The moon reached the center of the sky, and the tide that had receded in the first half of the night slowly rose again, gradually submerging the reef island beneath their feet.
Pei You’an and Jia Fu stood on high ground, watching the small boat carrying Dong Chengmao and Xiao Yu gradually sail away.
The young man stood at the bow, reluctant to part, constantly looking back toward the reef island until the reef where the two stood grew more distant and completely disappeared from his sight.
The rock where Jia Fu had sat earlier that night was already submerged by the tide. The small boat floated up, its hull swaying left and right with the dark waves created by seawater striking the reef, emitting soft watery sounds.
Pei You’an brought her back to the boat.
Early the next morning, Yang Yun would drive the carriage out of the city again to pick them up. The remaining hours of the night would be spent on the boat.
The small boat, pushed by the undercurrent beneath it, drifted slowly toward the shore.
Jia Fu lay in Pei You’an’s arms, covered with his clothes, feeling drowsy, and slowly closed her eyes.
Pei You’an did not close his eyes all night.
Most of the time, he lowered his head, gazing at the half-visible sleeping face of the person in his arms outlined by the night. When she seemed to have some unsettling dream and, with her eyes closed, randomly nuzzled her face against his chest, he gently patted her back until she fell peacefully asleep again.
When Jia Fu awoke, the boat had returned to the sea hollow among the shallows from the previous night, and it was broad daylight.
The carriage they had ridden the night before was parked by the cotton tree forest in the distance.
The small boat drifted slowly with the waves, floating farther and farther away, completely disappearing on the vast sea surface. Everything from last night—the Golden-Faced Dragon King and that young man named Yu—seemed like just part of a dream from their night boat ride at sea.
The two returned to the city. When the carriage passed through the city gate, there seemed to be a newly posted government notice, with people gathered in front. Some were arguing loudly, others sighing with dismay.
Pei You’an told Yang Yun to stop the carriage. Moments later, Yang Yun returned to say that the prefectural office had announced the immediate closure of the port, prohibiting all ships from setting sail, with no mention of when normal operations would resume.
The previous warehouse fire had caused significant losses to the Zhen family. Now with the sea ban, the impact on the Zhen family would be even greater, essentially cutting off their financial lifeline. Jia Fu noticed Pei You’an’s slightly furrowed brow as if he was thinking about something. Afraid that he might be troubled, she quickly said: “After what happened to my brother last time, the whole family is still traumatized, and with Grandmother’s poor health, the family was thinking of taking a break anyway and expected the government might issue such an announcement. Now that it’s out, we’ll just wait patiently.”
Pei You’an came back to his senses and nodded slightly.
When they arrived at the Zhen residence and entered, after washing up and changing clothes, Matron Liu and Tan Xiang led the maids to bring food, which they arranged neatly on the small table.
Jia Fu was already hungry and began eating as soon as she sat down. When she got to the plate of duck with silver noodles, finding the duck meat delicious, she casually picked up a piece and brought it to his lips.
He glanced at their surroundings, saw that the servants attending them had already turned their faces away, smiled, and opened his mouth to accept it. He then picked up a piece of cherry-glazed pork that Jia Fu liked and placed it in her bowl.
Jia Fu put it in her mouth and ate it. Seeing his gaze fall on her lips, she instinctively stuck out the tip of her tongue, licking away a bit of syrup on her lips, and gave him a sweet smile.
Pei You’an shifted his gaze.
After the meal, they went to Grandmother’s bedside to check on her illness.
Madam Hu’s health has gradually improved these days. After keeping her company for a while, Madam Meng said she would stay, telling the two of them to go rest.
Pei You’an had someone decline the accumulated invitation cards on his behalf, kept the door closed, and accompanied Jia Fu back to their room. After a midday nap, under the southern window, he was properly dressed with a belt around his waist, still looking impeccable as ever. Jia Fu, however, seemed unsatisfied with her nap, her face like apricot and peach blossoms, her black hair casually uncombed. She wore a simple lake-blue everyday dress that revealed half an inch of white chest wrap at the neckline. Her jade feet, without silk stockings, hung over the edge of the couch, while most of her body lazily leaned against his shoulder.
