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墨書 Inktalez
The Twelfth Day of the Twelfth Month is Yan Wang's birthday, and on this day, both civil and military officials are expected to present gifts. Ju Rong is no exception; he started preparing gifts half a month ago but couldn't decide on anything suitable.
He didn't know what Yan Wang liked, so he went to ask San Chun, who also found it quite troublesome.
In fact, giving gifts to superiors is an art. The gift must be innovative enough to show that you've put thought into it, but not too innovative, as that would suggest you are overstepping your bounds. Striking this balance is not easy.
For ordinary superiors, catering to their preferences with something they like is a good idea. However, if this superior wants to establish a romantic relationship with you, that's another matter entirely. In such cases, you don't need to give a gift because they will give you one instead.
So they really had no need to worry; no matter what you give, the superior will like it. Ju Rong figured this out and agreed wholeheartedly, stroking his beard with a smile as he looked at her, perhaps planning to package her up as a gift.
In fact, she guessed correctly; after the birthday banquet for Yan Wang, he came to Ju Mansion to collect gifts.
He had already received Ju Rong's gift but wanted to receive something personally handed over by her.
San Chun's gift was simple—a painting of a White Plum Blossom blooming defiantly against the northern wind.
Uncle Qi liked it very much. After finishing his viewing, he put the painting away and said with a smile, "I want to give you a gift too."
He slipped out the door and soon appeared at the window, holding a large bouquet of plum blossoms, each bloom vibrant and dripping with beauty.
She opened the window, and at that moment, it seemed a cold breeze rushed in through the window frame. What she saw was not just a bouquet of flowers but a whole patch of flowers—ten or so plum trees planted in her yard. The trees swayed with branches full of blossoms, their white petals emitting a faint glow in the night.
San Chun was overjoyed; she loved plum blossoms and had always wanted to fill her yard with plum trees. However, she couldn't make decisions about such matters in the mansion, and finding multiple plum trees was not easy. She never expected that today he would help her fulfill her wish.
"Are you happy?" Qi poked his head through the open window and smiled brightly at her.
San Chun nodded with a smile. She had been busy painting inside and had no idea what was happening outside. When exactly did he move these plum trees here?
Her eyes scanned the maids, all of whom had their heads lowered, probably knowing what was happening outside but not telling her. No wonder when she asked about the commotion outside in the afternoon, the maid replied that a tile in the west courtyard had broken and they had called a craftsman to fix it. It turned out he was planning to give her a big surprise.
Lost in thought, Qi had already entered the room holding a large plum blossom. It was indeed very big, covering most of her face when held.
"Here, this is for you."
San Chun felt awkward, unsure whether to take it or not, glancing around as if she should find a very large vase to display it properly.
"Dan, today is my birthday; shall we celebrate together?"
"Of course."
With the gift right in front of her, what else could she say?
Qi clapped her hands lightly, and immediately several eunuchs filed in, bringing numerous dishes and plates.
San Chun found it amusing; there was no way they could finish all this food. It seemed the servants in the courtyard would have a feast today.
After all, it was the king's birthday. Ju Rong was waiting outside to offer his congratulations. Qi instructed him to come in, exchanged a few polite words, and then picked up her teacup.
Ju Rong wisely withdrew.
San Chun felt uncomfortable; this was her home, yet it seemed as if it were his palace, and they were merely guests.
Qi appeared not to consider herself an outsider at all, pouring a cup of wine and handing it to her. "Please drink."
The aroma of wine wafted over from a distance. San Chun took a light sip; the wine was rich and fragrant, soft on the palate, unlike ordinary wine. She sighed, "Indeed, it is good wine."
Qi smiled faintly, "Do you know what kind of wine this is?"
He looked at her with a smile that seemed to convey deep satisfaction.
When he finally asked what kind of wine it was, he softly replied, "This wine was brewed when we went to the State of Chu, buried beneath the Osmanthus Tree. Only the two of us know about it. We promised to dig it up and drink heartily upon our return, but we never waited for this day."
His voice was low and melancholic, carrying a hint of the chill that seeped into one’s heart on a winter day. San Chun felt a shiver run down her spine, instantly losing all interest, covered in goosebumps. She felt as if a ghost stood behind her while he spoke to it.
"Is the birthday banquet lively today? Is there still much excitement in the palace?" She intentionally changed the subject.
Qi did not continue discussing the past and smiled, "Of course it's lively. Empress Dowager Hua has summoned several young ladies into the palace to perform songs and dances; it's quite a sight."
The meaning behind Empress Dowager Hua's actions was clear; she intended to push someone close to him into his life. She blinked and said, "Congratulations on your upcoming wedding."
"Same to you," Qi pressed his lips together, his smile looking rather annoying.
San Chun felt somewhat choked for words and thought to herself how insufferable he was; why must he imitate Zhong Xue of all people?
