Цзянху место, где не причинят вреда

Глава 39

The little maid named Yunxing rolled her eyes and said with a smile, "Tonight is the Lantern Festival, and Master will be attending a banquet at the palace. Miss... why don't we... go out of the mansion to see the lanterns?"

With a "smack," Yunxing was hit again. Pan Yuerong said seriously, "You little devil, you always come up with bad ideas. How can I, the daughter of a Grand Tutor, watch the lanterns with commoners?" Yunxing rubbed her head and agreed repeatedly.

“However…” Pan Yuerong’s bright eyes sparkled as she rubbed her hands together and said, “This move suits me perfectly, let’s go!”

A gentle breeze blows, and the bamboo curtain flutters.

The weather was warm and sunny, and before we knew it, the moon was high in the sky above the willow branches, and it was dusk.

Pan Yuerong, dressed in a pretty green gauze dress, stood out in the crowd, glancing left and right. Although she often went out of the mansion, this was the first time she had encountered the Lantern Festival. For a moment, everything felt new and interesting. The full moon shone brightly, and the beautiful women and talented men were just like those described in the poems.

She walked around, stopping occasionally, and paused in front of a lantern stall, examining the lifelike palace lanterns.

The stall owner was stunned when he saw Pan Yuerong, as if he had seen a fairy from heaven. Her hands were slender and delicate, her skin was like solidified cream, and she seemed untouched by worldly affairs. This girl in green was undoubtedly a young lady from a wealthy family; she was probably either royalty or the daughter of a high-ranking official.

He quickly peeked out from behind the layers of palace lanterns, smiling broadly, and said, "Miss, feel free to look around. Each lantern has a riddle written on it. If you guess it correctly, the lantern is yours..."

“Hmm…” Pan Yuerong nodded, looked at the palace lanterns for a long time, and then began to seriously try to guess the riddles at the stall.

Half an hour later

The stall owner, his face full of distress, looked at the smiling girl in green and the little maid behind her, who was frantically carrying more than a dozen lanterns. He stammered, "Miss...Miss, I'm just running a small business. Please, have mercy! If you take all the lanterns, how am I supposed to do business?"

Pan Yuerong looked at the boss, who was practically in tears, and felt a pang of guilt. She turned back to Yunxing, winked, and pointed at the boss with a hint of helplessness.

Yunxing, surrounded by a dazzling array of lanterns, squeezed forward, winked at Pan Yuerong, and whispered, "Miss, since you've taken all their business, just give them some silver." Pan Yuerong smiled and spread her hands at Yunxing: "Silver." Yunxing took out a string of coins from her purse and handed it to Pan Yuerong.

The shopkeeper immediately beamed and held out his hand to her. Pan Yuerong weighed the money bag and pretended to hesitate, saying, "You've opened your doors to do business, so you should have taken the lanterns with me, but it's your livelihood, so I'll keep this half-bag of money as a reward..." The shopkeeper hurriedly accepted it, but Pan Yuerong turned back and smiled, "I was originally going to give you the whole bag..."

The shopkeeper's lips twitched. As soon as the two left, he hurriedly packed up his stall. Whether it was a full bag or half a bag, the silver in the bag was enough to buy several of his stalls.

Pan Yuerong didn't care about anything else. Seeing that it was getting late, she walked along the street for a while, then turned to Yunxing and said, "It's getting late, and Dad will be back soon. Let's go back." Yunxing looked at the sky and nodded. She was carrying more than a dozen lanterns and several large bags of snacks, and she was quite tired.

Just as Pan Yuerong turned around, the sound of rapid hoofbeats came from behind her. Accompanied by a cacophony of curses, the crowd scattered in panic—Pan Yuerong tried to step aside, but was pushed to the very center. As she looked around blankly, she saw the thunderous sound of hooves right before her. Her eyes widened, and she was momentarily at a loss—

Suddenly, accompanied by a strange, cool fragrance, she felt herself suspended in mid-air, the surrounding scenery swirling around her, and she closed her eyes in fright...

When she opened her eyes again, the scene before her remained as vibrant and beautiful as an apricot blossom in early spring, even years later, until her death.

The young man stood quietly before her, a slight smile playing on his lips, his left arm around her waist… Clad in flowing white robes, his high-arched eyebrows framed a pair of cool, clear eyes. When he looked up, his long eyelashes were like a richly colored painting, his deep eyes like two still, cold pools, clear yet unfathomable—this must be the man from the poem…

Pan Yuerong stared blankly at the man before her for a long, long time…

She was stunned for a moment, until Yunxing came running over breathlessly, grabbed its hand in alarm, and asked if she was hurt.

