The winter night’s fog was heavy, isolating the sounds of music and the shadows of lamps in the front yard into a far-off distance.
Tang Xiaobai stood in front of the already locked entrance to the inner house, listened quietly for a while, then turned around to walk back.
She had many things she wanted to say to Ah Xiao.
It wasn’t that she had to say them tonight; tomorrow or the day after would do, but she felt an urgent need.
Because she had just realized, she was wrong, so terribly wrong.
A single, nonsensical question from Ah Xiao could trouble her for an entire day.
Hadn’t her sudden change in attitude towards him these days troubled him even more?
Even if he showed a certain attachnt to her, she shouldn’t treat him coldly as if he were an adult.
Her little ancestor was still just a child!
A child of thirteen or fourteen, what could he possibly understand about love? Couldn’t she be a little more patient and guide him properly?
The little ancestor wasn’t naturally an outgoing person, and now like this, if it left a psychological shadow on the child, what then?
Thinking of this, Tang Xiaobai couldn’t help but feel anxious, wishing she could talk things out with the little ancestor right now, but unfortunately, it was a bit late tonight—
"Second Miss? It’s getting late; we should head back?" Cheng Zi advised her from behind.
Only then did Tang Xiaobai realize she had unknowingly passed by Bright Moon Building, and ahead was the western inner gate, beyond which lay the now vacant Yuanxiao Courtyard.
Of course, this gate was also locked.
Tang Xiaobai walked forward a few steps, gazing at the gate, slightly lost in thought.
Earlier this year on the night of the Lantern Festival, the little ancestor wished her a happy birthday through this very gate, handing her a handmade bow and arrow beneath the gate’s crevice—a birthday gift from him to her—
Tang Xiaobai suddenly froze.
Wait! Birthday gift?
"Second Miss?" Cheng Zi urged again, "You’ll have to go to the academy tomorrow, better rest early?"
Tang Xiaobai absentmindedly murmured in agreent, when the corner of her eye suddenly caught a shadow moving beneath the gate’s crack.
Soone!
She recoiled two steps in surprise, just about to flee, when suddenly, she heard a "crack" sound.
Following the sound, she saw Mo Huan atop a bare tree outside, holding a freshly broken twig and smiling at her.
After smiling, he vanished without a trace.
Tang Xiaobai remained silent for a mont, then said, "You all go back first, I’ll stay here for a while," then added after a thought, "Bring the package from earlier today!"
The servant girls dispersed one by one.
Tang Xiaobai quietly walked to the gate, curled her fingers, and knocked.
"It’s ," ca a voice from the other side.
Due to what was likely a changing voice, the boy’s voice was sowhat low and hoarse.
"Why did you co here? Is the welcoming banquet over?" Tang Xiaobai asked.
A "hmm" ca from the other side.
Unsure if it was her imagination, she faintly felt that this "hmm" carried a nasal tone.
Tang Xiaobai felt a pang in her heart, urgently calling out "Ah Xiao."
There was silence on the other side.
Tang Xiaobai swallowed her saliva and said, "I wanted to find you just now, but it was too late, and the gate was already locked."
"What did Second Miss want with ?" he asked dully.
Tang Xiaobai glanced back, Cheng Zi hadn’t returned yet.
"Second Miss—" he suddenly called her.
Tang Xiaobai turned back, just in ti to hear the sound of his body leaning against the gate.
"Did Ah Xiao do sothing wrong..." The voice from behind the door was so low it seed like a murmur.
Tang Xiaobai’s heart ached so much she couldn’t breathe, she quickly said, "No! It’s my fault!"
She leaned against the gate as well, aiming her voice at the crack between them, trying to let him hear more clearly, "It was my fault, I felt we were growing up and couldn’t be as close as before, so I deliberately distanced myself—" but here she found it hard to continue.
She let out a sigh and said, "Indeed, we are both growing up, there’s a difference between boys and girls, it’s not the sa as before."
He was silent for a long ti, then said, "I wish we would never grow up..."
Tang Xiaobai felt a sour sensation in her nose.
"Second Miss!" Cheng Zi returned, looking around suspiciously, "Did soone speak just now?"
"No, no!" Tang Xiaobai quickly grabbed the package with the cape and hurried the person, "You go back first! I’ll stay a little longer!"
Cheng Zi, with a thoughtful look, glanced at the locked gate, then looked at the treetop where Mo Huan had just been, and obediently walked away.
Tang Xiaobai coughed lightly to cover her embarrassnt for being caught, then said, "Ah Xiao, step back two paces, I have sothing to throw over!"
After hearing footsteps move away, Tang Xiaobai also stepped back a few paces. Holding the package in both hands, she took a deep breath and threw it upwards hard—
"Bang!" It landed heavily in front of her.
It didn’t even reach the height of the eaves.
A faint chuckle seed to co from the other side.
Tang Xiaobai blushed, quickly picked up the package, "Just you wait! I’ll throw it again!"
She took a deep breath and threw it upwards with force once more—
"Bang!"
Tang Xiaobai didn’t even want to pick it up.
"Second Miss—" The boy’s voice seed to have a hint of laughter, "Why don’t you let try waiting instead."
What did he an? Tang Xiaobai frowned.
At this mont, there was a soft sound on the wall, and in the blink of an eye, the boy with the green jade mask stood before her.
Tang Xiaobai was taken aback, "Is this... Qinggong?"
He nodded, "Master Yuan taught well."
Tang Xiaobai snorted, "How long did you learn from Master Yuan?" Did he take her for a fool?
Li Mu laughed, "Second Miss is wise."
The heavy fog and frost obscured the moonlight into a dim glow.
But the boy’s eyes seed to be filled with thousands of stars, shining brilliantly.
He curved his lips into a smile, even showing a shallow dimple on the left side of his cheek.
He was so different from usual, a bit silly, especially youthful.
Tang Xiaobai couldn’t help but poke his dimple, just about to laugh when she suddenly frowned, leaning in to sll him.
Li Mu, caught off guard, felt his ears heat up and retreated half a step in a fluster.
"Did you drink?" Tang Xiaobai frowned.
"I toasted the young master a few cups," Li Mu replied.
Tang Xiaobai furrowed her brows even tighter, "You can’t drink anymore in the future!" How could a minor drink?
"Okay."
He agreed readily, but Tang Xiaobai thought about it and felt sothing was off.
The little ancestor was already fourteen. At fourteen, in her eyes, he was still an adolescent, but here he wasn’t considered that young, and sotis socializing was inevitable.
"You’re still young; you can only drink one cup a day. If anyone pressures you to drink, just pretend to be drunk!" Tang Xiaobai earnestly advised him.
"Okay." It was as if his fur had been smoothed, his tone and gaze were soft to the extre, "Does Second Miss have any other instructions?" His eyes sparkled, as if with anticipation.
This question...
Tang Xiaobai giggled, ran to pick up the package from the ground, quickly unwrapped it, and raised her arms high to show the cape in front of him—
"Look! A birthday gift!"
This child, hinting so obstinately for a birthday gift without saying it directly?
Like last year—
But last year she hadn’t distanced herself from him yet...
At the end of the day, it was she who had hurt his heart, causing him to tread carefully and dare not speak up.
Tang Xiaobai felt a sourness in her heart, tiptoeing up, "Let help you put it on and try it!"
Li Mu bent down, allowing her to drape the cape over his shoulders.
"Raise your hands!" Tang Xiaobai urged.
Li Mu looked at her with sparkling eyes, softly saying, "I can’t lift them."
Hmm?
Tang Xiaobai was puzzled.
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