Suddenly, I felt a bit jealous.
I discovered someone who unsettled Li Zhibai, yet she didnât understand them, and even... Li Zhibai was reluctant to mention them in front of her, speaking only vaguely.
Zhu Pingniang had no other way, but she could hint indirectly.
She suddenly said, "Ah Bai, itâs all in the past."
"...?" Li Zhibai was stunned for a moment.
"Did you just meet someone you knew?" Zhu Pingniang probed.
"...Sort of."
"Sort of?"
"Mm."
Zhu Pingniang once again affirmed her guess; seeing a face nine-tenths similar to an old acquaintance, does it count as an old acquaintance?
A deceased person, so maybe it still counts.
"Say it again, looking into my eyes." Zhu Pingniang said.
"Say what?" Li Zhibai asked.
"Itâs all in the past." Zhu Pingniang said.
"..." Li Zhibai did not speak.
Asking her to turn the page on the Sect Leader playing clever card games with the girls... thatâs almost impossible.
So itâs hard to move on.
"Ah Bai, how old are you this year?" Zhu Pingniang suddenly asked.
"..." Li Zhibai blinked.
Why ask this out of the blue?
Even though she never cared about her age, lately, due to Xu Changâan, Li Zhibai kept wondering if she was falling behind in young peopleâs thoughts, thus always pondering if she was already old.
So, she started to care.
"I just want to say, Ah Bai, youâve come a long way, seen all kinds of things, old friends arenât just one or two, why demean yourself for a momentâs surge of nostalgia." Zhu Pingniang advised.
"...You donât understand." Li Zhibai shook her head.
Sheâs come a long way.
But the matter of Shi Qingjun visiting brothels, she indeed had never seen, even dared not to imagine.
For a moment, Li Zhibai couldnât find anything in the world more bizarre, ridiculous, absurd than this.
Thinking hard, she considered that only the person from the Demon Sect could compare with the Sect Leader.
Yet the person from the Demon Sect is of the same level as the Sect Leaderâa recluseâthe idea of such inexplicable actions from them wouldnât make sense.
"I donât know, you wonât say, let me guess... how can I understand?" Zhu Pingniang said, and suddenly seemed to smell something.
She looked shocked, leaning in to sniff near Li Zhibaiâs face... then her face turned pale.
"Ah Bai..."
Seeing Zhu Pingniang step back slightly, a cold breeze swept past her brow, bringing a chill, her grip on her skirt tightened significantly, nails embedded into the skin, leaving a red mark.
Zhu Pingniangâs expression gradually twisted, eyebrows knitted together, her eyes deep like the Abyss Sea, frighteningly profound.
"...?" Li Zhibai didnât understand.
"Tong Jun, whatâs wrong."
"..." Zhu Pingniang angrily took out a piece of silver from her bosom, threw it fiercely into the water, after a while... a hapless fish floated belly up.
Watching Zhu Pingniang vent her anger on a small thing, Li Zhibai frowned slightly.
"Ah Bai."
"Mm."
"You drank?"
"I did."
Li Zhibai nodded.
A little girl offered her a drink.
"...Good grief." Zhu Pingniang was both angry and disappointed... She hadnât expected to leave for just a moment, and Ah Bai got scooped up by someone else.
She had been anticipating the first drink after their reunion from the beginning.
In the relationships between women, regardless of whether itâs the first drink at a banquet or the first drink after reuniting, itâs extremely important.
Whether drinking or offering it... as long as it concerns someone cared for, none want it taken by outsiders.
Of course, Zhu Pingniang felt the same way.
But unexpectedly, under her very nose, the first drink between her and Ah Bai was snatched away with a [snap].
"Is this a very important matter?" Li Zhibai watched Zhu Pingniang, who seemed lost, bewildered.
"Of course, itâs important." Zhu Pingniang gritted her teeth, asked, "Who was it?"
"A girl from the Flower Moon Building."
"Why did you drink her wine?"
"Because she offered it."
Zhu Pingniang: "..."
Li Zhibaiâs response was faultless, honest, which further confirmed Zhu Pingniangâs suspicions.
