Chapter 24: Emerald Plate Crumbles, Lipstick Fragrance (Four)

  I arrived at the Smoke and Rain Pavilion, where the beautiful lanterns had just been lit. I got out of the carriage and bid farewell to return home. White Young Master smiled and said: "Next time we go on an outing, will you also come along to serve tea and water?" As he spoke, he casually handed me a gold leaf, which was also imbued with a strong fragrance: "This is a reward for serving the water."

  The rules of the Smoke and Rain Pavilion, the reward given by the noble guest is unavoidable. I was overwhelmed with gratitude, hastily accepted it and nodded: "Thank you, young master!"

  "Plum blossom, you really are lucky." Xue Xi laughed and said.

  "Not at all, it's really a great creation of plum vegetables!"

  After leaving the Smoke and Rain Pavilion, I took a shortcut through the back garden to return home. As I was passing by the Dragon God Temple, I saw that Longjing Gongzi was sitting on the Hanbaiyu stone steps with a small child-like Guapian. The two of them were both propping up their chins, seemingly having waited for a long time and getting impatient.

  Melon slice saw me from afar and shouted: "Stupid donkey, why did you come so late today? Where is the offering? Where is the offering?"

  "Oh no!" I slapped my forehead, only to remember that today was the day for offering sacrifices. Because I went out to have fun, I had forgotten to make offerings and could only apologize: "Dragon God, please forgive me, Mei Cai didn't come today..."

  "Today, I went out to enjoy the greenery and flowers, and had a great time." Longjing Gongzi said weakly: "Poor Ben Shen was so hungry that he was weak all over, and could only bitterly wait, almost swallowing the melon slices whole."

  Melon seed heard, startled a jump, busy hiding behind me: "Foolish boy, quickly offer sacrifices to the Dragon God, otherwise, melon seed I will also make the city gate lose fire, harming the fish in the pond."

  I blindly took out the delicate dots that had not been moved from the basket, and before I could even arrange them on a plate, Longjing Gongzi stretched out his slender hand to grab them and wolfed them down. His handsome face was covered with pastry crumbs, and Guapi didn't want to be left behind either, rolling around and turning into a parrot to peck at the leftovers that Longjing had dropped on the ground.

  I quickly brought out the mountain spring water, but Longjing didn't even have time to drink it. He swept away all the dim sum before finally letting out a satisfied belch and downing the whole cup in one gulp. Only then did he laugh and say, "Today's play was quite enjoyable, wasn't it?"

  "I hastily replied: 'Great, so not only is Bai Gongzi elegant and refined, with a fragrance that surpasses the ordinary, but he's also down-to-earth and didn't put on any airs. He even rewarded me handsomely for the plum blossoms, today I've truly encountered good fortune.'"

  Longjing Gongzi listened, extremely displeased, and scorned him: "Hmph! All you do is talk big, trying to boast about something, but today that Xiang Gongzi has promised you a huge favor, making you confused and disoriented, unable to see anything clearly. You've even forgotten your duty as the Dragon God's messenger, truly deserving of punishment."

  I hastily said: "Mei Cai didn't intentionally slow down the Dragon God, it's just that honored guests have their orders, and Mei Cai is just a little servant girl who naturally wouldn't dare disobey."

  "Hey, you silly kid has learned well, and even learned to shirk responsibility." Longjing Gongzi rolled his eyes, stretched out his finger and casually picked at his teeth: "You got the Golden Leaf, I bet you're so excited that you can't sleep tonight?"

  I smiled awkwardly: "Nothing escapes the Dragon God, my mother saw that Liu Erniang, the fruit seller next door, had just bought a new golden hairpin and was so envious that she kept mentioning it for days. Today, I got this reward and thought of secretly taking it to Lao Da, the bald master who makes jewelry, to make a hairpin for my mother to wear."

