TDFM Chapter 103
Confession
Ding Lisheng was a person full of ideas. As soon as the two had returned to their lodging, he had already thought of a new method for Shi Qingshang.
This time, he wore an expressionless face with an air of profound mystery. He said: “Tonight at the third quarter of the hour of Zi, there will be an exceptionally magnificent meteor shower that occurs only once every few decades, lasting about one hour. You can go find her and confess under the meteor shower.”
Shi Qingshang asked suspiciously, “How do you know there will be a meteor shower tonight?”
“A friend calculated it.”
Shi Qingshang felt that Ding Lisheng was becoming increasingly unreliable. He said, “Your friend must be teasing you. Although meteor showers do have cycles of prosperity and decline, I have never heard of anyone being able to calculate the peak time of a meteor shower so precisely.”
Ding Lisheng curved the corner of his lips, “Believe it or not, it’s up to you.”
****
Although he didn’t quite believe it, Shi Qingshang still came.
What if it were true?
Besides, even without a meteor shower, the starry sky itself was beautiful.
Late at night, Yun Qing opened her eyes right on time and sat by the window to meditate. There was no wind that night, and everything outside was silent. Inside the room, there was only the steady breathing of her junior sister sleeping peacefully. She didn’t know what delicious food she was dreaming about, as she even smacked her lips.
The sound of a qin came from outside.
Ding-ding-dong-dong, like a clear spring flowing under moonlight, with water splashing against stones, forming joyful songs. The qin music stirred the night, and long-dormant emotions slowly awakened in the quiet night.
Yun Qing curiously got out of bed, set up a defensive formation around Fu Xue, then tiptoed out of the room and closed the door softly.
Above hung a crescent moon, the cool night was like water, and stars filled the sky. She walked out of the courtyard following the starlight and saw the person playing the qin.
Shi Qingshang sat cross-legged under a maple tree with a qin across his knees.
The tree canopy covered the starlight, and his features were blurred in the night. Yun Qing could only see his slender fingers constantly plucking the strings.
After finishing one piece, he held the qin and walked toward her.
His qin now had a tassel attached to it, swaying gently as he walked. When he came closer, Yun Qing could clearly see that the amber cicada she had given him today had been adorned with a tassel and made into a qin ornament hanging on the instrument.
Yun Qing couldn’t help but think that his hands were quite skillful.
She asked him: “What was the name of that piece you just played?”
Shi Qingshang smiled and said, “Qingshang.”
“Mm.”
Shi Qingshang pressed further. “Did it sound good?”
“It sounded good.” A man’s voice answered.
Shi Qingshang was startled and looked in the direction of the voice, only to see a person standing on the courtyard wall with arms crossed, watching them.
Yun Qing called out, “Baiyu.”
Jiang Baiyu jumped down from the wall and walked to their side.
As he walked, he said, “In the middle of the night, you two are in such good spirits.”
Shi Qingshang always felt that Jiang Baiyu’s tone carried some sourness.
Not to be outdone, he responded sourly, “It seems you care very much about Yun Qing.”
Jiang Baiyu walked in front of the two, his gaze drawn to the qin tassel.
It was only because his eyesight was too good that he recognized at a glance that the amber cicada was the one he had given to Yun Qing.
His face couldn’t help but darken.
Why?
By what right?!
A complex emotion that was hard to describe surged in his chest—both angry and sour, both unwilling and uneasy. He had originally intended to greet them politely, but now he could not maintain his composure no matter what.
He grabbed Yun Qing’s wrist. “I have something to ask you.”
Without waiting for Yun Qing’s agreement, he pulled her away.
Yun Qing could feel that Baiyu had suddenly become unhappy. Not wanting to provoke him, as he pulled her away, she hurriedly said to Qingshang, “I’m sorry, excuse me for a moment.”
Seeing that she was still being considerate of Shi Qingshang at this moment, Jiang Baiyu laughed angrily and quickened his pace.
His legs were long and he walked urgently, so Yun Qing had to jog to keep up with him.
The two moved through the night like this, with the world flashing by in their peripheral vision. In Yun Qing’s eyes was his back—his robes fluttering, his hair ribbon flying, his black hair like a luminous waterfall.
It seemed as if only the two of them remained in the world.
Unconsciously, her heartbeat began to quicken.
When they reached a patch of mandarin duck vines, he finally stopped, released her wrist, and turned to look at her.
His brilliant eyes were filled with starlight, now shining excessively bright.
Even the lotus fragrance at the tip of her nose seemed more pronounced, though she didn’t know if it was because of their running.
“Baiyu, what’s wrong with you?”
“What’s wrong with me?” Jiang Baiyu stepped closer, staring straight at her, his chest rising and falling noticeably. “I’d like to ask what’s wrong with you. Aren’t you usually quite frugal? How can you be so generous with him?”
Yun Qing felt Baiyu was really being unreasonable, speaking as if she were a stingy person. Meeting Baiyu’s unnaturally bright gaze, she patiently explained. “We’re all friends. I gave him something as an apology.”
“All friends—then what about me?”
“You—”
“Am I also just a friend?”
Yun Qing steeled herself and answered, “Naturally.”
He stepped even closer, this time leaning forward slightly, like a beast sniffing its prey. Yun Qing couldn’t help but step back, but he pressed both hands on her shoulders.
With her shoulders held by him, she naturally had the ability to break free, but she didn’t move.
She looked into his eyes—those brilliant eyes now surged with undisguised aggression.
Her heart trembled.
Jiang Baiyu lowered his head, looking straight into her eyes, demanding, “Am I the same kind of friend as them? The same as Shi Qingshang? The same as Suiyan and Ci Li?”
