Lady Kelpi Translations

Chapter Fifty-Six:
You Won’t Like Me (Part 2)

Shaoshang hesitated for only nine and three-quarters of a second before she asked for a change of clothes, holding Lian Fang’s hand and leaving the side hall. Compared to the pale little maid, Shaoshang didn’t even tremble her fingertips.

Madam Xiao had said that there were not many people who could truly support and help each other and just one was enough. This sentence was very reasonable. Shaoshang was unwilling to lose such a strong support on her future path due to her stubbornness. She could naturally find various clever excuses to evade, and she could even get Lou Yao to go with her. However, for a powerful figure like Ling Buyi, the best way to get along was to be as sincere as possible, rather than using a bunch of ‘smart’ tricks.

Shaoshang was initially hesitant about how to pass, but to her surprise, Ling Buyi provided a simple and effective method, using only two ordinary thin silk cloaks to cover the heads and faces of the master and servant, and walked away in a grand manner. There were many young ladies in the garden today, and the passing servants did not come forward to question. After not taking a few steps, the master and servant arrived at a secluded path between the flowers and trees. They saw a tall young man in brocade standing quietly alone with his hands behind his back. He heard footsteps behind him and immediately turned around.

Shaoshang sighed in her heart, but with a very standard smile on her face, she bowed and greeted, “Hello, Master Ling…”

Before she could finish speaking, Ling Buyi suddenly said, “Did you decide to come when you heard I was calling, or did you wait for your maid to relay my third message before coming over?”

Shaoshang’s smile stiffened. “Master Ling not only has the grace to save my life, but also has repeatedly helped me. With such enthusiasm and kindness, I naturally….”

“Well, then you came after listening to the third message,” Ling Buyi said calmly.

Shaoshang couldn’t speak.

“Your words of kindness are unforgettable, but what about your actions?” Ling Buyi still had a smile on his face, and his words were already cold. “It can be seen that it’s useless to talk to you. You have to hear threatening words before you come. That’s how you treat your benefactor?”

Shaoshang’s forehead was already feverish. “No, No! I am not ungrateful. If you were the same age and appearance as my Uncle Wan, I would immediately rush over! Young Master, you are so beautiful and handsome…. Ah! No, you are so young. How dare I come up at will! You don’t know, just now you were standing across from me, and all the little girls in the hall seemed crazy. If someone saw me with you, I’m afraid I wouldn’t live to see tomorrow’s sunrise!”

“Do you usually watch the sunrise?” Ling Buyi said.

Shaoshang once again couldn’t speak.

“Zhang Zhan said that back then, in the early morning you would have someone drive the convoy, and when you got up, your face was even worse than when you saw those bandits. Are you afraid of getting up early?” Ling Buyi’s eyes had a smile in them.

Shaoshang had the intention to argue it was due to the fatigue and discomfort of the journey. However, considering that the Cheng convoy had been on the road for over a month, that excuse was too farfetched, and she had to chat up. “General Zhang looks very quiet…” Why were you so sarcastic?!

“The young madam also seems to be very grateful for his kindness,” Ling Buyi said lightly.

Shaoshang’s anxious forehead began to sweat. “I am grateful for the kindness! The kindness that saved my life that day is vivid in my mind. I, I…” In a state of urgency, she once again retorted, “Master Ling, you are truly heroic! How can I not repay your kindness?”

“Did I ask you to go up the mountain of swords and down the sea of fire? You are so condescending. If I really have difficulties in the future, if I come to ask for help, I’m afraid I wouldn’t even be able to enter your house.”

Ling Buyi’s face was unparalleled, but his words were as sharp as a sword, and he showed no mercy at all.

Shaoshang became angry and finally met her match. She bowed and said, “Master Ling, I am wrong. I really am wrong! I should have rushed to you without saying a word as soon as I heard your call.” This was truly a groundbreaking scene. Even in kindergarten, junior high, high school, and even university, she had never admitted her mistake so sincerely.

“What if there’s another time?” Ling Buyi asked.

Shaoshang arched her hand to the sky. “Let bandits cook and eat me!” she exclaimed. This was the most terrifying oath for her.

Ling Buyi looked at the girl quietly for a moment, but with a gloomy smile, he said, “Accompany me for a while.”

Shaoshang wiped her sweat, nodded quickly, and walked beside him.

