Chapter 1005: Love Stories and Romantic Tales

After Lu You married Tang Wan, they were a couple who complemented each other perfectly, living in harmony like a pair of musical instruments. However, Lu You’s mother developed a dislike for her daughter-in-law and pressured Lu You to divorce the Tang family. Despite Lu You’s countless pleas and attempts to persuade her, they were ultimately forced apart, and Tang Wan remarried Zhao Shicheng, a member of the Southern Song royal family, losing all contact with Lu You.

Several years later, on a spring day, Lu You unexpectedly encountered Tang Wan, who was visiting the garden with her husband. After Tang Wan and her husband left, Lu You was deeply moved by the memories and feelings stirred within him. In a drunken haze, he composed a poem titled “The Phoenix Hairpin” and casually inscribed it on the garden wall:

“Soft, rosy hands;

Golden rattan wine.

Spring floods the city—willows brushing palace walls.

The east wind turns cruel,

Affection turns thin.

A heart full of sorrow,

Years of lonely wandering.

Wrong—wrong—wrong!

Spring remains as ever;

But I am wasted away,

Tear-stains soaking through the gauzy silk.

Peach blossoms fall

By the quiet pond and empty pavilion.

Our oath in the mountains still stands,

Yet no brocade letter can be sent.

No—no—no!”

The following year, for reasons unknown, Tang Wan returned to the garden to enjoy the spring again, but unfortunately, she never saw Lu You again. Instead, she found the poem on the wall, which made her weep bitterly, and her heart felt like it was being cut. In response, she wrote her own poem:

“The world grows cold,

Human hearts turn to stone;

At dusk, rain scatters blossoms all too easily.

The morning breeze dries

The remnants of my tears.

I try to write what weighs on my heart,

Murmuring alone beside the tilted railing.

Hard—so hard—so hard!

People part,

Today is not yesterday;

My ailing soul sways like a swing’s rope.

A horn’s call chills the night

As darkness deepens.

I fear someone asking after me,

So I swallow my tears and feign a smile.

Hide—hide—hide!”

After Tang Wan returned home, it wasn’t long before she passed away in sorrow, leaving behind a love story filled with regret…(G: I worked hard for this one.)

Song Qingshu felt a deep sense of pity and thought that since he had come to this world, he must do whatever he could to help this ill-fated couple.

Jiao Wan’er had always been extremely afraid of this man, but at that moment, she suddenly noticed the tenderness on his face, causing her heart to flutter.

‘Though he is a bit of a jerk, sometimes he doesn’t seem so terrible.’

Song Qingshu finally came back to his senses and happened to see Jiao Wan’er staring at him. He couldn’t help but smile, “Wan’er, do I have flowers on my face?”

Jiao Wan’er immediately blushed deeply and couldn’t help but spit out, “Pah, who is looking at you?”

“But I see you have been staring at me the whole time,” Song Qingshu’s smile grew wider.

Jiao Wan’er’s breathing quickened, and she suddenly stood up, biting her lip as she said, “It’s getting late. If the Chief doesn’t mind, you can sleep here.”

Song Qingshu’s eyes lit up, “Great, I couldn’t ask for more.”

Jiao Wan’er noticed his eager expression and was taken aback, then quickly realized and felt both shy and angry. “I meant you can sleep here by yourself; I still have to go back.” With that, she hurriedly walked out.

Song Qingshu wouldn’t let her leave so easily and pulled her back, “Wan’er, it’s late now, and with the current situation in Yangzhou, it’s not safe for a girl like you to go out at this hour.”

“It’s fine, I’ve been around Yangzhou for a while and know the streets and alleys well. I have many brothers in secret hideouts looking out for me; there won’t be any problems,” Jiao Wan’er thought to herself, ‘Being with you is the least safe option.’

In truth, both Song Qingshu and Jiao Wan’er knew that this conversation was somewhat pointless; they both understood the situation. However, since the matter had not been explicitly stated, Jiao Wan’er was happy to play dumb and use some straightforward reasons to deal with him.

Jiao Wan’er secretly felt pleased, thinking, ‘Now you have nothing to say, right?’

Her reasoning was sound, and unless Song Qingshu forced the issue, it would be hard for him to find a counterargument. Considering Song Qingshu’s initial attitude, Jiao Wan’er believed he wouldn’t really be so shameless.

Song Qingshu was indeed momentarily speechless. The reason he went through all this trouble was mainly that he didn’t want to use force. After all, he wasn’t a beast; it was one thing to bully a girl occasionally, but if he used force every time, it would be too boring. It was far more interesting to have her yield to him willingly.

Seeing that he didn’t respond, Jiao Wan’er took the opportunity to shake off his hand and revealed a victorious smile. “Chief, you should rest well. I’ll be leaving now.”

Hearing her words, a flash of inspiration struck Song Qingshu, and he hurriedly called out to her, “Wait!”

“Is there anything else, Chief?” Jiao Wan’er had already opened the door halfway, leaning against it as she turned to look at him.

Song Qingshu deliberately put on a shy expression. “To be honest, I’m not really worried about your safety when you go out; I’m more concerned about my own safety.”

“Your safety?” Jiao Wan’er didn’t immediately grasp what he meant.

“Yes, I came here alone, without any guards. What if I get killed by an assassin in the middle of the night? You’re the only subordinate I have right now. If you don’t stay to protect me, who will?” Song Qingshu said seriously.

Jiao Wan’er almost fainted from anger, thinking how shameless he could be. “Chief, your martial arts are unparalleled; which assassin in the world could harm you? My skills are low; if I stay, I won’t be able to protect you and will only drag you down.”

Song Qingshu smiled wryly. “Wan’er, you underestimate yourself. Normally, I wouldn’t fear any assassin, but a few days ago, I exhausted almost all my internal energy while saving someone. Until my internal energy recovers, I’m unusually weak; even an average expert could take my life, so I really need your protection.”

Jiao Wan’er was taken aback. Seeing that he didn’t seem to be lying, she hurried over to check his pulse. Indeed, it was weak like a wisp, and she couldn’t help but be alarmed. “Chief, how did you become this weak?”

“Now you believe me, right?” Song Qingshu felt secretly pleased. Changing the frequency of his meridian pulse with his martial arts was an incredibly easy task.

Jiao Wan’er hesitated for a moment. After a long pause, as if she had made a great decision, she said, “I can stay to protect you, but I’ll sleep on the floor, and you can take the bed. We won’t interfere with each other.”

Although she was afraid of Song Qingshu, their futures were intertwined, and the matter of the Golden Dragon Gang returning to their homeland required his help. Naturally, she didn’t want to see anything happen to him.

Song Qingshu revealed a barely noticeable smile. “No problem.”

As Jiao Wan’er prepared her bedding, Song Qingshu yawned and went to bed. At first, Jiao Wan’er thought he was pretending to be asleep. Lying on the floor, she felt anxious, but after more than half an hour, she heard Song Qingshu’s steady snoring. The tension in her mind suddenly relaxed, and she felt drowsy, gradually closing her eyes.

She didn’t know how long it had been, but just as Jiao Wan’er was dozing off, she suddenly realized something. She opened her eyes wide and found that Song Qingshu was actually lying next to her, both of them tangled up under the same blanket. She was instantly terrified and hurriedly pleaded, “Chief, you promised me!”

“I’m the kind of person who can only fall asleep while hugging someone,” Song Qingshu mumbled as if in a dream. “Don’t worry, I’ll just rub it outside, I promise I won’t put it in.”