CHAPTER 23
Something touched CSS's leg so she lowered her head to look. Seeing that the ball was made skillfully, the white bamboo slats were wrapped diagonally into a thin circle, tied with green brocade silk in several places. A few small bells are attached to the ball: their sound is soothing like a cat meowing.
“…This young lady, I am so sorry.” (#2 ML Yuan Shen )
A clear male voice spoke. CSS hurriedly raised her head, a young gentleman stood seven or eight feet away from her, his body was tall, his shoulders and back were straight, and he wore a deep blue robe dotted with gold thread. His two hands are in the sleeves. Behind him was a big lantern, with a blazing fire. Because he was standing in the opposite direction, CSS could not see his face clearly.
Seeing that CSS is bewildered, the man smiled slightly, slowly walked over, and stood next to the servants who had placed their hands on their hips. He pretended not to see their guarding behavior, went closer to CSS, and bent down to pick up the ball. His waist was flexible. When he stood up, his shadow covered CSS. It was only now that CSS saw clearly, his long crow-like hair swayed when he stood up, under the blazing fire, it looked like a floating silk thread.
He clasped his hands together to greet CSS respectfully, then turned and walked away, until he disappeared from sight.
That's it? CSS felt confused.
The way to start a conversation (pick up girls) is strange during this ancient time! Wouldn't it have been better to leave the ball with her, and then ask for it later? Maybe she's over-romanticizing the situation.
CSS shook her head! She's not experienced in this area.
If it's not easy to understand, then just leave it. She was not the romantic type. She continued to happily walk down to watch the lights on both sides of the road.
....
....
...
Standing still on the side of the road, CSS pulled down her wide-brimmed fur hat, her cheekbones touched the pure white soft fur, looking at the beautiful lantern scene of the bright street in front of her eyes, her heart filled with joy. In her previous life, she had seen a five-color sunset, watched fireworks cover the sky, and seen a crowded sea of people and a much more prosperous market than this, but she didn't have the same emotion as today.
She raised her head and looked up, the sky was quiet and deep. Having died once, she knew how precious life was. This time she must definitely enjoy every beauty in life, and will also live to the fullest with this beautiful time.
As she was absorbed in her thoughts, she suddenly felt a strange feeling and quickly turned her head to look around.
(ML Ling Bu Yi!!!)
A young man in a white outfit was standing under round red lanterns hanging down from the eaves of a building five or six feet away, his shoulders were like wings of a crane, his hands clasped behind his back, his figure was tall, his whole body consisted of the outfit and his jet-black hair. In the midst of the bustling crowd, he stood still like that, even the seven or eight heavily armored guards stood silently beside him.
CSS looked at him and felt that this person was too tall, the lantern hanging upstairs obscured more than half of his face, the light was floating, and the colorful lights dyed the pale long robe on his body: the ultimate beauty and elegance.
He stood at the place where CSS had just walked by, she remembered that the drawing on the rotating lantern was the story of the whole family's reunion. (foreshadow of his mysterious past)
Suddenly, someone tapped her on the shoulder, and Tang Shi stepped forward and asked in surprise, "What are you looking at?"
CSS said suspiciously, "... Apparently, someone seems to be looking at me." She wasn't sure if he was actually looking at her.
Tang Thi smiled and said: "Our Nieu Nieu (nickname of CSS) is so pretty, it wouldn't be strange if a handsome man look at you?"
CSS opened her mouth for a long time, when she turned her head, she only saw a red lantern, the shadow under the lantern had disappeared.
Definitely, she had met two men on the same night, but both times, she couldn't see their faces clearly! So unlucky!
It was time for curfew, the bell rang from the city gate, and the family had to return home.
CHAPTER 24 (Family banquet)
CHAPTER 25 (They meet again: Yuan Shen & CSS)
"Miss, How are you doing ?"
A clear, familiar male voice sounded, and CSS immediately straightened up and slid down the rock.
