Chapter 304

Thirty-three, The Inevitable Marriage Fortune

At the entrance of the boudoir tower.

The hazy halo of two lanterns spilled onto the young lady below, who was lowering her head while holding up a red umbrella.

Time ticked away, bit by bit.

For some reason, the person and the umbrella remained motionless for a long time.

"Young Xie Xiao Niangzi, are you back? Why aren't the lights on in the room?"

Caishou's probing call came from outside the courtyard wall, followed by the footsteps of several maidservants.

Princess Li Guoer was startled on the spot, and the red umbrella in her hand nearly fell to the ground.

She looked left and right, her eyes darting about, looking exactly like a little fox poking its head out of its den to scout for danger—slightly panicked and vigilant.

Princess Li Guoer responded, "Yes, I'm back!"

She turned to enter the room, but the oil-paper umbrella she was holding open was too large; it wouldn't fit through the doorway, and she nearly bumped into the doorframes on either side.

Princess Li Guoer hurriedly braked and closed the red umbrella.

But just as she carried the red umbrella into the tower, she suddenly turned back and leaped lightly back to the doorway.

She placed the "inexplicable" love letter—no, the red umbrella—sent by an "inexplicable" person back to its original spot.

As if it had never been moved, the young lady with the plum blossom makeup tilted her chin, put her hands behind her back, and returned to her boudoir in the tower with slightly hurried steps...

Caishou, carrying a platter of pastries, walked into an elegant boudoir with four maidservants.

Princess Li Guoer was sitting in front of the vanity, her back to the newcomers, removing her makeup with a serious expression.

Her jade-like hands removed the gold, silver, and jade ornaments from her hair, and the bronze mirror reflected a delicate face adorned with plum blossom makeup, her expression as usual.

Caishou handed the platter in her hand to the other maidservants and glanced sideways at her Young Xie Xiao Niangzi.

She walked to the vanity, picked up a wooden comb, and combed her long, shoulder-length hair.

Caishou glanced at the bronze mirror, then couldn't help but lower her head to look at the Young Xie Xiao Niangzi, her expression curious:

"Why is Young Xie Xiao Niangzi's face so red?"

Princess Li Guoer said calmly, "I drank a few too many cups at the banquet."

Caishou nodded: "Mm, the wine Young Xie Xiao Niangzi drank tonight must have a strong kick; Young Xie Xiao Niangzi rarely blushes."

She lowered her eyes slightly: "This wine is strange."

Caishou suddenly asked: "By the way, Young Xie Xiao Niangzi, why is there a red umbrella leaning against the door downstairs? Is it yours?

"Hmm, it doesn't seem to have rained today. That umbrella looks quite exquisite; could it be another gift from some young talent?"

A look of confusion appeared on Princess Li Guoer's pretty face: "What umbrella?"

Caishou was stunned:

"It's not Young Xie Xiao Niangzi's? Strange, when we went to the poetry gathering this evening, there didn't seem to be an umbrella at the tower entrance. Could it be that one of the maids dropped it..."

"Was there? I entered too quickly just now and didn't notice."

Princess Li Guoer nodded, squinting at the cold, beautiful face in the vanity mirror, and asked coldly: "You didn't touch it, did you?"

Caishou shook her head: "I didn't touch it. I just felt it was strange when I passed by. It's late at night, and leaving a red umbrella at the door—back in my hometown, that sort of thing is a bit unlucky..."

Princess Li Guoer interrupted in a flat tone: "Then just throw it away."

"Oh."

Caishou wasn't surprised at all by the Young Xie Xiao Niangzi's indifferent tone and way of handling things; she turned and went out to throw the umbrella away.

"Wait."

Caishou turned back, puzzled: "What is it, Young Xie Xiao Niangzi?"

Princess Li Guoer picked up the comb, swept her hair to one shoulder, examined the bronze mirror, tilted her head to comb it, and said casually:

"Never mind, just leave it there. Don't touch it, don't worry about it."

"Is it waiting for that thoughtless maid to come and get it herself?" Caishou scratched her head, her tone full of admiration: "Young Xie Xiao Niangzi is truly kind, not harsh to the servants."

Princess Li Guoer didn't speak, as if tacitly agreeing.

At one point, she secretly glanced at the silly, round-faced little maid in the mirror.

Immediately, Princess Li Guoer seemed to lose all interest in the matter and began chatting with Caishou about other topics.

