Gongzi Qi and Gongzi Yi then sneaked back to their respective rooms and busied themselves changing and washing up. Leaving that aside for now, let's just say that Hua Wuduo was surrounded by a group of maids at this moment. Liu Yu sent someone to deliver a gorgeous dress specially made for the opening ceremony of the Phoenix Boat Race. Since she didn't have a chance to wear it, she gave it to Wu Duoduo.
After washing up, Hua Wuduo dressed with the help of her maid. The dress was custom-made for Liu Yu. Hua Wuduo was rather tall, so it should have been short, but this magnificent dress was unlike ordinary clothes. The hem was very long, and even though Hua Wuduo was tall, the hem still spread out on the ground. The back of the dress resembled a peacock's tail, not only gorgeous but also long and trailing. When she spread her arms, it was like a peacock spreading its tail feathers. If Liu Yu wore it, one could imagine how gorgeous and flamboyant the dress would be. As Hua Wuduo was thinking about the peacock, she heard the maid beside her say with great envy, "This butterfly-patterned dress was specially made for the Phoenix Boat Race by the Princess. I heard that the fabric was personally approved by the Empress, and the embroidered patterns on the dress were also drawn by the Princess herself. It took the three best embroiderers in Jiangling more than a month to embroider it. The Princess really put a lot of effort into this dress."
"A butterfly? She thought it was a peacock..." Hua Wuduo thought to herself.
Hua Wuduo immediately smiled and said, "This garment is so precious, I will definitely go and thank the princess in person after the Phoenix Boat Race."
The maid smiled and said, "Miss, you are too kind. My princess is already very grateful to you for helping her out of the predicament at the beginning of the Phoenix Boat Race. This mere dress is nothing to worry about."
Hua Wuduo smiled slightly and said nothing more.
A maid named Magpie was combing Hua Wuduo's hair, styled in the currently fashionable butterfly bun. After it was finished, everyone exclaimed in amazement, praising how beautiful it was. Only Hua Wuduo, after looking in the mirror, dared not look again. This was hardly a butterfly; behind her ears were two huge, pig-like ears, and a rhinoceros horn was tied at the back of her head! It must have been quite a feat for Magpie to style her hair like this. Recalling how meticulously Magpie had combed her hair, Hua Wuduo felt too embarrassed to say anything.
Magpie selected several white floral ornaments from a large pile of jewelry and embedded them into Hua Wuduo's two "big ears." She then hung a jade beaded chain on Hua Wuduo's forehead and pinned two light blue hairpins behind Hua Wuduo's head. After looking at them from left to right, she nodded in satisfaction.
Hua Wuduo nervously picked up the mirror again, and only after looking at it did she feel relieved. Fortunately, the "pig ears" had pierced ears and looked acceptable. However, she wondered if the stand-in would style the hair like this when they changed it later. Hua Wuduo couldn't help but feel uneasy about this thought; it was indeed a problem.
After changing into her finest clothes, accompanied by a group of people, Hua Wuduo finally stepped out of the house, dragging her long and ornate "tail" as she prepared to board the carriage and head to the Phoenix Boat Race.
But the moment he opened the door, he was astonished to see countless pairs of bright eyes staring at him simultaneously. With a "pfft," Gongzi Yi spat out the tea in his mouth, startling Hua Wuduo.
But at that moment, gasps of amazement rose and fell in the courtyard.
Hua Wuduo had not expected that so many young masters would come to the courtyard.
Gongzi Yu, Gongzi Xun, Gongzi Zheng, Gongzi Ziyang, and Gongzi Kuang all came.
Not long after Young Master Yi and Young Master Qi returned, Young Master Kuang and his group arrived at the East Wing, ostensibly to invite the two of them to the Phoenix Boat Race. However, as soon as they entered the courtyard, the young masters' eyes kept glancing at Wu Duoduo's room, intentionally or unintentionally.
If this were an academy, these people would probably be staring at Wu Duoduo through the cracks in her window. But this is, after all, a royal residence, and they are all young masters of status. Although they wanted to see, they dared not be too blatant. After enduring for a long time, Young Master Xun was the first to ask what everyone was thinking: "I wonder if Sister Duoduo is dressed up yet?"
Gongzi Qi said, "Still getting ready."
As soon as Gongzi Qi finished speaking, Wu Duoduo's door opened, and a nimble maid came out first, then carefully helped out a young lady dressed in flamboyant and luxurious clothes.