Yun Qing pressed her lips together and said nothing.
Her reaction didn’t quite satisfy him, and his thumbs couldn’t help but press harder, pressing into her shoulder hollow through her clothes.
The burning sensation from his fingertips seemed to transmit through her clothes to her skin. Yun Qing felt a wave of heat rise on her face. She shook her head, “Baiyu, don’t—mmph—”
Baiyu kissed her.
Time seemed to stop. Yun Qing’s mind went blank, and her heart felt like wild grass growing madly, instantly covering the sky and blocking out the sun.
The soft lips touched and parted immediately. Jiang Baiyu pulled back a little, still staring into her eyes. His dense eyelashes fluttered lightly once, and when he spoke, his hot breath hit her face. His voice was different from before—lower and hoarser.
“Still the same?”
“……”
Yun Qing stood motionless as if her acupoint had been struck, her eyes unblinking.
“Still the same?” Jiang Baiyu was somewhat dissatisfied and lowered his head to kiss her again.
This time the kiss was heavier. He closed his eyes, his lips pressing against hers, gently rubbing. Sensing that she was about to retreat, his palm slid up from her shoulder to clasp the back of her head.
His burning fingertips with thin calluses pressed against the delicate skin at the back of her neck, causing her to instinctively tremble.
His other hand slid down accordingly, wrapping around her waist.
The increasingly rich lotus fragrance at the tip of her nose finally brought Yun Qing back some of her senses.
The realization of “kissing Baiyu” made her cheeks flush with heat, her heart beating so fast it seemed ready to jump out, blood rushing against her eardrums in rhythmic waves, creating a light, rhythmic noise.
Perhaps she should push him away, but she didn’t want to. She raised her arms and embraced his back, closing her eyes and tilting her head up to respond to his kiss. Under her hands was his hair—cool and smooth. She unconsciously grasped it, as if holding the finest silk.
Jiang Baiyu’s long-held caution, anxiety, and fear of gain and loss finally dissipated at the moment he received her response, like rain clouds finally clearing to reveal warm, bright sunshine illuminating the earth.
His heartbeat thundered, his chest filled with happiness and burning feelings. The person he liked happened to like him too—he must be the luckiest person in the world without doubt.
Their breathing gradually became heated and then somewhat chaotic. When the kiss began to take on a hint of passion, Yun Qing felt difficulty breathing and gently pushed him away.
Jiang Baiyu released her neck and waist, then opened his eyes.
His eyes were filled with delicate moisture, like spring rain wetting flower petals, gazing down at her with such dampness.
Her face was flushed with heat, her lips even more crimson. Probably from embarrassment, she wouldn’t meet his gaze, her eyelashes fluttering like startled butterflies.
She’s so cute, she’s so cute, she’s so cute.
Jiang Baiyu’s own face had also turned red as a shrimp, but fortunately Yun Qing’s gaze was evasive and didn’t notice.
He took her hand and said, “Yun Qing, I like you.”
Yun Qing softly hummed in response.
Jiang Baiyu: “What about you? Do you like me?”
This was obviously a question he already knew the answer to.
But he just wanted to hear that answer from her lips.
Yun Qing’s heartbeat was still very fast, her body feeling light as if she might fly away. She nodded and answered, “I also like you, Baiyu.”
Jiang Baiyu smiled—a low laugh with a pleased ending. He cupped her face, his thumbs caressing the smooth skin of her cheeks. Then, thinking of something, he gritted his teeth. “You hid it so well. I wasted so much time testing you.”
“No,” Yun Qing shook her head. “I just wanted to wait until after we rescue Master to tell you.”
“I don’t want to wait for later. I want now. I want this moment, every one of your moments.”
Yun Qing looked up at him, suddenly understanding. “Baiyu, so you were… jealous just now?”
“Yes,” Jiang Baiyu admitted frankly, smiling again. “I told you, I’m the God of Jealousy.”
Yun Qing found this somewhat amusing and patiently explained to him. She also wanted to get closer to Shi Qingshang—if he really had something he needed her help with, they could make an exchange. Why not?
Jiang Baiyu was delighted when he heard this. “His purpose—isn’t it obvious?”
Yun Qing was puzzled. “Hm?”
Jiang Baiyu gritted his teeth, looking at her as if she were hopeless, pressing his thumb against her lips. “He’s trying to seduce you.”
Yun Qing didn’t believe it. She and Shi Qingshang had only met a few times and barely knew each other. How could there be any seduction?
She asked, “How do you know?”
Jiang Baiyu thought: I’ve been trying to seduce you every day—how could I not know?
After a moment of silence, Yun Qing also felt too embarrassed to look at him. No matter how thick-skinned she was, she was still a nineteen-year-old girl who had just confessed to someone she liked. Her heart was still in chaos like galloping horses.
She turned around, pretending to look at the stars.
Several meteors broke through the night sky at the horizon, dragging long tails as they fell and disappeared below the horizon.
Then several more followed.
Yun Qing looked delighted. “There’s a meteor shower tonight?”
The successive meteors confirmed her guess.
Jiang Baiyu also looked up at the sky, smiled and hummed in agreement, then looked down at her again. The girl he loved looked even more beautiful under the meteors.
Yun Qing said, “So beautiful! This is so rare. I don’t know when it will end. I should wake up junior sister to see this. She’s loved making wishes under meteors since she was little—this time she can make her fill of wishes.” As she spoke, she started running back.
Jiang Baiyu caught her hand and followed her.
This time she ran ahead while he followed behind. His eyes were full of her back as the world flashed by in his peripheral vision. His heart pounded, and the emotions of youth surged wildly in the darkness, nearly bursting from his chest.