Chen Wanquan had drunk too much wine at noon and lay sprawled on the kang in a drunken stupor, soon snoring thunderously. Xue Shi sent a child playing at the door to deliver a message to the antique shop, asking for half a day's leave on Chen Wanquan's behalf. Xianglan helped Xue Shi with household chores inside and out while listening to her ramble about trivial family matters.
After being busy for a while, Xianglan remembered her intention to visit Dingyi Shitai. She tucked away a string of coins, bought two packages of pastries and fruits from a shop on the street, and arrived at Still Moon Temple only to find that Dingyi Shitai was in seclusion. Disappointed, she had no choice but to leave the fruits and pastries behind, along with a letter for Dingyi Shitai, before leaving in frustration.
As she walked around the temple's wall, she heard someone say, "Yifei, why aren't you using that fan from yesterday? The poem inscribed on it was so well-written, much more interesting than this landscape fan."
Song Ke's voice replied, "That poem was just scribbled nonsense. What's so good about it?"
Xianglan peeked and saw two young gentlemen with their backs to her—one was Song Ke, the other Lin Jinting. Lin Jinting laughed and said, "How is it nonsense? 'The bright moon, an old friend far away; the secluded orchid, its fragrance lingers in vain. From a small tower, the night flute is heard; in the deep silence, the third watch has passed.' Though simple, these lines carry a profound melancholy. One day, we should have someone skilled in string and wind instruments set it to music and sing it."
Song Ke chuckled, "What nonsense are you spouting? It was just written for fun. If such a frivolous thing spreads, Scholar Liu will surely scold me again for neglecting my studies and indulging in idle pleasures."
Lin Jinting snorted, "You, indulging in idle pleasures? By now, you could probably recite the annotations for the Eight-Legged Essay backward. If I hadn't dragged you out to stroll around, who knows how long you would’ve kept studying."
Xianglan didn’t hear what they said afterward. Her ears only caught the lines: "The bright moon, an old friend far away; the secluded orchid, its fragrance lingers in vain. From a small tower, the night flute is heard; in the deep silence, the third watch has passed." She stood there in a daze for a long moment.
In her past life, during her exile, she had once stayed overnight in a dilapidated house by the river. The walls were drafty, the air damp and cold. As night fell and the room darkened without candles, only a crescent moon hung in the sky. She leaned by the window, gazing at the scattered fishing lights on the river, listening to the faint sound of a distant flute. At the time, Xiao Hang had already fallen ill, coughing weakly as he reclined against the bed.
The scene was unbearably desolate. She brought Xiao Hang half a bowl of cold water and helped him drink it slowly, trying to lighten the mood. Smiling, she said, "If not for how broken-down this place is, staying here might have some charm. Let me give you a couplet—you’re the talented one, so don’t laugh if mine is crude."
Xiao Hang took a shallow breath, his pale lips curling slightly as he replied faintly, "Go ahead. I’ll try to match it."
She recited: "The bright moon far, from a small tower the flute sounds like a dream."
Xiao Hang thought for a moment and said, "An old friend parted, in the silence of all things, the third watch has passed."
She smiled and said, "A perfect match. Our couplet could make a poem, with the lines: 'From a small tower, the night flute is heard; in the deep silence, the third watch has passed.'"
Xiao Hang also smiled faintly, his gaunt face half-hidden in the shadows of the moonlight.
Suddenly, she reached out and slowly clasped his hand. Xiao Hang paused, then gently tightened his grip in return.
In such bleak circumstances, her heart inexplicably burned with warmth.She knew that before marrying her, Xiao Hang had another beloved woman—his cousin from his mother's side. However, because the woman's family status was too low, they had to part ways. After their marriage, she had once seen that woman, who truly possessed unparalleled grace, was well-read, and had both beauty and virtue. Xiao Hang secretly kept a smooth white jade peace knot she had given him, always wearing it around his neck. From this, she understood that Xiao Hang had married her largely because of her grandfather's status as the Chief Grand Secretary. Though the two of them got along harmoniously, she still felt a lingering dissatisfaction.
