Perfect Match – CH 098

Chapter 98 [Epilogue] Daily Life (4)

The Plum Garden outside the city had always been an extremely elegant place for the people of Xi’an, especially for appreciating plum blossoms in the snow during winter, when private rooms for viewing the scenery were extremely rare and expensive.

Deng Ruyun thought that Bai Chunfu had only been in Xi’an for a few days, and it was already quite good that he could book a private room in the Plum Garden today.

She walked in and saw the tallest building in the garden surrounded by red plum blossoms. She did not think much of it, but unexpectedly, a servant led her through the winding plum trees and into the building. They climbed the wooden stairs to the highest point of the Plum Garden.

When Deng Ruyun reached the top, she was shocked and even wondered if the servant had led her to the wrong place.

But when the door opened, she immediately saw a man standing with his back to her in front of the window.

He wore a silver brocade robe embroidered with pavilions and towers in subtle patterns, trimmed with snow fox fur, bound with a silver ribbon, and adorned with a white jade pendant. He stood before a half-open window, fine snowflakes falling on his black hair in the wind.

He turned at the sound, the beauty mark beneath his long eyebrows falling gently as he looked at her.

“Yunniang has arrived.”

Deng Ruyun blinked, uttering a sound she could not help but make.

“Climbing to the top of the small building in the snow, I saw an immortal arrive riding the wind; it felt as if I were not in the mortal realm.”

Upon hearing this, Bai Chunfu chuckled softly.

“Why is Yunniang getting so pedantic?”

As soon as he spoke, the ethereal, otherworldly feeling vanished, as if he had returned to the Physician Bai that Deng Ruyun knew so well.

She smiled and said that she had come in to listen to Linglang’s tutor teach her, “So I’ve inevitably picked up some knowledge from it. And today, enjoying the snow at the plum garden is an elegant affair, so I had to put what I’ve learned to use, but that’s about it.”

Her words were light and quick, like a hare in the snow. Bai Chunfu had not heard her speak like that in a long time, and he could not help but glance at her a few more times. Seeing her rosy complexion and bright eyes, he was momentarily captivated.

Just then, Zhu Huang poked her head out and asked, “Sixth Young Master, the masters have all arrived. Shall we serve the dishes?”

She was surprised there were still dishes, blinked, and Bai Chunfu nodded to Zhu Huang.

In a short while, all the dishes that had been prepared in advance were served.

Deng Ruyun asked Zhu Huang, “Are you not eating with us?”

She asked, and Zhu Huang glanced at his Sixth Young Master with a smile, chuckling, “I will pass. The food at Plum Garden is delicious, but it’s not enough to fill you up. I am going out for mutton soup!”

And with that, he ran off.

Deng Ruyun found it amusing, but upon closer inspection of the dishes, she noticed they were different from what she usually ate.

“Huh? Plum Garden has so many chefs who cook other cuisines. Why is there even Jinzhou cuisine?”

Bai Chunfu, seeing her curiosity, explained.

“Actually, this is the first time I’ve properly invited you to dinner. I wanted you to get familiar with the food, but also to try something new, so I had the kitchen at Plum Garden prepare three Xi’an dishes and three Jiangnan dishes.”

Deng Ruyun had heard Teng Yue mention that Plum Garden had chefs from Jiangnan; after all, he also wanted to come to Plum Garden to enjoy the snow with her, so he naturally inquired about it.

But she noticed there were more than just those two dishes. Bai Chunfu added, “The Bai family also has chefs from the capital. I had my own chef prepare two dishes, and coincidentally, I recently met a chef from Jinzhou, so I asked him to prepare two more Jinzhou dishes.”

A total of ten dishes, prepared by four chefs from different regions.

Deng Ruyun suspected that he had not just happened to run into the Jinzhou chefs; he had clearly hired them specifically.

Deng Ruyun looked up into his eyes, and Bai Chunfu noticed as well.

He could not help but say, “It’s just a meal, nothing else.”

He said, and saw her smile.

“I was actually thinking, has the court promoted Sixth Young Master? Is he becoming even wealthier? He’s no longer the Sixth Young Master who rode a donkey to Xi’an.”

These words left Bai Chunfu somewhat dazed.

Back then, he had just arrived in Xi’an, riding a small donkey. Zhu Huang constantly nagged him about not having enough to eat, so he had to find a job as a small-time physician at Inspector Sun’s pharmacy to support his family…

It was precisely because of this, in his humble beginnings, that he met Yunniang.

But in the blink of an eye, so much time had passed.

Bai Chunfu said, “I am still the same person riding that donkey, only with a little more money and a slight promotion.”

And even more—a freedom and ease he had not dared to imagine back then.

She asked another question.

“Sixth Young Master Bai, that’s what you say, but I wonder if it’s still possible to ask you for guidance at Yuyun Hall in the future?”

