Hua Chongyang felt like sitting on pins and needles.
But Lan Wuxie acted as if he didn't see her, remaining silent. Bo Hai, unaware that she was sitting in the back, gently urged him:
"Palace Master Lan, you still have a fever. Please drink this bowl of medicine first—"
Lan Wuxie simply put down his wine cup:
"Pour the wine." "The Pavilion Master really can't drink anymore."
"Didn't you hear what I said? I said, pour the wine."
"Bo Hai wouldn't dare." Bo Hai was indeed bold, and with a smile, he picked up the wine pot. "Then, I'll ask you a question. If you answer it correctly, I'll pour you a cup of wine; if you can't answer it, you'll have to drink a sip of your medicine. How about that?"
Whether Lan Wuxie was truly drunk or had been bewitched by Bo Hai, she actually nodded in agreement:
"good."
Bo Hai smiled and asked:
"Everyone says that the Pavilion Master still harbors feelings for Hua Chongyang. So, did Pavilion Master keep me here because she likes me, or because I look like Hua Chongyang?"
Lan Wuxie raised her wine cup:
"Because of your eyes, and your gaze."
Hua Chongyang held his breath, his hand trembling as he held the wine cup.
Bo Hai poured the wine, paused for a long time, and asked the second question:
How many women has the Pavilion Master been with?
"I don't know."
"You should know that your adoptive father sent Bo Hai into Lan Ying Palace to win him over, right?"
"Know."
"Knowing this, why did you still let me stay? Was it because of what happened in front of Master Hua?"
Lan Wuxie remained silent, picked up the medicine bowl, and swallowed a mouthful.
Bo Hai smiled and poured more wine, then asked:
"If I do something wrong one day, will the sect leader kill me?"
"meeting."
"It's truly heartbreaking. Knowing I love you, you won't even tell me a lie. In your entire life, have you ever lied to a woman?"
Lan Wuxie paused for a moment before picking up his wine cup:
"have."
"several?"
"one."
Who is it?
Lan Wuxie slammed down her wine glass. Bo Hai, undeterred, pressed on with another question:
Who is it?
Hua Chongyang could hardly sit still.
Fortunately, at that moment, Lan Cao lifted the curtain and came in. She looked at Lan Wuxie, then at Hua Chongyang, and finally walked to Hua Chongyang's side, put down the medicine in her hand, and lowered her voice:
"Hua Chongyang, you're really something."
Bo Hai turned around at this moment and saw Hua Chongyang, and was stunned for a moment.
Hua Chongyang picked up the medicine packet and stood up expressionlessly:
"Then I'll take my leave."
She walked out without looking back.
Lan Cao took a step and stopped, turning back to look at Bo Hai:
What did you just say?
Bo Hai came to his senses:
"He didn't say anything."
"Didn't say anything?" Lan Cao frowned. "Then why was she crying like that?"
Bo Hai looked bewildered.
Lan Wuxie raised his eyes, his expression slightly taken aback. Lan Cao glanced at Bo Hai, then at Lan Wuxie, and hesitated before saying:
"I just saw someone following her, and that person seemed to be quite skilled in martial arts. Although the Sect Leader is determined to sever all ties... I have some connection with her, so I'll follow them and see what's going on."
These words were spoken cautiously, yet they could not conceal the worry.
Before he could finish speaking, Lan Wuxie threw down her wine cup and walked past him. A strong smell of alcohol wafted to her nose. Lan Cao watched his tall, slender, dark green figure disappear into the night, touched her nose, and sighed softly.
"Sigh...why bother?"
66. Boat play...
The night was still dark, and Hua Chongyang, pressing down on her skirt, walked quickly, feeling only the wind blowing against her face making her heart restless.
She wished she had a sword in her hand and could find someone to hack and slash indiscriminately. Suppressing her anxiety, she crossed the stream and passed the Broken Bridge. She could no longer hold back and stopped, leaning on the bridge railing, panting softly as she looked at the drifting night on West Lake.
I met Ye Qinghua when I was sixteen. At that time, I was quite carefree. Ostensibly the young mistress of Huajian Garden, I was secretly protected by people sent by Ye Qinghua; my life couldn't be more comfortable. Once, Ye Qinghua, holding a cup of tea, gazed at me, smiling gently as I admired the scenery by the window, lost in thought:
"very nice."
"What's good?"
"These carefree times are good."
At that time, she laughed smugly:
"Life is short, so we should be carefree. Let go of the good and the bad, and when will things ever get better?"
Youth is unaware of sorrow.
What you can let go of is not important; what's truly important is what you can't let go of. Knowing she shouldn't see, hear, or take it to heart, in those occasional moments of vulnerability, she still thinks that if they could meet again someday, when the world is far away and she has no more worries, perhaps she could still be like before, not caring about anything, not asking anything, just counting the good days by his side.
