Upon hearing this, Hua Wuduo twitched the corners of his mouth, but ultimately remained silent, his expression turning into a disdainful sneer.
Gongzi Yi smiled and said, "Why are you controlled by Tang Ye?"
Hua Wuduo replied nonchalantly, "I'm poisoned."
Gongzi Yi frowned slightly, pondered for a while, and said, "Come to Qinghua Residence in the west of the city tomorrow and let Qi take a look at you."
"Mm." Hua Wuduo nodded.
The two said nothing more. Hua Wuduo continued to gnaw on her chicken leg, while Gongzi Yi stood quietly beside her, his gaze never leaving her for a moment. Despite being stared at like that, Hua Wuduo did not feel uncomfortable at all.
Night slowly descended, growing darker and quieter. The stream rippled in the breeze, occasionally a fallen leaf dropping into its water with a soft, gentle sound. Seeing that only bones remained of the chicken leg in Hua Wuduo's hand, Gongzi Yi said calmly, "Qi and I both miss you very much."
Hua Wuduo was taken aback upon hearing this. Turning her head, she saw bright and clear eyes beside her. Her heart skipped a beat, and she stammered, "I...I also..." She hesitated for a long time before she could finish speaking. Then she saw Gongzi Yi smile, as if he already understood.
She suddenly sensed that the atmosphere was a bit strange, so she asked, "Are you here to congratulate the Fang and Li families on their wedding?"
“Not entirely.” Gongzi Yi’s gaze shifted, seemingly unwilling to elaborate, only saying, “You don’t know, ever since you left the academy, Master Xu has been talking about you every day. After he found out your identity, he never let me go, saying that I lost his disciple and that I had to take the blame myself. Recently, he’s been tormenting me even more, look.” He then held out his ten fingers for Hua Wuduo to see, “My ten fingers are all calloused. To tell you the truth, my playing the zither has made me famous in the capital recently. Now in the capital, my zither skills are second to none, even Qi has to admit defeat. Sigh… I came out this time to avoid the adoration of so many good zither players.”
Hua Wuduo glanced sideways at the young master's self-absorbed and utterly helpless expression under the moonlight, and his lips twitched.
Gongzi Yi seemed oblivious to Hua Wuduo's unusual behavior, continuing to sigh and lament his fate. With each sigh, Hua Wuduo's lips twitched. In his final sigh and twitch, he looked up and said, "I'll go in first."
"Oh," Hua Wuduo responded, then watched as Gongzi Yi gradually walked away until his figure disappeared at the end of the corridor before turning his gaze away.
The moon slowly rose, and Hua Wuduo stood alone in the shadows of the artificial hill. Knowing the banquet wouldn't end anytime soon, and having already eaten a chicken leg, she wasn't in a hurry to go back. Suddenly, she felt that Gongzi Yi seemed somewhat different from before. She couldn't quite put her finger on it.
Remembering what Gongzi Yi had just said, her heart sank. Was Fang Ruoxi's identity really that important? Tang Ye used it, Song Zixing cared about it, and even Gongzi Yi... She sighed softly and walked out of the artificial hill. When she looked up, she saw Gongzi Xiu.
Hua Wuduo was taken aback. When did he arrive? Just as she was thinking this, she saw Gongzi Xiu take out a chicken leg from his sleeve and hand it to her.
Hua Wuduo was no longer hungry, so he leisurely took the chicken leg, smiled, and said, "Thank you, Xiu." He then slowly began to eat it.
Gongzi Xiu gazed at her silently, then, as if struck by a thought, looked away into the distance. After a moment, he said softly, "Why be so polite between us?"
Hua Wuduo tilted his head and smiled, "This isn't politeness, it's courtesy."
Gongzi Xiu's gaze shifted to her face again. He smiled slightly, handed her a slip of paper, and said, "This is where I'm staying in Luoyang. If you need anything, you can come and find me."
Hua Wuduo reached out to take it, but seeing her fingers were greasy, she withdrew them shyly. Just as she was wondering what to do, she saw Gongzi Xiu take out a handkerchief and gently wipe her fingers. Gongzi Xiu wiped them very carefully, making Hua Wuduo blush and her heart race. She tried several times to pull her fingers back, but he grabbed them again.
Under the moonlight, the young master Xiu's gaze slowly shifted with an unreadable emotion. He held her fingers and gently wiped them, his touch tender yet brooking no refusal.
Hua Wuduo looked a bit dazed after being wiped.
After an unknown amount of time, the note was placed in her hand, and only then did she hear Gongzi Xiu say to her, "I'll go in first."
