Jiang Xueting was drinking tea when he heard a clattering sound. Turning his head, he saw that Ye Pingjun had knocked over the spiced beans on the table, scattering them across the floor. He couldn't help but laugh, "How could you be so careless? If Aunt were here, she would surely scold you for being clumsy."
Ye Pingjun forced a smile and said, "It was my negligence. Xueting, I don't want to watch this opera anymore. Let's go." Jiang Xueting was slightly surprised. Noticing her face gradually flushing, he assumed it was due to the heat in the private box and said, "If you're feeling hot, I'll go buy some soda." With that, he stood up to leave. Just then, Madam Li happened to glance upstairs. Panicked, Ye Pingjun turned and called out, "Xueting," but he had already stepped out.
Ye Pingjun's mind grew even more unsettled. She thought she would simply leave with Xueting when he returned, but then she saw Madam Li downstairs smiling and saying something to Li Boren beside her. Li Boren chuckled and beckoned two trusted guards over, giving them some instructions. The guards nodded and promptly left the theater.
Meanwhile, the opera on stage began. After the gongs and drums had sounded for quite some time, several guards escorted Yu Changxuan in. Li Boren stood up and said with a laugh, "Fifth Master, you're truly hard to invite! I had to call the military headquarters three or four times before I could secure your esteemed presence."
Yu Changxuan took the empty seat next to Li Boren and said, "Elder Brother, you know I've never had much interest in Peking opera. What's the point of dragging me here for no reason?" As he spoke, a servant from the Li family brought over a set of iron-red enameled "Ruyi" patterned teacups, exquisitely thin-bodied with a glossy glaze. Yu Changxuan picked one up and examined it in his palm, smiling, "This is an official kiln piece from the Daoguang era, isn't it? Bringing such an antique just to watch an opera—such extravagance. How much military funds have you embezzled this year, Elder Brother?"
Madam Li quickly interjected, "Fifth Master, don't talk nonsense! This was part of my dowry when I married into the Li family. I specifically had the servants bring it because I was afraid you might find the theater's teacups unclean. Your casual remark about 'embezzlement' is no joke—if your father hears of it, what will become of our Boren?"
Yu Changxuan laughed. A servant stepped forward to brew premium Pu'er tea. Lifting the teacup, Yu Changxuan said, "Elder Brother, you know I don't enjoy drinking tea and watching operas. I'll leave after finishing this cup." Li Boren replied with a meaningful smile, "Who asked you to watch the opera? I invited you to see the person you've been thinking about day and night."
Whose spring is it, for whom she smiles so sweetly?
Yu Changxuan, still holding the teacup, raised his eyes to look at Li Boren. Li Boren gestured toward the private box upstairs. When Yu Changxuan glanced up and saw Ye Pingjun sitting alone there, he silently lowered his gaze, took a slow sip of tea, placed the cup back on the table, and fell silent, turning his attention to the stage.
Madam Li and Li Boren exchanged knowing smiles. Madam Li immediately asked Yu Changxuan eagerly, "Fifth Master, would you prefer to go up yourself, or shall I call her down for you?"Yu Changxuan fixed his gaze on the opera stage, watching the performers with painted red and white faces singing in high-pitched voices as if completely captivated. After a long pause, he finally remarked indifferently, "Why should I go up there!"
Madam Li chuckled and said, "Alright then, I might as well see this good deed through to the end. I'll go and invite our dear Pingjun down." She stood up, glanced smilingly toward the private box upstairs, and waved cheerfully at Ye Pingjun. The guards standing behind her immediately went upstairs to escort Miss Ye.
Outside Jade Spring Garden, vendors selling snacks and sweets were a common sight. Jiang Xueting recalled that Pingjun had eaten very little for dinner in her haste to watch the opera. Seeing the steaming lotus root stuffed with glutinous rice, which looked particularly sweet and delicious, he asked the vendor to wrap a portion in a lotus leaf. Just as he was reaching for his money, he overheard a voice behind him: "Who knows what’s going on between Miss Ye and Fifth Master? Not long ago, they were all sweetness, going everywhere together. But now, they won’t even sit together to watch an opera—one upstairs, one downstairs, ignoring each other. Madam Li has to step in and mediate."
