Ouyang Huai sent a large group of men into the Falling Star Plateau to search.
In the end, the unconscious Ouyang Rui was cooperatively carried out by a white cat and a red snake.
One gripped his collar in its teeth, while the other coiled around his ankle.
The sight left everyone dumbfounded.
The New Moon Archery Tournament thus came to a dismal end amidst utter chaos.
No one even knew who had shot the Moonshadow Spirit or who had obtained the Ice Bow and Mystic Arrow.
Ouyang Huai was entirely focused on his son's safety; how could he care about any of that?
The Ouyang Manor was brightly lit for three consecutive days. Servants hurried about, constantly going in and out. Today they went to the apothecary to buy cinnabar; tomorrow they sought freshly drawn black dog blood, and they prepared baskets full of talisman paper and peach wood.
Yet Ouyang Rui remained unconscious.
Some said he was severely injured, while others whispered that he might have been possessed by evil spirits.
Meanwhile, the final whereabouts of the Ice Bow and Mystic Arrow became the hottest topic of gossip in the streets and alleys.
......
"I bet it was snatched away by those two barbarians!"
"Oh, please no! According to the sisters who served them, those two declared early on that if they won the Ice Bow and Mystic Arrow, they would definitely pick a few courtesans to enjoy themselves all night. You don't know this, but when Jiaojiao served them before, she was covered in bruises and still can't get out of bed."
"Hiss, that's terrifying. But it's strange, I haven't seen those two come back. They haven't checked out of their guest rooms yet, could they have already left?"
"Good riddance if they did!"
Chai Xiaomi bent over to carefully apply lip rouge for a courtesan while perking up her ears to listen to their gossip.
The girls' voices were crisp like magpies, chattering away, and just hearing them put her in a good mood.
As for the Ice Bow and Mystic Arrow, it was currently lying quietly inside her spatial pouch.
Naturally, she wouldn't say a word.
Although she really wanted to boast loudly, "My Lili won it," treasures always attracted covetous eyes. Keeping one's wealth hidden was the safest approach.
Just then, one of the courtesans sighed softly.
"Alas, Jiaojiao was just unlucky. That day, those two barbarians originally asked for Meng'er. It just so happened she was feeling unwell, so Jiaojiao took her place."
As her voice fell, another person suddenly lowered her voice and added mysteriously.
"Speaking of this, it reminds me of an old incident. It's been about half a year now, and I'm sure none of you know about it."
She hadn't even said what it was yet.
She had barely opened her mouth when a sister next to her gently nudged her shoulder.
"Hush, Ziyan! Madam Liu warned us repeatedly not to spread it. If she hears us gossiping behind her back, we'll definitely be punished again."
As soon as these words came out, the other courtesans immediately voiced their dissatisfaction. "Ziyan, Caixia, we are all sisters. You two are so disloyal, actually keeping secrets from everyone!"
Ziyan felt guilty and said to Caixia, "There are no outsiders here, only sisters. Plus, Xiaomi is one of us, she won't tell anyone."
Caixia said, "Although Xiaomi won't spread it, but..."
As she spoke, her gaze quietly drifted toward the window.
A young man sat by the windowsill. His Miao attire highlighted his picturesque features, but his whole body exuded an icy aura that warned strangers to stay away.
Ever since he first stepped into the Phantom Melody Pavilion, his black robes had left the girls in awe. Now, dressed in exotic attire, he was even more dazzling, yet no one dared to steal a second glance.
The courtesans had already figured out his temper. Initially, they thought he looked down on them as women of the mortal dust, always harboring a hint of disgust in his eyes.
Later, they realized he looked down on everyone equally and simply didn't care about anyone at all.
Except for his little lady.
Judging by his words and actions, he was clearly not an easy person to talk to, so everyone avoided provoking him and stayed as far away as possible.
At this moment, he leaned against the window frame, one leg casually bent and resting on the sill. With lowered eyes, he was weaving some grass blades in his hands, completely indifferent to the conversation over here.
His brows were even slightly furrowed, revealing a hint of impatience. He clearly despised crowded places.
Yet he stubbornly refused to leave.
Like a loyal hound guarding its master.
Silent, vigilant, and refusing to yield a single inch.
Chai Xiaomi understood and glanced back at Wu Li by the window.
