Si Tianjian, Xuanwu Si.

Di Yiqiu returned to his study. Li Lu hurriedly came forward: “Jianzheng, were you able to meet Teacher Di Sanmeng?”

“Naturally, yes.” Di Yiqiu walked to the desk. Just as he was about to sit down, he discovered an invitation. He casually picked it up and saw it was a card from Yuhu Xuanzong. Inside it stated that Xie Hongchen was about to assume the position of sect master and invited him to come witness the ceremony.

Xie Hongchen?

Jianzheng frowned. Why did just seeing these three characters combined together make one displeased?

He turned to glance at the water clock, then looked at the desk edge and asked: “Huang Rang didn’t come today?”

“Ah?” Because he rarely asked about Huang Rang, Vice-Monitor Li couldn’t help but freeze for a moment. After quite a while, he said: “She hasn’t. She should still be at the academy. Should this subordinate send someone to invite her?”

“No need.” Di Yiqiu glanced at the desk edge. Li Lu understood: “That’s also true. In this subordinate’s opinion, it won’t be long before Miss Arang should also come to deliver soup.”

He deliberately teased, but only received a cutting glare from Di Yiqiu.

Over these years, Huang Rang had been very attentive to Di Yiqiu.

Every morning and evening, she would make something to eat and bring it over.

Although Di Yiqiu had never expressed anything, clearly he was also aware of this pattern.

Thus the two quickly changed the subject. Li Lu asked: “The matter of drought-resistant superior varieties—did Jianzheng ask Teacher Di Sanmeng?”

“Teacher has already agreed.” Di Yiqiu said in a heavy voice. “Today’s meeting, even though it was so secretive, still had assassins intercepting. Teacher’s circumstances are truly fraught with danger.”

Hearing this, Li Lu was naturally also shocked: “Jianzheng was attacked? Were you injured?”

Di Yiqiu shook his head and said: “Teacher Di Sanmeng not only has a broad mind but also exceptional cultivation. Such a senior expert truly makes one feel ashamed of one’s inadequacy.”

For someone like him to say the words “ashamed of one’s inadequacy” showed how deeply his heart was moved.

Li Lu consoled: “Jianzheng is just still young. People of immortal sects have many additional years of life, so naturally there’s no shortage of talented and exceptional people.”

Di Yiqiu acknowledged with a sound and couldn’t help but glance at the water clock again.

The hour was about to pass, yet the person who should be delivering soup still hadn’t come.

Li Lu noticed this glance and naturally also found it strange—why hadn’t she come today?

Of course Huang Rang didn’t go.

She carefully avoided Xie Hongchen, found a place to change out of this outfit, then crushed a transmission talisman and returned to the capital.

Just keeping the appointment alone had taken up much of the day—how could she still have time to make soup?

Mm, Di Yiqiu had agreed to tour the capital with her!

Huang Rang collapsed on her bed, thinking of the two of them touring together hand in hand, and couldn’t help but fall asleep. Even her dreams were sweetened with sugar.

Jianzheng waited all the way until midnight, yet that salted fish actually didn’t come!

This didn’t fit her shallow personality!

She had introduced Teacher Di Sanmeng for him—shouldn’t she have been waiting here early, looking completely smug?

Could something have happened?

Jianzheng rather wanted to search for her, but in the middle of the night, for him to seek out a female student of Xuanwu Si probably wouldn’t look good.

Thinking it over, he could only let it go.

Fortunately the next day, Huang Rang quickly arrived carrying a food box.

“Jianzheng, try the breakfast I prepared for you.” Today she had changed into a light golden dress, the skirt hem flowing. This made her appear very gentle and elegant. And the light golden color suited her very well.

Di Yiqiu withdrew his gaze and asked: “How did you come to know Teacher Di Sanmeng?”

Huang Rang used a small bowl to ladle porridge for him, then arranged the side dishes for him. Because Di Yiqiu had a favor to ask, he couldn’t be too cold and aloof. He could only accept the porridge and take a sip.

The porridge looked snow white, but actually had fresh milk and lily added inside—sweet but not cloying. Warm as it entered the stomach, it soothed all the internal organs comfortably.

Di Yiqiu couldn’t help but eat breakfast mouthful by mouthful, pairing it with the side dishes.

Only then did Huang Rang say: “Di Sanmeng… uh, she’s unwilling to show her face but wants to cultivate superior varieties for scattered farmers, so she has me secretly help.”

Di Yiqiu believed this explanation.

