“I’ll have one,” An Jiu said.
Chu Dingjiang was slightly surprised, and Mo Sigui looked at her with an odd expression.
An Jiu paused, then continued, “Or maybe not. I need to think carefully about this question.”
Mo Sigui rolled his eyes. “Tch, can you not speak with such dramatic pauses?”
“I speak with caution, unlike you,” An Jiu retorted.
“Hey, what’s that supposed to mean?” Mo Sigui rolled up his sleeves aggressively, but feeling Chu Dingjiang’s gaze upon him, he quickly picked up his chopsticks and put a piece of vegetable in his mouth.
Vegetables were common, but rare in winter. Mo Sigui, tired of eating meat every day, found the vegetable particularly refreshing. In an instant, he forgot his earlier displeasure and focused on eating.
With Mo Sigui quiet, the room became much more silent, though everyone was used to it.
Chu Dingjiang asked, “Why haven’t Miss Lou and Mr. Ling arrived?”
Sui Yunzhu replied, “Mr. Ling is accompanying Miss Lou back to the Lou estate for ancestral worship. They’ll be a bit late.”
“I see,” Chu Dingjiang said. “Tell the waiter to add more seats.”
When Chu Dingjiang booked the private room, he hadn’t told the restaurant how many people would come. So initially, only eight seats were set, with the rest placed against the wall for easy addition.
Drinks and appetizers were served first, and everyone drank while waiting for the others to arrive.
The room was silent.
Hua Rongjian couldn’t bear it anymore. “The wine is good, but is it fun drinking like this?”
Everyone paused their eating and drinking, looking at Hua Rongjian. The scene froze for a moment.
“Drinking should be lively to be fun,” Hua Rongjian said enthusiastically. “Why don’t we play a drinking game?”
“A drinking game?” An Jiu turned to look at Sheng Changying, who had the most extensive knowledge.
Sheng Changying explained, “According to books, drinking games are played while drinking, with various rules, but I’ve never seen one in person.”
“None of you know how to play?” Hua Rongjian was shocked that there were people in the world who didn’t know how to play drinking games.
“Since no one knows, let’s play a simple one,” Hua Rongjian said, placing a soup spoon on a porcelain plate. “We’ll spin the spoon, and whoever the handle points to must drink. If they don’t want to drink, they can recite a poem or find someone to drink for them.”
Everyone agreed, and Hua Rongjian began spinning the spoon.
He didn’t use much force, and after a few turns, the spoon slowly stopped, its handle pointing at An Jiu.
An Jiu raised her cup and drank it all.
Hua Rongjian was embarrassed but determined to try again. He used a bit of skill to turn the handle towards An Jiu again.
The others sat silently as An Jiu drank another cup.
Hua Rongjian, not believing his luck, spun it once more, and it pointed at An Jiu again.
Surprisingly, everyone’s reaction remained the same!
“What’s wrong with you people? Don’t you know how to liven things up?” Hua Rongjian said angrily.
Usually, when people see others being made to drink, they cheer and encourage, naturally livening up the atmosphere. Who knew these people would behave like this?
The drinking game was already very simple, and without the proper participation of the players, it became dull.
Just then, the door opened.
A tall, burly man led a young girl into the room.
Hua Rongjian’s gaze fixed on the man’s face, unable to look away for a long time. The man had already hidden the sharp edge that once led armies against enemies, becoming more profound, but Hua Rongjian would never forget that face. “General Ling!”
In the past, Ling Ziyue spent most of his time at the border, occasionally returning. When he did, he was either busy reporting to the emperor or spending time with his family, so he didn’t have much impression of young masters without official positions like Hua Rongjian.
As a famous general of the Great Song Dynasty, Ling Ziyue was the focus of public attention, and many people recognized him. Although he didn’t recognize Hua Rongjian, seeing him seated there, he assumed he must be trustworthy. So he didn’t deny it, “And this young sir is…?”
“My surname is Hua, given name Rongjian,” Hua Rongjian quickly stood up.
At that time, Minister Hua had already written a petition to plead for mercy but ultimately didn’t submit it. This showed that Minister Hua knew Ling Ziyue had been wronged and didn’t want him to come to harm. If he knew Ling Ziyue was alive, not only would he not pursue the matter, but he might even help clear his name. Chu Dingjiang knew this, which is why he didn’t hide it from Hua Rongjian.
Hua Rongjian stood up. “General, please sit here.”
The two seats added later could only be considered the lowest seats. His position wasn’t the highest, but it was much better than the lowest.
“No need for such formalities, Brother Hua, please sit,” Ling Ziyue said.
Hua Rongjian hurriedly said he wouldn’t dare. After all, Ling Ziyue was almost of the same generation as Minister Hua. How could Hua Rongjian dare to be called “brother” by him?
After sitting for a while, Lou Xiaowu came out of her melancholy and raised her cup to An Jiu, “Fourteen, it’s so good that you’ve woken up!”
“Thank you,” An Jiu raised her cup and drank it all.
Seeing so many familiar faces, An Jiu felt very happy, but this happiness was mixed with a hint of unavoidable desolation.
