Une jeunesse errante

Chapitre 160

Kiyomi Tsuki left those words behind, turned around, and strode away.

The little crow opened its mouth wide in disbelief, "Sister, the young master, the young master..."

"I told you not to talk nonsense."

After the little sparrow finished scolding, it hurriedly chased after Kiyomizuki.

Two clear tears rolled down the little crow's cheeks. "Is she worried about the young master?"

A gentle breeze stirred, and the warm sunlight caressed the tender willow branches. In the distance, rolling green hills rose, while nearby, peach blossoms shone like a rosy cloud. Orioles hopped and played among the flowers, their melodious songs filling the air, while a white fox chased after a screeching crow in the fragrant pond. Yet, this vibrant spring scenery did little to cheer Qing Jianyue. His black hair was pulled back, his white body appearing and disappearing in the water, his arms draped over a stone phoenix, hanging lazily like a cat, sigh after sigh.

The little sparrow swam over and said with a smile, "Young master, let me wipe your back for you." The soft towel carefully wiped his back, and the little sparrow advised, "Young master, don't worry, once the lord's anger subsides, everything will be fine."

Kiyomi Tsuki said in a mournful voice, "I don't want to at all, but I can't help but sigh."

"That's because the young master is worried about the lord of the fortress and can't let go of him," the little sparrow said softly. "If a person doesn't have someone to care about in their heart while they're alive, then living is like living in vain."

Kiyomi Tsuki said, "Little Sparrow, you must have someone you care about, right?"

The little sparrow trembled slightly. "What person do I have to care about?"

“Isn’t Zhou Jie?” Qing Jianyue asked.

The towel slipped from the little sparrow's hand and fell into the pool.

Kiyoshi Tsuki smiled and said, "Little Sparrow, when are you going to take off that thing on your face so I can see who's prettier, Yunya or you?"

The little sparrow stammered, "Young master, you, you..."

"You saved my life, and I've never had a chance to say thank you."

"No, I didn't do anything, it was Miss He..."

“You are the real Miss He, aren’t you?” Qing Jianyue sighed again. “It’s really beneath you to be my servant.”

"It is my honor to serve you, young master. You are speaking from the bottom of my heart, young master. I dare not lie in the slightest." The little sparrow said softly, "If it weren't for her saving me, I would probably be living a life worse than death. How could I be able to stay by your side so carefree now?"

"That woman really won't hesitate to use any means to achieve her goals," Qingjian Yue scoffed. "She didn't trust me, so she deliberately placed you by my side, didn't she?"

The little sparrow exclaimed, "That's not how it is. Young master, the young lady was just doing it to make things easier for her."

"Forget it, I don't want to get involved in her affairs. I'm already drowning in debt myself." Qing Jianyue felt extremely frustrated and couldn't help but shout, "This is so annoying, I'm about to die from it. Lu Qingcheng, if I'm not dying from happiness, but from being annoyed by you, I will never forgive you."

Petals fell in profusion, and Kiyomi Tsuki's face, as beautiful as a peach blossom, radiated vibrant life, her bright eyes sparkling with dazzling light. The white fox leaped onto the stone phoenix's back, vigorously shaking the water droplets from its fur. Kiyomi Tsuki angrily shouted, "Stinky fox, don't shake here!" The white fox cried out, "Master, I'm soaking in this fragrant bath, where's the stench?"

Deep within the dense willow grove, a tall and imposing figure swayed as Lu Qingcheng silently emerged from the Water Courtyard. Zhang Zhichun, Wang Jie, Mao Ying, and Guo Guo stood guard at the courtyard gate. As soon as he appeared, he instructed, "Don't let the young master know I'm here."

Mao Ying and Guo Guo immediately replied, "Yes, Lord of the Fortress."

"Let's go back."

Lu Qingcheng, facing the gentle breeze, walked with her hands behind her back, her steps light and brisk, even humming a little tune.

Wang Jie whispered, "When she first went in, she was furious, cursing the young master for being heartless. What's wrong with her now?"

Zhang Zhichun smiled.

After her bath, Kiyomi Tsuki, thanks to the little sparrow's skillful touch, regained her former radiant beauty. The white fox, also clean and refreshed, transformed into a large, snow-white fluffy ball, perched on the carved stool, admiring herself in the large bronze mirror.

The little sparrow smiled and said, "Young master, shall we order dinner from the kitchen?"

A little crow darted in from outside and began to coo in Kiyomizuki's ear.

Upon hearing this, Kiyomi Tsuki's face, already flushed from the bath, turned even redder. Without a word, he rushed out, and the white fox hurriedly jumped off the low stool, rolling around his feet like a large snowball.

Leaving the Ice Garden, he headed straight for the Scholar's Courtyard. Upon entering the courtyard, he saw Lu Qingcheng standing in the courtyard talking to Bai Yiting, and Qing Jianyue was overjoyed. The white fox scurried to Lu Qingcheng's feet and howled loudly. Lu Qingcheng and Bai Yiting glanced down at it, then quickly looked up again. Qing Jianyue's heart pounded wildly, like a deer's.

Bai Yiting smiled and said, "It is Young Master Jianyue."

Qingjian Yue quickened his pace, but stopped abruptly because of Lu Qingcheng's darkening expression. He looked at him with a pitiful expression, like a cat that hadn't eaten for days staring at a salted fish.

"I...I'm back."

Lu Qingcheng snorted coldly, turned around and went into the room, slamming the door shut.

The white fox opened its small, pointed snout wide. "Master, why is the Lord ignoring us? Is our fox not pretty enough?"

Kiyomi Tsuki rubbed his high, full nose, as if the loud thud had given his nose a painful, intimate blow, making it sting and bringing tears to his eyes.

Bai Yiting chuckled and said, "Young master, what are you waiting for? Hurry up and go in. Don't be fooled by his anger; it's because he cares about you that he's acting this way."

"oh."

Qing Jian Yue dawdled over, and perhaps out of fear, he looked back at the white fox. The white fox's large tail drooped, and it muttered, "No, the lord is angry, the fox is scared." Qing Jian Yue was so angry he almost cursed, "You damned fox, you have no loyalty at all!" Helpless, he quietly pushed open the carved door and slipped into the room like a thief. Inside, Lu Qing Cheng sat on the couch, flipping through a book haphazardly. Suddenly, he slammed the book onto the lacquered table. Qing Jian Yue was so frightened that he scurried back to the carved door.

"Didn't you reject me? Why did you come back?"

Tears welled up in Kiyomi Tsuki's eyes as she carefully walked to his side. "No matter how high or far a bird flies, it flies out in the morning and returns to its nest when the sun sets at night. Aren't you my nest? That's why I've flown back."

Lu Qingcheng put on a heartless expression, took out a stack of silver notes from her sleeve and placed them on the couch. "You can leave now. This 100,000 taels is what we agreed on back then. You've saved up quite a bit of money, and with this, it should be enough for you to live on for the rest of your life."

"Your hair is messy, let me comb it for you."

Kiyoshi found a comb and climbed onto the cool bed to comb his hair, but he rudely pushed her away.

"I told you to get out, didn't you hear me?"

Kiyomi Tsuki burst into tears.