After Chu Tianxiu finished playing "Gazing", just as Hua Wuduo was applauding perfunctorily, Song Zixing said, "Although Miss Chu's piano skills are superb, it is a pity that they are still not as good as Miss Fang's dancing skills, which make people want to go crazy."
Upon hearing this, Li She's gaze was fixed on Hua Wuduo's face. He rarely heard Song Zixing give such high praise to people or things. "Dance skills that make one want to go crazy" subconsciously reminded Li She of Wu Duoduo's punishment dance at the Prince of Jin's mansion in Jiangling that night.
Upon hearing this, Chu Tianxiu glanced at Hua Wuduo, clearly wanting to see who was better. Hua Wuduo was the second daughter of the Fang family of Jinling, a wealthy and powerful young lady, whose status was no less than Chu Tianxiu's, and perhaps even higher. The Fang family of Jinling was considered one of the most prestigious families in the land, comparable to the Li family. In contrast, the Chu family was merely a prominent family in the Luoyang area, naturally inferior to the Li and Fang families. Unfortunately, Fang Ruoxi, the second daughter of the Fang family of Jinling, was a well-known figure in the martial arts world. She had been abandoned by Tang Ye and then shamelessly became his maid (this was Chu Tianxiu's thought, and many others' as well), inevitably leading to her being looked down upon. Therefore, Chu Tianxiu's gaze towards Hua Wuduo was filled with undisguised contempt.
Xu Qingcheng spoke very little all night, only drinking. Unfortunately, she was clearly not a good drinker and was already quite drunk. Her gaze towards Hua Wuduo was filled with resentment and barely concealed malice. The undisguised hatred in her eyes was chilling.
Tang Ye sat to the side, seemingly detached and observing from the sidelines.
Because Hua Wuduo didn't react, the atmosphere was inevitably a bit awkward.
Li She looked at Hua Wuduo, only to see that Hua Wuduo was glancing sideways at Song Zixing with such disgust and disdain in his eyes.
At this moment, Song Zixing was leisurely leaning back in his seat, seemingly slightly drunk, and his smile towards Hua Wuduo revealed an undisguised fondness and indulgence. Li She suddenly felt that Song Zixing's gaze was familiar.
Looking at Song Zixing's hateful and ambiguous smile, Hua Wuduo felt a surge of anger. He suddenly stood up, flicked his sleeve, and shouted, "My stomach hurts. I'm going to the outhouse."
What?! These words left everyone present speechless, but Hua Wuduo had already strode away amidst their stunned silence. Watching her departing figure, for a moment, those present almost forgot to breathe…
Song Zixing picked up the wine glass and twirled it between his fingers, but then seemed unable to hold back any longer and burst out laughing.
Tang Ye glanced at him at that moment.
Song Zixing turned his gaze to Tang Ye, raised his cup and said, "Brother Tang, please." After saying that, he drank it all in one gulp.
That night, Hua Wuduo didn't eat a lot of delicious food, but he was filled with anger. He drank a bit too much wine, and although he wasn't drunk, he was in a bad mood and felt increasingly depressed.
During the meal, Song Zixing drank a few more cups and went to relieve himself. Just then, Tang Ye also left his seat.
Hua Wuduo glanced resentfully at the empty seat left by Song Zixing. After drinking a few mouthfuls of wine in silence, he suddenly thought of something. His gaze shifted, and he filled his cup with wine, turning it over in his hand. He glanced at the empty seat again, recalling the trick he had used on Gongzi Yi. He thought of repeating the same trick, but then he reconsidered, feeling that doing so would be too easy on Song Zixing and wouldn't vent his pent-up anger. He reached for his waist again, only to find three silver needles. He subconsciously held them between his fingers, glanced at the empty seat next to him, and after a long while, finally moved his fingers. The three silver needles silently and irrevocably disappeared into Song Zixing's chair, leaving only half an inch of barely noticeable tip sticking out of the seat.
Looking at the faint light in the firelight, Hua Wuduo took a sip of wine and couldn't help but glance at the doorway.
A moment later, Song Zixing returned, seemingly lost in thought, unaware of the subtle change on the stool. He walked to the chair, and without a word, casually sat down, lifting his robe. Then, he paused, startled.
At this moment, Hua Wuduo turned to look at him, her expression somewhat complicated. Song Zixing also turned to look at her, his expression equally complex.
Their eyes met; you looked at me, and I looked at you.
As their eyes met, Hua Wuduo, feeling a deep sense of empathy for Song Zixing's gaze, thought of the sensation of being pricked in the buttocks with a needle, and couldn't help but gasp... Just thinking about it sent chills down his spine...
