"When I was young, I once went out to sea with my father on a boat. I saw it on the way back. It was early summer then. Although only half of the flowers of the purple bougainvillea were left, it was still incredible to see it from the sea. I thought at the time, how can this place be called Black Wall Cliff, it is clearly a flower wall of purple bougainvillea." He murmured as he explained, and the expression on his face seemed to be swallowed up by the purple.
"Does it look more beautiful at sea?" she asked curiously.
"Equally beautiful." He smiled, his eyes seemed to be filled with the spring sun.
As they were talking, the tide rose.
The sea water spread onto the mudflats, submerging some purple bougainvillea petals and sweeping them into the water.
Fortunately, she followed him and stood on the high reef early.
The coast was still not calm after the sudden rain. The sea water rose and fell from far to near, and finally hit the rocks hard, instantly breaking into snow-white fragments and then quickly dissipating.
It goes up and down, repeatedly.
Xia Yue looked a little dazed.
They walked like this, one in front and one behind, listening to the roaring sound of the waves, and did not speak for a long time.
Shang Rui stood behind her.
A huge wave came over, stirring up a person-high silver-white wave, rushing towards her feet. She subconsciously took a step back, but her back hit Shang Rui. He reached out to hold her hand.
She was startled, and when he touched her finger, she pulled it back sharply as if it were burned by a branding iron.
After some contact, she began to look at him out of the corner of her eye.
This man could actually call out her real name and let Li Ji treat her illness.
What's more, his surname is Hong, but he pretends to be a member of the Wei family. It's really puzzling.
It is said that the founding emperor Taizu was also a famous handsome man. And since the founding of the David Dynasty, several generations have selected beauties to enter the harem, so the facial features of the Wei family have become better and better.
She had never met the late crown prince, nor had she met other royal relatives. However, one New Year's Day, she and her father saw the late emperor's face from afar. Although she was old, she was gentle and calm, and still had a graceful demeanor.
Think about Zi Jin again.
She and Zijin had been eating and drinking together since they were young, and they knew each other as well as right and left hands. She was naturally used to his appearance and didn't care. Suddenly, she remembered the words that Wang Gan and his friends had said to Zijin that night, and her face turned pale, and her chest suddenly hurt so much that it seemed like blood was dripping out.
If that incident had not happened, who in the world would dare to offend him with his appearance like that
Thinking of this, he hated the man on the throne and Xu even more.
Shang Rui, who was standing next to her, had been immersed in the imperial court since childhood and was very meticulous. Seeing her expression changing from time to time, he could guess about 70% of what she was thinking at the moment.
A large bird flew low over the sky and dived over the water to hunt, breaking the silence between the two people.
"I do know your father," he said directly, "but we didn't have much contact."
Xia Yue was suspicious. Because he looked like he was only in his twenties. How old would he have been when her father was serving in the court ten years ago? She didn't really believe that they just knew each other.
Although she was not good at calculating, she was not stupid either. But what could she do? Put a knife to his neck and ask him to tell the truth
Thinking of this, Xia Yue couldn't help but want to raise her head to touch the hairpin hidden in her lapel, but her hand was halfway in the air, but she was afraid that he would become suspicious, so she withdrew the action.
"Your father is a lofty man, and I admire his character very much."
At that time, no one expected that Xian Chu would entrust his son to Yu Sheng. Yu Sheng had always been sober and aloof, with only the country in his heart. Later, he had different political views from Xian Chu. Although he entered the government because of Xian Chu, no one later classified him as a member of Xian Chu's party, so he was ignored at that time.
A gentleman's promise is worth a thousand gold. Unexpectedly, he was willing to give up his ambition and talent for that promise, and take his wife and daughter to avoid pursuit and hide in the city.
This made Shang Rui admire him very much.
Shang Rui glanced at Xia Yue, but was afraid that she would think he was just being perfunctory, so he added, "I really admire you."
He usually looks down on people, so it is not easy for him to say the word "admiration" with his own mouth.
"Have you seen me before?" She was referring to her childhood.
Shang Rui tilted his head and looked at her with a smile, his eyes moving from her eyebrows to her mouth. After a moment, he wanted to shake his head and tell the truth, but then he asked back: "You didn't beat me in the bet, why should I tell you?" with a cunning look on his face.