Another voice, full of mockery, added, "I think Miss Ye is being ungrateful. Just because Fifth Master has shown her some attention, she’s putting on airs. If Madam Li weren’t considering that Miss Ye is a classmate of her cousin Miss Bai, she wouldn’t bother with this mess. Does our Fifth Master lack women?!"
Jiang Xueting turned around and saw two guards standing not far behind him, rifles slung over their shoulders, smoking and chatting idly as they blew clouds of smoke. As he watched them, he felt a sudden warmth in his hand and turned back to see the vendor placing the lotus leaf-wrapped lotus root in his palm. He stood there dazed for a moment, then abruptly tossed it aside, saying, "I don’t want it anymore." He turned and walked back into the theater. After climbing a few steps up the stairs, he spotted Ye Pingjun standing in the prime seats facing the stage, with a beaming lady clinging to her arm, chatting intimately with her.
Amid the dazzling spectacle on stage, the melodious music of strings and pipes suddenly turned into jarring noise in his ears. Jiang Xueting’s steps faltered, and he froze on the staircase.
Meanwhile, Madam Li continued holding Pingjun’s hand affectionately, chiding, "It’s a shame—last time you visited, you still called me 'sister.' But it hasn’t been long, and you’ve already forgotten your sister and brother-in-law, never coming by for a visit." Ye Pingjun smiled and replied, "I’ve been busy with schoolwork."
Madam Li then tugged at Pingjun’s hand and said cheerfully, "They say fate can’t be avoided. Look, we’ve run into each other here at the theater. Come, meet your brother-in-law and Fifth Master." She gently pushed Pingjun forward. Pingjun nodded at Li Boren and greeted him with a smile, "Brother-in-law." Li Boren smiled and slightly inclined his head from his seat. Pingjun then turned to Yu Changxuan and addressed him, "Fifth Master." To her surprise, Yu Changxuan acted as if he hadn’t heard her, turning his head away to murmur something indifferently to his attendant beside him, clearly disregarding her entirely.Both Madam Li and Li Boren were stunned. Li Boren quickly stood up, offering his seat as he smiled and said, "Pingjun, why don't you sit and watch the opera with us for a while?" Madam Li took the opportunity to push Pingjun toward the seat next to Yu Changxuan, but Pingjun shook her hand free and stepped aside. Turning to Madam Li with a smile, she said, "I came with my boyfriend. He must be looking for me everywhere by now. I won't disturb your enjoyment of the opera—I'll be going."
Li Boren's smile froze on his face, while Madam Li stared blankly at Yu Changxuan. Before they could react, Ye Pingjun had already walked past them and straight out of the opera house doors. As she stepped outside, a cool breeze brushed against her face, calming her nerves slightly. She immediately began searching for Jiang Xueting, but though crowds of people milled about, there was no sign of him. Not daring to go back inside to look, she stood there feeling utterly lost when a voice came from behind: "Why did you come out?"
Ye Pingjun turned to see Jiang Xueting walking toward her. She hurried over, rubbing her temples and feigning discomfort. "It's so stuffy in there—I have a terrible headache. Let's go back."
Jiang Xueting looked at her and said, "You were so eager to see the opera you skipped dinner, and now you want to leave as soon as it starts? You're becoming more unpredictable by the day." Sensing something odd in his tone, Pingjun quickly replied, "I really do have a headache. If you want to watch, I'll go back in with you."
Jiang Xueting smiled. "I'll take you home." He hailed a rickshaw, helped Pingjun in, and then climbed in himself. To the rickshaw puller, he said, "No. 13, Chang'an Alley, Shuangde Road." As the rickshaw set off into the cool night breeze, the two sat side by side. Jiang Xueting reached over and took Pingjun's hand, chuckling, "Why are your hands so cold?"
