In a private room on the second floor of the restaurant, a girl in green clothes is sitting in front of several desks.

"Wei Xu... Haven't come yet? ”

"Go back to Childe! Nozai-sama is cooking and preparing the meal. ”

"Oh?"

The girl was a little surprised, and got up and walked to the window.

Today, she deliberately modified her makeup and covered her face with a thin gauze scarf. The beautiful face has a hint of mystery, which is set off by the girl's coquettishness, giving people endless space for reverie.

"You have the tables put together and move them to the window. Then I went and asked Lord Nozai to come up and talk about it. ”

"No!"

After the servant girl whispered her promise, she secretly looked at the pendant tied around the child's waist. His eyes rolled, and he pursed his lips and snickered.

A moment later, the two cases were pieced together and displayed by the window. If you look out of the window, you can see the main street of the city. The neat house is hung with a variety of signboards. Occasionally, vendors are hawking in front of the door to solicit business.

The girl looked at the wine shop opposite, and a wooden sign swaying in the wind read "Osmanthus Brewing" with three big words. It was as if I remembered something embarrassing. A smile rose at the corner of the woman's mouth, and then two peach blossoms appeared on her face.

"Lan Gongzi has been waiting for a long time."

In a distraction, I heard a familiar voice. The woman tilted her head slightly, and saw a young man dressed in white respectfully saluting. Then she also got up and said a blessing to the man.

"Yuan'er is polite."

The man took a sharp step back, a little panicked.

"Sorry! I didn't want to disturb the girl, and I must have gone to the wrong room. ”

Then, he glanced around and scratched his head, his face full of doubt. The boy slowly stepped back.

"Sir, stay! The little sister came to make amends on the orders of her brother. ”

"Brother?"

The girl nodded, pursing her lips and smiling.

"Hmmm! The brother is the lord of Yezhongyi, and he is the Lan Gongzi in the mouth of Mr. ”

She lifted her robe slightly and invited the man to take her seat.

"I didn't know that Yuan Gongzi was coming. Forgiveness! Forgiveness! ”

Wang Xu arched his hand and sat opposite the woman. Then a maid served the food one by one. Wang Xu looked at the beautiful girl in front of him suspiciously. I don't understand that Ji Lan asked her sister to come to make amends, what is this going to do? When I saw two tables side by side, I was even more puzzled.

"A few days ago, my brother was offended, and I hope that Mr. Haihan. The little sister did it first as a respect. ”

The girl covered her face with a sleeve robe, and the action of drinking was beautiful and elegant.

"How dare you! Brother Ling took good care of Xu, and he didn't know how to advance or retreat, which made Lan Gongzi embarrassed. It is necessary to make amends to Brother Ling. ”

After each drank a jue of wine. Wang Xu saw that the light veil on the girl's face was stained with wine.

"Miss Yuan! If there is any avoidance, you and I may sit separately and be covered by a curtain. ”

"Not necessarily!"

He also had good intentions. Otherwise, how can the girl put the food in her mouth while hiding her face. Unexpectedly, the other party refused. After that, the woman did not eat any food except for drinking.

"Pardon for being presumptuous. These meals are prepared by hand. Can Miss Yuan'er give it a try? ”

The girl pursed her lips and smiled.

"Good! Yuan'er likes spicy food the most, I don't know if Mr. can take some mustard powder. ”

"Wait a minute! I'll go. ”

There was a servant in the room, and the woman made such a seemingly rude request. Wang Xu naturally understood that she wanted to break away from herself for a while. So, Zhiqu left, and deliberately waited for a long time to get mustard powder.

"What a craftsman, sir. I don't know if Mrs. Zun has such a mouthful? ”

Unexpectedly, after Wang Xu left, the dishes on the table were tasted by the girl one by one. He was speechless, if he ate like this. In order to take care of the girl's face, he had to lie about going to the toilet halfway and leave a few more times. At this moment, in the face of the girl's ridicule, it is a little unnatural.

"Huh. OK. ”

The atmosphere was unusually awkward. In order to cooperate with the girl, he only drank alcohol and did not eat. A glass of wine is slowly brought into your mouth, and you can taste the taste of rice wine.