But the thought that it was Song Zixing who got pricked in the butt made her feel incredibly clear-headed after a gloomy night, and she couldn't help but smile again!
Hua Wuduo picked up a peanut from the table, cracked it open in his mouth, and exclaimed loudly as he looked at Song Zixing, "This peanut smells so good!"
Song Zixing was both amused and exasperated. He slightly raised his hips, reached down, and swept the three needles into his hand.
Just then, Li She came over to offer a toast. Song Zixing immediately raised his cup, and in the blink of an eye, he was as if nothing had happened, smiling as he drank the wine Li She offered. Not only that, but he also chatted enthusiastically with Li She about the Phoenix Boat Race in Jiangling. When the Phoenix Boat Race was mentioned, Hua Wuduo deliberately steered the conversation to the peony-red bib kite that Song Zixing had flown. Li She's remark that a man who isn't romantic in his youth has wasted his life added a touch of justification to Song Zixing's actions.
Although there were a few minor incidents that evening, the guests and hosts enjoyed themselves immensely. Tang Ye barely uttered more than three sentences throughout the entire evening. Xu Qingcheng also spoke very little, but drank quite a lot of wine.
After several rounds of drinks, the banquet ended. Chu Tianxiu, not a heavy drinker, was already drunk, while Xu Qingcheng was completely unconscious. Fortunately, she had been accompanied by fellow disciples, so she and Chu Tianxiu were sent back by carriage by someone sent by Li She. Only Hua Wuduo, despite drinking a lot, remained energetic, completely unlike a woman, let alone a young lady. Not only did she not have a single servant by her side, but she was currently someone else's servant, forced to ride away on horseback with her master, Tang. This was truly beneath her dignity, but unfortunately, she was completely oblivious to it.
After exchanging pleasantries with Li She, Song Zixing emerged from inside. A servant brought him his horse, and Song Zixing, without changing his expression, mounted it. Hua Wuduo also went to the door to wait for the servant to bring the horse. Li She and Tang Ye were still inside. At this moment, only Hua Wuduo was waiting at the door. He saw Song Zixing mounting his horse not far away, and remembering the needle prick in his buttocks, he couldn't help but smile, unable to hide his smugness.
Just then, Song Zixing rode past her on horseback. Whether intentionally or not, the horse stopped right in front of her. Hua Wuduo looked up at Song Zixing, showing no fear whatsoever, and even raised an eyebrow with ill intent, asking, "Does it hurt?"
Song Zixing bent down a little closer to her and replied softly, "A little."
Hua Wuduo laughed, making no attempt to hide his joy and smugness, and said, "Serves you right!"
Song Zixing chuckled softly and said, "I don't blame you."
Hua Wuduo scoffed at this.
Song Zixing moved closer and whispered, "Why are you controlled by him?"
Upon hearing this, Hua Wuduo was taken aback. She was about to retort with a sneer, "Is it any of your business?" but unexpectedly, Song Zixing reached out and gently stroked her cheek. When she realized what was happening, she was both embarrassed and angry.
Seeing his appearance, Song Zixing wanted to laugh, but when he thought of the feeling under his buttocks... he sighed softly, shook his head, and lowered his head to say softly, "He is using you. You must be careful. If you can endure it, do so. Find an opportunity to leave. If you need help, come find me." After saying this, without waiting for Hua Wuduo's reply, and without caring at all about Hua Wuduo's sidelong glance of hostility, he smiled and rode away.
Watching Song Zixing's departing figure, Hua Wuduo snorted, thinking to herself: I already knew without his reminder! Tang Ye must have a use for keeping her by his side, but as for what exactly it is, she still hasn't figured it out. Hua Wuduo suddenly felt a little annoyed.
On the way back, with servants following behind, Song Zixing rode slowly, taking out a piece of drawing paper from his pocket. This was a gift from Tang Ye during a romantic time. Now, under the moonlight, he opened it and examined it carefully again, unable to help but smile coldly. The drawing depicted many beggars and refugees, carrying bundles on their backs, walking in groups of three or five as if in a hurry. There was nothing unusual about these figures. What was strange was that some of the beggars or refugees had the character for "soldier" drawn on their backs, and some of their bundles were torn, with rice spilling onto the ground along the way.
Song Zixing gently held the drawing paper in his palm, and with a slight exertion, it shattered into pieces. He opened his hand, and the fragments were instantly swallowed by the night wind. Song Zixing snorted coldly, intending to spur his horse and hurry back to the inn, but then he sighed inwardly. He carefully took three silver needles from his robes, pulled them from the stool, placed them in his palm, and shook his head with a sigh. They really did hurt a bit…
Nevertheless, he carefully put the three silver needles into his pocket.
