Temperament

When Shen Qinglan walked into the dining room, almost all the disciples of the Zhuo family had arrived, and several large round tables were filled with disciples of the same color.

He walked to the corner table where there were still two vacant seats and sat down. Shi Qiming, who had been guarding him for a day, also sat down on the seat next to him.

The daily five dishes and one soup have been served on the table, and several servants are carrying the wooden barrels containing hot rice to the open space next to each table, so that the Zhuo family disciples can eat by themselves.

There was no one at the main table yet, and the disciples who had served the meal sat silently waiting without moving their chopsticks.

"Pa", a bowl of good rice was slammed in front of my eyes, and the celadon bowl shook twice on the table before barely standing on my feet, "Please, nobleman of the Meng family!"

This contemptuous remark with an obvious provocative meaning immediately attracted the attention of everyone on the table, and several eyes shot over.

Shen Qinglan didn't look up, and glanced at the bowl of rice, with a smile on her lips, "Thank you!"

Hitting a soft nail, the instigator's impatience suddenly flared up, Shi Qiming put his bowl on the table, and sneered, "It's just a hostage, what kind of airs are you putting on!"

He heard similar words once or twice a month, and Shen Qinglan had long been calm and didn't say anything, just smiled lightly and sat still.

Shi Qiming's anger was aggravated by this calm attitude, he threw his chopsticks on the table, and just about to say something, a person at the same table said lightly, "Senior brother Shi, what are you doing again? Why bother?"

The person who spoke was Zhou Yunlei, who was the sixth among the current disciples of the Zhuo family, and a relative of Zhuo Xiaocang.As soon as he opened his mouth, several other disciples stood up one after another and tried to persuade him.

Shi Qiming was still unwilling, took a sip of the tea prepared on the table, and said coldly: "I, Shi Qiming, have this kind of temper, I don't know how to serve others, especially the Meng family!"

He bit the word "Meng" very hard, as if it popped out from between his lips.

Zhou Yunlei sighed, "It's not considered serving, it's the rules set by the master. Mr. Shen came to the Zhuo family, which is the Zhuo family. If you talk to the Meng family like this, if outsiders hear it, they may be angry with the Zhuo and Meng families." unfavorable relationship."

Although the Zhuo family is a family of martial arts, the Zhuo family is not the main branch of the Zhuo family.The Zhuo family is thin, except for Zhuo Xiaocang, Zhuo Tianyi and a group of servants, there is no other person surnamed Zhuo in the Zhuo family.And Zhuo Xiaocang's senior brothers, although they are in the Zhuo Clan, they also have the right to independently recruit disciples.Shi Qiming was not Zhuo Xiaocang's disciple, even though he was older than Zhou Yunlei and had started earlier than Zhou Yunlei, his status in the eyes of the Zhuo family's disciples might not be as high as Zhou Yunlei's.

So as soon as Zhou Yunlei said this, the other disciples immediately agreed and nodded in agreement.Shi Qiming was even more dissatisfied, but he didn't take advantage of the reason and couldn't make use of it anymore, so he sneered and stopped talking.

Several other disciples quickly changed the subject, and the atmosphere at the table eased.

While talking, the dining room suddenly fell silent. A tall man in black strode into the dining room, went straight to the main table and sat down, "Let's serve dinner."

With this order, the disciples of the Zhuo family moved their chopsticks together.There was no talking when eating or sleeping, and the dining room was quiet except for the sound of bowls, chopsticks and dishes colliding.

Shen Qinglan lost her appetite after only eating half a bowl, she sat and waited for the people at the main table to leave, the Zhuo family had very strict rules, the family members were not allowed to leave the table, and the disciples were not allowed to leave the table either.

Fortunately, Zhuo Tianyi never ate for more than half a stick of incense. Shen Qinglan sat there for a long time before the main table disappeared.

When the family left, other disciples also left in twos and threes.Shi Qiming threw down his chopsticks, and glanced at Shen Qinglan, "For a distinguished guest like Mr. Shen, I, who can't serve others, don't bother others. Brother Zhou, please stop by. Please take Mr. Shen back to the wing. I still have something to do at home. , take a step first." After talking to himself, without waiting for Zhou and Chen to respond, he turned and left.

According to Zhuo Xiaocang's rules, Shen Qinglan, as a proton, is protected by his disciples in Zhuo's family in turn every day. Shi Qiming has violated the rules by keeping Shen Qinglan in the dining room.Zhou Yunlei's face darkened, he glanced at Shen Qinglan, said nothing, just finished the rice in the bowl in two or three mouthfuls, stood up and said, "Mr. Shen, please."