That day, my brother and my little sister talked about the wine with the fragrance of osmanthus in the restaurant. It's a pity that I don't see this wine today. ”

"Ahem... Ahem..."

Hearing this, Wang Xu was immediately choked by the rice wine in his mouth. Presumably, the girl couldn't help it after all, and planned to help her brother denounce Wang Xu's despicable behavior that day.

"I wonder if Yuan'er will be lucky enough to taste this wine?"

The two looked at each other for a long time, and Wang Xu replied unconfirmed.

"Miss Yuan'er isn't joking, is she?"

"Could it be that Mr. Cheng is so stingy? Don't want to treat Yuan'er with fine wine? ”

"How dare you! I'll go. ”

I confirmed the other party's eyes, and I didn't see the slightest hint of teasing. Wang Xu hurried downstairs to the door of the wine shop across the road. When he was selling wine, he saw from a distance that the girl by the window on the second floor had lifted her veil and was slowly tasting the dishes. At the same time, the girl's afterglow seemed to see him. The woman raised her hand leisurely and held up her chin to make a casual expression. Although I only watched from a distance, I vaguely saw the side face of the other party, but at that glance, the shock and hazy beauty left in my heart outlined infinite reverie.

"This wine is strong, don't drink too much."

Back at the restaurant, Wang Xu poured a handful of wine for the girl.

"Sir, but you're leaving?"

This question was abrupt, and Wang Xu didn't know how to answer for a while.

"Not coming back?"

When he was about to speak, he saw that the girl had already drunk the third lord. Wang Xu couldn't help but consol:

"Girl, don't be greedy for a cup, drink too much and hurt your body."

Then he let out a leisurely sigh.

"Hey! Don't hide it from the girl, it's enough to have Brother Ling here. Lan Gongzi is dedicated to the people and makes the people rich. It's better to be ashamed, so why stay to make Lan Gongzi more troubled? ”

"No!"

"How can you not know Brother Ling's intentions? If he leaves, he can also return to the wild Zai who knows the interest. They trust each other and will make a good life for the people. ”

The girl's rebuttal did not seem to be recognized by Wang Xu. The other party just praised Ji Lan euphemistically, and didn't want to tell the woman in front of him about the matter of the court officials on the bright side.

"I don't know how Mr. is willing to forgive my brother, how can I be willing to stay?"

"Hehe, little sister Yuan'er don't be embarrassed. This is a matter between Xia and Brother Ling, and the girl doesn't bother with it. ”

Wang Xu is determined to leave. Let's not talk about the current relationship between him and Ji Lan. If you stay here, if you don't have children in two years, you will be forced to marry a wife by the government. He can't stand the life of a pig.

"That's good! The little sister is not forced to keep Mr. I came today to make amends for my brother. Yuan'er punishes himself here, and asks Mr. not to blame his brother. ”

After the girl finished speaking, she picked up the wine bottle and filled the three bronze wines in front of her. Wang Xu was a little stunned. I didn't want the beautiful woman in front of me to be a female man who drank an amazing amount of alcohol.

"Little sister, don't do that. Xu has never blamed Brother Ling. ”

He didn't know how to persuade him, and then he poured three glasses of wine. After thinking about it, the matter passed. I didn't know that the woman in front of her was so stubborn, obviously retreating as advancing. The girl poured three more cups.

"This wine is Mr. Yuan'er's dedication to Mr. Xie's personal cooking today. is the so-called gentleman who cooks far away. The name of Mr. Ti gentleman is the fault of Yuan'er. ”

"I haven't tried to be a gentleman. The girl praised it falsely. ”

Wang Xu saluted the girl. He didn't want to be moved by the other party's next sentence.

"The gentleman and villain will know it at a glance."

In a trance, there was an illusion. The woman on the other side was Ji Lan herself. He thought that his sister could come to make amends for his brother, and presumably the relationship between brother and sister should be very close, and they had nothing to say. What happened between him and Ji Lan, it is natural for the girl to know. The confusion and surprise in my heart immediately dissipated.

"What does that mean?"

At this moment, the woman suddenly picked up a small porcelain vase. It's the mustard powder I asked for before. She twitched her fingers and poured mustard powder into the winelord. Wang Xu and her can also smell a spicy smell between the two cases.

