Peach concubine

There was no way to hide secrets in Suzhou City, but after one night, the news spread throughout the streets and alleys.

In order to redeem herself, the head oiran in Hongxiufang, a girl named Chanjuan who played the piano well, scalded her slender wrists with a pot of boiling tea.

When people sighed, they only gave a few sighs of regret, and then put it behind them.The annual Lantern Festival is approaching, and every household is busy making lanterns for the festival, but they can't tell the trivial things like gossip and gossip.

──In the eyes of the world, Chanjuan's capricious actions in her life are nothing more than a sigh.

The night of the Lantern Festival in Suzhou City is very lively. A full moon hangs on the willows, crumbling.

Under the night, the lights of the small town are as bright as day, and the figures are noisy. The vendors on both sides of the street have stalls of various gadgets, and they are piled up in the middle of the road.The crowds are as spectacular as mountains and seas. Walking on the road, shoulder to shoulder, crowded, it shows that the towns are different from the prosperity and luxury of the countryside.

Xiao Jingmo dragged Jian Ruolin's arm, wandered aimlessly with the crowd, occasionally turned his head, and glanced at the people who were pushed and shoved into embarrassment by the crowd, with an evil smile on the corner of his mouth.

Jian Ruolin is wearing a light blue brocade robe tonight, which is not as elegant and quiet as the plain white robe she saw before, but when it covers him, the exquisite curves are just right.And on the night of the Lantern Festival, which is full of bright red and golden colors, a light blue dress is rubbed inside, which has an indescribable unique charm.

After standing there for a while, the aunt who sells trinkets next to her started selling them: "My lords, do you want to buy a hairpin for your sweetheart? I'm not boasting. There is absolutely no jewelry sold on this street that compares with mine. It's more refined and beautiful."

Xiao Jingmo simply pulled Jian Ruolin to stand in front of the stall, and as soon as he stretched out his hand, he picked up an ordinary wooden hairpin.

The aunt praised timely: "Young master has good eyesight, don't look at this ordinary one, it is made of peach wood, which can calm the nerves and ward off evil spirits. Look at the appearance and the lines, but it is purely natural, very delicate and beautiful."

Xiao Jingmo didn't talk too much, he paid the money with a smile on his face, then held it in his hand and looked at it over and over again, as if he couldn't put it down.

"This hairpin is very plain. If you don't give it to your sweetheart, you can keep it for yourself."

Xiao Jingmo twisted the mahogany hairpin on his fingertips, played with it several times, and said with a pun, "I bought this hairpin to give it to my sweetheart to please him, but I am afraid that he will not accept my love in the end."

Jian Ruolin was a little annoyed at this man's rascal behavior anytime and anywhere, and she wanted to break free from her clenched hands with a very ugly expression.

But Xiao Jingmo clenched it even tighter: "Okay, it's just a joke, why are you angry? There are so many people now, if you don't tighten up, you will be scattered by the crowd." It seemed that Jian Ruolin was making trouble for no reason.

Originally, Jian Ruolin didn't want to go out. It was hard for him to get used to such excitement and his quiet temperament.What's more, the matter of Miss Chanjuan still has a shadow, and the words he heard that night, every sentence, made him bewildered and at a loss.

But when Xiao Jingmo climbed over the wall and came in, he only said hello to him, and when he politely declined the invitation to the night tour and lantern festival, he ignored Sanqi 21.Anyway, he directly came up and picked him up horizontally. Amidst his exclamation, he flew out of the courtyard with a few ups and downs.Jian Ruolin could only feel the weightlessness of the spinning world at first, and the whistling wind that rushed past her ears, but she was already "hijacked" by Xiao Jingmo out of Jian's mansion when she was in a daze.

Next door is a dim sum stall. The glutinous rice dumplings, each the size of a longan, are coated with a powder made of sesame seeds, peanuts, and frosting sugar. Both the shape and the color look very attractive.

After avoiding Xiao Jingmo's gaze, Jian Ruolin looked around casually, but it took a little longer to land on the small glutinous rice balls, Xiao Jingmo pulled him over in an extremely flattering and obsequious way: "I want to try Try it?" Without waiting for Jian Ruolin to refute, she shouted at the peddler: "Brother, pack twenty pills for me."

So in the end, it evolved into a strange scene of two men, one holding a paper bag, picking up the glutinous rice balls in the bag one by one with a bamboo stick, and sending them to his mouth.Fortunately, at the night market during the Lantern Festival, most of the people wandering on the street had more or less snacks or snacks in their hands and ate happily. Although the two of them were men, they were not too weird.