The autumn night was slightly cool, and the occasional rustling of the half-withered bushes around suggested small animals foraging for food. Tang Ye was unusually quiet tonight; although he usually ignored her, tonight seemed different. Perhaps it was the bright moonlight that made Tang Ye's silhouette appear rather cold.
The two remained silent throughout the journey, neither urging their horses to gallop nor slowing down, each lost in their own thoughts.
After walking for an unknown amount of time, she suddenly heard Tang Ye turn around and ask her, "What are you laughing at?"
Hua Wuduo was taken aback, looking at Tang Ye strangely, and asked inexplicably, "Did I laugh?"
Tang Ye turned around and said, "Very loud."
Hua Wuduo subconsciously reached up and touched the corner of his mouth, finding it indeed turned up. He couldn't help but wonder: Did I really laugh out loud? Feeling quite embarrassed, he quickly changed the subject, saying, "The poison I'm suffering from will be cured in nine days. Besides you, is there anyone else in the world who can cure this poison?"
Tang Ye said, "No."
"Really?" Hua Wuduo asked.
Tang Ye said, "Why don't you give it a try?"
Hua Wuduo fell silent. No one would joke with their own life. In fact, she knew she was asking a pointless question. Even if she sought help from Gongzi Qi, it would be too late, let alone whether Gongzi Qi could cure the poison. For now, she could only continue to serve him as his maid.
Today is the sixteenth of the month, and the moon seems even rounder than last night. Since the scenery is beautiful in the suburbs, it would be difficult to enter the city if Li She hadn't already informed the city gate guards. It's past midnight now.
The road from Feng Hua Xue Yue to Luoyang was well-maintained and smooth. The sound of horses clattering could be clearly heard in the dark. Hua Wuduo stretched and was in a great mood. Perhaps it was the alcohol, but she suddenly laughed loudly and said, "I'll go first." Without waiting for Tang Ye's reply, she flicked her whip and galloped off on her own, showing no awareness of being a maid.
Tang Ye watched the receding figure, hesitated for a moment, and then followed after it.
The night breeze brushed past his ears, and recalling Song Zixing's expression as he sat on the needle's point, Hua Wuduo felt a sense of complete comfort. The more he thought about it, the more carried away he became, and his horse quickened its pace. The scenery rushed past, and the thought that Song Zixing couldn't ride like this made him feel exhilarated.
Just then, the horse suddenly neighed, and with a sharp crack, its foreleg broke. Hua Wuduo was shocked, but because the horse was going too fast, he couldn't control his forward momentum and fell forward with the horse. Just as he was about to fall headfirst to the ground, Hua Wuduo hurriedly gathered his breath, trying to get up. But at that moment, a giant net suddenly appeared in front of him. Everything happened too suddenly, and even with Hua Wuduo's superb lightness skills, he couldn't dodge it. In the blink of an eye, he was caught in the giant net. Then, he heard the horse neigh, and the giant net was dragged along. Soon, Hua Wuduo felt a burning sensation under his buttocks. He would never forget that feeling in his life.
At the same time, several masked men leaped out of the bushes and attacked Tang Ye, filling the air with dust under the moonlight. It was lime powder! Just then, one of the attackers leaped into the air—it was Tang Ye. He was now covered in dust, his eyes seemingly closed.
The Real and Fake Fang Ruoxi
Trapped in the giant net, Hua Wuduo was dragged wildly by the horse, her clothes tattered and her condition pitiful in moments. At this moment, Hua Wuduo remained calm, using her senses to pinpoint the source of the noise. She swiftly shot a silver needle backward, which wrapped around the horse's neck and, with a sharp crack, severed the horse's head. The rider, caught off guard, tumbled from the horse at great speed, impaling himself on a straight, sharp, bare branch by the roadside, dying instantly.
Hua Wuduo disregarded everything else, breaking free from the giant net. Ignoring her minor injuries, she charged towards Tang Ye's group. Only one thought occupied her mind: Tang Ye couldn't die! If he died, no one could cure her poison, and she would have to perish with him.
Tonight, Hua Wuduo saw Tang Ye's weapon for the first time—the long flute he often played, with a sharp sword concealed within. Now, the sword was drawn, its bloodthirsty blue gleaming in the moonlight. A fine sword!
