Chapter 22: The Art of Retaining Youth

  Xu Wuyan walked in the falling cherry blossom garden, looking at these extremely short-lived cherry blossoms that bloomed to their fullest and then withered away instantly. Their appearance was similar to a woman's face, which could stir a man's heartstrings in an instant, leading him to wait endlessly within the high walls of the courtyard until his beauty faded away.

  Arrange Shao Qian and Fang Zhuohan to wait for themselves in the bamboo garden, but Xu Wuyan suddenly remembered the appointment of true heart visit to San Furen Ling Wenqing that day; coincidentally, they slipped away from them and came to Luoying Garden to take a look at the girl who should be as brilliant as this cherry blossom.

  The creaky wooden door opened with a squeak, and a long, flowing dress in a light lotus color trailed on the ground, its hem curling up like smoke. Her eyebrows were lightly painted, her lips were lightly rouged, and her cheeks, powdered to a delicate complexion, were as tender and lovely as cherry blossoms. Her long hair cascaded down like a waterfall, tied back with only one red ribbon, making her look like an immortal maiden from a secluded valley.

  "Ah, you're here?" Ling Wenqing said with a smile, looking at Xu Wuyan's charming and hesitant expression. "I heard the footsteps, light and hesitant, I knew it was definitely you!"

  Ling Wenqing's words were like a clear spring flowing over the mountain stream, crystal clear and moving, making those who heard them feel a softness rising from the bottom of their hearts. "Are you feeling better today?" Xu Wuyan walked forward, unaware that his own voice had also become softer.

  "After taking the supplements you sent, I've improved a lot! It's rare for you to visit me today, let's appreciate the cherry blossoms together?" Ling Wenqing held his ex-wife Xu Wuyan's hand like a little girl, with a hint of entreaty.

  Xu Wuyan smiled and faced the 'girl', seemingly having no possibility of refusal, Ling Wenqing's appearance gave Xu Wuyan a kind of desire to understand from the heart; Xu Wuyan followed Ling Wenqing in the midst of cherry blossoms, finding that today's Ling Wenqing seemed younger and more beautiful, with a kind of desperate beauty that was about to bloom.

  "From the moment I first saw cherry blossoms, I fell in love with these short-lived yet vibrant flowers; someone once told me a story about a cherry blossom fairy, do you want to hear it?" Ling Wenqing lovingly brushed past each cherry blossom tree as she walked, suddenly turning her head to look at Xu Wuyan with an intense gaze full of longing, shining with a light that Xu Wuyan had never seen before.

  Xu Wuyan smiled and nodded, "I really want to know, such a beautiful 'flower' will have what kind of moving story!"

  Ling Wenqing smiled with a hint of excitement, "Once upon a time, there was a girl named Sakura and a boy named Tora. They grew up together since childhood and had deep feelings for each other. When Sakura was 10 years old, Tora picked a beautiful flower from somewhere and put it on her head, telling her that this was the most beautiful flower in the world and could only be worn by the girl he loved the most in his lifetime..."

  Ling Wenqing's gaze passed through the cherry blossom trees, and she didn't know where to settle down.

  "What's next?" Xu asked in a low voice.

  Later, Tora brought Sakura to a bustling and noisy place. Sakura was deeply attracted by the bustle and prosperity there, so much so that she gradually ignored Tora's existence...

  Ling Wenqing paused for a moment, stretched out his hand to catch the falling cherry blossom, and carefully protected it in the palm of his hand, as if it were a treasure. "Later, the cherry blossom met a handsome young man, who fell deeply in love with the cherry blossom at first sight, and even planted many trees that the cherry blossom loved! The cherry blossom was so moved and infatuated that even when Hu Zi left heartbroken, it didn't bring the cherry blossom back to its senses..."

  "Afterwards, did Sakura 'flower' see Tora again?" Xu Wuyan listened carefully to every word that Ling Wenqing said. The special dark red mark behind her ear made Xu Wuyan feel suspicious, but she couldn't say what was wrong with it;

  "No! The cherry blossom married the elegant young master and lived in that bustling place; Moreover, the tiger son took the most beautiful 'flower' and named it cherry blossom; From then on, the cherry blossom guarded her beloved thing and spent her days in peace!" Ling Wenqing told a woman's life with no ripples, with a hint of sorrowful voice, but couldn't hear any other flavors.

  "Third Aunt, it seems that Eldest Uncle has been poisoned. I think it's best if you don't come into contact with him for the next few days!" Xu Wuyan suddenly remembered that Xu Qing would definitely come to Luojing Garden every few days and couldn't help but remind her.

  Ling Wenqing's eyes narrowed, then he smiled indifferently, "It seems that the master's affairs are not for me, a concubine, to manage. I won't seek trouble for myself!" Ling Wenqing turned around, but didn't expect his clothes to be caught on a cherry blossom branch, revealing half of his arm.

  "Be careful!" Xu Wuyan went forward to help Ling Wencheng take down the clothes that were stuck, a cherry blossom-shaped mark appeared in front of Xu Wuyan's eyes, and the bright red cherry blossom mark was even more striking against the snowy white skin.

  "It's nothing... nothing!" Ling Wenching hastily pulled over his sleeve to cover the red mark, his expression showing a hint of tension that he tried to conceal.

  "Is that a birthmark?" Xǔ Wúyán asked, why is the cherry blossom-shaped birthmark so strange? Are the dense red dots that make up the cherry blossoms born naturally?

  "No! Not that! It's... it's the one my mother used to wear when she was young, with a single hairpin!" Ling Wenqing explained with an unnatural smile.

  "Oh!" Xu Wuyan responded, then looked at Ling Wenqing who seemed unnatural and probably recalled some unpleasant memories due to his abrupt question. "It's getting windy, you're not feeling well, why don't you go back inside and rest? I won't bother you anymore!"

  Ling Wenqing nodded slightly, "Thanks for coming to see me!"

  After sending Ling Wenching back to her room, Xu Wuyan left the Falling Sakura Garden. Along the way, Ling Wenching's words, actions and expressions kept appearing in Xu Wuyan's mind. Xu Wuyan felt like he was trapped in a complex and chaotic thought, trying his best to find the source but couldn't.

  "Miss! You're back!" Zhu Mo couldn't help but step forward and say when he saw Xu Wuyan, who seemed a bit out of it.

  Xu Wuyan glanced at Zhu Mo and said, "Oh! I'll take this opportunity to pay a visit to Third Madam!"

  "Director Shao and the others are all waiting for you in the room!" Zhu Mo suddenly remembered that he had gone to deliver medicine to Third Madam, and had never seen such a beautiful face before. "Miss! Don't you think that Third Madam has become much more beautiful? I've never seen anyone of her age who can be so stunningly beautiful!" Zhu Mo said with an extremely envious tone.

  "Do you also think that Third Madame is exceptionally beautiful?" Xū Wúyán suddenly stared at Zhú Mò and asked.

  "Yes! Every time I see her, she seems to be even more beautiful than before!" Zhū Mò, although also finding San Furen's beauty strange, had witnessed it with his own eyes and couldn't help but believe it.

  "The Art of Preserving One's Beauty" floated in Xu Wuyan's mind, and he originally thought that Ling Wenqing's beauty was just his own illusion. Now it seemed that things were not as simple as they appeared to be.

  Xu Wuyan sorted out several urgent questions in her mind, perhaps Shao Qian and the others could help her find the answers; thinking of this, her desire for the truth was like a rope that tightly bound Xu Wuyan's heart, making her eager to seek the final answer.