Before long, after removing her makeup and changing her clothes, Princess Li Guoer got up and walked toward the bathtub behind the screen. Caishou took two maidservants and prepared to go downstairs to fetch hot water.

Princess Li Guoer suddenly stopped: "Caishou."

"Ah, what is it, Young Xie Xiao Niangzi?" Caishou turned back obediently.

"Did you see anyone... anyone when you returned to the residence early today?"

"Anyone? Who?"

Princess Li Guoer stopped in front of the screen, turned back, and smiled faintly, her tone as relaxed as usual: "Ouyang Lianghan."

Caishou shook her head:

"Doesn't Young Master Ouyang only come during the day recently, bringing the envoys from Luoyang with him?

"Come to think of it, he hasn't visited our residence privately for a long time."

Her tone was regretful:

"He hasn't even come to look for Young Xie Xiao Xie Xiao Niangzi. Eh, why is Young Xie Xiao Niangzi asking this? Could it be that you miss him too?"

Hearing the four words "Young Xie Xiao Xie Xiao Niangzi," Princess Li Guoer frowned slightly, then quickly returned to normal and pouted:

"Who would miss him?"

After saying this, she walked behind the screen without looking back, intending to undress and bathe.

Caishou left with the maidservants.

Hearing the footsteps of her personal maids disappear at the top of the stairs, Princess Li Guoer stood on a pile of light pink high-waisted skirts that had fallen to her ankles, hooked her crystal-clear, fair calves, and kicked off the light inner silk garment hanging from her ankles... She stopped undressing.

The calm, indifferent expression on her face vanished instantly, replaced by a look of suspicion mixed with a hint of shame and annoyance.

Wearing only a light pink and green camisole and underpants, Princess Li Guoer pinched her delicate, small chin and paced around the bathtub, circling it.

Her steps were somewhat chaotic.

The handwriting on the red umbrella was undoubtedly Ouyang Lianghan's. Princess Li Guoer was literate and had a photographic memory; she could even imitate others' handwriting with ease.

She would never mistake that guy's handwriting, and it certainly wasn't an imitation by someone else, because even the subtle habits of his brushwork were exactly the same.

Moreover, in the Prince of Xunyang's residence, who would be so bored and have nothing better to do than imitate Ouyang Lianghan's handwriting to write her such a thing?

Was it a case of an old man eating arsenic—tired of living?

Then, all the evidence pointed to one possibility...

This was handwritten and delivered by Ouyang Lianghan himself.

Furthermore, he happened to be coming to the Prince of Xunyang's residence tonight to participate in the night strategy meeting.

Princess Li Guoer couldn't help but recall Caishou's words just now, turned her head, and looked at the tightly closed window; outside was the boudoir courtyard of her neighbor, Young Xie Xiao Xie Xiao Niangzi:

"Could it have been delivered to the wrong place? Are you an idiot, walking into the wrong courtyard?"

She stopped slowly, frowned, and shook her head:

"But Young Xie Xiao Xie Xiao Niangzi isn't in the residence. Why would you send a love umbrella for no reason? And saying those... those reckless words—truly, you are shameless."

At the thought of the phrase "You are very beautiful, I find it hard to forget," the young lady from the deep boudoir felt her cheeks burning.

Before the New Year, on the night of Young Xie Xiao Xie Xiao Niangzi's birthday banquet, Princess Li Guoer and her family didn't attend, so she didn't know exactly what had happened. After the birthday banquet, Young Xie Xiao Xie Xiao Niangzi had also immediately returned to Jin Ling.

And just a short while ago, when she met the round-faced little maid in the corridor, she was in a fit of pique that she wouldn't admit to, and she hadn't paid any attention to Caishou's mumbling about looking for a book.

At this moment, Princess Li Guoer thought for a long while, unable to figure it out:

"However, has your relationship reached the point of exchanging love gifts? I saw Young Xie Xiao Xie Xiao Niangzi's intentions at a glance, but before, she seemed to be constantly hitting a wall, with no progress. How did it suddenly become like this..."

"Also, the maids and servants in the residence should know this is my boudoir. Did he just wander in blindly?"

"And in the evening, Caishou clearly returned to the boudoir to look for a book, which overlapped with the time you came for the night strategy meeting. Didn't you see her? How could you still walk into the wrong courtyard? Could it be a twist of fate?"

The young lady with the plum blossom makeup couldn't help but bite her lip and mutter to herself:

"Ouyang Lianghan, are you doing this on purpose, or was it an accident... Wait."

