“Do you not know, little cousin?”
Seeing Xie Tao’s astonished face, Qi Ji shook his head with a smile, sighing, “Imperial Historian Sun had already requested permission from His Majesty several days ago.”
Holding a teacup, Xie Tao lowered her eyes and remained silent for a long while.
Seeing her like this, Qi Ji felt even more certain about something. He always paid attention to the changes in her expression, and after a moment, he slowly said, “But Yanchen refused.”
Indeed, upon hearing his words, Xie Tao looked up at him again.
“Really?”
Xie Tao’s eyes brightened, but she seemed to ponder for a moment, then hurriedly asked, “Then, if he refused, was the Emperor angry?”
“Don’t worry, His Majesty did not get angry. After all, Yanchen is also an Imperial Advisor, deeply relied upon; how could His Majesty punish him over this?” Qi Ji sipped his tea, speaking slowly.
However, a moment later, he glanced at the young girl sitting opposite him and suddenly said, “It’s just a pity for Miss Sun’s devoted love for Yanchen. I heard that she had begged Imperial Historian Sun for a long time, and he finally thickened his skin to seek this marriage for his legitimate daughter… It turned out to be unrequited love, alas…”
“Miss Sun also has a beauty that could shame the moon and flowers, but this incident has turned her into a laughingstock among the people of Ying city.”
Hearing this, Xie Tao just pursed her lips without speaking.
“You seem to be overly concerned about Yanchen’s marriage,” Qi Ji suddenly said again.
Xie Tao met his smiling eyes, her fingers tapping on the cup’s rim, unsure of what exactly she should say.
“Now that Yanchen is twenty-two, it’s the age to get married. Even if Miss Sun is gone, tomorrow there will be a Miss Wang, Miss Li… He might not like this one, but he will eventually meet someone he likes, right?”
As he spoke, Qi Ji touched his chin, “It’s not impossible to meet several people he likes one after another…”
“He would not!”
Xie Tao instinctively retorted.
Qi Ji, supporting his chin with one hand, looked at her with a smile, “Why would you say that, little cousin?”
He continued, “It’s very common for a man to have three wives and four concubines.”
Xie Tao glared at him, no longer speaking.
Qi Ji watched the young girl sitting across from him puff up in anger, obviously upset by his words. He chuckled and then hurriedly said, “You mustn’t get angry with me, little cousin,”
He handed her a sugar cake wrapped in leather paper from a leather pouch tied to his belt, “I was just joking, teasing you.”
Xie Tao looked at the thing he handed over, hesitating to accept it.
“If you don’t eat it, you’ll regret it. This sugar cake is very rare; apart from the kitchen of my Nanping Marquis’s residence, you can’t find it anywhere else in the world.” Qi Ji unfolded the leather paper a bit, revealing half of a sugar-coated cake.
The icing was like fine snowflakes, lightly scattered over a thin pancake with a golden-brown exterior, topped with white sesame seeds.
It seemed… to smell nice?
Xie Tao hesitated for a moment.
In the end, she couldn’t resist the temptation and reached out to take it.
She took a bite, the exterior was crispy, and the inside tasted of sweet osmanthus honey, with another sweet, refreshing flavor she couldn’t name, mixed with the sour-sweet taste of fruit syrup inside, and the fine icing sugar and fragrant sesame seeds on the outside, sweet but not greasy.
A look of surprise flashed in Xie Tao’s eyes.
“How is it?” Qi Ji asked with a smile, watching her.
Biting into the pancake, Xie Tao’s voice was a bit muffled, “Delicious…”
Hearing this, Qi Ji’s eyes slightly lifted with pride, “The gourmets of Yingdu are not famous for nothing. The food I have tasted, it has to be genuinely delicious.”
As the heir of the Marquis of Nanping’s household, he lived like a carefree playboy.
It was well known in Yingdu that the Marquis of Nanping’s heir, though talented in literature and art, was indifferent to fame and devoted to pleasure.
