“To see such an extraordinary quatrain... I feel as though I could die without regrets!”
Surprise, joy, and disbelief... all sorts of expressions flickered across Jingkong’s face.
He carefully cradled the paper figure in his hands as if it were a peerless treasure, almost afraid to touch it.
“What did Brother Chen write? Is it really that impressive?”
Seeing this, the other young monks and nuns couldn't hide their curiosity and leaned in.
Jingkong immediately blocked the writing on the paper figure and shook his head.
“This poem must be sent to Water Cloud Academy; it cannot be shown to anyone else yet.
“But there’s no need to worry. I expect it won’t be long before you all hear of it.”
“It won’t be long?”
The monks and nuns looked confused.
“But if it’s sent all the way to Water Cloud Academy, how will we have the chance to see it?”
“Of course you will. Because within a month, this poem will surely spread to every corner of the Xuanfeng Dynasty!”
A trace of shock still lingered in Jingkong’s voice.
...
After parting ways with Jingkong and the others, Chen Ning returned to the village under the lingering glow of the stars and moonlight.
On his way back, he took a detour to the town to buy a lavender flower hairpin worth over twenty taels of silver.
By the time he arrived at Ning’an Village, the night was deep. Every household had extinguished their lights, leaving only a single flickering candle flame in his own home.
“Where is that girl Qing Yan?”
Lightly opening the door to the side bedroom, Chen Ning discovered Qing Yan fast asleep.
It seemed the girl had accidentally fallen asleep shortly after her bath. She wore only a thin gauze dress, and because it was still damp from the water, her snowy skin was faintly visible beneath the fabric.
She was leaning against the edge of the wooden tub, her jade-like legs long and smooth. Her lovely, snowy feet were bare, and her toes were as small and delicate as tender lotus sprouts.
Chen Ning smiled helplessly and gently shook Qing Yan’s shoulder.
“Wake up. How can you fall asleep leaning here without drying yourself? You’ll catch a cold.”
“Hmm? Young... Master?”
Only then did Qing Yan wake up in a daze.
“That’s strange. Why am I here?”
She glanced around.
When she noticed she was only wearing a white gauze dress, her face instantly flushed crimson. She hurriedly hid behind the wooden tub and asked in a mix of shame and indignation:
“Why is the Young Master here!
“I was just asleep... The Young Master didn't return and... take the opportunity to do something strange, did he?”
“Of course not.”
“I don't believe you!”
Chen Ning had a clear conscience and immediately spoke with righteous indignation:
“I dare to swear by the Confucian Sages that I woke you up the moment I entered. I definitely didn't touch anything.”
“Tch, Young Master, are you even a man...?”
To his surprise, upon hearing those words, Qing Yan let out a soft, resentful huff, looking somewhat disappointed.
Chen Ning: “Σ( ° △ °|||)︴”
As expected, a woman’s heart was far more difficult to understand than books.
“In any case, you should dry your hair and change your clothes quickly, or you might really catch a cold.”
Chen Ning could only cough awkwardly twice and closed the door as he left the room.
A strand of hair fell from her temple, but the corners of Qing Yan’s mouth couldn't help but curl up slightly.
“As expected, staying by the Young Master’s side is the most comforting thing.”
...
After drying her soft hair, Qing Yan sat before the mirror and applied a touch of light makeup.
Then, she put on the new clothes she had been looking forward to for so long.
But when she prepared to tuck the small flower into her hair, she found that the flower she had picked that morning was now completely wilted.
Flowers were beautiful, but if picked during the day, they would wither before nightfall.
Even if they remained rooted in the soil, they would only bloom for the spring and summer seasons.
If flowers had a day they must wither, then would there also be a time of parting for humans and demons?
Looking at the wilted flower in the mirror, Qing Yan couldn't help but feel a pang of melancholy.
After a long while, she finally stepped out of the room.
A lavender tassel dress traced Qing Yan’s slender and graceful figure. Her snowy skin beneath her long neck was half-hidden, and her waist was cinched slightly, looking so slender it could be held in one hand.
She lowered her head slightly, her bright eyes clear as stars. A pair of small dimples appeared on either side of her cheeks; as she gave a shy, shallow smile, the dimples flickered in and out of view.
Even Chen Ning’s gaze momentarily froze as he watched this scene.
She was truly too beautiful!
Even though Qing Yan usually wore coarse hemp clothes, it was hard to hide her exquisite features.
Now, paired with this silk dress, she possessed an elegance tinged with a hint of allure. She was both pitiable and charming; even the top courtesan in the capital would likely feel inferior in her presence.
However, Chen Ning noticed a faint, imperceptible trace of disappointment in Qing Yan’s eyes.
Chen Ning smiled slightly and suddenly removed the small flower from her temple.
“This flower has already wilted. Why are you still wearing it?”
“But what flower doesn't wither...?”
Qing Yan was halfway through her sentence when she suddenly saw Chen Ning tuck a flower hairpin into her hair.
The flower hairpin was the same lavender color as the tassel dress, blooming in her dark, soft hair like a real flower in its first bloom.
Moreover, it would bloom forever and never wither.
Qing Yan’s beautiful eyes widened slightly, and a warm current suddenly surged through her heart, as if she had understood everything in an instant.
She puffed out her cheeks, pretending to be a bit angry.
“Thank you, Young Master... but such a beautiful flower hairpin must have been very expensive.”
“Yes, exactly twenty taels.”
“What? Twenty taels!
“Even though the Young Master earned some money from slaying demons, you shouldn't be so wasteful.
“This is simply reckless spending and extravagant waste!”
Qing Yan said crossly:
“Didn't the Young Master agree that as a Confucian disciple, one should live in a humble dwelling and be frugal in managing the household?
“No, I must punish the Young Master properly so he learns his lesson!”
“Punish me?”
It was usually he who punished this silly girl; Chen Ning had never imagined that Qing Yan would one day want to punish him in return.
“That's right!”
“How are you going to punish me?”
“Punish the Young Master by making him sleep with me!”
Qing Yan placed her hands on her hips and spoke with perfect justification.
Chen Ning waved his hands repeatedly.
“I don't want to. You usually avoid me when you sleep; you must have a lot of bad habits.
“Like... snoring.”
“I do not!”
“Then maybe kicking the covers.”
“I don't do that either! What kind of image do I have in the Young Master’s eyes?!”
Overcome with shame and indignation, Qing Yan suddenly blew out the nearby candle and lunged at Chen Ning, pinning him onto the bed.
Without allowing any argument, she grabbed Chen Ning’s hand with one hand while pulling over half of the blanket with the other.
“Huu~”
Before long, the sound of steady, light breathing could be heard.
Even Chen Ning couldn't tell if the girl was faking it or if she had fallen asleep in seconds because she felt too safe and relaxed by his side after her bath.
“Oh well, if we’re sleeping, we’re sleeping.”
He had to wake up early to study tomorrow. Chen Ning smiled, pulled up the blanket, and didn't wake Qing Yan, allowing her to lie beside him and fall into a deep sleep...
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