Chapter 37 But Did You Dream of the Girl with the Scented Pouch?

Chapter 37 But Did You Dream of the Girl with the Scented Pouch?

Though Zhihe City was remote, it was renowned for its lotuses, attracting many scholars and poets every summer to admire the flowers.

Over time, it had become a bustling little city.

When the two arrived, it was already late at night, yet many people were still out enjoying the lotuses under the moonlight, seeking a different kind of pleasure.

It was a busy time, and all the inns in the city were full. They had to ask at several places before finding an available room.

"There's only one room left, I'm truly sorry."

Gao Wenyan headed straight for the most luxurious inn in the city, and indeed, there were still rooms available.

Her visit to Qi Country was a spontaneous idea after spending a few days in a small wooden house, and she did not have much money on her.

Now, she could only grit her teeth and pay the high room fee.

Chu Xu watched her with interest and also took out his silver to book a room.

Since their heartfelt conversation, both had been silent, each assuming the other was simply tired.

So they both returned to their rooms, but neither could fall asleep easily.

For some reason, Gao Wenyan couldn't help but think about the scented pouch hanging from his waist.

She was curious about what the girl looked like, the one who made Chu Xu's demeanor soften even under the moonlight.

Would she be as well-mannered and cultured as Qing Qing?

Or would she be compassionate like Zhiyao?

How did Chu Xu treat her? Was he patient or impatient, distant or gentle?

Did he peel lychees for her?

When she was melancholic, did Chu Xu reassure her that everything would be alright?

Or would he gently tell her that she was no longer alone?

Suddenly, a rooster crowed outside, and the night grew lighter.

Gao Wenyan realized she was being overly curious.

She patted her forehead, telling herself not to dwell on such trivial matters.

Exhausted from the journey, her body quickly succumbed to sleep once she consciously tried to relax.

Chu Xu, however, was not so fortunate. He tossed and turned until dawn before finally falling asleep.

Perhaps because of his daytime thoughts, he dreamed again of his first encounter with the girl when he was fifteen.

He was originally the eldest son of a wealthy merchant, renowned in Yang Zhou City for his exceptional talent, growing up amidst countless praises, unaware of the hardships of life.

But when his family fell into ruin, he faced endless coldness and disdain.

The sons of noble families bullied him, and he fought back.

They insulted him, and he retaliated.

Chu Xu was stubborn; if someone hit him once, he hit back three times harder.

After tasting defeat, the other boys eventually backed off, no longer daring to provoke him.

Only one person remained resentful and, one day, led a group to corner Chu Xu.

Outnumbered and facing opponents prepared for battle, Chu Xu, unarmed, gradually lost ground and was defeated.

The leader, a chubby boy whom Chu Xu had beaten before, stayed far away this time, too afraid to join in.

Chu Xu was contemplating how to grab him and teach him a lesson when he heard a clear female voice behind him.

"Bullying someone outnumbered is shameful."

The girl was just a teenager, dressed in fiery red, her long black hair tied with a black ribbon.

For many years afterward, Chu Xu favored black clothing.

What he remembered was the ribbon fluttering in the wind.

The girl was clearly of noble birth; without saying a word, she stood there with her hands behind her back, exuding grace.

She drew her sword and skillfully beat up the group, including the hiding chubby boy.

She was mischievous; some had their sashes torn, others had sleeves cut, each humiliated in a unique way, yet all equally embarrassed.

Only she stood there, smiling slightly, pleased with herself.

Later, Chu Xu learned from the others that she was the youngest daughter of General Gao.

Who would have thought that a casual flourish of her sword would stay with Chu Xu for many years?

It became a habitual move for him, just as Gao Wenyan stopped practicing sword flourishes and switched to spear techniques, no longer wearing red.

That day, before Chu Xu could thank her, Gao Wenyan was called away by her family.

She came unexpectedly and left just as freely.

Chu Xu could only keep the apricot blossoms she had cut down.

Those apricot blossoms once fell at her feet and have since remained by his side.

"Young Master Yan! Young Master Yan!"

Gao Wenyan slept until noon and discovered that Chu Xu was even more absent-minded than she was, as he had been gone for a long time without a trace.

He had not been taking his medicine regularly over the past few days, and Gao Wenyan feared that his body might suffer. If something happened, it would be terrible. So, she hurriedly came to knock on his door.

Chu Xu woke up from his dream, suddenly unsure of what day it was.

Once he regained consciousness, he realized eleven years had passed.

The person in his dream was banging loudly on the door, as if about to break it down at any moment.

When the door was opened from inside, Gao Wenyan was just about to kick it.

"Is there something you need, lady?"

"I'm fine. Are you okay?"

Gao Wenyan circled around him, seeing that apart from his pale complexion, everything else seemed fine—there were no bloodstains on his clothes.

Chu Xu had not fully recovered yet when he heard her ask, "Did you have a nightmare?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Because your face looks terrible."

Terrible?

Chu Xu wondered, "But it was clearly a beautiful dream."

Gao Wenyan nodded in understanding.

"Then perhaps the dream was too good, making you feel lost upon waking."

Then, she grinned mischievously.

"Did you dream about the girl with the sachet?"

Chu Xu glanced at her indifferently, unwilling to answer.

"I need to change my clothes."

He unceremoniously gave her an order to leave.

"Oh."

Gao Wenyan obediently took a step back and left his room.

Although she didn't know how Chu Xu felt about the girl with the sachet, she thought it certainly wouldn't be like this.

She felt a bit strange, feeling somewhat stifled.

Gao Wenyan assumed it was due to lack of rest and didn't think much of it.

While waiting for Chu Xu, she always wanted to find something to do, so she returned to her room and wrote another letter home.

The letter she sent to the Gao family last night was already written, saying all that needed to be said; the rest was something she would never reveal.

For example, Chu Xu had accompanied her to Qi Country.

In the letter, she had already instructed Gao Wenxi to pay close attention to the progress of the deserter Chen You.

Thinking about it now, she still planned to write a letter to Lin Yishan.

In the letter, she gave further instructions, telling him not to act rashly or hide anything from her once he had any news.

She marked the address with the Gao family's secret sign, and Gao Wenyan satisfiedly flicked the letter in her hand.

When Chu Xu accompanied her to send the letter, he noticed that she had two letters.

Gao Wenyan originally thought he would ask, but he remained composed, showing no intention of doing so.

So, she pulled out the letter addressed to Lin Yishan and placed it on top, giving detailed instructions to the postmaster not to lose it.

"Don't worry, miss! It won't get lost!"

Gao Wenyan nodded in satisfaction.

"That's good."

As she spoke, she turned and asked, "Why doesn't Young Master Yan send a letter to the girl with the sachet to reassure her?"

Chu Xu looked at her and smiled, "No need."

Thus, after a night of peace, the two once again returned to their silent state.