Jian Ruolin clearly likes the delicate things on the stalls, and the beautiful lanterns hanging on the treetops and on both sides of the street, but because of his upbringing since childhood, Xiao Jingmo can only see his two charming eyes rolling around, his face Occasionally, there are surprise expressions, but they are still very well-behaved.From time to time, I would poke a white and tender glutinous rice ball with a bamboo stick, put it in my mouth, and chew it gently with my mouth elegantly pursed. In my eyes, I saw a kind of innocent and charming that I had never seen before.

"Is it delicious?" Xiao Jingmo asked with a smile, the dumpling in his mouth was half chewed, it was thin and soft, and a little sticky to the teeth, the sweetness came out from the root of the tongue, the taste was sweet and fragrant.Xiao Jingmo unkindly imagined it as Jian Ruolin's thin red lips, he sucked it again and again, eating with gusto.

Jian Ruolin didn't know what his dirty thoughts were, so she just replied "Yes", and her eyes were already attracted by those bright lanterns.

In a small open space, various colored lanterns were hung on a temporary shelf, hanging above people’s heads. A piece of paper was pinned under each lantern, with riddles of different levels of difficulty written on them.

Jian Ruolin walked over, raised her hand curiously to touch the lanterns on the top, one after another, with a little joy in her joy.

Xiao Jingmo stood aside and looked at him. The handsome man who raised his head slightly formed a graceful arc from his chin to his neck.The gentle and warm light reflected from top to bottom sprinkled on his face, matched with the childlike innocence in that person's expression, Xiao Jingmo looked at it, and felt a little stunned.

"There are holes but no worms, there are nests but no peaks, there are silks but no silkworms, and umbrellas but no people... Hit a kind of plant." Jian Ruolin unfolded a piece of paper, read the riddle on it in a low voice, lowered her eyes and meditated, but only for a moment , then smiled proudly: "I know, it's lotus root!" After all, there are very few opportunities to come out to play like this, Jian Ruolin gradually forgot the initial reluctance and the "hate" guy around her, and devoted herself to which one on a lantern.

Facts have proved that the talent name of "Mr. Fusu" is not in vain.He guessed [-] to [-]% of the dozens of different types of lantern riddles correctly.Every time he guessed one correctly, he would turn his head and show Xiao Jingmo a smug smile. This kind of naive and romantic style is completely natural and not fake.

Apart from the usual dignified rules, the man was covered in a light blue robe, surrounded by colorful lights, reflecting the smile on his mouth, Xiao Jingmo still stared at it from a distance, and suddenly felt that this picture was so beautiful.

When he came back to his senses, Xiao Jingmo realized that he had embraced Jian Ruolin's slender waist, clasped his cheek with the other hand, carefully held it in his hand, and kissed him deeply.Tasting the jerky and sweet taste between his lips and teeth, Xiao Jingmo belatedly realized that his obsession with the man in front of him was already so deep.Stubbornness has become a fatal addiction, if you don't let it out to your heart's content, you will suffocate to death.

Xiao Jingmo lowered his head and bit his lip, with a deliberate restraint of domineering, he penetrated into his mouth to sweep and plunder everything forcefully.

Those who are suppressed by him in his arms can imagine the unbelievable expression on his face at this moment, surprised, bewildered, and annoyed, which makes people want to ask for it even more.Both hands were weakly pushing against his movements, his body was stiff, Xiao Jingmo brushed his waist gently, and the movements of his mouth became light and gentle.

The kiss was so straight that Jian Ruolin didn't have the strength anymore, so she let go of him, but the hand on his waist was still tightened forcefully, the cheeks of the beauty in her arms were flushed like drunk, her breath was panting, her lips Red and swollen, Xiao Jingmo looked at him for a while, and saw his eyes opened in confusion, looking very at a loss, as if expressing something to prove something, and said: "I like you."

Jian Ruolin froze for a moment, but stretched out her hand to push him away, turned around and left.That way, it's not like the usual thin anger after being slighted, but more like the helpless and helpless.

He remembered what Chanjuan had said.

"When you love someone, how can you think so much about it. It's not a business. I ask for as much in return as I give."

"I just need to follow my heart, do what I want to do, and not let myself regret it. As for whether he treats me normally... I have no regrets anyway."

"Life is alive, if you don't gamble or take this step, how will you know what the final result will be?"

……

However, he has no idea how to gamble or how to go.

In front of the eyes is the flow of people coming and going, a large group of people.When he reached a crowded place, Xiao Jingmo insisted on coming over and tightening his hand to walk together.