Indeed, after encountering an old acquaintance.
Even, maybe by coincidence afterward, Li Zhibai became aware she was an honored guest, and was offered a drink... such a seemingly destined encounter brought Ah Bai into reminiscence.
Zhu Pingniang wanted to ask which girl it was, but she didnât ask, nor did she plan to investigate among the Ni Zi afterward.
Because it was clear that Li Zhibai was concealing, unwilling to let anybody know.
At this moment, all the clues converged in her mind, forming a flawless, impeccable story, confirming her suspicion entirely.
Jealousy rose within her.
To the point of wanting to grind her teeth.
Yet that was Ah Bai, at such close proximity, the first banquet drink was taken by someone, outsiders couldnât understand Zhu Pingniangâs thoughts.
She did everything to prevent Xu Changâan from preparing wine, all for this sole drink.
She guarded against Xu Changâan, guarded against Yun Qian...
But was snatched away by some unknown girl.
Moreover, it was a girl she had raised, you tell me, isnât that infuriating?
But when Zhu Pingniang recalled that dazed, lost gaze of Li Zhibai upon returning, the anger in her heart dissipated completely, transforming into a poignant tenderness.
"You really do like that child." Zhu Pingniang said.
Li Zhibai thought for a moment, said, "Consider her your daughter."
A girl raised by Pingniang offered her a drink, no matter what, there was no reason not to drink.
"But Iâm still displeased." Zhu Pingniang sighed.
"Because I drank someone elseâs wine?"
"Mm."
"But arenât I going to be with you next?" Li Zhibai pointed to the small wine table at the center of the high platform, where various wine fragrances could be smelled.
"But the first drink at a banquet is the most important."
"And Iâve already had it." Li Zhibai said.
"Ah Bai, youâre not yourself." Zhu Pingniang surprisingly looked up, discovered something oddâLi Zhibai had unexpected patience for her, if it were the old days where she tangled about one or two drinks, Li Zhibai likely wouldnât go along.
"Really?" Li Zhibai knew she felt guilty for keeping secrets from the Ni Zi in front of her, so she was patient.
"Yes." Zhu Pingniang hesitated, then verified a suspicion: "Ah Bai, if I told you now that I want to take the entire Flower Moon Building up to Muyu Peak, would you still consider it inappropriate?"
There are old acquaintances of Ah Bai among these Ni Zi.
"No." Li Zhibai earnestly said, "These are your connections, if you want them to go to the Immortal Sect, let them, itâs good for them."
"What if there are obstacles, like those women donât like me, forbid me from taking the Ni Zi back to the mountain?" Zhu Pingniang asked Li Zhibai, "Would you help me?"
"Mm." Li Zhibai nodded.
Of course she would.
There are girls in this building who have formed a good bond with the Sect Leader, and just for this little bit, Li Zhibai, who benefited from the Sect Leaderâs guidance numerous times, thinks Chaoyun Sect ought to express goodwill.
Zhu Pingniang: "...Indeed."
"Indeed." Li Zhibai didnât understand Zhu Pingniangâs meaning.
Had Tong Jun misunderstood something?
She was imagining something.
Zhu Pingniang no longer had any questions.
Although Li Zhibai hadnât said anything explicitly, Zhu Pingniang felt she said everythingâher building indeed housed a Ni Zi whom Ah Bai cared for, even willing to stay, join Flower Moon Building to approach the person as an âequal.â"
"I can understand." Zhu Pingniang gently said, "Some memories always catch one off guard."
Occasionally remembered, like tasting the richest wine, lingering on the lips, hard to forget.
Just like the Miss Gu in Zhu Pingniangâs mind.
Because of Ms. Gu, Zhu Pingniangâs attitude towards Gu Qiancheng remained indulgent and fond.
This is loving oneâs house and its crow.
Li Zhibai probably felt the same.
But in the end...
"All thanks to Changâan." Zhu Pingniang shook her head.
Before Xu Changâan appeared, even if Li Zhibai encountered a descendant of an old acquaintance, she wouldnât even take a second glance.
It was due to Xu Changâan that Li Zhibai regained those emotions, gradually becoming more "human."