Lian Fang followed far behind, and although Master Ling was good-looking, he was terrifying and tense. Even if he spoke with a smile, it implied a sense of awe and indifference. Her own young madam had courage, not only daring to argue and deny, but also daring to bet on silly spells.

The flower tree path was very secluded and winding. Ling Buyi was tall and had long legs, but he intentionally slowed his steps down to allow the girl to walk alongside him. Shaoshang walked beside him, looking up from the side, only feeling that his shoulders were broad, his back extended like a ridge, and his face had a deep and handsome outline. He walked slowly without saying a word, his brows furrowed, as if preoccupied, like the silent gods of ancient times in oil paintings.

Although he was the same age as Yuan Shen, Shaoshang always thought he was older than them. She dared to argue with Yuan Shen, but never dared to make trouble in front of Ling Buyi, probably because he was a truly ‘mature’ man.

No matter how slow you walk, there will be an end to it. “Master Ling, there’s no way left.” Shaoshang was stunned.

It turned out the road between flowers and trees was a dead end, and it ended when you turned to the left. There was a small carved stone table in the shape of a tiger crouching, plus two stone chairs.

Ling Buyi chuckled. “Yes, it’s the end.” He remained silent for a moment and sat down on the stone stool. “Please sit with me for a while.”

Shaoshang quickly sat down on the stone stool and looked around. She noticed that it was cold and secluded, as if she were in the depths of a hundred flowers. They were fragrant and the chill was imperceptible.

The two of them sat in silence for a moment before Ling Buyi suddenly said in a deep voice, “Someone is coming.”

Shaoshang was shocked and turned pale. She stood in a panic. “What should I do?” Were they here to catch an affair?! But this was the end and there was no place to escape.

“Don’t be afraid, you and your maid should hide there.” Ling Buyi pointed to the flower wall in the corner.

Shaoshang fixed her gaze and sighed at the good place. Holding onto Lian Fang, the two crawled in.

They could hear hurried footsteps. Shaoshang looked through the dense branches and saw two girls running over hand in hand, panting heavily. It was Wang Ling and Lou Li.

“Eleventh Lang, is it really you?” Wang Ling was overjoyed as she hurriedly tidied up her hair and clothing. “Just now, the maid of A’Li’s family said she saw you coming here and I didn’t believe it.

Lou Li ran with flushed cheeks, her eyes fixed on Ling Buyi. “Didn’t two women come this way with you? Where are they?”

Ling Buyi gave them a cold look, his eyes sharp like swords, and Lou Li was too scared to speak.

Wang Ling immediately pulled Lou Li, gesturing for her to shut up, and then turned her head to smile. “It must be the maid who saw it wrong,” she said. “Eleventh Lang is hiding here alone and quiet.”

“Since you know I’m hiding here quietly, both of you should leave now,” Ling Buyi said.

Wang Ling and Lou Li were very embarrassed and didn’t know what to say. Finally, Wang Ling reacted and she smiled, “My aunt has been talking about you lately. She said that it’s been a year and you’re still alone, which makes her very worried.”

“Is that what the Empress said?” Ling Buyi asked coolly. “If the Empress didn’t say this, Madam Wang would be guilty…”

Wang Ling was foolish and quickly said, “No, no, no, no! I go to the palace every day. Although my aunt didn’t say anything, I know what she meant in her heart! She and His Majesty are both looking forward to Eleventh Lang getting married!” Her aunt would never push for her niece to take the blame.

“Getting married? What are you saying, Young Mistress Wang?” Ling Buyi didn’t even move his posture.

Wang Ling’s face and ears turned red. She knew what she meant, but was too embarrassed to say it. To her surprise, Lou Li beside her quickly said, “Why not Sister A’Ling? She has exceptional talent and looks…”

“I like beauty,” Ling Buyi suddenly interrupted.

Wang Ling felt foolish, and Lou Li’s mouth snapped, “Isn’t Sister A’Ling beautiful?”

As soon as this question was asked, from behind the flower wall, Shaoshang nearly laughed – she was indeed Lou Yao’s cousin, both dull and foolish.

“Do you think you are very beautiful?” Ling Buyi directly asked Wang Ling.

Wang Ling suddenly felt cold all over and deeply humiliated. She thought she looked good, but couldn’t withstand such questioning.

