As soon as it got dark, the street became bustling and prosperous.
Liu Yushu strolled along the street slowly with Zuitao. She looked around casually, but apparently she was not in the mood.
When they came to a jewelry stall, Liu Yushu looked at the gaudy hairpins. She picked out a butterfly hairpin. The sapphire on it was carved into the shape of a butterfly. It was plain and unique, barely presentable.
"Boss, how much is this hairpin?" Zuitao saw what was on her mind.
The boss saw that she liked the hairpin, rolled his eyes and said, "A hundred taels."
"Your hairpin is of mediocre quality. You'd be making a fortune if I gave you ten taels. A hundred taels? You might as well just rob me!" Zuitao complained irritably.
"Forget it." Liu Yushu put down the hairpin and turned away.
She was already in low spirits, and the boss's behavior just made her more annoyed.
All her thoughts were on Wu Qing now! She knew he was a dissolute playboy and a wandering figure in the martial world, hard to track down. But the more mysterious he was, the more curious she became about him.
Liu Yushu couldn't figure out why Wu Qing bothered with her when he already had Geng Rong! If he was interested in her, he should have cut off all ties with Geng Rong. Being so ambiguous only made her think he was a shameless lecher.
"Miss, there's a newly - opened spice shop up ahead. Do you want to go and have a look?" Zuitao tried to cheer her up when she saw she was unhappy.
"Let's go."
As soon as they reached the door, they smelled a strong fragrance. Liu Yushu was absent - minded. She picked up a few perfume boxes, smelled them, and frowned. They were all vulgar and gaudy spices, which she didn't like.
The boss saw that she was well - dressed and clearly a young lady from a wealthy family. He took out a delicate and round porcelain box and handed it to her, saying, "This perfume is the treasure of our shop. It must suit your taste, miss."
She sized up the boss and then took the box and smelled it. The fragrance was light, mellow, like a bamboo forest after rain, with a hint of sourness like that of plums. It was very refreshing.
Liu Yushu bought it. But someone beside her accidentally bumped into her, and the perfume jar in her hand dropped to the ground and broke. Her mood, which had just improved a little, sank to the bottom again. She paid the money and left huffily.
She didn't want to stroll anymore. The temple fair was so noisy and uninteresting.
She was about to go home when someone blocked her way. She looked up and saw it was Wu Chunzhe. He was dressed in a maroon robe, looking more energetic than usual, a handsome and dashing young man.
"Come on, go to a quiet place with me. It's too noisy here. It's hard to talk." Wu Chunzhe reached out to grab Liu Yushu's hand, but she dodged.
She didn't say a word and silently followed him.
He pursed his lips and looked back at her, asking, "Are you still mad about what happened last time?"
"No." Liu Yushu replied indifferently. She was really angry about the way the old lady of the Wu family treated her, but thinking that there would be no more interaction between the two families in the future, she wasn't angry anymore.
Who would be angry with a stranger? That would only cause trouble for herself.
She turned her head, and her eyes suddenly widened, with her pupils dilating. Not far away, under a big tree full of lanterns, Wu Qing was standing there in black clothes.
Her heart skipped a beat. A strange excitement and thrill welled up in her heart. He was here! Why was he here? Was he here to find her?!
Liu Yushu had a million questions for Wu Qing, and the corners of her mouth lifted involuntarily.
"What are you looking at?" Wu Chunzhe saw her smile. His eyes were full of expectation. He looked curiously in the direction of her gaze. There were only girls making wishes under the tree. There was nothing strange.
When she blinked, Wu Qing's figure disappeared.
Huh? Where did Wu Qing go? Liu Yushu was very puzzled.
"What are you looking at? If you want to make a wish, let's go over there. There's no need to just stand here staring." Wu Chunzhe grabbed her hand and walked quickly towards the tree.
"Let go of me. Don't be so touchy - feely." Liu Yushu tried to shake off Wu Chunzhe's hand, but he frowned and stubbornly held onto her wrist without letting go.
When they reached the tree, his attendant brought two pieces of red paper. He gave one to her and smiled brightly, saying, "What wish do you want to make? Tell me. Maybe I can help you fulfill it without having to rely on God." His tone was a bit cocky.
Liu Yushu gave him a disdainful look and said, "Don't make such big claims. Otherwise, you'll end up with egg on your face again."
Behind the tree, a figure was hiding. Wu Qing watched Liu Yushu chatting and laughing with Wu Chunzhe. A bitter and sour feeling welled up in his heart. He deeply envied Wu Chunzhe for being able to stand beside Liu Yushu openly, while he... could only secretly follow her and protect her in the dark.
Now he was a hideous monster. She was so beautiful. He was too ashamed to stand beside her. He was afraid that others would laugh at her for being with him, and even more afraid that his appearance would scare her.
The last time she accepted him was because she was drunk. Wu Qing wasn't sure if Liu Yushu would despise him when she was sober. He felt extremely inferior.
As he thought about it, the red paper in Wu Qing's hand was crumpled. It said, "May Yushu always be happy."
Unable to bear it any longer, he flew away.
"Tell me what your wish is." Wu Chunzhe crossed his arms in front of his chest, full of confidence.
Liu Yushu raised her chin and smiled, saying, "My wish is that Wu Chunzhe will marry Miss Qiao'er soon and have children early."
Wu Chunzhe was shocked. He was stunned for a moment, then frowned and stared at her, defending himself, "Don't talk nonsense. Jin Qiao'er and I are innocent. I won't marry her. The only person I want to marry is you." Every word was firm and powerful.
His serious look scared Zuitao and Kan Ning, the two maids.
The two maids were very flustered.