Chapter 089: Cherry Tree

An unusually ordinary box.

The black lacquered surface had a very sharp sword-shaped clasp.

Yan Lin, being from a military family, knew at a glance that this box was for storing a sword. He smiled but didn’t immediately reach out to open it. Instead, he deliberately asked her, “Is it heavy?”

A long sword made of refined iron mixed with meteorite iron, how could it not be heavy?

Jiang Xuening, a slender girl with thin arms and legs, had carried the sword box all the way from outside the door, running in with Shen Zhiyi. The pearl flower on her head was slightly askew, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead. Her hands were indeed sore.

Hearing Yan Lin’s teasing, she raised her eyebrows in anger.

She immediately retorted, “You know it’s heavy, yet you don’t help?”

Yan Lin’s occasional teasing and her spontaneous complaint. Everything was a playful intimacy. Although there was no physical contact, their familiarity was evident at this moment.

This was completely different from the day they met on the palace road when Yan Lin distanced himself from Jiang Xuening.

But at this moment, no one around seemed surprised.

Or even if there was a bit of surprise, after a little thought, it was understandable: those who came to the Marquis’s residence to attend Yan Lin’s coming-of-age ceremony in such turbulent times were all close friends. Letting them know and see was no big deal.

Seeing Jiang Xuening’s hands trembling slightly while holding the sword box, her beautiful black and white eyes almost glaring at him, Yan Lin couldn’t help but smile and finally stepped forward to take the sword box from her.

He lifted the clasp, and the sword box opened.

A three-foot-long blade lay inside the box. As the sunlight shone from the side, a slight tilt of the hand made the cold light flicker in everyone’s eyes.

There were exclamations of amazement around.

Yan Lin looked at the cold blade and suddenly fell silent.

His throat moved slightly, and he looked at Jiang Xuening in front of him again, asking, “Is there no scabbard?”

The young man’s eyes were dark and deep, as if something wet had passed through them, but with a blink, it disappeared.

She felt a sour swelling in her heart.

But she forced a smile, with a bit of stubborn brightness, and said, “A wanderer’s sword needs a scabbard, but a general’s sword does not. Even if one day it needs to travel far, it won’t stay in the scabbard for long. The scabbard should be made by the person who receives the sword.”

A wanderer’s sword needs a scabbard.

A general’s sword is meant for the battlefield.

Young people are always sharp and aggressive. When they grow up and mature, they become like a sword in its scabbard, no longer intimidating, with a kind of maturity polished by the world. But she hoped this polishing was not forced by turbulent fate, but came from the young man’s true heart!

Therefore, only the sword is given, not the scabbard!

Yan Lin reached out and grasped the hilt, and with a slight turn of his wrist, the long sword was in his hand.

It was no longer the sword used by noble children.

This sword was sharp and cold.

Even fierce.

The light reflected like autumn water, perfectly matching the most hidden part of his heart.

Prince Yanping couldn’t help but clap his hands and praise, “Good sword!”

Shen Zhiyi followed suit, curious, “Call Qing Feng to compete with you and test the sword!”

Yan Lin smiled helplessly.

But there was still some time before the coming-of-age ceremony, and indeed nothing to do, so he waved for Qing Feng to fetch a sword and compete with him. His demeanor was still the same as before.

Jiang Xuening stood on the steps, watching, somewhat lost in thought.

Yan Lin turned to her and said, “I like this birthday gift very much.”

Jiang Xuening couldn’t smile, “I’m just afraid I didn’t make it in time.”

Yan Lin smiled at her, his eyes filled with gentle light, and said with unusual certainty, “No, you won’t miss it. Anyone else might, but I know you will definitely come.”

Even in the future, maybe I can’t marry you;

Even if the Marquis’s residence falls one day.

He believed that Ningning, whom he was waiting for, would definitely come, just like believing the sun rises in the east and rivers flow into the sea, it was so natural and unquestionable.

At this moment, Jiang Xuening almost cried.

The young man standing in front of her would never know that there was indeed a possibility he thought impossible—

That she didn’t come.

Yan Lin firmly believed that she would come to his coming-of-age ceremony, believing he could wait, but in the previous life, whether delayed or due to the confiscation of the family, she didn’t make it, and even if she did, she couldn’t get in.