But ever since their exile and banishment, the hardships along the way had genuinely tempered their marital bond.
The line "Hearing the night flute in the small tower, the silence has lasted till midnight" was playfully carved by her on the wall of that dilapidated house.
Now, this very line had been quoted by Song Ke. Xianglan felt as if a thunderbolt had struck her head, her heart pounding wildly. She hurried forward a few steps, nearly bumping into Lin Jinting.
Lin Jinting immediately frowned and turned to glare at Xianglan, scolding, "Hey, you! Are you blind?"
Xianglan remained dazed, her eyes fixed solely on Song Ke, completely oblivious to Lin Jinting's words.
Lin Jinting glared at her and said, "Hey, hey, you bump into me and don’t even say a word?" Song Ke turned and saw Xianglan standing behind him. He was about to speak when he noticed her bright, glistening eyes, seemingly brimming with tears. His words caught in his throat, and he couldn’t utter another sound.
Lin Jinting muttered, "Staring blankly like that—is she an idiot?" He tugged at Song Ke’s arm. "Let’s go. This one’s already lost her wits."
Song Ke looked into Xianglan’s eyes and suddenly felt a pang of panic, as if those eyes could see straight through him, laying bare his heart and soul. They held a deep affection and a faint trace of melancholy, yet he couldn’t tear himself away. He knew this wasn’t the right moment to speak, but his feet seemed rooted to the ground, unable to move.
Just then, Lin Jinting’s servant, Lu Er, came running over eagerly and said, "The private room at Shunfu Restaurant is ready. They’ve laid out a table of fine pastries and brewed the finest West Lake Longjing tea. Please come this way, sirs."
Lin Jinting, already hungry and thirsty from their stroll, said cheerfully, "Perfect, perfect. Let’s hurry over."
Song Ke glanced around and noticed a nearby shop selling brushes, ink, paper, and other scholarly items. He turned to Lin Jinting and said, "You go ahead. I’ll buy some writing supplies and join you later."
Lin Jinting scoffed, "What good Four Treasures of the Study could you find in a place like this? Tomorrow, I’ll give you a fine Duan inkstone."
Song Ke smiled. "That’s where you’re wrong. It’s the rustic charm I’m after."
Lin Jinting was parched and, hearing this, waved his hand dismissively. "Fine, go ahead. I’m going to get some hot tea first." He followed Lu Er and left.
Once Lin Jinting was out of sight, Song Ke turned back to look at Xianglan. Her jade-like complexion and delicate features, like a painting, carried a hint of bewilderment. Song Ke felt he could never get enough of looking at her, his heartbeat quickening severalfold. He coughed lightly and said, "We meet again. Why aren’t you on duty at the residence? What brings you out here?"
The words "on duty at the residence" felt like a bucket of cold water poured over her head. Xianglan lowered her gaze and said, "The Concubine gave me leave today. I came home to visit my parents."
Not understanding why her expression had suddenly turned sorrowful, Song Ke asked, "Has something happened at home?"Xianglan shook her head. When she lifted her face again, the sorrow had vanished, replaced by a smile as she said, "What a coincidence to meet Master Song here." She wanted to ask about those two lines of poetry but couldn't bring herself to speak.
Seeing her smile, Song Ke unconsciously smiled as well and said, "Xiu Hong insisted on dragging me out for a stroll."
Then silence fell between them. Song Ke felt secretly annoyed with himself. Having lived two lifetimes, his sole wish was to pass the imperial exams, become an official, and achieve great deeds to make up for the regret of dying young in his previous life. He thought he had already learned to take everything lightly, yet faced with this young girl, his heart pounded as if a dozen little rabbits were bouncing inside.
After a long pause, Song Ke finally found something to say: "I'm going to browse the painting and calligraphy shop. Why don't you come with me?"
At the same time, Xianglan also spoke up: "The fan you're holding..."
