As they passed through the waist-high waves of wheat, the group arrived at the entrance of the estate. The steward of the estate, Liu Song, had received news of the Marquis’s visit and was already standing at the gate with the servants to greet them. While directing the servants to carry the luggage into the house, Xiaodu pointed to Luo Yuan and said, “Arrange for him to stay in the farmhouse at the back.”
Liu Song could tell from Xiaodu’s demeanor that Luo Yuan was not a distinguished guest, so he casually instructed a servant to lead him. However, Luo Yuan didn’t mind and respectfully bowed to Liu Song, saying, “I’ll trouble you with the arrangements, Manager Liu.” As he passed by Yuanye, his steps paused momentarily, and he turned his head to give her a courteous smile. Yuanye nodded back politely.
Xiaodu found this scene annoying and promptly took Yuanye’s hand, leading her inside as he said, “Are you hungry, my lady? Let’s have some food.”
Yuanye felt embarrassed to have her hand held so publicly by Xiaodu, but when she tried to pull away, she received a warning glare from him and reluctantly let him lead her.
Seeing this, Xianxian followed behind with a happy smile. Liu Song had already prepared a large table of food in the courtyard. Though it was just simple country fare, not as exquisite as what they were used to at the Marquis’s estate, everyone found it quite delicious.
After the meal, Xianxian suggested going to the orchard to pick peaches. Yuanye hadn’t fully recovered from the swaying of the boat and sat under a tree in a daze while the others went ahead. Seeing her in a daze, Xiaodu decided to join her. He lifted a ripe peach from a nearby tree and tossed it to her. Startled, she almost dropped it but managed to catch it. Looking up, she saw Xiaodu standing under the peach tree with a mischievous smile, the sunlight making him look exceptionally dazzling. Yuanye didn’t know why, but she felt her face flush again. Fortunately, Xianxian bounced over and said, “Brother picked this peach especially for you. Is it sweet?” Yuanye shyly took a bite and nodded, “Very sweet.”
Xianxian laughed and dragged Xiaodu and the servants to pick more peaches until they had filled a basket. In high spirits, she suggested going to the stream to catch fish. So the group made their way through the orchard to the stream. The clear water sparkled as colorful fish darted about. Xianxian eagerly called out, “Brother, hurry up! Let’s catch fish with Sister-in-law.” They left the servants to guard the basket and rolled up their sleeves, splashing around in the water. Xiaodu also rolled up his trousers and stood in the sparkling stream. He reached out his hand to Yuanye and said, “Come on in, the water’s clear.”
Yuanye hesitated, saying, “I don’t know how to.”
Xianxian splashed water around and said, “Let Brother teach you. He’s good at catching fish.”
Yuanye tentatively rolled up her trousers and sleeves and entered the stream. But she soon became disheartened when she realized that, despite the fish swimming around her feet, she couldn’t catch any. As she furrowed her brow, trying to figure out how to deal with the fish, something warm suddenly appeared beside her. Xiaodu had approached her from behind, saying, “Let me teach you.” Startled, Yuanye slipped and fell backward, but before she hit the water, she was caught in a warm embrace. Xiaodu’s hands were unintentionally wrapped around her waist. Flustered, Yuanye said, “I’m a little tired. You go ahead and fish. I’ll rest here.”
She quickly ran to the shore, wiped her slightly damp trousers, and sat on the soft grass. She let the warm sunshine on her, feeling a sudden sense of happiness. Not far away, Xiaoxian suddenly walked to Xiaodu’s side and said something to him, looking over at Yuanye with a mischievous smile. Yuanye suddenly felt a sense of foreboding. She remembered the purpose of her trip and felt flustered. She quickly grabbed a peach and stuffed it into her mouth, pretending to focus on eating, not daring to look in their direction.
Xiaodu, however, sat down next to her on the shore. He looked her up and down with a smile before saying, “Xianxian just told me that you want to share a room with me tonight.”
Yuanye, with a peach in her mouth, didn’t know whether to swallow or spit it out. Her face turned red, and she couldn’t speak. Xiaodu leaned closer, teasingly asking, “Is it true?”
元夕 kept her head down, coughing incessantly, her face flushed red. But thinking of how Nanny Li had gone to great lengths for her, she reluctantly made up her mind, closed her eyes, and nodded. Then, she felt so ashamed and embarrassed that she wished she could dig a hole and hide in it. Xiaodu grinned even wider, gently taking the half-eaten peach from her hand and whispered in her ear, “Alright, I’ll come tonight.”
A strange sensation seemed to grip Yuanye’s heart, tingling and warm. Meanwhile, Xiaodu had already taken the half-eaten peach from her hand and popped it into his mouth before jumping into the river to catch fish. Yuanye, however, lost all interest in watching. Her heart was restless and uneasy, hoping for the sun to set slowly.
And so, they continued until the sun dipped low, and the evening sky was painted with hues of red. Only then did they finish their fishing, and the servants packed up the fish and several baskets of peaches, heading back to the estate. As Yuanye and Xiaoxian entered, several maids hurried to greet them, leading them inside to change clothes.
