Under a broad-brimd hat, Qingfeng sat in the coachman’s seat. Seeing her approach, he pushed the hat up slightly and said, "Doctor Lu."
Lu Tong looked toward the back of the carriage.
As if aware of what she was thinking, Qingfeng hurriedly said, "Lord Pei is not in the carriage. He went into the Palace at noon and asked to co to pick you up first."
Seeing that Lu Tong remained indifferent, he added a reminder, "Today is Lord Pei’s birthday."
August 19th, Pei Yunng’s birthday.
The last ti he ca to the dical hall at night, he had ntioned it, later subtly and overtly asking her for a birthday gift many tis.
Lu Tong asked, "So, what do you need for?"
Her gaze was too placid, causing Qingfeng to hesitate before answering, "Lord Pei has invited Doctor Lu to a gathering. He awaits Doctor Lu at Danfeng Pavilion." He added, "Lord Pei should have ntioned this to Doctor Lu beforehand."
Lu Tong clenched her umbrella, rainwater running down in streams from its surface. She spoke with a calm voice, "I’m quite busy today. I need to make dicine."
"This..."
After a mont’s thought, Qingfeng said, "I will take Doctor Lu back to the dical hall first. Once Doctor Lu has finished the work, I will take Doctor Lu to Danfeng Pavilion."
Lu Tong wanted to refuse, but as the words reached her lips, she changed her mind and said nothing, bending down to get into the carriage.
The carriage sped back to West Street and stopped at the entrance, where Lu Tong alighted and went straight back to the dical hall.
Du Changqing and Ah Cheng had returned ho earlier, and after it had rained for most of the day, there were no patients in the dical hall, and Miao Liangfang left at dusk.
Yin Zheng closed the dical hall door, lifted the felt curtain, and saw a faint orange glow coming from the small courtyard windows. She entered and saw Lu Tong sitting at the table, carefully grinding dicine.
"Miss," Yin Zheng asked, "I saw a carriage at the door of the dical hall just now. The coachman seed to be Qingfeng Guardsman. Was he looking for you for sothing?"
"Nothing important." Lu Tong concentrated on grinding her dicine. "Don’t bother with him."
Yin Zheng uttered an "oh," glanced at her, and then softly said, "Last ti Lord Pei ca to the dical hall, he ntioned his birthday is on August 19th. Today is August 19th. Did he co to see you for his birthday?"
"No."
Yin Zheng stood still, musing to herself, "Actually, Lord Pei is quite nice. Although he’s a nobleman, he doesn’t look down on common folk." She looked out the window, "It’s already dark, and such heavy rain. It must feel quite lonely to spend a birthday alone."
Lu Tong paused her grinding at these words, then looked down after a mont, "I don’t want to go."
Yin Zheng sighed.
"Don’t trouble yourself, miss." She didn’t try to persuade her further, only saying, "It’s cold, get so rest early."
Yin Zheng left the room, while Lu Tong kept her head down as if she hadn’t noticed, seriously pouring out the herbs from the jar, as if all that mattered in the world was the task before her eyes.
Ti slowly passed, the night deepened, the people of West Street went ho, and the street fell silent, save for the rush of wind and rain outside the window, biting cold.
After so ti, Lu Tong put down the dicine hamr and looked at the hourglass on the table.
It was nearly midnight.
...
"It’s nearly midnight."
In the Palace Marshal’s Mansion, Xiao Zhufeng stood at the window, staring into the night rain.
The rain cascaded down steadily, rhythmically tapping on the leaves of the parasol tree, bringing with it the chill of an autumn night.
Duan Xiaoyan shivered, waking up from a brief pleasant dream and glanced at the hourglass on the table, then out the window.
"Pei Yunng hasn’t returned yet?"
Xiao Zhufeng shook his head.
He had agreed to return after his birthday to sort out the new military register. Midnight was approaching, his birthday was almost over, and yet there was no sign of him.
Duan Xiaoyan rested his chin on his hand, "Could it be they’re having such a good ti, he can’t bear to co back?"