Countless lights are reflected on the dark river surface, and the water waves sparkle and flicker, resembling the starlight in the sky.

Groups of people on the bank of the river, smiling contentedly, put the peach-shaped water lanterns into the water carefully, gently moving their palms in the water, and sent the lanterns to the center of the lake farther away.

Looking from a distance, the entire river is covered with such peach-shaped water lamps, floating on the water surface, shadowy.

Xiao Jingmo has long since returned to his unrestrained style, and he doesn't know whether he is too thick-skinned or too good at pretending to be stupid, but he doesn't mind the moment of embarrassment just now. He kept explaining to him, and he was so happy when he said it.

Interested, he bought two peach-shaped water lamps on the bank of the river, and held them in front of Jian Ruolin as if they were offering treasures.

"Let's put a water lamp too. Write your wish on a piece of paper, stuff it into the lampshade and put it on the water. The wish you made will definitely come true in the coming year. I heard it is very effective." This nonsense is warm and positive.

Jian Ruolin didn't speak any more along the way, and let Xiao Jingmo lead him away sullenly, not knowing what she was thinking.

At this moment, a lantern was forcibly stuffed into his arms, so he couldn't help feeling a little dazed. Hearing Xiao Jingmo's words again, he lowered his head to look at the delicate and beautiful peach-shaped water lantern in his arms, still a little dazed, looked up and went Look at Xiao Jingmo.

But the man was already in high spirits, borrowed a pen from the stall, and squatted there writing something earnestly.

Jian Ruolin opened her mouth, but she didn't say anything after all.Following Xiao Jingmo's example, he borrowed a pen and ink, and carefully opened the note.Before writing, I looked up at the busy person, and then I lowered my head and started to write.

After writing, the enthusiastic passers-by pointed out how to put the note without being burned, how to light the lamp skillfully, and how to put the water lamp into the lake without sinking, and so on.A five-petal peach blossom blooms in the palm of the hand, and the light shines through the thin paper wall, reflecting the small pink lampshade outside like a gem.

While pushing the water lamp away, the man beside him smiled and asked, "What did Ruolin write?"

"I pray that my parents rest in peace, that my elder brother is in good health, and that Liufang Pavilion will be successful and the business will be prosperous..."

Xiao Jingmo smiled and said, "Ruolin is really greedy." Then his face fell, and he asked, "Is there nothing else?" Jian Ruolin turned her head away and didn't want to talk to him, but the words of grievance and sorrow fell into her ears: "It's so ruthless, Ruolin doesn't miss me at all."

In her closed heart, it seemed that since Chanjuan's words, the solid line of defense had gradually begun to collapse.

Jian Ruolin's heart was touched and she panicked.He turned his head and said slowly, "Why...why?"

The question was clueless, but Xiao Jingmo smiled wildly, and said, "Because you are Jian Ruolin." The lines of lingering in the flowers have already been spoken very smoothly, but today, I feel that the meaning is not the same.

"I am a man."

"I know."

"I will not like you."

"I like you, can't I?"

"But this, this is wrong."

"Who said that?"

"The book of sages, the way of Confucius and Mencius..."

"It's just bullshit."

Jian Ruolin was speechless, he didn't know what else he could say, and it seemed like it would be a waste of words to argue any further.He knew in his heart that all the things he said were nothing more than high-sounding excuses.

Xiao Jingmo suddenly leaned over and whispered: "Tonight is the Lantern Festival, should you give me some presents?"

Although on this day, it is a tradition for relatives and friends to give gifts to each other, but when Xiao Jingmo went to Jian's small courtyard and carried him out without any explanation, it happened suddenly. At this moment, where did Jian Ruolin go to find some gifts.

But just for a moment, Xiao Jingmo consciously removed the jasper hairpin that was used to fix it on his hair crown.

"I know you won't bother, so just take this thing and make it happen." Jian Ruolin wanted to say no, but Xiao Jingmo didn't allow him to speak. He took out the peach wood hairpin he just bought from his sleeve and inserted it into his hair. The original position of the crown was fixed carefully: "Don't say that I will only squeeze you, promise, I will give you this mahogany hairpin as a gift in exchange." complacent.

Jian Ruolin was stunned for a while, then slowly stretched out her hand, touched the peach wood hairpin that was warm to the touch, and finally bowed her head in silence, finally acquiescing to the exchange.

──Perhaps Miss Chanjuan is right, sometimes people should be self-willed regardless of their care.

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Note: Lantern riddles come from Uncle Baidu...