Chapter 31: The World We Meet Again
No matter how fierce the storm outside, Chen Changsheng remained indifferent, practicing his sword in the Li Palace. Xu Yourong, for her part, was doing who knows what in the Divine General’s Mansion.
When the Thousand Blades Sword finally returned to its Hidden Edge Sheath, the King of Linghai and the others could no longer hold back and entered the stone chamber.
Hu Sanshier grimaced and said, “Your Majesty, you and the Holy Maiden have everything under control, with a clear plan in mind. But the problem is, we know nothing. How are we supposed to cooperate?”
Chen Changsheng looked at them seriously and said, “I really don’t know what she’s planning to do.”
Hearing this, Hu Sanshier was dumbfounded, while the King of Linghai and Siyuan Daoist’s expressions turned somewhat grim.
This answer was completely unexpected, and they immediately felt the pressure on their shoulders grow heavier.
Seeing their expressions, Chen Changsheng knew he had to give them some explanation. He sighed helplessly and said, “I’ll go ask her.”
…
…
In early spring, the weather was warming up. Business at the beef bone pot shops on Fushui Road had become a bit sluggish. The few shops near the alley entrance had already begun renovations, preparing to switch to steamed shrimp. Even the ones that held on were quiet and desolate. But perhaps because of that yellow paper umbrella, no one noticed the young couple sitting by the table.
The heavy lid pressed down on the bubbling iron pot, with white steam occasionally spurting from the edges, hinting at the pressure inside.
Chen Changsheng’s gaze pierced through the steam, landing on Xu Yourong’s beautiful face. He hesitated, as if wanting to speak but stopping himself.
Xu Yourong said, “If you want to ask something, just ask. Am I that scary?”
Chen Changsheng replied, “I heard that the old matriarch of the Mu Zhe family and the head of the Wu family are both very afraid of you.”
Xu Yourong ignored him, turned to the owner, and called out, “Please bring a jar of Pear Blossom White.”
Chen Changsheng looked at her profile and said, “Gou Hanshi said that before you left Nanxi Zhai, you invited the old matriarch of the Mu Zhe family and the head of the Wu family to play cards in that town?”
Xu Yourong reached for the hot tea and began rinsing his bowl and chopsticks, saying, “It’s a habit in the south to do this before meals, though I don’t think it’s particularly useful.”
Chen Changsheng asked, “What exactly happened during that card game?”
Seeing that she couldn’t change the subject, Xu Yourong gave him a bored glance and said, “We only sat for about half an hour. What could happen?”
Back then, she was in a hurry to get to White Emperor City and indeed didn’t have much time, but it was enough for her to win all the chips she needed.
Chen Changsheng recalled the card table in the old residence of the Tang family in Wenshui and the words Old Master Tang had spoken, making him even more curious.
Xu Yourong said, “Today, Shuang’er managed to catch a few river fish. I need to head back.”
This sentence was both a prompt and a reminder—since he had finally come to ask her, he should ask about the most important matter.
Chen Changsheng said, “I didn’t want to ask because I was afraid of hearing a bad answer.”
These past few days, he had been hiding in the Li Palace practicing his sword, avoiding meeting anyone. This was one of the key reasons.
The owner brought over a jar of Pear Blossom White, lifted the lid, tossed in a dozen small, snow-white steamed rolls, and said, “You can eat now.”
Xu Yourong picked up a wooden spoon, plunged it deep into the red, sticky, and tempting beef bones, stirred vigorously a couple of times, and gestured for Chen Changsheng to help himself.
Chen Changsheng looked at the oil-slicked beef bones and the rolls soaked in broth, unsure where to start.
The first time he ate beef bones here, he had been so excited that he ate with complete focus.
Now, he realized that while it was delicious, it was really quite unhealthy.
“Sometimes, we don’t need to overcomplicate things.”
Xu Yourong used her long chopsticks to pick out a perfect piece—five parts bone, three parts meat, two parts tendon—and placed it in his bowl.
This statement was, of course, a double entendre.
Chen Changsheng looked at her seriously and asked, “Is it really that simple?”
Xu Yourong ate the meat off the bone with very refined movements, but her speed was fast.
A perfectly clean, spotless bone landed on the table with a soft *clack*.
It was like a magistrate passing judgment, or a storyteller beginning a tale.
Xu Yourong continued her assault on the food in the pot, casually saying, “Yeah, I just wanted to force Shang Xingzhou to come to the capital.”
Chen Changsheng paused slightly and asked, “Why?”
Xu Yourong looked up, met his eyes seriously, and said, “Because he refuses to see you.”
Outside, the spring air was growing stronger. The fire in the stove was blazing fiercely, making the shop a bit warm. Chen Changsheng felt a pleasant, cozy heat throughout his body.
“Don’t get angry over these things.”
He said to Xu Yourong, “If he refuses to see me, it might be because he doesn’t dare to face me.”
“Back in the National Academy, when you said that to Old Man Lin, and later, when you said it to Shang Xingzhou’s face, you used the same reasoning.”
Xu Yourong said, “Even if that’s true, I’m still not happy about it.”
Chen Changsheng was slightly stunned and asked, “Why?”
Xu Yourong said, “If he doesn’t dare to see you, it’s because he feels guilty toward you. Guilt comes from treating you badly, and even now, he hasn’t thought about resolving this issue.”
Yes, Shang Xingzhou had no intention of resolving this problem, and in her eyes, that was the most troublesome part.
After the trip to White Emperor City, although Chen Changsheng and Shang Xingzhou were still like strangers, their relationship had actually eased somewhat.
Shang Xingzhou tacitly allowed him to return to the capital without making any moves, but that was still far from enough.
He was like an invisible giant sword hanging over Chen Changsheng’s head, ready to fall at any moment, depending on his mood.
“He can kill you when he wants, and be good to you when he wants?”
Xu Yourong raised her glass, brought it to her lips, and downed it in one gulp, her expression unchanged. “What gives him the right?”
Chen Changsheng looked at the glass, hesitating.
Although Pear Blossom White looked clear and refreshing, it was actually very harsh and high in alcohol content.
In the end, he took only a shallow sip, his eyes turning slightly red, and said, “He is, after all, my master.”
Seeing his expression, Xu Yourong felt a bit annoyed and said, “But I am your fiancée.”
Chen Changsheng stared at her blankly, not understanding the logical connection between these two statements.
Xu Yourong took the glass from his hand and drank the remaining dregs.
“The only one who can treat you so willfully is me. No one else—not Shang Xingzhou, not that senior brother of yours.”
Chen Changsheng felt that the wine was really strong. Otherwise, why would his body feel even hotter after just one small sip?
He also worried that Xu Yourong might get drunk from drinking so quickly, so he quickly picked up a roll that hadn’t been soaked in meat juice and placed it in her bowl, signaling for her to eat it.
Xu Yourong found it rather dull, but she still lowered her head and ate the roll.
The steam from the pot gradually subsided, and the objects in the shop became clearer. Chen Changsheng looked at her face, feeling a sense of calm, and no longer wanted to ask anything.
For instance, what would happen if she really forced his master to come to the capital? Or how could she be so sure that his master would act according to her plan?
But everyone’s eyes reveal their thoughts at the moment, and the clearer the eyes, the more so.
Xu Yourong looked up, met his eyes, and knew what he was thinking and worrying about.