion has bloomed. As far as the eye can see, there is a golden sea of flowers. The scenery is very beautiful." Qingjian Yue said, "Qingfeng invited me to Peony Pavilion to admire the flowers and drink wine, saying that we would have a good time together."

Lu Qingcheng's expression changed drastically, and she said angrily, "That brat dared to invite you to admire flowers and drink wine. Does he even respect me?"

Xu Yunhua turned pale.

A childlike, warm smile bloomed on Qingjian Yue's innocent face. "Qingfeng probably didn't invite you because she was afraid the Lord of the Fortress would be too busy. Besides, the Lord of the Fortress has so many paintings hanging in her room. It's enough to just appreciate the paintings. What does it matter whether we appreciate the wintersweet in the peony garden or not?"

Lu Qingcheng was taken aback for a moment, then realized what was going on and quickly said, "I'll go with you."

Qing Jianyue glanced at Xu Yun without changing her expression, and Xu Yun's heart skipped a beat. Qing Jianyue feigned embarrassment and said, "Fortress Master, when did you forget that you still have guests to entertain?"

Lu Qingcheng understood what he meant, and awkwardly retorted, "Nonsense! What do you mean, 'old man'? Am I that old?"

Kiyoshi stuck out her tongue and said, "Of course you're not old. You're young, handsome, and dashing. All the unmarried girls within ten miles are captivated by you."

Xu Yun blushed, while He Yunya giggled.

Lu Qingcheng blushed slightly and scolded, "You're talking nonsense again." Soon, his face darkened, "Ladies, please go back first." He really wasn't polite, dismissing them as soon as he opened his mouth.

He Yunya glanced at Xu Yun, whose face was flushed, and stood up with a smile, "In that case, let's go admire the flowers together. Anyway, it's Young Master Qingfeng's treat, so the Lord of the Fortress shouldn't mind, right?"

Lu Qingcheng said calmly, "Do as you please."

Qing Jianyue fetched a mink cloak, and Lu Qingcheng came over, grabbed it with a large hand, and helped him put it on, carefully fastening the straps. Afterwards, Qing Jianyue also brought his cloak and helped him put it on. Xu Yun watched them taking care of each other like an old married couple, and her heart was filled with a mix of emotions.

They called upon Little Sparrow and Little Crow, carrying a large wicker basket, inside which the white fox lay comfortably. Accompanied by Zhang Zhichun and Huang Chong, the group set off in a grand procession. Qing Jian Yue hopped and skipped around like a little deer, while Lu Qingcheng watched him with a beaming smile, her gaze fixed on him as if it were a waste to look away. Every now and then, Qing Jian Yue would pull Lu Qingcheng to see the new and interesting things he had discovered. Of course, what others would consider utterly boring, Lu Qingcheng and Qing Jian Yue found endless amusement.

Xu Yun followed behind, silently watching them, feeling an indescribable sadness and jealousy in her heart.

He Yunya cracked sunflower seeds and said with a grin, "Look at how sticky they are, it's hard for anyone to get involved."

Xu Yun said coldly, "They've already chased us away, why are you still insisting on following them?"

He Yunya spat out the sunflower seed shells. "I wanted you to see things more clearly. The sooner you see things clearly, the sooner you can give up. Don't jump in and get stuck. Qing Jianyue is such a terrifying person. If it were me, I'd avoid him like the plague."

Xu Yun was silent for a while, then said, "I don't understand. Qing Jianyue is so attached to the Fortress Master, so why does he pretend to be neither male nor female to deceive people? I also don't understand why the Fortress Master, who is so attached to him, doesn't just expose his true colors?"

"It seems you've calmed down," He Yunya praised. "That's more like our talented Xu. They naturally have their reasons, and even the Madam doesn't dare to interfere, let alone outsiders like us. You were foolish enough to almost become the Madam's pawn."

Xu Yun frowned slightly, her face filled with sorrow.

He Yunya didn't say anything more. Love is like poison. One bite and it tastes sweeter than honey; the second bite and it's as beautiful and blissful as a dream; the more you eat, the more addicted you become. Even though you know it will kill you, you can't stop and keep sinking deeper and deeper into it.

From afar, one could see that in front of the Peony Garden gate, Qingfeng's personal bodyguard, Lü Liang, was arguing heatedly with Luo Yuting and Zhang Sanlin, their faces red and necks bulging. They were arguing fiercely and even pushing each other, and it looked like they were about to fight when Lü Ying came out of the gate and stopped them.