Chapter 12 Fragrant Fallen Flowers and Solitary Sunshine

Chapter 12 Fragrant Fallen Flowers and Solitary Sunshine

Chapter Summary: "My wife has some impressive skills!"

The wisteria on the left sways in the wind, while the roses on the right attract colorful butterflies.

The back garden of Qingchen Academy features pavilions and towers, offering ever-changing scenery with every step.

The elegant and refined scenery she saw and heard was of no interest to the lady who was walking slowly through the corridor.

Entering the garden to relax was just an excuse; her real purpose was to "accidentally" meet the owner of the place.

Passing by a clump of spotted bamboo, Pan Yue's eyes lit up as she saw the reflections of lotus leaves in the clear water. She quickened her pace.

"...Grandma, is it hidden well?"

At the crossroads with its craggy rocks, Pan Yue was unsure whether to turn left or right when suddenly, from behind a Taihu stone inscribed with the words "Peony Garden," came the sound of a young woman earnestly counting down.

"...eight, seven, six..."

The voice was clear and bright, and the child sounded no more than five or six years old.

How many girls, at the age of five or six, can leisurely stroll in the back garden of Qingchen Academy?

Pan Yue suddenly turned around.

It's like searching high and low without finding it, only to have it come to you effortlessly!

With a flicker of her pupils, she took out a small fox fur felt, about the size of a palm and made of real fox fur, from her sleeve. She held it up to the bright spring sunshine and gently shook it.

"Ring! Ring!"

The little fox wore a delicately patterned gold bell on its collar. When it was gently swayed, the bell rang melodiously.

Pan Yue looked up and down, then quickly tucked the familiar little fox into her conspicuous waistband. She suppressed the involuntary smile in her eyes, put on an anxious look as if she were lost, and hurried into the peony garden along the stone path, heading in the direction from which the sound came.

Is anyone there?

Not long after entering, Pan Yue looked up and saw a young woman in a light yellow jacket loudly counting down by the rockery. Her eyes lit up, and she immediately turned her back, looking anxious.

"Um?"

The young woman by the rockery had long been drawn to the approaching sound of bells. Looking up, she saw a woman with an unfamiliar yet beautiful face. She straightened her skirt and swayed forward, saying, "Sister, who are you looking for?"

"Young lady!"

As if just noticing the young woman's presence by the artificial hill, Pan Yue turned around abruptly upon hearing the sound. Her eyes lit up when she saw the woman, and she quickly stepped forward, saying, "Young lady, are you the owner of this place? Do you know where this is?"

She looked around anxiously, then curtsied to the young lady and said, "To be honest, my sister is terrible with directions. I only parted ways with my friend for a moment, and we agreed to meet by the lotus pond in the back garden, but I got lost in the blink of an eye!"

"So that's how it is!"

The young lady, unsuspecting, turned and pointed towards the lotus pond, then turned back to Pan Yue and asked, "Sister, are you going to the pond?"

Looking up, she saw that Pan Yue still looked bewildered, and fearing that she had turned away again, Zhou Xiaoniangzi took small steps forward, grabbed her hem, and said affectionately, "Don't be afraid, sister, Yan Yan will take you there!"

Looking up, the little fox at Pan Yue's waist came into view. The young lady's clear eyes sparkled as she stole a few glances before looking up at Pan Yue and saying, "Over here!"

"Yan Yan?"

Pan Yue smiled, took her hand, and walked with her outside, asking, "My lady's nickname is Yan Yan?"

"Fangyan".

The young woman kept staring at the little fox on her waist, and unconsciously swayed back and forth while holding her hand, her steps becoming lighter and lighter.

"Father loves plum blossoms, and Yan Yan's name comes from his favorite line of poetry, 'All the flowers have withered, but she alone remains in full bloom!'"

"All the flowers have faded, yet one remains in full bloom." Pan Yue murmured with lowered eyes, "So that's how it is!"

Not long after leaving the peony garden, the green grass reflecting in the clear pond came into view.

Zhou Fangyan stopped and stared at the little fox at her waist for a long time before reluctantly looking away. She pointed ahead and said, "This is the lotus pond in the back garden. Sister, please wait here for a moment. I'll go ahead first..."

"etc!"

Seeing her turn to leave, Pan Yue subconsciously spoke up. When she turned back to look at her, she quickly took off the fox fur felt from her waist, smiled and stepped forward, saying, "Thank you for leading the way, Yan Yan. Consider this little fox a thank-you gift from your elder sister to Yan Yan!"

"Sister, no!"

Although Zhou Fangyan was young, she knew the rules. She stared at the fox fur felt in her hand for a while with reluctance, then waved her hand and said, "Father said that one should not accept rewards without merit! My elder sister got lost in my garden, and it is only my duty to bring her out!"