Pei You’an was explaining a chess game to her, reconstructing from memory, piece by piece, the game they had left unfinished on the boat when she had messed up the board, without the slightest error, saying: “At that time, your first thirty-five moves were very good. I couldn’t find any weakness. Only after the thirty-fifth move, in your eagerness to set a trap but lacking experience, did you make a losing move. Let me teach you how to beat me.”
He concentrated on placing the pieces, his eyes fixed on the chessboard, not looking at her, saying: “…do you see? If you move like this, the ko threat you create would be without concern for you. If you lose, you won’t harm yourself; if you win, you get an unexpected gain. This is a worry-free ko…”
Jia Fu had a plum in her mouth, one cheek slightly bulging, continuously nodding and making agreeing sounds. Her small hand reached for a twelve-compartment white jade and jasper fruit box filled with lychees, green plums, preserved peaches, hazelnuts, and other fruits. She picked out a preserved apricot, turned over, and lay on her back across his legs, raising a jade arm, smilingly holding the apricot to his lips.
Pei You’an’s voice broke off. He looked down, his gaze falling on her face and lingering there.
The warm afternoon breeze, carrying the intoxicating fragrance of flowers from the courtyard, blew gently through the window, lightly stirring the half-rolled bamboo blinds, which made a soft, rhythmic tapping sound against the window. Sunlight filtered through the slats of the blinds, dancing with the moving blinds, scattering onto the upturned face of the woman. It was hard to tell whether it was the spring light that was too bright or her face that was too beautiful, but for a moment, he felt dazzled.
“Chess is for cultivation. Get up and sit properly.”
Pei You’an said, his voice somewhat dry, his expression serious.
Jia Fu pouted: “Just eat it.”
Pei You’an turned his face away: “It’s sour. I don’t want it.”
Jia Fu spat out the saliva-coated green plum in her mouth, and took a bite of the apricot, revealing a small white canine tooth: “It’s not sour. Just take one bite! Eat, then teach me.”
Pei You’an had the apricot in his mouth, a flavor both sour and sweet slowly dissolving on his tongue, generating saliva.
He looked at the girl lying on his leg, unabashedly acting coquettish to gain his affection, and suddenly remembered a passage on etymology he had read somewhere.
“Jiao” (coquettish), composed of “woman” and “qiao,” with “Qiao” originally meaning “to arch,” refers to a woman like a horse, arching her back and running wild. Thus, “jiao” originally meant a woman acting wild and disobedient before a man.
“Elder Cousin, what are you thinking about?”
Jia Fu, seeing him silent for a long time, looking down at her with a somewhat strange gaze, raised her hand in front of his face, opened her fair, tender fingers, and waved them gently as if summoning his soul.
Pei You’an swallowed the fruit in his mouth with his saliva, gently lifted her from his lap, got off the couch, and turned his back, saying: “I’ve heard that the scenery at Qingyuan Mountain is quite nice. I’ve been in Quanzhou for some time but haven’t been there yet. Since we have free time this afternoon, why don’t you take me for a walk there?”
Jia Fu happily agreed, immediately slipping on her shoes and getting off the couch. She sent someone to inform Madam Meng, then combed her hair and changed clothes. She also invited her brother Zhen Yaoting to join them, but he refused, so they let it be. The two of them, accompanied by one or two attendants, traveled lightly, left through the Chaotian Gate in the north of the city, journeyed smoothly, and arrived at Qingyuan Mountain. After touring around, they returned in the evening with aching legs but in high spirits, because Pei You’an had said that tomorrow they would go to Purple Hat Mountain in the west of the city, intending to explore all the mountains and waters of Quanzhou with her. Unexpectedly, upon returning home, just as they entered the door, the doorman came up and said: “Master Pei, Magistrate Chen personally came over in the afternoon and delivered an express letter from the imperial court addressed to you.”
Pei You’an took the letter, broke the wax seal, looked at it once, and then put it down. His expression remained unchanged as if he had expected it. He turned to Jia Fu with an apologetic look in his eyes and said softly: “Fuer, His Majesty has summoned me back to the capital. You’ve only been home for a short while, and Grandmother’s illness hasn’t fully recovered. Stay here for now, and I’ll go back to the capital first. After some time, I’ll come to fetch you back, is that all right?”