Seeing someone approaching, the young man withdrew his hand and turned to leave. Without thinking, Pan Yuerong stepped forward and grabbed his sleeve, opening her lips but unable to utter a word. The man glanced at her hand gripping his, raised his eyes, smiled leisurely, and spoke, his voice like a babbling brook from a high mountain: "If you wish to thank me, young lady, then there's no need..."

Pan Yuerong still wouldn't let go. She stared wide-eyed at the man before her, trying to etch his image into her heart. He wasn't in a hurry to leave either, letting Pan Yuerong hold onto his sleeve. After what seemed like an eternity, Pan Yuerong finally let go. She looked up and smiled with a hint of slyness: "May I ask your esteemed name, sir? Where do you live? I will certainly pay you a visit to express my gratitude."

He blinked and smiled slightly, saying, "If you insist, young lady, you can come to the Bamboo Grove Pavilion to find me... My name is Liang Ning..." After saying that, he flicked his sleeve and took a step back. A white shadow flashed, and he disappeared. Yun Xing was still muttering to herself, but Pan Yue Rong could no longer hear anything.

In the days that followed, Yunxing noticed a clear change in her young mistress. She no longer clung to books and lamented the passing of spring, but instead spent her days reciting poetry by the window. She became much more cheerful, with a constant smile on her face...

That evening, Pan Zhongxun went to the palace again. As soon as he left, Pan Yuerong pulled Yunxing along and ran excitedly out of the mansion. "Bamboo Grove Pavilion" was not hard to find. On the contrary, everyone in Bianliang knew about the famous Bamboo Grove Pavilion. It was a place where famous young men gathered, where the gentlemen were romantic and the beauties were affectionate.

Pan Yuerong changed into men's clothing that she had stolen from her second brother that morning, and pulled Yunxing along as they hurried to the Bamboo Grove Pavilion. Unfortunately, as soon as they stepped inside, the gatekeeper recognized them as genuine maids in disguise. Although he stopped them, he didn't make a fuss, but simply asked the two young ladies which pavilion they had booked with a smile.

Seeing that she had been caught, Pan Yuerong was not in a hurry. She smiled very kindly at the handsome young servant in front of her, patted his shoulder and said, "We're here to find someone..."

The servant asked again, "May I ask who the young lady is looking for?"

“His name is…” Pan Yuerong was about to say it when a clear laugh suddenly came from upstairs. Her eyes lit up, and she ran past the servant and suddenly ran up to the pavilion. The sound behind her grew farther and farther away. She ran very fast, trying to figure out the direction from which the sound came.

With a "whoosh," the door was pushed open, and upon seeing the scene inside, Pan Yuerong felt a pang of sadness.

The melodious sounds of silk and bamboo instruments filled the air, while figures danced gracefully.

A beautiful and alluring woman moved gracefully in the room shrouded in light gauze and mist, her clothes half-undone, a fragrant breeze wafting through the air. Occasionally, she would send a seductive glance, which would make people so intoxicated that they would drink wine and forget who they were.

Liang Ningxi sat on the ground, with a stunningly beautiful woman beside him, her breasts half-exposed, lying on him with a soft, boneless body. He played the zither with one hand and drank from a pot with the other. There were several men in brocade robes around him, surrounded by beautiful women, a scene of enchanting spring.

They heard the door open, glanced in their direction only, and then went back to their own business, not lingering over this uninvited guest.

Pan Yuerong opened her mouth but didn't speak. Having never seen such a scene before, she found herself speechless. She coughed lightly and stood awkwardly at the door.

After a while, Liang Ning finished her song, turned and stood up.

He smiled slightly at Pan Yuerong: "Since we have a guest, why don't we come in and have a chat?"

Pan Yuerong paused for a moment before entering the room. She glanced around the table and walked towards Liang Ning's seat. Standing in front of her, she exhaled softly and smiled, "I've come to find you."

Liang Ning nodded lazily, gesturing for her to sit down as well, and slowly asked while tuning the strings, "Does the young lady enjoy music?"

Pan Yuerong glanced at his slender fingers, her cheeks flushed slightly, and then nodded.

Liang Ning raised an eyebrow and smiled: "Then...you must be able to dance, Miss...why don't you perform for me, and I'll have the honor of playing a song for you..."

“Young master, please call me Yue Rong…” Pan Yue Rong hesitated for a moment, then sighed, “…I…can’t dance…”

It wasn't that she was unwilling, but dancing in front of so many people was something a grand tutor's daughter should never do. If her father and elder brothers found out, she would be punished according to family rules. The room was warm and cozy, and the thought of that dark whip sent a chill down her spine. Liang Ning wanted her to dance like a courtesan in front of these纨绔 (spoiled young masters), and the thought made her feel a little empty inside.