The soul of gossip was burning fiercely in her chest. It would have been fine if no one brought it up, but to start a topic and not finish it, seeing these girls hesitate to speak, simply brought her curiosity to a boiling point.
She immediately got up, walked to the window, and softly tried to send him away. "Lili, I want to eat watermelon. Could you go buy one for me, please?"
Wu Li lifted his eyelids, first sweeping a cold glare past her to the people behind.
The courtesans who were peeking over immediately shrank their necks and hurriedly looked away.
Hongjiao slithered out of his sleeve with a rustling sound.
It painstakingly dragged a folding screen from inside the room over, blocking the window completely. A small, private world was thus enclosed, cutting off both sight and sound.
Only then did he pull her closer. Using his index finger and thumb, he gently pinched the sides of her lips, deliberately making them pout slightly.
"What else do you want to eat? Tell me all at once, and I'll buy everything for you."
"Mmph... also..." Chai Xiaomi's speech was slurred from his pinching. She glared at him, and he sensibly let go.
"Buy some of all sorts of fruits," she thought for a moment. "And pick a pretty basket to put them in."
The little girl really had a basketful of quirks. Her food not only had to taste good, but it also had to look beautiful.
Take watermelon, for instance. She loved to cut it in half and scoop it out with a spoon, but she insisted on scooping it into perfectly round balls. The failed ones ultimately ended up in his stomach.
But he happened to absolutely love these trivial little quirks of hers. He would sit beside her eagerly, waiting for her to feed him an imperfect half-circle, pretending to frown in distaste while obediently opening his mouth to take it.
Wu Li's lips curved into a smile. "I've never seen a cat greedier than you. Can you even eat that much?"
Most likely, whatever was left over would end up for him to finish again.
She hummed, "Mind your own business."
Who said there wasn't a greedier cat than her? There obviously was. Old Ji was much greedier than her, not to mention she wasn't even a cat.
Wu Li said, "But I'm greedy too. Why don't you feed me a bite first?"
"What are you craving? Just buy it on the way."
He pointed to his own lips. "If you ask someone for a favor, you have to pay a little compensation. Mimi, you are so generous to everyone else, why are you uniquely so unreasonable with me?"
Chai Xiaomi's face instantly turned red. Even though there was a screen, the room was still full of people.
She quickly leaned in, pecked him on the cheek, and pushed him toward the outside of the window. "Alright, alright, I've paid. Now go!"
He pointed to his lips, but she kissed his cheek.
"Tch, stingy."
He muttered softly but handed the woven grass object in his hand to her.
Chai Xiaomi took it and finally saw it clearly. It was actually a heart woven from grass blades.
She originally thought he was weaving bugs or birds again, but she never expected him to imitate her usual finger-heart gesture and replicate the exact same shape.
It is just that this bright green color...
"Who in their right mind makes a heart out of green!" She could not help but laugh out loud. "This color is too unlucky. Let me modify it for you."
As she spoke, she evenly applied the lip rouge in her hand over it. Soon, the green heart was dyed a bright, vibrant red.
It instantly looked much more pleasing to the eye.
Satisfied, she raised the red heart, pressed it gently against her own lips, and then took the young man's slender hand, firmly stamping the vivid lip print onto the back of it.
Wu Li froze for a moment. He lowered his gaze to the crimson mark on his hand, unable to look away for a long while.
"Now you can't call me stingy," Chai Xiaomi blinked. "You have been stamped, which means you are mine now, and you have to listen to me."
He looked at her quietly, his eyes gradually darkening. "When are we getting married? When will I get to see you in your wedding dress?"
Ever since they left Luoxingyuan, he had asked this question several times a day, his heart entirely set on having a proper ceremony.
"Let's wait until Brother Yu and Old Ji finish their business at the Ouyang Estate," Chai Xiaomi coaxed him gently. "Since it is such a joyous occasion, it is only right that we wait until all our friends are here."
Hearing the words Ouyang Estate, Wu Li nodded with uncharacteristic obedience.
That made sense.
That lucky idiot was not dead yet; he ought to be made to watch with his own eyes.
He needed to see exactly who her rightful husband was.
Today is New Year's Eve, sending off Hongjiao and welcoming the little horse! Wishing all you darlings a New Year filled with abundant wealth, joy, and good health!