"Oh," she replied, watching as Gongzi Xiu's figure gradually receded into the distance until it disappeared at the horizon. A strange, inexplicable feeling welled up inside her. Suddenly, she wanted to chase after him and ask, "Did you also come for Fang Ruoxi?"
Looking down, he saw the half-eaten chicken leg still in his hand and his clean left hand. He suddenly realized that they had done all this not for Fang Ruoxi, but for themselves. Thinking of this, he felt happy again and started to gnaw on the chicken leg in his hand.
After eating for a while, I finally finished the second chicken leg, threw away the bone, and was about to head back when I saw someone walking towards me.
Under the moonlight, the man, dressed in black robes and brocade belt, had a jade pendant at his waist that gleamed brilliantly. His demeanor was elegant and gentle, and though he was smiling, no one dared to approach him easily, as if afraid of profaning his near-perfect perfection. Hua Wuduo stared blankly at the young master Qi, who was gracefully approaching under the moonlight, and suddenly thought of four words: "A gentleman as fine as jade."
Just as Hua Wuduo was in a daze, Gongzi Qi had already walked up to her and mysteriously took out something from behind his back and placed it in front of her: a chicken leg that was glistening with oil under the moonlight.
Hua Wuduo was speechless for a moment...
Gongzi Qi, observing the expression, asked, "What's wrong?"
Hua Wuduo frowned and said, "Why does everyone like to steal chicken legs?!"
Upon hearing this, Gongzi Qi looked at the chicken leg, then at the chicken bones at Hua Wuduo's feet, and after thinking for a moment, he understood. He couldn't help but chuckle and said, "This is easy to take out."
“But I’ve already eaten two.” Hua Wuduo frowned.
Gongzi Qi smiled and said, "Then I won't eat. I was just worried that you were still hungry."
Hua Wuduo took the chicken leg and slowly began to bite into it, asking, "Are you all worried that I'm hungry?"
Gongzi Qi moved a little closer and whispered, "We all miss you."
Chicken Leg Again (Part 2)
After a moment of surprise, Hua Wuduo stammered, unable to speak, and could no longer eat the chicken leg.
Gongzi Qi said, "Why do you look so dazed? It's a pity that I said such a sentimental thing."
Hua Wuduo's initial emotion vanished instantly, her red eyes disappeared, leaving only a disdainful sneer and a look of disgust fixed on Gongzi Qi.
Seeing this, Gongzi Qi chuckled and tapped her forehead. Hua Wuduo was caught off guard by the speed and was hit squarely. Just as she was about to retaliate, she heard Gongzi Qi softly laugh, "You're still the same as before, that's wonderful." With that, he turned and gracefully departed with a smile. Only after his figure disappeared from sight did Hua Wuduo come to her senses. Looking at the chicken leg in her hand, she was conflicted. She had already eaten two chicken legs, and couldn't eat the one in her hand, but she couldn't bear to throw it away. So she hid the chicken leg in her sleeve and slowly walked back alone.
The music in the garden had stopped sometime earlier, leaving only the soft rustling of her footsteps on the fallen leaves. Thinking of Gongzi Qi's words, she paused, a sudden awkwardness creeping into her heart. She didn't know who she was awkward with, or what it was about, but a strange, inexplicable, bittersweet feeling filled her chest, making it hard to breathe. She had almost cried when she heard Gongzi Qi say they missed her; if it hadn't been for his later words, she would have definitely cried.
Somewhat dazed and lost in thought, she slowly entered the garden. The moment she stepped inside, a deafening explosion rang in her ears, startling her with a cry of "Ah!" What was that sound? Thinking this, she abruptly looked up at the garden, only to find complete silence. Everyone's eyes were fixed on her, drawn by her sudden scream. Then, with a thud, something fell from her sleeve to the ground. Hua Wuduo looked down and saw a glistening chicken leg lying at her feet. Following her gaze, everyone else also saw the chicken leg lying beneath her sleeve.
As Hua Wuduo entered, a group of daringly dressed dancers stepped into the garden to perform a drum dance. The loud noise earlier was merely the opening act. However, Hua Wuduo's surprised exclamation and the dancers' rising posture, which was directed in her direction, drew everyone's attention once again. In the ensuing silence, everyone heard a soft thud, as if something had fallen to the ground. Startled, Hua Wuduo looked down and saw a glistening chicken leg at her feet. Everyone else, of course, also got a clear look.
