Chapter 314 - Hot Mountain Springs Villa 14
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Jiang Yeqian gave Xiao Wuji the relevant information on Qi Qingyao. After reading the notes, Xiao Wuji and Gu Cheng went silent for a long time. That country bumpkin actually knew Master Architect Li Qinglian? Their Feixian Pavilion in Eastern Ling was the proud masterpiece of the very same Master Architect Li Qinglian!
How was that possible?
Gu Cheng also could not make head nor tail of it despite giving it a lot of thought.
It was also stated on the report that she had cured the Lord Heir of Northern Liang, Pei Fengtang, of his stubborn poisoning! That led people to think that she was also connected to the Divine Physician Su Hexiao! This was getting really interesting.
Xiao Wuji went into deep thought for a long time before he spoke to Gu Cheng again.
“If the few grand master level experts are going to congregate in Qingzhou City in a short time, then we shouldn’t be in a hurry to go back. We can stay here and get in on the action.”
Gu Cheng replied with a smile, “Hahaha, I’m really looking forward to the seven grand masters congregating in Qingzhou City. That would be quite a sight.”
Xiao Wuji thought for a bit and corrected him, “There’s no way all seven grand masters will come. Some will definitely remain on guard at their posts. At most, only one grand master from each nation would come check on the situation.”
Gu Cheng said, “That’s exciting enough.” Having three grand masters in Qingzhou City already made for quite a scary situation. It was hard to say if this might lead to an irremediable situation.
This excitement.
It would likely become an exceptionally grand occasion that would capture worldwide attention.
They had arrived early, and had even positioned themselves well for the event.
Xiao Wuji suddenly thought of something. He said to Gu Cheng, “Say, should we send a messenger hawk to Mo Yang? To let him know that there’s someone who’s the spitting image of him here.”
“No need.” Gu Cheng rejected the idea and retorted, “The world is vast, is it so strange that there are two people who look alike?”
Xiao Wuji, “...” It was indeed not strange when put that way.
So, there was no need for them to send him a message.
..
Qi Qingyao went to bed and slept till midnight. However, she was unable to fall asleep at all and was kept awake by hunger! She suddenly remembered that she had not eaten anything during dinner that evening as she had been busy watching the performances and keeping an eye on the three little fellows. She climbed up from her bed, looking at the children as they slept so soundly. Qi Qingyao dressed herself up and took a look at the wind and snow outside before putting on an extra white-furred overcoat!
She did not comb her hair and simply let it hang down.
She gingerly walked out the door.
The veranda was in complete silence and the heavy snow had covered the entire courtyard some time ago. There was snow everywhere she looked.
Qi Qingyao thought to herself that Qingzhou City not only had a huge wealth gap, but even the weather was quite unbearable! There was too much rain and snow during winter! She much preferred the climate in Jiangnan.
Sighing, Qi Qingyao walked toward the kitchen.
When they entered the place that morning, Lu Yan had told her some things. She followed along the veranda path and walked past two chuihua doors before finally, she spotted the Hualian Mountain Springs Villa’s large kitchen.
In the silence, Qi Qingyao carried her copper lantern as walked into the room after opening the door. Right after she put the copper lantern down nearby, the door was suddenly pushed open again. Qi Qingyao jumped in surprise and turned around quickly. What greeted her gaze was a very plump girl. She looked seventeen and was about 1.6 meters tall, weighing at possibly about a hundred and five.. she was quite fat. She was wearing a red fur coat and, under the shining lights, Qi Qingyao thought the girl looked chubby and very cute.
The little lady had also been surprised by Qi Qingyao. After she recomposed herself, she asked, “Who are you? Have you also come to sneak some food?”
Qi Qingyao scratched her head awkwardly, having been caught red-handed sneaking food. “I... was hungry. So I came to the kitchen looking for something to eat.”
The fat girl looked very excited to learn that there was someone else like her who had come to steal food. After she put down her own copper lantern, she excitedly lifted open a cover and pointed at the confectioneries inside to Qi Qingyao. Qi Qingyao went over and the girl gave her two pieces of confectionery. Qi Qingyao accepted them, asking as she ate them, “What’s your name?”
The lady was easygoing. She answered, her voice muffled as she ate, “I’m Gu Shanshan, and you?”
“I’m Qi Qingyao,” Qi Qingyao replied.
The two sat in the corner of the kitchen, hugging the plate of confectioneries as they munched away. Qi Qingyao had a somewhat good first impression of this chubby lady.