"My little sister likes spicy the most. It's fine. ”

The girl hid her face and smiled. After a drunken drink, he began to cough incessantly.

"Ahem... Ahem..."

Through the wine-stained scarf, the two lines of tears are particularly obvious.

"Why is this the girl?"

"Ahem... It's okay! My brother said that whoever owes someone will pay it back. Yuan'er didn't want to owe Mr. ”

"Hey! It's just a meal. Why bother? ”

I've seen a fight for wine, but I've never seen a fight for mustard. Wang Xu felt empathy just by looking at the girl's painful appearance. I only feel spicy eyes. After a few moments, the woman wiped the mustard powder from her lips through a veil and was about to continue with the second glass of wine.

"Don't drink it."

"Is the gentleman willing to stay?"

Wang Xu only hesitated for a moment, and before he could reach out to stop him, the girl drank the second jue wine. At this time, the image of a woman's elegance is gone. The veil that covered the face was stained with tears, wine stains, and the remnants of yellowish mustard powder. She was in pain and wept. The dry cough was slightly tinged with an irrepressible retching sound. After drinking several glasses of liquor and the spicy mustard powder, the girl's forehead was covered with beads of sweat, and her cheeks were red and purple.

"Enough! I'm not going to stay. ”

Whether or not he left seemed to be the only help for Ji Lan.

"Drink this Jue, Yuan'er will not embarrass Mr. anymore."

The woman stubbornly raised her glass. Wang Xu grabbed it.

"Are you crazy?"

The other party is holding on to it, that is, letting go. Even if the hands of the man and the woman were unintentionally touched, the girl did not panic and made the slightest concession. Wang Xu wanted to snatch the wine glass and drink the wine for the woman, but unexpectedly, between the two of them, the wine lord overturned, and the wine poured over the girl.

Since both of them were sitting on their knees, the girl did not give in and fought hard. Wang Xu was afraid of scratching the woman's slender hand, so he let go. Unexpectedly, the other party used too much force, and the whole person seemed to be toppled and planted backwards. The drink spilled down his face. The wine was mixed with mustard powder, which was extremely spicy, and at this moment it was splashed on the face by the liquor, and the eyes immediately turned red.

The girl kept rubbing her eyes, tears gushing out. Perhaps because she didn't want the current ugliness to be seen by Wang Xu, she turned sideways and choked up aggrievedly. I cried very miserably.

"I didn't mean to. I'm sorry. ”

When the servants in the house saw this scene, they hurriedly retreated. Wang Xu jumped up and knelt beside the girl like a monkey. He was so anxious that he tore off a corner of his robe.

"Your veil is stained with mustard powder."

Now he is considered a rich man, and the clothes he wears are also made of brocade, not as rough as in the past. Wang Xu handed over the silk fabric. The woman lay on her side on the floor woven with straw mats, hiding her face and sobbing softly.

"Don't worry about it. Let's go! ”

Although he said this, he still took the clothes handed by the other party. The woman closed her eyes and slowly untied her veil.

"Ran... Orchid... Lan Gongzi. ”

The girl in front of her looks exactly the same as Ji Lan. Aside from the wide forehead covered by his hair and the thick eyebrows, he could barely see any essential difference between the two. So his eyes unconsciously glanced towards the woman's chest.

"I'm not Lan Gongzi."

He hadn't seen him for a long time, and he couldn't remember Ji Lan's figure. However, the girl's hasty answer made him even more puzzled. The other party's instinctive reaction and normal logic should be to call Lan Gongzi his brother instead of following his words? Thinking of this, his eyes wandered and he looked at the woman.

The emerald green and bright pendant hung eye-catching on the girl's waist. It was just a momentary stunned. All the truth is presented in front of you. She's Ji Lan. From beginning to end, Ji Lan was a woman.

Once upon a time, Wang Xu secretly praised Ji Lan's handsome appearance in his heart, and even he couldn't help but take a few more looks. For appreciating the beauty of men, this matter has bothered him for a long time. Sometimes he even suspects that he has undergone a subtle change in the aesthetic aspects of some same-sex people.

