In a moment of impulse, I forcibly kissed my brother's best friend.

He glanced at Cui Yutang apologetically: "I'm sorry, Brother Cui, it seems I've come up with a bad idea."

"It's nothing," Cui Yutang replied calmly, a handsome smile curving his lips as if he had thought of something.

"Perhaps we can no longer go to public parks," Cui Yutang pondered. "Let's go to private parks instead."

So he simply led him through a maze of turns and into a secluded alley.

He reined in his horse deep in the alley and dismounted.

"Brother Xie, wait here for me a moment, I'll be right back."

Xie Wanzhou was taken aback: "Huh? Aren't I going in?"

"It's inconvenient for you." Before Cui Yutang could finish speaking, he turned the corner and disappeared into the alley.

He walked to the familiar wall, looked up, and gazed at the wall where she had once leaned. Morning light fell on the mottled bricks, his gaze tender yet hesitant, his eyes shimmering with a subtle light.

I don't know if she will come out, but I remember her two previous miraculous appearances.

He always felt he could see her again.

Before long, a cute little head popped out from the other side of the wall.

Xie Yige held a pear blossom in full bloom on the wall, leaning over it and watching him with a smile.

"Cui Yutang, what brings you here?"

His heart melted instantly.

He opened his arms.

She immediately jumped down happily and landed in his arms.

"Weren't you attending the Apricot Garden Banquet today? Why are you here?" She looked up at him, her eyes sparkling.

Before he could answer, she asked again, "Did you miss me?"

Why does she have so many questions in her head?

So he lowered his head and kissed her chattering lips.

She was caught off guard by the kiss, her eyes widened, then she quickly closed them, her long, curled eyelashes trembling violently.

After a long while, he finally released her, pressing his forehead against hers.

"Yeah, I miss you."

After saying that, he hugged her tightly again, as if he wanted to merge her into his own body.

She is not married yet.

very nice.

She belongs to him.

Xie Yige was held tightly by him and tried to get up from his embrace, but he held her even tighter.

"Cui Yutang, what's wrong with you today?" Her voice was soft and gentle, with a hint of worry.

Then she felt it.

There was a damp patch on the back of her dress.

Her heart tightened.

"Yige," his voice muffled in her ear, "I remember everything."

Xie Yige was both surprised and delighted. But she had heard Yu Xiaoshan say before that his Gu would take at least two months to mature, so how could it be so fast?

She quickly pushed him away slightly, looking him up and down: "Are you feeling unwell anywhere? Are you in pain?"

"It doesn't hurt anymore." He reached out and gently brushed a strand of hair that was fluttering in the wind from her forehead, his touch as tender as if he were touching the most precious treasure in the world. "I have to go now. Can I come see you tonight?"

"Mm." She handed him the pear blossom in her hand. "This flower is for you. You're not allowed to accept flowers from other women."

Okay, I won't answer.

When Cui Yutang came out of the alley again, Xie Wanzhou saw him carefully holding a cluster of pear blossoms in full bloom, the stamens trembling slightly in the wind.

"Wow, Brother Cui, you picked one!" Xie Wanzhou came over and exclaimed in admiration, "'Its cold beauty surpasses even the snow, and its lingering fragrance wafts into your clothes,' the pear blossom is indeed a stunning sight."

Cui Yutang's lips curled into a rare smile: "Where do you want to pick them? I'll go with you."

"Let's go to my eldest sister's private garden."

The place was very close to the Zhou residence; they arrived in less than half an incense stick's time on horseback. The two reined in their horses in front of a house, where they saw three large characters written on the lintel: Shichahai.

Cui Yutang looked at the plaque and raised an eyebrow slightly. The name was rather strange.

"Brother Cui, let's go in together."

"Won't this be inconvenient?"

"It's convenient, don't worry." Xie Wanzhou pushed open the door, her tone carrying a hint of barely perceptible loneliness. "My eldest sister is gone; she's been missing for many years."

He looked somewhat melancholy after saying that, but quickly composed himself and put on a smile.

Cui Yutang didn't ask any more questions and followed him inside.

After turning out of the screen wall, the scene before him stunned him.

A breathtaking sea of ​​molten gold flowers unfolds before my eyes. The wind stirs the blossoms, causing thousands of plants to sway gently, creating waves of golden yellow, a vast expanse of flowing gold. The color is intense and pure, as if the sunlight has been crushed and scattered across the earth.

"What kind of flower is this? I've never seen it before," Cui Yutang exclaimed in slight surprise.

She would definitely like it if she saw it.

"It's called tulip," Xie Wanzhou said, directing a servant to bring him a vase filled with water. "I heard that my elder sister bought the seeds from a foreign land."

He personally picked ninety-nine flowers, carefully placed them in a vase, and then put them into a basket.

"Brother Cui, why don't you put this cluster of pear blossoms in water and put it in a vase? That way it will be easier to carry around and it will also keep them fresh."

"Um."

After arranging the flowers, the two returned to Xingyuan Banquet.

The newly appointed scholars immediately gathered around, finding the flowers the two had picked quite unusual. In previous years, it was usually peonies or tree peonies, but this year it was pear blossoms, and the one Xie Wanzhou was holding was something they had never seen before.

"Brother Cui, you really have a deep love for pear blossoms." The speaker was Wang Congzhang, who ranked eighth in this year's imperial examination and belonged to a collateral branch of the Wang family. "I heard that there is a pear tree on your villa."

Cui Yutang nodded, which was considered an affirmation of his statement.

Zhang Zhiyi, who was always unrestrained, couldn't hold back any longer and moved closer to Xie Wanzhou: "Brother Xie, what kind of flower is that in your hand? Its color is like molten gold, yet it is not gaudy at all, and its fragrance is subtle. It is truly a top-quality flower."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"The tulips are a foreign variety," Xie Wanzhou explained. "They're from my eldest sister's private garden, so it's not convenient for us to invite everyone to see them."

Everyone felt it was a pity, so they went together to the winding stream pavilion.

Cui Yutang, Zhou Xuan'an, and Zhang Yizhi naturally came together, and Xie Wanzhou followed.

Zhou Xuan'an had a strong liking for Xie Wanzhou—his name differed from his mother's by only one character, and upon closer inspection, they even shared some resemblance in their features. It was, undeniably, a peculiar coincidence.

So the four of them walked together in harmony.

Meanwhile, a man in a blue robe was silently watching them, hesitating whether to approach and strike up a conversation. This man was Zhang Shen, the last-ranked scholar in the imperial examination.

He was clearly out of place among others; his clothing and demeanor exuded a sense of restraint and awkwardness.

"Brother Zhang Shen, let's go together." Cui Yutang's voice suddenly rang out.

The other three looked at him with great curiosity. Zhang Shen himself was also stunned, then quickly stepped forward and bowed deeply.

"My benefactor, it's good to see you again."