Une jeunesse errante

Chapitre 165

Amidst laughter, Little Sparrow accompanied Xiaoqian inside. Xiaoqian wore a bright green dress that accentuated her slender figure, making her exceptionally beautiful and charming. Her jet-black hair was tied into two braids, interspersed with bright green ribbons, which cascaded naturally down to her waist, draped over her high breasts.

Such simplicity, such purity, such freshness, such freedom—that natural beauty, seen with the eyes, comforts the heart, like a gentle summer breeze blowing away the heat, or like being in a vast green grassland, making one feel refreshed and relaxed.

The little sparrow smiled and said, "Young master, Miss Xiaoqian is here. Xiaoqian, please sit down. A few days ago, Granny Cai sent over some fine Biluochun tea. I was just thinking of giving you some. Now that you're here, try it and see if you like it. If you do, take some back with you."

"Thank you for your trouble, sister." Xiaoqian placed the several thick books she was carrying on the low table and asked with a smile, "What are you thinking about, young master?"

Qing Jianyue glared at her and snorted, "You still know how to come see me. Little sparrow, quickly tell the young master how many days this little girl hasn't stepped into the Ice Garden."

Xiaoqian smiled and said, "Is this what's making you angry, young master? Recently, Steward Su has been reorganizing the accounts, and because it's quite complicated, he hasn't been able to visit you as often. Please forgive me, young master."

The little sparrow and the little crow brought in tea and snacks. As they set out the tea set and snacks, the little sparrow said with a smile, "Don't mind the young master. She's just bored and deliberately picking a fight with you."

The little crow chimed in, complaining, "With the Lord of the Fortress gone, that heartless young master just eats and sleeps all day long, he's practically turned into a pig! I've never seen him gazing at the moon with a hint of sadness or longing for the Lord of the Fortress. He's so boring."

Kiyoshi picked up a piece of pear blossom cake and put it in her mouth. I chewed, I chewed, I chewed hard...

Xiaoqian's pretty face beamed with joy. "Young master, these are the books you lent me last time. I've copied them all."

Kiyomi Tsuki exclaimed in surprise, "You copied it all? So much, you copied it all?"

Xiaoqian nodded and said, "Yes, because I borrowed the Lord's book, I was worried about damaging it, so I copied it every day in my spare time. I'm so sorry that it took so long to return it."

Kiyomi Tsuki asked, "Have you memorized everything in the book?"

"I can only remember about 70-80%, and there are many parts I don't understand, so I have no choice but to memorize them for now." Xiaoqian picked up a book and opened it. "These are the words of Master Zhuangzi. He said, 'If the whole world praises you, I will not be encouraged; if the whole world criticizes you, I will not be encouraged.' I have been pondering the profound meaning of this sentence."

Without hesitation, Qingjian Yue said, "That is to say, even if everyone in the world flatters me, praises me, fawns on me, and flatters me, I still cannot become the well-bred lady they hope for; even if everyone in the world criticizes me and slanders me, it cannot shake me in the slightest, much less upset me."

Xiaoqian was taken aback.

The little crow murmured, "No wonder the young master refused to change back into women's clothing; it turns out Master Zhuang already said so."

The little sparrow spat out the fragrant tea in its mouth.

A loud laugh came from outside the door. Qingfeng and Cai Zhonghe walked gracefully into the flower hall. Xiaoqian, Little Sparrow, and Little Crow hurriedly rose to greet them. Qingfeng said with a smile, "Miss Xiaoqian, I advise you to find another master."

Xiaoqian smiled gently and said, "My lord, although your explanation is laughable, it always helps me to understand the wisdom of the ancients."

“Zhonghe, did you hear that?” Qingfeng laughed, “This shows that the kind of master you are determines the kind of disciple you will produce.”

"But I think what Miss Xiaoqian said makes a lot of sense."

Cai Zhonghe smiled as he looked Xiaoqian up and down.

Xiaoqian seems a little different today. She's wearing a bright green dress, the fabric exquisite and the tailoring impeccable. However, while the fabric is beautiful, it's not flashy or ostentatious; the tailoring is sophisticated, yet not commonplace. Wearing it perfectly accentuates the girl's fresh and natural beauty. As for the pearl earrings and the jade bracelet on her wrist, they are clearly of the highest quality and quite valuable, adding a touch of nobility and elegance to her fresh and natural beauty.

Her attire alone is enough to prove how much Kiyomi Tsuki dotes on her. Of course, gifting such an elegant beauty gold and silver jewelry would be both vulgar and would tarnish the natural beauty of a young girl.

Xiaoqian felt a little embarrassed by Cai Zhonghe's gaze, and bowed politely and properly, saying, "Second Master."

