Chapter 32: Plucking the Laurel

The ceremony had concluded, and Qing Rou, being much older than Jing Hu who had married today and not usually mingling with her, chose not to join the festivities in the bridal chamber. At this moment, she remained in the western side hall, waiting for Jing Hu.

The young county lady, having just met her beloved, naturally wore a radiant smile. However, fearing Qing Rou might notice and lecture her again, she restrained herself with some effort.

As soon as Qing Rou saw her approaching, she stood up and asked, “Where did you go just now? The ceremony is over. Shouldn’t you go see your new sister-in-law?”

Even though her own brother, Jing Shen, had married, she hadn’t spent much time in the bridal chamber, so today she certainly wouldn’t.

Jing Hu smiled sweetly. “I’m not going anywhere yet. Let’s first return to Fang Shixuan and sit together. When the banquet begins, we’ll go out then.”

Though Qing Rou was somewhat suspicious, she said nothing and linked arms with Jing Hu as they returned to her residence, Fang Shixuan. Behind them, the maidservant of her new sister-in-law trailed obediently. Jing Hu felt a little annoyed but decided to let it be for now.

Back at her residence, Jing Hu began preparing to change clothes. The outfit she wore in the morning was indeed beautiful but far too conspicuous amidst the crowd.

She chose a light cloud-colored robe embroidered with a hundred butterflies and floral patterns. The ruby flower crown on her head seemed too flashy, so she replaced it with one made of eastern pearls.

In the afternoon, she was to meet her beloved Lord Xiao Ke. The overly simple attire didn’t suit her in her own eyes.

She had used the Chiele language to tell him to carefully read the note she gave him, then repeated it in Han Chinese, fearing her Chiele might be imperfect and that he might not have paid close attention.

The apricot-red Xie Gong note was an invitation for him to meet her that afternoon in the garden near the male guests’ quarters.

The theater stage at the Yongning Prince’s mansion was far from there. With no other engagements in the afternoon, the guests would likely gather to watch the play or play dominoes.

She treasured the Xie Gong note he had given her last time. Over the past month, she had frequently visited the Dingguo Duke’s mansion to consult with Mr. Zhou and had already mastered reciting that passage well.

Yet, she still wished to hear those words spoken by her beloved Lord Xiao Ke himself.

Qing Rou was usually quiet, and after today’s events, she was even more silent. Sitting together with Jing Hu at the meal, she often appeared lost in thought.

After lunch, Jing Hu asked to be attended back to Fang Shixuan to rest, while she herself said she would play dominoes with the Yongning Prince’s dowager.

It was her favorite pastime, so Qing Rou naturally had no doubts. After settling Qing Rou, she headed toward the small garden.

It was now August, the prime season for osmanthus blossoms. She had chosen this garden partly because it was close to the male guests’ quarters, making it convenient for Ke Mingxu to come over directly, without detours.

Another reason was that the osmanthus flowers bloomed best here. The gardenias and jasmines of June had long since withered; each season’s flowers held their own charm.

At this moment, the young county lady’s favorite was naturally the osmanthus.

She used osmanthus-scented hair oil, but the fragrance of the blossoms in full bloom, wafting unevenly through the air, was far richer than the oil made from picked flowers.

Initially, she had sat quietly on a stone bench waiting for him, but soon grew restless and stood beneath the flowering tree.

Her restless nature wouldn’t let her stay still. After standing a while, she reached out to pluck a branch. Her father, the Yongning Prince, was tall and imposing, and the garden’s flora seemed likewise lofty.

Why did a sturdy osmanthus tree have to grow so tall?

After trying half a day without success, frustration welled up, and forgetting her purpose, she jumped to grab a branch. Only a few blossoms came down, showering her in a gentle rain of petals.

“Young county lady, please step aside. Let Mingxu do it for you.”

The osmanthus fragrance was so strong it masked the fresh scent on him, so she didn’t notice him approaching.

He asked her to step aside, but she momentarily forgot and looked up at him as he plucked a flower from the topmost branch for her.

As he lifted his head, sunlight filtered through the osmanthus leaves, casting mottled shadows across his face. Rather than diminishing his ethereal, almost otherworldly aura, it lent him an unreal, dreamlike quality.

Ke Mingxu handed the flower branch to her, and she came back to herself. Her gaze remained somewhat dazed, fixed on his cheek without moving. She spoke softly, “If only I had known Lord Xiao Ke this time last year.”

At that time, he had not yet achieved success in the imperial examinations.

Jing Hu didn’t wait for him to ask why. “Plucking osmanthus from the moon palace and achieving top honors—does this branch of osmanthus mean Lord Xiao Ke has picked it for me from the moon itself?”

Ke Mingxu smiled gently, his tone tender, as if soothing a child.

“The moon palace is too cold and lonely. Young county lady belongs here in the mortal world, flourishing amid flowers and willows. The flowers of the moon palace are flowers of solitude, not suited to you.”

The note she had given him, even without her urging, he would have read carefully. That she had come all the way to deliver it personally made it impossible for him not to pay it close attention.

The words were written in Chiele script, seemingly childlike, each character drawn like a painting, perfect and round, reminding him of the pattern on the sachet she had given him during the Dragon Boat Festival.

She must truly love her current life. Those who harbor grievances cannot imagine such delightful things; the more one looks, the more charming they become.

People used to praise him for making even the most ordinary life vivid and colorful. Perhaps that was once true.

But as one ages and gains experience, having seen too many injustices in the world, even a corner of life inevitably becomes tinged with subtle melancholy.

The young county lady was still young and born in such a place; perhaps these matters would stay far from her entire life.

When he first read the note, he hesitated. The young county lady was young and imprudent; no one seriously minded her, and she would never hold grudges against herself.

Yet he had already come of age and knew well that meeting her like this here was improper. But he seemed unwilling to disappoint her. Her innocent smile was something he had long lost.

His admiration and fondness for her could hardly be called love, but worldly feelings often shared some common threads.

So he found a reason for himself—she had already come all this way to the men’s gathering place with a note, explicitly asking him to read it carefully and seek her out. If he read it but ignored her, wouldn’t she cause a scene?

In fulfilling her wish, he was also fulfilling his own.