"Got it. Lan Gongzi..."

Time froze, and the two people in the room fell silent for a long time.

Not long ago, my wife, who was still preparing meals at home and looking forward to her husband's return, felt a faint throbbing and uneasiness in her heart. She pushed open the courtyard door and walked anxiously towards the market, hoping to meet Wang Xu on the way home. Maybe it's a woman's sixth sense, when Ah Ji inadvertently looked up, the familiar figure was hugging a woman in Tsing Yi with a light body.

She couldn't believe it, she wanted to see more clearly, so she approached the window of the small building with difficulty, and hid under a large locust tree. The woman in Tsing Yi is really beautiful, graceful and elegant, and exudes a noble temperament in her gestures.

Aj comforted herself. The husband's talent has learned to attract the love of everyone's daughter, and it is normal to think about it. Even though I thought so, tears flowed uncontrollably. She never thought she would marry Wang Xu. After all, she is a slave, and the imprint on her face is a scar that cannot be erased for a lifetime. Even if they are really together, Wang Xu may not mind, but others will inevitably point fingers and use the identity of Ajinu to ridicule or attack her husband. What a sad thing it was to live in an age when slaves were inferior to livestock.

She leaned against the tree, her back to the affectionate two people upstairs. She and Wang Xu pretended to be husband and wife together, but in fact, it was just to avoid the marriage decree and hide people's eyes. Perhaps the man was just sympathetic to his own plight. The imprint on her face, such an ugly appearance, what man would really want to marry her? Now that there is a better choice, maybe this is fate.

Aji walked down the street in despair. The journey home is very short, and you can reach it without the effort of a cup of tea. Today it is so long. She is a martial artist who has experienced life and death. looks at many things more lightly than ordinary people, but what makes her mistakenly think that the relationship between the two is real? Obviously, all this was false from the beginning. She knew that it was her own delusions that would bother her.

Aji walked a few slow steps, and finally returned home. The bedding that dried in the early morning in the small courtyard was still there, and the afterglow of the setting sun reflected the white mattress in a blood-red color. She struggled to hold on to the bloated mattress and slowly walked into the house. The thing she was holding seemed to weigh a thousand pounds, and the girl who was pressing it bent down. Tears are like pearls with broken threads, leaving a string of marks on the ground.

The girl's face was flushed, and it was more shy and pink than today. At this moment, the blood was flushed, and the blue and purple colors on the cheeks were intertwined. Aji snorted. The snow-white cotton mattress in his hand is like a splashed ink painting, and the blood sprayed out of his mouth is printed with blood-red plum blossoms.

"Ahem... Why? ”

The autumn wind was blowing, and the open door creaked. The girl fell to the ground holding the cotton mattress, which was already as white as the sun, and fainted. The girl didn't understand why her husband did such a thing last night since he already had the woman he liked.

Half an hour ago.

"Don't go! I've closed all of Nonaka's business. I won't bother you anymore. Stay... Please stay..."

"I..."

At the moment when the truth was revealed, shock and confusion alternated. Ji Lan got up from the ground and drank the third jue again. She had obviously gone mad and forced Wang Xu to stay at the cost of destroying her own body. The bottle of mustard powder was poured into the woman's mouth, and then vomited and cried heartbreakingly, which shocked Wang Xu.

"Someone! Come! ”

He spoke out.

"Remove the wine and bring it up with some warm water. Fast! ”

Patted Ji Lan's thin back. The woman couldn't stop choking and vomiting, but she never stopped whispering.

"Lan'er is a woman. Everything I do is nothing more than not wanting to be at the mercy of others. I don't want to marry Jin Guo... I don't want to..."

The warm towel wiped the stains on the corners of the woman's lips, and the tears were still surging on her delicate face. The man wiped gently, non-stop, repeating the mechanical movements. And the woman just muttered in a low voice, telling the helplessness in her heart.

"My three brothers and sisters have been lonely since childhood, and it is not easy to survive. If you want to earn your life in troubled times, you can only do this. Defend it! You're going to stay and help me, right? ”

At the moment, she didn't care about her embarrassed appearance, or the identity of the princess, and poured out the secrets and anguish buried in her heart. It seemed that only the man in front of her could understand her. The voice became more and more hoarse, pausing word by word.