Yet, he enjoyed being such a playboy.
“Cousin, coming from Yecheng, do you know of any delicacies there?” Qi Ji began to inquire from Xie Tao.
Xie Tao paused, crumbs at her mouth, and after a moment, suddenly placed the half-eaten pancake on the table, then turned and ran into the inner room.
Qi Ji was puzzled, but soon saw her run out again.
Holding two boxes in her arms.
Those were gifts Xie Tao had brought for Qi Ji on New Year’s Eve, something she almost forgot due to not visiting for many days.
Now, Xie Tao placed the two boxes on the table and pushed them towards Qi Ji.
“Is this for me?”
Qi Ji pointed to himself.
Xie Tao nodded, “This is a New Year’s gift, I should have given it to you earlier, but…”
She scratched her head and pursed her lips, mumbling, “Anyway, it was delayed.”
Hearing “New Year’s gift,” Qi Ji’s usually gentle eyes showed a hint of surprise.
He had only met this cousin twice till today, yet he hadn’t expected her to prepare such a gift for him.
Curiosity grew in him, and Qi Ji immediately opened one of the boxes.
Inside, he saw rows of neatly tied squares, wrapped in kraft paper and bound with string.
He recognized the familiar scent.
His eyes lit up, and he unwrapped one to find the crispy candy he had once snatched from Wei Yun’s hands.
Holding the candy, Qi Ji seemed to ponder for a moment. When he looked up at Xie Tao again, his expression was more meaningful, “Did you make this crispy candy?”
Xie Tao took a bite of the pancake on the table and nodded.
With her affirmative answer, Qi Ji held the candy for a moment, then suddenly laughed, his ink-black pupils shining with a clear light.
Well, Wei Yanchen, you’ve been up to the task of hiding a beauty in a golden house!
“Little cousin,”
Qi Ji bit into the crispy candy, his eyebrows and eyes relaxing, then suddenly asked, “Do you like Yanchen?”
This sudden question made Xie Tao choke, coughing for a while.
Outside the wide-open door, it was still raining.
Sound after sound of light rain, hitting under the eaves, falling into the pond that reflects the distant sky.
Inside the house, Qi Ji looks at the girl who coughed up tears for a long while, and poured her another cup of hot tea.
When Xie Tao’s fingertips touched the teacup, the temperature of the cup wall scalded her fingers slightly.
Before Xie Tao could speak, Qi Ji himself curved his lips slightly, “It seems this is indeed correct.”
Qi Ji does not know the true identity of this suddenly appeared “cousin,” but encountering Wei Yanchen might not be a good thing for her.
Yet at the same time, Qi Ji is very clear that for Wei Yanchen, meeting such a girl might be his fortune.
Wei Yanchen carries too much, hides too much.
He is in purgatory, half of his life never freed.
Qi Ji once thought he was naturally cold-hearted, and the world’s romance, through thousands of miles, seemed in his eyes, nothing but a barren snowfield.
And the reason Qi Ji considers him a friend,
Is just because, even if he can no longer feel the eagerness of life, the warmth of the world, he still adheres to his own principles.
He actually, also holds true sincerity.
But this sincerity, is his initial heart, protected with difficulty over countless people’s blood and bones, which is far from kindness.
Wei Yun is never absolutely a good person.
He never exploits the truly innocent.
But those who do evil, he never lets go, never shows mercy.
He has always been so decisive.
Qi Ji originally thought, according to Wei Yun’s character, perhaps he would be destined to be alone for life.
But unexpectedly, such a seemingly innocent and harmless little girl appeared beside him.
But when Qi Ji is now staring at this little girl, he suddenly feels, everything seems to be within reason.
One is dyed by worldly affairs, covered in wounds, black.
The other is like the snow, clear and translucent, white.
Wei Yun’s years of suffering, perhaps only such a pure enough girl can dissolve.
