No, gentlemen also guard against

Chapter 595 My heart is not made of stone and cannot be turned, my heart is not made of mat and cannot be rolled up [ask for monthly ticket! ]

Outside the window of the small pavilion, the wind blew across the empty courtyard, and the pear trees swayed.

On the stone table that had been cleaned after lunch, white pear blossoms fell.

Inside the small window, there is a woman sleeping on the couch.

Two figures, one tall and one short, hugged each other for a long time.

The girl in my arms woke up from her dream with tears stained her rouge face.

Ouyang Rong gently rested his chin on the top of her delicate head.

"Did you have a nightmare?"

Ouyang Rong asked gently.

The little head with disheveled black hair in his arms shook.

The shaking amplitude caused Ouyang Rong's chin, which was resting on it, to lift up a little.

He looked at the curtains above his head and said softly:

"That is... missing my family."

Ouyang Rong felt the little head buried in his chest shook again.

"Then...are you unhappy? Are you unhappy living here? Did I accidentally bully you or offend you..."

Zhao Qingxiu in his arms still shook her head, but her expression could not be seen.

"Why is that? You couldn't have woken up and found me gone... and found the house empty? And the sound of the jade pendant wasn't there either?"

Ouyang Rong said in a low voice.

Zhao Qingxiu suddenly raised his head.

Ouyang Rong looked down.

Her little face, which was tilted up, looked as if it had been washed with water, and was red from makeup, with her hair disheveled.

The most eye-catching thing is the eyes, two big eyes like two small light bulbs, red and swollen.

The red eye sockets turned into two puddles on the ground when the sky cleared after the rain, gathering some remaining tears and reflecting the people passing by.

It also reflects Ouyang Rong's face in front of him.

It was as if she could see him.

"What happened?"

Ouyang Rong asked cautiously.

At the same time, he extended a flat palm to her hand, indicating that he wanted to write.

Zhao Qingxiu seemed not to hear him.

She raised her little face to "look" at him, her mouth wide open, crying hoarsely, her chest heaving from exhaustion as she gasped.

She had cried until all her tears ran dry, and she started to hiccup again and again, and couldn't stop.

Every time it hiccups, its already extremely thin body will twitch.

Ouyang Rong was really worried because he was afraid that she would hurt herself just by hiccuping.

Looking at the embroiderer who is blind, mute and as thin as a bamboo pole.

Ouyang Rong couldn't help it anymore. He didn't care about the taboos between men and women and hugged the adorable little body into his arms again.

Immediately, Ouyang Rong, who took the initiative to hug her, felt the embroiderer's arms that were originally hanging at her sides, and he immediately hugged his back tightly.

Hug each other again.

This time Ouyang Rong didn't say anything, nor did he ask "a hundred thousand whys". The two of them just hugged each other quietly.

Ouyang Rong silently listened to the whimpering sounds between her lips and teeth, and felt the twitching of her slender body every time she hiccuped.

I also deeply felt the scorching heat emanating from her small body. For some reason, although the embroiderer was thin, her whole body felt very hot, like a small stove in summer...

Ouyang Rong just realized that sometimes there are many things that do not require asking "why".

Especially between lovers, all "whys" can be replaced by "I do".

I am willing, why do you care?

The hours ticked by.

After spending a long time with the mute embroiderer, Ouyang Rong began to feel that "silence" could also be enjoyed.

Rather than being awkward.

Especially when two people don't talk together and just listen to the "silence" quietly, you know she is listening and she knows you are listening.

They trust each other from the bottom of their hearts and don't think that keeping silent is rude or offensive.

This is a tacit understanding between the two.

It was unknown how much time had passed, but when Ouyang Rong came to his senses on Zhao Qingxiu's shoulder, he found that the whimpering sound from her in his arms had disappeared.

But, every once in a while, I would still burp, as if it was difficult to stop for a while.

But her little body was no longer twitching as violently and painfully as before, and her condition had calmed down.

At this time, Ouyang Rong felt that the little crybaby in his arms made new movements.