Thinking of Zhong Xue made her inexplicably feel a chill at her neck, as if he were standing behind her watching.
Perhaps she had been too deeply affected by him; in just one month, she had thought of him several times, and each encounter felt like a nightmare.
Maybe she should pray that he never appears again.
With her hands clasped together, she truly began to pray, greeting all the deities one by one. When she reached the Primordial Lord, the Grandmaster of Taoism manifested.
She heard a stone hit the window frame, making a "pop" sound, as if someone was joking or warning her.
Startled, she hurriedly opened the window.
Outside, the moon was rising higher and had already climbed onto the roof, casting specks of light on the window screen.
Under the bright moonlight, she squinted her eyes and then saw a vague figure suspended in the moonlight.
Beneath the moon, he sat casually on the rooftop in black clothing, his hair gently swaying in the wind. He was handsome, with a cold and ethereal demeanor like moonlight. Just one glance made her tremble slightly; that gaze struck somewhere deep within her, causing her to shudder and feel powerless to resist. Then, an urge to curse the Primordial Lord arose within her.
Damn it, she had already prayed thoroughly—why did he still send him? Was it because he offered more incense money than she did?
"What are you looking at?" he asked.
Flustered, she quickly closed the window and replied, "Nothing, just a cat on the roof."
With the window shut, through the window screen, she could faintly see the round and tranquil moon quietly radiating soft light. In this moment of silence, suddenly, as if on cue, a strange and sharp cat's cry came from the rooftop—a sound that pierced the eardrums like a cat in heat during spring.
Qie frowned, feeling puzzled about why such a cat appeared in winter.
He said, "If you don't like it, just have someone chase it away."
San Chun sighed. "It has probably already left."
After that, she lost the mood to drink, almost pushing Qi out under the pretense of a headache.
Qi was not angry; she still smiled and told her, "I'll come again tomorrow."
San Chun smiled wryly. It didn't matter if he came, but he must not run into Zhong Xue. She had seen that figure clearly; it was indeed Zhong Xue. For now, it was best not to think about how he appeared here. The most concerning thing was that this Demon Lord should not cause any trouble.
If he stirred up trouble and left, her father and her home would still be here.
However, based on her understanding of him, the likelihood of this gentleman not causing trouble was quite slim. With a light sigh, she instructed the maid to clear away the leftover food from the table.
She thought that once Qi left, he would show up, but after waiting for a long time, she grew tired and fell asleep on the desk without seeing him. That night was quite restless; she had nightmares all night long. First, she dreamed of him pointing a sword at her, accusing her of being unfaithful, then he pointed at Ju Rong and loudly scolded him for breaking his promises. Finally, he set fire to the entire Ju Mansion, laughing maniacally in the flames.
Upon waking up and recalling that dream, she found it ridiculous. How could Zhong Xue be such a petty person? How could he possibly take revenge in such a childish and soft-hearted manner?
What she feared most was that he would harm Qi. For some reason, she felt an inexplicable bond with Qi, an impulse to protect him.
Early in the morning, a maid came in to pour water for her to wash her face. It dawned on her that she had thought too much during the night; it was just a shadow of Zhong Xue. Did it really need to torment her like this?
After washing her face and leaving the room, she wanted to take a stroll to clear her mind and check on the plum blossoms she had planted yesterday.
Perhaps due to the change in soil, the plum blossoms did not look as vibrant as they had last night, but they were still struggling to thrive in this unfamiliar environment. Savoring the fragrance of the flowers and admiring their tenacity, she thought if plum blossoms could withstand the harsh cold, why couldn't she deal with Zhong Xue?
"Don't think too highly of him; he's just a person." After repeating this sentence a hundred times, her mood suddenly improved.
After taking a stroll, just as she was about to return to her room, a maid suddenly came to report that Madam Ju wanted to see her in the front hall.
Madam Ju is notoriously unwelcoming; she would never meet with her unless absolutely necessary. What day is it today? Is she going to the palace to see someone again?
She walked slowly to the main hall, and no matter how much she thought, she never expected that the guest would be someone she absolutely did not want to see.
Madam Ju sat in the main hall's seat of honor, and besides her, there was a sister and a brother—her two children, one nine years old and the other seven, both born to Madam Ju.
Ju Rong was not present; his seat was empty. However, sitting in his place was a man in his twenties. He was tall and upright, wearing a Silver Mask that covered half of his face from above the bridge of his nose. Beneath the mask, his lips were thin and his jawline was beautiful. It was hard to tell his age due to the mask, but one could sense that he must be quite handsome.
The moment he saw her, the man's lips curled slightly. "Madam, is this your eldest daughter?"
"Indeed," Madam Ju replied with a smile, which was rare for her usually cold expression.
San Chun kept her eyes on the man in the Silver Mask, feeling that his gaze seemed familiar. Very much like...
She softly asked, "Mother, who is this...?"
"This is your uncle."
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