A gentleman riding a red dust smile

The four of them set off early the next morning, and their destination was the imperial city.None of the group was in a hurry, so they stopped and looked around, but it was lively.Because there was a young girl accompanying them, they tried their best to find a town to settle down.Sometimes she has to spend the night in the wild, but Xie Yilan is not squeamish, she just goes with the situation.

Along the way, Song Lingshuang noticed that Xie Yilan was always secretly looking at Changsun Jue when no one was looking.

This day they had to spend the night in the mountains again, Changsun Jue and Ai Zixuan went looking for food.When Song Lingshuang came back from collecting firewood, only Xie Yilan was sitting by the fire.

Song Lingshuang was happy, and sat down beside Xie Yilan with a smile, and asked while adding firewood to the fire: "Sister Yilan, you said that you call A Jue 'brother' all the time, and I am four years older than him, should you also?" Call me 'Brother Ling Shuang'?"

Xie Yilan looked at him, smiled politely, and said, "I am not far from Brother Jue in age, since Mr. Song is five years older than me, then I will call Mr. Song 'Brother Song'."

"It's good, it's good, it's just that the birth is a little bit." Song Lingshuang curled her lips pretending to be disappointed, and sighed in her heart, it's not fun to be a cute girl who can't be teased.Then he changed the subject: "I heard from brother Ai that you also came out to escape marriage?"

Xie Yilan shook her head: "My father hasn't agreed to the marriage yet, so Yilan is not considered an escaped marriage."

Song Lingshuang nodded with a smile, and said, "That's right. But I heard that Brilliance is the most beautiful man in the Xianmen family. Women who want to marry him can be arranged from the imperial city to the Northland. Why don't you?"

Xie Yilan stared at the fire, and said nonchalantly: "It's a show."

Song Lingshuang nodded even more: "Yeah, I agree!" But in a blink of an eye, a weird smile appeared on the corner of his mouth again, "But why do I think there are other reasons why sister Yilan doesn't like him?"

Xie Yilan didn't speak.

Song Lingshuang approached and said with a smirk, "Could it be that someone is in your heart?"

Xie Yilan looked at Song Lingshuang, her eyes and tone did not waver: "So what?"

Song Lingshuang didn't expect that she would not deny it, but admired the little girl's generosity.He joked with a smile: "Who is pretending in your heart, let's hear it. Maybe your big brother Song can help you out?"

Xie Yilan: "Thank you Brother Song for your kindness, I..."

Before he finished speaking, Ai Zixuan came back with three hares and Changsun Jue.He sat down on the ground carelessly and asked, "What are you talking about? Tell us anything interesting."

Xie Yilan smiled: "It's just a chat with Brother Song."

Ai Zixuan looked at Song Lingshuang, and read the inexplicable unwillingness and a trace of resentment towards himself from Song Lingshuang's face.Suddenly remembered that in the woods just now, he and Changsun Jue lamented that Song Lingshuang had gone through a big change but was no different from before.

At that time, Chang Sun Jue said: "If you can't see something, it doesn't mean it doesn't exist."

At this moment, looking at Song Lingshuang's heartless face, Ai Zixuan suddenly had a deep suspicion that some things that cannot be seen may really not exist.

During the original ten-day journey, the four of them stopped and went, and took a detour from time to time to experience the customs along the way, taking "slow travel" to a new level.

When they arrived in the imperial city, Song Lingshuang and Changsun Jue found a good place to stay, and the four said goodbye.Ai Zixuan said that after going back to the palace to deal with his father, he will go find them two days later.Xie Yilan hesitated to speak, and finally said nothing, and went to the palace alone to meet Concubine Xie.

Song Lingshuang looked at Changsun Jue and joked: "It seems that someone in my family, A Jue, is also thinking about it."

Changsun Jue only glanced at him coldly, not bothering to comment.

