Quick Travel to the Clouds

Chapter 498 Koi Little Lucky Star 27

The two of them called the maid who was guarding the door outside to come in and help them wash and dress.

Under the respectful and curious gazes of the maids, Yun Chu tried hard to maintain the dignity and propriety of the mistress of the house, but the slightly red tips of her ears and the occasional flashes when her eyes met Ji Qingyuan's still revealed the bride's shyness and the joy of being a new wife.

Ji Qingyuan sat beside her and looked at Yun Chu in the mirror with a calm demeanor. Occasionally, when he helped her tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, his fingertips lingered on her cheek affectionately, which was enough to make Yun Chu's heart skip a beat.

As she dressed, Yun Chu habitually picked up the twin bamboo hairpins. Her fingertips touched the cool jade, and the memory of him personally tying her hair last night replayed vividly. Just as she was about to put it on herself, a warm hand gently held her back.

"I'll do it." Ji Qingyuan had finished washing up and changed into a bamboo green casual suit. Although it was no longer as flamboyant as the auspicious suit he wore last night, it looked more elegant and reserved.

He took the hairpin from Yun Chu's hand, and as if performing some sacred ritual, he walked behind her and carefully gathered up her long, cloud-like hair.

His movements were still not as skillful as Yun Chu's own, and even a little clumsy, but his concentration and gentleness were accompanied by unquestionable strength.

He carefully tied her hair into a neat, simple bun, no longer the casual style of a young girl before her wedding, but the dignified style of a newlywed woman. Then, he solemnly and steadily pinned the bamboo hairpin, a symbol of their love and a witness to their ups and downs, into the center of the bun.

"From now on, I will braid your hair every day until you are old." He whispered the promise to her in the mirror.

It is not the youthful vigor of "binding it, hiding it, and protecting it", but the long-lasting companionship.

He held her shoulders, bent slightly, and put his cheek against her warm cheek. A pair of figures were reflected in the mirror. The twin bamboos on the hairpin seemed to stretch out their branches in the morning light, foreshadowing the countless days and nights of companionship in the future.

Yun Chu looked at the figures leaning on each other in the mirror, at the jade hairpin deeply inserted in her hair, at the mature and steady man beside her, whose eyes were filled with growing love, and the last trace of dust in her heart about the change of identity brought about by marriage settled.

We will share the wind and rain, and visit each other every morning and evening. In the long journey ahead, with such green bamboos with intertwined roots and upright joints as our companions, what is there to fear?

She gently placed her hand on his shoulder and her fingertips traced the thin callus on his palm. It was the mark of ten years of hard study, and it was also the power that now held her future.

Yun Chu turned around and smiled, his eyes filled with clear trust and tenderness: "Okay."

Outside the window, the sun is shining brightly, shining on the newly planted bamboos in the courtyard, making them lush and full of vitality.

A new day, a new identity, a new life, just like this growing green bamboo, slowly and firmly unfolding its branches and leaves in the warm spring sunshine.

The ten days of marriage passed like quicksand through fingers, swiftly blending intimacy and the busyness of managing the household for the first time.

The bride's return home and the rituals of offering sacrifices to ancestors have been completed, and the newly planted green bamboos in the yard are becoming more and more upright.

Ji Qingyuan's vacation is over and the day of returning to Beijing is imminent.

On this day, the sunset glowed like gold, painting the courtyard with the hue of parting.

Three carriages were waiting in front of the door.

Ji Qingyuan was wearing a green cloud-patterned uniform, his figure was as graceful as a bamboo, and the newfound satisfaction between his brows had settled into a more steady sense of attachment and responsibility.

Ji Mingzhi, dressed in an elegant navy blue gown, exuded his usual calm wisdom. His eyes swept across the courtyard where his son and daughter-in-law had lived for ten days, with a sigh of leaving their hometown and some expectations for a new life.