A finger tapped his back weakly.

"What's wrong."

Ouyang Rong's voice was soft.

Then he felt her start writing on his back, intermittently.

【Gongzi said today】

[The happiest thing in life is returning to an old place and seeing the old friends still there]

[Sir, you said that it is such a blessing that an old friend is still here]

"I shouldn't have said that. It made you sad."

Ouyang Rong said softly.

Zhao Qingxiu buried her face in his shoulder and calmed down.

After a while, Ouyang Rong did not receive the new words she wrote, but heard a crisp sound from the ice-white jade hairpin on his head.

"Long Ling——"

Ouyang Rong was slightly stunned.

Zhao Qingxiu lay in Tan Lang's arms, and her little head buried in his shoulder raised slightly, revealing a pair of red and somewhat dazed eyes.

It turned out to be her. She stretched out her little hand towards Ouyang Rong's head, hooked her index finger, and gently flicked the pendant of the ice-white jade hairpin.

Zhao Qingxiu's originally dull eyes lit up faintly, like star-like sky lanterns floating in the dark sea of ​​clouds at night.

She loved the sound of it.

At this time, Ouyang Rong raised his hand, took out the hairpin and handed it to her.

Zhao Qingxiu took the hairpin and touched it carefully with both hands. Just when Ouyang Rong was about to speak, she touched Ouyang Rong's hair crown with her small hand and gently put the ice-white jade hairpin back.

Ouyang Rong was stunned.

After doing all this, Zhao Qingxiu tilted her head to the side again, put her cheek on Ouyang Rong's shoulder, and calmed down again.

It seemed that... the sound produced by Tan Lang's ice-white jade hairpin was her favorite melody.

At this moment, the two of them were hugging each other in a posture that was "a little inappropriate for their relationship."

No one took the initiative to leave and break the inertia of silence.

In front of the bed, the two of them hugged each other in a strange way.

Zhao Qingxiu suddenly wrote something on Ouyang Rong's back.

[Sir, no man has ever been so nice to me]

Ouyang Rong narrowed his eyes and said softly, "I'm different. I've had it before, um, I mean women."

In an instant, Zhao Qingxiu's body became quiet.

[She is so lucky to meet the young master and have the opportunity to be nice to him. Many people don’t have this opportunity.]

She wrote silently.

Ouyang Rong shook his head and spoke softly:

"I've almost forgotten what she looked like. My most profound memory is a pair of hands quietly sewing in front of the bed. They were as thin as bamboo poles. She must have been a very quiet person, just like you. "She was my child bride in my hometown of Nanlong. I remember telling you about her. What a coincidence. She was also called Xiu Niang. She was a mute, just not as blind as you... I don't know how she is now, or where she is."

Zhao Qingxiu's body, which had originally been quiet, suddenly froze.

She couldn't help but bury her face deeper, not daring to breathe through her nose... and didn't respond.

Ouyang Rong seemed not to notice anything unusual about her body.

Then, Zhao Qingxiu, who was burying her head like an ostrich, heard Tan Lang's voice continue, and his tone seemed to be somewhat nostalgic:
"She and my mother are from the same clan, and it was my mother who brought her home. She is also very much like my mother, virtuous and considerate, hardworking and never complaining. She is a very traditional young lady, and she also treats relationships...

"I remember that I was weak and sickly at that time, and I was bedridden all year round. She stayed by my bedside and took care of me without leaving me... Then something happened, a confusing matter, and my aunts and others had some opinions about her, and then... she passed away.

"I don't know where she went, but I don't believe she is the person my aunt said. With her personality, how could she do something to hurt others? Such a silly girl would rather hurt herself than hurt me, so I don't believe it at all..."

Zhao Qingxiu opened her mouth wide at some point. After a while, she took a deep breath, closed her mouth and eyes, and made no sound.

Zhao Qingxiu heard Tan Lang's magnetic low voice, which was somewhat melancholy and sad:
"I don't know how to describe my feelings towards her to you...

