Chapter 130: Years of Quiet Beauty

Spring had arrived, and the world was full of blooming flowers and vibrant life.

Wu Ning was in a great mood today. Early in the morning, Qin Miaoniang had come to visit him, and on a sudden whim, she suggested going out to appreciate the spring scenery.

When he mentioned the idea to Princess Taiping—who had been tormented by Wu Ning's grand philosophical theories for two or three months—Her Highness instantly grew enthusiastic.

Though she had enjoyed the spring scenery in the capital before, it had always been surrounded by throngs of palace guards and attendants, with the Emperor and Empress accompanying them. It was never as free, easy, and leisurely as wandering down into the mountain valleys.

Acting on the thought immediately, Wu Ning hastily sent Qiao'er to the kiln to secretly call back Wu Li, Huzi, and Number Eleven so they could all join in.

He also instructed Li Wenbo to tell Chef Luo to prepare lamb chops, wine, and food for a picnic in the wilderness shortly.

"Why don't you go tell him yourself?"

Taiping asked, looking rather puzzled. The kitchen was barely two steps away—why bother making Li Wenbo deliver the message?

Wu Ning wore an expression of profound annoyance. "That fellow is throwing a tantrum right now."

"What's wrong?"

"His mother found him a wife, and the chef isn't very happy about it."

"Oh? That's rather strange. He's not that young anymore; why would he be unhappy about getting married?"

"Heh." Wu Ning gave a dry laugh. "He'd be happy enough, but the girl thinks he's just a common farmer and looked down on him."

"So right now, he's yelling at me that he wants to go back to the city to find work and won't serve me anymore."

"Ha!!"

Taiping was greatly amused, never expecting such a turn of events.

Yet, amid her amused laughter, Taiping felt a tiny trace of envy. This kind of warm, domestic daily life where masters and servants were like family was something she would never be able to experience.

Just as they were talking, a child's joyful cry came from outside the courtyard: "Brother Ning, I want to drink yogurt!"

Li Guor'er rushed into the courtyard, dragging Li Chongrun along despite his efforts to hold her back. "Wu Ning!! I want to drink yogurt!!"

Wu Ning rolled his eyes. This pair of siblings certainly knew how to pick their timing.

"Chef Luo, whip up a bowl of yogurt."

"……Make it yourself! I'm not doing it anymore!"

Wu Ning's face turned green. Who on earth was the boss here, him or me?

He looked apologetically at Li Guor'er. "The big guy refuses to work. Your yogurt is gone."

Li Guor'er had no intention of letting it go. She furrowed her little brows and said, "I'll get it myself!"

With that, she broke free from her eldest brother Li Chongrun's grip and dashed toward the kitchen.

Passing by Qin Miaoniang, she didn't forget to toss out a greeting, "Greetings, Sister!"

Then...

"Chef Luo, hurry up and give me my yogurt!"

"Slow down." Li Chongrun's admonition went unheeded, so he simply gave up trying to manage her.

He bowed to Princess Taiping. "This nephew pays his respects to my aunt."

After the bow, he cast a wry, exasperated look at Wu Ning. "It seems I'll have to visit less often. My little sister is practically treating this place like her own home."

"Isn't that wonderful?" Wu Ning said with dashing ease. "It shows that you and your sister don't treat me, a humble commoner, as an outsider!"

"You've come at just the right time. Let's go, let's go enjoy the spring."

With that, he beckoned the group to head out of the courtyard.

As soon as they stepped outside, they saw Huzi running like the wind at the very front, followed closely by Wu Laoba and Number Eleven.

"Run, run!! They're catching up!"

Huzi's flesh shook with every stride as he roared at Wu Ning.

Wu Laojiu found it baffling. Why was everyone running just to appreciate the spring?

However, when he looked past Wu Laoba and Number Eleven, a jolt went through him. He grabbed Qin Miaoniang and started running. "Let's make ourselves scarce!"

It turned out that Old Patriarch was chasing them from behind.

"You little brats!! Not working and daring to slack off??"

Taiping and Li Chongrun watched wide-eyed as Wu Ning, Huzi, Wu Li, and Number Eleven fled down the mountain like the wind.

Old Patriarch chased them all the way to the mountain path, huffing and puffing with his hands on his hips, still shouting curses.

"You little brats, just wait until you get back!"

"How wonderful!"

"Huh??" Li Chongrun asked in confusion. "What did my Aunt say?"

"I said, how wonderful."

In Taiping's eyes, Wu Ning possessed a sort of magic. His carefree, devil-may-care attitude toward the world always managed to infect those around him with his own joy.