Hua Wuduo rushed towards Tang Ye, but a masked man jumped out and blocked her path. The masked man wielded his longsword with dazzling skill, but after dozens of moves, Hua Wuduo kicked him away, sending him and his sword crashing into the bushes by the roadside. "They're just a few insignificant thugs," Hua Wuduo thought to herself. "No wonder they resort to such underhanded tactics!" She immediately dismissed the group, but just then, she saw Tang Ye receive a palm strike to the back, fall to the ground, and spit out a mouthful of blood. The man followed up with another palm strike aimed straight at Tang Ye's heart. With Tang Ye temporarily blinded and injured, it seemed she couldn't dodge this blow.
Hua Wuduo witnessed this and was greatly alarmed. She leaped up and pounced on the man, using her inner strength to withstand the black-clad man's palm strike. Perhaps she had underestimated her opponent, not expecting that among these black-clad men there was someone with such profound inner strength and such a powerful palm strike. The black-clad men's purpose was clear: to kill Tang Ye.
Hua Wuduo was caught off guard and was sent flying several feet away by the black-clad man's palm strike. He fell heavily to the side of the road, feeling blood rush to his chest and his vision go black. His mouth was filled with the taste of blood, and he immediately fainted.
In the brief moment between Hua Wuduo and the man in black exchanging blows, Tang Ye pulled a bullet from his waist and slammed it to the ground. A cloud of dust rose, and moments later, all the men in black covered their eyes and groaned in pain. The man in black who had just severely injured Hua Wuduo also covered his eyes and muttered a hoarse voice, "Retreat." A moment later, the surroundings suddenly fell silent.
Tang Ye took out something else and wiped it on his eyes before carefully opening them.
Though injured, he remained conscious. He staggered to his feet, found Hua Wuduo, helped her up, and called her name softly a few times. Seeing no response, he checked her pulse and frowned slightly. He took out a small bottle from his pocket, poured out a pill, and fed it to her. At this moment, the unconscious Hua Wuduo suddenly grabbed his arm tightly and began to speak indistinctly. Although her voice was somewhat unclear, Tang Ye heard every word clearly. He heard her say, "You can't—die, you...can't—die..." and then she fell silent again.
Tang Ye was startled and looked down at the woman in his arms. The moon was unusually bright, and its pale blue light made the dark red bloodstains on her clothes and lips stand out even more. Her face was covered in dust, and her clothes were tattered and disheveled. Her expressive eyes were closed, and although she was unconscious, one of her hands was still tightly gripping his.
After a while, seeing that she was still unconscious, he tried to pick her up, but he had to do so several times due to his own injury before he could stand up.
He struggled to carry her slowly toward the horses not far away, but then he heard the woman in his arms say indistinctly, "Tang... Tang... can't... die..."
His steps slowed down, and it took him a long time to walk that short distance.
He finally placed her on the horse's back, then struggled to mount himself. Just as he was about to spur the horse forward, he heard her mumble, "Night..."
Hearing the sound, Tang Ye looked down and saw that blood was dripping from the corner of her mouth as she lay on the horse's back. He frowned slightly, then helped her up from the horse and sat her against his chest. As he lowered his head, a strand of the girl's hair was blown by the wind and brushed against his cheek. A strange yet familiar scent unexpectedly wafted into his nose.
He slowly rode forward, the road was bumpy, and she almost slipped off the horse while unconscious. He quickly released the reins and supported her waist. Unexpectedly, her head buried itself in his neck at that moment, and the warmth of her breath sprayed right behind his ear.
The road wasn't long, but it felt like an eternity.
****************************************************
Without disturbing anyone, Tang Ye carried Hua Wuduo back to the inn quietly. He laid her flat on the bed and was about to get up when he noticed that her hand was still gripping his sleeve. He frowned slightly, forcefully pulled her hand away, but then heard her cough. He stopped and looked back at the bed, thinking she had woken up, but found her still unconscious, her hands flailing wildly in the air, seemingly trying to grasp something.
Tang Ye watched quietly without stepping forward. He saw her grab in the air for a while, still not letting go. In her haste, she coughed more and more violently, and blood spilled from the corner of her mouth, becoming uncontrollable.
Tang Ye frowned, turned around and grabbed her wrist, intending to check her pulse, but she grabbed his fingers instead, and then, following his knuckles, tightly gripped his palm, and actually fell silent.
Looking at the hand she was holding tightly, Tang Ye's gaze was deep and unfathomable.
No candles were lit inside. The bluish moonlight shone through the window and fell on the two hands clasped tightly together by the bed. The smaller hand's knuckles were pale and resolute, while the larger hand's knuckles were slightly stiff, as if there was a moment of bewilderment.