Shen Qinglan nodded, got up and walked out of the dining room.

It was already mid-spring, and although it was past dinner time, it was still early.Shen Qinglan and Zhou Yunlei walked along the corridor outside the dining room to the wing room in the backyard.According to the rules of the Zhuo family, married disciples move out of the mansion to live alone, while unmarried disciples live together in the backyard wing.So along the way, there were quite a few young disciples walking towards the backyard. When they saw Zhou Yunlei, they all greeted "Sixth Senior Brother", but they all ignored Shen Qinglan as strangers.

When walking past a small path in front of the East Wing, Zhou Yunlei's voice came from behind, "Mr. Shen."

Shen Qinglan stopped, turned around, "Senior Brother Zhou."

Zhou Yunlei hesitated for a moment, and took a few steps closer to Shen Qinglan, "Don't take what happened just now to your heart." His eyes were calm, matched with a face with regular features, he felt very sincere.

Shen Qinglan smiled slightly, "It's okay, I won't take it to heart." What he said was the truth, his status in Zhuo's family was embarrassing, such a thing is not unique in the past three years, and he has long been used to it.

"Senior Brother Shi..." Zhou Yunlei thought about it, "That's how he talks, don't take it to heart."

The words were hesitant to say, obviously after some consideration, Shen Qinglan lowered her head and smiled, then turned to look at the osmanthus trees by the pond outside the corridor, "He is right, I am indeed a hostage, there is nothing that cannot be admitted Otherwise, Senior Brother Zhou would not have to take the few steps from the dining room to the wing room.”

There was a sense of desolation and self-deprecation in the words, Zhou Yunlei took two steps forward, and was about to say something, Shen Qinglan hurriedly said before him: "Senior brother Zhou, thank you, I know your kindness, I appreciate it." He said so Very sincerely, in the past three years, among the disciples of the Zhuo family who took turns to protect him every day, only Zhou Yunlei could say these words to him.Others, even if they were not as cynical as Shi Qiming, were all indifferent and alienated.

Zhou Yunlei nodded, and shut his mouth tactfully.

"Let's go." Shen Qinglan turned around and continued walking.

Just after turning around the corner of the corridor in front of the East Wing, a figure in black with his back turned came into view, it was Zhuo Tianyi.He was standing with his hands behind his back, facing the pond, not knowing what he was thinking.The butler Zhuo Shi'an held a folded light blue shirt in his hands and waited aside.

Shen Qinglan's eyelids twitched. During the three years in Zhuo's house, she met Zhuo Tianyi very few times.In the huge Zhuo Mansion, meeting on this small road is obviously not a chance encounter.

He stopped in his tracks, bowed his head slightly, "Young Master." Zhou Yunlei also called out behind him, "Brother."

Zhuo Tianyi turned sideways and didn't look at them, still looking ahead, "On the sixth day of March, the former alliance leader Xiao Qingshan's [-]th birthday, he held a banquet for guests at Luoying Mountain Villa. Follow me tomorrow."

After finishing speaking, without waiting for Shen Qinglan's consent, she took a big step and went straight to the East Chamber.Zhuo Shi'an passed the clothes in his hand to Shen Qinglan, "Mr. Shen, please put them away." He also followed Zhuo Tianyi and left.

Zhuo Tianyi's figure disappeared quickly. Shen Qinglan stood on the corridor holding the suit, but she seemed to be in a daze. She didn't respond for a long time. It wasn't until Zhou Yunlei hesitantly stepped forward and patted him on the shoulder that she woke up like a dream Like, "Senior Brother Zhou..."

"Master Shen, did you hear what Senior Brother Cai said just now?" Zhou Yunlei asked worriedly.

"I heard it." Shen Qinglan murmured, with a surprised smile on her face as if she had just woken up, "Young master said, we will leave for Luoying Mountain Villa tomorrow morning!"

"Are you happy?" Zhou Yunlei looked at his expression and asked curiously. In the past three years, Shen Qinglan, who was always silent and indifferent, had never seen such an expression.

"I..." Only then did Shen Qinglan realize that the expression on her face just now was a bit out of control, and she straightened her expression, "It's okay, I'm just a little excited when I heard that I can go to the supreme place of martial arts."

As he spoke, he turned around quickly, walked a few steps towards the direction of the west wing, and entered the small courtyard where he lived.

Behind him, Zhou Yunlei looked at his figure thoughtfully.

