In the city, the snow melted.
The snow on the roof flowed down and condensed into crystal clear and sharp icicles under the eaves.
Occasionally, a crisp breaking sound would be heard.
Just out of the corridor.
Luo Qingzhou pulled Bailing and avoided a sudden attack from an icicle.
Then he took hold of her soft and delicate little hand and never let go.
Bai Ling struggled for a while at first, pouted her lips and said, "Son-in-law, let go. It's not good if others see us."
Luo Qingzhou ignored her and continued to pull her forward.
The moon is bright in the night sky.
The moonlight was like water, sprinkling down and covering the two of them with a thin layer of moon-white clothes.
The temperature at night is still very low.
The two hands clasped together gradually warmed up.
Walked for a while.
Bailing struggled slightly again and whispered, "Master, don't be like this. I belong to the young lady, not you. The young lady hasn't even agreed to let me be your maid."
Luo Qingzhou turned his head and looked at her pretty face, "Isn't your young lady mine? Even she is mine, so you are naturally mine too, aren't you?"
Bai Ling immediately pouted and retorted: "No, the son-in-law is married into the family, so we can only say that the son-in-law belongs to the young lady, but we can't say that the young lady belongs to the son-in-law."
Luo Qingzhou raised his eyebrows and said, "Okay, then I'll go find my father-in-law later and tell him that I've thought about it carefully and I think the second young lady is better."
The atmosphere suddenly fell into silence.
A long time passed.
Bai Lingfang said softly: "Son-in-law, it turns out you understood everything just now."
Luo Qingzhou said calmly: "I'm not a fool."
Bai Ling looked at him puzzledly and said, "Then Master... Miss Second was so kind and gentle to Master, and she also shared similar interests with Master, why did Master... reject her just now?"
Luo Qingzhou looked ahead, was silent for a moment, and suddenly stopped under a big tree. He then turned around, hugged her gently, lowered his head and kissed her little mouth, picked up their holding hands, put them in front of her, and said, "Do you understand?"
Bailing was stunned, looking at the two people's hands clasped together, her expression dazed for a moment, her lips moved, and she seemed to be hesitant to speak.
"Of course, there are other reasons."
Luo Qingzhou led her and continued to walk forward slowly, looking at the darkness in front of him and said, "The eldest lady is just aloof, but she is not bad to me. I have been married to her and have prayed to heaven and earth. Even though she took the initiative to propose this, I still feel reluctant. What's more, I am not a commodity, so how can I give it to her? If she divorces me directly, I will have no objection, but if she wants to give me away, then..."
At this point, he paused, and then continued, "Also, I think this will have a huge impact on the reputation of the Second Miss. Of course, she won't care about that, but if she becomes my wife and is always pointed at behind her back, I will feel very uncomfortable. And... the Second Miss is too weak, and I can't protect her now. I still have some things that I haven't finished, which will take some time."
Bai Ling was silent for a moment, then said, "Son-in-law, there is actually a way to solve the problems you mentioned."
Luo Qingzhou looked at her and asked, "What's the solution?"
Bai Ling stopped and stared at him with burning eyes, saying, "When you pass the exam next autumn, you will have achieved fame. By then, you don't have to be divorced by the young lady, and you can just... marry another one. In this way, you can avoid the family scandal of the younger sister snatching the elder sister's husband. What do you think, young lady?"
Luo Qingzhou was stunned for a moment, and immediately scolded: "Nonsense."
After saying that, he continued to pull her forward and fell silent.
Bailing suppressed her laughter and glanced at him, saying, "Son-in-law, are you thinking in your heart now? Bailing is so considerate and cute. How does she know that I think this way? Can she see through my mind? I love this girl so much! Son-in-law, right? Is this what you think in your heart?"
Luo Qingzhou: “…”
"If you don't say anything, it means you agree."
