“Great!” Yan Ziyan happily said: “We have a fruit called coconut in Guangnan that would be perfect.”
Not shy at all. Xu Wan Zhi agreed: “I’ll ask Qu Xiao Jue if the Qu family’s pastry chef can make it.”
“Hurry, I want to eat it now.”
Xu Wan Zhi shook his head, smiling as he left her room. A few steps from the courtyard gate, he noticed Qu Yao silently following him. He turned and asked: “Something wrong?”
Qu Yao bowed deeply: “I offended you last night. Please punish me, master.”
He quietly looked at her lowered head. Qu Yao, though a servant with a high status in the Qu family, was always cold to everyone except Qu Xiao Jue. Now, she was bowing because of his identity as Qu Xiao Jue’s “husband”…
He had used his identity to pressure her last night, angry about her using force against him, but understanding she was trying to save Yan Six. He found her current serious request for punishment both amusing and complicated.
Xu Wan Zhi, adjusting his sleeve, laughed: “Your punishment is to take good care of Yan Six. Your monthly salary for half a month will go to the kitchen as dessert money. How’s that?”
“…Understood.”
Since the last incident, Qing Yu always followed him when he went out without Qu Xiao Jue. Xu Wan Zhi didn’t want to go to the kitchen and cause a scene, so he ordered Qing Yu to go instead. Obedient to his master’s command, Qing Yu agreed.
Walking back, Xu Wan Zhi suddenly stopped, turned towards Qu Xiao Jue’s study. The door was open, and Qu Xiao Jue was talking with a woman.
He didn’t enter; instead, he crouched in the courtyard’s flower garden, idly scratching at weeds. Soon, steady footsteps approached from behind. He turned to see the woman and stood up, brushing off his hands.
She first bowed to him: “Is the master well?”
Xu Wan Zhi politely nodded: “Hello.”
She kept her head slightly lowered: “I won’t disturb the master. I’ll take my leave.”
“Mm.” Xu Wan Zhi nodded again, turning to continue his original path.
After three steps, a calm, heavy admonition came: “The Qu family should add a young miss soon.”
He suddenly stopped, but Aunt De walked away steadily.
Staring at Qu Xiao Jue’s study, a sudden wave of anxiety and frustration overwhelmed him. His identity as Qu Xiao Jue’s “husband” meant she naturally accommodated and treated him well. Everything he now possessed was given by Qu Xiao Jue. If he continued living here, would he eventually belong entirely to Qu Xiao Jue?
These thoughts made him angry and afraid. His fingertips clenched, his face darkening, and he resolutely turned away, leaving the place.
Night Departure
“Husband, why aren’t you coming in?” She had heard the movement earlier and seen Xu Wan Zhi lingering outside, never treating him as an outsider and casually letting him wait. Unexpectedly, after Aunt De left, he didn’t enter but walked away. She walked to the door and saw him standing straight, quickening his pace.
Qu Xiao Jue, unaware of the massive internal changes he had just experienced, frowned curiously and caught up: “You came here, so why aren’t you coming in?”
“Nothing’s wrong,” he turned and replied blandly after being caught. “I just wanted to see if you had the thousand-character text you mentioned last time for learning characters. But now, it’s not necessary.”
Qu Xiao Jue reached out to hold him: “I’ll have someone find a copy.
I can teach you anytime. Even if we’re busy during the day, we’ll surely have time at night.”
Xu Wan Zhi pulled away, smiling: “Qu Xiao Jue, thank you, but it’s really not needed.”
“What’s wrong with you?” Though unaware of his internal changes, she noticed his unusual demeanor, reminiscent of how he was when she first returned to Ling Yuan – polite yet distant.
It’s nothing, I’m a bit sunburned today. I’ll go back and rest for a bit.” Her probing concern made Xu Wanzhi even more unwilling to stay, and he broke free from her hand and swiftly left.
Watching his retreating figure, Qu Xiaojue felt somewhat bewildered. Recently, their interactions had clearly improved. Thinking about the subtle warmth from last night, she had always thought things would get better and never expected his deliberate distancing from his own decision. She shook her head helplessly. She had waited half the night last night and was probably exhausted, as she was usually someone who could sleep easily.
Thinking this, she did not chase after him.
Banquets from the Zhang and Li families needed to be decided upon, and she had to prepare her energy…
Xu Wanzhi was fundamentally selfish and cold. From the moment he arrived, he was thinking about going back, not caring about Xu Wan, let alone the network of people behind him. Of course, he still loved and respected his parents and everything he originally had in modern times. Fate had played such a joke that this thought could be considered human nature.
Unable to easily end his life, and having come to Huancheng with Qu Xiaojue, he realized that having an opportunity did not mean he would definitely die. So he temporarily set aside his original thoughts and gradually integrated, and integrated quite well.
Today, he suddenly discovered this was dangerous – dangerous to the point where he might achieve a self that was not truly his at the cost of abandoning everything. Therefore, he immediately chose to distance himself and retreat.
It wasn’t that this place was bad, nor was Qu Xiaojue bad. He simply couldn’t afford to gamble and didn’t want to.
He did not return to his room but followed the previous path to see Yan Ziye again. She was glaring and arguing with Qu Yao, who sat at the table with a cold face, a sword laid horizontally, his entire body radiating suppressed gloom.
Xu Wanzhi felt he had arrived at an inopportune moment. After his previous thoughts, he felt even more that he had rashly intruded into someone else’s world.
He weakly shook his head but still walked in.
Qu Yao suddenly stood up, sword in hand, and saluted him. After leaving, his figure flashed and immediately disappeared, making Yan Ziye gnash her teeth in anger.
“What happened? Qu Yao is a good guard. What could she have done to make your little face turn white with anger?”
Hearing the inquiry, Yan Ziye complained aggrievedly: “She won’t let me do this or that, forcing me to stretch my muscles, making my whole body hurt. Just when I’m feeling comfortable, she forces me to eat medicine!”
These childish words made Xu Wanzhi laugh: “You’re seriously injured. She’s doing this for your own good.”
“She’s afraid that if something happens to me, she’ll feel guilty towards the Qu family! She’s harsh and cold to me. My mother and sister have never treated me like this…”
At this point, she felt even more wronged.
“Yan Six, to be honest, I’ve never seen Qu Yao have more patience with anyone else besides you.”
“Forget it. I don’t want to talk about that wooden-headed person. You came back so quickly to find me. Do you have something fun? I’m dying of boredom lying in bed and can’t even sleep.”
A few words and she was talking about playing.
Xu Wanzhi shook his head, amused: “I just came back along the way. I forgot to give you something. I hope you don’t mind.”
“What is it?” Her curious eyes followed his hand to a small stone, the same one they had picked up while flying a kite, now washed clean. Its uneven surface had something carved on it.
Taking it, she saw walnut-like patterns with “Ping An Chang Le” (Peace and Happiness) carved on it, which he had written last night and happened to give to Yan Ziye, with a suitable meaning.
Yan Ziye traced those characters: “Now it’s not ugly anymore. Thank you!”
“I should thank you for being my friend. It’s just a small trinket, take it and play with it.”
