A wind comes from the south, tumbleweeds enter my embrace.

The flower bud in my embrace, originally blooms for a gentleman.

Zither and lute are hard to accompany, years urge people on.

To those who give me a papaya, I repay with a jade pendant.

Hearing this fresh and playful remark, a hint of a smile flashed in the young lady's worried eyes.

Fan Xian smiled at her and said softly, "Are you still going to hide inside?"

The young lady shook her head slightly, blushing.

Just then, a voice calling for someone came from outside: "Miss, where did you run off to again?" The white-clothed woman's face dimmed, knowing she had to leave.

Fan Xian also knew that they must be looking for her. Looking at her expression, a sense of loss arose in his heart for no reason, as if he was afraid that after today's separation, he would never be able to find this girl again. He asked anxiously, "Will you come again tomorrow?"

She shook her head, her expression somewhat dim.

"Are you a family member of that noble lady in the main hall?" Fan Xian asked tentatively.

The woman thought for a moment, smiled, and did not answer him. Instead, she crawled out from under the incense table and ran out like a gust of wind. Before leaving the temple gate, she looked back at Fan Xian, then looked at the chicken leg in her hand, and playfully stuck out her tongue, thinking that if her uncle saw this, he would definitely scold her again.

Her eyes darted around, she ran back, handed the chicken leg to Fan Xian, then smiled and waved her hand, and ran out of the temple gate.

Never to return.

……

……

Fan Xian knelt on the prayer cushion in a daze, confirming that what he had seen earlier was not an elf sent by heaven. He looked down at the chicken leg in his hand and chuckled foolishly. He made up his mind that he would dig three feet into the ground to find this girl in Kyoto. If the other party hasn't been betrothed yet... No, even if she has a marriage contract with some dirty bastard from another family, I will snatch her away!

When he walked out of the Qing Temple's gate with the greasy chicken leg in his hand, he saw a caravan heading east in the distance. He knew that the white-clothed woman must be in that caravan.

The setting sun illuminated the lush trees on both sides of the road, making the leaves look like they were burning.

Fan Xian subconsciously raised the chicken leg and took a bite, suddenly realizing that the chicken leg had also passed by the girl's fragrant lips, and his heart also burned.

"Chicken leg, ah chicken leg, to be gnawed by that girl, you are truly the happiest chicken leg in the world."

He smiled and walked towards the center of Kyoto, not worrying about not being able to find his way back to the Fan residence. He was deeply grateful to the child who was eating candied haws. And not far behind him, a blind man he should truly thank was holding a bamboo stick and disappearing into the twilight.

Gong Dian's mood was not as good as Fan Xian's. He accompanied his master out for a stroll today, but he did not expect so many things to happen along the way. First, that young man of unknown origin was able to pass through the secret blockade of his subordinate guards and run into the Qing Temple. Then, that little girl actually slipped into the side hall under everyone's eyes. He really didn't know what those old nannies were doing.

But he had nowhere to vent his anger, because the master's face had been gloomy all along, and he seemed very angry. It seemed that the encrypted letter contained something that made him very unhappy.

"Gong Dian." The noble in the carriage called out coldly. He had never liked to sit in a sedan chair, a habit he had developed twenty years ago. "If Chen Pingping is still unwilling to return, send a team of people to bring him back."

"Yes." Gong Dian accepted the order, but secretly groaned in his heart, thinking, who could do this job well?

Seeing that the carriage had quieted down, Gong Dian secretly breathed a sigh of relief, feeling a little more relaxed. He turned his head and saw the dejected guards behind him, and he was filled with anger again. Earlier, these guards were secretly lurking outside the Qing Temple, but who knew that they were all knocked unconscious, and they didn't even see who did it!

It was because of this that the young man was able to walk into the heavily guarded Qing Temple so easily.

Gong Dian's brows furrowed. He wondered who could have such an ability, to silently knock out eight fifth-rank guards at the same time? This was simply the level of the Four Grandmasters! What if... the other party was an assassin? ... A sense of fear arose in his heart, and he dared not continue to speculate, but he knew in his heart that a secret investigation was about to begin after he returned.

In the last carriage of the team, which was very different from the other carriages, the windows were decorated with very elegant flowers. The white-clothed girl who had made awkward eye contact with Fan Xian in the Qing Temple earlier was now leaning against the seat, a smile playing on her lips, as if she was still reminiscing about something.

The maid next to her saw that her young lady was so happy, which was rare, and her mood also lightened. She asked teasingly, "Miss, did something good happen today?"

The girl smiled slightly and said, "Every time I go out with my uncle, I'm quite happy, at least it's much better than staying in that gloomy room."

The maid pouted and said, "But the imperial physician said that the young lady's illness cannot be exposed to the wind."

As soon as she heard the word "illness," the girl's expression became lonely and dim. Thinking of the handsome young man she had met earlier, her mood improved slightly. She thought silently in her heart that she was born with a thin fate, and she didn't have many days left. Was it a joy or a sorrow to meet that person?

Then, she thought of the rumor involving her, and thought of the Fan family's son. Although her mother opposed it, and that unfamiliar father seemed to oppose it as well, but... who could go against her uncle? Thinking of this, her heart was filled with sorrow, and a sweetness rose in her chest. She quickly pulled out a white handkerchief and covered her lips.

After a few coughs, there were spots of fresh blood on the handkerchief.

Seeing this, the maid panicked and said with a crying voice, "You're spitting blood again, what are we going to do?"

The young lady smiled faintly, remembering what the young man had said, and smiled softly, "What's there to do? Spitting and spitting, you'll naturally get used to it."

The maid uttered an "ah," very surprised, not understanding what she meant, and thought that the young lady was already confused from her illness.

At nightfall, Fan Xian returned to the Fan residence in a disheveled state. He secretly resolved that he would tie Teng Zijing to his waist whenever he went out in the future.

By this time, dinner had already started at the Fan residence, and four people were waiting for him at the table. He was a little embarrassed, but Si Nanbo had no expression on his face, and Liu Shi also had a gentle smile, with no hint of acrimony.

After explaining a few words in a low voice, Fan Ruoruo laughed, thinking that her brother was too muddleheaded. Even if he couldn't find his own carriage, it would have been good to hire a carriage at a carriage house. Fan Xian didn't even think of the carriage house, so he could only endure Fan Sizhe's ridicule with a wry smile.

After dinner, the family of four began to play mahjong, enjoying themselves. Fan Sizhe, like an accountant, held an abacus to the side, helping everyone calculate their winnings.

A trace of sorrow flashed in Liu Shi's eyes, but she forcibly suppressed her resentment towards her own son for being unpromising, and smiled as she talked to Fan Xian.