Song Lingshuang, who arrived in the imperial city, was extremely excited, like a bumpkin entering the city, dragging his grandson Jue around.Buy a candied haws for a while, and look at the weird little things on the roadside for a while.After dinner at the inn, he went back to his room. He lay on the bed with his legs crossed, and he kept talking about the new things he saw in the city, as if he was not here to find someone this time, but to play.

The elder Sun Jue who was sitting at the table suddenly interrupted him: "Song Ye, are you afraid?" His bright black pupils stared at Song Lingshuang, piercing straight into his heart like a sword.

Song Lingshuang suddenly became quiet and didn't speak for a while.

Changsun Jue got up and walked over.

Seeing him coming, Song Lingshuang sat up unconsciously, his eyes flickering.

That's the way this guy is, he never knows how to cut corners, he can say whatever he wants, no matter how hurtful.

Song Lingshuang was a little envious.Because what he wants to say is not those anecdotes at all.He wanted to say yes, he didn't know if it was right or wrong for him to come to the imperial city.What he wanted to say was, if he really got the clue to the Song family's extermination this time, he wondered if he could still deal with it calmly, and if he ran away for nothing, would he be able to resist the disappointment?

But when the words came to his lips, he just couldn't say them.

He is used to being unrestrained in front of people, glib, and even shameless, but he doesn't want to lose his calmness.So he couldn't say a word, and I was afraid.Especially in front of Changsun Jue, he is an elder brother, how can an elder brother be afraid?

So Song Lingshuang grinned, regained that heartless face, and lay back down again, "You think too much! I'm just a bumpkin entering a city!"

Changsun Jue looked at Song Lingshuang's playful smile, was silent for a moment, and said slowly: "When you wake up tomorrow, if you regret coming to the imperial city, we will immediately set off for Minghe. If you want to find out, I will accompany you .”

Song Lingshuang sat up again, turned her head to look at him blankly, because it was really rare for such words to come out of this person's mouth.

Changsun Jue was very uncomfortable when he looked at him, and was about to turn around, but was caught off guard by Song Lingshuang and hugged her waist tightly.Changsun Jue was originally standing by the bed, but when Song Lingshuang threw him so suddenly, he couldn't bear the force and was about to fall.Song Lingshuang pulled him back forcefully in desperation.So Changsun Jue fell face down on the bed, thanks to the bedding to protect him from hurting his nose, and there was Song Lingshuang hugging him around his waist.

This embarrassing and stupid posture made him furious, and while struggling, he yelled angrily: "Song Ye! What are you doing!"

Song Lingshuang didn't pay attention to it, and held Changsun Jue tightly without letting go, "Thank you." Song Lingshuang's voice came, his head was still buried in Changsun Jue's waist, so the voice was not clear, and it felt a little choked at first. .

Changsun Jue froze suddenly, and the struggle and cursing stopped abruptly.

Song Lingshuang pressed his face presumptuously on someone, and his voice was mostly muffled: "Except for your bad temper, you are all good. You are really good."

Changsun Jue propped his elbows on the bed stiffly, not knowing what to say.Song Lingshuang suddenly let go, got out from under him, turned around and lay down on the side of the bed, with his right hand on his pillow and his back facing Changsun Jue, "Sleep! I'm going to the suburbs tomorrow. I don't know if it's easy to find Baicao Zhai."

Early the next morning, Song Lingshuang and Changsun Jue left the city.I thought that Chang Yuan, as an outsider, his Baicao Zhai would be hidden in the mountains and forests even if it wasn't surrounded by layers of enchantments, but he didn't expect to find it easily along the path in the forest.

But Baicao Zhai is easy to find, but hard to enter.

It was a girl who came out to answer the door, about fifteen or sixteen years old, dressed in emerald green clothes, with long hair combed into two small buns behind her head, with willow eyebrows and almond eyes.Helpless, this girl looks very cute, but her temper is not flattering.Seeing Song Lingshuang and Changsun Jue's suspicious expressions, she raised her voice and asked, "Who is here?" With that air, she could roar the Lion River with her hands on her hips.