Lou Li knew she had made a slip of the tongue, but she refused to admit defeat. “Eleventh Lang’s words are not right. Marrying a wife and a virtuous person…”

Ling Buyi ignored the little girl and asked Wang Ling again, “Do you think you are very virtuous?”

Wang Ling couldn’t bear it anymore, feeling ashamed. She braved tears and stomped her feet as she ran away. Lou Li glared angrily at Ling Buyi and ran after her.

“Come out, don’t hide anymore,” Ling Buyi said after they ran away.

Lian Fang stepped out and supported the smiling and blushing young lady of her own family, with the imprint of firmly covering her mouth with her hand on her face. Shaoshang was not a good person, and Wang Ling had never held back with her, so she didn’t show mercy. After Lou Li intended to humiliate her that day, though Lou Yao had also scolded his cousin, Shaoshang felt that it was only now that she truly relieved her anger!

After a long time, Shaoshang had enough laughing and calmed down, sitting upright at the stone table.

“Tell me about your childhood,” Ling Buyi said with a gentle expression.

Shaoshang’s expression suddenly cooled; she disliked recalling her childhood the most. “When I was young, I had bad luck. There’s nothing else to say.”

Ling Buyi quietly looked at the cold and sharp look in the girl’s eyes, and the corner of his mouth slightly curved. “What a coincidence,” he said. “I also had bad luck as a child and there’s nothing else to say.”

“Why don’t you tell me some interesting stories about Master Ling’s study of civil and martial arts?” Shaoshang had no words to say.

“Learning and practicing martial arts are very difficult. Study hard and practice hard. What interesting things can you say?” Ling Buyi said.

Shaoshang thought to herself that it was a coincidence. She also found reading difficult and not interesting at all.

The two of them sat silently together for a moment, until Lian Fang next to them was almost crying. The silence was so scary!

“What do you plan to do in the future?” Ling Buyi asked. “I mean, besides getting married.”

Shaoshang’s eyes lit up. She had many plans for that. “I want to gather doctors and compile their medical skills and insights into a book, which might benefit the world. I also want to transform those bulky agricultural tools, which can not only save manpower but also produce more food. You don’t know, pure manual farming is really difficult. Many farmers are young and sick, and they can’t even straighten up before they get old. Also, I want to build a factory, which doesn’t need to be very large. I drew some things and I want to see if I can create it…”

She stopped speaking because Ling Buyi was looking at her without reservation. She felt embarrassed and said, “This little girl is too arrogant, I’m making my elders laugh.”

“Go on,” Ling Buyi shook his head, as handsome as a tilted jade mountain.

Shaoshang realized she had just lost her mind and quickly became serious. “I also want to be a good wife and be filial to my elders.”

Ling Buyi’s face turned cold. His fair right hand clenched on the stone table. “How vulgar!”

“Just now, you terrified my maid and said you wanted to marry me!” Shaoshang roasted. “Now you think I’m vulgar?!”

“Marrying me isn’t what’s vulgar,” Ling Buyi said solemnly. “Marrying others is very vulgar.”

Shaoshang covered her sleeves and chuckled, her smiling eyebrows and eyes curved, becoming more and more like a festive jade doll.

Ling Buyi raised his eyebrows, and asked with a smile, “How did you know that I was being intimidating? Perhaps I really meant it.”

Shaoshang sighed helplessly. “Master Ling, even if you are busy, you will never have the opportunity to mention your marriage to His Majesty before today. Since you haven’t mentioned it, you have no intention. Don’t tease me anymore.”

“…You’re quite right,” Ling Buyi said with a faint expression. “Maybe I only enjoy being a philanderer.”

“Then, His Majesty might be happy,” Shaoshang said. It was better to sow some oats to get results.

Ling Buyi was rarely taken aback. After understanding, he burst out laughing loudly. After a while he smiled and said, “How dare you mention His Majesty? I haven’t even settled accounts with you. You got engaged yourself, but I was scolded by His Majesty. ‘What’s wrong with you?  When you’re old and unable to find a woman on your own, you’ll scold me for being unfilial!’”

Shaoshang imagined the scene in her head and she pursed her lips and began to laugh.

Ling Buyi looked at her smile and said, “Shaoshang, you are the most passionate and courageous young woman I have ever seen in my life. No matter what difficulties and obstacles lie ahead, you always have to overcome them.”

