The sedan chair was lowered, and Xie Qingzhi helped me sit on a bench in the pavilion. A gentle breeze blew by, bringing with it the fragrance of flowers. I couldn't help but take a deep breath, and my mood inexplicably improved.
Time seemed to slow down, and the sun even turned into a tortoise.
"You used to never let me near you," Xie Qingzhi said with a hint of teasing, but his eyes were serious. "Now you've changed your mind."
My heart tightened, but I feigned ignorance. "Really? Maybe it's because I've forgotten things from before."
What do you mean, "Young Master" doesn't want anyone to get close to him? It's obvious that everyone is avoiding him. He doesn't want to fawn over others, and he's also quite stubborn. He'll even avoid his brothers and sisters.
He didn't want to ask others, fearing he'd get answers he didn't want to hear, and thus became a shut-in who rarely left his home!
Moreover, he thought he was invisible. After all, what kind of special treatment could a son of a concubine in a marquis's household receive? It seemed that his thinking wasn't wrong!
Also, could it be that the young master isn't the Marquis's biological son? Otherwise, why is things so strange?
In short, we must not let our good life slip away! The young master's life would be incredibly comfortable in ancient times; he wouldn't need to take exams to contribute to the family, and he still has money to spend.
In short, my mind was racing, but I remained calm and dealt with my second brother on the surface.
"I heard I have an older brother?"
"My elder brother went to the border; the news of your death probably just reached him."
Me: "..." This is a bit awkward.
Conversing with people from the past is exhausting, and modern people's spoken language habits are also hard to change.
Perhaps because I had been out for a while, I became so sleepy that I dozed off. I don't know when I fell asleep or when I got back to my bedroom.
When I woke up, it was already bright daylight. Sunlight streamed through the carved window lattice onto the bed, casting a warm golden glow. I rubbed my eyes, my consciousness gradually returning, and my conversation with Xie Qingzhi from yesterday replayed in my mind.
"Young master, you're awake." The servant's voice rang in his ears, tinged with a hint of caution.
I hummed in agreement, sat up, and found that I had already changed into clean nightgown. It seemed that while I was asleep, the servants had quietly taken care of these chores.
"Young master, do you have any plans for today?" the servant asked respectfully.
I thought about it and decided to continue exploring this unfamiliar world, "Let's go outside and wander around."
"This..." the servant said, looking troubled. "Madam said you need to rest quietly for a while before you can go out."
I think I'm going crazy!
Unlike that young master who was trapped in his own little world, I have inexhaustible energy in my soul, but unfortunately my body can't keep up.
Of course, having a second life is already a blessing for me.
"Go find the mistress."
I'm determined to pull out all the stops to get out and have fun; I'm going to go all out!
I was helped by a servant to the mistress's courtyard. Along the way, the servants in the mansion still avoided me like the plague, as if I were some kind of monster. I chuckled to myself; it seemed that this young master had indeed been "protected" so thoroughly in his lifetime.
When I arrived, the mistress was sitting under a tree in the courtyard, embroidering.
Seeing me there, she was slightly taken aback, then smiled gently, "What brings you here? Are you feeling better?"
Perhaps because she had died once, the mistress's attitude towards the young master was no longer as serious.
I cleared my throat, trying to make my voice sound weak and sincere, "Mother, I'm mostly fine now, but I'm feeling a bit stifled staying cooped up in the house all day. I'd like to go out for a walk and clear my head."
The mistress put down her embroidery, her brow furrowing slightly. "The doctor said you still need to rest. It's windy outside; what if you catch a cold again?"
As the mistress spoke, she gestured to the servants to help me sit on the stone bench.
My heart tightened; I knew I couldn't be forceful, so I changed my strategy. "Mother, I know you mean well. But I've lost all my memories and am completely unfamiliar with everyone and everything in this mansion. If I could go out for a walk, perhaps I could remember something, which would help me recover my memories."
That was such a long passage, I almost bit my tongue coming from the modern world!
Upon hearing this, the mistress remained silent for a moment before finally nodding. "Very well, if you insist on going, then let Qingzhi accompany you. He is always reliable, and I will feel more at ease with him around."
I was overjoyed and quickly thanked her, "Thank you, Mother."
After leaving the mistress's courtyard, I immediately sent someone to invite Xie Qingzhi. Before long, Xie Qingzhi arrived.
"I heard you're going out?" Xie Qingzhi's voice was indifferent, revealing neither joy nor anger.
I nodded and said with a smile, "Second Brother, I'll trouble you to come with me."
If it weren't for my health, I would like to go and see what brothels in ancient times looked like.
Xie Qingzhi raised an eyebrow slightly, seemingly surprised by my request, but quickly regained his usual composure. "Since Mother has agreed, I will certainly accompany you. However, you are in poor health, and things outside are not like inside the manor, so please be careful in everything you do."
I was secretly delighted, but on the surface I put on a well-behaved act. "With Second Brother here, I naturally feel at ease."
Accompanied by Xie Qingzhi, we set off in a very ornate-looking sedan chair.
This is a sedan chair exclusively for the young master; it is spacious and comfortable, and carries a faint medicinal fragrance.
The sedan chair moved slowly forward, and the scenes on both sides of the street gradually came into view. The ancient capital was bustling and prosperous, with the shouts of street vendors rising and falling, and pedestrians thronging about, full of the atmosphere of life.
I lifted the sedan curtain and peered at everything.
Xie Qingzhi sat opposite me, his gaze indifferent, seemingly already accustomed to all of this. Seeing my excitement, the corners of his mouth turned up slightly, with a hint of barely perceptible doting. "This is the first time I've seen you interested in the outside world."
Hearing this, I was filled with mixed emotions, and suddenly felt a pang of regret for the young master's departure. "Perhaps it's due to amnesia; he doesn't remember anything from before."
Xie Qingzhi didn't press further, but simply smiled faintly, "It's alright, if there's anything you'd like to see today, just tell me."
I nodded obediently. " Xiexie, Second Brother."
Xie Qingzhi wanted to reach out and pat my head, but in the end he didn't, and carefully withdrew his hand.
The sedan chair passed through bustling streets and finally stopped in front of a lively market. The stalls here were dazzling, selling snacks, handicrafts, antiques, and calligraphy and paintings.
My eyes were drawn to a sugar figurine stall, where the vendor was skillfully using syrup to create lifelike little animals.
Everything around me made me realize once again that I had traveled back to ancient times, and that I wasn't dreaming.
I stopped the sedan chair, eager to experience this long-lost atmosphere of fireworks.
Xie Qingzhi seemed to read my mind. He smiled slightly, stepped out of the sedan chair first, and then turned around and extended his hand to me. I was stunned for a moment, then took his hand and used it to get out of the sedan chair.
"Slow down," Xie Qingzhi whispered.
After walking down just one street, I felt like my body had reached its limit. Xie Qingzhi very skilled; instead of taking me back to the sedan chair, he used his light-footed skills to bring me back to his own courtyard.
"Let's go shopping again next time, it's too crowded outside." Xie Qingzhi put me on the bed.
I collapsed onto the bed, utterly exhausted. I realized that the young master's health was no joke, and I finally understood why everyone in the mansion was so worried about him.
"Second brother, I want to go again tomorrow..."
"No, let's talk about it next month."
"Next month?!"