Coupled with the leisurely and rustic simplicity of this mountain village, the two blended together to create a warmth that outsiders could only envy and never truly experience. It made her think...

How wonderful.

Yearning blossomed in her heart, and a serene smile graced her lips. Taiping took Li Chongrun by the hand, along with Li Guor'er who had just bolted out of the kitchen, and chased after Wu Ning and the others down the mountain.

"I truly don't understand."

At this moment, Li Wenbo was spreading linen cloth over the newly sprouted tender grass, while Chef Luo had lit a fire and set up lamb chops and meat by the stream.

Qiao'er and Li Guor'er sat facing each other on opposite sides of a blue stone, each with a bowl of fruit-topped yogurt, concentrating entirely on devouring it.

As for Li Chongrun, he had cast aside his dignity and waded into the river just like the mountain kids Wu Laoba and Huzi, patting mud and catching fish.

Without waiting for Li Wenbo to finish spreading the linen, Wu Ning casually flopped down onto the turf.

Seeing that he didn't mind the dirt, Qin Miaoniang and Taiping abandoned their formalities and sat down beside him.

"I truly don't understand. Are you really not worried at all?"

"Hey, hey, hey!!"

Wu Ning interrupted, narrowing his eyes at Taiping and shooting a sidelong glance toward Qin Miaoniang.

"We came out to relax, so we should look like we're relaxing. Can you not ruin the mood?"

There were some things Wu Ning didn't want Qin Miaoniang to know, and he certainly didn't want her worrying alongside him.

"But..."

In the end, Taiping refrained from blurting it out in front of Qin Miaoniang.

And Qin Miaoniang was exceptionally clever; she could naturally tell that the Princess and Wu Ning had things to discuss. She took the initiative to stand up and said, "I'll go keep an eye on Qiao'er and Guor'er."

With that, she nodded slightly to Taiping and drifted away gracefully.

The moment Qin Miaoniang left, Taiping could no longer hold back. "How can you act as if you aren't worried at all?!"

Wu Ning plucked a blade of grass and held it between his lips, knowing that unless he explained clearly, Her Highness the Princess would certainly not let the matter rest.

He abruptly tossed out: "I used to have a good brother who often kept this phrase on his lips."

"What phrase?"

"He said that life isn't always satisfying, so sometimes, you have to make up stories and dreams. Not to deceive yourself, but to find more reasons to stay alive."

He raised his head to look at Taiping. "Why wouldn't I be worried? I'm worried too. But my dear Princess, worrying is useless!"

"I have to steady my composure if I'm to have the courage to solve things. Otherwise, besides worry, there's only fear left, and then life becomes impossible to live."

These past three months had certainly not been calm and peaceful. Although Empress Dowager Wu hadn't done anything to him directly, she had sent several messages to Wu Ning through her correspondence with Taiping.

The first time was before the Lantern Festival, when the Empress Dowager simply tucked a slip of paper into a letter to Taiping for Wu Ning.

It contained only six characters: "Come to the capital, I guarantee you won't die!"

That was already laying the cards on the table.

And Wu Ning's reply had been: "I won't go. Sooner or later, death comes anyway."

It wasn't that Wu Ning was putting on a tough front, nor was he ignorant of death; rather, once he went to the capital, he wouldn't even have room to maneuver.

"Holding out" was the only thing Wu Laojiu could do right now.

After some time, the Empress Dowager's letter came again: "Return! I will give you the truth."

The Empress Dowager's message had only one meaning: she was not the murderer of Wu Ning's birth mother.

This time, Wu Ning sat in his room for a day and a night before replying: "Your Majesty cannot give this truth!"

If she were going to give it, she would have given it long ago—she wouldn't have waited until today!

So, was Wu Ning not worried?

Of course he was worried, and he worried about many things.

He worried that Wu Zetian would lose her patience, and he worried that he would be left with no countermeasure.

Yet, what good did worrying do? Life still had to go on, didn't it?

"My dear Princess!" Wu Ning looked at Taiping. "To tell you the truth, the weaker I appear right now, the safer I am."

"The less I treat those past events as a big deal, the less your mother will think of me."

"So, stop dwelling on it." He gazed at the river and mountains before them. "Isn't this wonderful right now?"

"Be happy, don't ruin the mood!"

"Fine!" Taiping could only mentally curse Wu Ning for having such a thick skin.

She propped herself up. "I'm going to watch Guor'er. I'll let your little lady come back to keep you company so she doesn't ruin your mood."

Wu Ning accepted it peacefully. "Many thanks!"

Taiping: "......"

At that moment, Princess Taiping harbored a powerful grievance:

She really ought to have her mother arrest this bastard and lock him up in the capital.

Let's see how he manages to infuriate people then!