The eighth day of the first lunar month is Su Huaijing’s birthday.
Rong Tang moved back to Yong'an Lane. He excitedly knocked on Su Huaijing's door early in the morning, and pulled him out mysteriously without saying what he was going to do.
Fortunately, Su Huaijing always indulged him and cooperated with him by pretending to be expectant. The weather was very good, and the carriage left the city. It was late winter and early spring, and the plum trees on the outskirts of the city were in full bloom, and the swallows were about to return.
The carriage had been travelling for half the morning. Rong Tang, who rarely felt sleepy, was not even too dizzy. He would occasionally open the curtain to look out the window, as excited as if it was his own birthday. Su Huaijing felt soft-hearted and couldn't help feeling that it was actually a little too grand.
He hadn't celebrated his birthday since he was eight years old. It seemed a bit childish for him to look forward to his birthday like a little kid at the age of eighteen.
But Tangtang was so happy, and Su Huaijing also felt happy being led by him.
I can’t tell why, the weather, the time, the sun and the moon, the person sitting next to me…
In short, everything is fine. He even starts looking forward to his birthday and the birthday gift prepared by Tangtang.
The carriage stopped in front of a garden in the suburbs. The surrounding environment was quiet. There were two jujube trees in front of the door. During the autumn harvest season, the crisp and sweet fruits would easily fall to the ground.
Two brand new stone lions stand guard at the door, playing with beads and balls, representing wealth and safety.
The garden is backed by a forest. As the carriage passed by, it startled countless birds and animals living in the forest. They chirped loudly and flew towards the early spring sunlight.
Su Huaijing was a little surprised. He got out of the car and looked around, then cast a puzzled look at Rong Tang: "What is this?"
Rong Tang grinned, he was so excited that his face turned red. Before he could say anything, cold wind blew into his throat and he started coughing uncontrollably.
So Su Huaijing immediately put aside the doubts in his heart, frowned slightly, took the hand warmer from Shuangfu and stuffed it into Rong Tang's arms, patted him on the back gently and said, "Tell me slowly, there's no rush."
“… I’m not in a hurry.” Rong Tang coughed up the cold wind, but he was still a little unconvinced and muttered, “It’s all because of this gust of wind.”
Su Huaijing was speechless and laughed at his sudden childishness: "Yeah, weird."
The coaxing was too obvious, and Rong Tang didn't feel embarrassed when he said it, but when the villain said this, his ears turned red, his eyes dodged, and he avoided the topic.
Rong Tang grabbed Zhu Huaijing's wrist and said, "Let's go in and take a look!"
The garden is sparsely populated, but it does not look desolate or dilapidated at all.
There was nothing special to be seen from the outside, but after he stepped into the steps in front of the courtyard, walked around the dim screen wall, and walked step by step into the courtyard, Su Huaijing was surprised to realize what Rong Tang had given him.
He opened his eyes wide, a little dazed for a moment, and stopped where he was, staring at an artificial lake in the middle of the garden that was still frozen over for a long time without saying anything.
All the houses on Xuanwu Avenue belong to royal relatives, and each one is more magnificent and stunning than the other.
The courtyard where I lived when I was young, the corridors I passed by, the elm trees I climbed...
Countless things that should have disappeared and faded away along with the sugar man in the young general's arms are now all reproduced in this manor far away from the capital.
The stone lion is something you will see as soon as you get off the carriage. Whether it is Su Huaijing or the former crown prince, they are dignified, noble and well-behaved heirs to the throne in the Dayu Palace; but when they return to the Xianguogong Mansion, they are just a child who has returned from his maternal grandparents' home. They can act coquettishly and ask for an extra piece of osmanthus sugar cake, or ask their cousin to lift them up high to dig out the bird's nest on the tree.
He actually... liked that house very much.
He seldom regretted or reflected on a decision after making it, but the raging fire on the day of the first snow would occasionally appear in his dreams, along with the fire that broke out in the palace ten years ago.
He stood outside the fire, watching his young self struggling and running, watching his wet nurse desperately stuffing him into a toilet bucket and onto a cart, and watching dark clouds rolling in the capital, as a fire spread from the imperial palace to Duke Xianguo's mansion.
Su Huaijing just stood there, watching the things that were familiar to him in his youth burn, turn to ashes, fly into the sky, and turn into a piece of dark clouds until they were no longer seen.
He might even wonder, is there any other way besides burning it
It seemed not. He could not completely interfere with Emperor Renshou's decision. Duke Xian's Mansion was a thorn in his side. Even if he did not give it to Sheng Chengli now, he would find a reason to give it away in the future.
