"Live," An Jiu said.
Chu Dingjiang was slightly surprised, while Mo Sigui gave her a strange look.
An Jiu paused, then continued, "Or not live. I need to think carefully about this question."
Mo Sigui rolled his eyes. "Tch, can you not drag out your words like that?"
An Jiu replied, "I speak cautiously. Unlike you."
"Hey, what do you mean by that?" Mo Sigui huffed, rolling up his sleeves aggressively. But when he felt Chu Dingjiang's gaze on him, he immediately picked up his chopsticks and stuffed a bite of greens into his mouth.
Greens were common fare, but in winter, they were a rare delicacy. Mo Sigui, having grown tired of meat day after day, found the crisp freshness of the vegetables particularly satisfying. In an instant, he forgot his earlier displeasure and focused on eating.
With Mo Sigui silent, the room grew much quieter—though everyone was quite accustomed to it.
Chu Dingjiang asked, "Why haven’t Miss Lou and Mr. Ling arrived yet?"
Sui Yunzhu replied, "Mr. Ling accompanied Miss Lou back to Lou Manor to pay respects to their ancestors. They’ll be late."
"Hmm." Chu Dingjiang nodded. "Tell the waiter to add seats."
When Chu Dingjiang had reserved the private room, he hadn’t informed the inn of the exact number of guests, so the room had initially been set for only eight. The remaining chairs were placed against the wall for easy access if needed.
Drinks and appetizers were served first, and everyone drank while waiting for the others to arrive.
The room remained silent.
Hua Rongjian couldn’t take it anymore. "The wine is good, but is this really how you all drink?"
The others paused mid-bite or sip, turning their eyes to Hua Rongjian. The scene froze momentarily.
"Drinking should be lively to be enjoyable," Hua Rongjian said enthusiastically. "How about we play a drinking game?"
"A drinking game?" An Jiu turned to Sheng Changying, the most knowledgeable among them.
Sheng Changying explained, "Books say a drinking game is a pastime played while drinking, with various rules—though I’ve never seen one in person."
"None of you know how?" Hua Rongjian was astonished that there were people who didn’t know how to play drinking games!
"Since no one knows, let’s play a simple one." Hua Rongjian placed a spoon on a porcelain plate. "Spin the spoon—whoever the handle points to must drink. If they refuse, they can recite poetry or ask someone to drink in their stead."
No one objected, so Hua Rongjian spun the spoon.
He didn’t use much force, and after a few rotations, the spoon gradually slowed, its handle pointing directly at An Jiu.
An Jiu raised her cup and drained it.
Hua Rongjian was embarrassed but determined. He spun the spoon again, this time with a bit of finesse—and once more, it landed on An Jiu.
The others sat in silence as An Jiu drank another cup.
Hua Rongjian refused to believe it. He spun a third time.
Still An Jiu.
And the group’s reaction remained unchanged!
"What’s wrong with you people? Don’t you know how to cheer?" Hua Rongjian fumed.
Normally, when someone was made to drink, others would whoop and holler, naturally livening up the gathering. Who knew this bunch would be so dull?
The drinking game was already simple enough, but without the players’ active participation, it became utterly boring.
Just then, the door opened.
A tall, burly man entered, leading a young girl.
Hua Rongjian’s gaze fixed on the man’s face, unable to look away. The man had long shed the sharp edge of a general leading troops into battle, now exuding a deeper, more restrained aura—but Hua Rongjian would never forget that face.
"General Ling!"In the past, Ling Ziyue was often stationed at the border, returning only occasionally. When he did, he was either busy reporting to the emperor at the palace or spending time with his family, so he had little impression of young noblemen like Hua Rongjian, who held no official position.
As a renowned general of the Great Song, Ling Ziyue was widely recognized, though he didn’t know Hua Rongjian. Seeing him present, however, he assumed he was trustworthy and thus didn’t deny his presence. "This gentleman is…?"
"Hua, styled Rongjian," Hua Rongjian quickly stood up.
At that time, Prime Minister Hua had already drafted petitions pleading for leniency but ultimately never submitted them. This showed that the Prime Minister knew Ling Ziyue had been wronged and genuinely wished him no harm. Had he known Ling Ziyue was alive, he might not only have refrained from pursuing him but even helped clear his name. Chu Dingjiang was aware of this, which was why he didn’t hide the truth from Hua Rongjian.
Hua Rongjian stood up. "General, please take this seat."
The two additional seats added later were merely the lowest positions. His own seat wasn’t the most honorable, but it was still far better than the last.
"No need for formalities, Brother Hua, please sit," Ling Ziyue said.
Hua Rongjian hastily declined. Considering Ling Ziyue was practically of the same generation as Prime Minister Hua, how could he dare accept being called "brother"?
After sitting for a while, Lou Xiaowu snapped out of her melancholy and raised her cup to An Jiu. "Shi Si, it’s so good to see you awake!"
"Thank you," An Jiu replied, draining her cup.