—This old salted fish, when it came to helping, she truly had too much free time.

Di Yiqiu said: “You help her—aren’t you worried about bringing trouble upon yourself?”

“Trouble?” Huang Rang served him food, saying: “Some things, even if they’re troublesome, someone still has to do them.”

“Who would have thought that someone like you would actually have such magnanimity.” Di Yiqiu sighed, and thus found the porridge and dishes even more refreshing.

Huang Rang said: “What do you mean ‘someone like me’? What am I like? Both beautiful and intelligent.”

Jianzheng snorted coldly—just praised her once and she’s already getting cocky.

“Where shall we go play today?” Huang Rang asked. She had carefully dressed up today. To say she was “radiantly beautiful” was truly not wrong in the slightest.

Although Jianzheng was young, he was also someone who kept his word. He said: “Up to you.”

Huang Rang thus rested her chin in thought for a long time, finally saying: “Actually in the past, there weren’t many places in the capital I’ve visited.”

—Only those limited few places were ones you took me to.

She suddenly recalled Di Yiqiu outside the dream, then looked at the tender youth before her. The past truly couldn’t be recalled—it easily stirred the heartstrings.

“But it doesn’t matter. As long as I’m with you, we can go anywhere!” She quickly became spirited again.

Di Yiqiu asked: “Anywhere is fine?”

Huang Rang nodded earnestly: “Anywhere is fine.”

Thus, Jianzheng truly brought Huang Rang along and boarded a carriage.

The carriage began moving. Huang Rang sat facing him, watching the constantly changing scenery outside the carriage window. In that instant, the past almost submerged her.

Di Yiqiu originally didn’t want to ride in the same carriage with her, but if he did that, she would inevitably make a fuss again.

So it was better to just bring her along.

Huang Rang looked out the carriage window the whole way. The scenery before her eyes seemed familiar.

Like… in the one hundred and fifteenth year of the Chengyuan era outside the dream, when Di Yiqiu rescued her from Yuhu Xuanzong back to the capital, passing through that road.

She stared out the window the whole way, surprisingly not chatting up Di Yiqiu.

Di Yiqiu asked: “Have you seen Teacher Di Sanmeng’s true appearance?”

Huang Rang didn’t answer. She rested her hand on the window edge, even her gaze silent.

“Huang Rang?” Di Yiqiu called. This salted fish had always been carefree and lighthearted. It was rare to see her with such a preoccupied appearance. This made her look—somewhat sad.

“Ah?” Huang Rang suddenly snapped back, then the shattered glimmers of moisture in her eyes receded. She said with a smile: “All you talk about is Di Sanmeng. We agreed to tour together today, yet you don’t even ask about me.”

Di Yiqiu rarely saw her like this. That tearful yet smiling appearance made his heart soften a little.

So he said: “We… have after all known each other since childhood. There’s nothing much to ask.”

“How can there be nothing to ask?” Huang Rang hurriedly said. “Why don’t you ask me why I’m so good to you?”

Di Yiqiu froze. He truly had never thought about this matter.

What, wasn’t this salted fish naturally optimistic, carefree, loved making soup, and frequently showed excessive courtesy without reason?

So he asked: “Why?”

“Because, I had a dream.” Huang Rang said mysteriously. “I dreamed that after you grew up, you were extremely handsome.”

“Boring.” Jianzheng murmured. After a while, he added another sentence: “Shallow.”

Huang Rang laughed heartily. After quite a while, she looked out the window and suddenly said: “This is… the road to Yuhu Xuanzong.”

Di Yiqiu paused and said: “You know this too?”

“Of course I know.” Huang Rang gazed out the window. After quite a while, she said: “I’ve traveled this road once. At that time I looked too carefully, so I recognized it at a glance.”

“Did Sect Master He and his wife take you to Yuhu Xuanzong?” Di Yiqiu asked casually.

Huang Rang shook her head but didn’t continue speaking.

On this road, she didn’t have much desire to talk.

The past crowded in like sand and gravel. She smiled and closed her eyes.

Di Yiqiu had never seen her so silent and quiet. At this time, the spring sunlight fell on her profile, the halo spreading, creating a kind of soft and beautiful feeling.

She looked out the window, silent the entire way.

Di Yiqiu was accustomed to her actively approaching, accustomed to her chattering.

At this moment, with her not speaking, the world completely sank into silence.

Jianzheng even thought that he had agreed to tour with her for a day. Yet this entire day would be spent in the carriage, which seemed quite unjustifiable.

