Then the room fell silent.
Once again, Bai Yanzhou was the only person left in Xuanlin Tower.
He sat there for a while, the book still in his hand, though he had completely lost the desire to read.
Eventually, he set it aside, rose to his feet, and walked over to the window.
The moment he pushed it open, the cool night breeze swept into the room, carrying away the lingering smell of alcohol.
Bai Yanzhou closed his eyes for a moment and let the cold wind brush across his face.
When he opened them again, moonlight fell across his features, outlining his sharp jaw and the faint weariness between his brows.
He sighed quietly.
Do I really still hate him?
The question came to him without warning.
Bai Yanzhou looked up at the distant moon.
What had happened all those years ago was not entirely his father’s fault.
In truth, much of it had begun with his mother’s decision.
She had made her choice, and his father had made his.
As for Bai Yanzhou, he had simply been the child caught between them.
For years, he had refused to return.
Part of it was anger, part of it was because he did not know how to face this place, and part of it was because coming back meant remembering everything he had tried not to think about.
Bai Yanzhou lowered his gaze.
Even if he wanted to blame his father, how much of the blame could he truly place on him?
His father’s words surfaced in his mind again.
Don’t leave again.
Bai Yanzhou stood quietly by the window for a long time.
Then his nose twitched.
He paused.
Something smelled strange.
Bai Yanzhou frowned, and the melancholy in his eyes disappeared almost at once.
What’s that smell?
He sniffed again.
It was definitely there.
It wasn’t wine or incense, nor was it the lingering smell of food from the banquet.
Following the scent, Bai Yanzhou looked down into the courtyard.
Then he stopped.
A flock of large white geese was waddling around below.
“Honk!” “Honk!
Honk!” “HONK!” One particularly fat goose flapped its wings and chased another around the courtyard.
The second goose refused to back down and immediately chased it in return.
Before long, several more joined them, filling the courtyard with one honk after another.
Bai Yanzhou stared at them.
The geese stared back.
One of them stretched out its neck.
“HONK!” Bai Yanzhou’s eyebrow twitched.
A moment ago, he had been thinking about his complicated relationship with his father, about the past, about his mother, and about whether he should stay.
Meanwhile, these things were downstairs honking away without a care in the world.
His gaze settled on the fattest goose.
The goose stared back at him.
A few seconds passed.
These geese are really noisy.
Another loud honk came from below.
Bai Yanzhou narrowed his eyes.
Why not roast one?
The thought was ridiculous and had absolutely nothing to do with what he had been thinking about moments ago.
Yet once the idea appeared, it refused to leave.
He looked at the goose again.
Fat, plump, healthy…
It should be tender.
His expression gradually became thoughtful.
As if sensing danger, the goose suddenly took a step backward.
“Honk?” Bai Yanzhou remained expressionless.
A moment later, he disappeared from the window.
Not long afterward, a small fire was burning in the courtyard.
Bai Yanzhou had personally caught one of the fattest geese, and the whole process had been remarkably quick.
The poor goose barely had time to protest before its fate was decided.
Soon, it had been cleaned, seasoned, and placed over the fire.
Bai Yanzhou rolled up his sleeves and sat beside the flames, slowly turning the goose.
Sizzle…
Fat dripped onto the hot coals with a crackle, sending sparks into the air.
Under the heat of the fire, the skin gradually turned golden, and a rich aroma began to spread through the courtyard.
At first, the smell was faint, but it soon grew stronger and stronger until the aroma of roasted goose completely covered the lingering scent of wine drifting over from the distant banquet hall.
Bai Yanzhou took a breath.
His mood immediately improved.
Perhaps roasting a goose was better than sitting around thinking.
He turned it again.
The golden skin crackled as another drop of fat fell into the fire.
Leaning back slightly, Bai Yanzhou looked up at the night sky.
The moon was still bright, the stars scattered across the darkness, and the night breeze still carried the chill of early spring.
Yet beside the fire, everything felt a little warmer.
For a while, he said nothing and simply watched the flames.
Perhaps he was only roasting a goose.
Or perhaps the warmth of the fire and the smell of food were helping him forget, if only for a little while, the bitterness he had carried for so many years.
“Honk!” Bai Yanzhou looked up.
The remaining geese had gathered several steps away.
They stood together, unusually quiet, staring at him.
Bai Yanzhou looked at them.
The geese looked at the roasted goose over the fire, then slowly looked back at Bai Yanzhou.
The courtyard suddenly fell silent.
Bai Yanzhou raised an eyebrow.
“What?” The geese scattered at once.
“HONK!
HONK!
HONK!” Bai Yanzhou stared after them, speechless.
Then he lowered his gaze to the goose roasting over the fire.
For the first time that night, the corner of his mouth lifted slightly.
Perhaps coming home wasn’t quite as unbearable as he had thought.
That night, Bai Manor remained as lively as ever.
Drunken guests continued laughing in the banquet hall, while servants hurried back and forth between the guest courtyards.
Red lanterns swayed beneath the eaves, and scarlet silk fluttered gently under the moonlight.
Everywhere was filled with the festive joy of the wedding celebration.
Only now, something unexpected had joined it.
The warm, rich aroma of roasted goose drifted out from Xuanlin Tower and slowly spread through the night.
One passing servant suddenly stopped and sniffed the air.
Another servant stopped beside him.
“Do you smell that?” “…Roasted meat?” The first servant sniffed again, then turned toward Xuanlin Tower.
“No.
Roasted goose.” The two looked at each other before turning toward the distant tower.
Neither said another word.
And neither dared to ask.
And so, on the night of Bai Manor’s grand wedding celebration, beneath the red lanterns, the bright stars, and the silver moon, the festive air carried the strangely tempting aroma of roasted goose.