She doesn’t need to be cunning, strategizing to be his so-called help beside him.
She just needs to be a simple enough girl, and that is already very good.
Like the flickering warm light by the desk, longing.
Like the sky light falling in the courtyard, scattering inch by inch of light and shadow.
Like a cup of tea in the deep night of winter, warm at the fingertips, emitting swirling steam.
Why is it her?
At this moment, as Qi Ji looks at the girl nibbling on a sugar cake, he already understands.
“Having seen each other twice now, I have yet to ask for my cousin’s name?” Seeing her bury her head in nibbling the sugar cake, Qi Ji no longer dwells on the previous topic, and simply asks with a smile.
“Xie Tao,” she answers softly.
Upon hearing this name, Qi Ji lightly raises an eyebrow, “It’s a good name.”
People are simple, and her name is as simple as she is.
“Qi Mingxu.”
At that moment, Wei Yun’s voice suddenly came from outside the door.
It sounded somewhat displeased, with a hint of coldness.
Upon hearing this, Qi Ji turned his head and saw Wei Yun stepping inside.
The dark cloak he was wearing had been soaked by the increasing rain, with water dripping from its edges, and his long hair spread behind him was inevitably moistened by the rain blown under the umbrella.
“Wei Yun!” Upon seeing Wei Yun, Xie Tao put the sugar cake she had been nibbling on, now only a small piece left, on the parchment paper on the table, then stood up and ran towards him.
Qi Ji saw this scene and instantly raised his eyebrows.
Wei Yun saw Xie Tao running over to pull his sleeve and reached out, his fingertip touching her forehead, making her stop there, keeping a distance of an arm’s length between them.
“I’m carrying a chill on me,” he briefly explained.
Then he coldly glanced at Qi Ji, who was sitting there, slowly walked to the screen, untied the band at his neckline, and draped the cloak directly over the screen.
“You’re gentle with cousin Tao Tao, why treat me with such an attitude?” Qi Ji, eating a crisp sugar piece, sighed.
Hearing this, Wei Yun turned around, looked at him with a strangely peculiar expression, “What did you call her?”
Qi Ji responded frankly, “Since we are good friends, and Tao Tao is your cousin, naturally, she is also my cousin.”
Wei Yun’s eyes, cool and clear, narrowed slightly at his words.
“…”
Xie Tao felt the atmosphere in the room was strangely awkward; she silently walked over, sat down, and continued to nibble on her cake.
Wei Yun noticed the two boxes of crisp sugar in front of Qi Ji and before he could say anything, Qi Ji, noticing his gaze, quickly closed the box with a snap and then moved it in front of himself.
“Wei Yanchen, these were all gifts from cousin Tao Tao,” he said, as if on guard.
Then, he simply stood up with the box in his arms, not forgetting to take his jade bone fan from the table, “It’s getting late; I must return to the mansion for lunch. The food at your Imperial Advisor’s mansion is truly hard to swallow,”
Saying this, he looked at Xie Tao, smiled at her, “Cousin Tao Tao, next time I come, I’ll take you to enjoy the family feast at my marquis mansion.”
As his words fell, he saw Wei Yun’s gaze sweeping over, so he couldn’t help but lift his lips again, only saying “Farewell” before turning and heading out.
Wei Jing, who was guarding outside, saw Qi Ji coming out and immediately took the paper umbrella resting on the railing to open it, “My lord, let me see you out.”
Qi Ji nodded, looked back into the study, always with a gentle smile on his lips.
“Let’s go.” He said, then stepped down the stone steps.
After Qi Ji left, Wei Yun, turning his head and lowering his eyes, saw the remnants of sugar frosting on the girl’s mouth. He took out a silk handkerchief and reached out to wipe it off for her.
Xie Tao obediently sat there, her eyes never leaving Wei Yun in front of her.
