On the banquet stage, Ms. Zhu endlessly chatted about Li Zhibai’s personal matters, secrets, and small habits.
This behavior was originally not ideal, but because Wen Li, Yun Qian, and Miss Lu present were genuinely close, Ms. Zhu rarely opened up, chatting freely and unrestrained.
If no one was interested it would have been fine, but Miss Lu alone listening, Ms. Zhu would find it dull... But coincidentally, she was discussing Li Zhibai’s quirks... Wen Li was very fond of her Master Li, and seed to be listening with great interest.
Only Yun Qian appeared to be listening to Ms. Zhu, when in reality, her thoughts had already drifted far away.
She had no interest in Li Zhibai’s past, after all, Xu Chang’an wasn’t by Li Zhibai’s side back then... And once Xu Chang’an appeared, she knew everything about Li Zhibai’s affairs.
With a slight yawn, Miss Yun watched the fading stars in the twilight sky.
’Would it be good to live as a couple for a lifeti...?’
Listening to Xu Chang’an and Li Zhibai’s conversation, Yun Qian was lost in thought.
On this romantic painted boat, what is the most poetic ending that a girl nad Yun Qian could imagine?
Perhaps exactly as her husband said, is sitting and tasting tea, is quietly watching flowers bloom and fall, is gazing at the setting sun, and then, one evening, just like those from his past, stepping into another world without looking back.
But there’s a slight difference.
What Xu Chang’an envisioned was welcoming the end together with his wife on that day.
What Miss Yun envisioned was the true aning of ’everything’ coming to an end.
Are these two romances the sa?
Yun Qian tilted her head, blinked her eyes.
Sothing... is just not clear.
However, she doesn’t need to understand clearly, as long as her husband is willing, not cultivating, living as an ordinary couple for a lifeti, even if it’s just quietly watching days pass by, she will be delighted.
As for ordinary couples living only a hundred years might be too short... These don’t affect Miss Yun, just as at this mont... even a little bit of ti can be infinitely extended by her side, then is this hundred years truly just a hundred years.
Who knows.
——
"If Miss really cannot cultivate under any circumstances, then accompanying her in Beisang City as an ordinary couple is also wonderful."
At the square table, Xu Chang’an said while standing up to refill Li Zhibai’s wine cup.
Li Zhibai watched his smooth, seemingly aningful pouring motion, gently sighed.
She could hear that Xu Chang’an had no resistance or regret about giving up cultivation to accompany Yun Qian to beco a ’mortal,’ so this matter in Xu Chang’an’s heart wasn’t a ’hypothetical,’ but a realistically considered path.
However...
Li Zhibai knew better than anyone how much effort Xu Chang’an had dedicated to cultivation, that kind of even ruthless way to improve himself now in retrospect still made him heartache... Therefore, when Xu Chang’an expressed he could easily give it all up, it made Li Zhibai feel even more deeply.
"Doesn’t it feel regrettable?" Li Zhibai asked.
"Regrettable?" Xu Chang’an put down the wine jug, glanced at Li Zhibai strangely, then quickly understood, with so helplessness said: "Sir, sotis... I really don’t an to show off my affection in front of you, but... how do you expect to respond to such words?"
Cultivation? Does he care about cultivation? It’s Yun Qian he cares for.
If Yun Qian can’t cultivate, then what’s the point of his cultivation, of course, he’d instantly give it up.
So, cultivation has never been important in his heart.
Important is only Miss Yun.
But such words spoken out inevitably carry so ’showing off affection’ implication.
"Affection..." Li Zhibai was montarily stunned, then seeing the bitter smile at Xu Chang’an’s mouth, suddenly understood.
Oh.
Again, it’s because of Ms. Yun.
It should be because of Ms. Yun.
"This isn’t a reason, right." Li Zhibai stretched out a finger: "Ms. Yun’s inability to cultivate is her matter, doesn’t interfere with your cultivation, after all, as long as the cultivation is successful, there’s a chance to obtain longevity-increasing treasures for Yun Qian... objectively, her inability to cultivate shouldn’t affect you."
"Different, as they say, ti in the mountains flies by, unaware of years passing," Xu Chang’an said softly: "Even... if I can’t manage to close off for years, yet spending whole nights cultivating is common practice, how can that be suitable."
Then there’s a whole night... during that ti, holding the girl closely for a good rest is far more important.
"As for cultivation treasures, aren’t there you, Ms. Zhu?" Xu Chang’an chuckled: "Even if I give up cultivation, yet benefiting from Senior Sisters’ care... on the foot of Chaoyun Mountain, living a good life isn’t difficult."
Of course, what’s most reassuring for him is Li Zhibai.
Even if he gives up cultivation, he still has his teacher to rely on.
"...you." Li Zhibai gently rubbed her brow with a finger.
Really the first ti seeing Chang’an saying ’living off others’ so righteously, in a way, calling him a concubine isn’t quite wrong.
Yet Li Zhibai had nothing much to comnt, she knew Xu Chang’an’s perspective on the ’future’, which was without any confusion as he calculated everything thoroughly.
Because he has Yun Qian by his side, has soone to rely on, so even if the future is a blank canvas, he can walk through it with determination.
Then... what about herself.
Chang’an has his reliance.
Where is her reliance?
A woman nad Li Zhibai, does she have soone to rely on?
No, from the very start she never has.
Li Zhibai gently sighed, finally realizing one thing.
That her greatest change actually wasn’t about attire or preferences, but—
She has beco vulnerable.
As she switched from being a seeker of the Heavenly Dao to becoming an ordinary woman and rediscovered her youthful heart, her Golden Body shattered cleanly, exposing her softened body, even beginning to yearn for reliance, hoping soone might listen as she confided like Chang’an did.
In the past, when did she ever need reliance?
"Chang’an... when will you truly grow up." Li Zhibai looked at Xu Chang’an with complex expression.
Yet Li Zhibai also knew, for Chang’an to grow to the level that makes her a ’teacher’, ’mother’ reliant and attached to him, there’s still a long, long way to go, however in this lifeti, besides Chang’an, she probably won’t find anyone else to rely on peacefully.
She slowly sipped the wine from the bowl, softly spoke.
"Chang’an, wine and tea, one dynamic, one static, one lively, one stable. As children only know wine makes drunk, upon maturity understand tea calms the mind."
The topic abruptly returned to tea leaves, causing Xu Chang’an to be startled, but quickly agreed:
"Sir is correct, tea and wine both allow temporary escape from reality, yet tea provides ntal realm, a body and mind cleansing, filtering out agitation, reaching a relaxed ntal state, whereas wine allows temporary detachnt from reality... becoming braver?"
Anyway, for a fair amount of ti, he was drunk on wine, using the courage from it to dare climb onto Miss Yun’s bed.
"What you say is what it is then." Li Zhibai looked at the slow student before her, shaking her head.
What she desired to say was, wine is a maiden’s drink, while tea is loved by won of age.
Thus, as she transford from one who loves tea, to one who began savoring wine, what does it signify?
It signifies she indeed has been a bit weak.
Wanting soone to rely on.
’Are those... worldly won who marry also having similar thoughts?’
User Comments
0 comments from readers