Chapter 28

Xie Jin had put some thought into it, choosing a "date" spot like this.

The estate was up in the mountains, so the carriage took the whole afternoon to get there. By the time they arrived, it was night.

They had eaten snacks on the road and weren't hungry, but a rare trip away put them in a different mood. Even their appetites had grown.

The estate's servants had prepared their rooms: a large one for Shen Lantang and Xie Jin, and a smaller one next door for Lan Xin and Baozhu. As soon as the carriage stopped, Lan Xin and Baozhu began unpacking. Once they were nearly done, Baozhu bounced over. "Young master, miss, I'll ask the kitchen to prepare dinner."

"Go ahead," Shen Lantang said.

Baozhu skipped away.

The mountain air really was different from Zhaojing's. It was damp, with a coolness that seeped into the skin—perfect for dining under the moon. Lan Xin lit some mugwort incense in the courtyard, applied a repellent to both ends of the standing screen, then rubbed another onto Shen Lantang's exposed skin. Once all the preparations were complete, they went outside.

Dinner had been prepared in advance. It was mostly fresh vegetables served cold, with a small bowl of meat and a steamed fish. The portions weren't large, but everything went beautifully with rice. Away from home, the rules were less strict, so Shen Lantang and Xie Jin had a small table set up beside them for Lan Xin and Baozhu.

A change of mood really did change one's appetite. Despite eating snacks that afternoon, Shen Lantang ate more dinner than usual. Afterward, in excellent spirits, she patted her belly. "Husband, shall we take a walk to help digest?"

"All right."

Leaving the maids behind, they walked shoulder to shoulder along a mountain path. The estate's owner clearly spared no expense: Glazed Glass Lanterns hung from the trees every few yards, their light glowing faintly through translucent walls. Xie Jin carried a lantern too, its gentle light falling across the path beneath their feet.

Shen Lantang had died in her previous life before she could enjoy much romance. At sixteen or seventeen in this one, she had felt the occasional flutter of attraction, but remembering what men in this era were like always brought her straight back to her senses.

She glanced at the silent man beside her. Mm, he's a good one. Still, I'll pass on falling in love.

The mountains of this era were nothing like those in modern times. Farther in, there wouldn't just be too little light; a wild beast might leap out and drag them into the depths. So they turned back after barely a quarter of an hour.

"There are warm springs here too. Would you like a soak?"

A soak? Shen Lantang considered it. Why not? After all she and Xie Jin had done together, what was there to be shy about? Perhaps doing it in the water would have its own appeal. Entertaining the thought without a trace of embarrassment, she turned and told Lan Xin to prepare a change of clothes.

Only when they arrived did Shen Lantang discover that the "Hot Springs" consisted of separate, private pools. Even the changing rooms were individual. Inside were refreshments and tea, several blooming sprigs of jasmine in a pastel peach-blossom vase, and even a small bed farther in, with two pairs of Bamboo Clogs beneath it.

From the room's furnishings to its subtle, elegant fragrance, everything showed the host's taste and their care for their distinguished guests from Zhaojing.

Shen Lantang stripped down to her undergarments and entered the spring with Xie Jin close behind. The water wasn't too hot, just the temperature the body found most comfortable. The journey had left her tired, and as she soaked, her whole body relaxed.

She tipped her head back with a long sigh. When she turned, she met Xie Jin's dark, heated gaze.

Languid and weary all over, Shen Lantang gently pushed Xie Jin away and rose from the water.

"I'm thirsty. I'll get some Plum Drink."

The Plum Drink had been set on the table beforehand, along with sealed ice. Much of it had melted, but it was better than nothing. Shen Lantang picked up a cup and drank deeply before letting out a breath.

A cup of chilled drink cleared her head considerably. Finding the room stuffy, she slipped on the Bamboo Clogs and went outside.

A few yards away stood another small building, screened by a fence taller than a person. It offered privacy without spoiling the rustic charm. Someone was bathing next door, and faint voices drifted over.

"Miss, miss, slow down! At least put on your outer robe."

The voice suddenly came clear. Shen Lantang turned instinctively, and in the next instant, her pupils widened.

An old verse spoke of one who seemed like a light cloud veiling the moon, like drifting snow caught in a breeze.

Another likened her radiance to the sun rising through rosy dawn clouds, her brilliance to a lotus emerging from clear water. Sima Xiangru, too, had written of lustrous hair, delicate brows, white teeth, and a beauty that shone.

In that instant, every one of those descriptions took form. Even the most lavish words in the world could only begin to describe the beauty Shen Lantang glimpsed from afar!

The whole world seemed to blur around her, the sweltering summer turning into spring rain over the southern rivers. Before she could take it in, she blinked, and the beauty was gone.

A sudden, immense regret welled up in Shen Lantang's heart.

Had she only dreamed it?

"..."

"..."

Wait. Why am I acting like a lecher?

Shen Lantang shook her head hard and went back inside.

The next day, after a night's rest, they went out feeling refreshed. The estate had no other sights to visit, and ordinary street snacks were deemed too lowbrow to be sold there. But cultured people had their own ways to amuse themselves. There were many lakes here. Though there was none of the lively bustle evoked by "Lotus gathering in the south, where leaves spread thick across the water," boating on a lake and enjoying a little peace had its own rare charm.

Boats could be rented on the shore. Xie Jin hired one, while Lan Xin and Baozhu bought pastries from a lakeside shop. Together with the snacks they had brought, that was plenty to last the day.

Shen Lantang leaned back in the cabin, reading and nibbling on pastries, while Xie Jin sat at the bow, fishing and drinking tea. They hardly spoke, but amid such warmth and ease, words would only have been a burden.

Xie Jin fished all morning and barely caught a few Crucian Carp and Bluegreen Goby. The estate would cook the mountain and lake delicacies for its guests at no extra charge. After all, what it earned from a noble guest's single day of leisure could buy enough Crucian Carp to eat for years.

Ranking List

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Romance and Rebirth

One True Love

Jiang Ciyu

Mind Reading

Easygoing Life