There was no one in sight, but a pair of colorful butterflies fluttered past in the spring sunshine.

With a flicker of her clear eyes, Pan Yue suddenly had an idea.

"If Yan Yan refuses to accept it..."

Pan Yue stepped forward, took Zhou Fangyan's hand, and placed the little fox in her hand. She then turned and pointed to the swaying Qingchi Pond behind her, looking annoyed. "Yan Yan, you don't know, my friend is also directionally challenged. I don't know where she went or when she will return."

A hint of unease flashed in Pan Yue's eyes. She gripped Zhou Fangyan's hand tightly and pleaded, "If you're alright right now, could you sit with me for a while and wait for that friend?"

The fear of being alone and abandoned in an unfamiliar backyard was palpable. Zhou Fangyan looked at her, then at the little fox in her hand, and suddenly took her hand, blinking her eyes and saying in a childish voice, "Don't be afraid, sister! Even without the little fox, Yan Yan will stay with you!"

"Thank you, Yan Yan!"

Pan Yue smiled and pulled her to sit down by the pool.

A gentle breeze caresses the face, and green waters ripple across the surface.

A large and a small child stand side by side, watching the spring flowers sway in the wind, butterflies and swallows fly in pairs, and the garden is full of boundless spring colors.

"Why!"

A short while later.

Miss Zhou was captivated by the spring flowers by the pond. She picked one and was about to put it on the little fox she adored when a barely audible sigh reached her ears. Miss Zhou subconsciously looked up.

But Sister Pan, who had been speaking normally just moments before, suddenly looked sorrowful, as if she were about to shed tears, her gaze following a pair of colorful butterflies dancing among the flowers.

"Sister?!"

Zhou Fangyan panicked instantly, dropped Chunhua and rushed over, grabbing her hand and saying, "Sister, what's wrong? Don't be afraid, sister, Yan Yan is with you!"

Pan Yue turned her face away, her eyes filled with just the right amount of sorrow. She clutched her handkerchief between her fingers, her brows furrowed with worry, and looked down at Zhou Fangyan, saying, "Yan Yan, don't worry. My concern isn't for myself. It's just that looking at the butterflies among these flowers, I suddenly remembered a story I read in a storybook." She took Zhou Fangyan's hand and said softly, "Yan Yan, would you like to hear it?"

Fearing that she might be sad, Zhou Fangyan sat down beside her, holding the little fox, and leaned on her shoulder, urging her, "Yanyan has loved listening to stories since she was little, elder sister, please tell us quickly!"

"good!"

Pan Yue smiled and embraced the young woman. Under the bright spring sun and in the gentle breeze that blew through the willows, she slowly began to speak.

"The story is set in the Eastern Jin Dynasty. There was a wealthy family in Shangyu, Kuaiji, whose daughter's surname was Zhu and given name was Yingtai..."

"Lady Yan? Lady Yan!"

"...transformed into a pair of butterflies?!"

Upon hearing that Zhu Yingtai had died on her wedding day and that the two lovers had transformed into butterflies, Zhou Fangyan held Pan Yue's hand tightly, her eyes brimming with tears, on the verge of sobbing.

Pan Yue embraced her, but before he could offer any words of comfort, he suddenly heard footsteps rushing from the peony garden.

The two turned around and saw that it was Zhou Fangyan's mother-in-law, who had been taking care of her. She had gone off to slack off somewhere, and before she could clean the sunflower seed shells off her chest, she turned around and found her daughter-in-law had disappeared. She came running around in a panic, shouting and yelling.

These family-born children are good at nothing but cheating, shirking responsibility, and being lazy.

Upon looking up and seeing her mistress being embraced by a strange woman, the old woman's eyes darted around. Instantly forgetting her dereliction of duty, she strode forward, pulled Zhou Fangyan behind her, and then stood with her hands on her hips in front of Pan Yue, pointing her finger at her nose and saying, "Who are you? What are you doing in the back garden of the academy? What are you doing pulling on Lady Yan?"

"Mother-in-law has misunderstood!"

Zhou Fangyan was so startled that she hiccuped, immediately grabbed her hand, and said anxiously, "Grandma Qiu, my sister is..."

"Don't be afraid, my wife!"

Fearing no one would blame them, Granny Qiu didn't give the two a chance to explain. She picked up Zhou Fangyan with one hand and grabbed Pan Yuehao's wrist with the other, saying fiercely, "Come! Come with me to see the master and mistress!"

"Grandma..."

Pan Yue subconsciously grabbed the right hand that was tightly gripping her wrist. Just as she was about to speak, upon hearing the words "Master and Madam," the force that had been struggling against her suddenly loosened, and her brows relaxed as she said, "Thank you for leading the way, Mother!"