Song Lingshuang never cared about the girl's family, and said with a smile: "This sister, Song Lingshuang, this is Changsun Jue, and I am here to pay a visit to Mr. Chang."

The girl in Cuiyi raised her brows and said, "I'm not your sister, so don't take advantage of me. My master is not someone you can visit whenever you want."

Song Lingshuang was not angry either, and continued, "The girl doesn't know something. His father, that is, my master, is a close friend of Mr. Chang. Please inform me that Sun Jue, the chief of the river, is here. Your master will definitely meet us."

The little girl seemed quite dissatisfied with Song Lingshuang's stalking, and snorted lightly: "You say that a family friend is a family friend? How do I know that you are not lying to me?"

Song Lingshuang really couldn't produce any evidence for a while, so he began to approach: "May I ask the girl's name."

"Why should I tell you?" the little girl said.

Song Lingshuang: "Look, we've been chatting for a long time. If it's someone else, the uncooked rice is almost cooked, but I still don't know how to address the girl. Wouldn't it be impolite?"

"You! Frivolous! Shameless!" The little girl was so angry that she couldn't finish her sentence, and her suspicions became more and more serious. "You don't look like a serious person. Go back! My master is not here!"

Changsun Jue bowed and asked, "Miss, when will Mr. Chang come back?"

The little girl looked at Changsun Jue for a while, and seemed to think that this person was more reliable than Song Lingshuang, so she reluctantly replied: "Master has gone to gather medicine, how do I know when I will come back to see his mood!"

Song Lingshuang wanted to say something, but was held back by Changsun Jue.

Changsun Jue: "Okay, then we'll come back another day." He dragged Song Lingshuang, and left Baicao Studio under the little girl's scrutinizing eyes.

Noticing Song Lingshuang's slightly disappointed expression, Changsun Jue said: "We have been tossing around outside the door for a long time just now. If Mr. Chang was here, we should have come out long ago. That girl probably didn't lie to us."

Song Lingshuang pouted and said dissatisfiedly: "Little girl, you don't even know our famous Minghe Shuangjiao, which corner of the mountain did you come from? By the way, when did Mr. Chang accept an apprentice, why haven't we seen it? She said that Mr. Chang is her master, but I still don't believe it!"

Chang Sun Jue was choked up by the self-proclaimed "Minghe Twins", trying to suppress his urge to go back, and said: "Mr. When can I come back."

Song Lingshuang snorted softly: "We'll knock on the door every day until Mr. Chang comes back. Since she said it was collecting herbs, she wouldn't come back for ten days and a half months."

Unexpectedly, Song Lingshuang's words became a prophecy.

Changsun Jue and Song Lingshuang went to Baicao Zhai every day for half a month, but they still couldn't see Chang Yuan.At first, the girl in Cuiyi came out to answer the door and insulted Song Lingshuang by the way.Later, he simply pasted a note on the door, with two words written on it carelessly, "Not here".

No matter how patient Song Lingshuang was, his mood would not be much better after being closed doors for more than ten days in a row. After going to Baicao Zhai today, he returned with nothing, and his face was a little gloomy.

He suddenly stopped and smiled at Changsun Jue. "You go back first, I'll walk around."

Changsun Jue glanced at him, seemed to want to say something, but was speechless after all, nodded, and left first.

Song Lingshuang was depressed at this moment, instead of worrying Changsun Jue because of the heavy atmosphere, it would be better to dissipate the depression by himself before going back.

He wandered the streets in a dispirited manner, and when he was a little tired from walking, he casually entered a tea house.I was just about to find a place to sit down, but unexpectedly, the waiter came up to me with a smile on his face and said apologetically, "Guest officer, I'm sorry, the restaurant is full. Would you like to come back later or another day?"

Originally, it was just a matter of finding another teahouse, but Song Lingshuang had nowhere to vent her anger after being shut down for the past few days.It's fine if you can't get in Baicao Zhai, but what does it mean if you can't get in even after drinking tea?So he got serious for a while and asked, "How long is it in a while?"

