After a moment, Yuanhui finally realized something.
Zhen Tingyun’s head had landed right against his chest. Wasn’t that exactly the same as “someone striking his chest with a hammer”?
No wonder his chest hurt. No wonder his heart was pounding so hard!
Taking a deep breath, Yuanhui silently recited a few Buddhist scriptures before finally calming himself.
Then, lowering his lashes slightly, he forced out a cold voice through clenched teeth: “…I told you. We need another carriage.”
Only then did Zhen Tingyun come back to her senses. So embarrassed she could barely speak, she scrambled to climb out of his arms. “It, it was just an accident. Just this once…”
Before she could finish speaking, the carriage jolted again. Still halfway out of Yuanhui’s embrace, Zhen Tingyun swayed with the movement. Her limbs gave out.
And so she fell right back into his arms.
This time she landed solidly. Her cheek struck his firm, hard chest, leaving her delicate pale skin reddened from the impact.
Covering her face, she whined pitifully, her voice tinged with a nasal tone. “It hurts! I think my face is going to swell up!”
Waaah!
Yuanhui, however, seemed angry. His face was taut, his features sharp and chiseled, his expression cold and severe. He frowned at her, and there seemed to be fire burning in his eyes.
Flames shining upon a surface of hard white ice. The firelight was dazzlingly beautiful. As though it could melt glaciers, or burn a person clean from skin to bone.
After rubbing her cheek for quite a while, Zhen Tingyun felt somewhat wronged and had been about to complain. But under Yuanhui’s gaze, her breath caught in her throat, and she immediately gave in. “Teacher, you’ve been sitting for so long. Aren’t you tired? How about I massage your shoulders?”
The vein at Yuanhui’s temple twitched. In the end, he simply closed his eyes.
Out of sight, out of mind. That counted as agreement.
Only then did Zhen Tingyun let out a sigh of relief. Rising to her knees behind him, she placed The Nine Chapters on the Mathematical Art beside her. As she massaged his shoulders, she sneaked glances at the book from the corner of her eye. Occasionally she reached over to turn a page before continuing the massage and her reading.
But the more absorbed she became in the book, the more perfunctory her hands grew.
Yuanhui snorted. “How can you do anything well when you’re dividing your attention?”
Zhen Tingyun’s words were sweet as honey. “My entire heart is on Teacher. How is that dividing my attention?”
Yuanhui: “…”
When Zhen Tingyun shamelessly turned on the charm, even Yuanhui had no choice but to concede. Keeping his eyes closed, he said nothing further.
Unfortunately, she still couldn’t behave herself. Reading while massaging, she eventually could not help asking: “Teacher, this problem…”
“Shoulders,” Yuanhui said flatly.
Pouting, Zhen Tingyun huffed.
She deliberately put more force into her hands, kneading vigorously several times. Unfortunately, although Yuanhui looked lean, his body was tall, powerful, and solidly built. His muscles were firm and dense. No matter how hard she kneaded, even when she secretly pinched him with her fingernails a few times, it amounted to little more than a tickle.
…
With a shameless little rascal like Zhen Tingyun around, no matter how unaccustomed or uncomfortable Yuanhui was at first, in time he got used to it.
After enduring being splattered with ink by Zhen Tingyun while she practiced calligraphy, having his ears tortured by Zhen Tingyun learning to play the bamboo xiao, and repeatedly being subjected to accidental “throwing herself into his arms” incidents by a Zhen Tingyun who could never sit still…
In short, whether Yuanhui liked it or not, he gradually found himself relaxing. Even the tension he had carried for so long eased considerably. Sometimes, while sitting in the carriage and watching Zhen Tingyun stroke Malantou’s head and feed it carrots, he would casually teach her a few things about horsemanship and archery. Whenever she became too annoying, he would simply shoo her out to ride her horse. It was quite peaceful, really.
Horse riding was something that could only improve through practice. Now that she had Yuanhui’s instruction and Malantou’s cooperation, Zhen Tingyun was beginning to ride with proper form. One could even describe her as dashing and spirited.
Their group traveled slowly, stopping and starting along the way, and eventually arrived near the capital. By then, Zhen Tingyun’s calligraphy and bamboo xiao skills had improved greatly. She could now hold the xiao and play simple melodies that sounded pleasant and melodious. Every so often she would show off her accomplishments to Old Lady Zhen.
Even Yuanhui had to admit that she possessed some talent.
