You Yuji rented a two-story painted boat, floating on the surface of Lianshui River.
She brought a few concubines along and stepped into the boat. Sitting sideways on a long bench beneath the window, she gazed outside. On one side, the sunset’s yellowish glow cast a warm hue, while on the other, the moon had already risen in the sky, its light reflecting on the shimmering water, accompanied by warm yellow river lanterns.
The soft, sticky tune of a water town ballad wafted from an unknown painted boat, accompanied by the lingering sound of a pipa. The winter night wind felt tender and affectionate because of the melodious singing.
From the riverbank came the occasional cries of vendors, the laughter of children playing, and sporadic bursts of fireworks, painting a serene and festive end-of-year scene.
Listening to the silk music, You Yuji lowered her eyes, watching the faintly swaying boat reflections on the rippling water, a smile tugging at her lips. Having experienced the ravages of war, such harmonious scenes always brought a sense of nostalgia. She just felt a bit regretful that her father couldn’t see this.
The singing from outside was indeed pleasant, and the people inside the boat remained silent for a while, quietly enjoying the folk song until it ended.
After a long while, Lin Yingying remarked, “That person sings really well.”
Cuiyu teased from the side, “Her voice is nice, but not as good as yours. Why don’t you sing a song too?”
“No, no,” Lin Yingying waved her hands repeatedly.
“Just one song, come on. You always enjoy singing anyway,” Cuiyu continued to encourage with a playful smile.
Lin Yingying looked at You Yuji, who gave a slight nod. Only then did Lin Yingying clear her throat, leaning against the small carved window, and sing a ballad. It wasn’t a famous song; the lyrics and tune were simple. She already had a pleasant voice, and her singing made it even more special. Her voice was soft and gentle, with a hint of ethereality.
Everyone in the boat, masters and servants alike, put down their tasks and immersed themselves in her song.
—Except Si Que.
He didn’t sit with the others, but alone inside, separated by an intricately carved wooden screen. The screen, perfumed with sandalwood, divided the boat into two. Though the carvings were dense, they didn’t obstruct the view; both sides could see each other.
He sat on the inner side of the screen, leisurely sipping a pot of West Lake Dragon Well tea.
In the swaying boat, under the beautiful moonlight, one should be drinking wine. But he had changed his preference and become a refined tea drinker.
The windows on both sides of the boat were open, and Lin Yingying’s singing floated out, drifting over the water. Perhaps it was an illusion, but the noise outside seemed to quiet down a bit.
“I’m done singing!” Lin Yingying smiled sweetly.
“I knew Yingying’s singing was better than that person’s!” Cuiyu said proudly, as if she were the one who had sung.
Lin Yingying didn’t modestly disagree, but simply smiled sweetly with her eyes bent.
Suddenly, a man’s voice came from outside—
“This singing is truly delightful, even more gentle than the Lianshui River. May I have the honor of meeting you?”
You Yuji looked up in surprise. Through the opposite window, she could only see a young man in a blue robe standing at the bow of a boat. Most of his figure was obscured, his appearance unclear. She could only see that he wore a long blue robe, with a folding fan and an ancient-style jade pendant hanging from his waist.
Lin Yingying was startled for a moment, then cursed, “Where did this bookworm come from?” and with a “bang,” shut the window beside her.
The small windows on both sides of the painted boat were close together. Although one window was shut, the others remained open. The scholar glanced inside through one of the open windows, his eyes lingering on the pink figure in the boat and on Lin Yingying’s chignon for a moment longer. He clasped his hands in a respectful gesture and apologized, “I was presumptuous.”
Not long after, the long pole dipped into the water, creating rhythmic splashes. The small boat carrying the scholar rowed away.
Lin Yingying, accustomed to such encounters, paid it no mind. She quickly dismissed the man from her thoughts and said with a cheerful smile, “Let’s play chupu1Chupu (樗蒲, Chūpú) is an ancient Chinese game that is somewhat similar to modern flying chess. The game is known as the Play of Five Wooden Dice (五木之戏, Wǔmù Zhī Xì) because it uses a set of five dice. !”