It was not clear when the young man dressed in a blue brocade robe came to the pond, standing five or six steps away from her. He looks only about twenty, a few inches taller than her Oldest Brother, tall and handsome.
CSS was wary and scolded herself for being so dumb that she didn't bring any maids with her.
(NOTE: that "familiar voice" indicates that he is the first man who met her at the lantern festival ... he wears blue outfit and he was the only one who talked to her)
The Flute Scene translated
(I will not reveal the entire plot ... but the context is that he was beaten and she was tricked by the emperor into revealing her feelings for him. She felt anxious about LBY so she visited him at night to give him a blanket and medicine).
The room smelled like strong medicine (Chinese medicine smells!), CSS went to open the window a little to let the fresh air in. When she turned around, she saw LBY leaning against the head of the bed, wearing his shirt and holding a bowl of medicine, looking dignified and handsome. She smiled, took out the flute from her sleeve, and softly said: "Drink slowly, don't be impatient, I will play the flute for you."
“Is it the final piece you just composed?”
"Yes"
The flute played a gentle yet lonely melody, like a lonely sigh.
The sound of the flute slowly rose up in space and eventually crossed thousands of miles of mountains and rivers. Falling in love didn't require ecstatic oblivion, but it could be like old friends reuniting, joining hands until their hair become white, never parting.
The flute sounded like poetry, melodious, resounding, even the cold wind outside the door also softened, following the soft wind to the bedroom in the main hall, the Emperor pushed open the window and listened.
At first, the Empress didn't pay attention to him, but after a while she sat up on the edge of the bed, listening silently to the sound of the flute. After a long time, she smiled: "This music can only be heard in the sky, yes, it must have been composed by CSS and her aunt"
Pausing to listen, she complimented, “Good song, good song. As clear as spring water in the mountains, elegant as the snow on the top of cherry blossom trees, both flexible and at the same time free, understanding each other... What a charming pair of heavenly gods."
The flute gradually stopped, the Emperor closed the door, turned around, smiled and sighed: "Actually, this child is very smart from observing her true nature, but she is too stubborn."
The queen smiled and replied: "Why don't you praise her like that when you see her? Every time you see her, you rebuke her. Now when she sees His Majesty she acts like a mouse hiding from a cat."
The Emperor shook his head: "She's not like LBY, who matured early, was very self-reflective, and acted in moderation. But this girl's disposition is still not enough, she needs someone to teach her. She was pampered enough so let me be the bad cop! Oh why did LBY choose her! He should have selected someone who knows how to love and care for him. In the future, when I die, I need the face to meet the elder brother Huo Chong."
After playing the musical composition, CSS put down the flute and proudly asked: "How's it? It's really good music, I'm not bragging."
LBY looked at her surprised, CSS found it strange, asked why three times, then he said: "Nothing, I just remember the first time I met you."
CSS tilted her head and remembered the past: "Yes, speaking of which, the first time we met at the house of Wan, my face was swollen and shapeless. Every time I see you, I am always in bad situations so unlucky!"
LBY was surprised: "What do you mean? The first time we met was not there, but on the full moon night at the Light Festival in January."
"Huh, what did he say?" CSS was surprised, she was puzzled, "Did I meet him that night?" Meeting someone like LBY will never be forgotten.
The two stared at each other for a long time. LBY spoke first slowly: "That night, you and your family came to the Lantern Festival. I stood on the opposite street and saw you.”
“Ah!” CSS figured it out and finally remembered, "So you were standing next to the 'rotating lamp' that night?"
"Rotating lights?" LBY recalled, “Yes, there was indeed a rotating lamp hanging under the eaves next to where I stood. You couldn't see me, but you've clearly been looking at me for a long time. You can remember the lamp, but you don't remember me?
CSS quickly explained: "It is true that I looked at you, but I didn't know it was you!"
LBY did not understand.
CSS said: "That means I see you, but I can't see your face clearly. You were tall, so the rotating lantern covered your face, I didn't know it was you."
