The next day, Si Yunqin, Xi Fengyu, and Ke Lanyue all slept until the sun was high in the sky before finally getting up. When they woke, their heads were still splitting from the hangover. The aftereffects of that wine were truly powerful.
When Xi Fengyu woke up, there was no one beside her. She was the only one in the huge bed.
At that moment, grievance and sadness surged up in her heart all at once. She sat up in bed and seriously tried to recall the events of the previous night. Had it all really been just a dream?
Sitting on the bed, Xi Fengyu’s eyes unconsciously grew moist. The tears flowed almost beyond her control.
Changli had woken up very early. Remembering that Xi Fengyu and the others had drunk a lot the night before, she went to the kitchen to make them some hangover soup. First, she went to the guest rooms where Si Yunqin and the others were staying and gave them the soup. Si Yunqin had just finished her bath, so she was able to drink it right away.
A hangover was truly miserable. Fortunately, the hangover soup Changli made was quite effective. After drinking it, she felt a little more clear-headed.
Si Yunqin thanked Changli. “Thank you, Elder Sister.”
Changli gently shook her head. “If anyone should be thanking you, it’s Tongtong and I.”
A slight smile touched Si Yunqin’s lips. “Tongtong… is that Fengyu’s childhood nickname?”
“Mm, her nickname from that other world.” Changli couldn’t suppress her good mood either. Yesterday, she had still been a Daoist priest with an immortal demeanor, but today she was practically radiating the aura of someone in love.
“That’s kind of adorable, hahaha.” Si Yunqin couldn’t help but laugh. “Thank you for the soup, Elder Sister. I won’t keep you chatting for now. After all, some people will be sad if they wake up and can’t find you.” Si Yunqin teased.
The person being teased wasn’t as thick-skinned as Si Yunqin, and a faint blush instantly crept across her cheeks.
“Well, I’ll leave you be, then.” Carrying the other bowl of hangover soup, Changli withdrew.
Returning to her own room, Changli had just pushed open the door when the person on the bed looked over at her. Her face was still streaked with undried tears, and it made Changli’s heart clench.
She quickly set down the hangover soup and hurried over. “What’s wrong?”
Xi Fengyu couldn’t wait to hug her as soon as Changli sat down on the edge of the bed.
Changli gently patted her back. “It’s okay. I’m here.”
“When I woke up and didn’t see you, I thought it was another dream.” Xi Fengyu nuzzled against her, her voice still thick with tears.
To outsiders, she always seemed gentle and calm, but they didn’t know that her gentleness was actually learned from another person.
“This time it’s not a dream. The heavens have let us meet again.” Changli soothed her softly.
Xi Fengyu held onto her tightly, unwilling to let go.
After a long while, Changli tousled her hair. “How about you drink the hangover soup first, and then take a bath?”
“Okay.” Xi Fengyu obediently agreed.
When Changli tried to stand up, she found Xi Fengyu still clinging tightly to her. She couldn’t help but laugh. “Tongtong, if you don’t let me go, how can I get your soup?”
Xi Fengyu instantly blushed, obediently releasing Changli and waiting for her to bring the hangover soup over.
After drinking it, Xi Fengyu asked, a little dejectedly, “Was I really ridiculous last night?”
Changli shook her head, then leaned down and gently kissed the corner of her mouth. “No, you were very cute.”
Now that she was sober, Xi Fengyu still remembered some of the events from last night, and she was starting to feel shy about it in hindsight.
“I’m going to take a bath first,” Xi Fengyu said softly.
Changli nodded. “Okay.”
Accompanying Xi Fengyu back to the guest rooms, they found the others were already up. Si Yunqin had even made breakfast. Seeing them arrive, she invited them to join.
“I’ll go wash up first. You all go ahead and eat,” Xi Fengyu said, feeling a bit embarrassed.
“In that case, Elder Sister Changli, why don’t you eat with us?” Si Yunqin invited her without any awkwardness, as if they were already close friends.
Yuwen Qiyue, sitting beside Si Yunqin, smiled. “Yesterday, she was ‘Daoist Priest Changli.’ How come she’s already ‘Elder Sister Changli’ today?”
“Fengyu’s wife. Should I call her ‘Sister-in-law’ instead?” Si Yunqin said teasingly.
Changli blushed slightly. “Either is fine.”
Yuwen Qiyue chuckled, poured tea for herself and Changli, and raised her cup. “Congratulations.”
“Thank you.” Changli returned the gesture.
Ke Lanyue, sitting across from Changli, looked at her curiously. “Elder Sister, can you tell us the story about you and Fengyu? I didn’t quite understand it last night.”
“I know it,” Si Yunqin said with a smile. “But if you ask the people involved, won’t they be too shy to tell you?”
Shen Yanxin watched her crafty expression and the story she wove so easily. She knew it was all made up, of course, a mix of truth and fiction, but it was enough to fool most people.
Finally, Si Yunqin finished her story, leaving Ke Lanyue completely captivated and even shedding a few tears.
When Xi Fengyu came out, she heard Ke Lanyue looking at her with a face full of blessings. “Fengyu, you have to be happy for sure.”
Xi Fengyu looked at Si Yunqin and Changli. Changli gave a helpless little smile, while Si Yunqin cleared her throat. “I told her your story. The kid’s eyes are shallow. Look, even Luo’er is the same.”
Xi Fengyu looked at Yuwen Luo again, and sure enough, the little girl’s eyes were also brimming with tears.
After the meal, Xi Fengyu and Changli went off to be alone together. Si Yunqin, bored, pulled out a deck of cards. “Anyone up for a game?”
Ke Lanyue yawned and came over. “Sure.”
“Elder Sister Qiyue, was it you who brought us back last night?” Ke Lanyue asked.