“Alright!” Cuiyu echoed enthusiastically.
Cuiyu then invited You Yuji, “Sister, join us! Let’s play together!”
You Yuji frowned slightly before replying, “I don’t know how to play this.”
Cuiyu’s smile froze immediately. Indeed, such things were not usually known by the mistress.
However, You Yuji then smiled and said, “You can teach me.”
“Yes, yes!” Lin Yingying clapped her hands, “Sister is smart; you’ll learn it in no time.”
Lin Yingying’s words were meant to be encouraging, but unexpectedly, You Yuji quickly grasped the game after their explanation and won several rounds in a row.
Si Que, lazily seated behind the wooden screen, kept his eyes on You Yuji.
Watching her frown while studying the game pieces, then learning how to play, and finally smiling joyfully when she won some money.
Sometimes, Si Que couldn’t understand You Yuji. She often seemed like a contradictory person to him.
His first impression of her was as an exceedingly beautiful girl from the grasslands, with eyes that seemed to have hooks, and exceptionally long legs when she wore riding attire. She would dance around the bonfire and defiantly race against the men of the grasslands. That year, her dance “Xun’e Yin” became famous across the land. Yet, Si Que thought the most beautiful dance she ever performed was the one she danced impromptu by the bonfire, with the silver bells on her anklet chiming pleasantly and her laughter even more so. That year, she seemed only fifteen or sixteen years old.
Later, during his time at the Jinnan Prince’s mansion, he realized how gentle she truly was. Quite different from what he had imagined.
One day she came to him, asking for a child.
She was still so bold, with the same courage she showed during hunts on the grasslands.
She was ruthless, claiming she didn’t care about Chen Anzhi, and she really showed no sign of emotion or sentiment. She seemed heartless, like a stone without feelings.
Yet she could also be so soft-hearted. If he showed a bit of pity, she would relent and back down, making her easy to deceive.
See, so contradictory.
Si Que couldn’t understand You Yuji’s contradictions and saw her as a mystery.
A mystery that kept drawing him closer, compelling him to spend more and more time trying to uncover her secrets.
Zhenxu entered the painted boat and refilled Si Que’s teapot. She walked gracefully out to the bow, where she saw Baohe and immediately looked distressed.
“Madam is playing chupu with a few concubines! Princess Que is sitting alone inside, gazing at Madam with deep affection!”
Baohe sighed, “It’s a pity that when Madam goes out, she always takes the concubines with her. Alone time! Alone time! We must think of a way to let Madam and Princess Que have some alone time together!”
The two whispered and plotted quietly.
Having made their plans, they entered the cabin only to find that You Yuji had already stopped playing chupu. She had moved around the wooden screen and was now sitting beside Si Que.
From behind the screen, Zhenxu and Baohe saw the two sitting closely together. They exchanged a satisfied glance and smiled.
Baohe cheerfully suggested, “Madam, and the concubines shouldn’t just enjoy the scenery from inside the boat; why not go out for a stroll? It’s very lively outside!”
You Yuji looked over and instructed, “If you want to go for a walk, you may. Zhenxu, have Zhuo Wen arrange the guards.”
“Aren’t you coming, Sister?” Chunxing asked softly.
“I’ll disembark a little later.”
Lin Yingying and Cuiyu, both restless by nature, immediately left the boat, happily wandering towards the riverbank. Chunxing, who originally didn’t want to leave, felt awkward seeing the two snuggled together on the other side of the screen and hurriedly took her maid to catch up with Cuiyu and Lin Yingying.
“Why aren’t you going?” Si Que rested his head on You Yuji’s lap, playing with her soft fingertips.
“Do you want to go?” You Yuji asked gently.
Si Que remained silent, his gaze fixed on You Yuji’s fingers, as if they were a toy captivating all his attention.