Perhaps it was because of this firm belief that there was such deep disappointment.

Moreover, she not only didn’t make it but also brought deeper despair to this young man.

In the previous life, she was really a very bad, very bad person.

*

Most of the palace companions came together, but others were different from Princess Leyang and Jiang Xuening. Shen Zhiyi could pull people directly and ask for directions, but they didn’t dare.

After presenting their invitations at the door, they entered.

Yao Xi followed behind Xiao Shu and Chen Shuyi with her head down, looking coldly at the deeply rooted Marquis’s residence. Just as they were about to enter the hall, they heard a voice behind them.

Someone handed the invitation to the steward and said softly, “Zhang Zhe.”

Although she had only heard it once in Kunning Palace, that cold, flat voice with almost no fluctuation was engraved in Yao Xi’s ears, making her recognize it immediately.

This was the voice when presenting the invitation and introducing oneself.

Yao Xi’s steps suddenly stopped, and she turned around sharply—

Zhang Zhe had just stepped onto the stairs, standing outside the entrance hall, handing over his invitation.

His eyes were downcast, his expression indifferent.

Today, he was not wearing his official uniform, just a simple dark blue round-collared robe made of fine cloth, without any luxurious clothing or accessories. Standing among the other guests, he did not stand out, exuding a kind of understated presence that was hard for others to notice.

But Yao Xi saw him at a glance.

Zhang Zhe, however, did not notice anyone else, nor did he look in Yao Xi’s direction. He walked with a few other officials from the Ministry of Justice towards another hall.

Yao Xi suddenly felt an intense hatred.

She stood there for a long time without moving, until Zhang Zhe’s figure disappeared behind the lattice window. Only then did she clench her fingers, suppressing the surging emotions in her chest, and walked forward.

But she was absent-minded, walking forward without looking ahead.

Xiao Shu and the others had already gone ahead, and a man in a flying fish robe came out from inside. Yao Xi turned around and almost bumped into him!

“Ah!”

She was caught off guard, startled, and immediately took a step back, letting out a low cry of surprise.

When she saw that it was a man in front of her, tall and burly, she instinctively frowned and said, “Don’t you watch where you’re going?”

Zhou Yinzhi was one of the few members of the Jinyiwei who dared to attend the coming-of-age ceremony, and his position as a thousand-household commander was not low in the court.

He hadn’t expected to almost bump into this girl while walking.

That would have been fine, a small matter, but he hadn’t expected the one not watching where they were going to accuse him of the same.

He was not one to show his emotions, so his expression didn’t change. Knowing that those who dared to come to the Marquis’s residence at this time were either wealthy or noble, and had certain backing, he simply bowed to Yao Xi and said, “It was unintentional, I apologize for bumping into you.”

Yao Xi also recognized him as a member of the Jinyiwei.

But her father was a minister of the six ministries, a cabinet scholar, and the crown prince’s tutor. How could she take a mere thousand-household commander seriously?

Seeing him apologize, she didn’t respond.

As a young lady, bumping into a man in such a setting made her more sensitive. She didn’t say anything, just flicked her sleeve and walked towards Xiao Shu and the others.

Zhou Yinzhi looked back at her and asked his colleague, “Whose young lady is that?”

The colleague replied, “The daughter of Grand Tutor Yao.”

Then he suddenly exclaimed, raising his eyebrows and smiling, “Is the Qianhu interested?”

Zhou Yinzhi casually tugged at the corner of his mouth and said, “Just asking.”

He was merely curious about the deep-seated hatred and resentment in the girl’s eyes when she turned around. People with strong emotions are easily manipulated.

Especially such genuine and obvious hatred.

Zhou Yinzhi asked no more and turned towards the direction Zhang Zhe had gone.

---

Xie Wei did not arrive early.

Not attending court today, his residence was next door. He neither took a carriage nor had anyone carry a sedan chair, just brought Jian Shu and walked over, arriving at the Marquis’s residence in no time.

The steward saw him from afar and immediately bowed to greet him.