Bailing approached him with a smile, and for the first time took the initiative to put her cheek on his arm, and said crisply: "Master, as long as you work hard, all the young ladies and maids in the Qin family will belong to you. Including..."
"you?"
Luo Qingzhou turned and looked at her.
Bailing smiled and said, "Of course it includes me, and... Chanchan."
Luo Qingzhou was slightly stunned and said nothing, seeming to be lost in thought.
The two walked hand in hand in the Qin Mansion in the dark.
Even if maids and servants saw it, they would stay away from it.
When they were almost at Meixiang Garden, Bailingfang struggled to break free and whispered, "Son-in-law, don't be naughty to me in front of Chanchan anymore."
Luo Qingzhou asked: "Why?"
Bailing said: "Chanchan is lonely alone, I have to accompany her loneliness. If the son-in-law gets too close to me, she will feel that I have abandoned her and will feel very uncomfortable."
Luo Qingzhou thought about the scene he saw in the flower garden those two nights, was silent for a moment, nodded, and agreed: "Okay."
Entered the Meixiang Garden.
The cold figure still stood in the shadow under the eaves, and it was unknown whether he was in a daze or thinking about something.
Only after seeing them did her eyes focus.
Bai Ling whispered, "Son-in-law, I'll go in and call the young lady. You give the food to Chanchan, she must be starving."
After saying that, he ran into the house.
Luo Qingzhou walked under the eaves, handed the chicken drumstick and snacks in his hand to the girl, and said, "Xia Chan, I brought it to you. It should still be hot."
Xia Chan gave him a cold look, then looked away and ignored him.
Luo Qingzhou didn't give any explanation, he just grabbed her little hand, stuffed the food into her hand, and ordered: "Eat it."
Xia Chan narrowed her eyes and looked at him coldly again.
A chill came towards Luo Qingzhou.
But he was not afraid at all. He looked her in the eye and said, "If you have the guts, draw your sword and kill the good brother-in-law who once jumped into the water to save you, stayed with you under the bridge in the storm, lightning and thunder, helped you plant flowers in the flowerbed on a cold night, and stayed with you all night when you were sick and had a fever!"
Xia Chan: “…”
Luo Qingzhou threatened: "If you don't eat it, I won't save you next time you fall into the water or when it thunders. I won't accompany you next time you go to the flower garden to plant flowers or when you get sick. Go find Bailing and see if she is as gentle and considerate as your son-in-law."
Xia Chan turned around and snorted, but she had already clenched the thing he had just stuffed into her in her hand.
"Eat it while it's hot. I'm leaving now."
After Luo Qingzhou finished his instructions, he turned around and left, saying to the room, "Bai Ling, tell the young lady that I'm going back first."
The study window was suddenly opened.
Bai Ling shouted from the window: "Son-in-law, won't you wait for us?"
Luo Qingzhou walked to the door, turned around and said, "I still have to go back to study. You and Xia Chan can accompany the young lady back."
After saying that, he left quickly.
Bailing looked at the door where his back disappeared, and was stunned for a moment before closing the window and turning around and saying, "Miss, that's what the son-in-law just said. He said he couldn't bear to leave you and didn't want to be divorced by you. Even if you ignored him, he still wanted to be husband and wife with you for the rest of his life."
Qin Jianjia sat at the table, quietly looking at the poem on the rice paper. After a moment of silence, she asked, "Doesn't he like Wei Mo?"
Bailing thought for a moment and said, "Uncle didn't say, but judging from the situation, it seems that Uncle only likes... Chanchan."
A cold voice suddenly came from outside the window: "Mingming, it's you."
Under the light, Bai Ling's face turned red and she muttered in a low voice: "No way."
Luo Qingzhou returned to the courtyard.
After looking through the books about the monsters in the Black Wood Forest for a while, Xiaodie came back and explained, "Sir, I went to see Sister Xiaotao."
