Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
Hearing that the Heir Apparent of the Zhenyuan Marquis Mansion had arrived, Qing Wu secretly felt it was a coincidence and was curious to see what kind of person he was. After careful consideration, however, she changed her mind.
The old man of the Zhenyuan Marquis Mansion was acquainted with Zheng An. As for her, she was currently serving as a lady-in-waiting in front of Huo Yun'ai.
If she were to make even the slightest mistake in her conduct and be seen by this Wen Heir, it would surely reach Zheng An's ears. At that time, it would likely cause trouble.
Even so, it would be better not to meet him at all.
Having made up her mind, Qing Wu said to Wu Linxi, "You two can chat here. With me around, it’s not very convenient. I’ll go inside to find Sister Yuan to play." She was about to stand up and leave.
Wu Linxi had finally managed to spend some private time with her; how could he casually give up this opportunity? He hurriedly called out to her.
Seeing that she refused to stop, the shy young man suddenly gathered his courage, rushed a few steps forward to catch up with her, and blocked her with his arm, persistently persuading her, "What are you afraid of? We are just chatting in the courtyard; there are servants everywhere. What is there to avoid? The Wen Heir is easygoing and won’t care about those formalities."
Qing Wu was weighing the relationship between Zheng An and Huo Yun'ai in her heart and wanted to avoid giving Zheng An any opportunity to find fault. There were things she couldn't explain to Wu Linxi, so she could only come up with a few excuses to extricate herself.
Just as the two were at an impasse, a distant voice calling "Mistress Wu" suddenly changed the expressions of both individuals present.
The voice was clear and pleasant. Wu Linxi's face turned pale at this obviously familiar and intimate address.
But Qing Wu recognized this voice and was taken aback upon hearing how the person called her. She looked over in disbelief.
A young man dressed in brocade was walking quickly toward them. He appeared to be around seventeen or eighteen years old, with delicate features and a spirited demeanor. Though he moved hastily, he showed no signs of panic; instead, he exuded an air of unrestrained charm.
Anyone who saw him would surely exclaim what a dashing young man he was.
Qing Wu looked closely at the person in front of her, and after confirming she had not made a mistake, she exclaimed in shock, "It's you." Then, she suddenly seemed to understand something, slowly closed her lips, and swallowed the words that followed.
Wen Qingyue appeared not to notice Qing Wu's change in expression and smiled as she approached. After exchanging greetings with her, she turned to Wu Linxi and nodded at him.
Wu Linxi glanced at Wen Qingyue and then at Qing Wu, stammering, "Do you... know each other?"
"Not just know each other," Wen Qingyue replied with a smile. "I came specifically for Mistress Wu."
"For her?"
Wu Linxi gasped, unsure of how this came to be.
Wen Qingyue laughed lightly and confirmed to Wu Linxi, "Indeed, it is for her." She then turned to Qing Wu and asked, "Do you still remember what I promised you?"
Before Qing Wu could respond, he took out a pouch from his pocket, weighed it in his hand, and sighed, "To return this ten taels of silver to you, I first went to the northwest. Unable to find you there, I searched everywhere before finally tracking you down to the capital."
Wu Linxi remained utterly bewildered.
However, Qing Wu instantly understood. After pondering for a moment, she sighed, "You went to the northwest and then came back to the capital. You must have spent quite a bit on the journey; why go through all that trouble? Since I gave you this silver, there's no need for you to repay it."
Their acquaintance was indeed quite coincidental.
One autumn day in the northwest, while she was out shopping, she happened to encounter Wen Qingyue who was lingering at a street corner.
Qing Wu did not pay much attention and instructed the bearers to carry her sedan chair straight past him.
Unexpectedly, just as they brushed past each other, she was called out by an Elegant Youth from the corner of the street.
The young man's purse had been stolen, and seeing her pass by, he asked if he could borrow a few taels of silver from her.
Qing Wu had never liked getting involved in disputes. She only allowed her maid, Danqing, to refuse him directly outside; she didn't even get down from the sedan chair.
Unexpectedly, the man insisted on stopping her sedan, claiming to be a friend of an acquaintance and earnestly requesting her assistance.
Upon hearing a name from outside the sedan, he hurriedly mentioned some specific details about that person, "I have heard him mention your esteemed household several times. Now that I recognize it is the Liu Residence's sedan, I know he is your friend, which is why I dared to stop you, Miss."
After listening to his words, Qing Wu finally instructed the bearers to halt.
The person he mentioned was Zheng Ning's business friend, who had once brought Qing Wu milk from the grasslands. After several exchanges, they had become quite familiar.
This man was adventurous and straightforward, with many friends. He had helped Zheng Ning numerous times and had also assisted Qing Wu on several occasions. If it truly was his friend who was in trouble and it was within her means to help, Qing Wu would certainly lend a hand.
She lifted the curtain on the side of the sedan to look outside.
To her surprise, the person was actually a young man in splendid attire. His gaze was clear and his demeanor refined.
Qing Wu couldn't hide her astonishment. She never expected such a situation outside.
The young man stared at her for a moment, then seemed to understand. He bowed slightly to Qing Wu and said, "I truly apologize. I had no other choice but to stop you so abruptly just now. I hope you won't take offense."
