Chapter 27
Treating For A Drink (Part 1)
Summer was about to pass by, but it seemed like it was not willing to leave yet, these several final days seemed to release all of the hot temperatures, it made people unable to endure it. The soft moonlight was not able to disperse the dry heat anywhere on the tranquility of the lake surface, there was only the streaks of the bamboo’s shadows, but one could not sense any trace of breezes.
Murong Shu Qing was holding a fan, sometimes she was fanning and sometimes she was not, it was actually the same hotness whether she was fanning or not, one might as well throw away the fan, so she walked to the side of the bamboo bridge and sat down. She had already taken off her outer clothing earlier, then she conveniently pulled her trousers up to her knees. Putting her legs to soak in the lake water, she pulled her sleeves up to her elbows, this could be considered pleasantly cool somewhat. Murong Shu Qing bowed her head to look at her own appearance at this moment, she shook her head and a low smile could be heard. If those several girls saw her like this, they would want to think that she did not have any appearance for a girl from a wealthy family.
Three years, she had already gotten used with the life here, she would occasionally think of her dad, mom and elder brothers who were far away. But she believed that they would have very good lives, people were really human with some habits. This time, she also hoped that they were already used without her.
Four shadows were chasing a trace of white silhouette that entered Sui Yuan, there was fighting inside the bamboo forest, the martial arts of the person with the white clothing was very high. If one would fight him alone, even if four people were fighting him one by one, they were not his opponents. But the four people were attacking him at the same time now, gradually, the person with the white clothing could not withstand the attack, but he could still able to dodge the attack agilely.
Through the moonlight, Murong Shu Qing slightly narrowed her eyes, trying to see clearly who was the person with the white clothing!
“Stop the fight!” A clear and moist voice successfully stopped the confrontations between several people, the people with the black clothing had already stopped fighting, but the swords that were on their hands had not been put down, they were still taking precautions against the person with the white clothing.
Murong Shu Qing smiled, did not pay attention to him who was surrounded by the four people and in a difficult situation, she leisurely said: “I have not prepared any good tea to entertain you today!”
An Qin Xuan did not pay any attention at those shining swords that were in front of him, shaking his hands that were holding two small jugs of wine, he answered: “It does not matter, I take along these good wine to treat you for a drink!”
Murong Shu Qing waved her hand, the people with the black clothing put down their swords, and disappeared into the bamboo forest, the bamboo forest was tranquil again, there was only one person’s silhouette, An Qin Xuan who remained. As if there was never any fight just a moment ago.
An Qin Xuan’s demonic charmed smile did not change, a pair of long and narrow, elegant and almond-shaped, sharp eyes flashed past their radiance. The Murong family’s bodyguards did not seem like the common bodyguards who usually watched and protected the courtyard. Their martial arts could be regarded as experts within the Jiang Hu, nevertheless, they could obey and follow Murong Shu Qing’s orders unconditionally like this. Having this kind of opponent, it really made a person to feel excited in this matter. An Qin Xuan leapt up, and arrived beside Murong Shu Qing, using his hand to throw away one jug
of wine that was on his hand towards her, then he also grabbed the other jug, and drank it on his own.
Murong Shu Qing ruggedly caught the jug that was thrown to her, helplessly looked one glance at that laid-back’s An Qin Xuan who was already sitting by her side. She was sighing countless of times in her heart, she did not have any martial arts?! Why did everybody who was by her side, were experts, did they also think that she was an expert too?! Opening the wooden cork, a burst of faint sweet scent directly hit her face, Murong Shu Qing lightly shook the bottle, the fragrant of the wine smelt even heavier, she smilingly said: “Zhu Ye Qing wine?! It is really a good wine!”
She already knew that it was Zhu Ye Qing just by sniffing it once, he did not expect that this girl who was from a wealthy family, also a person who knew about a good wine, An Qin Xuan teasingly said: “Meeting you is really not easy.” It was indeed not easy, last time, it took him one incense stick time (15 min) to walk around the Murong’s manor to finally find this Sui Yuan. Today, once he entered the manor, he was already watched even more.
Murong Shu Qing gently drank a mouthful of wine, she shrugged her shoulders, and seemed to helplessly say with a smile: “My house has a gate! Why do you like to climb over the wall?!”
Because of the blistering hot weather, Murong Shu Qing put together her fine black hair into two braids, they were hanging freely on her chest, her one hand was patting the bamboo bridge lightly, while the other hand was shaking the wine jug. She seemed to enjoy the rich and mellow flavors of the wine even more. Her two legs were swaying on the water surface, the moonlight shone down, and one could see the indistinct graceful figure.