Thinking that Huang Rang had indeed arranged a meeting with Di Sanmeng for him, Jianzheng’s conscience did hurt after all, so he said: “Tomorrow Xie Hongchen assumes the position of sect master. We’ll first go to the ceremony. If you find the journey boring, then we can arrange another day—that’s also acceptable.”

“Xie Hongchen?” Huang Rang murmured. “He assumes the sect master position tomorrow?”

This tone was too familiar. Like asking about a long-absent old friend. Di Yiqiu frowned and asked: “You know him?”

Huang Rang didn’t turn around. After a long while she said: “Before, I had a dream. In the dream, I married him.”

“Shallow.” Jianzheng snorted coldly.

Huang Rang laughed and said: “Who says it isn’t?”

She laughed self-mockingly. Di Yiqiu of course sensed something was wrong. He didn’t like a chattering Huang Rang, but if Huang Rang was this silent and speechless, he always felt his heart was empty and hollow.

Thus, he could only find something to say himself: “You women all want to marry him, don’t you?”

Huang Rang seriously considered this question and said: “I don’t know about others. But I used to want to quite a bit.” She didn’t recall excessively, only saying perfunctorily: “But in the dream, the ending wasn’t good. So now, I don’t want to anymore.”

He didn’t know why, but hearing her say this, Di Yiqiu suddenly felt much better.

He also found it quite strange—he wasn’t one to be jealous of others’ talents, so how could he have such strange thoughts?

The steed’s four hooves generated wind, the carriage speeding all the way.

This was of course much faster than an ordinary carriage, but compared to transmission talismans it was still inferior.

Huang Rang reacted and asked: “Why not use a transmission talisman?”

Jianzheng answered without hesitation with two characters: “Too expensive.”

“…” Fine. Huang Rang had nothing to say.

Yuhu Xuanzong.

No one found it strange that Xie Hongchen was assuming the position of sect master.

He was the successor chosen by Xie Lingbi. Xie Lingbi had never concealed this from the start.

This was a major event for an immortal sect. Almost all worthy people of rank and reputation were invited to come.

For a time, Yuhu Xuanzong was very lively.

The imperial court and Yuhu Xuanzong actually didn’t get along very well, but even so, Shi Wenyu had Di Yiqiu send congratulatory gifts.

Di Yiqiu brought Huang Rang and arrived at the mountain gate.

Because there were many visitors, Xie Lingbi received guests at Hehe Garden, while Xie Hongchen greeted guests outside the mountain gate.

He wore snow-white robes with a jade crown binding his hair and jade hanging from his waist. At this time, he looked almost no different from a hundred years later.

“Chief Seat Xie—from now on we should call you Sect Master Xie. Truly congratulations, congratulations.” Jianzheng stepped forward. Even with his words not matching his heart, he still had to congratulate a few times.

Xie Hongchen cupped his fists in salute and said: “Jianzheng is too kind. That Jianzheng has graced us with your presence today, Yuhu Xuanzong is truly honored…” Before he finished speaking, he suddenly completely froze.

—He had seen Huang Rang behind Di Yiqiu.

At that time, Huang Rang had already carefully dressed up for today’s tour.

Her forehead hair was braided into flowers, with the ends cascading down, loosely tied in three sections with pearl chains. On her forehead was painted a silver-white floral ornament, setting off her beautiful face like a lotus emerging from water. She wore light golden attire that made her skin appear white and translucent as jade, her waist slender and soft. When she walked, it was like a gentle breeze supporting a flower.

Xie Hongchen was someone accustomed to seeing beauty, but at that moment, it was as if someone had struck his heart with a fist.

—Sect Master Xie forgot his remaining words.

Seeing him say half a sentence then suddenly fall silent, Jianzheng naturally found it strange.

He followed Xie Hongchen’s gaze and saw that where his gaze adhered, Huang Rang stood with a graceful smile.

—Jianzheng could hardly believe his eyes. The legendary Xie Hongchen, young yet already widely renowned for virtue.

Who could have imagined this person was actually lustful to this extent?

Jianzheng frowned and reminded him with a sentence: “Sect Master Xie.”

His three icy cold words wanted to call back Xie Hongchen’s soul that had been hooked away.

“Ahem.” Xie Hongchen had just recovered his soul when Huang Rang gracefully stepped forward and offered Xie Hongchen a floating bow: “I greet Sect Master Xie.”

The soul that Sect Master Xie had just returned to its position floated and drifted away from his body again.

Jianzheng was filled with displeasure!