She first asked if he was still the Sixth Young Master Bai riding the donkey, and then if it was still possible to ask him for help in the future.

Seeing her blink, Bai Chunfu inexplicably recalled her past appearances in men’s clothing. No matter how much yellow makeup she wore, those bright, lively eyes remained unchanged.

Bai Chunfu replied to her.

“That’s hard to say; after all, I’ve been quite busy.”

He looked at her. “If Yunniang needs to see me in the future, you can ask me in advance.”

“Oh! May I ask, Sixth Young Master, how can I ask you in advance?” she asked, feigning trepidation.

Bai Chunfu almost laughed out loud.

“As for asking me in advance… when you are free, just write me a letter.”

Seeing a letter was like seeing her in person; if she needed to see him, he would travel a thousand miles to meet her…

He did not say anything more, only that she agreed to the first part.

“That’s settled then. What if I write to Sixth Young Master and he avoids me? Then Yuyun Hall will not be able to rely on your power…”

Bai Chunfu handed her chopsticks, and the two chatted and laughed as they ate.

The meal was not eaten quickly. After finishing, they drank a cup of tea. Outside, a thick layer of snow had settled on the windowsill.

Deng Ruyun looked over, and Bai Chunfu handed her his hooded cloak.

“Shall we go outside and take a look?”

Stepping out from the top floor of the small building, there was a completely carved balustrade. Standing before the balustrade, one could overlook the beautiful snow-covered plum blossoms of the entire plum garden.

The two chatted as they slowly walked around the balustrade.

Not far from the front gate of Plum Garden was the official road leading to Xi’an, but behind it stretched a horse ranch. Looking from afar, the ranch was also thickly covered in snow, with only a few horses still out of their stables, strolling leisurely in the snow.

Bai Chunfu, seeing her looking over, asked, “Are you brave enough to ride a horse in the snow?”

Since returning from Ningxia, Deng Ruyun’s horsemanship had improved considerably. She was certainly willing to ride, but she hesitated.

“If I could ride your donkey, it would probably be safer.”

Seeing her thinking about his donkey again, Bai Chunfu laughed, “I offered it as a bet then, but you declined. Now you are thinking about it. But this donkey is still useful; I plan to ride it when I travel to other provinces later.”

Deng Ruyun quickly asked about his future plans, and upon hearing that he intended to travel to all the provinces, she could not help but ask.

“Then you must write a travelogue. When you print it and give it away, remember to send me a copy too.”

She said, shaking her head and swaying as she spoke, “The immortals travel throughout the mortal realm, spreading medicine to the world—what a wonderful job!”

Bai Chunfu looked down at her eyes and brows.

Last year, when he disguised himself and escaped the Grand Princess’s pursuit from the capital, he never imagined that he would one day be free to leave the capital, to traverse mountains and rivers, to visit famous peaks and rivers, and to travel to every corner of this mortal world.

And there was someone else, eagerly awaiting his travelogue.

Snowflakes fell softly, landing on her hair, like white plum blossoms adorning it.

Bai Chunfu felt an indescribable sense of joy.

But Deng Ruyun, circling the small building and looking down, saw two people under a hexagonal pavilion amidst a grove of red plum blossoms.

One of the men peeked out from under the pavilion, revealing half his body—General Kong Hui. The other man, hands behind his back, did not immediately enter the hexagonal pavilion but instead kept looking up at the roof of the small building.

He had been staring in this direction for an unknown amount of time when, just as Deng Ruyun circled around from the other side, their eyes met.

The man stood there under the pavilion, hands behind his back, his eyes widening instantly through the falling snowflakes.

Deng Ruyun: !

She almost burst out laughing.

She had been wondering since she arrived whether this man would actually stay home and wait for her or come to the Plum Garden.

She had been looking down and had not seen him, thinking he had simply held back.

Unexpectedly, she had found him!

But Deng Ruyun pretended not to see him and instead said to Bai Chunfu, “Sixth Young Master, shall we go ride horses to the back?”

*

Under the hexagonal pavilion.

Teng Yue looked up at the rooftop of the small building and saw that his beloved Yunniang had clearly seen him but pretended not to, avoiding his gaze and turning her head away.

Teng Yue: “…”

Fine, fine.

Sixth Young Master Bai was right behind her, and both of them pretended not to see him, turning past the railing and going inside.

Kong Hui, who had been abruptly called out, had some hot wine and snacks brought out, only to find Teng Yue still standing outside the pavilion.

“Do not look, do not look. With such heavy snow, Sixth Young Master Bai and your wife probably will not come out for a walk, will they? Maybe they will just stand by the window…”

Before he finished speaking, he heard the man snort.

“She saw me when she came out just now, but pretended not to.”

“This…”

Kong Hui saw that Teng Yue’s face had darkened, and though he wanted to advise him to be more magnanimous, he could not bear to. After thinking for a moment, he said, “How about I send someone to inquire inside the building for you?”