She kept coughing up blood. After carefully taking her pulse, Tang Ye broke free from her grasp and turned to leave. A moment later, he returned with silver needles. Without hesitation, he helped the already unconscious Hua Wuduo up from the bed, removed her tattered outer garment, and began to administer acupuncture. As he inserted the needles, he suddenly remembered something, and with a swift movement, removed her mask.
After a while, Hua Wuduo was covered in sweat and stopped vomiting blood.
After a long while, Tang Ye withdrew the silver needles, a thin layer of sweat on his forehead. He checked her pulse again, his brows relaxing slightly, but suddenly felt a tightness in his chest, coughed violently, and tasted blood in his mouth. Unexpectedly, at that moment, the still unconscious girl before him leaned back, her long, flowing hair falling onto his arms. As she lowered her head, what she saw… was the hazy moonlight, so beautiful. This face was the same face he had seen that evening in the mountain stream, on that boulder covered with fallen leaves…
The candles inside remained unlit, and all was silent except for the moonlight streaming in through the window, relentlessly casting its light on the two people on the bed, as if unwilling to miss any detail, and projecting their shadows onto one side of the wall, forming a pair.
In the middle of the night, a sudden gust of wind rises, the shadows of the trees sway, and the autumn wind is bleak.
Hua Wuduo, who was unconscious on the bed, seemed to be in great pain, hoarsely murmuring, "Water..." Tang Ye, who was sitting on the couch beside her, healing himself, opened his eyes upon hearing this, got up, poured a glass of water, went to the bedside, dabbed some water on a white cloth, and touched her lips. He repeated this until she stopped murmuring. He touched her forehead with his palm and found that it was still hot, so he went out and fetched a basin of cold water, brought it into the room, moistened a cloth, and placed it on her forehead.
In the middle of the night, a dark figure hurriedly approached from afar, silently landing in the courtyard. After waiting for a while, upon seeing Tang Ye emerge, the figure knelt on one knee and whispered, "Young Master."
Tang Ye gave a light snort, took out a letter from his pocket, handed it to the man, and whispered, "Give this to Wuyin." The man replied, "Yes."
Tang Ye waved his hand, and the man quietly left.
The next morning, amidst a strong smell of herbs, Hua Wuduo woke up. The first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was Tang Ye standing by her bedside, holding a bowl of medicine and staring at her. Startled, she was momentarily dazed before remembering what had happened the night before. Just as she tried to get up, she felt weak all over, her internal organs aching. Gripping her teeth, she groaned, "Am I going to die?" Her voice was hoarse, almost unlike her own. Hua Wuduo sighed. She had never been so badly injured in her life. Was she really going to die?
Tang Ye watched her quietly until her gaze cleared from its initial confusion, then handed her the bowl of medicine and said, "Drink it."
Hua Wuduo glanced at the medicine bowl, thinking that Tang Ye wouldn't harm him. He struggled to get up, but couldn't sit up no matter what he did, so he said helplessly in a low voice, "Please help me."
Tang Ye was indeed quite ruthless, grabbing her by the collar and pulling her to a sitting position. Feeling a tightness in her chest, Hua Wuduo frowned uncomfortably, but without being picky, she took the bowl of medicine. However, her hands were weak, and she almost spilled the medicine. Tang Ye frowned, helped her, and brought the medicine to her lips. The smell of the medicine made Hua Wuduo imagine its bitterness, her face contorted, then she gritted her teeth and, with Tang Ye's help, drank it down. Although the medicine was difficult to drink, Hua Wuduo knew in her heart that good medicine tastes bitter but is good for the illness, especially since Tang Ye's healing medicine, like his concocted poison, was definitely effective!
Tang Ye took the empty bowl that Hua Wuduo had left behind, turned around and went out the door.
Hua Wuduo leaned against the headboard, feeling unwell and drowsy, when she saw Tang Ye enter with acupuncture needles in his hand. These past few days, Tang Ye had been treating her with acupuncture to detoxify her, and she had grown accustomed to it. Seeing him enter with the needles, she didn't think much of it, assuming it was another detoxification treatment. But when Tang Ye pulled her upright again and sat behind her, she realized that her clothes were disheveled!
Powerless to resist, and knowing she shouldn't, yet the one who had left her in such a sorry state was none other than Tang Ye. This filled Hua Wuduo with frustration, helplessness, and even a touch of grievance. Recalling her miserable ordeal, her nose stung with tears. She raised her hand to touch her nose, then suddenly realized something: her mask was gone! Shock! She discovered that she was now revealing her true face. A spasm ran through her…
It's been a long time since I've shown my true face to anyone, and now I feel a little uneasy about doing so. I feel almost afraid to face people...