Xiaoer was a little confused by the question, he bowed his waist and continued to laugh: "This... the little one can't say it well..."

"It's hard to say that you will ask me to come back later. Are you playing a fool?" Song Lingshuang usually had a smile on his face that was hard to be noticed, but when he was angry, his eyes were as sharp as a blade, giving people a strong sense of oppression.

Seeing Xiao Er's heart trembled, she secretly complained, thinking that this time she ran into trouble.There are dignitaries everywhere in the imperial city. He saw that Song Lingshuang was dressed in black with a red belt around his waist. The style was simple but the fabric was exquisite. You don't mind, you can sit with me."

Anyone willing to share a table?Xiaoer was overjoyed, this is a savior from heaven!

Song Lingshuang followed the prestige, and saw a man in white sitting at the table, with a cloak covering his face with a light veil, and a cup full of good tea in front of him.

The man's voice was very nice, although it was slightly hoarse, it was gentle and elegant, and he felt a few years older than himself.Even though he couldn't see the other person's face, Song Lingshuang felt that there was a kindness in him, which made people feel close.The man gently pushed the newly filled teacup towards Song Lingshuang as an invitation.

Song Lingshuang smiled heartily, walked over, picked up the tea and drank it down in one gulp, he was a little surprised that the tea turned out to be Biluoxian.

Song Lingshuang said: "Good tea!" He actually doesn't understand tea.But Changsun Jue's favorite drink is Biluoxian, and Song Lingshuang would go to his room every now and then to lie there, drinking and remembering the taste.

Song Lingshuang sat down and grinned, "Then I won't be polite!"

The two sat at the same table, and the young man in white was silent, drinking tea slowly.Whenever Song Lingshuang's cup was empty, he would fill it up.Song Lingshuang was preoccupied and lost her mind. She forgot to order her own tea and drank other people's tea cup after cup.

When the pot of tea ran out, the man in white asked the shopkeeper to order another pot.Song Lingshuang suddenly realized this, and quickly apologized.He said to the waiter, "This pot is mine." Then he said to the man in white, "I've had enough, drink this pot slowly."

The man in white said, "Young Master, you should drink more tea."

Song Lingshuang cast a puzzled look, "Why?"

The young man in white said softly and calmly, "Get off the fire."

Song Lingshuang thought it was funny, the corner of his mouth twitched, and asked, "How do you know I'm angry?"

The other party didn't speak, but Song Lingshuang felt that he was looking at him.

Song Lingshuang felt that this person was quite interesting, so he simply climbed along the wall, frowning exaggeratedly, "Don't tell me, brother, I'm really angry!" He pursed his mouth and made a sad look, "I When I was eating a few days ago, I got stuck in my throat with a fishbone. The location of the stick was so coincidental that it didn’t hurt or itch when I didn’t touch it. I got stuck in the most painful place, and it hurt me for several days, and it really set me on fire!"

For a while, the man in white didn't respond.This made Song Lingshuang embarrassed.That's right, I heard an inexplicable stranger tell a boring and even vulgar story that didn't answer the question.It was probably because of the pot of Biluoxian and the white clothes that he subconsciously felt a sense of intimacy, and then he started talking nonsense.

Song Lingshuang coughed dryly, and said with an embarrassed smile, "Hehe, it's nothing, maybe one day the fishbone will disappear after swallowing a mouthful of rice." He took a sip of tea, trying to ease the embarrassment.

But the man in white spoke.He neither questioned the relationship between the fishbone stuck in his throat and getting angry, nor showed his impatience for such trivial matters, but asked very seriously: "Since there is a fishbone stuck in the throat, whether it hurts or not, is there any difference?" Does it matter?"

Through the veil, Song Lingshuang seemed to feel a little familiarity, but he couldn't grasp the source of that feeling.He was questioned.

Pain or no pain, this thorn never disappeared.