Cai Zhonghe nodded gracefully in return, then turned to look at Qing Jianyue, only to meet her gaze filled with interest. He felt a little embarrassed and hurriedly said, "I've come to report to you, young master, that the guests at Fengyue Manor have not yet arrived. Please make preparations."

Kiyotsuki said with little interest, "Please sit down, both of you." After they were seated, Kiyotsuki continued, "Qingfeng, did you come here specifically to hear my profound insights?"

Qingfeng picked up the fragrant tea. "I am not interested in your profound theories, young master. I am baffled by your outburst in my peony garden today. Could you please explain?"

Qing Jianyue didn't answer him, but instead asked Cai Zhonghe, "Pretty brother, I remember you once said that Grandfather only had Madam Yan as his daughter, so why does Qingfeng suddenly have such a long list of expressionless relatives now?"

Cai Zhonghe smiled and said, "Because Grandfather had no children, he adopted one from his brother's family, who became his maternal uncle. Grandfather was over forty years old when Lady Yan was born. Therefore, Grandfather doted on Lady Yan and loved Qingfeng like his own grandson. Is there anything wrong with that?"

Qingjian Yue still didn't answer, but smiled and said to Qingfeng, "Qingfeng, let's make a deal. If Grandpa insists on taking you away, can you wait for Qingcheng to come back? If Qingcheng isn't here and I lose you, he'll definitely scold me to death. You can't bear to see me get scolded, can you?"

Qingfeng glared.

Cai Zhonghe sat on the mat on the ground, laughing so hard he was shaking. Xiaoqian, the little sparrow, and the little crow laughed along with him.

"Don't worry, young master. Because of your unreasonable behavior, Grandfather has given up." Qingfeng snorted, "Young master's outburst today is probably not just because my grandfather wants to take her away, is it?"

Kiyoshi thought to himself: If your grandfather were to give up just because of my nagging, I would surely be a god. But he couldn't voice his thoughts. He sighed deeply, his brow furrowed, and said, "It's embarrassing to admit, but after paying my respects to the old lady this morning, I felt uneasy. But why? I just can't figure it out."

Cai Zhonghe asked with concern, "Did the old lady blame the young master?"

Qing Jianyue said listlessly, "If the old lady had come up with some kind of scheme or trick to mess with me, I would have been happy to have something to do. But the old lady won't even see me. I'm facing Xu Yun's masked face the whole time. It's really disgusting."

"Understood." Qingfeng stood up. "Go to Yixin Garden to pay your respects to the old lady."

Upon arriving at Yixin Garden, they asked someone to announce their arrival. A short while later, Xu Yun emerged. Qing Jianyue carefully observed her; aside from a slightly pale complexion, her demeanor remained elegant and poised.

"Young Master, Great Lord, Fourth Lord, the Old Madam has just eaten some porridge and is in much better spirits than this morning. If you have anything to do, Young Master, Great Lord, Fourth Lord, now is the perfect time. However, the Old Madam is still weak, so please do not disturb her for too long."

After speaking, she gracefully stepped aside and gestured for them to enter. Qing Jianyue looked at them several times with surprise, muttering, "Strange." Qingfeng and Cai Zhonghe exchanged a glance but asked nothing.

The spacious master bedroom was bathed in sunlight and filled with the fragrance of flowers. Old Madam Lu sat reclining on the couch, her face pale and her eyes gloomy, perhaps due to illness, and she appeared quite dejected. Xu Lan stood beside the bed; as they entered, Xu Lan bowed slightly in greeting, everything as usual, without the slightest difference.

After paying her respects, Qing Jianyue inquired about Madam Lu's health, and the answer was quite satisfactory. Qing Jianyue temporarily felt relieved and gave a brief report on the matter of Old Master Lin and the envoy from Fengyue Manor.

Upon hearing this, Madam Lu remained expressionless, simply saying, "Qingcheng is not here, and I am not feeling well. You will handle all of this. Qingfeng, Bo'an, and Zhonghe will assist you. Alright, you may go now."

And so, that's how Kiyomi Tsuki and the others got in smoothly, and how they were just as easily kicked out. Back in the flower hall of the Ice Garden, Kiyomi Tsuki paced back and forth, muttering to herself, "Strange, strange, really strange."

Qingfeng and Cai Zhonghe, who had remained silent throughout, asked, "Young Master, what is it that you find strange?"

"If something's wrong, everything seems normal. But if everything seems normal, something's also a little strange. Could there be something wrong with my head?" Kiyomi Tsuki tapped her head.

The little crow cried out, "Young master, don't worry about whether there's something wrong with your head, let's worry about Fox first."

Kiyomi Tsuki exclaimed in surprise, "What's wrong with Fox?"