A hint of suspicion flashed in Granny Qiu's eyes. She glanced at Zhou Fangyan subconsciously, but couldn't see anything amiss. She then said to Pan Yue in a gruff voice, "Don't try anything funny!"

"Master! Madam! Granny Qiu has brought Lady Yan!"

After an incense stick had burned, at the entrance of the South Courtyard Study, which was shaded by banana trees and bamboo and rocks, Granny Qiu shouted loudly. Two sparrows were startled out of the bamboo grove in front of the swaying window, and the rare "Sunset Melting Gold" painting on the wall was instantly thrown into disarray.

"Father! Mother!"

Zhou Fangyan didn't understand those literary refinements. She broke free from the hand that Granny Qiu was holding tightly, stumbled forward, and pushed open the study door herself.

"Enter!"

A deep, resonant voice came from inside the door.

Pan Yue looked around, then, upon hearing the sound, her heart skipped a beat. She immediately lowered her eyes and followed Granny Qiu.

Stepping through the study door, a cool breeze accompanied by the rich scent of sandalwood wafted over her, causing Pan Yue to shiver. She stopped in front of the room and peeked out.

A painting of plum blossoms and cranes, three zhang tall, hangs in the center of the hall. Below the inscription "All the flowers have withered, but I alone remain in bloom" is a small camphor tree table.

The man on the left of the small table, with white eyebrows and a long beard, was nearing fifty. He was bathed in the sunlight and slowly turning a page of the book in his hands. The woman on the right, with flowing hair, was holding a cup of tea and idly watching the wisps of smoke rising from the stove and the shadows falling like a painting.

Books often speak of couples living in perfect harmony, a situation that should be just like what we see before our eyes.

The usually fierce and aggressive old woman fell silent the moment she entered, standing still by the door, not daring to speak loudly.

Upon hearing her daughter's voice, Zhou Qingchen had already put down the book in her hand, opened her arms, and welcomed the little girl who stumbled towards her.

"Father!"

"Yan Yan, be good!"

Seeing the tear tracks on her cheeks, Zhou Qingchen glanced coldly across the hall, but quickly composed himself, holding his beloved daughter firmly on his lap, and said softly, "Yan Yan, what's wrong? Tell Daddy, who bullied my A Yan?"

"No one is bullying Yan Yan!"

Zhou Fangyan wrapped her arms around his neck, kissed his cheek, then looked down at the two trembling people below the hall. She tilted her head and thought for a moment before speaking in a clear voice: "Father, I don't understand why there are such unreasonable parents in the world who, without asking about true feelings, separate lovers simply because of their social status!"

Before he could finish speaking, Zhou Qingchen's hand, which was protecting her, paused slightly. His frosty gaze suddenly swept over the uninvited stranger below the hall, but he looked away in an instant and said to his beloved daughter as if nothing had happened, "Yan Yan, what do you mean by that? Who said what? Why can't your father understand?"

"It's Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai!"

Zhou Fangyan's clear eyes reddened as she hugged her father tightly, her lips trembling with grievance. "Father, I don't want them to turn into butterflies!"

"Transformation into a butterfly..."

After a moment's thought, Mr. Qingchen suddenly stood up, carried Zhou Fangyan around the hall, put her down steadily, and turned to the helpless-looking Madam Liang, saying, "Thank you for your hard work, Madam. Please take Ayan back to her room first!"

"good!"

Madam Liang rose gracefully, glanced back and saw Madam Pan kneeling beside her. After thinking for a moment, she turned to him and said, "Master, Madam Pan is a distinguished guest of the academy!"

Zhou Qingchen glanced down at the hall below, picked up his teacup, and did not respond.

A hint of helplessness flashed in Madam Liang's eyes. She took Zhou Fangyan's hand and looked down at Granny Qiu, saying, "Granny, come out too. Don't disturb the master's conversation!"

"Madam, this old servant..."

Granny Qiu wanted to say something more, but when she saw the expressions on her husband's and wife's faces, she shrank back, her eyes darting around, and immediately followed Madam Liang, walking away in small steps.

"Squeak"

The sound of the door closing came from behind.

Judging from Mr. Qingchen's reaction, he must have understood her intention in telling the story of "The Butterfly Lovers".

Pan Yue breathed a sigh of relief and was about to speak when she suddenly felt a gaze descend upon her from above, sharp and tangible.

Pan Yue froze.

It was as if the warmth of family and relatives had faded away, and only then did the Nanyuan Study reveal its harsh and cold true nature.

"My wife has excellent skills!"

"I……"

As Mr. Qingchen's voice fell from the front of the hall, Pan Yue subconsciously raised her head and met his stern gaze, causing her heart to tremble slightly.

