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The teaching location of Zheng Ningqi is actually a three-entry courtyard. When Qing Wu asked about the location, Zheng Ning briefly mentioned that it was somewhat remote, but it was peaceful, with very few households on the entire street. Moreover, there was only a loyal old servant in the house on ordinary days, with no one else around to disturb them.
As the car drove into Zheng Ningqi's street, it indeed matched what he had said earlier; the sounds of people gradually faded away, and soon all that could be heard were the clattering of hooves on the ground.
With no one else around on the road, Qing Wu set aside her hand warmer and lifted a corner of the curtain to look outside.
A chill immediately rushed in.
Having stayed in the warm car for a long time, Qing Wu closed her eyes for a moment to adapt to the cold. As she looked around carefully, she realized that this place seemed somewhat familiar.
Could it be that she had been here before? But she hadn't been here for long and hadn't visited many places.
After thinking for a while without any clues, she finally saw a household passing by with a plaque hanging that had the character "Luo" on it, and then she suddenly understood.
No wonder it felt so familiar. It was the same road leading to Doctor Luo's residence.
Surprised, Qing Wu let out a soft "Oh." Dou Mama heard her and noticed that Qing Wu was looking intently, so she also leaned out to take a look.
Just as both of them were gazing in that direction, the gate of Luo Residence suddenly opened. A young girl carrying a medicine basket walked out. Hearing the sound of the carriage, she turned her gaze towards them and happened to make eye contact with Qing Wu and Dou Mama.
The girl showed surprise on her face, her brows relaxed into a big smile, and then she raised her hand and waved continuously in their direction.
Qing Wu did not expect to see Yue Ying at this moment. The unexpected joy lifted her spirits, and she reached out to wave back.
The carriage did not stop. All of this happened in an instant. Soon after, the carriage had already driven out of Luo Residence's vicinity, and Qing Wu could no longer see the cheerful healer.
As she sat back in the car and lowered the curtain, Qing Wu had not yet managed to wipe the smile off her face. Seeing her happy expression, Dou Mama felt very pleased as well.
Dou Mama placed the hand warmer back into Qing Wu's hands and rummaged through the box in the carriage for a while.
The young lady was currently in a mourning period, so her attire was quite limited. Dou Mama observed carefully and finally picked out a pair of pearl necklaces, meticulously wrapping them around Qing Wu's two buns, not daring to be careless in the slightest.
Qing Wu sat upright and said briefly, "It's too much trouble. There's no need."
Dou Mama selected a pair of delicate pearl earrings and put them on Qing Wu's ears. Only then did she speak, "What trouble? A young lady should take good care of herself; that way, she won't waste her youth." Afterward, she examined Qing Wu closely and sighed, "You are already beautiful; with this adornment, you look even more stunning."
Qing Wu felt somewhat helpless. "Do I need to wear them to school as well?"
Dou Mama just smiled and did not respond.
Before coming here, Qing Wu had heard Dou Mama mention that Zheng Ning's residence was quite elegant and well-known in the capital. Initially, Qing Wu was only half-convinced, as Zheng Ning's carefree nature made it hard to imagine what his home would be like.
It wasn't until Zheng Ning personally opened the door to welcome her in that Qing Wu finally believed it was true.
Unlike the Wu Family's estate, everything here seemed very casual. Upon entering, there was a pond nearby with a thin layer of ice already formed on it. The pond was surrounded by Weeping Willows. Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the willow branches and shone on the ice of the pond, creating glimmers of bright light.
As she walked further in, passing through a corridor lined with green bamboo, she entered a space with three rooms beside an artificial mountain. The mountain seemed to have some mechanism that drew in fresh water, flowing gently from top to bottom without any sign of freezing.
During their walk, Zheng Ning spent most of the time introducing each area to Qing Wu, explaining the thought behind every arrangement. However, when they reached this artificial mountain, he did not mention the flowing water but instead spoke about the origin of the stones used for it.
Qing Wu wanted to learn about the wonders of that flowing water and was just about to ask her question when Zheng Ning continued walking into one of the adjacent rooms. Dou Mama held onto Qing Wu and turned to follow him as well.
With no other option, Qing Wu decided to wait until later to inquire further.
Inside the room, a furnace was burning, making it warm and comfortable.
Dou Mama checked the temperature and then took off Qing Wu's cloak, placing it aside.
Yesterday, Brothers had reminded Qing Wu of several things to pay attention to when she mentioned following her teacher to class. She had thought that Zheng Ning would teach her something like "The Rules for Disciples" or "The Young Learner's Treasure," but to her surprise, he started by teaching her how to interpret poetry.
Zheng Ning was quite well-traveled and often shared his own opinions while explaining the poems. He also frequently inserted some of his own experiences, which made it quite interesting.
Qing Wu listened with great interest. However, after a short while, she noticed that Zheng Ning seemed somewhat distracted.