With Lou Xiaowu’s arrival, the atmosphere of the banquet became lively again, and An Jiu unknowingly drank a lot of wine.
Chu Dingjiang silently watched her the whole time.
Outside, the snow was getting heavier, but there was almost no wind. Goose feather-like snowflakes slowly swirled down from the sky, accumulating thickly on the lanterns.
Wei Yuzhi walked alone in the snow, wrapped in a thick black cloak, his hood completely covering his white hair.
Two rows of lantern walls lined both sides of the road. Wei Yuzhi walked slowly, looking carefully, treating each glance as if it were his last.
He stopped in front of a teahouse.
From the dark alley next to it, a large man quickly walked out and bowed beside him, “Sir.”
Wei Yuzhi opened his mouth, but cold air rushed into his throat, making him cough uncontrollably.
The large man saw a strand of white hair scattered on his shoulder and exclaimed in shock, “Has the sir’s condition worsened? Let’s go to Liao to find Doctor Ning!”
“Don’t you know whose man Doctor Ning is?” Wei Yuzhi asked indifferently.
“But…”
Wei Yuzhi interrupted him, “Now it’s Divine Doctor Mo who’s treating me.”
“Really!” The large man said happily.
“Don’t spread this news for now,” Wei Yuzhi took a breath and continued, “including to Mei Ruyan.”
“Yes,” the large man answered solemnly.
Wei Yuzhi said, “Wait for me peacefully at the estate.”
The large man hesitated for a moment, “How about I stay close to protect you, sir?”
Wei Yuzhi turned his head slightly, his faint gaze falling on the man, who quickly lowered his head, “I’ll follow your orders, sir.”
With that, he disappeared into the crowd.
In the endless flow of people, their conversation wasn’t long, and they quickly parted ways without drawing any attention.
Wei Yuzhi heard the sound of gongs and drums ahead and continued walking forward.
He stood in the middle of the road and looked over. The crowd was dense, and a puppet show was being performed on the stage. One of the puppets in luxurious robes was pacing on the stage, and someone was singing: “Morning clouds scatter blue silk strands, tower pavilions fade in spring’s embrace. Willows weep, flowers lament. Nine streets heavy with mud swallows fly late beyond the gate. Now bright sun illuminates golden chambers, spring colors bloom on peach branches…”
Wei Yuzhi sensed a familiar person getting closer. He turned to look, his gaze passing through layers of silhouettes, meeting another gaze head-on.
The singing continued: “Unlike that time. Small tower in the rain, hidden sorrows known to two.”
An Jiu saw Wei Yuzhi standing among the crowd from afar, and her heart skipped a beat. The lyrics that had been background noise suddenly became crystal clear in her ears.
She knew this was how Wei Yuzhi felt.
“What does the song on stage mean?” An Jiu murmured.
Sheng Changying, standing beside her, heard and explained, “The lyrics tell a story about Emperor Wu of Han hiding his beloved in a golden chamber. It generally expresses that the woman once loved is now hidden away by someone else in a golden chamber.”
Among the crowd, Chu Dingjiang accurately found the end point of An Jiu’s gaze and unconsciously tightened his grip on her hand.
An Jiu came back to her senses and pointed at the fried snacks nearby. “I want to eat. Buy some.”
Chu Dingjiang took out money without a word.
Before the vendor could wrap up the snacks, her gaze was attracted by the dragon’s beard candy next door. She tugged on Chu Dingjiang’s sleeve, “Buy.”
Chu Dingjiang continued to take out money, not even asking the price, just tossing silver ingots one after another.
After getting the fried snacks and dragon’s beard candy, An Jiu first pinched one of each and put it in her mouth. The sweetness made her squint her eyes, and she then picked up another to feed Chu Dingjiang.
As they ate and walked, before they had gone ten steps, An Jiu saw sugar figurines ahead and tugged on Chu Dingjiang’s sleeve again, “Buy.”
Zhu Pianpian covered her heart, “Such hard-earned money… I can’t bear to watch. Husband, please take me back.”
Sheng Changying asked Sui Yunzhu to inform Chu Dingjiang, then supported Zhu Pianpian while shielding her from potential collisions. “They only spend this much money once a year, it’s not too much. Would you like to buy some to try, my lady?”
“Ah!” Zhu Pianpian said with heartache, “How come I didn’t see how wasteful you were before I married you!”
Sheng Changying hurriedly comforted her, “I grew up in a place where we didn’t need to spend money, so I don’t understand these things well. From now on, I’ll let you manage all the money, and I’ll listen to whatever you say.”
Hearing him say this, Zhu Pianpian looked up and saw the heavy dark circles under his eyes. She hugged his arm, feeling distressed, and her attitude immediately softened, “Husband, don’t work so hard in the future. Spending money is a small matter, we can’t let it wear you out.”
Sheng Changying blushed slightly and said softly, “I used to think my life was too bitter, but now I think I must have suffered even more in my past lives to be blessed enough to marry you in this one.”