Before the Marquis’s residence had any trouble, the Marquis had searched high and low in the court, thinking about who to invite to name Yan Lin. Unexpectedly, one day after court, he chatted with Xie Wei, found him agreeable, and upon asking, Xie Wei agreed, much to his delight.

So it was decided to invite Xie Wei to name Yan Lin.

It could be said that among the many guests today, the most important was this one. The steward almost personally led him inside, smiling and saying, “Master Xie, you are finally here. The Marquis specifically instructed that if you came today, you should be invited to sit in his hall first.”

Xie Wei was dressed in pure white, with cloud patterns at the base, exuding an ethereal presence.

As he stepped onto the stairs, he looked like an immortal descended from the heavens.

He glanced at the steward and followed him into the residence, looking at the pavilions and towers on both sides, feeling a dreamlike illusion, and asked, “I heard the Marquis has been ill recently, is he better?”

The steward sighed and smiled bitterly, “How can he get better in these times? Not long ago, he was drinking with the young master, not listening to advice. But recently, he has been free from mundane affairs, spending time with the young master, so although his illness is not fully cured, his mood has improved a lot.”

“Is that so…”

Xie Wei blinked and murmured, “That’s good.”

Marquis Yongyi, Yan Mu, lived in Chengqing Hall, which was right behind Qingyu Hall.

To get to Chengqing Hall, one had to pass by Qingyu Hall.

The path was lined with rockeries and bonsai, with winding corridors. It was evident that this was an old residence, though many of the carved beams and painted rafters had been newly refurbished. The plants in the residence were completely different from those of more than twenty years ago.

Walking here, Xie Wei felt a sense of unfamiliarity.

Qingyu Hall was by the water, with koi swimming in the pond. Near the corridor, there was a tall cherry tree.

In the middle of winter, the leaves had long fallen.

But it had grown very tall, almost surpassing the roof, with some branches even reaching the top of the corridor. Standing below, the tall and sparse silhouette of the tree against the gray sky made one imagine its lush green in the summer.

Xie Wei looked at it, unable to take his eyes off.

The steward saw this and assumed he was puzzled as to how such a large tree could be allowed to grow in the Marquis’s residence. He smiled and said, “Don’t be surprised. This cherry tree was personally planted by the Marquis for the young master over twenty years ago…”

He paused, his expression becoming somewhat unnatural.

Guessing that Xie Wei might not know who he was referring to, he added, “It was for the young master from the Xiao-Yan marriage alliance back then…”

Xie Wei’s fingers slowly tightened in front of him, as if trying to suppress some sudden surge of emotion, and he slowly said, “I see.”

As they spoke, they arrived in front of Qingyu Hall.

A group of young people had gathered there, having just watched Yan Lin and Qing Feng test their swords. They all clapped and cheered, but when they turned around and saw Xie Wei, they were startled and quickly stopped to bow, “Greetings, Master Xie!”

Yan Lin looked at Xie Wei deeply, without speaking;

Jiang Xuening, knowing that Xie Wei was Yan Lin’s teacher and would be naming him, was also surprised to see him in the depths of the residence. She was momentarily stunned before bowing with the others.

She was a beat slower.

Xie Wei noticed but said nothing, only replying, “No need for formalities.”

His gaze shifted and he saw the long sword in Yan Lin’s hand, about to say something.

Unexpectedly, a “meow” came from behind the cherry tree.

A white cat with yellow spots on its fur, chasing some flying insect, darted out from behind the tree and ran towards Xie Wei.

His pupils contracted, and his body tensed.

Everyone’s attention was drawn to the cat.

Jiang Xuening’s heart skipped a beat. Seeing the cat about to reach Xie Wei, she instinctively bent down and quickly reached out to catch the cat, holding it in her arms!

The little cat, now in her arms, could go no further.

It waved its paws in panic, meowing.

Everyone’s eyes turned to her, surprised by her sudden action.

Jiang Xuening almost choked on her breath, glancing at the stiff Xie Wei who hadn’t moved a step. She casually raised her hand to gently stroke the cat, her wide sleeve covering most of it.

Her heart was still racing.

Xie Wei silently looked at her.

She just held the cat tightly, afraid it would run out again, and smiled at everyone, saying, “I didn’t expect the Marquis’s residence to have such a cute little cat.”

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