Pingjun replied, "It must be because I was sweating in the opera house. Now that I'm out in the wind, of course they feel cool."
Jiang Xueting smiled softly, looking down at her fair, delicate hands. Her nails were neatly trimmed, with a faint rosy glow at the tips. "I remember when we were kids," he said, "you always pestered me to climb over walls and steal balsam flowers from neighbors' yards so you could dye your nails. You couldn't have been more than seven—so young, yet already so vain. You made me fall off the wall and get a huge bump on the back of my head that never went away."
Pingjun laughed. "Has it gone down now?"
Jiang Xueting guided her hand to the back of his head, grinning playfully. "Feel for yourself—has it gone down or not?" Pingjun pulled her hand back with a bit of force, smiling as she shot him a mock glare. "Sit properly. You always blame everything on me. My mother said back then that bump was just your natural rebellious streak—not from any fall."
Jiang Xueting smiled gently and whispered, "Even if it is a rebellious streak, it grew for you. Don't think you can shrug off the responsibility—not a chance!" Pingjun felt her cheeks burn under his gaze and lowered her head, murmuring with a laugh, "You're becoming more and more unreasonable."As the rickshaw happened to arrive at her doorstep, Pingjun alighted the moment it stopped. Hearing footsteps behind her, she turned to see Jiang Xueting getting off as well. With a gentle smile, she remarked, "It's so late—aren't you afraid your brother will be furious if you don't return soon?"
Jiang Xueting remained silent, standing still. Pingjun waited under the jujube tree by her gate, gazing at him with amusement. He took a step closer, standing before her as the moonlight slanted across them, his face gradually flushing. After a long pause, he stammered, "During these four years in Fusang... I thought of you every day, missed you. I wrote to you constantly, and you... you wrote back to me too..."
Ye Pingjun couldn't help but let out a soft laugh. "What exactly are you trying to say?"
Jiang Xueting's face reddened even more. Finally gathering his courage, he grabbed her hand and blurted out, "Pingjun, I... may I kiss you?"
His words sent a blush spreading across Pingjun's cheeks. She tried to pull her hand back in panic, but found his grip surprisingly strong. He leaned in closer, his voice trembling, "Pingjun, I... I..." Though they had grown up together since childhood, this was their first such intimate encounter. Ye Pingjun felt timid, and in the blink of an eye, his warm breath brushed against her face. Instinctively, she dodged, exclaiming, "Jiang Xueting, what are you doing—" Suddenly, a splash of cold water drenched Jiang Xueting from head to toe.
It was like blazing flames meeting icy water—vanishing in an instant. Both stood frozen, turning to see Mama Zhao holding an empty basin, staring at them with a pale face. After a long moment, she stammered, "How... how did this happen? Another awkward encounter! Why didn't you two say something? It's pitch black out here—I just came to toss out some water, just tossing out water!"
With that, Mama Zhao hurried into the courtyard, muttering from afar, "Oh, what a sin! This old woman is truly committing a sin!"
Ye Pingjun looked up at the drenched Jiang Xueting and couldn't suppress another chuckle. She turned and dashed into her yard, pressing both hands against the double-leaf gate to close it. Seeing Jiang Xueting still rooted under the jujube tree, glistening droplets covering his face, she opened the gate a crack. Her dark eyes sparkled, a slight smile playing on her lips as she whispered to him, "Silly, hurry back before you catch a cold."
Jiang Xueting snapped out of his daze, quickly acknowledging her words. He glanced at her once more before she lowered her head, cheeks flushed, and shut the gate without another word. Turning around, she saw Madam Ye sitting under the locust tree, fanning herself leisurely and watching her with an amused smile. Pingjun felt even more embarrassed and murmured, "Mom, I'm back." Madam Ye chuckled, "Back so early? Was the opera good?"
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