As she spoke, she took something out from behind her back and said with a smile, "Look, young master, this is what Sister Xiaotao saw today in the Jinzhuang Pavilion outside. The shop owner said that these socks came from the neighboring country Baihua Country. The women there love to wear this kind of socks. The women in Kyoto and many big cities in our Great Yan are also wearing this kind of socks now. Sister Xiaotao thought it was very strange, so she bought a few pairs and came back to try to imitate them to see if she could make them. I asked for a pair and I am also going to learn it."
Luo Qingzhou looked at the white stockings in her hand, was stunned for a moment, then quickly took them in his hand, stroked them, pulled them, and even smelled them.
Soft, silky, springy, and flavorful…
"Sir, does it look good?"
Xiaodie said excitedly, "I'm going to make a few pairs with other colored fabrics. Sister Xiaotao said that different fabrics can produce different effects. Some are more transparent, some are more hazy, and some are as thick as pants. Anyway, with this kind of socks, I don't need to wear pants in the future. I heard that many noble ladies in Kyoto are wearing this way now."
Luo Qingzhou was in a trance for a while, handed the stockings in his hand to her, hesitated, and said: "Xiaodie, actually, these socks don't have to be made of this length. You can make them shorter, thigh-length, knee-length, calf-length or ankle-length. Also, I think black, white, or skin-colored ones are better looking. And the striped ones are also okay. As for the colorful ones with embroidery, I don't think they are necessary."
Xiaodie opened her eyes wide as she watched him speak nonstop, and said in surprise, "Sir, why do you look like you know so much? Have you ever worn it before?"
Luo Qingzhou: “…”
Xiaodie quickly added: "Oh, I forgot, this is for girls. Sir, have you seen it in the store before?"
Luo Qingzhou waved his hand and said, "Okay, I'll read for a while, you go and get busy. You don't have to come tonight, I have something else to do."
The little girl pouted her lips, said "oh", and left unhappily, muttering softly: "I am going to wear these socks tonight and sleep with you, young master."
When she walked out of the room and was about to close the door, Luo Qingzhou suddenly said, "By the way, Xiaodie, I just thought about it and I think there should be nothing to do tonight. You should come over and help me warm the quilt later."
The little girl immediately smiled and said happily: "Yeah!"
Then she closed the door, returned to her room, and began to carefully observe the smooth and soft white stockings in her hands.
After a while.
She locked the door, climbed onto the bed, took off the pants under her skirt, revealing a pair of slender, snow-white girlish legs, and then began to carefully put on stockings on her legs.
"These socks... why do I feel... so embarrassed when I wear them?"
The little girl looked at the white silk on her legs, her face turned red unconsciously, her heart was full of confusion and wonder, she didn't know why she had such a feeling.
"I don't know... Will you like it?"
A while later.
The little girl changed into a thin nightgown, wearing smooth white silk, and walked out of the room with a red face. She knocked on the door and said, "Sir, are you going to bed?"
Luo Qingzhou said on the bed: "Come in."
The little girl pushed open the door and walked in shyly. After locking the door, she climbed onto the bed and got into the quilt. Like a docile kitten, she pressed against his chest and whispered softly, "Sir, I want to..."
"What the hell, I said next year."
"It's almost the New Year. Sir, I just want to say that I miss you. I haven't warmed your bed for many days."
"Oh, then just keep warm tonight."
"Sir, I hope you will keep your word. After the New Year, I will be grown up. By then..."
"Snoring, snore..."
"Wow, young master..."
“Snoring…Snoring…”
"Sir, if you pretend to sleep again, I will not be polite."
"Snoring, snore..."
"snort!"
The little girl snorted, suddenly shrank back and crawled into the quilt.
Luo Qingzhou's snoring suddenly stopped.
Outside the window, the moonlight is like water.
Plum blossom garden.
In the study, smoke was curling up and the light on the candlestick was still on.