As Yuanye passed by Yunnv, who was still sitting under the tree lost in thought, she suddenly felt something amiss. Turning her head abruptly, she found Yunnv’s sharp gaze fixed on her. Her heart skipped a beat, but upon closer inspection, Yunnv still wore the same absent-minded expression, gazing into the distance. Yuanye felt puzzled: perhaps she was just tired from today’s journey, causing her vision to blur.
After changing her clothes, Yuanye emerged to find Xiaodu already dressed in a dark green robe, urging the kitchen to prepare the freshly caught fish. Behind him, with twilight settling in and the sky painted with a faint glow, smoke began to rise from the village. Yuanye suddenly felt a faint sense of contentment. Would she and Xiaodu be happier living a simple, ordinary life in this village, far from the intrigues and schemes of the Marquis’s estate? She couldn’t help but find it amusing. After all, she was neither capable nor qualified to envy others.
As the sky grew dark, the servants swiftly set the table, and Yuanye, preoccupied with thoughts of the evening ahead, dared not look up at Xiaodu, focusing instead on her food. Suddenly, she found an extra piece of fat fish belly in her bowl. Before she could react, Xiaodu’s teasing face was already close to hers as he whispered in her ear, “Eat more, you’ll need your strength tonight.” Yuanye knew he was teasing her deliberately, but she couldn’t help blushing. Xiaoxian, beside her, didn’t understand what was happening but looked very pleased, thinking her plan for the day was about to be fulfilled.
Finally finishing the meal, they saw a figure approaching in the twilight, dressed in plain blue robes and with an air of calmness. It was Luo Yuan. He walked to the table and bowed to Xiaodu, saying, “Marquis, I have been waiting for you all day. May I have a word?”
Xiaodu, impatient, glanced at him and was about to refuse when Yuanye whispered, “I was just thinking of asking Manager Liu about the estate’s accounts. If the Marquis has something to attend to, please go ahead.” Xiaodu felt even more disgruntled, but seeing Luo Yuan standing there, seemingly unwilling to leave, he decided to dismiss him first and deal with him later. He lifted his robe and stood up, turning to Yuanye, “I’ll be back soon.”
The two walked to a farmhouse behind the courtyard. Inside, the room was simple but tidy, with an unfinished chess game set up on the table, adding a touch of elegance to the rustic farmhouse. Xiaodu couldn’t help but sneer, “You’ve been waiting for me all day just to play chess?”
Luo Yuan smiled, neither confirming nor denying it. “I wonder if the Marquis would indulge me.” Xiaodu casually glanced at the chessboard. “What’s the point of continuing when your pieces are already doomed?”
But Luo Yuan shook his head with a smile. “What if I told you there’s still a chance for these black pieces?” Xiaodu’s interest was piqued, and he let Luo Yuan play the black pieces in their game. They played until the moon reached its zenith, and only then did Luo Yuan look up and say, “Marquis, you’ve lost.”
Xiaodu’s face darkened. The black pieces were surrounded with no way out. How did Luo Yuan manage to turn the tables?
As if reading Xiaodu’s thoughts, Luo Yuan put down his final piece and looked at him seriously. “The principle is simple. As long as one believes in victory, there is always a way out.”
Xiaodu glanced at him, casually dropping the chess piece in his hand. “What else do you have to say, Luo?”
Standing up, Luo Yuan said earnestly, “I just want to tell the Marquis that while the Xia and imperial powers may constrain the Xiaodu army, only through struggle can there be hope.”
“Daring!” Xiaodu slammed the table in anger, “Who gave you the right to speak like this? Your words earlier are worth a thousand deaths!”
But Luo Yuan remained undaunted, staring straight at him. “My life is inconsequential, but does the Marquis want to see the Xiaodu army gradually fall into the hands of the Xia family, or even witness another tragedy like the Pingdu Pass?”
“That’s enough!” Xiaodu stood up in anger and walked to the door. “As long as I’m alive, the Xiaodu army will never fall into their hands.” He turned back, his expression indifferent once more, and smiled, “Forget what was said today. Remember your place, Luo, and don’t make things difficult for me. I have to get back now; after all, I have a lovely wife waiting for me.”
Watching Xiaodu leave, Luo Yuan couldn’t help but smile wryly.
On the other side, in Yuanye’s room, Anhe and Rongqiao had already been instructed by Nanny Li to help her wash up and leave early. Yuanye was extremely nervous and felt a bit exhausted. She lay on the bed, fully absorbed in her thoughts, feeling her eyelids grow heavier and heavier, almost tempted to fall asleep right then and there.
Suddenly, there was a rustling sound at the door. Yuanye’s heart skipped a beat, knowing that the moment she had been dreading had finally arrived. She anxiously turned inward, but to her surprise, despite the noise, no one entered. Yuanye found it strange; had Anhe accidentally locked the door? She was about to sit up and check when a wave of dizziness washed over her.
Then she noticed a pair of eyes on the paper screen, and it wasn’t Xiaodu’s!