With a "thud," the medicine packet in her hand fell to the ground. She pulled herself out of her thoughts, took a deep breath, calmly bent down to pick it up, and as she straightened up, she caught a glimpse of a tall, slender figure under the bridge.
The medicine packet fell to the ground with a "thud".
This time, she didn't bother picking them up and turned to head towards the other side of the bridge. The warm spring breeze ruffled her skirt and hair. Just as she ran off the bridge, she felt the growing smell of alcohol behind her and heard hurried footsteps. A row of small boats were moored on the lake near the bridge. Hua Chongyang turned and jumped onto one, deftly severing its rope with her foot.
"Boatman, to the other side!"
The boatman, not daring to say a word, pushed off, quickly moving the boat several feet away from the lake shore. Lan Wuxie followed, jumping onto the boat and chasing after them. The old boatman looked back; his hands, already trembling, were now pushing off.
"Young lady, I have elderly parents to care for and children to raise—"
Before he could finish speaking, the boat behind them drew near, and Lan Wuxie leaped onto it without the boat moving an inch. Hua Chongyang sighed and called out to the small boat next to them:
"Come closer."
As the boat drew near, she tried to step over it, but Lan Wuxie grabbed her wrist.
Hua Chongyang suddenly flung his hand away.
Lan Wuxie gripped her hand tightly, remaining silent. In a moment, her palms were drenched in sweat. The willow branches by the bridge were just beginning to turn green, and the sparse lights in the distance cast a dim, pale yellow glow on the bank. Lan Wuxie stood there for a long time, then raised her other hand to touch her cheek, her voice slightly trembling and intoxicated:
"...Double Ninth Festival."
The old man rowing the boat, trembling with fear, jumped onto another boat and weakly offered a word of advice:
"You two have something to say... let's talk it out..."
The sound of water faded, and the small boat drifted away. Hua Chongyang took a deep breath, tilted her head back, widened her eyes, and held back her tears:
"Lan Wuxie, there's no one in the world who doesn't want to kill you. I just want to avoid trouble and live a good life with my family and sisters."
Lan Wuxie cupped her face in his hands, gazing at her for a long time, a faint smile appearing in his deep, dark eyes:
"Then how am I supposed to live?"
A sharp pain welled up in his heart, and Hua Chongyang, suppressing the soreness in his throat, looked away.
You walk your narrow bridge, I'll walk my sunny path.
"Chongyang...you actually thought I would let go," Lan Wuxie chuckled softly, his long fingers stroking her cheek, his voice low and gentle, "You don't know how many times I've lied to you, do you? The secret guards Yan Zhao sent to watch over you, I had them killed; the people who forced you to go on stage to compete at the martial arts tournament, I arranged for them. I waited at Banlianzui for two years, only to wait for that day when you walked in, looked at me, and said you liked me—"
That unparalleled face was so close, so close to Hua Chongyang's eyes, revealing a fragile, tender despair:
"I'm not even afraid of your hatred, so what else is there to be afraid of?"
Hua Chongyang's resolve crumbled instantly, her face covered in tears. She couldn't help but cup his face in her hands, choking back sobs.
Lan Wuxie lowered his head and hugged her, slightly tipsy. His cool lips pressed against Hua Chongyang's forehead, licking away her tears along her nose and cheeks, and finally sucking on her lips.
The small boat swayed gently on the lake. Lan Wuxie took off his brocade robe and spread it on the bottom of the boat. He then knelt down slowly at the bow of the boat, holding her in his arms.
The lake was damp, and white mist rose faintly, condensing into a misty rain in the air.
67. One night...
After midnight, when the night was deep, Lancao was dozing off on the counter when she heard a sound. She hurriedly got up, took a lamp, and went to the door. She was stunned when she saw the two people.
Lan Wuxie's clothes were disheveled, and he was only wearing his undergarments. He was holding Hua Chongyang, who was sleeping and wrapped in his robe, in his arms.
The candlestick in her hand crashed to the ground with a clatter. Lan Cao scrambled to her feet, fumbling for the fallen candle, too shocked to speak. In the darkness, Lan Wuxie walked steadily toward the backyard, his voice low:
"Light the lamp and go inside."
Amidst a rustling sound, and still half-asleep, Hua Chongyang vaguely sensed Lan Wuxie's gentle movements as she carefully removed her outer garments and tidied her hair. By the time he had finished tidying her up, Hua Chongyang was fully awake.
She clearly felt Lan Wuxie recline on the wooden bed, his long, slender fingers tracing her cheek and neck, then resting on her shoulder, gently stroking her hair, interspersed with his occasional low coughs. After a while, she heard a knock at the door, followed by a creak; it was Lan Cao's voice.
"Master, um..."
Lan Wuxie turned her head slightly.
What should be done with Bo Hai's daughter?
The hand that was resting on Hua Chongyang's shoulder paused slightly, and Lan Wuxie gently sat up:
"Tell her to go to Lanying Manor."