Seeing so many familiar faces filled An Jiu with joy, though it was tinged with an inescapable trace of sorrow.
With Lou Xiaowu’s arrival, the banquet’s atmosphere grew lively again, and An Jiu found herself drinking more than she realized.
Chu Dingjiang silently watched her all the while.
Outside, the snow fell heavier, though there was almost no wind. Large flakes drifted leisurely from the sky, piling thickly on the lanterns.
Wei Yuzhi walked alone through the snow, wrapped in a thick black cloak, its hood concealing his white hair completely.
Rows of lanterns lined the streets as Wei Yuzhi walked slowly, taking in every detail as if each glance were his last.
He paused before a teahouse.
A burly man emerged swiftly from a nearby alley, bowing as he approached. "Sir."
Wei Yuzhi opened his mouth, but cold air rushed into his throat, triggering a fit of coughing.
The man noticed a strand of white hair peeking from beneath the hood and exclaimed, "Sir, has your condition worsened? Let’s go to Liao and seek Doctor Ning!"
"Do you not know whose side Doctor Ning is on?" Wei Yuzhi asked coldly.
"But—"
Wei Yuzhi cut him off. "Miraculous Doctor Mo is treating me now."
"Truly?" The man brightened.
"Keep this quiet for now," Wei Yuzhi said, catching his breath before adding, "Including from Mei Ru Yan."
"Understood," the man replied solemnly.
Wei Zuyi continued, "Wait for me at the estate."
The man hesitated. "Shouldn’t I stay to protect you, sir?"
Wei Yuzhi turned slightly, his faint gaze meeting the man’s, who immediately lowered his head. "As you command."
With that, he disappeared into the crowd.
Amid the ceaseless flow of people, their brief exchange went unnoticed.
Hearing the clamor of drums and gongs ahead, Wei Yuzhi stepped forward and continued on his way.He stood in the middle of the road and glanced over—the crowd was bustling, and a puppet show was being performed on stage. One lavishly dressed puppet in wide robes paced across the stage while someone sang: Morning clouds scatter like dark tresses, the pavilion faintly veiled in spring hues. Willows weep and flowers wail. Nine streets muddied, swallows linger beyond the gate... Now the fair sun brightens golden chambers, spring colors cling to peach branches...
Wei Yuzhi sensed a familiar presence drawing nearer. Turning his head, his gaze traversed the sea of people and abruptly locked with another pair of eyes.
Meanwhile, the singing continued: Not as it once was. The small tower battered by rain, shared sorrow known only to two hearts.
From afar, An Jiu spotted Wei Yuzhi standing amidst the crowd, and her heart gave a faint, painful throb. The lyrics, which had merely been background noise, suddenly flooded her ears with startling clarity.
She knew this was Wei Yuzhi’s emotion.
"What are they singing about?" An Jiu murmured.
Sheng Changying, standing beside her, replied, "The lyrics tell a story—Emperor Wu of Han's 'Golden House to Hide a Beauty.' It laments how the woman he once loved is now kept hidden away in a golden chamber."
Chu Dingjiang, amidst the crowd, accurately pinpointed the focus of An Jiu’s gaze and instinctively tightened his grip on her hand.
An Jiu snapped out of her daze and pointed at the fried pastries nearby. "Want. Buy."
Without a word, Chu Dingjiang took out money.
Before the vendor could even wrap the pastries, her attention was caught by the Dragon's beard candy next to it. She tugged at Chu Dingjiang’s sleeve. "Buy."
Chu Dingjiang continued handing over silver, not even bothering to haggle, tossing ingots one after another.
Once she had the fried pastries and Dragon's beard candy, An Jiu immediately popped one of each into her mouth. The sweetness made her eyes crinkle, and she picked up another piece to feed Chu Dingjiang.
As they walked and ate, they hadn’t gone ten steps before An Jiu spotted sugar figurines ahead and tugged Chu Dingjiang’s sleeve again. "Buy."
Zhu Pianxian clutched her chest. "Our hard-earned money... I can’t watch this anymore. Husband, help me back."
Sheng Changying asked Sui Yunzhu to inform Chu Dingjiang before supporting Zhu Pianxian with one arm while shielding her from the jostling crowd. "They barely spend anything all year—it’s not much. Would you like to try something too, my lady?"
"Ah!" Zhu Pianxian lamented dramatically. "How did I not realize before marrying you that you’d be so wasteful!"
Sheng Changying hurried to console her. "Where I grew up, money wasn’t needed. I’m not used to this. From now on, you’ll manage all our finances, and I’ll listen to you in everything."
Hearing this, Zhu Pianxian looked up and noticed the heavy dark circles under his eyes. Her heart ached, and she hugged his arm, her tone softening instantly. "Husband, don’t overwork yourself either. Spending money is trivial—it’s not worth exhausting yourself over."
Sheng Changying flushed slightly and whispered, "I used to think my life was too bitter. But now I see—I must have suffered even greater hardships in past lives to earn the fortune of marrying you in this one."