Watching Zhen Tingyun strut about proudly like a little fox with its tail raised high, showing off everywhere, Yuanhui found himself both amused and gratified. Though she would probably never surpass her teacher in this lifetime, any improvement she made reflected well on him as her teacher.
Still, Yuanhui understood clearly in his heart: now that they had reached the outskirts of the capital and would enter the city tomorrow, the time had likely come for him and Zhen Tingyun’s group to part ways.
In truth, although he had appeared normal on the surface throughout the journey, bits and pieces of his memories had gradually returned.
For example, he now roughly knew where he was supposed to go.
***
After much consideration, Yuanhui ultimately chose not to leave without saying goodbye.
Before entering the capital, he found a suitable opportunity and bid farewell to his little disciple. “I’ve remembered some things,” he said. “It’s time for me to go back.”
Zhen Tingyun had been worrying over how to arrange things for Yuanhui. His identity was still unclear, and he was an unrelated man. Bringing him back to the Zhen family would likely be inappropriate. But if he did not go with her, where could she settle him?
Before she could come up with a solution, Yuanhui dropped this bombshell. Startled, she looked up at him blankly. “Go… go back where?”
Yuanhui looked at her dazed expression and, for some reason, found it rather endearing. Smiling, he answered gently: “Home, of course. I remember having an estate outside the capital. There should be an old servant looking after it. I can go there directly.”
Zhen Tingyun stared at him with wide eyes, unable to think of a response.
Seeing her like this, Yuanhui suddenly felt an itch in his hand.
Since they would soon be parting, he no longer bothered restraining himself. Reaching out, he lightly rubbed the top of her head.
Afraid of ruining the hairstyle she had just arranged, he used very little force, barely brushing against her hair a few times before withdrawing his hand. The gesture was unusually gentle.
After patting her head, the smile on Yuanhui’s face became more genuine. “What are you looking at me like that for? It’s not as if we’re being separated by life and death. Since you’ve called me ‘Teacher,’ I’ll naturally continue looking after you.”
He was a very responsible teacher, after all. After thinking for a moment, he added seriously: “It is already the first month of the year. The entrance examination for the women’s academy is in June, and there isn’t much time left. Your calligraphy and bamboo xiao still need more practice. If I have time, I’ll certainly have to test your studies again.”
Only then did Zhen Tingyun gradually process everything.
That’s right.
Yuanhui had only lost his memory. Since he had remembered things now, naturally he would have to go home.
Besides, they would both be near the capital. They could always meet again.
Thinking this, she felt much relieved and said sincerely: “To be honest, when I return to the Zhen family this time, life probably won’t be very easy for me. I doubt I’d be able to arrange proper accommodations for you anyway, and I’ve been worrying about it. Since you’ve remembered your past and can go home directly, that’s actually quite good.”
Yuanhui caught the implication in her words and frowned slightly. “If anything happens, you can come find me at the estate. As your teacher, I won’t just stand by and watch you get bullied. I can still help.”
Zhen Tingyun smiled and agreed, but inwardly she was unconvinced.
Given how pitiful and down-on-his-luck Yuanhui looked after being chased by assassins, what kind of help could he possibly offer?
Then another thought occurred to her, and she asked curiously: “By the way, Teacher, am I your only disciple?”
The unspoken meaning was approximately:
Tell me! Am I your one and only precious favorite?
Yuanhui wanted to sigh, but instead he laughed first and lightly flicked her forehead. “One disciple like you is already more than enough trouble.”
Though he still remembered very little, there certainly could not be many people capable of making him worry as much as Zhen Tingyun did. If seniority among disciples was determined by who entered first, she might one day even be able to throw her weight around in front of the young emperor as his senior sister.
Hearing this, Zhen Tingyun was delighted.
Her eyes sparkled as she shamelessly flattered him.
“I knew Teacher had high standards. Ordinary people simply aren’t worthy of your notice. That’s why you’ve only accepted me.”
The two chatted for a while longer, both smiling.
As the cool night breeze brushed against their cheeks, the melancholy of parting gradually faded.
After some thought, Yuanhui simply decided to take Zhen Tingyun to the estate he had mentioned so she could familiarize herself with the place in advance.
Author’s Note:
The most dangerous thing is someone like Tingyun, who flirts completely unconsciously. Poor Yuanhui, a lifelong bachelor of advanced age, has to keep up appearances and pretend everything is fine. 233333
…
Yuanhui: In the future, you’ll be the Emperor’s senior sister. Or would you rather become teacher’s wife… or his little aunt?
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