Just as everyone was staring intently at Wu Duoduo, showering her with exaggerated praise and sweet words, Gongzi Qi coughed loudly, interrupting the overwhelming flattery, and said, "Magpie, help Miss into the carriage."
"Yes, young master," the magpie replied, its voice soft and pleasant to the ear.
Hua Wu glanced at the magpie and immediately understood that this person was trustworthy. He thought to himself: This saves me trouble. I don't have to worry about the stand-in not knowing how to do this complicated butterfly hairstyle.
At this moment, Gongzi Yi was still coughing incessantly, as if he had been choked quite badly by the tea he had just drunk.
Hua Wuduo bowed slightly to everyone and said, "Brothers, please go ahead."
These young men quickly shut their mouths, put away their folding fans, and returned the greeting with elegant manners.
The carriage was already prepared outside the door. Under everyone's watchful eyes, Xique helped Wu Duoduo board the carriage. Before getting on, Hua Wuduo recognized that the driver was Du Xiaoxi (Gongzi Yi's page), and felt a little more at ease.
They traveled in silence to the Phoenix Boat Race.
No sooner had Hua Wuduo left than Gongzi Xun and the others hurriedly dragged Gongzi Yi and Gongzi Qi after him.
Despite its name, Magpie was not talkative at all. After getting into the carriage, it remained silent the whole way. Hua Wuduo secretly wondered who Magpie was. Only then did he realize that Magpie's height and build were similar to his own, and he began to make a calculation in his mind.
It seemed like only a short while later, as the creaking of the wheels was making Hua Wuduo drowsy, she heard a magpie say, "Miss, we've arrived."
With the help of the magpie, Hua Wuduo, dragging his heavy robes, got out of the carriage. Led by the magpie, he walked up to the second floor of the pavilion.
There were two guards standing watch downstairs. Hua Wuduo recognized these two guards; they were two of the eight guards who came to Jiangling with Young Master Yi.
Seeing that everyone around him was familiar, Hua Wuduo figured that Gongzi Qi had made good preparations, so he felt completely at ease and leisurely walked up to the pavilion.
Just as she and Magpie entered the attic and turned to close the door, a person suddenly flashed out from inside. With extremely fast and silent movements, he struck Hua Wuduo's pressure points and simultaneously knocked Magpie unconscious. Hua Wuduo was caught off guard and was struck by the person's touch. He was greatly shocked. After regaining his composure, he saw that the person was none other than Turtle Star!
Phoenix Boat Race
Unable to guess his purpose or why he chose this time to wait for her, and knowing that time was of the essence and delay was unwise, Hua Wuduo composed herself slightly, glared at him, and spat out a few words through gritted teeth: "What do you intend to do?!"
Song Zixing sat down leisurely in the hall and said, "I came to tell you a story."
These words left Hua Wuduo speechless, both amused and exasperated. He couldn't help but scoff, "Who's in the mood to listen to your stories!"
Song Zixing ignored her, poured herself a cup of tea, took a small sip, and began to speak, regardless of whether the other person wanted to listen: "When I was thirteen or fourteen, I went with my father to visit a distant uncle. My father and uncle were discussing important matters in the study, while I wandered alone in the garden. My uncle's courtyard was large and somewhat complicated, and I got lost while wandering aimlessly. Unable to find my way back and with no one to guide me, I was in a state of distress when I suddenly heard a girl's laughter from the other side of the wall. I jumped onto the wall, intending to ask her for directions, but unexpectedly, I heard her singing..." Song Zixing suddenly stopped here, gazing meaningfully at Hua Wuduo, and then let out a long sigh: "Alas..."
At this moment, Hua Wuduo's gaze had changed drastically, and his breathing seemed to stop. His mind was in chaos, and he even had a faint feeling of suffocation. It's over, it's really over. So he was... the boy who used to climb over the wall to watch her swing when he was a child, and then accidentally heard her singing and was so frightened that he fell off the wall and unfortunately hit his butt on a stone. He was the boy who was still limping when he left her house!
So, Song Zixing had seen her when he was a child!
Therefore, Song Zixing's mention of her must mean that he already knows... who she is!
Hua Wuduo's gaze toward Song Zixing had changed from surprise to shock!
It was him!
Good heavens! The world is so vast, why did I have to run into him again when I'm all grown up?
*********************
Song Zixing was indeed telling his own story, but it was quite exaggerated. He didn't climb the wall to peek at Fang Ruoxi because he was lost, and the reason he fell so badly was not so simple.
