Chapter 6 (1/2)
CHAPTER SIX (PART 1)
After a lingering night, he is still him, she is still her.
Everything seems to be the same.
The only change would probably be when Ji Chui Yu saw his good friend’s refreshed face after spring (meaning his ‘new’ self after losing his virginity), he raises his brows in surprise, jokingly saying a word of, “Congrats.”
Liu Feng turns and credits him with a knowing laugh.
Qu Qing Yin, because of a certain someone’s overly hard work, could only rest in her room for a few days, when she had finally left her room, the heroes gathering was already over, those that were staying at the mountain manor had left one after the other, now there were only a handful of people left, and so she organises her belongings, preparing to leave.
Liu Feng seeing her leave her room, walks up and takes the bag from her hand, wearing it on his own back, “Let’s go, we need to go say our goodbyes to the Manor Master.”
“Manor Master?” Seems like since she came to Mount Zhong Yi Manor she had never seen this Manor Master Guan, before leaving the place, she should at least say goodbye to the owner.”
“Seems like this time around, you never got to see him.”
“Never had the chance.”
“It is you who did not want to see him right?” He laughs as he exposes her.
Qu Qing Yin does not directly answer him, only smiling.
When they reach the guest hall, Ji Chui Yu had already arrived a step ahead of them, and was currently conversing with Manor Master Guan.
“[Older] Brother Guan, Chui Yu.” Liu Feng walks in with a fist holding greeting, “I had you both waiting for long.”
“There is no such thing, this time we never got the chance to sit down and have a nice chat, did not think that once we got spare time you would already be leaving.” Guan Guang En says regretfully.
Liu Feng laughs and says: “This time we do not have the fortune. Then next time, we will definitely have the chance.”
Guan Guang En looks aside to Qu Qing Yin, laughingly saying: “This must be lady Qu, this time around, if this s.p.a.cious manor has treated you without enough hospitality and respect, I ask for lady’s forgiveness.”
“Manor Master Guan is too polite, this esteemed manor makes one feel at home, if not inappropriate, I’m afraid that I would want to stay here for longer and not leave.”
Guan Guang En laughs out loud, “If lady likes, drop by whenever you want, this s.p.a.cious manor would always welcome you.”
“Manor Master really is too polite.”
Guan Guang En waves his hand, “I am not being polite, whenever lady wants to, just come, treat this place like your own home, just like [Younger] Brother Liu here.”
Qu Qing Yin glances at Liu Feng, and promises with a smile, “Then I am very thankful to Manor Master, I will definitely come by sometime.”
“You must definitely come.”
“Of course.”
Guan Guang En reaches out to pat Liu Feng on the shoulders, speaking quite emotionally, “Seeing you today, I can rest a.s.sured, whilst wandering the four seas, it is still much better to have a destination in mind.”
Liu Feng smiles but does not speak.
“The Grand Madam[1] has arrived.”
The moment the escort by the door reports, everyone inside stands up in greeting
Grand Madam Guan is a generous looking elderly, she receives the support of two female attendants to sit down on the master seat, and smiles down at Qu Qing Yin, “This lady truly has a refres.h.i.+ngly delicate appearance, come, let me take a look.”
Qu Qing Yin curtly walks up to greet, “Grand Madam.”
Grand Madam Guan steadily nods her head, grabbing hold of her hands, and gives them a pat, “Looking now, I can see you are not bad, gentle and virtuous.”
Ji Chui Yu lowers his head and secretly laughs, looks wise she is gentle and kind, but when it comes to killing she can also be a fiend who even the heavenly deities will back away from.
Liu Feng could only stand aside, smiling as he watches on.
“This lady of yours I like, come, I shall give you this hairpin.” Grand Madam Guan takes out from her hair, a hairpin with a body of brilliant gold, topped with an emerald coloured jade piece as big as one’s thumb, happily laughing as she plugs it into Qu Qing Yin’s hair.
It would have been disrespectful for Qu Qing Yin to refuse the gift, and so she could only accept it, she pays her respects with a grand gesture, bowing down, “Many thanks for Grand Madam’s luxurious gift.”
“Our meeting here is a fateful encounter, no need to thank me.”
Qu Qing Yin takes out the jade box from the scent sachet hanging on her waist, presenting it upfront, “Grand Madam’s gift, this junior although lacking, ought to repay, this is junior’s personally grinded jade moisture cream, I gift it to you. May you remain ever youthful, blessed with longevity.”
Grand madam Guan laughs and accepts the gift, opening it to smell, “Mm, the smell is light and elegant, the cream has also been grinded to a great fluorescent and soft quality, just one glance and I can see it is not average, this is ingenuity.”
“As long as Grand Madam likes it.”
“You gifting me this cream, if it is of good use to this elderly, but cannot get hold of anymore after, what to do?” Grand Madam Guan jokingly asks her.
Qu Qing Yin laughs and answers, “If it suits Grand Madam’s taste, Qing Yin shall write out the formula and send it to Grand Madam, you can just have your people follow the instructions.”
“You have no problem with that?”
“From the beginning it was made to use, of course there is no problem.” Qu Qing Yin smiles to the female attendant at the side, “May I trouble this sister to get some paper, brush and ink.”
The attendant sounds her reply, and retreats to fetch the supplies. After a little while, she comes back with the paper, brush and ink. Qu Qing Yin proceeds to write the formula with sufficient details, blows dry the words and pa.s.ses it over for the Grand Madam to see.
Grand Madam Guan observes the paper of beautifully graceful brush strokes, each clearly written without losing the intensity of the words, she nods approvingly, “Truly a calm mind with ingenious hands, the idle quality of a heart of orchids. I wonder who will be the lucky one to receive your hand in marriage.”
Qu Qing Yin lowers her head in avoidance of the topic.
At this time, Liu Feng walks up, saying: “It is getting late, Grand Madam, Brother Guan, we shall take our leave first. Till we meet again.”
“Till we meet again.”
Guan Guang En shows them out, all the way till they are out of the valley. Liu Feng and the other two gets on the horses and leaves, yet he still stays till he can no longer see their figures, finally turning back to return to the mountain manor.
Back in the guest hall, Grand Madam Guan is still sat in her seat, seeing her son return, she asks, “Already left?”
“Yeah.”
Grand madam could not help but let out a sigh, “One years’ time, it was such a rare opportunity for them come here.”
“Mother.”
“I’m fine, but that lady really isn’t bad, she is different from the usual Jiang Hu people, understands etiquette, thorough knowledge in the rudiments of writing, those handwritten words, ah~, one glance can tell she has been taught by a great master, with graceful manners, clearly received high court’s admonishments, really don’t know how she ended up in the Jiang Hu, just like a bright pearl thrown into darkness.”