The group consisted of young gentlemen, all of whom had drunk some wine. Upon seeing this, they burst into laughter. Some of the more impetuous ones, like Young Master Yi, laughed so hard they pounded the table. The dancers, who were about to perform the drum dance, hadn't seen Hua Wuduo's chicken leg. Seeing the laughter, they were somewhat confused, wondering if they had done something wrong that had caused the ridicule. However, being well-trained, they still danced to the beat of the drum. The dancers were dressed boldly, and their dance was passionate and unrestrained, with alluring postures. Unfortunately, what should have been a dance that made the young gentlemen's blood boil was somewhat overshadowed by the sudden appearance of the maid and the chicken leg.
Li She watched this scene with a faint, bitter smile playing on his lips. He thought to himself, no matter her status, appearance, or circumstances, she could always easily become the center of attention. From Jiangling onwards, her unintentional actions had captivated his heart. She seemed innocent yet indifferent, helpless yet disdainful; sometimes like a gentle breeze, easily overlooked, sometimes like a fleeting, breathtaking beauty. She had always been so special. Realizing his own thoughts, he felt a jolt in his heart and averted his gaze from Hua Wuduo.
At that moment, everyone was looking at the maid at the door, who seemed reluctant and hesitant as she looked at the chicken leg. Just as someone suspected that she might pick it up, Li Kan stood up from his seat, walked step by step to Hua Wuduo, handed her a chicken leg, and calmly said, "That one fell, eat this instead."
Looking at the chicken leg in Li Kan's hand, Hua Wuduo felt a surge of gratitude. Knowing that Li Kan had intentionally helped her out of a predicament, she didn't want to refuse too much and attract attention from others. So she reached out and took the chicken leg without hesitation, gave a slight bow, and said, "Thank you, young master."
Li Kan smiled and nodded, without saying anything more, and turned back to his seat.
Li Kan was practically a host at the banquet, and since it was the host who bestowed the chicken leg, there was nothing more to laugh about. The maidservant, holding the chicken leg, walked up behind Tang Ye and stood still. Because of Tang Ye's status, no one dared to say anything, but they couldn't help glancing at her a few more times. Seeing the maidservant then hide the chicken leg in her sleeve with a detached expression, they gradually gave up, finding it uninteresting.
Li She composed herself and looked at Song Zixing, only to find that Song Zixing's gaze was not on her, but rather on the dancers' encouragement in the arena.
Inside the arena, the dancers continued their drumming performance, their drumsticks adorned with red ribbons. Each dancer possessed a captivating figure and unrestrained movements, gradually drawing the attention of the crowd.
After the dancers finished their drum dance, they gradually withdrew. Just then, someone in the audience sighed, "This dance reminds me of the long-stringed punishment dance in Jiangling. That dance is unforgettable for me." The person who said this was none other than Prince Liu Jin, whose gaze was fixed on Wu Yi beside him.
Liu Jin's words caused a change in the expressions of many people. Many of those present had only heard about it but had never seen it with their own eyes. Upon hearing this, they couldn't help but follow Liu Jin's gaze to look at Wu Yi.
Gongzi Yi sighed and shook his head, saying, "My sister fell seriously ill after returning from Jiangling and can no longer dance that dance. Alas... I have failed Brother Jin's concern."
After a moment of surprise, Liu Jin also sighed heavily, seemingly genuinely saddened.
Li She's gaze swept over Hua Wuduo. He saw her looking at Gongzi Yi with utter disdain. Li She looked away, but unexpectedly found that his fourth brother, Li Kan, was watching Hua Wuduo with amusement.
At this moment, a maid led a person into the garden; it was Chu Tianxiu.
Chu Tianxiu was dressed in a white robe embroidered with peonies. As she moved lightly, the peonies on her skirt seemed to bloom as well, making her extremely noble and beautiful. Her beautiful eyes glanced around and her gaze lingered on Tang Ye for a moment before moving away.
Hua Wuduo heard a gasp of surprise, coming from the mouth of Gongzi Yi, who was staring in astonishment at the beauty. This gasp naturally drew the beauty's attention, and seeing such a dashing young man under her gaze, she couldn't help but blush slightly. She lowered her head slightly as if shy, and all the young men were momentarily captivated.
Hua Wuduo, with his sharp eyes, noticed an unknown young master staring at Chu Tianxiu in a daze, drool dripping from the corner of his open mouth.
