Chapter Sixty-Six: Also Planning to Paddle a Light Boat
When Si Jingzhu woke up, the morning light was just right.
She had slept for a whole day and two nights. It was a sleep that could be described as the sky turning dark and the earth going dim.
Since she had lost a finger of her original body earlier, Si Jingzhu had to sleep this long just to barely replenish some energy.
The first thing she saw when she opened her eyes was an unfamiliar ceiling.
But as she sniffed a faintly familiar scent in the room, the corners of Si Jingzhu’s mouth still tugged up slightly.
…That idiot Sang Zhe.
He talked so ruthlessly, yet in the end, he still obediently brought her back home.
Hmph.
Sure enough, men are all tough on the outside but soft on the inside.
From now on, she could consider herself a member of this family.
As long as she continued to follow her plan, with Sang Zhe being someone with a lustful heart but no courage, it was only a matter of time before… hehehe.
Just thinking about her future life made Si Jingzhu feel delightfully happy, as she hummed a little tune while stepping out of the room.
“Good morning~ I’m hungry, Sang Zhe, hurry and make me breakfast~”
“Sang Zhe is on his honeymoon with Zhang Xiaoying.”
“…Eh?”
Si Jingzhu stared blankly at Yan Rouwan, who was squatting on the floor feeding the cat.
“You were asleep so soundly that they didn’t wake you up, so I’m just letting you know.”
After feeding the cat, Yan Rouwan patted her hands, winked at her, and said, “I need to go to work now, so you stay at home and watch the house, okay?”
“Wait…”
After Yan Rouwan closed the door, Si Jingzhu was left behind, stretching out her hand weakly, confused.
And there were two cats staring at her with wide eyes, seemingly judging her.
“This… doesn’t that mean…”
“Am I the only one left behind?” Tears of grievance welled up in her eyes once again, shimmering like dewdrops.
Moments later.
She burst into loud sobs.
“Don’t! I want to go on a honeymoon with Sang Zhe too!”
“Don’t leave me alone at home!”
——
——
In her memory.
This should be Zhang Xiaoying’s first time going far away with Sang Zhe.
Though calling it “far away” seems a bit of a stretch.
After half a day in a carriage and another half day on a sightseeing boat down the river.
They finally arrived at the riverside town, named after the nearby Pengxu Mountain, in the evening.
Renting a boat wasn’t cheap.
But Sang Zhe decided to spend a little lavishly this one time.
“I’m not that delicate. A ticket on the passenger boat is fine,” she wanted to explain.
But Sang Zhe laughed and shook his head.
“Not that delicate. But you don’t have to deprive yourself.”
The truth was, Sang Zhe had never made her feel deprived.
Since he rescued her, Zhang Xiaoying had been living a very leisurely life at Sang Zhe’s home.
He had never even asked her to clean his room, do laundry, or cook.
Even the idea of being his maid was something she brought up herself.
Sometimes, Zhang Xiaoying wondered where she found such luck to meet such a good man.
She dared not think too much.
The more she thought, the more she felt unworthy.
……
Outside the window, the river water rippled like a clear mirror.
Zhang Xiaoying caught a glimpse of her reflection in the water and saw the carefully dressed girl looking back at her.
Speaking of which, she really liked the dress Yan Rouwan picked out for her.
The color was neither too gaudy nor too plain—just the right shade of light peach blossom that Zhang Xiaoying adored.
Sang Zhe seemed to like it too.
When they left in the morning, seeing the fresh and graceful version of herself, Zhang Xiaoying noticed Sang Zhe turning his gaze away slightly, his cheeks tinged with red for the first time.
Then, he awkwardly scratched his head and softly said:
“Xiaoying, you look really good in that.”
At that moment, Zhang Xiaoying felt that her and Yan Rouwan’s efforts that afternoon had truly been worthwhile.
In the water’s reflection, the girl had fair skin and gentle features. Even sitting in the same boat with Sang Zhe, they looked like a match made in heaven, making anyone watching feel they were an affectionate couple.
Zhang Xiaoying was somewhat surprised.
Turns out, she could look this good.
Looking at the girl in the reflection, she couldn’t help but recall her past self in the Water Moon Sect.
Back then, she always wore the same dull sect robes, washing them when dirty and changing them out.
She didn’t understand makeup, nor did she know how her fellow sisters from the sect could seamlessly conceal tiny flaws with just a bit of powder.
In that time, she felt like an out-of-place ugly duckling. Her dorm mates would chatter enthusiastically about which junior brother was handsome or which newcomer had charming features, daydreaming about which cool senior brother from the neighboring Ling Xuan Hall might fall for her, or which shy junior brother would blush while confessing to her at midnight.
While she merely wrapped herself in a blanket, flipping through novels full of young girls’ dreams by candlelight.
But those romantic tales never featured her as the leading lady.
Zhang Xiaoying knew she was an ugly duckling.
Just a plain girl who would take ages to find among a sea of female disciples.
She recognized that she was that girl who didn’t know how to dress up, style her hair, or pretty herself; she could only repeat the daily mundane routine of attending morning classes and returning to her dorm.
And along that road, she would only brush past some equally unnoticed ordinary boy.
Thinking of this, Zhang Xiaoying glanced at Sang Zhe a few more times.
Sang Zhe seemed to have taken extra care with his appearance for today.
He had rarely donned a fresh, scholarly outfit and meticulously combed his hair, even sporting a jade pendant that he must have borrowed from somewhere at his waist.
He usually wasn’t fond of wearing such formal attire, calling it a flashy display like a nouveau riche sporting a gold chain.
But this time, he had intentionally dressed up similarly to those popular young gentlemen from the Canghong Pavilion, giving himself a little makeover.
To be honest, it was slightly mismatched. It even looked a bit comical.
But Zhang Xiaoying knew.
Even in his plain clothes, he looked handsome.
“Xiaoying, the travel guide says this is the best time to see the flowers, blooming all over the mountains…”
All the way, he enthusiastically detailed their itinerary, as if this trip had been meticulously planned for a long time.
Zhang Xiaoying honestly didn’t care whether the peach blossoms were in full bloom.
She was certain she’d never be able to tear her gaze away from Sang Zhe’s face.
Quietly listening until the end, he suddenly seemed a bit shy, clearing his throat and hesitantly saying:
“Um… Xiaoying.”
“When we get to the mountain, let’s stay there for a night.”
“I’ve prepared something I want to show you.”
“What could it be?” Zhang Xiaoying asked.
Sang Zhe fell silent again.
She didn’t know if he was deliberately creating suspense or just found it hard to express.
Finally, he just vaguely remarked, “Aha, you’ll find out when we get there.”
Zhang Xiaoying blinked her eyes at him quietly.
She didn’t seem to have any unrealistic hopes for happier moments.
Or perhaps she felt that in her short life, she couldn’t find a day happier than today.
But who can say?
Maybe… it could be tomorrow.
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