But little did Hua Wuduo know that while Song Zixing was telling this story, her gaze had unknowingly revealed too much. After all, this was a shadow that had always lingered in her heart, and now it had been exposed to her face by someone she knew. It was inevitable that she would be unable to control her turbulent emotions.
Despite her best efforts to control herself, she still revealed too much. Looking at Song Zixing's hateful and detestable appearance, she was speechless. Thinking to herself, "Since that's how it is," she steeled her resolve and said, "Enough with the nonsense, what do you intend to do?"
Song Zixing smiled faintly and said, "It really is you."
Upon hearing this, Hua Wuduo raised his eyebrows, neither admitting nor denying it, but Song Zixing interpreted it as tacit agreement.
Seeing Hua Wuduo's expression, Song Zixing said, "No rush."
Not in a hurry? If you're not in a hurry, how can I not be?! Hua Wuduo was like an ant on a hot pan. The time for the opening ceremony of the Phoenix Boat Race was fast approaching, and she and her stand-in magpie hadn't even swapped clothes yet. It was already too late! Hua Wuduo swallowed her anger and forced herself to remain calm, saying, "I've finished hearing the story. Is there anything else?"
Song Zixing said, "You seem to be in a hurry?"
Hua Wuduo was already impatient and snorted, "Enough with the nonsense."
Upon hearing this, Song Zixing smiled and said gently, "If I'm not mistaken, you don't want to go on stage to sing."
With her attack landing perfectly, Hua Wuduo couldn't help but feel a little agitated. She inwardly groaned: ever since she met Song Zixing, she hadn't had a single good day. She was constantly on edge, always on guard against assassination attempts. All she had done was nearly cripple him as a child and nearly drown him as an adult. How hateful! Why were all these near misses?! She should have gone further! She should have crippled him as a child and made him drown as an adult!
Unwilling to admit he'd been right, Hua Wuduo stubbornly retorted, "Don't talk nonsense! I'm already here, how can I not sing?!"
Song Zixing raised an eyebrow and said, "That's good." Then he said nothing more.
After a long while, seeing that Song Zixing still hadn't left, Hua Wudu became anxious and said, "The Phoenix Boat Race is about to begin, why don't you quickly release the pressure points on me and the maid!"
Song Zixing said, "Why rush? There's still plenty of time."
"you……"
"how?"
Just as the two were locked in a standoff, several groups of people came downstairs to request an audience, but were all stopped by the two guards. This was originally arranged by Gongzi Qi to prevent outsiders from approaching the pavilion, but now it had become a barrier for Song Zixing to act recklessly.
Hua Wuduo tried several times, but still couldn't come up with a solution. She couldn't figure out what Song Zixing was after. If it was just to confirm her identity, she already had the answer, so why wasn't he leaving? After a long while, seeing that Song Zixing still showed no sign of leaving, Hua Wuduo grew increasingly anxious. She gritted her teeth and blurted out, "Indeed, I don't intend to sing on stage. What do you intend to do?"
Song Zixing's eyes flashed, and he smiled, saying, "What can I do?"
"you……"
"how?"
Just then, footsteps were heard outside the pavilion. Song Zixing smiled slightly, got up, and pressed the pressure points on Hua Wuduo and the magpie lying on the ground. Then he quietly left through the window.
The magpie on the ground slowly awoke, looked around blankly, and saw Hua Wuduo standing there like a statue, so it quickly got up and asked, "Miss, what just happened?"
Hua Wuduo replied calmly, "It's nothing."
The magpie said again, "Miss, please change..."
Before the magpie could speak, Hua Wuduo stopped her. Just then, someone knocked on the door and asked, "Miss, have you rested enough? The Phoenix Boat Race has begun. This servant has come to invite you to the stage."
Upon hearing this, Hua Wuduo couldn't help but tremble. There was no time to change his clothes now. What should he do?
********
Magpie carefully helped Hua Wuduo down the pavilion. She had inexplicably fainted as soon as she entered the pavilion. When she woke up, there was no time to change her clothes with her mistress. Thinking that she had not completed the task assigned by Young Master Qi, she couldn't help but feel uneasy. Seeing her mistress's gloomy face and unhappy and forbearing appearance, she felt even more uneasy.
The Phoenix Boat Race platform is built on the water, with gentle currents all around. Colorful boats circle around, and a gentle breeze blows, revealing graceful figures through the light gauze curtains. The laughter of women on the boats can be faintly heard.
