“It is said that at the beginning of the great merit, there was a father and son who were stranded in the mountains. The father loved his son deeply. Thinking that his son had no playmates and often played in the mountains, he would daily prepare roasted meat for him, crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. When encountering fierce beasts, he would throw the meat, and surprisingly, no animal would harm him. But one day, the child wandered far and never returned. The father searched but could not find him, his obsession undiminished. Every day, he would roast meat in case they were hungry, attracting numerous mountain beasts, yet there was no trace of his son. Later, the meat scraps left at the door gradually rotted and cracked, and unexpectedly grew into flowers like these.
For Xu Wanzhi, who had been exposed to various stories from ancient and modern times both at home and abroad since childhood, such a legend was not particularly remarkable. Knowing its origin, she politely nodded with a faint smile: “Thank you for the explanation, it fits the flower’s meaning well.”
After expressing thanks, she turned to leave.
Yuan Ling was surprised by her indifferent reaction and gradually smiled: “Qu Zhu Jun, don’t you find this story quite moving?”
“What does it have to do with me?”
Such a questioning response, somewhat puzzled, somewhat helpless. She herself was already a complicated knot, only knowing what she wanted to know when interested.
Yuan Ling’s eyebrows furrowed and rose. He felt that the person who had just been conversing with him and was now turning away had eyes too distant. He had a vague feeling that the next time they met, this Qu Zhu Jun might not even recognize him.
The steward Qu Lu also couldn’t help but look at his slow retreating figure, feeling inexplicably strange.
Yuan Ling’s thoughts shifted, and he instantly made a decision: “Qu Zhu Jun, in five days, the Yu Ling Young Master’s Qingxin Banquet. Please attend.”
He had personally invited him; could he refuse?
Xu Wanzhi had already walked a short distance, almost passing through the corridor pavilion. Hearing the words were directed at her, she turned and glanced at him, slightly shaking her head: “Thank you for your kindness, but no.”
Such a matter-of-fact rejection!