Until Wei Bo hurriedly came through the rain, standing outside and said, “Sir, Princess Heyu has sent an invitation, inviting the young miss to join the poetry gathering in the Plum Garden the day after tomorrow.”
Hearing this, Wei Yun withdrew his hand, casually placed the silk handkerchief on the table, then looked up towards Wei Bo outside the door, and directly said, “Decline it.”
“Tell the messenger directly that the young miss’s old illness has relapsed, and she is currently bedridden and recuperating, not fit to travel.”
Wei Bo immediately bowed, “Yes.”
Then he turned around and rushed back into the rain.
“Princess?”
That’s the emperor’s daughter, a real princess.
“She is the fourth daughter born to the current Emperor, known throughout the Great Zhou for her exceptional poetry and beauty,” Wei Yun explained.
Poetry and beauty both outstanding?
Xie Tao nodded, then looked at him again, “So, she’s not only great at writing poetry but also very beautiful?”
Wei Yun did not refute.
Xie Tao looked at him for a while, then suddenly asked him, “Have you seen her?”
“Only a few times,” Wei Yun answered briefly.
“Why does she want to invite me to attend a poetry meeting? I can’t even write poetry…” Xie Tao asked in confusion.
Even memorizing poetry was difficult for her, not to mention writing it.
“Perhaps out of curiosity, or maybe there are other motives as well.”
Wei Yun brought the tea cup to his lips, took a light sip, and then said, “Regardless, you don’t have to go.”
From the beginning, he never intended to let her get involved in these complicated matters, so he tried his best to keep her away from such occasions.
“I’m actually quite curious about what this princess looks like…” Xie Tao said, supporting her chin with one hand.
She had never seen a real princess.
Especially one rumored to be exceptionally beautiful and talented.
But that was just something she said in passing.
Ever since the last Lantern Festival, she no longer mentioned going out.
No matter how tumultuous it was outside, he would unhesitatingly block it for her, never allowing her to fall into the same whirlpool as him.
Xie Tao’s world, although sometimes difficult, didn’t involve the life-threatening deceit present here.
She understood his difficult situation and didn’t want him to suffer losses because of her.
So, she decided to curb all her curiosity about the world and just focus on him.
These were thoughts Xie Tao kept to herself, never sharing with him.
When Wei Yun heard her words and turned to look at her, a smile that wasn’t quite a smile appeared in his eyes. His fingers gently tapped on her forehead, “No matter how beautiful the exterior, it will all turn into bones in a hundred years. What’s there to be curious about?”
Upon hearing his words, Xie Tao shook her head.
Wasn’t he the type who was “beautiful but unaware of it”?
“Only beautiful people are qualified to say such things. Those of us who are not as attractive dare not speak like this.” Xie Tao took a piece of pastry and fed it to herself.
But Wei Yun suddenly grabbed her wrist.
With his other hand, he pinched her chin, and in the moment Xie Tao was stunned, he had already taken a good look at her. After a moment of contemplation, he finally came to a conclusion:
“How are you ugly?”
Just a simple four-word question instantly made Xie Tao’s cheeks flush. Her eyes blinked, and despite trying to hold back, the corners of her mouth couldn’t help but turn up.
He was complimenting me for being beautiful…
That was all she could think about at that moment.
Now, it was noon.
The rain outside the eaves seemed to finally show a tendency to stop, and at this moment, the girl being pinched by the chin was gradually enveloped in golden light, her body seemingly covered in a faint golden luster, shimmering inch by inch.
It was time to part again.
For a moment, the two sat opposite each other, yet both were silent.
“Wei Yun…”
The girl murmured softly, the reluctance clear in her eyes.
Finally, she hugged him, leaning on his chest, and softly said, “Goodbye.”
Her delicate and soft voice seemed to linger in his ears, but his arms were empty, no longer holding her figure.
As if she had never existed in this world at this moment.
Like a dream from which one cannot awaken,
What separated him from her was the vast expanse of dreams and reality, a thousand miles of mortal dust.
