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墨書 Inktalez
Seeing her return with two cups of wine, Qing coldly said, "Do you know this is not the behavior of a gentleman? It is quite inappropriate."
San Chun glanced at him, "Then don't drink it. I'll drink it all."
Qing remained silent for a moment, watching her savor the wine. Suddenly, he snatched the other cup and drank it all in one go. After drinking, he was startled; the taste of the wine was truly wonderful, with a hint of sweetness.
After finishing, San Chun smacked her lips and said, "How about you take your turn?"
Qing shook his head; he would never do such a thing—impersonating a guest to drink wine was utterly shameless.
San Chun scoffed, if she cared so much about appearances, why drink the wine she brought back? And she drank it so cleanly.
Unable to resist her cravings and wanting to go again but fearing being recognized, she found a feather mask worn by a dancer to cover her face, which conveniently hid everything above her nose.
Her demeanor was elegant; although she wasn't dressed in fine clothes, she appeared clean and poised. This time she changed direction and drank two cups without anyone pointing out that she was an imposter. Feeling somewhat proud, she became bolder and accepted fruits offered to her. Eventually, she mingled at a table and chatted with a White-Clad Man.
He was an exceptionally handsome man dressed in a pure white robe. His features were striking—long eyebrows, narrow eyes, a prominent nose, and red lips—he looked refined like jade, with a gentle smile that made him appear exceptionally calm.
San Chun was explaining what performances the Dance Troupe had today when she suddenly noticed him staring at her, making her feel somewhat guilty. "Do you recognize me, sir?"
"I just think you resemble someone I know well." He smiled, and at that moment, it felt as if a Crabapple Blossom had bloomed before her eyes, dazzling her.
Earlier, San Chun had been wondering why he looked familiar; it turned out they had met at Horse Riding Slope. She couldn't remember his name but thought he seemed to be from Zhao. She didn't know how they ended up sitting together; it seemed like she was drinking when someone approached from behind and asked, "How does the wine taste?"
Mentioning wine instantly piqued her interest; regardless of who he was, she pulled him over and enthusiastically introduced which type of wine paired better with Lotus Leaf cups. As she got excited, she also discussed which foods paired well with which wines. The man invited her to sit with him, and in a daze, she followed him without realizing that this position wasn't suitable for someone of her status as a guard.
Looking around at the nobles exchanging drinks nearby, she could see Feng Lingjun's handsome face up close; he indeed looked as elegant and noble as rumored. But the more she looked, the more uneasy she felt—commoners sharing a table with nobles could lead to dire consequences.
She quickly stood up, made an excuse about having something to attend to, and slipped away like a mouse.
Fortunately, the mask covered half of her face, so she wasn't afraid of being recognized. She ran wildly and couldn't help but think about when she became so interested in wine; could it be that she used to be an alcoholic?
Ji Xun watched her scurry away like a mouse whose tail had been stepped on and couldn't help but shake his head in amusement. This person's impulsive nature really resembled hers; they even looked somewhat alike. At first glance in the crowd, one might think that person had returned.
Moreover... what was most curious was that person also had an insatiable love for alcohol. He wondered if she would behave erratically or babble nonsense when drunk.
Thinking back to the first time I saw that person drunk, he actually danced provocatively in front of everyone, which nearly scared my heart out of my chest. He rushed up with Zhong Xue, took off his clothes wanting to wrap him up, but he forcefully pushed them away and then pinned him to the ground, fondly touching his face. Zhong Xue's expression was terrible at that moment, pulling at his arm and repeatedly asking, "Why don't you like me?" He bluntly replied, "Your face is dark."
Recalling that scene made me smile involuntarily. At that time, Zhong Xue was so jealous that his face seemed to change colors. For the next few months, he desperately washed his face, ruining who knows how many bars of soap.
Jin Yan looked at him with curiosity and asked, "Why are you laughing, Your Highness?"
Ji Xun smiled lightly, "I remembered an old acquaintance."
"Who was the young man you were just talking to?" Jin Yan inquired.
Ji Xun was surprised, "Wasn't he a noble from Chu?"
Jin Yan was equally astonished, "Wasn't he an envoy from Zhao?" He thought Ji Xun had brought him along.
Hearing this, Ji Xun couldn't help but laugh; it turned out he was just someone who came in to eat and drink. He was indeed an interesting person. It's just a pity that I didn't get a good look at her back then; otherwise, I would have really liked to see how much she resembled that person.
§
San Chun had only been gone for a little while. When she returned, Qing was nowhere to be seen. She guessed he had probably gone looking for her. So she dared not wander off again and waited for him to come back.
After about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, Qing finally returned. Upon seeing her, he didn't ask where she had been; instead, he stood there with a gloomy expression, looking like a wolf pondering after being hit on the head.
Having never seen him look so grim before, she walked over and quietly asked, "What happened?"
Qing remained silent, staring intently at a tree across from him.
San Chun hated seeing him like this; it always made her feel invisible. Sometimes even when he looked at her, she felt like he was thinking about something else. Ever since they left the village, it seemed like his worries had grown heavier...
Not daring to disturb him any further, she stood beside him for a while until the Dance Troupe's performance began.
The first performer was Quail Orchid. Today she wore a deep red dance outfit with peacock feathers in her hair and a long veil covering her face. Barefoot, she wore silver rings on her feet as she danced gracefully to the rhythm.
Her movements were dreamlike; her joints were as flexible as a snake, allowing her to twist freely. She shook her body, sending shivers from her left fingertips to her shoulder and then from her shoulder to her right fingertips. The silver rings on her hands vibrated along with her movements; she didn't seem to be trying too hard at all—every action was natural and fluid. Watching her now seemed even more beautiful than usual.
After the dance, a nobleman immediately took notice of her and waved his hand. She joyfully rushed over, leaping into his arms and smiling sweetly.
San Chun glanced over; he was an elderly man, in his sixties or seventies, with a mouth full of yellow teeth when he smiled. Seeing Quail Orchid's beautiful face being kissed by him made him feel a bit nauseous, and he quickly turned away, losing interest in the following performance.
Qing was still staring at the tree, having looked for so long that she couldn't help but wonder what kind of bugs were on it.
The two of them were admiring the same tree when suddenly they saw Steward running over, panting. Upon seeing them, he called out, "Quick, quick…"
San Chun was delighted. "Is it time to eat?"
Steward's expression darkened. "No."
Since it wasn't mealtime, she felt it was no longer interesting and casually looked at Steward.
Steward was extremely frustrated with her attitude. If it weren't for needing them at this moment, who would come to check their expressions?
He suppressed his anger and explained that the two dancers had suddenly gotten injured, and they couldn't find anyone else, so they asked them to perform instead since they were the best-looking among the guards and specifically requested them to fill in for a performance.
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