Princess Li Guoer, who was hesitating and guessing, suddenly remembered a past event.

"When we first met face-to-face, it seems you also gifted a red oil-paper umbrella. That was a chance encounter on the mountain path of Donglin Temple. You gave an umbrella to me and Caishou to shield us from the rain..."

The suddenly connected coincidence made the expression on Princess Li Guoer's pretty face become inexplicably complex. Her gaze gradually drifted toward the spot at the tower entrance where the red umbrella was placed, drawn to it.

"Coming to send a red umbrella again? Why does it seem so intentional..."

"Could it be that you came for the night strategy meeting tonight and didn't wait for me, not because you were intentionally slighting me or didn't care about me?"

"But because you were worried I would return early, so you finished early on purpose, and then snuck over to send the umbrella?"

"Ouyang Lianghan, you, you this..."

The somewhat proud and narcissistic young lady with the plum blossom makeup was both suspicious and shy, her tone stuttering.

Under the candlelight, this little face was truly spectacular...

The next day.

Princess Li Guoer got up early as usual, pretending nothing had happened.

Only the faint dark circles under her eyes seemed to be revealing something.

As for the red paper umbrella quietly placed by the door, she acted as if she hadn't seen it, entering and leaving the boudoir tower as usual.

She didn't let the other maids move it either.

It was just that every time she passed the doorway where the red umbrella leaned, the lotus steps under the young lady's skirt would quicken by half a beat, not knowing what she was deliberately avoiding.

But her peripheral vision would inadvertently sweep over it, confirming whether it was still there.

Princess Li Guoer seemed to be waiting for someone to discover they had walked into the wrong courtyard and quietly take it away themselves, treating it as if nothing had happened.

Or perhaps... waiting for his further, more direct expression?

She didn't know what she was waiting for, or what she was looking forward to.

In the following days, time passed in this plain and simple way.

The agreed-upon night strategy meeting day arrived again. Princess Li Guoer participated in the poetry gathering of the Chrysanthemum Poetry Society again and did not return early.

At the evening poetry gathering, Princess Li Guoer was somewhat absent-minded.

After it ended, she got up immediately, refused the fawning invitations of the young talents, left quickly, and returned to the Prince of Xunyang's residence.

The night strategy meeting had ended, and Ouyang Lianghan had already left.

Princess Li Guoer turned her head and found an excuse to dismiss Caishou and the other followers.

Approaching the boudoir courtyard, she slowed her steps, her jade hands in her sleeves slightly clenched into fists.

Arriving at the boudoir courtyard.

Princess Li Guoer looked straight ahead, lifted the sides of her skirt, and walked into the courtyard. She immediately saw a brand-new water-green oil-paper umbrella quietly placed next to the red umbrella at the boudoir tower entrance.

The style was exactly the same.

He hadn't taken the red umbrella away; he had even placed a new umbrella.

And opening the new umbrella, there was a line of familiar handwriting.

"Watching the sky at dawn, watching the clouds at dusk... walking, I think of you... sitting, I... think of you? You, you, you're endless..."

Princess Li Guoer closed the umbrella with a "thump," looked left and right, her pretty face somewhat embarrassed.

After looking around for a while, taking advantage of the empty courtyard, she hurriedly put the green umbrella back exactly as it was, pretending she hadn't seen it, and slipped into the tower.

But in the following days, as if to verify something again, Princess Li Guoer would occasionally lose focus and frequently flip through the calendar, as if anxiously waiting for a certain date.

A few days later, finally, another night strategy meeting at the Prince of Xunyang's residence began.

She still returned to the residence late after attending the routine poetry gathering of the poetry society, and Ouyang Lianghan had already left.

Princess Li Guoer found another reason to dismiss Caishou and the other maids.

She pursed her lips, her mood a mix of shame, fear, and anticipation. This feeling was very strange, something the young lady had never tasted in her seventeen years of life.

Walking into the boudoir courtyard again.

Beside the boudoir tower door, there was unexpectedly another light pink oil-paper umbrella.

Princess Li Guoer, whose steps had been hesitant, quickly quickened her pace and walked over. She opened the third new umbrella.

On the umbrella surface was his usual line of short sentences.

"If you ask how much idle sorrow there is... a river of mist and grass, the whole city full of wind and catkins... the rain when the plums turn yellow."

Princess Li Guoer was stunned for a moment, chewing on the words repeatedly.