As soon as he finished speaking, he heard him say in a muffled voice.

“Thank you.”

The muffled voice made Kong Hui’s heart pound uncontrollably, and he quickly sent someone to inquire.

After the person left, he pulled Teng Yue back into the pavilion, poured him some warm wine, and they drank two cups together.

Soon, the person who had inquired returned but immediately said, “Generals, the banquet in the small building has been cleared; there’s no one left.”

“Ah?” Kong Hui was surprised.

Teng Yue paused, wondering to himself, since she had not paid him any attention earlier, was it because the banquet had ended early?

“It’s actually quite late…”

“Then have they gone back to the city?”

But the person inquiring asked.

“No, not at all. I heard that the two guests on the rooftop went to the horse farm in the back!”

As soon as he finished speaking, Kong Hui saw Teng Yue get up and head towards the back.

“Yu Chuan, Yu Chuan, do not be in such a hurry!”

He quickly tried to stop her, but Teng Yue retorted angrily.

“What kind of weather is this? We have to be careful when riding horses. How long has she been learning? She dares to ride in the snow?! Did Sixth Young Master Bai not try to stop her? Or is it…”

He suddenly realized something, and his steps almost led him to the horse farm.

Or was it… Sixth Young Master Bai was riding with her?!

Now Kong Hui could not stop him at all, and he quickly followed him towards the horse farm.

But when they arrived at the horse farm, they did not see a single person.

Kong Hui quickly inquired with the people at the horse farm and learned that the two had taken a detour back to the city from the back of the farm.

Kong Hui was initially stunned, then could not help but burst out laughing. Seeing Teng Yue rushing over with his eyes tightly closed, he could not help but laugh even more.

The only people who could set a trap for Teng Yuchuan and get him killed were his younger sister and sister-in-law.

*

In Xi’an City.

Bai Chunfu escorted her all the way to the gate of the Teng Mansion.

It was Deng Ruyun’s first time riding a horse in the snow. She was drenched in sweat, but the exhilarating feeling was truly extraordinary.

“Thank you for your hospitality today, Sixth Young Master Bai. I shall head back now.”

Bai Chunfu had already escorted her here; it would not be appropriate for him to accompany her into the Teng Mansion.

He nodded, said “Alright,” and watched her enter the mansion until her skirt disappeared outside the gate. Only then did he pat his horse and slowly ride away through the snow.

Less than a quarter of an hour later, before his tracks in the snow had been completely covered, someone returned on horseback from outside the city.

He dismounted and asked directly, “Has Madam returned home?”

The gatekeeper replied affirmatively. He tossed the riding crop to the gatekeeper and headed straight for Liumingxuan.

Thinking back to today, Teng Yue remembered how he had asked her to go plum-viewing outside the city, but she had run off to meet Bai Chunfu. He could not bear it any longer and had Kong Hui go to the plum garden as well. She clearly saw him but pretended not to. Then he heard she had gone to the horse farm for a ride and rushed over, only to find she had returned directly from the farm to the city. He had not even caught a glimpse of her…

Teng Yue’s heart pounded.

“Good, good, good, Deng Yunniang is truly good.”

He went straight back to Liumingxuan, lifted the curtain, and stepped inside. He saw her sitting on the couch by the window, tilting her head to look at him as he returned.

“Oh, the General is back. Where have you been?”

Asking him where he had been… Teng Yue almost laughed in exasperation.

He snorted, “There are plenty of good places in Xi’an; why should Yunniang worry about it?”

As he spoke, he thought of her enjoying the snow and tea with Sixth Young Master Bai at the Plum Garden and how she had tricked him afterward. He could not help but say,

“Kong Hui just invited me to a newly opened restaurant, but it turned out to be a brothel. But since I was already there, I’ve already had my drinks. Yunniang does not mind, does she?”

He looked at her expression as he spoke, but to his surprise, her eyes widened, her large, bright eyes beneath her willow-leaf eyebrows.

“Oh? A brothel? Did the General not bring back any sisters or cousins ​​to liven things up at home?”

She dared to look him in the face as she spoke.

“Did you not bring anyone back? Perhaps the General is not good enough, does not attract anyone, and no one wants to come back with him?”

Teng Yue simply closed his eyes and tilted his head back; he was genuinely amused by her.

“Fine, fine, can I not?” He suddenly opened his eyes and looked at her. “Whether I am capable or not, you should know better than anyone else!”

As soon as he finished speaking, he scooped her up from the couch, ignoring her screams and kicks, and flipped her onto the bed.

She said anxiously, “It’s not dark yet!”

Teng Yue did not care about the darkness. She was already making fun of him; did he have time to wait until it got dark?!

