Chapter 49: Furtive Plan (3)
Mother Zhang had a sumptuous banquet prepared and sent someone to the riverbank to invite Song Yuming over since he was part of the family through marriage. Song Yuming knew Mother Zhang was a kindhearted person and he was always happy to see Xue Dongting, so he agreed with pleasure, though he did not bow or kneel and his speech was neither obsequious or supercilious.
Mother Zhang was a sophisticated woman and liked him all the more for his candidness. But Lady Yu found him rather showy. Where did this village fisherman get off being so self-assured?
After the banquet, the matron asked Dongting to stay the night since Squire Zhang had gone to call on friends and had yet to returned. Xue Dongting was concerned that Wanqing was expecting, so she smiled at Song Yuming and said, “I want to stay here tonight and chat with Big Sis.”
Mother Zhang laughed. “You sisters haven’t seen each other in so long, stay and talk in private and you can leave tomorrow.”
Song Yuming agreed and Xue Dongting showed him out. Seeing that no one else was around, he pulled her close, smiling. “Now that you’re close to Mother Zhang you have more backing. In the future I’ll have to be careful not to bully you.”
“Pooh”, she said, side-eyeing him with a smile. “Such shameless talk. I already had Xu Ying’s backing and did that stop you bullying me?”
Song Yuming nodded, then took on a serious tone. “Tonight I really can’t bully you.”
Xue Dongting stared blankly for a second before it hit her and she knew what he meant by “bully”. She reached out and pinched him, blushing. “What? So dirty!”
Song Yuming laughed, then pulled a straight face and said in a low voice, “That Lady Yu is bad news. You should be careful.”
Xue Dongting nodded. “I know. Go on back, careful going home.”
Song Yuming saw there was still no one around and whispered, “Give me a kiss.”
She blushed. “No.”
He laughed, then suddenly grabbed her and lifted her up and planted a kiss on her red lips before she could even cry out.
She was embarrassed and annoyed and quickly pushed him, but how could she push him away? He released her once he’d finally kissed her long enough and left with a grin on his face.
Xue Dongting stood there with her index finger crooked over her lip, biting it, watching her husband’s big frame disappear out of view, feeling all warm and fuzzy. Song Yuming was like a warm ball of sunlight. Even on this cold winter night, he still warmed her heart.
Song Yuming carried a lantern as he walked along. A bamboo grove lay before him and his lips curled into a faint sneer and he blew out the lantern and leapt up lightly and disappeared into the thick grove of bamboo.
A cold wind blew, the bamboo grove swaying like waves, rustling in the air. He stood on a green stalk of bamboo, swaying with the stalk in the breeze. If not for his superb lightness skill, there’s no way he would be able to stand so steadily on it like that, as if he were one with it. His hands were clasped behind his back as he looked up at the bright moon in the sky, thinking, “Baozhuang, you were young and inexperienced and I promised to marry you. I thought you were as spotless and bright as the moon in the sky, but I never imagined that in the end you would choose to enter the imperial palace… I don’t blame you, it was your choice. But why can’t you leave well enough alone now? I don’t believe I ever mistreated you. Now that I’m living in this remote fishing village, why won’t you grant me a bit of peace?”
The steady sound of footsteps resounded through the bamboo grove. The steps were light, but Song Yuming heard it clearly. He knew it was a secretly trained assassin sent from the imperial palace.
He closed his eyes and let the cold wind stroke his face. His cold sneer grew wider.
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