That year, Yu Sheng made a joke.
The late emperor encountered a chess game that was unfinished, and he did not know how to solve it, so he summoned Yu Sheng late at night. Unexpectedly, Yu Sheng hurried to the gate of Qiantai Palace. The eunuch lit a lamp and was about to lead the way for him, but he burst out laughing. It turned out that he did not know why he had a small hairpin for women next to his hair bun and jade crown. When the late emperor found out, he was furious at first and scolded him for not knowing the etiquette of the emperor, but when he saw him in person, he could not help laughing: "Yu Sheng, why is this?"
"My daughter was stubborn and insisted on following me into the palace. I left her in the carriage and didn't notice she did such a thing."
Shang Rui was standing by at the side at the time, and couldn't help but interrupt and ask, "How many children does Lord Yu have?"
"In reply to your Highness, I only have this one daughter, my humble name is Zhaoyang, and she is extremely naughty. I am very troubled, how dare I raise another child."
Although he said so, Yu Sheng's face didn't look like he had a headache, but was full of doting and joy. Shang Rui thought of the relationship between him and his parents, which was mixed with many other things besides blood, and he would never be so close, and he couldn't help but yearn for it.
This memory should have been accumulated in a corner and gradually covered with dust, but unexpectedly it suddenly came alive because of the two words "Zhaoyang".
Thousands of thoughts went through his mind, but in the end, he said nothing, only a smile on his face.
Those smiling eyes, the bright moon and the breeze.
Xia Yue retracted her gaze from him and said unhappily, "Since you know who I am, why don't you arrest me and hand me over to the court?"
He smiled and said, "Your idea sounds good."
She lowered her eyes, didn't respond to him, and walked back by herself.
Because the tide was high, the sea water flooded most of the beach, so Xia Yue had to use the reefs to walk to the edge. The reefs were densely packed, but the intervals between some reefs were a bit wide. She didn't want to get her shoes wet, and she didn't bother to pay attention to Shang Rui who stayed behind, so she just jumped on it and moved forward.
Halfway through the journey, the rocks to step on became increasingly scarce. She finally found the next target and jumped towards it with all her strength. It was not difficult at first, but it had just rained and the rocks were very slippery.
When she landed, she slipped accidentally and her body fell backwards. She cried out in her heart, "Oh no!", but she didn't fall into the muddy water soaked by sea water, but fell into Shang Rui's arms.
He caught her and raised his eyebrows and said, "Your father is obviously a man of great talent, how could he raise a daughter like you?"
When someone said this when she was a child, it was most likely to mock her mother's origin as a merchant's daughter. She pushed him away unhappily: "What does it have to do with you?"
He stood in the mud, picked up Xia Yue without saying a word, and walked towards the shore in the tide.
Xia Yue struggled with great frustration.
But he was so strong that he held her tightly in his arms, forcing her face to rest on his chest, which felt cold and damp. She then remembered that his clothes might have been soaked in order to shelter her from the rain.
She was slightly stunned and couldn't help but reach out and touch other parts of his body.
He glanced at her sideways: "Under the clear sky, what are you going to do?"
Instead of answering, she opened the collar of her outer coat and reached in to feel her inner garment, which was also wet.
"I just glanced at you that day. Are you trying to get it back?" Shang Rui teased her.
Xia Yue didn't argue with him. She grabbed his clothes and said, "It's getting cold in spring. How can you be wrapped in wet clothes and blow the sea breeze for so long?" Unconsciously, her nagging habit came back. After she finished speaking, she lowered her head and found that he was stepping in the water, and his boots were naturally soaked. "You are such a grown-up, why don't you know how to take care of yourself? People are talking about keeping warm in spring and cold in autumn, but you are wrapped in wet clothes, thinking you are made of iron."
When they reached the shore, he put her down from his arms: "I'm not a woman, how can I be so delicate."
After hearing what he said, Xia Yue came to her senses. He was a man of unknown origin and she had followed him with the determination to fight to the death. Why should she care about whether he was cold or not
She said no more, turned around and went back the way she came.