Some mischievous child from a nearby family jumped into the Lianshui River, splashing water everywhere, some of which entered through the open window. You Yuji instinctively bent over, shielding Si Que with her arms. The cool river water splashed onto her back.
She sat up and glanced back, frowning slightly.
She missed the fleeting malice in Si Que’s eyes. He really wanted to drown that child, but with You Yuji here, he couldn’t.
Si Que stood up and said, “Sister, let’s go upstairs and change clothes. This water is cold; you shouldn’t catch a chill.”
You Yuji nodded and went upstairs with him.
Upstairs, there was only one small window, which was closed. The noise from outside seemed more distant. There were sets of clothes prepared for You Yuji and the concubines, just in case, which now came in handy.
You Yuji sat sideways on a long bench, taking clothes from the chest. She was about to untie the sash at her waist when she looked up at Si Que. He stood by the closed window, playing with a shell wind chime, creating a crisp sound.
After hesitating slightly, You Yuji decided there was no need to avoid him and continued to change. Although she had brought a change of clothes, she didn’t have an extra chest wrap. After some hesitation, she removed the wet chest wrap and directly put on the inner and outer garments over her heart-cloth.
The clothes, though loose, couldn’t entirely cover her without the chest wrap.
You Yuji fastened her cloak, adjusted her collar, and smiled at Si Que, “Let’s go.”
Si Que glanced at her, smiled, and agreed, accompanying her off the painted boat.
Although You Yuji did not enjoy having to bind her ample chest daily, today, being unable to do so, she still carried herself with poise and confidence.
“Madam, there’s not much to do on this side of the riverbank. Why not take a small boat downstream? I hear it’s much livelier down there,” Baohe suggested.
“Would you like to go?” You Yuji asked Si Que gently.
“Yes,” Si Que responded, casting a subtle glance at the peculiar Baohe, wondering what the maid was up to.
Unlike the large, nearly stationary painted boat, many small boats were tied along the riverbank. These small boats had no boatmen and relied on the night wind and current to drift downstream to the bustling area.
Si Que stepped onto the wobbling small boat first, then reached out to help You Yuji. The boat rocked, and You Yuji swayed, with Si Que standing behind her, holding her waist.
Zhenxu hurriedly untied the rope securing the boat to the shore and gave it a push. The small boat began to move slowly.
The wind was mild tonight, and the small boats drifted downstream at a leisurely pace.
Zhenxu and Baohe stood on the painted boat’s bow, silently watching the small boat drift away.
Zhenxu asked again, “Baohe, are we doing the right thing?”
“Our Madam has had a hard life, married to such a person. Making her happy is a good thing!”
Zhenxu resolved for the hundred and eighth time, “Alright then. Let’s proceed to the next step!”
The drifting small boat was somewhat different from ordinary ones. Its simple cabin, made with a black canopy, was higher than usual, allowing people to stand inside, though it was very narrow. With two people inside, even turning around could lead to bumping into each other.
Feeling the boat’s motion, You Yuji carefully sat down on the long bench, holding onto Si Que’s wrist.
Si Que sat close beside her and asked, “Sister, what are your two maids up to?”
You Yuji took a piece of preserved fruit from a small box she had brought and fed it to Si Que. She smiled at him and said gently, “They probably misunderstand our relationship, thinking it odd, and are racking their brains to get us alone together.”
“Why do you go along with them if you’ve seen through it?” Si Que asked.
He despised such petty tricks. If anyone around him dared to act on their own like that, they would have long been thrown into the poison pool to feed the venomous spiders, scorpions, and snakes.
You Yuji picked up another piece of preserved fruit and ate it herself.
The preserved fruit was very sweet.
“What’s wrong with that?” You Yuji looked up and smiled at him gently. Some of the sticky powder from the fruit clung to her soft, rosy lips.
Si Que no longer paid attention to what she was saying, his gaze fixed on her lips.
He raised his hand, wiped the powder off her lips with his fingertip, but didn’t quite clean it all.
He looked at the white residue and said, “Sister, I want to eat.”