But how could they deserve to live in their grandparents' house and in the courtyard where their mother grew up
So he had no choice but to burn it. Even if he never saw it again in this lifetime, it was better than going underground in the future and having his grandfather ask him why he didn't protect their home.
But in a blink of an eye, Rong Tang brushed off the ashes, gathered them in his palm, and then went around and around, carefully, and restored everything like a treasure, and finally moved a miniature "Xianguogong Mansion" in front of him.
Rong Tang stood beside him, with the cold wind blowing on his body from time to time. He was wearing a cloak, but he still instinctively moved closer to Su Huaijing and rubbed against the heat on his body.
Then he casually explained to him: "The garden is a little smaller, and it has not been rebuilt in its original state. You can find out what is wrong and I will ask the craftsmen to change it."
The tone was extremely relaxed, as if memorizing everything about a house like this and spending time building and renovating it was an easy task.
Su Huaijing's voice was a little hoarse, and after a while, he asked, "Is this for me?"
Rong Tang's eyes sparkled, and he nodded with a smile: "Yes! Happy birthday!"
Dayu's legal age of adulthood is fifteen, but from Rong Tang's perspective, the eighteenth birthday is always a day worth celebrating.
The boy moves through his youth and towards his infinite possibilities.
Rong Tang felt infinite joy just by watching from the side.
He added in his mind: Happy adulthood!
You have really grown into a very good adult!
The spring breeze was chilly and it hurt Su Huaijing's eyes. He blinked lightly, turned around, took Rong Tang's hand, and walked towards the house where the charcoal fire was burning.
"Huh?" Rong Tang was stunned for a moment, hesitated for a few seconds, bent forward, raised his head, blinked at Su Huaijing, and the joy he had just felt gradually faded away.
Why does he... feel like Huai Jing doesn't like this gift very much
The reaction seems too bland.
Rong Tang was at a loss.
He has been busy for a super long time preparing this surprise, and Huai Jing doesn't like it
Young Master Rong was rarely frustrated. He stared for a moment and confirmed that there was indeed no expression of joy on Su Huaijing's face. He felt dejected and retracted his head, lowering it slightly like a defeated rooster.
But Su Huaijing said at this time: "Thank you."
He paused, then added with great care, "Thank you."
Rong Tang's eyes lit up and he asked repeatedly, "You like it, right? You like it, right? You can't not like it, right?!"
Su Huaijing laughed, and the heat that had just risen in his heart was suppressed by Rong Tang's excited expression. He looked at him and nodded, repeating: "I like it very much, thank you Brother Tangtang."
The defeated rooster raised his head, feeling extremely proud!
If a gift that is carefully prepared happens to be liked by the recipient, this will be enough for him to brag about for years!
[You are awesome!] The system said in a sarcastic tone.
Lord Rong Tang was very generous and did not argue with Su Huaijing on his birthday. Instead, he said, "I am a genius."
[Ah, yes, yes, Tangtang is a little genius. ]
Rong Tang: "Hey!"
Only a few servants were arranged to sweep the garden and guard the door. They were notified in advance and knew that the host would come today, so they lit a stove in the hall. As soon as Rong Tang walked in through the door curtain, the temperature around him suddenly became much warmer.
Su Huaijing tested the temperature of the tea on the table with his hand, poured two cups of tea, and asked him, "When was it prepared?"
Rong Tang drank the tea and frowned. He still didn't like the taste. He warmed it up a little and put it aside. He replied, "I've been preparing it since I came back from Songyuan."
Su Huaijing raised his eyebrows slightly, unable to hide his surprise: "So early?"
Rong Tang nodded, avoiding the main point, and asked him with a smile: "Yes, am I good?"
He deliberately threw the question out, without saying a word why such a house was prepared before the Xian Guogong Mansion burned down, nor did he say where he got the drawings that allowed him to renovate the garden to look so similar.
He smiled softly and nodded: "Very good, Tangtang is very, very good."
Su Huaijing said: "I am lucky to meet Tangtang, and I am extremely lucky to be taken home by Tangtang."
It's not that he doesn't show his emotions, it's just that the gift he received was so unexpected that he couldn't react for a while.
When he rode the wedding carriage from Yong'an Lane to Ningxuan Prince's Mansion and saw the carefully decorated bedroom and study in Tanghua Courtyard, Su Huaijing felt the feeling of being cherished for the first time in years.
But when this house appeared before him in such a completely unexpected way, Su Huaijing was stunned.
The brain seemed unable to think. Familiar scenes were everywhere in front of my eyes, with old and new overlapping. I could still seem to hear General Wei's spirited laughter, but the person standing next to him was Rong Tang.