He saw the girl’s face was full of disbelief. “I grew up in the palace and have seen many women who were passionate and brave, but they were passionate about fame and power. Unlike you, what I think is…” He was the most disgusted person in his life who had worked hard to camp, but he did not dislike the various positive calculations of the girl in front of him.

Shaoshang had some doubts. Was he praising her? She gave a dry smile. “There are also people in the palace who are indifferent to fame and fortune,” she said.

“Apart from being unable to leave, what are people who are truly indifferent to fame and fortune doing in the palace?” Ling Buyi asked with a faint smile.

“Who doesn’t love fame and fortune, but I’m not liked by nature, and some paths are inherently difficult to follow,” Shaoshang said.

“Who says that?” Ling Buyi asked. “You have already won the favor of many people.”

“No,” Shaoshang said as she shook her head. “If others know my true nature, very few people would like me.” Anyway, any lie she said would be exposed by him, so it was better to tell the truth.

“Another coincidence,” Ling Buyi said. His smile slowly fell, his eyes fixed firmly on her, feeling lost in despair. “If someone really knew me, I’m also afraid few people would like me.”

“Master Ling must be joking. You should ask those ladies in the capital city about this. They would never agree!” Shaoshang clapped her hands and smiled.

“It’s true,” Ling Buyi said seriously. “It’s you. If you know more about me in the future, you might hate me.”

Shaoshang was stunned.

She finally understood why such a beautiful man always felt very difficult because she could not understand him.

She could understand Father Cheng, Yuan Shen, and Lou Yao was an open book, but she never understood Ling Buyi clearly.

However, as soon as they talked about the matter, Shaoshang decided not to waste the opportunity. After clearing her throat, she stood up and said sternly, “Master Ling, I have a message that I want to say to you today. This esteemed daughter is inexplicably grateful, but I… I…”

The following words were a bit embarrassing to say, but in order to avoid suspicion in the future, she gritted her teeth and said them anyway. “But I am a loyal woman. You are very good, but I have already decided to marry Lou Yao, so I naturally want to be loyal and have no other choice… Don’t laugh, you, you…!”

That righteous and confident message ended with Ling Buyi’s gentle laughter as he fell against the stone table.

“Master Ling,” Shaoshang was furious, “you… you look down on people too much.”

Ling Buyi propped himself up and smiled. “I know you’re a loyal woman, keep talking.”

Shaoshang sat on the stone stool in frustration and refused to say anything more.

“Don’t be afraid,” Ling Buyi had stopped smiling, knowing what the young girl was thinking. “This should be the last time I will meet you alone.”

Shaoshang quickly turned around. “Are you going on another trip? Where are you going to fight this time? Is it important?”

“It’s not about that. You are getting married, and you’ll always have to avoid suspicion in the future.”

What?! ‘So you do know how to avoid suspicion,’ Shaoshang thought.

Ling Buyi looked at the girl with a gentle expression. “Didn’t you always want to leave with A’Yao? Don’t worry, I’ll find a way for you, find a suitable place, and don’t leave the constraints of your family just for the sake of it. You’re willing to go to any poor place, you can’t bear it.”

Shaoshang lowered her head, feeling indescribable in her heart. He saw through everything.

Ling Buyi stood up and looked down at the lush flowers and trees around him. “Just now, I was across from you, and I vaguely heard a few flute sounds. Upon reflection, I’ve never heard you play the flute well before. Everyone says you play very well.”

His tone was calm, but Shaoshang felt inexplicably sad. “If Master Ling wants to hear it, I will play for you now,” she quickly said.

Ling Buyi seemed very happy, and then shook his head. “Forget it, I won’t listen. If I still want to listen once, it’s troublesome. Alright, I’ve already said that. You can go back now, I’ll sit a little longer.”

Shaoshang opened her mouth and stopped. In fact, she didn’t know what to say, so she respectfully stood up and bowed, then led Lian Fang away. After taking a few steps, she turned back and looked at Ling Buyi. He was looking up at a flower tree, lost in thought…

The petals of the flower tree floated down in spring, pink, white, and deep rouge, falling onto the stone table, clothes, and his thick ink-like long hair. Through the gentle petals and gentle breeze, the handsome man in front of her seemed to have never existed before.

After a glance, Shaoshang turned back around and walked away, never turning back.

…

Next Chapter: Yanhui Pagoda (Part 1)