“To be honest, although I have met many different kinds of women and experienced a lot of affection, I always feel that she is the best one to me, or can be ranked first.

"Her kindness seemed to be selfless. She never asked me for anything. She would just give me whatever she had without asking for anything in return. She would even hide from me, afraid that I would find out and go back to ask for something in return...

"I don't know what she's thinking or why she's doing this. Sometimes I just can't figure it out. Then one day, I suddenly understand that maybe in her eyes, there's no need to ask why. She just gave it to me, that's all."

Zhao Qingxiu felt that he seemed to raise his hand and wipe his face. His voice was neither excited nor depressed, but plain, as if he was chatting:

"Come to think of it, I still dream about her sometimes. One time, I even dreamed that I bit her hard, but she still disappeared with the wound like an idiot... Well, it's all gone with the dream. It would be nice if this dream was real, but if it was, she came and left, and the thought of this makes me even more uncomfortable."

Zhao Qingxiu didn't know that when Ouyang Rong said this, he kept his head turned, his eyes fixed on a certain place on her fair neck... Her eyes were red again, and the hiccups from before had not ended yet, and she was about to cry again. Her shoulders twitched, and the fingers that were writing were shaking.

[From this point of view, she seems to like you very much. Don't feel guilty, don't feel guilty. She is willing. If you feel guilty, she will be very sad.]

"Yeah, okay, fine."

Zhao Qingxiu heard Tan Lang's consecutive responses, but seemed to be ignoring them and was a little dazed and distracted.

He suddenly said, “Miss Xiu Niang, I have seen many kinds of love.

"Some are free, independent, cheerful and open; some are passionate and uninhibited;
“There are also those who fall in love at first sight and become inseparable after a long time;
"There are also those who deceive themselves in the process of playing around, only enjoying the momentary pleasure and then becoming tired of each other afterwards.

"In the end, these love affairs are nothing more than "selfishness". Following their own happiness, or interests, they decide whether to stay or leave. So they come together when fate arises, and separate when fate ends. In fact, there is nothing inside. They follow reality and are not biased.

"But... I have never seen a woman as traditional as her, or even the most foolish woman, who only asks for 'I want it'.

"A thin engagement in youth; a vow to stay together till old age; a head of long black hair tied up for you; standing there waiting for a lifetime, guarding only one person for a lifetime...

“My heart is not a stone, it cannot be turned; my heart is not a mat, it cannot be rolled up.

"Miss Xiu Niang, I have always considered myself a very rational person. I was very confused at first and even felt that this kind of love was as old-fashioned as drama and storytelling, self-touching and unrealistic. However, when such a unique woman really appeared in front of me, I realized how precious and rare it was.

"She said nothing, but she was willing to do everything. Her actions spoke louder than words. Miss Xiu Niang, tell me, can I ever meet another woman who is so kind to me?"

Without waiting for her to answer, Ouyang Rong said softly, "There is no one like her in the world."

The atmosphere was silent. Zhao Qingxiu's face was full of excitement. She opened and closed her mouth repeatedly. In the end, all her words turned into a deep bow... She said nothing but was willing to do everything.

It was unknown how long the silence lasted before Ouyang Rong pretended to smile carefreely: "Forget it, let's not talk about this anymore, let's talk about something happy."

Zhao Qingxiu moved her little hands and prepared to write.

"Uh~" She suddenly hiccuped.

Ouyang Rong was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing.

The girl's face immediately flushed, she pushed away the embrace and patted the man's shoulder.

Ouyang Rong, who had left her arms, had an innocent look on his face. He adjusted his clothes and blinked at her, as if waiting for her next hiccup.

He saw the embroiderer suddenly turn around, with her back to him, and lower her head and pinch her nose, as if she was puffing out her lips and trying hard to hold her breath.

Ouyang Rong was stunned for a moment, then he reacted and laughed even more happily this time: "Haha."

Hearing the laughter from behind, Zhao Qingxiu's ears turned red with embarrassment. She stopped using the stupid method and curled up her body, lowering her head, as if she would never dare to raise her head to face anyone again in her life.