“I know you, I saw you during the day. You had three adorable children by your side,” muttered Gu Shanshan as she was eating.
Qi Qingyao was a little startled. It seemed that the three little fellows caught attention wherever they went!
Gu Shanshan was really enjoying the food.
Under the dim yellow lights, Gu Shanshan tilted her head and looked at Qi Qingyao, suddenly saying, “You look a little like a brother of mine.”
“Your brother?” Why were there so many people saying that she looked like someone else these past two days! That lunatic back then said she looked like some love interest of his and now this lady said she looked like her brother. Were her features so common? Qi Qingyao was starting to doubt herself.
Gu Shanshan gnawed on the confectionery like a little hamster. “He’s not my actual brother. He’s just really good friends with my brother and a few others. That’s why I call him Brother.”
“Is that so? Then it’s my honor,” Qi Qingyao said.
Gu Shanshan noted her unbothered tone and said seriously, “Seriously, you really do look like him.”
Qi Qingyao replied calmly, “The world is huge, it’s not weird for two people to look similar. There are two people back in my village who look just like sisters. But they were not even from the same mother.” Zhang Ziyi and Tong Yao looked very similar!?Zhang Yishan was the spitting image of Xia Yu! Not to mention Zhang Mo and Jaycee Chan! Wang Luodan and Bai Baihe...
Were they all twins or blood-related siblings?
They were not.
historical
That was why Qi Qingyao did not find this unusual.
Gu Shanshan heard what she said and was stunned. Thinking about it, it made sense.
It was not unusual for there to be doppelgangers in the world.
The two leaned together and finished the plate of confectioneries. Suddenly, in the middle of the night, a muffled flute sounded from the back of the villa. The sound of the flute in the dead of night was rather clear, but also a little bit sudden.
Gu Shanshan raised her head questioningly, “What’s that sound?”
Qi Qingyao got up and cradled her head. “Someone’s playing the flute in the dead of the night, do they not want to let people sleep?”
“The flute sounds to be quite far away.” Gu Shanshan’s small chubby face was filled with curiosity.
Qi Qingyao thought for a moment then asked, “Do you want to go take a look?”
“If you want to go, I’ll accompany you!” Gu Shanshan looked excited.
Qi Qingyao already generally enjoyed getting involved in exciting things. Hearing this type of flute sound in the middle of the night made her even more curious. After she and Gu Shanshan left the kitchen, the two held up the copper lanterns and walked toward the direction of the music. Gu Shanshan said as she walked, “I have a feeling that this flutist is feeling slightly troubled.”
“Not only troubled, but also likely laden with heavy thoughts,” Qi Qingyao added.
Gu Shanshan looked at her with surprise. “You’ve learned about flutes?”
“I don’t, it’s just a feeling,” Qi Qingyao answered with a shake of her head.
After walking for about ten minutes, the sound of the flute became clearer and clearer. Gu Shanshan’s eyes were sharp and she pointed at one of the roofs. A young man was sitting on the rooftop, a black flute in his hand.
The man wore a black suit which contrasted sharply against the white snow.
Gu Shanshan looked at the person playing the flute on the roof. “The flutist is kinda good-looking ”
The flutist on the roof was someone she knew—Jiang Yeqian! “He is quite handsome,” Qi Qingyao agreed. ‘That guy actually knows how to play the flute? Why had he never played it back then?’
Gu Shanshan pointed at the young man. “You know him. My brother said he’s the Head Grand Secretariat of Northern Liang.”
“Who is your brother?” Qi Qingyao asked.
“My brother is Gu Cheng,” answered Gu Shanshan.
Who was Gu Cheng?
Qi Qingyao did not know him.
Gu Shanshan watched the man playing the flute, her expression smitten while constantly whispering to herself. Qi Qingyao leaned against one of the pillars, listening to the sound of the flute while thinking, ‘What is he thinking, playing the flute in the middle of the night? Is his brain empty? He should think about the people who are sleeping soundly.’
Suddenly.
The sound of the flute stopped abruptly.
The man’s beautiful baritone voice sounded sharply.
“Who’s there?”
Qi Qingyao, “???”
The man appeared right in front of them before she and Gu Shanshan could even react.
Jiang Yeqian did not expect to see her, or Gu Shanshan. After a moment of silence, he asked, “You two.. it’s the middle of the night, what are you two doing here instead of sleeping?”