"In two years, we will declare war on Chaoge. Success or failure, give it a try. This is... The last hope. ”

The girl looked up, her eyes full of anticipation. She felt Wang Xu's hesitation, so she threw herself into the man's arms, and her hands tightened the shirt on the young man's back. It was as if he had seized the last hope in this troubled world, struggling hard, venting the grievances accumulated for a long time on the young man's robe, and the placket of the clenched shirt had been twisted and was about to burst.

"Wei Xu! Don't leave. ”

At this moment, the young man's drooping arm was weakly holding the towel, which was no longer warm, and the water droplets fell to the ground with a ticking sound. The noise of the street market outside the window was completely blurred.

The girl wants to rebel and stir up chaos in the world. Maybe a lot of people will die, especially the guards. Wang Xu never thought of avenging his father, nor did he want to become the ruler of a country. He just wants to live a peaceful life, unlock Nuwa's secrets, and understand why he came here. She had seen the woman's methods, and at this moment she opened her heart, obviously having made a decision. As before, it is a one-sided strong oppression, and does not give others any chance to choose.

Wang Xu didn't want to hear it, he knew what it meant to hear it. Perhaps Ji Lan was born in the emperor's family since she was a child, and even she couldn't detect her own stunning momentum. Even if the honesty at this time is sincere, the aura that is inadvertently spilled out, and the condescending sense of oppression of the royal family will make Wang Xu's heart palpitate and stay away.

"If you really have to, leave. The world is so big, there will always be a place to stay. Why take the risk? ”

He finally spoke, trying to persuade the girl to give up.

"Nope! I can't go. What if I leave my brother? What about my sister? ”

"There is no future for the country. The world of the future... There is no patriotism. ”

Now is the end of the Spring and Autumn Five Hegemons, and the era of the Seven Heroes of the Warring States is coming. Although he is not familiar with this history, he also understands that the future of the country is only destruction. Qin will eventually unify the world and end this troubled era.

The girl's arm fell abruptly, and her head rested against the man's chest. After a moment, she gave a gentle push, and her slender body left the boy's embrace. The blurred eyes looked at each other affectionately for a long time.

"Wei Xu! Thank you. ”

Ji Lan smiled, her teeth like a shell. The fair and hearty smile seems to have returned to the gentle and elegant boy he used to be. She tidied up her makeup a little.

"Lan'er is rude."

Facing Lan Gongzi's best friend who refused to give up, or saying goodbye to the bitter love after the first love, he bowed deeply with a gentleman's friendship.

"I'm not going to force you anymore. Take care. ”

As if relieved, he resolutely walked downstairs.

"Wait. Orchid... Girl. ”

Ji Lan stopped, not looking back. After a moment, the shadow disappeared from the boy's vision.

"I... will help you. ”

The voice of the weak mosquito and fly seemed so pale and weak.

Why should he help? Rebellion. It is the patriotic turmoil of a million people and the outbreak of a war of more than 100,000 people that will make the country change hands. It's not as simple as opening a few shops and making some money to keep a group of people fed and clothed. It's a war that can't be lost, and both sides are risking their lives to fight to the death. There are no ifs, no chances to do it again.

Wang Xu didn't understand why Ji Lan decided to give up at the moment. His heart was empty. Even if the other party is a woman, he will not be so mean in the past. He cares about the friendship between the two, just like a gentleman cherishes each other. However, after knowing the identity of Ji Lan's woman, everything changed subtly. Could it be that the attraction to each other has been the love of men and women from the beginning?

At this time, the boy's mind was in chaos. He poured a glass of wine and flicked the small porcelain jar of mustard powder with his fingertips. Try pouring the remaining powder from the wall of the bottle into the liquor. Savor the choking spiciness.

The fading light outside the window, the cool feeling of autumn, made him finally understand. Ji Lan's feelings are actually extremely real. It is the fear of not seeing the future and the cherishing of living in the present. That's why he expresses his feelings very passionately, regardless of the madness that burns others. Maybe it's because I think what I'm going to do will fail, and I don't want to let this sincere friendship in my short life... One-hit wonder.