Ветер и дым

Глава 11

Tang Congrong did not answer. There was a soft sound outside the door, and the girl pushed the door open and brought in wine and dishes. Tang Congrong sat down and said, "I'll wait with you."

Tang Qiefang was taken aback. Tang Congrong was willing to wait, but he had already lost interest in admiring the beauty.

The beauty never came. This woman, hailed as the most beautiful woman in the world, was a wanderer, never staying in one city for more than a month. Tang Qiefang had seen her last year, but by then she had long since disappeared.

When they came out of Cuihua Tower, it was already late at night, and most of the shops on the street were closed. A slight chill was in the air, and Tang Qiefang asked, "Aren't you cold?"

Tang Congrong tightened his fox fur coat, tucked his hands into his sleeves, and shook his head.

A few stars hung overhead, their cold hue contrasting sharply against the deep blue sky.

The bluestone pavement stretched out into the distance, beyond sight.

"Take it easy." Tang Qiefang looked at the road ahead.

"Hmm?"

"No matter what happens, I'll always be on your side."

The wind was cold, the stars were cold, only his words were warm.

Tang Congrong's throat suddenly tightened, and she coughed, "I know."

"So what are you going to do? Don't leave me behind." Tang Qiefang kept looking ahead, without glancing at Tang Congrong. "I won't ask you what it is, but you have to promise me you'll do it with me."

Tang Congrong did not answer, but tilted her head back and gently exhaled.

Fang, there are some things I can't do with you.

Some things, in the end, you have to face alone.

But I still thank you for being by my side all these years.

He turned around and smiled slightly at Tang Qiefang. His smile was gentle, like a lotus flower in bloom, and the air seemed to be filled with the fragrance of lotus. "Let's go quickly, and get some rest when we get to the inn."

When Tang Congrong arrived at the inn, she was stunned.

"You only booked one room?" Tang Congrong frowned slightly as she watched the waiter who had led the two to a room and then stepped back.

Chapter Twenty-Four

“Wrong, there are two rooms.” Tang Qiefang stepped into the room. “That one belongs to the coachman.”

Tang Congrong stood at the door, "I'm not used to sharing a bed with someone."

"Don't I know your problems?" Tang Qiefang loosened her belt and gestured with her chin to the side. "I already told them I needed an extra bed."

Sure enough, there was another bed on the other side of the house.

This is the best inn in Fen County, and this is the best room in the inn. It's so big and spacious that Tang Congrong couldn't even see inside while standing at the door.

He then walked in, and Tang Qiefang laughed, "When your wedding night comes, will you also tell your wife, 'I'm not used to sharing a bed with someone else'? Hmm?" She deliberately imitated his tone perfectly.

Tang Congrong ignored him and asked, "How much silver did you bring?"

Does this mean that when the Tang Clan patriarch and the ancestor of the Qie generation go out, they will be reduced to sharing a room?

Tang Qiefang rolled her eyes at him, "With your current abilities, even if you fall into a coma, a petty thief could outmaneuver you."

Tang Congrong remained silent.

Tang Qiefang added, "What if I happen to meet a handsome man—"

A streak of silver light shone brightly in the night, shining directly towards us.

Tang Qiefang flashed past, clicking her tongue twice, before collapsing onto the bed.

Tang Congrong extinguished the candle with a single needle, plunging the room into darkness, with only the pearls on Tang Qiefang's sash and headdress gleaming faintly.

After an unknown amount of time, Tang Congrong softly called out in the darkness, "Qiefang."

Tang Qiefang made a soft "hmm," but it was unclear whether she had actually heard it or was just vaguely agreeing.

Tang Congrong gazed at the jeweled light for a long while, then said softly, "How about you become the next head of the family?"

Tang Qiefang jumped out of bed, "Are you kidding me?!"

A slight turning sound came from inside Tang Congrong's tent, but no words were spoken.

Tang Congrong never jokes; everything he says is something he has thought through a thousand times in his mind.

"Let me tell you, if you want me to be the head of the family, you'd better wait until your next life," Tang Qiefang said. "Tch, do you think the position of family head is like a piece of clothing that you can give to whomever you want? Not to mention how much turmoil a change of family head would cause, you wouldn't even be able to get past the elders' council. Besides, I'm from the Qie generation, uh, if someone from the Qie generation took over the position of family head, the old man in the underworld would definitely crawl out of the ground in the middle of the night to come find me!"

Still feeling it wasn't enough, he added, "Nonsense!"

There was still no sound coming from inside Tang Congrong's tent.

The night was extremely quiet, with only the distant barking of dogs.

The quiet of the night, the calm of Tang Congrong, slowly seeped into the air, and Tang Qiefang felt a slight, indescribable tension in her heart.

From that winter onward, Tang Congrong would never hide anything from him. He could sense Tang Congrong's thoughts through the slightest change in expression. It was as if his heart was inside Tang Congrong's chest, able to feel everything about him. However, after Tang Congrong went astray while practicing the Flower Rain Needle technique, this feeling gradually disappeared.

Tang Congrong prepared to shoot the crane without consulting him.

Tang Congrong did not consult him before taking the Rejuvenation Pill.

Now this strange thought has popped into my head again...