An Qin Xuan raised his eyebrows, carrying a frivolous speech, he said: “Do you want to go in and change your clothes?” She was really an interesting woman, her legs were uncovered in front of a man, uncovered arms, and she could still able to speak frankly with assurance, as if this was a matter of course. But she was very different today, she lacked her usual quietness, coldness and elegant, and actually her somewhat indolent charmed came out.
Murong Shu Qing raised her eyebrows and smilingly said: “Hehe, I was already here when you came this time, whatever clothes that I am wearing, should you not think about it earlier. You and me are not those people who care about the secular way of looking at things, is it not rather hypocritical if I go to change my clothes now?!” Bowing her head to look at her own clothing, it was not bad, she only exposed her lower legs and arms, the other areas were orderly.
An Qin Xuan reached his hand, thinking to touch that silky, soft and smooth hair again, but Murong Shu Qing used the wine jug to avoid the touch, he withdrew his hand smilingly. But his body speedily approached towards Murong Shu Qing, when his face was almost sticking together, then he smilingly said in a low voice by the side of Murong Shu Qing’s ear: “This is actually not necessary, maybe, I meet with somebody who tries to plan on a scheme!”
Did the men in this era like to talk to the other people right on their faces? Murong Shu Qing thought about that overbearing and firm face, she could not help to force a smile in her heart, but she had not retreated either. As far as she knew, these martial arts experts were known as arrogant men, so long as she retreated back one step, a pair of hands would appear on her waist to break her way to retreat. Feeling helpless, she could only ignore the sound of the man’s voice that was by her side, that could confused a person, then she faintly answered: “I am not that beautiful, I am unlikely to make you lose your rationality. I have actually heard that the Eldest Master An (she’s using An Da Shao (Ye) words here instead of Gongzi) has a distinguished name to chase women, I am not amorous enough that I can enter your discerning eyes.”
Not bad, she could still mock him. The corner of An Qin Xuan’s demonic charmed mouth was raised, he used his lips to stick at Murong Shu Qing’s ear, and softly caressed it, then slowly muttered: “Maybe, I change my preference. I have already eaten many lavish meals after all, so I want to eat some plain congee and small side dishes.” (Smack this guy!!!)
Plain congee and small side dishes?! Murong Shu Qing’s low smile came out, this man was still really arrogant and he made people unable to endure him, slightly adjusting her body, she faced towards An Qin Xuan, Murong Shu Qing also had this mocking manner, she smilingly said: “Should I feel honored with regard to this?!”
An Qin Xuan’s light smile also came out, this was the only woman who could mock him, when he was muttering his gentle feelings. Sitting down, he raised his head to drink a big mouthful of wine, then he laughed with a clear voice and said: “Hehe, you really make people to puzzle over ah. This time, you can completely knock down the Fu’s family, you make him unable to turn the situation over for a long, but why do you let him off at the last minute?” In his views, she was absolutely not an indecisive, and soft-hearted person.
Murong Shu Qing was the same as him, forthrightly drank a big mouthful of wine, after a good while, she faintly said: “It is not the time to break the Fu’s family now, if the Fu’s family collapses, then the Murong’s family will be where the wind and the waves are the fiercest (at the heart of the struggle). If the expansion is too quick, it will cause the Imperial court to be afraid of us, there is no Emperor who will allow the nation’s economy to fall into two people’s hands. If the tree stands above the forest, the wind will certainly destroy it. Like this, we each control one side now, the top seat (the Emperor) will feel at ease this way.” In this era, setting oneself against the Imperial household, meant that one would become the enemy of the regime of that country.
“So do you plan on letting off of this good opportunity?” After all, the Fu’s family was the biggest competitor of the Murong family’s silk clothing business.
Did she let go? Murong Shu Qing lowly smiled, she said with confident and calmness: “This time, the Fu’s family suffered a big losses because of the locust tree seeds, he did not win the Imperial brocade competition, his Cai Yun Fang’s business was already not like in the past. So as long as I can restrict his other businesses, the Fu’s family will slowly change into one empty shell, if I want to put out the Fu’s family business, it is only a matter of time.”
Looking at her flying with confidence, An Qin Xuan suddenly discovered, that her beauty was actually displayed in this manner. She was not dainty, not passionate, not docile, but she was unique like this and free.
Maybe, when they turned into competitors, at the same time, they could also cooperate for a while. “Last time, you said that there was no benefit if we cooperated, we did not have any opportunity to cooperate. In that case, I want to talk to you about our first cooperation.”
“Let me hear what you want to say?”