"Hey, come back." Ouyang Rong narrowed his eyes and smiled. He raised his hand calmly, flicked the hairpin on his head, and shouted, "I'll give you something."

Zhao Qingxiu turned around subconsciously when she heard the voice, and as soon as she turned around, her little nose was pinched by him.

The palm of her hand that pinched her nose blocked her vision, so she couldn't see him. Zhao Qingxiu only heard Tan Lang's serious voice: "Hold your breath quickly, or you will keep hiccuping."

Zhao Qingxiu's face looked a little dull, but she was obedient.

After a while, she finally stopped hiccuping. Ouyang Rong looked at the night outside, but did not leave. He continued to sit beside the couch and accompany her.

Maybe she was tired from crying, this time, Zhao Qingxiu fell asleep quickly.

After what just happened, the relationship between the two of them had subtly changed.

Especially the two hugs just now, it seemed as if the embroiderer had acquiesced.

Although nominally the two of them are still in that kind of relationship...but now it has progressed to the point where physical contact is tacitly acknowledged.

As for the specific relationship now, neither of them has broken this layer of window paper.

It was gradually getting late at night outside, but Ouyang Rong did not leave and stayed silently by the bed.

"Long Ling——"

Ouyang Rong turned his head and looked at the candlelight beside the bed, his face thoughtful. From time to time, he flicked the hairpin pendant, and no one knew what he was thinking.

The sound of the bells didn't stop until the second half of the night...

At dawn, roosters crowed in the distance.

Ouyang Rong woke up. He lay on the bed and took a nap last night.

He rubbed his eyes and saw the peaceful sleeping face of the girl on the couch. She must have not woken up all night.

Ouyang Rong breathed a sigh of relief, stood up and stretched carefully without making any noise.

He packed up, and after a while, turned around and went out.

Passing by the dressing table, he glanced at the rouge and powder box.

Ouyang Rong stopped, took out a red sign from his arms, stuffed it into the lid of the box, and then put it back into the box.

His face was calm.

This red lottery ticket for marriage has never been opened from beginning to end.

Ouyang Rong strode away.

Outside the door, the sky was turning white.

……

When Zhao Qingxiu woke up again, it was already morning.

There are the sounds of insects chirping outside the window and the smell of sunshine.

She slept particularly soundly that night.

There was no sign of Tan Lang inside or outside the house, so Zhao Qingxiu didn't cry this time.

She held the quilt in her hands, lost in thought for a while, then lowered her head to tie a sky-blue satin ribbon to cover her eyes... It, the mandarin duck jade hairpin, the jasper bamboo stick, and the clean dress were all placed on the stool beside the bed, within her reach.

"Longling--Longling--"

Zhao Qingxiu, who took a long time to get dressed, suddenly heard a familiar crisp sound.

She walked into the courtyard in a daze, came to the stone table, and touched an ice-white jade hairpin left behind.

Zhao Qingxiu stood silently in front of the table, holding a hairpin in her hand, with a complicated expression on her face.

She had stayed here without knowing why, intending to get the old hairpin she had been longing for, and then leave quietly.

But now, with the ice-white jade hairpin in front of her, Zhao Qingxiu's first thought was not to leave.

She hadn't found the Ding Sword yet, and there was no response from her "family", so she couldn't leave yet... She convinced herself. But at some point, she realized that her bond with Tan Lang had grown deeper and deeper, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to leave him...

In the courtyard, the girl with her eyes covered by a ribbon had a look of happiness and fear, joy and worry on her face.
For a while, I was worried about gains and losses...

In the end, Zhao Qingxiu didn't leave.

She sat down quietly beside the stone table, bent a slender finger, and gently flicked the ice-white jade hairpin pendant again and again.

"Longling-Longling-Longling-"

Zhao Qingxiu's face was blank as she listened attentively for a long time.

……

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PS: or2 (monthly ticket post)

(End of this chapter)