Chapter 13. Spring Outing Who would worship themselves…

“Today is the Spring Outing Festival. Would Xin Daren like to go out for a stroll with this humble one?” Bai Li Chuan opened the window. Outside was a delightful scene of greenery, with the crisp air carrying the coolness of dew.

Bai Li Chuan came to the guest quarters where Xin Jiao Zhou was staying. Although called guest quarters, the courtyard was actually next to Bai Li Chuan’s sleeping chambers. The two courtyards were connected, originally being one.

Xin Jiao Zhou turned around, unexpectedly meeting the other’s gaze, and suddenly found herself caught in those eyes, her heart skipping a beat.

She quickly averted her gaze: “Thank you for your kind offer, Master Bai, but I’m afraid I have other matters to attend to.”

The bright sparkle in the other’s eyes instantly dimmed, but after a moment, a smile reappeared: “Actually, it’s nothing urgent. If Daren can’t accompany this humble one, it’s alright. This humble one should be used to being alone by now.”

Xin Jiao Zhou’s heart clenched painfully.

“Besides, the Spring Outing Festival isn’t such a special day that one must have company to celebrate it.” He tilted his head and smiled at her, “Isn’t that right, Daren?”

His smile was utterly harmless and understanding. Without waiting for her response, he asked again: “What does Daren need to do? Can this humble one be of any help?”

After breakfast that day, Xin Jiao Zhou had him choose another courtyard for her. In the two days since, he hadn’t found an opportunity to be alone with her.

Today happened to be the Spring Outing Festival. Although it was a day of worship, if used properly, it could also be a good day to nurture feelings.

Bai Li Chuan smiled gently at the person beside him.

The other person looked at him seriously for a while, then said: “Very well, it won’t be so lonely with more people.”

…

Xin Jiao Zhou, accompanied by Bai Li Chuan, arrived at the back door of Feng Yi Lou, where a carriage was already waiting.

The person who came was A Yu: “Daren.”

“Mm.” Xin Jiao Zhou nodded.

She extended her hand to help him into the carriage.

After the man’s robe disappeared behind the curtain, she turned and said: “Let’s go.”

“Yes.”

A Yu drove the carriage outside, while Xin Jiao Zhou sat with her on the outer shaft seat, and Bai Li Chuan sat inside the carriage.

Bai Li Chuan gripped the window frame, his knuckles turning white.

This wasn’t how he had imagined it.

He had thought they would sit together inside the carriage, which would count as a man and woman alone together. Then, taking advantage of the carriage’s bumps, he would pretend to fall into her arms, feigning shock. A man’s delicate and fragile appearance always aroused a woman’s protective instincts, and then they could naturally…

But now she was outside, and he was alone inside the carriage. What could he possibly do?

Bai Li Chuan lifted the curtain, staring glumly out the window, lost in thought…

Soon, he felt a coolness on his lips, his wandering consciousness pulled back. A small raindrop had been blown by the wind onto his face.

The heavens were favoring him.

He immediately called out to the people outside: “Xin Daren, it’s raining outside. Please come inside the carriage to take shelter.”

Just as Bai Li Chuan finished speaking, Xin Jiao Zhou also felt the dampness on her face.

“Mm.” She reached out to lift the curtain and saw him sitting by the window.

The bamboo curtain was half-rolled up, and the man by the window was slightly reclined, relaxing on the soft couch inside the carriage. His green robe was slightly disheveled, the collar half-open, revealing the beautiful collarbone usually hidden underneath.

His hair, as lustrous as black silk, was blown by the wind, creating a sense of beautiful disarray. The loose strands falling across his forehead were only slightly damp, while the hair at his temples was wetter, clinging to his slightly flushed cheeks, some ends even touching his lips. Those lips had been moistened well by the rain, glistening with a watery sheen.

Xin Jiao Zhou averted her gaze, realizing she had been staring for too long. She quickly turned her head to avoid the other’s gaze, her heart pounding with embarrassment.

The not-so-small carriage suddenly felt cramped.

She sat down on the other side of the carriage, intentionally keeping her distance.

Bai Li Chuan noticed the small movements of the person beside him, lowered his eyebrows and eyes, and curled his lips into a smile…

Suddenly, Xin Jiao Zhou sensed the person next to her become downcast.

He furrowed his brows slightly, lowered his eyelashes, his expression dim and sorrowful.

Seeing her look towards him, Bai Li Chuan extended his slender fingers, gently caressing his cheek, tucking his hair behind his ear, revealing his fair earlobe: “Why does Daren sit so far from this humble one?” The tip of his ear turned pink from the cold wind.

He turned his head, meeting her gaze: “Could it be that Daren thinks this humble one is some kind of man-eating spirit?”

The other immediately denied it seriously: “Of course Master Bai is not a man-eating spirit.”

“I’m sitting here because there’s a brazier here. The fragrance from this brazier is very pleasant.”