"I……"

Their eyes met, and Zhou Qingchen's gaze grew increasingly cold.

A bead of cold sweat silently rolled down his cheek.

Gazing at the fading sunset before the hall, Pan Yue suddenly had a flash of inspiration. Lowering her eyes and slightly frowning, she slowly spoke, "This servant..."

The gaze that had been fixed on her suddenly softened.

Pan Yue's hand, which was resting on her waist, suddenly clenched tightly. Her heart tightened as she said, "Please don't be offended, sir. My intention was not to upset you, but I couldn't bear to see lovers separated!"

If he casually asks whether or not she knows about the peaceful world, there are any other lovers like Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai who were forced to part, she can then bring up Fan Cheng and Zhao Wan and ask him for help.

This is Pan Yue's plan for today.

As the water clock dripped slowly and the light faded, no more smoke rose from the stove. Mr. Qingchen remained with his back turned, gazing silently at the "Plum Blossom and Crane Painting" in the hall.

Tick-tock tick-tock

Pan Yue had the illusion that she had glimpsed Zhao Wan and the other woman's way out, but it was as vague and unclear as the twilight below the hall.

A burning sensation in my chest.

The more unhurried the person in front of her was, the more uneasy Pan Yue felt.

Finally, a startled magpie swooped across the window, its shadow sweeping across the hall. Pan Yue's brow twitched, and following Mr. Qingchen's gaze to the "Plum Blossom and Crane Painting" on the wall, she suddenly spoke up: "I have long heard that Mr. Qingchen is of noble character and untainted by worldly affairs. But how can one be completely free from worldly concerns when living in this mundane world?"

Mr. Qingchen paused slightly with his hands behind his back, but remained silent.

Could it be that all the stories circulating on the streets about Mr. Qingchen's noble character and warm heart are fabricated?

Pan Yue felt a sudden sense of helplessness. She turned to look out the window at the deepening twilight, and recalling what Fan Cheng had said earlier, she said with a somber expression, "When students bully others with their power, the teacher turns a deaf ear; when young people are humiliated, the teacher does not ask questions... May I ask, teacher!"

Her hands, hanging by her sides, suddenly clenched tightly. She steeled her resolve and raised her voice: "What was the purpose of establishing the academy yesterday? And why stand idly by today? Is this perhaps what you, sir, have been seeking all these years: a life of tranquility amidst towering trees and lush landscapes, with plum blossoms and cranes?!"

As the plum blossoms and cranes emerged from the water, Zhou Qingchen, standing before the hall, suddenly turned around.

Pan Yue subconsciously took a half step back, but when she looked up, she didn't see the anger and fury she had expected. Instead... their eyes met, and Pan Yue was stunned. Zhou Qingchen's relaxed brows held a faint, almost imperceptible, appreciation.

She subconsciously shook her head, and when she looked up again, Zhou Qingchen had already looked away and picked up the tea that had long since gone cold from the small table.

“There are many reasons for this,” Zhou Qingchen said, taking a small sip and setting down his teacup again. He said coldly to her, “My lady, you shouldn’t have used my daughter Fangyan!”

"I!"

Pan Yue was about to respond when she met his stern gaze. Her throat tightened, and she widened her eyes in disbelief. Her voice trembled as she changed her words, "This servant knows her mistake. Mr. Qingchen is magnanimous and will not hold it against me!"

The hall was completely silent, both above and below.

Zhou Qingchen glanced down at the people below, and after a long while, as if he had made up his mind, he stroked his long beard and slowly said, "The people of Yanggu County have suffered from tiger attacks for a long time. Your uncle has been kind to the people of Yanggu. Out of respect for him, I will send a letter to Vice Envoy Li, saying..."

Zhou Qingchen turned to look out the window, lost in thought.

"This year, Qingchen Academy has three auspicious events: first, the annual summer banquet; second, my birthday; and third, the happy marriage of my prized student, Fan Cheng. Li Ke is suspicious; upon receiving the invitation, he will surely order an investigation... So, is my wife satisfied?"

In the study, Pan Yue frowned and suddenly looked up when she heard this.

Judging from his words, he was fully aware of everything, both inside and outside the academy, throughout Yanggu, and even the trivial farce that had just occurred in Chunhui Hall.

He already knew the purpose of her trip before she arrived.

But if the decision to help had already been made, what was the meaning behind that action just now? And what was the purpose?

To give her a hard time?

To make her clearly distinguish between superiors and inferiors, she must not refer to herself as "I" in front of her superiors, but must humbly refer to herself as "this humble servant".

To remind her at all times that fairness is the cry of the inferior and the charity of the superior, and not something a mere common woman can covet.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, a vast twilight descended upon the hall, and Pan Yue's heart was filled with a chilling cold.