The atmosphere became awkward, and LBY turned pale: "I've been looking at you for so long, but you were not curious who I was?" If it was an ordinary young lady, she would have taken the initiative to come and get acquainted.
CSS smiled shyly: "Turns out, you're looking at me, ha ha, ha ha ha..."
"If I don't look at you, who will I look at?"
“Well, I guess you were looking at the painted scene of a family reunion on the lamp."
"Not true! If I wanted to see a family's loving scene, I would stay in the Palace. The emperor has a huge family!"
CSS thought about it and also felt puzzled: "Then why did you look at me for so long but didn't come to talk to me?"
LBY's eyes became sad, and he said in a low voice, "At that time, I still couldn't decide whether I should get married or not!"
CSS couldn't help but sigh: "Dear, you only come to talk to me! No one is talking about marriage! First, you get acquainted, then flirt, and then you think about marriage!!!"
LBY's clear eyes shot to her: "If it's not for getting married, then there's no point in starting a conversation. Don't you think so?"
Looking at her fiance's unkind eyes, CSS seriously said: "You're not wrong. In my life, what I hate the most is young men and women fooling around. If they don't want to get married, there's no need to talk!"
LBY glared at her, slowly straightened up, sighed, and said: "Well, it turned out that it was wrong in the first place,! Ok, let's review the old story again."
CSS obediently approached and sat quietly.
“In other words, the first time you think you met me was in the Wan family. Were you surprised when I adjusted your horse?"
"… A little." At that time, he grabbed her calf, and CSS's whole body was numb.
“Then when I rescued you, the two of us met again. I think it's rare to have a chance to meet three times, but you didn't think so, do you?"
“Actually… Saving lives is also fate.”
"At that time you treated my wounds, your words were very kind, and your face was also gentle, I thought you loved me, but it turned out that I was a fool in love?"
CSS was silent – this time he guessed correctly.
“And then what did you feel when I and Yao got engaged?” She thought of some unpleasant things.
LBY said coldly: "I thought you had no love loyalty. As soon as you were lured by Lou Yao, you immediately forgot about me."
Of course, it is! CSS's facial expression was livid, from black to blue and finally green.
"Then why were you so good to me then?!" CSS was angry. It turned out that he thought she had become an easy woman!
"If I have never expressed my intention to become close to you, and Lou Yao has proposed to you, then, of course, you can choose him… I never blamed you." LBY said sadly.
It was only a few months ago and now it's silly to recall it as if it were an old story that happened a long, long time ago. CSS sighed: "If you didn't mention it, I wouldn't know..."
LBY looked at the candlelight: "If we knew each other before, would we be able to fight less?"
CSS thought about it and removed this possibility: "I don't know. We were born like this, if we need to argue, we will fight no matter what. Without saving my life as a hero, the situation could have gotten worse."
It seems that LBY also thought of this point, helplessly shaking his head.
Then they both smiled at each other.
"He hehe he, the first time you saw me like, what did you think?" CSS is very curious.
LBY said: "That night, you wore a green dress and a white mink coat, two braids on your head, a pearl on each side, looking very much like a doll. You were short then, probably only as tall as my chest.”
Recalling the story at that time, surrounded by colorful lights, full of voices and laughter, the girl standing on the corner of the street in the dark, lonely and stubborn, had strange loneliness and sadness.
When she looked over, her big black eyes were bright, innocent, and curious as to if looking straight into his heart, the bright lights on the streets were not as beautiful as hers.
He stood looking for a moment and then left.
Since childhood, he was a quiet person, everything was orderly, did not like unexpected things. So at that time, he just assumed that his mood had changed accidentally, but he didn't think much of it.
Now that he thinks about it, maybe from deep inside his bones, he just liked a girl like that.
I think he is a simple person. Love and hate are very clear and simple for him. He has a lot of female admirers but he never cares about them. He even said that if he cannot marry her, he will remain single. She travels from the modern time so her view is very practical.
He also has a heavy burden/mission that he carries ... he couldn't afford to get distracted so that's why he matures early and is very serious.
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