In the azure sky, fluffy white clouds chase and play like smiling flowers, while a gentle breeze caresses the face, carrying the delicate fragrance of a young girl's handkerchief.
It's a beautiful day today.
Today, Hua Wuduo is feeling particularly gloomy.
The shore was crowded with people, and the distinguished guests who had received invitations had already boarded the painted boats to wait and watch the dragon boat race together.
Hua Wuduo, preoccupied with her own thoughts, walked very slowly, with the magpie following closely beside her. A servant, who was there to meet her, led the way, and because she walked so slowly, she would frequently look back.
Hua Wuduo was deeply conflicted, constantly wondering if she should escape now. If she missed this opportunity, things would become much more difficult later. After much struggle, she finally restrained herself. She couldn't just leave like this; if she did, it would implicate many people, especially Gongzi Yi and Gongzi Qi. But if she didn't leave, how could she avoid performing on stage? The more she thought about it, the more troubled and confused she became. What should she do? What should she do?!
As Hua Wuduo walked to the shore, a sudden gust of wind blew, abruptly lifting the butterfly-patterned colorful dress on his body. His clothes fluttered, as if he were riding the wind away.
Just then, someone nearby said, "Beautiful."
Hua Wuduo turned her head and saw Tang Feng looking at her with his two personal maids. Hua Wuduo nodded and smiled at him, and Tang Feng smiled back at her. Then he and his two maids boarded a small boat.
A person followed not far behind Tang Feng. Hua Wuduo also saw him; this person was Tang Ye.
Tang Ye seemed somewhat different from last night. He was dressed in black brocade robes with a purple belt around his waist. The streaks of glass in his black hair were no longer visible, and he was simply tied up with the purple belt. His face was not as pale as it had been last night, and he had lost some of the eerie feeling he had under the firelight of the main hall last night. However, his black attire seemed somewhat out of place amidst the colorful surroundings.
Hua Wu found it quite amusing that wherever Tang Ye walked, the surrounding crowd would unconsciously make way for him, preferring to squeeze past those behind him rather than get close to him, even though they clearly didn't know who he was, they reacted in this way without realizing it. (Shocking!)
The expressions of those around him were strange. Just then, Hua Wuduo suddenly heard someone whisper, "Is he a man or a woman?"
Upon hearing this, Hua Wuduo almost opened his mouth in surprise, momentarily bewildered. Someone couldn't tell if Tang Ye was male or female… Good heavens!
At that moment, a light boat carried Tang Ye and his companions to a painted boat on the river. Hua Wuduo looked up, wanting to see who was so lucky to be on the same boat as Tang Ye. She happened to see someone smiling at her at the same time. Although the distance was a bit far, she could recognize at a glance that this person was none other than the extremely annoying Song Zixing. Li She was also there. Hua Wuduo glanced at the two of them and immediately looked away.
After boarding the ship, Tang Ye didn't greet anyone and sat alone in a corner, his face mostly obscured by shadows. Tang Feng sat down far away from him, exchanging smiles with Song Zixing and Li She, but saying little. Two beautiful maids who had come with him surrounded Tang Feng.
Just then, another small boat came along. Hua Wuduo followed the servant who was leading the way and boarded the light boat. Magpie was also looking around, intentionally or unintentionally, for the painted boat where Gongzi Qi was. The light boat slowly moved towards the high platform in the water. Hua Wuduo seemed to be lost in thought about something. He stared blankly at the high platform that was getting closer and closer, his brows furrowing and relaxing repeatedly.
The light boat anchored below the high platform. Magpie was left behind by Hua Wuduo, who, lifting her skirt, followed the servant leading the way up the platform. At that moment, all around slowly quieted down. Countless eyes from the painted boats below and the people on the shore were fixed on her. Hua Wuduo only managed a furtive glance before feeling a weakness in her legs, her limbs trembling. Before she even reached the platform, a sudden burst of enthusiastic applause erupted from below. Perhaps due to nervousness, Hua Wuduo nearly tripped and fell on the wooden steps.
Hua Wuduo walked up the stage step by step, and the servant leading the way would turn around to look at her from time to time, which had become a habit along the way.
A group of young masters, including Gongzi Yi, were crowded into one of the larger painted boats below the stage.
From their position, they could only see Hua Wuduo's side profile. At this moment, Gongzi Yi and Gongzi Qi exchanged a glance, both of them feeling a little puzzled.
Gongzi Yi whispered, "You really...?" Gongzi Qi understood and nodded.