Su Huaijing thought that Tangtang had actually given him what he wanted a long time ago.
He wanted Rong Tang to love him, but when such a deep house appeared in front of him, how could he still say that Tang Tang didn't love him
Su Huaijing was very serious. He looked into Rong Tang's eyes with a smile and said that he felt very lucky. The prince, who had wanted to praise him earlier, was stuck and blushed.
"Not that good," he whispered.
If you really count it, the year he met Su Huaijing was happier and more comfortable than his previous two lives combined.
So how do we calculate this
"I am also very lucky." Rong Tang said.
Fortunately, I did not faint and stay in bed in early spring, fortunately, I went to Fengyue Tower in advance, fortunately, I survived Su Huaijing's murderous intention when they first met, and fortunately, I saw the big villain in his current appearance.
He said: "Huai Jing, you are actually very, very good."
The spring sunshine is warm outside, the migratory birds are about to return, it is almost noon, and the aroma of food is wafting from the kitchen.
Su Huaijing smiled and asked, "Then I'll do this, Tangtang, do you want to be with me?"
It's not like it is now, but the kind of being together where you are married, grow old together, and sleep in the same grave.
I am included in your family tree, so how come we are not a couple
Su Huaijing asked habitually. He had asked similar questions many times in the past six months, and Rong Tang always refused straightforwardly.
But today is his birthday, and Su Huaijing wants to ask for some benefits from the birthday boy.
He originally thought that Rong Tang still would not agree, or would be a little vague because of his birthday, but unexpectedly, after asking this, Rong Tang fell strangely silent.
Su Huaijing was slightly stunned. It was the first time he encountered such a situation.
Rong Tang pursed his lips, as if thinking seriously. After a long while, he asked tentatively: "Then you first promise me that you won't be buried with me?"
"?"
Su Huaijing was really confused now. He asked, "If I agree to it, will you be with me?"
Rong Tang frowned, secretly clenched his fingers, and whispered: "If you agree, we can try dating first."
Su Huaijing: "In love?"
Rong Tang's face flushed a little, but he also knew that the words he said were too modern, so he explained: "It's the process of two people liking each other, getting along with each other, and getting to know each other better."
This seemed to be the first time that Su Huaijing had encountered such a difficult problem in his life. He asked doubtfully, "But we are already married."
He added: "We are married and have been together for almost a year."
How could he know more? What he wanted to know was what Tangtang had kept from him, but he couldn't ask now.
Su Huaijing was extremely confused.
Rong Tang's eyes wandered, his mouth was a little dry, he hesitated for a moment, and whispered: "That means marriage first, love later..."
Su Huaijing: “?”
Very good, another word I haven’t heard before.
He became more and more curious about how many weird things were in Rong Tang's head, but now that Tang Tang had finally agreed, Su Huaijing was unwilling to force him.
He just asked: "So as long as I promise not to be buried with Tangtang, will Tangtang agree to be with me?"
Rong Tang was silent for a moment, then nodded, his movement so light that it was almost invisible.
Su Huaijing laughed and said loudly: "I agree."
Rong Tang instantly raised his eyes to look at him, and Su Huaijing smiled faintly: "So are we in love now?"
"..." Rong Tang was also confused, "Forget it..."
"Then can I hold Tangtang's hand?" Su Huaijing asked.
Rong Tang: "Aren't you always holding it?"
"That's different." Su Huaijing said, but didn't tell him what was different.
He took Rong Tang's hand, sat at the door, warmed himself by the fire, and watched the birds in the courtyard foraging for food. There was a smattering of white mist coming out of the chimney.
The countryside was so quiet that it seemed as if there were only the two of them.
Su Huaijing looked at this familiar yet strange house, suddenly smiled, and murmured: "Tangtang is like my anchor."
With him around, I won’t seem to get lost.
As for the burial...
Tangtang has lied to him so many times, it wouldn't be unfair for him to lie back once, right
Su Huaijing thought of this and instantly became alert, and asked, "Why did you agree to me today? Is it because of my birthday? Are you lying to me?"
"?" Rong Tang was shocked, "I'm not a liar!"
Su Huaijing looked at him suspiciously and said nothing.
Rong Tang: “???”
He was silent for a moment, then said, "Because you are eighteen years old."
Su Huaijing was puzzled: "So?"
Rong Tang glanced at him and said in a low, unconfident voice: "And I am a good person with a sense of morality."
Su Huaijing: “… ?”
The good guy said he appeared again, Tangtang, you are lying to me, right
(End of this chapter)