Qiu Wangzhi, who had been chatting with his fellow classmates in the pavilion from time to time, sprang to his feet as if stung by a needle the moment he caught sight of Gu Baozhu.
The ink-stained writing brush slipped from his hand and fell to the ground. A scholar beside him frowned unhappily at the ink spots splashed across his clothes.
“Brother Qiu, what has you so flustered?”
Qiu Wangzhi hurriedly cupped his hands. “My apologies. I have suddenly remembered an urgent matter. I must be going.”
The others watched his anxious departure, their faces filled with confusion.
“He was the one most eager to come this morning. Why is he leaving already?”
Gu Baozhu led Song Shixue onward for quite some time before finally stopping. The path ahead was blocked by clouds of mist and rocks of all sizes.
Gathering up her skirts, Gu Baozhu stepped onto the stones. “Once we cross this rocky slope, we’ll reach the place I wanted to show you.”
The rocks were jumbled together, all sharp edges and uneven surfaces. Song Shixue’s embroidered shoes slipped and caught painfully against them.
Fortunately, Song Shixue, Gu Baozhu’s maid, and the guards who had accompanied them were all nimble enough to cross steadily and safely.
At the highest point of the rocky slope stood several flowering crabapple trees, with a few cloud-mist stones beneath them that reached about knee height.
Looking down from there, an entire forest of rocks and sea of flowers unfolded before their eyes. In an instant, their hearts and bodies seemed to open up with the view.
Seeing the look of enjoyment on Song Shixue’s face, Gu Baozhu smiled.
“I told you this was the most beautiful view here.”
A falling petal landed in Song Shixue’s hand, and she nodded in agreement.
“The best part is that there are so few people. It’s peaceful.”
Flowers bloomed overhead, while the scenery below was even more magnificent. In the distance, they could see the tiled roofs of houses, and the river shimmered with bright, sparkling waves.
By the time the two turned around, the maid had already spread two layers of pale green cotton cloth over the stones and placed two soft cushions on top.
The food from the chest had been set out between them, and even the milk tea was still hot.
Sitting on the cushions, the two gazed at the distant scenery and chatted, as though they would never run out of things to say.
Heye peeled a mandarin and handed it to Song Shixue. When she turned back, she happened to glimpse someone in white hiding behind a tree.
Her expression changed, and she shouted coldly, “Who’s there?”
She raised her right hand and took aim, the concealed sleeve arrow ready to fire at any moment.
The sudden shout made Song Shixue and Gu Baozhu turn around, and it startled Qiu Wangzhi as well.
He drew a deep breath, stepped out from behind the tree, and bowed toward Gu Baozhu with cupped hands.
“Miss Gu, it’s been a long time.”
Gu Baozhu frowned in confusion. “You are?”
She was fairly certain they had never met. His face looked especially unfamiliar.
Qiu Wangzhi inclined his head, the corners of his mouth curving into what he believed was a refined and gracious smile.
“My surname is Qiu, and my given name is Wangzhi. My father is the Yueyang Prefect. We met briefly at Lord Gu’s birthday banquet three years ago.”
Gu Baozhu’s brows drew together even more tightly. She studied his face carefully, certain that she had no impression of him whatsoever.
“It was too long ago. I don’t quite remember.”
The Yueyang Prefect did have a son, but the portrait her mother had shown her did not seem to look anything like this.
A flicker of disappointment crossed Qiu Wangzhi’s eyes before quickly turning into another faint smile.
He looked down at the forest of rocks and sea of flowers beneath his feet, puffed out his chest, and put on an expression of rapture.
“Silken clouds drape the emerald peaks, while jade blossoms tailor robes for ten thousand valleys.
“Standing high amid the azure void, I watch my sleeves stir the stars and scatter their radiant glow.
“I never expected that taking a wrong turn by chance would allow me to witness such scenery. Truly, this is the most breathtaking view in the entire Stone Forest Flower Sea.”
Song Shixue glanced at the black scuff marks on his shoes and the gray dew staining the hem of his robe. Her eyes filled with speechless disbelief.
He had clearly gone to great lengths to cross the rocky slope and arrange this chance encounter. Could he not have come up with a more convincing lie?
She stole a glance at Gu Baozhu’s expression. Gu Baozhu looked awkward, plainly having seen through him as well. Moreover, she clearly had no interest in the man before her; otherwise, she would not look as though she wanted to escape.
When Qiu Wangzhi saw that no one was responding, he was briefly at a loss.
He had spent three whole months polishing that poem, all for today. How could it have received no reaction whatsoever?
After taking a breath, he continued, “The scenery here is so delightful that it is truly difficult to leave. Would Miss Gu mind sparing a single stone so that I might sit for a while?”
Glancing at the three unoccupied stones around them, Gu Baozhu pointed to the one farthest away.
“Young Master Qiu, you may sit over there. The view is even better from that spot.”
Qiu Wangzhi clenched his teeth. The foot he had been about to place beside the stone where Gu Baozhu and Song Shixue were sitting was forced to withdraw.
With his back rigid, he walked over to the stone Gu Baozhu had indicated and sat down. The anger in his chest continued to rise.
She had no sense of romance at all. Even the girls at Spring Breeze Pavilion were more obedient and knew how to play along.
If not for her prominent family background, he would not have bothered with her at all.
