Xie Zhi still paid for the candied hawthorn. Amid the old man's repeated praise, he didn't blush or falter, and led Yuan Yingti onward.
Yuan Yingti's steps were light with delight, her whole body relaxed, and even the hand holding his had gone loose and casual.
Xie Zhi applied a bit more strength, gripping her hand tighter, and said to her, lowering his head, "Miss, if you don't eat the candied hawthorn soon, it'll melt."
Yuan Yingti came back to her senses and quickly nodded.
She pinched the bamboo skewer and carefully brought the candied hawthorn into her veiled hat, taking a gentle bite.
She had been eager for the taste of the candied hawthorn, but when she actually tasted it… her nose wrinkled.
So sweet, cloyingly sweet.
Unwilling to give up, she took another small bite of the fruit. A sour taste filled her mouth, and she swallowed it with difficulty.
It wasn't good. She didn't like the taste of candied hawthorn.
But A-Nu had bought it for her, and the old man selling the candied hawthorn had been so enthusiastic. Yuan Yingti felt too embarrassed to say it wasn't good, so she held up the candied hawthorn, intending to close her eyes and take another bite.
But her wrist was caught, and a man's low voice reached her ear: "Miss, if you don't like something, you don't have to eat it."
Yuan Yingti grew uneasy, hesitating over the candied hawthorn about to enter her mouth.
"If you don't like something, you don't have to eat it. If you don't like doing something, you don't have to do it." As he spoke, he moved to take the candied hawthorn from her. Yuan Yingti hesitated and didn't let go.
Xie Zhi couldn't help himself. He raised a hand and pressed it on the half of her head exposed above the veiled hat.
"Miss, have you remembered my words?"
His hand pressed heavily on her head. Yuan Yingti stood obediently, silently repeating his words in her mind, and said without much confidence, "I-I've remembered."
Only then did Xie Zhi pat her head and withdraw his hand. Her head felt nice—round, smooth, and fragrant. Xie Zhi rubbed his fingers, still savoring the feeling, and pulled the candied hawthorn from her hand.
He lowered his eyes and bit off the half candied hawthorn she had left.
The plump, fiery-red hawthorn wrapped in crisp sugar coating was sweet and sour—very delicious.
But he had known from the start that the young miss wouldn't like this kind of thing.
She was picky with her food. She didn't care for anything bought at the market; she only liked what he made.
Xie Zhi ate them one by one and quickly finished the whole skewer of candied hawthorn. Just then, they passed by the entrance of Sanniang's cloth shop. Summer was approaching, and it was time to buy Yuan Yingti some summer clothes, so he led her inside.
The moment the two stepped through the door, Sanniang immediately came up to greet them warmly.
"Sir, you've brought your lady out today?" Sanniang called out with a smile, sizing them up. "You two are truly a match made in heaven. The moment you walked in, my shop lit up!"
Yuan Yingti smiled behind her veiled hat, and Xie Zhi's lips curved slightly. He asked Sanniang, "We want to make several sets of summer clothes. Do you have any good fabric?"
"Yes, yes, yes!" Sanniang quickly led them inside. "We just got some fine goods in."
Because of Xie Zhi, a big customer, Sanniang's shop had specially stocked several bolts of expensive silk these past days. She had her assistant carefully carry out these delicate fabrics and lay them flat on the counter covered with fine brocade.
"Sir and lady, take a look—is there anything you like?"
These fabrics shimmered with a water-like luster; one glance told they were worth a fortune. Xie Zhi turned his face and asked Yuan Yingti, "Would you like to try?"
Yuan Yingti nodded, reaching out to gently run her fingers over the laid-out fabrics. The silks were all soft and smooth, so she asked, "What patterns are there?"
Sanniang introduced them enthusiastically: "The piece by your hand, madam, is indigo with a treasure-gourd pattern. This design is both wealthy and beautiful. Worn on you, madam, it will surely set off your elegance and grace, your noble and magnificent bearing…"
Sanniang's tongue was like a lotus flower, one sentence after another, praising to the skies.
Yuan Yingti drew back her fingertips, her face conflicted beneath the veiled hat.
She did not like the gourd pattern, but Sanniang was still praising it without pause.
Yuan Yingti felt too embarrassed to refuse. Just as she was about to nod and agree, a faint voice came from beside her ear: "Miss, have you forgotten what I said just now so quickly?"
Yuan Yingti hurriedly said in a small voice, "I remember, I remember."
She clenched her fingers, let out a breath beneath the veiled hat, and summoned her courage: "Shop—shopkeeper, I don't really like this one. Do you have others?"
"Of course!" Sanniang turned her head and began praising the next bolt. "The piece beside you, miss, is light pink with embroidered golden-branch orchids. Look how vividly the orchids are embroidered. Your skin is fair, madam—worn on you, you will surely be as beautiful as a flower!"
Sanniang's phrases came in set after set. Yuan Yingti listened in a daze, and at the word "orchids," her eyes beneath the veiled hat lit up slightly.
She liked orchids.
After Sanniang finished introducing them all in one breath, she nodded and said, "Then this one."
"Alright, madam has excellent taste." Sanniang noted it down with a smile.
After choosing this piece, Yuan Yingti went on to pick several other fabrics one after another. With the experience from just now, her refusals grew smoother and smoother, and in the end, she chose quite a few fabrics she liked.
Yuan Yingti was very happy, so excited that her cheeks flushed red. Sanniang was also beaming, her abacus clicking away.
When they left, the two waved goodbye with smiles. Xie Zhi silently took out two heavy bundles of silver.
