"So, what you're saying is, my... friend's fiancé having thoughts of running away, that's okay?" Qingzhu Zhu's large eyes were wide with con
"So, what you're saying is, my... friend's fiancé having thoughts of running away, that's okay?" Qingzhu Zhu's large eyes were wide with confusion.
"I'm speaking from my own perspective," Zhou Qing said indifferently. "So, from your fiancé's—ah, no, your friend's fiancé's point of view, it's perfectly fine for him to choose to escape. But from your perspective, mine, and everyone else's, his desire to run away isn't a matter of right or wrong. It just shows he's a bit cowardly and easily looked down upon."
Qingzhu Zhu frowned, a little lost. At six years old, even precocious, she was still grappling with concepts of right and wrong. When Zhou Qing suddenly declared this wasn't about right or wrong, her young mind struggled to keep up.
"I don't quite understand," Qingzhu Zhu admitted directly.
"It's fine. You just need to know that you should choose the easiest way to live and not care what others think. Are your parents really going to kill you just because your fiancé lost?" Zhou Qing retorted.
"It's not me, it's my friend," Qingzhu Zhu corrected again.
"Right, right, your friend," Zhou Qing nodded dismissively. "I know that for kids your age, being betrothed to someone often leads to fantasies about them: Are they handsome? Are they capable? Are they strong? But if he wants to make a different choice, then let him. For him, escaping might be the easiest option. After all, if you truly like him, you should respect his choice. Love him, then let him go."
Qingzhu Zhu was speechless.
"Why does that sound so familiar?" Tang San muttered, recalling Zhou Qing giving similar advice to Su Yuntao back then.
"Zhou Qing, it's a real shame you're not a 'breakup expert'!" Xiaowu couldn't hold back.
"Hmph!" Zhou Qing didn't bother to hide it. "I despise people in relationships! I'm still single. Anyone who dares to flaunt their affection in front of me, I'll break them up."
"And this little girl, at such a young age, she's already concerned about a fiancé. Her true nature is being suppressed. She needs to break free from this 'love-struck' whirlpool, or her brain will definitely turn to mush."
Qingzhu Zhu was once again speechless. She didn't understand the individual meanings of "love-struck" or "mush," but strung together in a sentence, she got it! It definitely wasn't a compliment. It basically meant he was calling her stupid!
Immediately, Qingzhu Zhu's face flushed red with anger. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she didn't cry out. She just wiped them away with her sleeve and said, "You're so rude!"
"My apologies, young lady." Zhou Qing noticed Qingzhu Zhu's slightly red eyes and felt a headache coming on. He pulled a copper soul coin from his pocket and offered it to her. Even though Zhu Zhuqing came from royalty, at six years old, she was still quite naive and needed to be appeased. As for the eight-year-old Dai Mubai... Zhou Qing guessed he might already be a "prodigy" of sorts, probably already beaten by Dai Weisi and scared enough to be planning an escape.
[Zhu Zhuqing came here with servants... Dai Mubai likely did come to Nuoding City too.
"Are you insulting us?" the middle-aged maid sharply demanded. "Do you think a mere copper soul coin is enough to apologize?"
"It's alright." Qingzhu Zhu stopped the maid and took the copper soul coin from Zhou Qing. "I've never seen a copper soul coin before."
Zhou Qing was speechless. He knew Zhu Zhuqing came from a wealthy family, but that was just too boastful! Spending only gold soul coins on daily expenses meant she'd only seen gold soul coins, right? Combined with Qingzhu Zhu's deliberate, mysterious smile, Zhou Qing was absolutely certain that Qingzhu Zhu was doing this on purpose! This little girl, if you cut her open, would definitely be as black as the black dress she was wearing!
"Thank you for the apology. I really like it," Qingzhu Zhu continued.
"You're welcome. I only have copper soul coins; otherwise, I'd have to offer myself in marriage," Zhou Qing said. "I'm only six, you know."
"You're six too?" Qingzhu Zhu didn't pay attention to the "offer myself in marriage" comment. She then looked at Xiaowu and Tang San. "No wonder you three are friends. It's just you and the blacksmith who look quite ordinary."
Tang San, the "blacksmith," had a hint of resentment in his eyes. Why was he being dragged into this again? He just wanted to forge in peace! Do not disturb!
"Exactly!" the maid chuckled, covering her mouth and lightly scoffing. "You, a plain-looking boy, want to offer yourself in marriage?"
"I might look ordinary, but I have beautiful dreams," Zhou Qing said seriously.
"You little rascal!" The maid didn't know how to describe Zhou Qing, but arguing with a commoner boy, especially a six-year-old, was beneath her dignity as a noble's servant. She just muttered the insult and then told Qingzhu Zhu, "Miss, this person is useless. Let's leave quickly."
"No, I actually think what he said makes some sense." Qingzhu Zhu shook her head slightly, considering Zhou Qing's words as a valid option. Enjoying everything to the fullest and doing what you want in the limited time you have—that didn't sound bad at all.
As for Dai Mubai wanting to escape... She couldn't really claim any deep feelings. Besides knowing about the marriage arrangement, she hadn't even met Dai Mubai many times. Just as the boy in front of her said, she was probably just fantasizing about what her future fiancé would be like. But he had left her feeling slightly disappointed.
Yet, what could she do? From the moment the engagement was set, her fate and Dai Mubai's were intertwined. If they didn't win, she... might survive. But she didn't just want to survive. Before, she didn't know why she wanted to live, only that two words mattered: to contend. This was what everyone in her family told her or taught her through their actions.
Now, interacting with Xiaowu, Zhou Qing, and the occasionally interjecting, mostly shirtless Tang San, who focused on forging, she seemed to understand a little of what she truly wanted. Two words: freedom.
At home, she could never be like Xiaowu, Zhou Qing, or Tang San:
Running freely on the streets—Xiaowu.
Freely expressing all her thoughts—Zhou Qing.
Even taking off his shirt and tying it around his waist when it was hot—Tang San.
How carefree they all were!
"What's your name?" Qingzhu Zhu asked.
"Qing Zhou," Zhou Qing replied without hesitation, reversing his own name. He then pointed to Xiaowu and Tang San, saying, "This is Wu Xiao, and this is San Tang."
"Hey!" Xiaowu's face showed an angry tic. "My name is Xiaowu, not Wu Xiao!"
"You can just call me Tang San," Tang San said with a dark expression and a look of resentment at the name "San Tang." "I don't think we need to hide it, do we? Everyone around here knows us."