Mo Sigui, hearing their voices getting farther away, couldn’t help but click his tongue, “I thought Changying was a simpleton, but it turns out he’s quite the fox.”
Sui Yunzhu laughed, “In a place like the Crane Control Bureau, being just a good person isn’t enough to make everyone like you.”
“Huh, where did they go?” Mo Sigui craned his neck to look around, realizing they had lost sight of the glutton who couldn’t move when she saw food.
Sui Yunzhu said, “It doesn’t matter, the master is with her.”
“Tch, I’m not worried about her,” Mo Sigui smacked his lips. “She drank so much just now, I just wanted to follow and see if anything interesting happens.”
An Jiu’s drinking behavior wasn’t very good. When drunk, she became a complete madwoman, creating quite a spectacle.
However, although Mo Sigui said this, it wasn’t truly out of boredom. He was curious because this time, An Jiu clearly showed signs of intoxication but showed no signs of going crazy. He wanted to study if it had anything to do with Wei Yuzhi’s heart blood.
Chu Dingjiang and An Jiu had already reached a noodle stall and were about to sit down when a man in black approached, “Master.”
Chu Dingjiang didn’t turn around and said coldly, “Leave.”
The man in black was Su, who had once followed Chu Dingjiang but then turned against him for a woman.
Su said, “I have urgent matters, otherwise I wouldn’t want to see you again.”
The noodles weren’t ready yet. An Jiu stood up and said, “I’m going to buy chestnut cakes from across the street to take back.”
Chu Dingjiang could see a chestnut cake vendor about a hundred paces ahead, so he nodded, “Go ahead.”
An Jiu took a bag of silver and went over.
Su glanced at An Jiu, then sat down opposite Chu Dingjiang. He took out a letter from his bosom, placed it on the table, and said in a low voice, “This is a letter from the master to you, sir.”
Chu Dingjiang raised an eyebrow but didn’t reach out to take it.
Now, the only person Su would call “master” was the current emperor.
“I don’t know what’s written in the letter, but I think the master intends to invite you back,” Su said with complex emotions. Ever since he returned to the palace with the token Chu Dingjiang gave him, the emperor had directly put him in charge of the new Crane Control Army. He now held a high position, but the more he achieved, the clearer the image of that woman became in his mind.
Chu Dingjiang didn’t look at him, his gaze constantly following a figure in the crowd.
An Jiu, hugging her silver bag, walked briskly towards the chestnut cakes, her mood becoming cheerful as she smelled the faint sweet aroma in the air.
She rushed to the stall and lowered her head to take out a piece of silver.
“Boss, chestnut cakes.”
“Boss, chestnut cakes.”
Another gentle male voice sounded simultaneously.
An Jiu turned her head in surprise and saw the other person also turning.
Their eyes met, and Wei Yuzhi nodded slightly.
An Jiu nodded randomly, stuffing the silver to the vendor, “I want a lot.”
“Five taels of silver can buy ten catties. Does the miss want that much?” the vendor asked.
An Jiu nodded, pointing at Wei Yuzhi, “Give half to him.”
“Alright,” the vendor quickly wrapped up the chestnut cakes and put them in a basket. “Since the miss bought so much, I’ll give you this basket for free.”
Wei Yuzhi had originally come to buy a few pieces, reminded of eating chestnut cakes in his childhood, but now found himself with an armful.
The chestnut cakes were still warm, their heat penetrating his thick clothes to touch his heart.
An Jiu was craning her neck, waiting for the vendor to put the wrapped chestnut cakes into the basket.
She hadn’t brought an umbrella, and the large snowflakes fell on her black hair, quickly forming a thin layer. The orange-red light from the surrounding lanterns reflected on her face, giving her whole person a warm glow.
In the distance.
Chu Dingjiang put away the letter and said, “Go back. I’ve decided to live in seclusion and not concern myself with worldly affairs.”
Su said, “He Cai died for you. I think I’ll never be able to let it go in my lifetime, and I don’t want to see you again as long as I live. But I still want to say, that the current emperor is a wise ruler.”
When he wanted to say more, the person in front of him was already gone.
A slight breeze stirred on the street, disturbing the curtain of snow. No one noticed anything unusual.
An Jiu noticed Wei Yuzhi’s gaze and turned to look at him. “Why are you staring at me?”
Wei Yuzhi wanted to use his mental power to brush away the snow on her head, but he sensed a powerful force rapidly approaching. In the blink of an eye, a tall figure appeared behind her and opened an umbrella over her head.
An Jiu didn’t need to turn around to know that Chu Dingjiang had arrived.
Wei Yuzhi nodded slightly to Chu Dingjiang and then said, “Thank you for the chestnut cake, Fourteenth Brother.”
An Jiu waved her hand somewhat guiltily. Chu Dingjiang raised his hand to brush off the snow on her head and then took the basket handed over by the vendor.
Throughout the entire interaction, he didn’t say a word, but his imposing presence spoke volumes.
As they walked back, An Jiu spoke up, “I gave him half of the chestnut cake.”
“Mm,” Chu Dingjiang responded.
“Are you angry?” An Jiu asked.