He waited for three years and finally caught a clue. Before the battle, he became afraid.He didn't know where the conclusion he was pursuing would lead him, so he was anxious to distinguish right from wrong and right from wrong!

Song Lingshuang, do you love me?

The thorn stuck in the throat must be pulled out after all.Sooner or later.What a fart you are tangled up!

He suddenly laughed.After laughing, he moved the stool towards the man in white, hooked his hand on his shoulder, and thanked him: "My son's words enlightened me! I'm just being rigid. There's nothing to be afraid of pain. There will always be a day of thorns."

Song Lingshuang's heart suddenly brightened, and his gloom dissipated.Unexpectedly, not only did this person wear clothes and drink tea very similar to someone else, but also his ability in this phrase was also very similar.Speaking of which, someone seemed to have a bad face just now... Oops, is that guy angry because he pushed him away?He must have been wandering outside for more than an hour now, so he has to go back and coax him.

Thinking of this, he hurriedly stood up and said goodbye like a young man in white: "Thank you for your enlightenment, young master, I still have some urgent matters, so I will leave first!"

Song Lingshuang didn't wait for anyone to answer and ran away. He didn't realize until he was far away. He said he invited others to drink tea, but he left without paying.So he ran back again, not thinking that the money had already been paid, and the man in white was already gone.

Only then did Song Lingshuang remember that he drank tea from someone else and didn't even know his name...

On the other side, when Changsun Jue returned to the inn, he happened to see Ai Zixuan and Xie Yilan coming out of it.

Seeing Changsun Jue coming back, Ai Zixuan hurried up to meet him, "Great, I just asked the inn clerk that you were out. Hey, Brother Changsun, you don't look very well, what happened?"

Changsun Jue motioned for the two to enter the room and talk.

The three went upstairs to the guest room.Changsun Jue simply told each other what happened to them in the past half month.Xie Yilan was thoughtful after hearing this.However, Ai Zixuan couldn't help asking: "Since the eldest grandson and Mr. Chang are close friends, why don't you ask your father for help?"

Changsun Jue lowered his eyes, shook his head lightly, and said, "I can't tell my father about this yet."

Xie Yilan suddenly stood up, blessed the two of them, and said: "Yilan suddenly remembered something, I will visit you some other day."

"What's the hurry? Why did you have to leave just after arriving?" Ai Zixuan was a little surprised, after all, it was Xie Yilan who urged him to bring her to find Changsun Jue these days.I didn't want to bring her here, she was about to leave before the stool was warmed up.

Xie Yilan wanted to explain, but for a while she couldn't find any reason.

Changsun Jue said, "Miss Xie, don't mind."

Xie Yilan apologized.But Changsun Jue nodded and stood up, sending her out.

When Changsun Jue came back after seeing off the guests, Ai Zixuan still wanted to complain, "It's obviously her..."

Changsun Jue glanced at him coldly, so Ai Zixuan shut his mouth knowingly.He looked at the wing room by himself, as if he found something, he thought he came to the right place.But before that, he still had doubts about one thing.When Chang Sun Jue returned to the table, he leaned forward and asked, "Is your matter of looking for Mr. Chang related to what happened three years ago?"

Changsun Jue hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded.

Ai Zixuan also nodded and said: "I see."

Changsun Jue: "It's inconvenient to say more about this right now. But you, what are your plans for the future?"

Ai Zixuan sighed: "I came back this time to officially expel my membership from the royal family. The date of expulsion has also been fixed, at the end of the month. It's just that if I don't enter the Immortal Sect for a day, I'm afraid that my uncle the emperor will not feel at ease for a day. "

Changsun Jue: "Then have you decided which school you want to enter?"

Ai Zixuan smiled wryly and said: "I really haven't thought about it. You also know that I can form pills, which is also fed by my father and king. Give me the face of the emperor's uncle."

Changsun Jue: "If you want, I'll go and tell my father."