"Wake up," Xiao Zhufeng said, "the dream is over."
Duan Xiaoyan fell silent.
In fact, Pei Yunng had been waiting since noon, but while Lu Tong went to the Grand Preceptor’s Mansion, sothing urgent ca up inside the Palace, and he had to return once more.
By the ti Lu Tong returned to West Street, it was already evening. Qingfeng had soone send a ssage that Lu Tong seed very busy and had gone back to make dicine first.
"Ah," Duan Xiaoyan sighed, "Doctor Lu is really sothing. He could make dicine at any other ti, but he insists on doing it right during Yun Ying’s birthday. It’s so hard to wait in this heavy rain. My brother isn’t still waiting, is he?"
Xiao Zhufeng said indifferently, "No, he’s not."
"Really?"
Xiao Zhufeng looked out at the autumn rain for a long while before speaking.
"Pei Yunng is a very picky and proud person."
Xiao Zhufeng continued, "He may seem to cherish and protect the fairer sex, but in reality, he lacks patience with people. He is not proactive, nor does he wait for others."
"If he has an appointnt at Chen Ti, and they haven’t arrived by Si Ti, he would leave."
Duan Xiaoyan was stunned for a mont.
Xiao Zhufeng closed the window, keeping the chill entirely outside.
"He is not soone who waits patiently."
...
The rain was pouring down more heavily now.
The world was filled with the sound of "shasha."
The wheels of the carriage, as they rolled over the wet ground, created splashing water.
The carriage wheels rolled across the path and stopped in front of a tea pavilion. After a long while, the carriage curtain was lifted, and Lu Tong, holding an oil-paper umbrella, stepped down from the carriage.
Danfeng Pavilion is adjacent to mountains. By autumn, the hillsides blaze red like fire. But now, before the maple leaves have turned red and with the rain falling, the mountains in the distance looked dark and heavy, silent as a splash of ink.
The lamps of the tea pavilion had been extinguished.
Lu Tong lowered her eyelids.
Qingfeng had waited for quite a while in front of the Benevolent Heart dical Hall. Lu Tong had Yin Zheng tell him that she was busy tonight and would not go to Danfeng Pavilion.
Yin Zheng went out several tis, the last ti around Si Ti, telling her, "Miss, the carriage has left."
Qingfeng left and did not appear again afterward.
That was for the best.
Pei Yunng should have also returned from Danfeng Pavilion by now.
He should be celebrating his own birthday with Pei Yunshu, Treasure Bead, Xiao Zhufeng, Duan Xiaoyan, and all his loved ones and friends. In the future, he may have a lover, but it shouldn’t be her.
He shouldn’t wait for her.
In front of Danfeng Pavilion, it was pitch-dark, except for a few dimly lit lanterns hanging under the eaves. Du Changqing had told her that on clear nights, this place would be adorned with lanterns hanging from every tree, shining bright and splendid. But today, the weather was against them, and late into the night, all the lanterns had been put out, and the tea pavilion’s owner had also closed up.
Lu Tong’s heart was calm.
She walked to the entrance of the tea pavilion, then suddenly paused.
The rain was drizzling non-stop, and nearly all the lights of the tea pavilion were extinguished, yet one room’s window shone with a dim light. That wooden window was open, and a person stood by it, listening quietly to the rain.
Upon hearing movent, he looked up.
Lu Tong suddenly froze.
In the cool autumn night, against the remaining lamplight and sound of rain, Lu Tong stood outside the window, holding an umbrella as the rain poured down, while he stood inside, his features picturesque, misty as a dream, invoking an old verse all at once.
Outside the window stand palm leaves, inside a person, clearly drops on leaves yet drop upon the heart.
She stood transfixed, but the other lightly began to smile.
Pei Yunng looked at her, his crimson robe bright and eye-catching. On this rainy night, the warm light from the lamp fell upon him, making his stunning beauty outshine the finest blossoms.
His dark eyes were focused on her, the smile on his lips bright.
"I thought you might not co," he said.
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