Shang Rui seemed to be in a very good mood and talked to her in a casual manner.
"Judging from your age when you were a child, you should be around 20 years old this year. Why haven't you married yet?" Shang Rui asked.
He didn't mean to test her, but he was really curious.
Xia Yue walked in front, afraid that he would dislike her for blocking the way, so she climbed the mountain without stopping, breathing heavily as she spoke: "I am the descendant of a criminal, so wouldn't it be harming others if I married anyone?" Since he knew her background, she was too lazy to hide it and simply admitted it.
Shang Rui was happy. There were many women in the world, but it was rare to find one like her. The women he had met before were either submissive to him or fawning on him. They could praise a hair like a flower. And there were those like Wang Xiaoxiang, who would just look at him coldly, like an iceberg.
In the past, when he went out to restaurants, he heard people say that men are all cheap and like to take on tough guys. The more unyielding the guy is, the more he likes him.
Unfortunately, he didn't have that interest.
But Min Xiayue is just right, sometimes hard and sometimes soft. When you think she is going to fight you, she suddenly gives you a sweet date. When you think she is gentle and obedient, she suddenly jumps up and chokes you. If it weren't for...
He was startled and although he still had a smile on his face, he felt uncomfortable in his heart.
Unexpectedly, when they reached the top of the mountain, Xia Yue stopped and turned to him: "I have something to say to Master Hong."
He waited for her next words.
"Young master asked me about marriage just now. I don't know whether it was intentional or unintentional, but I want to explain it to you," Xia Yue said with a stiff face. "My grandmother is my last relative. I came to Dijing from Jinluo to see her. I wanted to take care of her for a hundred years, and then I would cut my hair and become a nun. Now something happened, and she went to live in another place, but my determination has not changed. So I hope I misunderstood your good intentions." She finished her words in one breath awkwardly.
Shang Rui was slightly startled when he heard that she wanted to become a nun. He wondered if she had encountered other things besides losing her parents and being alone that made her want to do this at such a young age. Then, when he heard her last sentence, he felt as if his heart was filled with mixed feelings.
In his life, he had only encountered people who looked down on others. How could he dare to encounter someone who looked down on him before he even opened his mouth
This was not in the palace, and he could not do anything to her due to his status. After a moment, he concealed the anger accumulated in his eyes and sneered: "You really think highly of yourself." Then he walked down the mountain without looking back.
He walked hurriedly ahead, not even thinking of paying attention to her.
She didn't get angry when he said something sarcastic to her. She didn't like to think about those roundabout thoughts. Since the other party said no, it was no, and she wouldn't think about it anymore.
At the foot of the mountain, the two chestnut horses were still there, but they were caught in the rain and their saddles were a little wet.
When she saw Shang Rui standing aside and his expression returned to calm, she realized that she had been overly suspicious.
Xia Yue didn't know that if he tried to conceal his expression, no one would be able to see the flaw.
Shang Rui got on his horse and pointed to the west: "Let's go back from there. After two miles, we will reach the official road. There is an inn nearby. We can have something to eat."
It would have been better if he hadn't said it. After he reminded her, she remembered that they had been out for most of the day and suddenly felt hungry.
The two men rode their horses slowly side by side along the way. When they arrived at the inn, they found that there were many guests.
"The Spring Examination will be held as usual next month, so there will naturally be a lot of people these days. Many people will stop here to rest and can go into the city before dark." Shang Rui explained and asked the waiter to lead him to the private room on the second floor.
He ordered a few dishes at random.
The waiter was very smart and remembered the instructions without having to repeat them. He also explained that there were many customers in the restaurant and the food might be served slowly.
Shang Rui was too lazy to continue speaking, so he waved his hand and sent the guy away.
The waiter smiled apologetically and closed the door of the private room.
In addition to tables and chairs, the private room also has a spacious bamboo couch, probably for people to take a nap after eating and drinking.
In less than a moment, the waiter brought a pot of tea.
Shang Rui did not do anything.
Xia Yue noticed that he had been looking listless and pale since halfway through the journey, so she picked up the teapot and poured him a cup.
But he was so picky. He took a look at the color of the tea soup and the tea leaves floating on the surface, frowned, took a small sip, and stopped drinking it with contempt.