Ai Zixuan shook his head: "Thank you, elder brother, for your kindness. What my father means is to let me visit all the great immortal sects, study for half a year, and then make a final decision."

Changsun Jue understood, and was in a hurry to make a decision at this time, which instead made the emperor suspect that Jiangyang Palace was colluding with which family.He said sincerely, "King Jiangyang is very thoughtful."

Ai Zixuan smiled, a little helpless: "It's not been a year or two since my father walked on the edge of the cliff."

Chang Sun Jue was silent.After the destruction of the Song Family and the Red Flame Plague, the balance of power in the Immortal Sect has been broken, especially since Qinghe has long been dominant. It is not difficult for the royal family to have scruples about the Immortal Sect at this time.King Jiangyang is an important minister of the court. The emperor needs him, but he has to guard against him.What's more, forming a clique with Xianmen is a royal taboo. Regarding Ai Zixuan's choice of Xianmen, King Jiangyang must avoid suspicion.

While the two were silent, Song Lingshuang pushed the door open and entered.When he saw Ai Zixuan, he smiled brightly: "So it's Brother Ai! I think A Jue is having a tryst with whom!"

Ai Zixuan glanced at Changsun Jue frightenedly, and found that he was not angry, but his expression was slightly disdainful.He was very surprised, rubbing his chin with his right hand thoughtfully.

Song Lingshuang came over, "Brother Ai?"

Ai Zixuan thought about it, and said: "That's right, that's right, I had such a good time chatting with my eldest grandson brother, I forgot that I came to pay the travel expenses!"

Changsun Jue said, "You're welcome."

However, Ai Zixuan said: "Is it my Ai Zixuan's style to not pay back the debts! Besides, seeing that the eldest grandson and brother Song are still living in the same wing room, it must be that they are not very rich. I will not even pay this time. With all the interest brought, the two of you can always live more comfortably."

Song Lingshuang patted Ai Zixuan on the shoulder: "Brother Ai is too polite. I don't know when A Jue and I will go back after this trip. We have to save money. Besides, we have long been used to sharing a room. .Right, A Jue?"

Changsun Jue said indifferently: "It's okay."

Ai Zixuan stared at Changsun Jue for a while, imagining that if Song Lingshuang wanted to sleep in Changsun Jue's room three years ago in Hantianyuan, Changsun Jue would have turned his back on him long ago.He lowered his eyes, continued to rub his chin, and said softly to himself: "It shouldn't be, I didn't find that elder brother had this habit before..."

Song Lingshuang: "What did you say?"

Ai Zixuan hurriedly said with an embarrassed smile: "It's nothing, I'm just not used to the two of you being so friendly. Hehe, hehe."

Song Lingshuang was taken aback for a moment, remembering the two years when the three of them got together every day or the two years when Chang Sun Jue ignored him, he suddenly felt emotional: "Brother Ai is right, I can coax this kid back, I sincerely love you!" It's not easy." As he spoke, he rubbed Chang Sun Jue's head as if to prove something.

Changsun Jue finally couldn't bear it anymore, and said coldly: "Get lost!"

The next few days were the same as before, Song Lingshuang and Changsun Jue went to Baicao Zhai every day.There were still two large characters "not here" hanging in front of Baicao Zhai, but Song Lingshuang's mood was not as gloomy as it was a few days ago.

Before the expulsion ceremony, Ai Zixuan also had nothing to do, and came to drink and chat with the two every day, and sometimes accompanied the two to Baicao Zhai.

The three of them came to the gate of Baicao Zhai that day, they were ready to look up at the large characters with no strokes before going back to the city to drink, but today the big characters were gone!And there was a low-key but rather exquisite carriage parked not far from the gate of the small courtyard.

Song Lingshuang was a little taken aback, "A Jue, am I dazzled? Why can't I see those two words?"

Changsun Jue frowned slightly and said, "Indeed not."

Ai Zixuan nodded, "Well... I didn't see it either." Then he reacted and said excitedly, "Mr. Chang is back?"