Zhou Zishu took out his flask, swung it in his hand, and poured himself a cup of wine. He did not look at him, and did nothing more than interrupt, “Got it. Get lost, and don’t die.”

Wen Kexing smiled soundlessly, and left him two words: “Take care”. The next moment, he was no longer there, leaving an empty windowsill cooled by the breeze, as though there had never been a person sitting there in the first place.

Zhou Zishu downed the cup of wine in one go.

[1] From Qing Dynasty poet Huang Jingren’s Qihuai.

[2] From Bai Juyi’s Song of Everlasting Sorrow, describing how the Yang family’s child (the famed Consort Yang) has grown into a beautiful maiden.

[3] From Li Bai’s 南陵别儿童入京 (Leaving My Family in Nanling For The Capital)

[4]Bear’s paw was a delicacy as early as the Zhou dynasty, though it has been outlawed in contemporary times as bears are now endangered.

[5] The original quote from Bai Juyi’s The Song of Everlasting Regret is 天长地久有时尽，此恨绵绵无绝期: Even the eternal sky and earth will fade one day, but this regret is everlasting.

[6]太岁头上动土(lit. “breaking ground above Tai Sui”): Folk legend has it that if you break ground beneath where the celestial object Tai Sui hangs, you’ll discover a meat-like object that is a physical manifestation of Tai Sui--it’s a vicious omen and can draw tragedy to you.

[7] 仁义礼智: Originally three virtues proposed by Confucius, but expounded and increased to four by Mencius--charity, loyalty, good etiquette, diligence in learning

Chapter 68: Letting Go

After walking for a stretch of time, Cao Weining realized that Gu Xiang was being quiet. She had been, ever since that scene of turmoil from the start of the night.

Gao Xiaolian, a reserved young woman, was not especially familiar with them, and was just fine with not speaking on her own initiative, merely following behind them distantly while she carefully helped Zhang Chengling with leading the reins; the little guy was holding his new Great Famine sword in his arms while dozing off on the horse’s back. His drool was flowing onto its neck, dampening its hair and causing the little horse to shake its head the whole time.

Cao Weining gathered in close to Gu Xiang, leaned down, then tilted his head to take a careful measure of her expression. “What’s wrong?” he asked. “Did you not sleep well, either?”

She looked at him listlessly, then lowered her head, the spitting image of a young wife. That only frightened him, though. Believing that she had eaten something spoiled, he quickly reached out to feel her forehead, thinking to himself, This woman that always jumps around and all about is being very docile… she couldn’t have fallen ill, right?