As soon as Shen Qinglan entered the small courtyard, he threw himself into the inner room, closed the door, and threw the suit on the bed. He took out a small silk bag from under the pillow, opened the silk bag, and the sky blue jade waistband was displayed on the bed. in front of you.

He put the waist pendant in the palm of his hand, felt the warm texture with his fingertips, carefully looked at the small Meng character engraved by himself, and his heart was filled with unspeakable joy.

It has been three years. He has seen and touched this waistband countless times. The little Meng character has been engraved on his heart. He can recall every stroke of the Meng character when he closes his eyes. He can imagine the way the jade extends delicately and softly, and even the distribution of the emerald green on each stroke of the Meng character.

"Luoying Mountain Villa..." He spit out these four words lightly, and the scene of row upon row of houses appeared in his mind. It was what he saw ten years ago when he went to Xiao Qingshan's [-]th birthday banquet with the Meng family. That time , All the prestigious sects and families in the Jianghu are here.

This time the [-]th birthday is definitely the same.

"Senior Brother..." Many images appeared in front of my eyes, and Meng Huaiyuan's face kept flashing among them, serious, gentle, and laughing, each face was as vivid and profound as if it had been rubbed in memory long ago.

Taking off her coat, Shen Qinglan lay on the bed, took out the parchment book from her close-fitting underwear, and unfolded it. The handwriting carved on it was slightly blurred under the long-term friction of the skin, but this was not a problem. Those few lines of words , I have already been familiar with it in my chest, and I can't forget it even if I want to.

"Huaiyuan..." There was a burst of warmth in the dantian, and a stream of air quietly rose up, slowly turning around, and circling faster and faster in the abdomen.

His face was flushed, his neck was tilted back, he closed his eyes and loosened his collar, and gasped impatiently with the rapid circling of the air in his abdomen.

It was already a quarter of an hour after that air current died down.Shen Qinglan's clothes were soaked, and she was lying on the bed weakly.After resting for a while, when he got up, his eyes touched the Zhuo family disciple's uniform that he had thrown by the bedside during the day, and his mood suddenly became gloomy.

The scene on the Qianlong River three years ago came back to my memory, and the days of the past three years also flashed back behind me. What Master Meng Liren said when he handed him over to the Zhuo family as a hostage in the bamboo pavilion was still in my ears. Shen Qinglan's words My heart was suddenly overwhelmed by that familiar despair.

Looking around the small room he was in, he felt like a bird imprisoned in a high-walled compound, wondering if he would have the chance to fly to the free and vast blue sky again in this life.

Subconsciously grasping it tightly, the touch of the jade pendant in the palm of his hand showed its existence.If it wasn't for this little hope still in his heart, perhaps he would have died of despair long ago.He raised the jade pendant in front of his eyes, then lowered his head and placed a precious and heavy kiss on the Meng character.

Shen Qinglan packed up her things and got up, called the servant Zhuo Xin assigned to him by Zhuo Shi'an, went to the kitchen to fetch a large bucket of hot water, took a good bath, and then packed the clothes for going out.

Both being a highly respected family in the martial arts, Zhuo and Meng have brought him to several important occasions to show the peaceful and harmonious relationship between the Zhuo and Meng families since they entered into an alliance.It's a pity that I didn't meet Meng Huaiyuan those few times.

And as a proton, he was banned in the Zhuo family, and in the past three years, the chances of being able to go out were counted on one hand.Zhuo Xin, who was fourteen or fifteen years old, was simple-minded. When he heard that Shen Qinglan was going out, he was very happy for him.Shen Qinglan also liked the only young man in the Zhuo family who treated him like one of his own, and promised to bring him some novelties from Qingzhou when he came back.

No matter what, thinking of seeing Meng Huaiyuan, the joy in Shen Qinglan's heart still diluted the sadness. He packed up his clothes and things in the house again, and then went to bed.

Lying on the bed but unable to fall asleep, he just put on his clothes and got up, picked up a pen and spread paper under the lamp to scribble casually.With the brush and ink dancing, all my thoughts flew to the past.When he woke up, he realized that Meng Huaiyuan's smiling eyes had already appeared on the paper.

That night I slept soundly, and at dawn I had the dream I often dreamed of.In the dream, blue sky, clear water, and egret sandbar, he emerged from the water like a mermaid, and the stalwart man standing on the bow of the boat stretched out his hands to him, smiling brows.

In the dream, there are singing voices twirling and whirling, the mountains have trees and trees have branches, and the heart is pleasing to the king, and the king does not know...

The author has something to say: Shen Xiaomi's proton life is bitter and bitter, when will I see President Meng...