He loosened the brocade belt around his waist, quickly discarded his clothes, revealing his hot, muscular chest, and then pulled her into his arms, preparing to strip her as well, to punish her first, and see if she was still so stubborn.

Unexpectedly, her outer garments fell down, revealing that what should have been layers of winter clothing was now reduced to just a thin veil worn only in summer.

The sheer fabric, as thin as a cicada’s wing, gently draped over her shoulders, barely concealing the edge of her collarbone. It was semi-transparent, partially obscuring the soft curves of her body, causing Teng Yue to straighten his back and freeze for a moment.

Then, the woman who had just feigned fear, screaming and kicking, insisting it was not dark yet, blinked at him, her eyelashes fluttering as if gently brushing against his chest.

“What? Is the General truly failing?”

At this point, Teng Yue could not help but lower his head, letting out a low, hoarse laugh.

From beginning to end, he had truly fallen into her trap.

He had truly been fooled!

From her deliberately running away with Bai Chunfu, to pretending not to see him at the plum garden, to her feint at the horse farm, and finally, she was here waiting for him in this sheer fabric.

His lifelong reputation had been ruined by this wicked woman.

She was full of mischief, lounging with her legs crossed, watching him make a fool of himself.

Now she was even asking him a question.

Could it be that he could actually escape her trap?

Wouldn’t that really mean what she said, “truly failing”?! Wouldn’t he be laughed at by her for the rest of his life?!

Teng Yue had never fallen into such a deep trap even with the Tartars, and today he’d been completely fooled by her.

Fine, anyway, she was the wife he’d found himself, so he was willing to be hers for life.

But he could not say that out loud. The man chuckled and pulled her down beneath him.

“Then do not beg for mercy.”

“I will not…”

Hearing this, he lowered his head and bit her ear, a tingling sensation instantly enveloping Deng Ruyun like a silken net.

But ever since she’d deliberately provoked and teased him the past two days, she knew she’d get her comeuppance today.

Rather than passively taking a beating, she would take the initiative!

Deng Ruyun took a deep breath, suppressing the tingling sensation, and wrapped her arms around his neck, raising her legs to hook around his slender waist.

She even rubbed her heels against his.

In that instant, Teng Yue’s entire spine tensed.

Seeing her blush, gently biting her lower lip, and lightly pinching his neck, he thought, “Alright…”

Teng Yue pulled a section of the quilt over and placed it under her waist.

With this, her entire body arched upwards towards him, her thin clothing long since gone. A cool breeze mingled with the rising heat inside the canopy bed, sweeping through the secluded valley.

Even though Deng Ruyun was somewhat prepared, she found this position a little overwhelming. But he thought it was perfect, so he pulled the entire quilt over and placed it under her waist, making her arch even higher.

Deng Ruyun had never looked like this before. She could not escape; he held her waist tightly, and she could not pull out the brocade quilt from under her waist. He then reached out and lightly lifted it, allowing the small boat to test its way through the canyon first.

The scene resembled a humid summer in Jiangnan, with light boats gliding through the canyons, occasionally rippling the water.

The newly arrived boat had barely entered the valley when it stirred up such waves. Even Deng Ruyun had not expected it, and with a few strokes of his oars, sprays of water rose in humid, hot waves.

Deng Ruyun felt as if she were sinking into thick clouds, her body becoming weak, yet from within those clouds, hot raindrops were dripping down.

Her face flushed, and though she wanted to pull herself away from this man’s iron grip, it was too late.

He was now steering a massive sailboat, skillfully navigating the edge of the canyon, parting layers upon layers of breathtaking scenery, opening up the narrow canyon completely, and moving forward relentlessly through the heavy, misty rain.

Unlike his usual vigorous and decisive movements, this time he moved exceptionally slowly, inching forward, causing her to gasp for breath uncontrollably, her whole body becoming dazed, sweat beading on her nose and forehead.

Finally, after being deceived all day, he triumphed, suddenly accelerating in the next instant, his sail disappearing into the deepest part of the canyon.

A wave of water surged forth, gurgling and splashing, revealing a large clump.

Even Deng Ruyun was surprised by the size of the clump, and he repeatedly rubbed it against the edge, causing more raindrops to drip down.

By this time, Deng Ruyun had lost the upper hand, and he chuckled softly.

“I told you, you cannot beg for mercy, Yunniang.”

Deng Ruyun’s face felt like it had been plunged into boiling water. She cried out, “I will not!”

But she dared not open her eyes to look at anyone again, turning her head to bury herself in the quilt…

The snow fell from day to night. The wind and snow were so cold that one could hardly stand, but inside the room, it was warm and misty, as if one had entered the rainy season of Jiangnan.

The rain and mist shrouded Liumingxuan’s main room until, after a long, long time, the night drum had sounded countless times before finally ceasing.

Two days later, the Teng family was filled with joy as the imperial edict conferring a title arrived.