Chu Tianxiu, usually quite arrogant, was different today. Perhaps she couldn't bear the unrestrained gaze of Gongzi Yi, and appeared more shy and gentle than usual. She naturally didn't recognize Gongzi Yi, unaware that he was a notorious playboy in the capital, accustomed to a life of debauchery, and for whom looking at beautiful women was as commonplace as eating a meal. Fortunately, Gongzi Xun and his entourage hadn't come to Luoyang this time; otherwise, Chu Tianxiu would have been relentlessly pursued by a swarm of admirers. Hua Wuduo thought to herself.
At Li She's request, Chu Tianxiu offered to perform a song in public. It seems the Chu and Li families have a close relationship.
Before long, servants brought in a xylophone and a long bench and placed them in the garden. Chu Tianxiu moved gracefully to the xylophone, bowed slightly to everyone, and said, "I'll make a fool of myself." She then sat down and tried out the xylophone with her fingers.
Hua Wuduo overheard a drunken young man at the banquet say, "Not ugly, not ugly, extremely beautiful."
Chu Tianxiu didn't take it to heart. She plucked the strings of her zither and said, "I play the zither only to find a kindred spirit. Today, I, a humble woman, wish to offer you gentlemen a piece called 'Moonlight.'" As she spoke, her gaze intentionally or unintentionally drifted toward Tang Ye.
A melody of "Moonlight" flowed gently from her fingertips, echoing throughout the courtyard. Its elegant and serene atmosphere, coupled with the breathtaking beauty of Chu Tianxiu, captivated everyone present. Several young men were already mesmerized by her beauty. Chu Tianxiu's gaze, seemingly casually, drifted towards Tang Ye. Though seemingly casual, even the somewhat absent-minded maid, Hua Wuduo, noticed a hint of something in her eyes, let alone the others present.
Li Kan then put down his wine cup and became focused.
Song Zixing turned his gaze to Chen Dongyao, but since Tang Ye was between Chen Dongyao and him, it was impossible to tell whether he was looking at Tang Ye or Chen Dongyao.
Chen Dongyao seemed to be listening intently, his eyes narrowed as he stared directly at Chu Tianxiu, his thoughts unreadable.
Tang Ye lowered his gaze, as if he was thinking about something.
Li She also looked at Chen Dongyao and Tang Ye beside him, his eyes filled with deep meaning.
During the music, Gongzi Yi swayed as he stood up, seemingly slightly drunk, with a dazed expression in his eyes. He walked toward Chu Tianxiu, who was playing the zither, but somehow his foot slipped and he almost fell. Fortunately, he reacted quickly, bracing himself with one arm and spinning around to stand up straight. Someone in the garden gave a low shout of approval; it was Li Kan, the fourth young master of the Li family.
Gongzi Yi nodded to Li Kan, then looked down and discovered that what had slipped from his grasp was a glistening chicken leg. He couldn't help but look at Hua Wuduo with reproach. At this moment, everyone present also noticed the chicken leg on the ground and looked at Hua Wuduo. Hua Wuduo frowned, as if he understood what everyone was thinking. He reached out and revealed the chicken leg that had been hidden in his sleeve. He took a bite in front of everyone to prove his innocence.
No one noticed that a chicken leg was missing from the table in front of Song Zixing. Xu Qing, standing behind Song Zixing, stared at Hua Wuduo with wide eyes, secretly surprised as she ate the chicken leg. Just now, this maid had dared to drag a chicken leg from the general's table. He watched as the maid used something to swiftly pull the chicken leg to her feet and kick it away in one fluid motion. He hadn't even seen what it was that dragged the chicken leg, and he was secretly astonished. While others hadn't noticed, he had. His eyes widened in surprise as he glanced at the maid beside him, thinking to himself, "Even a maidservant of Tang Ye is so skilled in martial arts!" If she had intended to harm the general, wouldn't that…? Suddenly, he realized something was wrong. The general seemed to have slightly turned his body without turning around. He had noticed, but remained silent. Why? He stared at the woman beside him who was still gnawing on a chicken leg, feeling utterly exasperated.
Hua Wuduo blinked her clear eyes, bored out of her mind, and could only look at the crowd in the room for some amusement. She was standing right behind Tang Ye, to the left and behind Song Zixing, and to the right and behind Chen Dongyao. Song Zixing's whole chicken, which had already been dismembered, was untouched and placed right next to her left. Two shiny, oily chicken legs had caught her attention from the very beginning.
While Hua Wuduo was feeling bored, he saw Gongzi Yi stagger out of the table. His appearance was quite an eyesore. He glanced around and saw the two chicken legs. Perhaps he was too sensitive to chicken legs tonight, because he immediately targeted this "hidden weapon".