Yuwen Qiyue played a card, a playful smile curling at the corner of her mouth. “Sort of. But we were only responsible for bringing you back. Yunqin left first. The Empress Dowager followed her the whole way.”
Hearing this, Si Yunqin let out an “Ah.” “I don’t remember any of that at all.”
A strange feeling suddenly came over her. The day before yesterday, she seemed to have gotten drunk too, and she thought she had passed out in Shen Yanxin’s room…
When she woke up, her outer robe was off, her shoes were removed, and she was tucked in so neatly under the covers.
Could Shen Yanxin have done all that?
“The Empress Dowager is so good to you?” Ke Lanyue asked casually.
Si Yunqin scratched her head. “I don’t know.”
She didn’t dare think too much about it. What if it wasn’t Shen Yanxin, but Yan Ke who helped? Wouldn’t that mean she was overthinking things?
But even if it were Yan Ke, hadn’t Yan Ke been ordered by Shen Yanxin? It still felt weird.
Yuwen Qiyue looked at Si Yunqin. “Yunqin, what are you thinking about? Play your card.”
“Oh.” Si Yunqin quickly played a card.
After a few rounds, Si Yunqin stretched. “Isn’t it a bit much to just drink and play cards every day on this trip? Azure Cloud Abbey is worth exploring. Want to go for a walk?”
“Sounds good.” Yuwen Qiyue had no objections. She had come out for freedom, and anything was better than the constraints of the Imperial Palace.
“Then I’ll go ask Shen Yanxin.” Si Yunqin put down her cards and scampered off to the door of Shen Yanxin’s room. Through the doorway, she could see Yuwen Luo studying, and Shen Yanxin reading a book.
Si Yunqin raised her hand and knocked. Yuwen Luo immediately looked over. “Master, are we going out to play?”
Hearing her words, Si Yunqin cleared her throat. This little brat made it sound like all she ever did was take her out to play.
She lifted her head to look at Shen Yanxin. “Want to go for a walk?”
Shen Yanxin put down her book and looked at Si Yunqin, giving a slight nod. “Where to?”
“Just wander around. The scenery on Azure Cloud Mountain is great. It’s no fun staying cooped up in here all day.”
There was some truth to that, and Shen Yanxin didn’t argue with her.
As Shen Yanxin walked out, Si Yunqin couldn’t help but block her path and ask. “I got really drunk last night. Did you trick me again?”
“You were the one who drank the wine. How is that me tricking you?” Shen Yanxin said sarcastically.
Si Yunqin scratched her head awkwardly. It was true that she had drunk the wine herself, but Shen Yanxin must have done something.
“Cut back on the drinking from now on,” Shen Yanxin said suddenly, her tone filled with concern.
Si Yunqin had been ready to interrogate her, but Shen Yanxin’s sudden shift caught her off guard. She nodded dumbly. “Okay.”
Yuwen Luo had already run over and grabbed Si Yunqin’s hand. “Master, where are we going?”
“I’ll take you to see the blessed land of the Daoists.”
“What’s that?”
Yuwen Luo always had so many whys and what-fors.
Hearing that they wanted to explore, Changli, as their host, volunteered to show them around.
The others were more than happy with that arrangement.
Changli led Xi Fengyu by the hand at the front. Si Yunqin pulled Shen Yanxin along behind them. Yuwen Luo clung to Yuwen Qiyue, and Ke Lanyue followed along at the back.
Everyone deliberately let Xi Fengyu and Changli lead the way. Occasionally, they would chat amongst themselves. Although the Azure Cloud Abbey was famous for its beauty, it didn’t have many visitors. Climbing the Azure Cloud Mountain was no easy feat, and even getting there was a journey in itself.
Therefore, the abbey was mostly occupied by its Daoist priests, giving it a sense of tranquility far removed from the bustling activity down the mountain.
“Where’s Senior Sister Zhou?” Si Yunqin asked casually. Changli thought for a moment and shook her head. “Senior Sister’s whereabouts are uncertain. She might be meditating somewhere, or she might be sleeping somewhere.”
“Oh, that sounds like something she’d do.” Si Yunqin wasn’t surprised at all, remembering that Zhou Xinglian had been the same way at the Yunfu Taoist Temple.
Shen Yanxin, hearing Si Yunqin’s question, looked at her briefly before looking away.
Inside the Azure Cloud Abbey, someone was practicing a palm technique. Curious, Si Yunqin went over to watch and learn. This technique was a bit different from the ones she had studied before; it wasn’t just for building strength and health. Changli explained it was a technique her Shibo had created, better suited for combat.
“You guys go on ahead. I’ll learn a bit from the masters here.” Si Yunqin went closer to observe, waving the others on.
Shen Yanxin also stopped. Xi Fengyu smiled. “We’ll get going then.”
Yuwen Luo wanted to go with them, but Xi Fengyu gently took her hand. “That’s not fun. Let’s go play somewhere else.”
Hearing her soft voice, Yuwen Luo thought for a moment, then nodded and followed Xi Fengyu and the others.
Changli glanced curiously at Shen Yanxin and Si Yunqin, then looked questioningly at Xi Fengyu.
A slight smile curved Xi Fengyu’s lips. “It’s probably like they have a window pane of paper between them. They’re just waiting to see who tears it first.”
“I see.” Changli nodded in understanding. She had thought it was strange that Shen Yanxin, who was usually so quiet and reserved, didn’t seem to act that way with Si Yunqin.
Shen Yanxin found a spot on a stone step to sit down, watching Si Yunqin learn from the Daoist priest. Shen Yanxin had little interest in learning herself, but watching Si Yunqin learn was somewhat entertaining.
She loved seeing Si Yunqin always so full of enthusiasm. It seemed as if there was never any shadow of gloom over her.