Previously, when he acted rudely outside, Qing Wu felt annoyed and hadn't paid much attention. Now she noticed his voice was clear and pleasant, and his choice of words was appropriate, which eased her discomfort somewhat.
After asking a few more questions and realizing he genuinely knew the person he mentioned earlier, Qing Wu straightforwardly asked, "How can I help you?"
The customs in the northwest were somewhat more open. As they spoke through the curtain of the sedan, occasionally someone glanced over but no one seemed overly shocked. However, standing there at the corner was ultimately inappropriate. She intended to inquire first and assess the situation before making any plans.
Who would have thought that what the other party wanted was beyond her expectations.
"Borrowing ten taels of silver?" Qing Wu frowned slightly upon hearing this, feeling a bit hesitant.
Before she could speak, Danqing, who was beside her, already expressed her confusion, "This young master, regardless of your clothing or your jade belt or your Jade Token, I’m afraid you could pawn them for several hundred taels of silver. Why must you borrow from our young lady?"
The other party apologized, saying, "All the clothes on me were gifts from my elders before I left home; I truly cannot pawn them casually."
"That's quite amusing. If you can't pawn what belongs to you, why must you come to borrow from the young lady?"
Danqing wanted to say more, but Qing Wu shook her head, signaling her not to do so. Then she instructed Danqing to give the silver to this person and did not engage further. She urged the bearers to lift the sedan chair and left.
This encounter came quickly and went just as fast. At first, Qing Wu thought about it a few times, but not long after, they packed their boxes and set off for the capital. This matter was put aside and she hardly remembered it again.
Who would have thought that the other party actually remembered the promise made back then? Now, he really traveled a long distance to return?
It was strange.
Since that brief conversation with him, they had not seen each other again.
However, Qing Wu remembered his voice and appearance very clearly. Just hearing him say that line from afar allowed her to instantly recognize him.
Wen Qingyue seemed to see what she was thinking and smiled, "Since I promised to return it to you as soon as possible, I will certainly do so. No matter how far apart we are, I will make sure this promise is fulfilled."
"Mm." Qing Wu nodded and murmured, "You are actually the Heir Apparent of Zhenyuan Marquis Mansion."
Recalling what Wen Qingyue had just said and carefully considering Jade Orchid's words earlier, Qing Wu began to understand the sequence of events.
Wen Qingyue must have been searching for her everywhere. Somehow, the inquiry ended up with Zheng An, who then sent Jade Orchid over to speak with her.
But how could she act rashly just because of a few words from Jade Orchid? She immediately refused.
After that, it should have been that he heard she had come to Wu Manor and sought her out.
However, she wondered why he didn't go directly to Liu Residence to find her.
Moreover, he addressed her as "Mistress Wu" right away, and the familiarity in his tone was puzzling...
Due to the good relationship between Zhenyuan Marquis Mansion and Zheng An, Qing Wu remained cautious after learning about Wen Qingyue's identity. This person spoke in a way that was often ambiguous, making it difficult to discern the truth.
She thought for a moment, took out the exact amount of silver she had borrowed from her purse, and then returned the remaining silver along with the purse to Wen Qingyue.
She smiled and said, "Wen Gongzi, as the Heir of the Marquisate, I cannot accept your call of 'sister.'"
Wen Qingyue fixed his gaze on her every move without blinking. Seeing her like this, he slightly furrowed his brow but quickly relaxed. He stepped forward, ready to exchange a few more words with Qing Wu when suddenly, a figure flashed before him, blocking his path as he approached the girl.
Upon closer inspection, it was Wu Linxi.
The usually shy and bashful boy stood firmly in front of Wen Qingyue at this moment.
Seeing Wen Qingyue looking at him, Wu Linxi paused for a moment and said, "I heard that Wen Heir not only excels in martial arts but is also an elegant tea lover. I happen to have some fine tea here; would you help me evaluate it?"
Wen Qingyue turned his head to glance at Qing Wu.
Noticing that Qing Wu wore a faint smile and seemed somewhat interested in this proposal, Wen Qingyue nodded and replied, "Alright."
As soon as he agreed, Wu Linxi hurriedly signaled to Qing Wu with a glance.
Qing Wu understood and was about to turn around and head towards Flower Hall. However, just as she took a step forward and had not yet continued, a white shadow flashed in front of her, and she was suddenly stopped by someone.
"Would you like to join us for a few cups, sister?" Wen Qingyue said warmly. "Although I'm not very knowledgeable about other matters, I do have some understanding of tea."
Wu Linxi quickly replied, "She is just about to meet my sister and probably doesn't have much time."
"Is that so?" Wen Qingyue showed a hint of regret. "That's really unfortunate."
While he was speaking, he took two steps back. Unbeknownst to him, he didn't see the path clearly and accidentally brushed his sleeve against the nearby stone table.
On the table was the teapot that the maid had brought earlier. As his sleeve brushed against it, it knocked the teapot over.
In an instant, Wen Qingyue rushed over to catch it. However, in his haste, he accidentally flicked his hand and splashed a large puddle of tea. It landed right on Qing Wu's right wrist.
The girl's sleeve was instantly soaked.
Comment 0 Comment Count