"Eh..." This poem had a strange format and didn't follow the rules of ancient poetry, but it was exceptionally catchy.

She knew this must be just a fragment, but it was tossed off by him as if he had casually jotted it down on the umbrella when a moment of lovesickness arose, reckless and fearless.

This kind of talent and restraint was simply heart-tickling.

After chewing on it a dozen times, Princess Li Guoer suddenly stamped her foot.

Why are you writing so well? Are you not doing your proper work? Why put all your talent and thoughts into this kind of love poetry that teases women? Do you miss her that much?

One moment she couldn't put it down, the next Princess Li Guoer threw the new umbrella away like a hot potato and hurriedly put it back in its place.

Still avoiding it, not daring to touch it.

It was as if she were afraid that once she touched and accepted it, it would be like completing some kind of ritual, becoming tainted with something that most women in the world love and hate, obsessed with yet heartbroken over.

But because of this, three handmade oil-paper umbrellas appeared one after another at the boudoir tower entrance, and some things couldn't be hidden. Early the next morning, Princess Li Guoer discovered that the looks Caishou and the others gave her had become somewhat strange.

It was just that no one dared to ask her to her face, and no one dared to touch the umbrellas without authorization.

But in the dead of night, Princess Li Guoer, troubled by the love umbrellas, couldn't help but curse in shame and annoyance:

"Good for you, Ouyang Lianghan, you... you hypocrite. No wonder you've been delaying taking Young Xie Xiao Xie Xiao Niangzi as a concubine; you're actually doing this kind of thing behind her back... defiling, defiling my purity."

Although she was cursing in her mouth, for some reason, Princess Li Guoer couldn't feel much dislike in her heart.

Perhaps it was because, along the way, Ouyang Lianghan's strategy, wisdom, talent, and ability had already made her admire him.

And most women wouldn't find it greasy or hateful to be admired and confessed to by an excellent peer; or rather, it was a different kind of special annoyance.

Annoyed and hateful of his directness and boldness, which made her feel ashamed and annoyed.

But whenever she thought of the unattainable Young Xie Xiao Xie Xiao Niangzi, a strange, innocent, and comfortable emotion suddenly flowed through her chest, as if she had received some kind of strong affirmation and recognition.

This was the secret comparison and competition that only existed between beautiful and excellent women.

But why was her heart panicking?

For several consecutive days, Princess Li Guoer's heart was in a tangle, bidding farewell to her usual understated and composed self.

One night, before her boudoir bed, as she undressed to sleep, she suddenly remembered something, put on a robe, got up, walked to the bookshelf, and flipped out a thick volume.

After hesitating for a moment, she took out a marriage fortune from Donglin Temple that had been tucked away for a long time.

After hesitating for a moment, Princess Li Guoer suddenly opened the fortune paper.

Staring at it, she read softly:

"Passing through the flowers, I am too lazy to look back; half because of my cultivation, half because of you."

She frowned and looked down; below the red paper, there was a line of fortune-telling interpretation in the handwriting of Master Venerable Shan Dao:

"Living among ten thousand flowers, still too lazy to look back; half is because of the heart toward the Dao, pure and desireless; the other half is because one has early met a dazzling person of destiny, naturally looking down on the mundane. This is fate, and also a tribulation, hard to cross, hard to cross..."

This string of fortune-telling words seemed to pause at the end, finally leaving eight characters:

Bright as the moon, when can it be plucked?

A line of inexplicable Zen poetry, Princess Li Guoer understood the meaning at a glance:

"The bright moon hanging in the sky, when... can it be plucked?"

Princess Li Guoer stood frozen on the spot.

She suddenly remembered these days, the disappointment she felt when examining those talents who came to seek refuge. Before, she still felt unconvinced, unwilling to lose, but now...

She remembered frequently comparing them with Ouyang Lianghan, the strategist in her brother's room, but they were always incomparable.

She thought of Ouyang Lianghan as the noble person in the prophecy, the "bright moon" object that had been delayed in being delivered due to a twist of fate.

She also thought of... a certain wrong way of sharing wealth and suffering.

"Bright... bright moon, why is it the bright moon again? Wait, could it be... could it be that the bright moon in the prophecy is Ouyang Lianghan himself?"

Under the moon in front of the window, the young lady with the plum blossom makeup was speechless, her heart pounding like a deer, her cheeks gradually becoming burning hot.

Never again seeing the slightest bit of the coquettishness and stubborn pride from a short while ago.

(End of chapter)