Upon hearing this, Liang Ning simply smiled faintly and said lazily, "It's a pity... but so be it, Miss, you can take it as you please..."

"Haha..." At this moment, a young man in a pale yellow brocade robe, who was holding a beautiful woman beside him, suddenly chuckled and tapped his wine cup, saying, "Brother Liang, do you think everyone in the world is as talented in singing and dancing as Miss Liu? And as beautiful as a flower?"

Liang Ning turned her head slightly, her black hair obscuring her eyes, and smiled, "Is that so..."

Pan Yuerong gradually felt uncomfortable amidst the laughter of these young gentlemen. She stole a glance at Liang Ning, who was drinking by himself. Despite having a thousand words in her heart, she couldn't say them for a moment. She picked up the wine pot beside her and drank in silence. The depression in her heart had made her lose her appetite. She, who usually didn't drink a drop of alcohol, didn't find the contents of this cup particularly difficult to swallow.

One cup after another, until she felt dizzy and lightheaded, and her vision blurred. She finally felt Liang Ning glance at her, but all she could see were Liang Ning's clear, watery eyes. Suddenly, she felt extremely wronged. She staggered to her feet, knelt down beside Liang Ning, grabbed his sleeve, and asked pitifully, "Are you married?"

A hint of surprise flashed in Liang Ning's eyes, and amidst the laughter of the crowd, she said coolly, "I'm not married yet."

Pan Yuerong was clearly very satisfied with the answer, and with her watery eyes wide open, she said happily, "That's good, that's good..."

Liang Ning put down the zither on her lap and said calmly, "It's getting late, young lady, you should go home early. I can't take care of the child..."

Pan Yuerong's face flushed, and she thought to herself, "You're not a child anymore." But when she looked at his eyes, which shone like stars, and his lips, which opened and closed in crimson, she impulsively pounced on him. She only remembered licking his lips, and the taste—was as unique as she had imagined…

Pan Yuerong slowly slid down and fell into Liang Ning's arms, sleeping soundly.

Liang Ning turned her head away expressionlessly, her expression unreadable, neither angry nor annoyed.

The room remained silent for a long time, then burst into laughter. A man in a blue robe shook his head and said, "Who would have thought that Brother Liang, the most handsome man in Wuling, would be taken advantage of by a sissy... We've all had our eyes opened. Today's trip has truly been worthwhile, hahaha..."

Liang Ning frowned slightly, pushed Pan Yuerong up with one hand, glanced at Liu Qing kneeling beside him, and said softly, "I won't stay today."

Before Liu Qing could say anything more, she looked up and saw Liang Ning shouting "Hey, hey!" while slapping Pan Yuerong's face with a look of frustration. A "snap" sounded in her heart, as if something had broken.

A gentle breeze blows, and the moon rises above the willow branches.

When Pan Yuerong woke up, she found herself lying in front of the gate of her own backyard, surrounded by darkness. She shook her head and heard faint footsteps and hushed voices in the distance. She leaned against the wall, stood up groggily, pushed open the door, and ran inside in a flash.

As she stumbled into her room in the dark, she seemed to trip over something soft. The "thing" cried out "Ouch!" so loudly that it startled her.

"Who?" Pan Yuerong asked in a low voice.

"Miss, it's me." Yunxing's hoarse voice rang out. She fumbled for a candle and cried out, "Miss, why are you only coming back now? You're trying to kill me..."

"Ah..." Pan Yuerong smiled apologetically, then thought back carefully, "Wait a minute, why didn't you come upstairs with me then?"

“My dear lady…” Yunxing put down the candlestick and made a gesture of cupping her hands in greeting. “You ran so fast back then, and by the time I caught up with you, you had already disappeared. I searched room by room, but I was kicked out. I waited at the door until it got dark, but you still didn’t come out, so I had no choice but to go back to the manor first…” As she spoke, she suddenly sniffed hard and asked in great surprise, “Miss, have you been drinking?”

Pan Yuerong coughed lightly, fanned her face, and pushed Yunxing out the door: "Quickly prepare water for my bath. If Father finds out, I'm dead..."

Yunxing knew the gravity of the situation and quickly ran out to boil water. Pan Yuerong leaned against the window, resting her chin on her hand. She only remembered going upstairs, seeing Liang Ning and a group of brightly dressed dancers, then seemingly drinking a little wine, and then… and then what?

—And then how did she end up sleeping in front of her own house? The person who brought her back was really something, leaving her there all alone in the dark, without even worrying that she'd get robbed!

But... come to think of it, I saw Liang Ning again today. Even though he had some unimportant people around him, and even though he wasn't very enthusiastic towards me, I still saw him again. Thinking this, the gloom in my heart was swept away, as if the boundless darkness of the night had turned into bright daylight.