She was intentionally avoiding him, but this was also true. The brazier had some unknown fragrance that was somewhat different from before, indeed smelling much better than previously.

Hearing her mention the brazier with a pleased expression, Bai Li Chuan couldn’t help but relax his brow and eyes, his lips unconsciously curving upwards: “This humble one noticed the weather outside was a bit cold, so I added some self-made ‘Warm Cold Tranquility’ to the incense burner. It has the effect of dispelling cold and warming the body.”

“I didn’t expect Xin Daren to like this fragrance. When we return, this humble one will instruct people to replace all the bed curtain incense in Daren’s room with Warm Cold Tranquility.”

Seeing the other smiling and speaking of arrangements, Xin Jiao Zhou’s expression also relaxed.

However, there was one thing Bai Li Chuan didn’t mention.

This fragrance not only had the effect of dispelling cold and warming the body; Warm Cold Tranquility was meant to warm a woman’s cold indifference.

“Mm, it’s raining, you should move closer too.” The window area was colder, and the cold air could easily cause illness.

“Mm.” The usually clear voice of the person beside her now sounded muffled, as if restraining something.

Bai Li Chuan clenched and unclenched his hands on his robe, finally resisting the urge and moving over demurely, stopping about a finger’s width away from Xin Jiao Zhou.

Just as he was about to open his mouth to express gratitude, a voice from outside the carriage interrupted him: “Master, we’ve arrived.”

He heard the person beside him give an “Mm” before saying, “Let’s get off.”

Before he could hesitate for a moment, she had already alighted from the carriage.

This carriage had always been used only by Xin Jiao Zhou, so there was no footstool prepared.

The carriage was quite high, and she stood by it waiting, ready to extend her hand to help Bai Li Chuan down.

The person in the carriage lifted the curtain and stepped out, moving neither too quickly nor too slowly. As one foot extended out over the edge of the carriage, about to step down, Xin Jiao Zhou reached out a hand in preparation.

Suddenly, the green-robed figure from the carriage seemed to fall like a cloud. She quickly extended both arms, steadily catching the falling person.

The person in her arms seemed to have been greatly frightened by the sudden change, clinging tightly to her embrace. The slight body trembled gently, curled up into a ball, with the small face buried in the crook of her neck. Warm breaths ghosted faintly over her neck, tickling her slightly.

A slender arm wrapped tightly around her waist, while the other arm was curled against her chest, fingers clutching tightly at her collar, the joints turning white from the grip, unwilling to let go.

In that moment of change, she had become his only support.

Xin Jiao Zhou was stunned.

Coming back to her senses, she frowned slightly, lowering her gaze to conceal the emotions in her eyes. She reached out to remove the hand clutching her collar, stepped out of his embrace, and then continued to back away.

After a while, the person in front of her said: “I trust Master Bai has calmed down now.” Then she turned to look at A Yu: “Let’s go.”

“Yes,” A Yu answered.

Bai Li Chuan still hadn’t understood what had happened.

Why did she suddenly seem like a different person? They had been getting along well just before, as he had planned, embracing each other.

Normally, when an accident occurs and a man is frightened, embracing a woman, shouldn’t the woman gently comfort the man, leading to a rapid increase in their feelings for each other? Shouldn’t it then progress to mutual affection, with the two sweetly lingering together?

He followed behind them absentmindedly.

No one spoke along the way.

Upon arriving at their destination, Bai Li Chuan realized they had come to a scenic countryside area.

Lush green grass covered the earth, with various flowering trees scattered sparsely in the distance. Apricot, peach, and pear blossoms bloomed in layers among their respective trees, competing for spring’s attention. Under the gentle breeze, petals fell sporadically onto the soil.

It was a beautiful spring day.

Was this why she had brought him here?

Had she suddenly become aware and learned how to please a man?

His mood was as bright as the spring scenery before him, his steps light as he enjoyed the sweet time of strolling with Xin Jiao Zhou, just the two of them. Of course, he automatically ignored A Yu behind them.

Following a stream upwards, they stopped around the middle reaches.

A conspicuous mound in the shape of a grave appeared before them, shattering the joy in Bai Li Chuan’s heart.

On the tombstone in front, carved with somewhat childish strokes, was a familiar name: Xin Jiao Zhou.

Bai Li Chuan was startled, thinking his eyes were playing tricks on him.

He rubbed his eyes, but the three characters remained.

Bai Li Chuan looked in utter confusion at the person performing rituals and paying respects before the grave.

Who would erect a grave for themselves while still alive and come to worship themselves during festivals?

Bai Li Chuan suddenly realized that he seemed to know nothing about the person before him.

The wind stirred the banners.

The person behind raised a smile and caught up.

“Just wait.”

The road ahead was still long, and he would slowly come to understand all of her.

He would also lay bare all of himself for her to see.