In an instant, a silver needle shot out, dragging a chicken leg from Song Zixing's table. With a light kick, it precisely sent the chicken leg flying to Gongzi Yi's feet, tripping him but failing to knock him over. Just as she was feeling resentful, she saw Song Zixing's follower, Xu Qing, glare at her fiercely. In a fit of anger, she devoured the chicken leg Li Kan had given her, then felt a slight ache in her stomach; she had eaten far too much chicken today.
Seeing that Hua Wuduo still had the chicken leg in his hand, and wondering where the chicken leg on the ground came from, Gongzi Yi smiled and did not pursue the matter. With a flick of his sleeve, he sat down next to Chu Tianxiu, put down his cup, and began to play a tune at the same time as Chu Tianxiu.
Song Zixing glanced at Chu Tianxiu and Gongzi Yi in the arena, his gaze slightly lowered, remaining expressionless.
Chu Tianxiu and Gongzi Yi's performance of "Moonlight" captivated the audience. Their harmonious duet drew everyone in, who listened intently, seemingly entranced. However, even the most beautiful music couldn't keep everyone intoxicated; one person remained sober: Hua Wuduo, who was musically challenged and suffered from a stomachache.
Hua Wuduo had just heard Gongzi Yi say that his qin skills had greatly improved and were now quite exquisite. He thought Gongzi Yi was exaggerating, but now it seemed to be true. He sighed inwardly: He had really been tormented to this extent by Master Xu...
The piece finally ended, and Hua Wuduo's ears were relieved. She had just let out a sigh of resentment when she heard someone sigh, "This music should only exist in heaven; how often can one hear it on earth?" Hua Wuduo curled her lip, secretly despising the person who said this. Every time someone praised a good zither player, they would say the same thing, and their lack of words made her feel indignant!
The surroundings were silent for a moment. Under the moonlight, Gongzi Yi's eyes were hazy, and perhaps due to drunkenness, his expression was quite unrestrained. He stretched out his hand and carefully examined his fingers, his gaze burning. He let out a soft sigh, as if he both loved and hated them.
Hua Wuduo trembled at the sight of Gongzi Yi's appearance... and her stomach ached even more.
Chu Tianxiu didn't look at Gongzi Yi, but upon hearing such a sigh, she misunderstood it. Her cheeks suddenly turned red, and her gaze intentionally or unintentionally drifted towards Tang Ye.
Just then, Li She coughed lightly twice, and Gongzi Yi withdrew his blatant gaze from his fingers, stood up and bowed to Chu Tianxiu, saying, "I am Wu Yi from the capital. I was momentarily out of line and played this piece with you, young lady. I apologize for the intrusion."
Chu Tianxiu rose and returned the greeting, replying neither humbly nor arrogantly, "Young master is too modest. Your zither skills are superb, and it is my honor to play with you."
Gongzi Yi offered a slight helping hand, then smiled and walked back to his seat.
Chu Tianxiu was also politely ushered aside and took his seat.
Provoked by Gongzi Yi, Hua Wuduo finally couldn't bear the pain in her stomach and quietly left the garden again.
At this moment, Li She raised his glass to everyone present and said, "I invited you all here today for two reasons. First, to welcome you all and wash away the dust of your journey. You are all my friends, and I am hosting this banquet to thank you all for traveling from afar to congratulate my elder brother. I am truly grateful." Upon hearing this, everyone replied that it was no trouble for the Third Young Master to come. Li She continued, "The second matter concerns some recent rumors circulating in the martial world about my sister-in-law's younger sister. Since everyone here is my friend, I would like to clarify this for you all, and I would also like to ask you all to clarify this to the world: Brother Tang's maid is not Fang Ruoxi from the Fang family of Jinling. This is purely a rumor. Brother Tang is here right now, and I ask you to be my witness."
At this point, everyone looked at Tang Ye, who nodded. The crowd exchanged glances, some whispering amongst themselves. Actually, before Tang Ye and Hua Wuduo entered, someone had already asked Li She to confirm this, and Li She had frankly stated that it wasn't true. This was simply a matter of having Tang Ye confirm it personally.
By the time Hua Wuduo had recovered from her stomachache and returned after wandering around for a while, the banquet had just ended.
Tang Ye first sent the carriage back, and the two walked back to Qinglin Inn. Hua Wuduo recalled a proverb: "A hundred steps after a meal will keep you healthy until you're ninety-nine."
The moonlight was cool and still. Spending so much time with Tang Ye had forced the usually talkative Hua Wuduo to become less talkative. But even though she wasn't as talkative as usual, she still couldn't stay quiet.