A girl in a plain white dress, with her long smooth hair and a pair of snow-white silk stockings, sat in front of the eucalyptus table, stepping on the soft velvet carpet, holding a pen in her bare hand, still writing beautiful little characters under the lamp.
Qiu'er was wearing a goose yellow gauze and quietly grinding ink.
"Cough... cough cough..."
The girl who was transcribing the story suddenly started coughing.
After a short pause, he started coughing again.
Then she suddenly picked up the snow-white handkerchief beside her, covered her mouth, and coughed violently.
Qiu'er hurriedly walked behind her, patted her on the back, and said to the outside in a hurry: "Zhu'er, hurry up, the young lady is coughing up blood again, go and get the hot medicine!"
Zhu'er hurried into the kitchen and put the medicine that had already been boiled on the stove.
Holding a palm-leaf fan, she anxiously fanned the stove a few times. Suddenly, she remembered something, put the fan down, and ran out the door.
Running all the way.
The night was silent and the wind was bitingly cold.
When she ran to the door panting, banged on it and shouted, Xiaodie was wearing thin pajamas, with a red face and a silly smile, brushing her teeth under the eaves in the courtyard. When she heard the sound, she didn't even bother to go back to the house to put on her clothes, and immediately ran over to open the door.
Zhu Er said anxiously, "Xiao Die, hurry up, let the son-in-law go over, my young lady is coughing up blood again."
When Xiaodie heard this, she hurried back into the house.
Upon hearing the news, Luo Qingzhou quickly got up from the bed, put on his clothes, thought for a while, and put on his storage bag.
When he and Zhu'er hurried over, the fragile girl was still sitting stubbornly at the table, silently transcribing the story he brought.
Qiu'er stood aside, grinding ink with red eyes.
Luo Qingzhou took off his shoes and entered the room.
The girl turned her head and looked at him, a trace of apology appeared on her beautiful and pale face, and she said softly: "Brother-in-law, I'm sorry... Wei Mo is useless and disturbed you again."
Qiu'er quickly retreated and closed the door.
Luo Qingzhou walked closer, took out a porcelain bottle from the storage bag, held her fair and delicate little hand, and dripped a drop of inky black liquid on it.
Then he took out another porcelain bottle and dropped a drop of dark blue liquid on it.
The two drops of liquid quickly blended into her snow-white skin and disappeared.
Luo Qingzhou put away the porcelain bottle, let go of her little hand, looked at the beautiful little words she had copied, and said, "There's no need to work so hard."
The girl also looked at the small words and said softly, "It's not hard at all. Only by writing poems and stories about my brother-in-law can Wei Mo feel better physically and mentally."
Luo Qingzhou thought about what happened tonight and looked at her pale little face with long eyelashes drooping. He was silent for a moment, then suddenly bent down, held her horizontally in his arms, then blew out the candle next to him and walked into the inner room.
The girl lay quietly in his arms, looking at him tenderly with her eyes. She didn't struggle, nor did she speak. She was quiet and gentle.
Luo Qingzhou put her down on the edge of the bed, then squatted down, lifted her slender feet, and helped her take off her snow-white stockings.
"Second Miss, what happened tonight..."
The girl suddenly stretched out a slender jade finger and gently placed it on his lips. She looked at him tenderly and said, "Brother-in-law, don't say it... Wei Mo understands..."
Luo Qingzhou squatted in front of her, holding her snow-white and delicate girl's jade feet in his palms. He lowered his head and was silent for a moment, then suddenly raised his head and said: "Second Miss, if this is really the only way to relieve your condition, then I..."
The girl suddenly lowered her head, and her cold and soft pink lips gently touched his lips. Soon two blushes appeared on her fair cheeks.
Under the girl's trembling eyelashes are a pair of shy but brave eyes.
Luo Qingzhou was startled by the sudden "attack" and trembled. His hands unconsciously clenched her slender and smooth feet, and his heart made ripples with a "plop".
It has not dissipated for a long time...