— He often walked to the door to look outside and occasionally murmured a few words to himself.
Most of the time, Qing Wu couldn't hear what he was saying. Once, when he happened to be standing right in front of her while speaking softly, she caught a glimpse of him saying something like, "Why is it so late?"
His voice was too low, and Qing Wu wasn't sure if she had misheard.
After about an incense stick's worth of time studying, the only servant in the house, an elderly steward with graying hair, came to knock on the door. As the gentle knocking sounded, Zheng Ning hurried over.
After whispering a few words with the steward, Zheng Ning smiled broadly and turned back to Qing Wu, saying, "I'll be back soon," before swaying slightly as he pushed the door open and left.
However, after just a couple of steps, he looked up and saw the rockery. Instantly reminded of how the girl had been gazing longingly at it earlier, he turned back and said, "I might take a little longer. If you like that rockery, you might as well come out and take a look. Otherwise, it might be too late later."
Qing Wu didn't understand why he said "it might be too late," but his suggestion perfectly matched her interest. So she smiled and agreed.
Seeing this, Dou Mama hurriedly helped her put on her outer garment and cloak again while softly reminding her, "Young lady, your health is fragile. If you catch a cold from the wind, it might take a long time to recover. You must dress warmly before going out."
Qing Wu knew she meant well. She listened quietly until she finished speaking, nodded gently, and replied with a "good."
What intrigued Qing Wu most about the rockery was simply the flowing water.
She stared intently at the direction of the flowing water, focused and serious.
During this time, Zheng Ning returned briefly and whispered a few words with Dou Mama. Qing Wu heard them and noticed that they did not continue the lesson, so she did not ask further questions. She continued to gaze closely at the water flowing over the rockery, trying to discern its secrets.
Before she knew it, a long time had passed.
When she came back to her senses, Qing Wu suddenly realized that there was no sound of people around her. Looking around, she was surprised to find that there wasn't even a shadow in sight.
She knew that Dou Mama would never leave her unattended. Seeing this situation, she felt a bit puzzled. She peeked outside the courtyard but did not hear Dou Mama's voice. Qing Wu then turned back inside.
If she ran around outside, Mr. Zheng and Dou Mama might not be able to find her when they returned.
Having made up her mind, Qing Wu took slow steps, enjoying the scenery around her and carefully observing every plant and tree in the courtyard. In just a little while, she arrived at the house where they had been earlier.
Qing Wu remembered that when she left, the door was half ajar and not fully closed. Now that both Dou Mama and Mr. Zheng were absent, it would be fine for her to go inside and wait.
After deciding, Qing Wu gently knocked on the door but received no response. She pushed it slightly forward; the door moved, confirming that it was indeed not closed tightly.
Qing Wu felt a surge of joy in her heart and was about to push the door open when suddenly, she felt a weight on her shoulder as someone lightly patted her.
She had been so absorbed in her thoughts that she completely did not expect someone to appear behind her. Startled, she let out a small cry and tried to turn around but stumbled slightly due to shock, almost falling over.
The other person quickly reached out to steady her and carefully checked on her.
Noticing that she was indeed frightened, with a thin layer of nervous sweat on her nose, Huo Yun'ai couldn't help but pick her up and chuckled softly, "What's wrong? Am I that scary?"
Qing Wu's heart was still racing as she pressed her hand against her chest and gasped for breath. Once her emotions settled a bit, she exhaled gently and was finally able to speak.
She initially thought it was nothing, and that it would be fine once it passed. However, catching a glimpse of the smile in Huo Yun'ai's eyes, Qing Wu paused for a moment, then nodded and said, "Yeah, it's quite scary. What about you? Did you come?"
Seeing her serious expression, Huo Yun'ai's smile deepened. Not wanting to startle her further, he refrained from saying more and held her tightly as he pushed the door open and entered the room.
Qing Wu had encountered him outside today, dressed neatly in her cloak and outer garments. Being held by Huo Yun'ai like this, the layers of clothing wrapped around her felt somewhat uncomfortable. Moreover, they kept sliding down slightly.
Feeling "uncomfortable," she struggled to get down. To her surprise, Huo Yun'ai not only did not loosen his embrace but instead tightened his arms around her a bit more and adjusted her hand slightly to make it easier for her to hold onto his arm.
Finally, the young man asked her softly with genuine concern, "Is this more comfortable for you?"
Qing Wu wanted to feel even less comfortable, but seeing how hard he had tried before made her reluctant to hurt his feelings. After thinking for a while, she could only hope for another excuse and said, "I want to get down to find the teacher."
"Which teacher are you talking about?"
Huo Yun'ai ignored her confusion and sat down by the window, inviting her to sit beside him. He took her slightly cold hand in his and warmed it slowly before speaking again, his voice carrying a hint of amusement.
"You came here so that I can teach you. Who else could you be looking for?"
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