Xia Yue looked at his clothes and asked, "Do you want to borrow a set of clean clothes from the store to change into?"
He said reluctantly, "I don't wear other people's clothes."
Xia Yue was dumbfounded. Just now he said that he was not as precious as women, but now it seems that he is clearly more precious than them.
At this time, the shop assistant came knocking on the door again and said that they were out of ingredients for the vegetarian pork elbow we ordered just now, and asked if we wanted to replace it with steamed stuffed three treasures, which is also the best-selling dish in their store.
Shang Rui propped up his head, his eyelids drooped, and said nothing.
Xia Yue had no choice but to answer the waiter's request on his behalf. Seeing that he seemed to have really caught a cold, she felt a little reluctant as he was blocking the rain for her, so she asked the waiter to make him some ginger soup.
The young man was about to leave after receiving the order, but Xia Yue stopped him again: "Is there anyone selling new clothes nearby?"
The waiter shook his head and said, "Our restaurant is located in the middle of nowhere. It is only because of the lake behind that people come here to enjoy the scenery, eat and rest. There is no clothing store here." The waiter knew people's expressions. Seeing that Shang Rui was damp and wanted to drink ginger soup, he naturally understood that he wanted to change clothes, so he said, "Miss, if you don't mind, our boss's young master is about the same height as this young man. I'll go ask for you."
But Xia Yue didn't say anything, Shang Rui flatly refused: "No."
Xia Yue suddenly felt that this man was too difficult to serve. She didn't know how spoiled he was by his family. She glanced at him and said to the waiter, "Ignore him. Just give it to me."
When the waiter saw Shang Rui's simple and exquisite outfit, he knew that she was a noble person. Business people are best at judging noble people by their appearance. Noble people naturally have bad tempers, so he smiled and replied, "Miss, I'll go find a new one."
After a while, the clothes were delivered, and they were indeed new.
Shang Rui looked up, his expression slightly relieved, and he stood up and began to untie the white jade buckle around his waist.
Xia Yue stood up suddenly, her face reddening: "Can't you wait until I get out before taking it off?"
Shang Rui glanced at her sideways and said, "You are going to be a nun, why do you care about these secular rituals? Anyway, I saw you last time, and if you come back this time, we can be even."
As he spoke, he did not stop what he was doing. He took off the white jade waist buckle and threw it aside.
The room was not big, he sat outside, she sat inside under the window, now he was blocking the middle, changing clothes in front of her, but she couldn't get out. Seeing him take off his outer clothes, leaving only his middle clothes, Xia Yue couldn't avoid him, so she had to turn around and face the window frame awkwardly.
After the rustling sound stopped, Xia Yue heard the waiter knocking on the door to serve the dishes, and Shang Rui opened the door and let him in. She thought he should have changed, otherwise he would not have answered the door, so she turned around and sat down on the stool.
Several meat and vegetable dishes were neatly placed on the table by the waiter.
As she was getting ready to eat, she glanced at Shang Rui and almost burst out laughing.
I don't know what the young waiter's eyes were, but he said that the young shopkeeper was about the same size as Shang Rui, but the sleeves and legs were so much shorter, and when he wore it, he looked like he was a size smaller, which was very funny.
The young man scratched his head embarrassedly: "It looks almost the same."
Shang Rui looked down at himself, his eyebrows almost knitted together, threw a piece of silver to the waiter, pointed at the pile of clothes he had changed out of, and said, "Hurry up and dry them and bring them back to me."
The young man took the silver, his mouth curled up, and hurriedly did as he was told.
Shang Rui, wearing the ill-fitting clean clothes, sat at the table and drank the freshly boiled ginger soup in one gulp.
At this moment, Yao Chuang and others who were secretly guarding outside the door also breathed a sigh of relief.
The world is not peaceful now, so they naturally dare not let him take Xia Yue out of the city alone. Moreover, Min Xia Yue is different from others. If she has evil intentions, they can't be careless. Along the way, they only dared to follow from a distance. Without Shang Rui's permission, they dared not show their faces at all. However, it would be difficult to report to the authorities if they let him go back sick like this.