  "Hmph, it's good that you met me early on. Otherwise, I'm afraid others would think you're intentionally trying to cause trouble and being unreasonable." Longjing Gongzi finished picking his teeth, wiped his finger on his clothes, and stretched out his hand towards me, saying: "Hurry up and take it out for me to appraise!"

  Are you trying to be unreasonable? I was confused and couldn't understand the meaning of this Zen phrase, so I had to take out the golden leaf from my pocket and hand it over to Longjing. Longjing's slender white fingers pinched it, and he laughed, saying: "Ah, what a valuable golden leaf!"

  I gazed suspiciously at his hand and suddenly realized that what I thought was a golden leaf was actually a withered yellow real leaf!

  "Huh? This this this......"

  "Such a low-level trick, it's only enough to deceive the mortal eyes of ordinary people, and even the messenger of Ben Shen was deceived, but in fact, it has lost the face of Ben Shen." Longjing Gongzi clicked his tongue: "If this matter is spread out, where will be the prestige of Ben Shen?"

  "But this..." I slapped my forehead: "Ah, no wonder that young master is different from ordinary people, indeed a high-ranking person who can turn stones into gold?"

  Longjing Gongzi walked over to me with a slight smile, his eyes were incredibly gentle, then he leaned down and looked at me, the smile in his eyes grew thicker, and then he suddenly reached out and tapped my forehead: "You're really stupid when I say you are, only an immortal can truly turn stones into gold, this has always been a rotten leaf, just a trick to deceive mortal eyes."

  "Ouch!" I clutched at my forehead in pain, and could only say: "I'm not a celestial being like Dragon God, how can I see so many things..."

  "You've been eating the flesh of a thousand-year-old Golden Lotus for years, and yet you still can't tell high from low. The Dragon Well Young Master twisted his mouth into a strange shape: "Ordinary people who cultivate immortality, as long as they haven't ascended to become immortals, are still impure in body, how could they emit such a fragrance? When something happens that goes against the norm, it must be demonic."

  "Monster?" I widened my eyes: "Does Dragon God mean that White Young Master is a monster?"

  "Nonsense!" Longjing Gongzi rolled his eyes: "I just don't know what kind of background he has, whether he's from the demon realm or the underworld, or if he's a lone fox... nor do I know what kind of trouble he's trying to stir up at the Smoke and Rain Pavilion."

  "Bai Gongzi has been in the Smoke and Rain Pavilion for a while now, and he hasn't harmed anyone." I hastily said. My uncle's peach blossoms are blooming.

  "When you eat someone's food, your mouth becomes soft; when you take someone's money, your hands become short." Longjing Gongzi glared at me: "Now I'm sending you to redeem your mistakes, keep a close eye on that Xiang Gongzi for this deity. Whatever he does, report back to me in detail."

  "But Longshen Ye has great divine power, and every move of Meicai is clear. Why does he still need Meicai to report?"

  "What do you know?" Longjing Gongzi glared and said: "This is called heavenly secrets cannot be revealed."

  "The silly lamb runs errands with glee, the silly lamb runs errands with glee!" The melon seeds were pecked clean by the chick, and it flapped its wings and cried out.

  Alas, I don't know why, but I felt like I was being made a fool of, feeling stifled and helpless. Seeing Jin Yezi also getting into trouble, I could only nod in agreement and dejectedly headed back.

  Should I tell Beiluo about the white young master's affair? But even if I did, who would believe me? Maybe I'll just go and give her a hint. However, seeing how lovingly Beiluo and the white young master are together, there really isn't any room for me to intervene, so I might as well take things one step at a time and see if there's any new development tomorrow before making further plans.

  Back home, Father was massaging Mother's waist. Seeing me return, he said: "Mei Cai, Mr. Mo said that the white young master likes to go out during the day and sleep early at night. Currently, there is only one honored guest at the Smoke and Rain Pavilion, so naturally everything will be done with him as the priority. Tomorrow we'll send breakfast but not dinner."