She smiled, already planning their second, third, and even second encounter...

For the first time in sixteen years, the nights felt different. Something was about to burst forth from her heart, and she vaguely understood what it was and seemed to know how to do it.

Four or five days passed like this—

Whenever she had a spare moment, Pan Yuerong would chase after Liang Ning, from the Bamboo Grove Pavilion to the Fanlou Restaurant, from high mountains and deep temples to the blue waters where boats sailed.

In short, wherever Liang Ning is, Pan Yuerong is there too—in Pan Yuerong's words, she follows him closely; in Liang Ning's words, she is like a persistent ghost.

Until one day, a messenger from Fanlou brought her a piece of news that made her extremely disappointed—Liang Ning had left Bianliang.

Pan Yuerong sat under the wisteria by the window for a whole day without eating or drinking. Just as Yunxing nervously brought over some tea and snacks, she suddenly stood up, turned to Yunxing with a bright smile, and said very seriously, "I'm going to find him."

Yunxing shuddered, nearly dropping the tray in her hands. She asked repeatedly, "Miss, are you... sure?"

Pan Yuerong took the teacup with her left hand and a few small pastries with her right, and began to eat them in big bites. She looked at the sky outside the house and mumbled, "I want to run away from home."

A west wind blows and the setting sun shines on the lake; the lotus blossoms have all fallen, their red petals gone.

Golden chrysanthemums bloom in clusters, their pearls like tiny pearls; swallows leave their nests, their wings light and free.

The day had just ended after the rain, the water was clear and sparkling, birds were chirping, and a small awning boat was drifting on West Lake. A woman in a pale yellow dress was kneeling at the stern, scooping up water from beneath the boat with one hand. As her dress fluttered, a pair of fair wrists were revealed.

She looked up and gazed out from the boat at the misty green mountains, a vast and hazy expanse.

A boat sailed in from the opposite direction, and on the bow stood a young man in flowing purple robes, gazing at the lake and mountains and reciting softly: "The spring grass is green in the eastern suburbs, I drive my horse leisurely away. Moreover, beyond the mountains and villages, monkeys cry as the Xiang River flows."

They were not far apart, separated by the drifting white mist on the lake. The man's face appeared and disappeared intermittently; when he was visible, it was a blurry blur, yet one could clearly feel his gaze upon them. That deep purple color, in the drizzle of Jiangnan, appeared inexplicably strange and sudden.

I couldn't quite describe the feeling, but I vaguely sensed that his gaze seemed a little too heavy.

The wooden boat swayed gently, and with a soft creak, the man floated up to her, revealing a dashing face beneath the thin mist.

Pan Yuerong looked at the man who had suddenly arrived, feeling somewhat puzzled but not particularly surprised. She raised her head and carefully examined the newcomer. After a long while, she asked, "Young master's boat... is it leaking?"

The man paused for a moment, a sly glint in his eyes, then raised an eyebrow and smiled, saying, "I was just robbed by river pirates; all my money was stolen. I wonder if you could take me to the shore, miss?"

Pan Yuerong, who was kneeling at the stern of the boat, patted the water after hearing this, thought for a moment, and nodded, saying, "Giving you a ride is no trouble at all. Are you a local?"

The man sat down, lifting his robe, his eyes slightly narrowed: "Yes, I am from Lin'an."

“Okay…” Pan Yuerong shook the water droplets off her hands: “I’m looking for someone, but I don’t know the way… Can you show me the way? I can pay you.”

The man in purple raised his eyebrows slightly and smiled, "Miss, are you here to find your relatives?"

Pan Yuerong cleared her throat, deliberately furrowed her brows, and said solemnly, "Young master, you should know what you should ask and what you shouldn't ask. Just lead the way—as for the reward, I will certainly not treat you unfairly."

"Haha..." The man raised an eyebrow, his handsome face full of smiles, but he just stared at Pan Yuerong's face without saying a word.

At that time, Pan Yuerong truly never imagined that the man who appeared amidst the misty Jiangnan region would become her life partner for half her life. She had also wondered countless times if their lives would have been different if they had simply passed each other by that day. Her life, and their child's…

The days of searching for Liang Ning passed quickly. It had been three months since Miss Pan arrived in Lin'an. The local man named Ye Junshan had been taking her around all day, but she had searched every street and alley, restaurant and teahouse, but there was no sign of Liang Ning. She even began to suspect that he had left long ago.

Pan Yuerong was somewhat disappointed and felt a strange sense of depression. She secretly went south alone, without even taking Yunxing with her. She had hoped to see Liang Ning, to tell him what was on her mind, and to tell him how much she liked him...

But reality often contradicts dreams; they always just missed each other. In fact, perhaps he did it on purpose...