Yun Chu checked his luggage one last time to make sure that all the important items needed for his residence in the capital were intact.

She took a deep breath and suppressed the complex emotions of reluctance to leave her hometown and longing for the unknown life in the capital.

When she turned and walked towards her waiting husband, her expression had returned to her usual calm and gentle expression. The sky-blue waist-length skirt she wore highlighted her slender and graceful waist. The twin bamboo hairpins in her hair were still warm in the twilight, serving as both a witness to the past and a token of the future.

"Is everything settled?" Ji Qingyuan naturally reached out and steadily took the hand she handed over.

His palms were broad and warm, his strength gentle but unbreakable. At the busy doorway, he conveyed silent comfort: Although the journey was long, he was with you.

"Yes." Yun Chu looked up at him, a gentle smile on her lips, "Everything in the capital has been arranged, just waiting for you to take over."

Ji Mingzhi nodded beside him: "My wife has always been prudent in her work. Thank you for your hard work."

Without too much sadness and a simple farewell to the neighbors, the group of carriages and horses drove away in the twilight along the official road leading to the capital, leaving this city that left so many precious memories.

The wheels rolled, crushing the dust on the way home, carrying a brand new home, heading to the feet of the emperor where flowers are blooming but there are also deep undercurrents.

Despite the long journey, Ji Qingyuan always placed Yun Chu in the most stable carriage and made very detailed arrangements for her food and accommodation along the way.

At night, they would stay at the post house or inn, and they would either chat about the past and present with Ji Mingzhi, or Ji Qingyuan and Yun Chu would be alone in a room, under the flickering red candlelight. Sometimes he would read a book at night, while she would quietly sort out the text messages from Yun's property.

Sometimes he would put down his book, hold her in his arms, and whisper to her about his experiences and anecdotes in the capital.

His hands no longer just stroked her hair out of emotion, but also naturally massaged her shoulders and neck that were stiff from long car rides.

The clumsy yet extremely serious skill of hair-tying has actually become somewhat methodical when practiced every morning. Although it is still not perfect, the black hair tied up with a jade hairpin has long become an indispensable and gentle ritual of the day.

Ji Mingzhi saw the intimacy between the young couple, and his initial worry was gradually replaced by relief.

The son's eyes, which once seemed deep due to his obsession, now have a settled light of satisfied and determined tenderness.

The towering gates of the capital city are in sight, and the bustling sounds of the city are gradually heard.

The mansion that Yun Chu bought was located in a quiet alley in Nanxunfang (the Hanlin Academy editors did not have imperial mansions, and most of the scholars from poor families rented houses).

As Yunchu had predicted, the place had already been spruced up by the trusted personnel she had sent ahead of time. The white walls and black tiles, the elegant door lintel, and the two stone lions in front of the door were clean and majestic, exuding a low-key nobility.

The house has a spacious layout. There is a small pond in the courtyard with running water, and several flowers and trees are dotted around. What's even better is that in a quiet corner of the backyard, several clumps of bamboos have been transplanted!

Although it was not as large as the bamboo forest in his hometown, the familiar green color stretching in the wind instantly calmed the hearts of Ji Qingyuan and his son.

The housekeeper had already been waiting inside the door with a group of servants. They were all people carefully selected by Yun Chu. They were well-behaved and knew how to act.

Ji Mingzhi was welcomed by the housekeeper into the elegant courtyard that had been arranged for him.

Ji Qingyuan stood under the eaves in front of the main hall, looking back at his bride with bright eyes beside him, and said sincerely: "My wife is good at managing the family, thank you for your hard work."

He was only a sixth-rank editor in the Hanlin Academy and could not be considered a high-ranking official in the capital. However, looking at the attentiveness and orderly management of the mansion, it was clear that the meticulous planning behind it could only be done by a nobleman.

Yun Chu just chuckled: "You and I are husband and wife. My husband is loyal to his duties outside, and the trivial matters at home are my concubine's responsibility."