Song Ke asked, "What about it?"
Xianglan hesitated, then shook her head. "Nothing." She took a breath and smiled. "You mentioned going to the shop just now. Let's go in and look around." With that, she walked into the shop ahead of him.
The shopkeeper had been dozing in his chair when he suddenly noticed a young gentleman entering and hurried forward to greet him. Seeing the visitor's refined attire, his smile widened with increasing enthusiasm.
Song Ke wasn't sure what he wanted to buy. He glanced at the Xuelang paper and various pigments, remembering that his sister Tanzhai had mentioned painting and composing poetry with Lin Dongqi these past few days and still needing some art supplies. He had the shopkeeper select the finest materials and packaged one medium dye brush, one small dye brush, two taels of cinnabar, two taels of mineral yellow, two taels of Guanghua pigment, and two cakes of rouge.
While paying, Song Ke stole a few glances at Xianglan, who kept her head down, lost in thought. This girl—when they had bumped into each other earlier, her eyes had brimmed with tears of mixed joy and sorrow, then her face had turned blank and distracted, followed by visible sadness. Now he couldn't discern what she was thinking.
After leaving the shop, he cleared his throat and said, "After Cao Lihuan left the estate, I actually wanted to bring you over to my side. Who knew you'd end up serving Concubine Lan instead. If you're unhappy there, I'll speak to Taitai in a couple of days and have you transferred to my sister's quarters. She's gentle-natured and extremely kind to others."
Xianglan felt a pang of sorrow in her heart, yet there was also an irrepressible flicker of joy. "Really?" she asked.
Song Ke smiled slightly. "Of course. If you ever face any difficulties in the future, just come to me."
Seeing the sincerity in his eyes, Xianglan couldn't help but smile as well. "I might have to trouble Master Song often in the future."
Song Ke felt her smile was like the first thaw of spring ice, making his heart itch and flutter even more intensely. Gripping the fan tightly behind his back, he maintained a composed expression and nodded firmly. "What trouble? Just come whenever you need." After a pause, he added with a grin, "But I asked you to make me a stationery case ages ago, and I still haven't seen it."
Xianglan's cheeks flushed slightly. "I've been too busy lately. I'll make it for you when I have time in the next few days."
Her long, thick lashes cast delicate shadows as she stood bathed in light, looking like a figure carved from jade. Song Ke was reluctant to leave, but spotting his servant Tingquan peeking at them from a distance, he had no choice but to say, "I should go now. I'm currently staying in the courtyard north of the Lin residence."Xianglan nodded, curtsied slightly, and said with a smile, "Master Song, please take care on your way."
Song Ke took two steps but suddenly turned back. He pressed the fan in his hand into Xianglan's grasp and said, "You mentioned the fan earlier—this one is for you." Then he turned and left.
Watching Song Ke's retreating figure, she felt an abrupt emptiness in her heart. She unfolded the folding fan in her hand. The exquisite painted fan depicted a stretch of emerald water rippled by a gentle breeze, with faint green mountains in the distance. A delicate crystal pendant dangled from the bottom of the fan. Xianglan silently closed the fan again. Originally, she had wanted to ask about those two lines of poetry, to ask whether Song Ke was truly that person... but her heart suddenly cooled. What would be the point of asking? She was no longer the noble young lady of a prestigious family—just a maidservant now. Could she possibly expect him to rekindle their past connection? Their current stations in life were an insurmountable barrier. Would she really be content to become his concubine?
Yet his tender affection and thoughtful care toward her filled her heart with irrepressible joy, like a restless seed breaking through the soil to sprout a tender green shoot.
She knew she shouldn't covet what wasn't hers, yet she couldn't help herself.
Thank you to Aria for the two Peace Talismans, and to Huaxiyuexi and Friends Account for the Peace Talismans. Thank you to Friends Account for the post, and to yu21yu21 for the zongzi =3= Thanks a lot!
You silent lurkers are such meanies, hmph!
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