It was almost noon, and the streets were gradually growing hot. Xie Zhi bought two pig leg bones and some vegetables, then led Yuan Yingti back.
She was in a very good mood, her steps as she walked almost buoyant.
Back at home, Yuan Yingti took off the veiled hat, the smile on her lips not yet faded.
Very naturally, she let go of his hand and went inside to change clothes.
His hand was suddenly empty. Xie Zhi raised his palm—they had held hands all morning, and his palm was red.
He rotated his wrist uncomfortably. The suddenly empty space between his fingers seemed to let the wind through. He curled his five fingers and stretched them out again, back and forth for a long while, before returning to normal.
…
For lunch, Xie Zhi stewed the pig leg bones. As Yuan Yingti ate, her face still carried a smile.
After finishing lunch, she wanted to wash her hair. Xie Zhi went to boil water, and Yuan Yingti lay on the rattan chair in the courtyard.
When Xie Zhi came back after boiling the water, he saw she was still smiling.
Her lips curved, showing a bit of snowy white teeth, smiling more beautifully than spring flowers.
Xie Zhi rolled up his sleeves and undid her long black braid from behind. Looking at the faint dimples on her face, he said, "Is miss really this happy?"
Yuan Yingti did not know why she kept wanting to smile either. She nodded sheepishly.
"Then I'll take miss out often from now on." Xie Zhi scooped up water, and the warm stream flowed down along her hair.
The splashing of water sounded. Yuan Yingti bit her lip and did not respond to his words.
She knew she should keep her father's words firmly in mind, that she could not always go out and make a fool of herself…
But today, she had also remembered A-Nu's words.
A-Nu said that if she didn't like something, she didn't have to do it.
…She didn't like being cooped up in the courtyard all the time.
Yuan Yingti's face showed difficulty.
Whose words should she listen to?
Xie Zhi watched her troubled expression, a smile at the corners of his lips.
She was teachable—that she hadn't voiced any resistance was already great progress.
Xie Zhi wasn't in a hurry, nor did he press her to agree. He casually changed the subject: "Is there anything else the young lady wants?"
"Hm?" Yuan Yingti tilted her head slightly upward.
"What else could please the young lady? Tell me, and I'll go get it."
At the mention of this, Yuan Yingti perked up.
She did indeed have something she wanted recently, but she had been keeping it in her heart without mentioning it, not wanting to trouble him. But today she felt encouraged, and seeing how he indulged her, she tentatively spoke up: "A-Nu, could you buy me a few storybooks?"
She used to fall asleep listening to storybooks being read. Now that she couldn't, she felt very out of sorts.
Yuan Yingti looked up with expectant eyes.
It was just a few storybooks—hardly worth her bringing up specially. Xie Zhi agreed and asked her: "What kind does the young lady want to read?"
"Anything is fine," Yuan Yingti said. She wasn't picky; she could listen to anything.
"Alright, I've noted it down. Next time I go to the market, I'll buy them for the young lady."
"A-Nu, you're so good." She praised him with sparkling eyes.
Xie Zhi chuckled softly. Her black hair was smooth and lustrous, without a trace of dirt, and carried a fragrance uniquely hers. Xie Zhi slid his fingers into her roots, slowly massaging.
His fingers were strong, pressing against her scalp.
Yuan Yingti closed her eyes in comfort.
There was no wind in the warm courtyard, only the occasional splashing of water.
When it came time to rinse her hair for the final time, Xie Zhi gazed at her face.
Her eyes were closed, her two hands resting obediently folded on her lower abdomen, rising and falling gently with her breathing.
"Young lady?" Xie Zhi called softly, but heard no response.
She had fallen asleep.
Her first trip to the market—she was probably exhausted.
Xie Zhi scooped water and continued rinsing. His gaze inadvertently drifted to her hands folded on her lower abdomen.
Those hands had just held his.
Xie Zhi's gaze fell directly on her hands.
Jade bones slender and fair, white as porcelain—such beautiful hands, soft and warm when holding his.
What if they held somewhere else?
Xie Zhi's Adam's apple bobbed. The water in his hand tilted at that moment, and the warm water ran down Yuan Yingti's neck, soaking into her collar.
"Mmm…" Yuan Yingti woke.
Xie Zhi's dark lashes lowered. When he lifted the wooden ladle, the splashed water landed on his wrist, and his sleeve got wet too.
"Sorry, young lady. I didn't hold it steady just now." He calmly admitted the fault.
Yuan Yingti had just woken from a light sleep, her mind still a bit slow: "It's fine, A-Nu. Are we done washing?"
"Yes."
Xie Zhi helped her dry her hair and supported her as she rose.
The wet collar clung to her snow-white neck. He watched silently for a while.
Yuan Yingti accidentally brushed against his sleeve and noticed his cuff was also wet, so she took a handkerchief from her bosom and handed it to him.
"A-Nu, you wipe too. Be careful not to catch a cold."
Xie Zhi withdrew his gaze, took her handkerchief, and gave a muffled "mm."
That night, the white moon sank in the west. Moonlight, like thin gauze soaked in water, poured down heavily.
Xie Zhi didn't sleep. He lay on his back, a handkerchief covering his face.
The fragrance on the handkerchief was faint and subtle. He breathed it in deeply, his breathing gradually quickening.
After a long while, he arched his neck and let out a stifled groan.
Xie Zhi got up and went out to wash his hands.
Under the moonlight, his face was calm, his expression composed.
He was a man; occasionally doing this was perfectly normal.