Mo Sigui listened as their voices faded and clicked his tongue. "I always thought Changying was a dull goose. Turns out he’s actually a fox."
Sui Yunzhu chuckled. "In a place like the Crane Control Institute, being just a nice guy wouldn’t win everyone’s favor."
"Eh? Where’d they go?" Mo Sigui craned his neck, realizing he’d lost track of the glutton who couldn’t resist any snack stall.
Sui Yunzhu reassured him, "No matter. The commander is with her."
"Tch, I’m not worried about her ," Mo Sigui scoffed, smacking his lips. "She drank so much earlier—I just wanted to follow and watch the fun."An Jiu wasn't much of a drinker - when drunk, she became a complete madwoman, creating quite an impactful scene.
Though Mo Sigui said this, he wasn't actually being frivolous. He was just puzzled that this time, while An Jiu clearly showed signs of intoxication, there were no indications of her going mad. He wondered if this had something to do with Wei Yuzhi's heart's blood.
Chu Dingjiang and An Jiu had arrived at the noodle stall and were about to sit down when a black-clad figure approached. "My lord."
Without turning, Chu Dingjiang coldly said, "Leave."
The black-clad figure was Su, who had once followed Chu Dingjiang but later turned against him for a woman.
Su said, "This is urgent business. Otherwise, I wouldn't have sought you out."
Before the noodles were ready, An Jiu stood up. "I'll go buy some chestnut cakes from across the street to take back."
Chu Dingjiang could see a chestnut cake stall about a hundred paces ahead and nodded. "Go ahead."
An Jiu took a bag of silver with her.
Su glanced at An Jiu before sitting opposite Chu Dingjiang. He took out a letter from his robe and placed it on the table, saying quietly, "This is a letter from our lord to you."
Chu Dingjiang raised an eyebrow but didn't reach for it.
The only person Su would now address as "lord" was The Emperor.
"I don't know what the letter says, but I believe our lord intends to invite you back," Su said with mixed feelings. Ever since returning to the palace with the token Chu Dingjiang gave him, The Emperor had directly placed him in charge of the new Crane Control Army. Now holding a high position, the image of that woman only grew clearer in his mind.
Chu Dingjiang didn't look at him, his gaze fixed on a figure in the crowd.
An Jiu, hugging the bag of silver, skipped cheerfully toward the chestnut cake stall. The faint sweet aroma in the air lifted her spirits.
She rushed to the stall and fished out a piece of silver.
"Boss, chestnut cakes."
"Boss, chestnut cakes."
A gentle male voice spoke simultaneously.
Surprised, An Jiu turned to see the other person doing the same.
Their eyes met. Wei Yuzhi gave a slight nod.
An Jiu nodded haphazardly and shoved the silver at the vendor. "A lot, please."
"Five taels can buy ten catties. Do you really want that much, miss?" the vendor asked.
An Jiu nodded and pointed at Wei Yuzhi. "Give half to him."
"Right away!" The vendor quickly wrapped the chestnut cakes and placed them in a basket. "Since you're buying so much, miss, you can have this basket too."
Wei Yuzhi had only wanted to buy a few cakes, reminiscing about his childhood, but now found himself with an armful.
The warmth of the chestnut cakes seeped through his thick robes to his heart.
An Jiu craned her neck, watching as the vendor packed the cakes into the basket.
Without an umbrella, large snowflakes settled on her jet-black hair, soon forming a thin white layer. The orange-red glow from surrounding lanterns cast a warm hue on her face, making her radiate warmth.
In the distance.
Chu Dingjiang put away the letter. "Go back. I've decided to retire from worldly affairs."
Su said, "He Cai died for you. I don't think I can ever let that go in this lifetime, nor do I wish to see you again. But I must say, the current ruler is a wise sovereign."
By the time he wanted to say more, the man before him was already gone.
A light breeze stirred on the street, slightly disturbing the snowfall, but no one noticed anything amiss.
Noticing Wei Yuzhi's gaze, An Jiu turned to him. "Why are you staring at me?"Wei Yuzhi wanted to use his mental strength to brush the falling snow from her hair, but suddenly sensed an immense force rapidly approaching. In the blink of an eye, a tall figure appeared behind her, holding an umbrella over her head.
An Jiu didn't need to turn around to know it was Chu Dingjiang who had arrived.
Wei Yuzhi gave Chu Dingjiang a slight nod before saying, "Thank Shi Si for the chestnut cake."
An Jiu waved her hand somewhat guiltily. Chu Dingjiang reached out to brush the snow from her hair, then took the basket handed over by the vendor.
From beginning to end, he didn't utter a single word, but his imposing demeanor spoke volumes.
As the two walked back, An Jiu volunteered, "I gave him half of the chestnut cake."
"Hmm," Chu Dingjiang responded.
"Are you angry?" An Jiu asked. (To be continued...)
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