When did that happen?

It was probably the Lantern Festival two years ago. It didn't snow every year in Jiangnan, but snow beads fell on that day.

A thin layer of snow slowly fell on the big red lanterns, causing the candles to jump. Many people came to the Lantern Festival for no reason.

Hua Manlou, wearing a simple warm yellow robe, waited at the City God Temple as promised.

Behind him was the place where people who guessed the riddles in the lantern festival could exchange their rewards. Although it was just some small trinkets, it was still a good thing. Many people came to exchange their rewards, and many people were curious about which lucky girl such a handsome young master was waiting for.

The blue figure holding an umbrella was still dressed as usual, but it was dazzling enough to make the girls in the boudoir stunned.

Hua Manlou smiled. In fact, from the first time he met Yang Muzhi, he knew that the other party's appearance and temperament must be extraordinary.

The small ancient zither shop in a remote location almost never stopped business.

Every day, there were gorgeously dressed girls coming, either to send their precious ancient zithers for maintenance, or to try their luck. Maybe the boss, Mr. Yang, was in a good mood and played a song?

Even the most rogue and unreasonable hooligans on the street didn't dare to make a ruckus in front of the ancient zither shop. When they saw him, they respectfully clasped their hands and said, "Mr. Yang."

It was only because he was born with good looks, and his every movement carried one or two of the rare Jianghu demeanor of a great master.

Noticing that the person he was waiting for had stood in front of him, Hua Manlou smiled and shook his head. "Brother Yang, you made me wait for a long time today."

Yang Muzhi coughed softly. He had just met a few girls not far away who were chatting with him. It was inevitable that he would be delayed for a while. With Hua Manlou's hearing, how could he not hear it?

He was just making fun of him.

"I was rude. I don't know if Brother Hua is willing to accept my apology?"

Hua Manlou smiled and was a little curious. "I don't know what Brother Yang is going to give as an apology?"

Putting away the umbrella, Yang Muzhi took out a small piece of paper from his sleeve. "I don't know what it is. Why don't we ask the master?"

The two looked at each other, laughed, and walked to the place where the rewards were exchanged.

This year, the person in charge of the City God Temple was a famous old man in the small town. He was nearly seventy years old and still very strong, but his eyes were not very good.

Yang Muzhi stepped forward and bowed. "Sir, we're here to exchange the rewards. sir."

The old man took the small piece of paper and looked at it in front of his eyes for half a cup of tea's time before he could clearly read the words on it. "Oh, Shu 'er, open your eyes. This kid is sleeping in the house.

Miss, what word did you guess? "

This was really a misunderstanding. Yang Muzhi's appearance was feminine, and his figure was thin and weak. Moreover, there was a peach blossom branch in his hair. The old man's poor eyesight made him mistake him for a girl.

Hua Manlou was standing to the side and couldn't hide the smile on his face.

Yang Muzhi felt that it would be too awkward to explain. He just wanted to exchange the rewards and leave, so he didn't explain. "Four words. You regret that you didn't meet earlier, right?"

Hearing his answer, the old man narrowed his eyes and chuckled. "Yes, yes.

Miss, wait here. This old man will get the reward for you. "

After he finished speaking, the old man turned around and walked back. Hua Manlou gently joked, "Hua Manlou is really blind. I've known you for a year, but I didn't know you were a girl."

Yang Muzhi didn't get angry. He joked, "That's a coincidence. I've known myself for so many years, but I didn't know I was a girl."

Just as he finished speaking, the old man came back with the reward. It was a bright red concentric knot. He stuffed it into Yang Muzhi's hand and said with a smile, "It's said that this concentric knot has been consecrated. It will definitely protect you and help you find a good marriage."

What was going on? Fortunately, there was no one around. Yang Muzhi thanked the old man and hurriedly pulled Hua Manlou out of the Shing Wong Temple.

"Hua Manlou, this is for you. This is my apology." Yang Muzhi said and casually stuffed the thing in his hand into Hua Manlou's hand as an apology.

During the Lantern Festival, there were laughing children who were carrying lanterns bought from small stalls and chasing each other. Yang Muzhi was caught off guard and was hit by a child.

Hua Manlou, who was beside him, pulled him into his arms.

Hua Manlou was half a head taller than Yang Muzhi. In his arms, Yang Muzhi looked even more petite.

Between breaths, they could even hear each other's heartbeats. Hua Manlou smelled the faint medicinal fragrance of the person in his arms. In his hand was the concentric knot he had given to him. For the first time in his life, he knew what it was like to be moved.

Just at this time, a firework exploded in the sky not far away. In an instant, the brilliance shone on the two of them, adding to their warmth.

Looking back, Yang Muzhi was already drunk on the ground. Hua Manlou pushed him, "Muzhi?

Muzhi?

Wake up. "

After a while, there was no response. Hua Manlou sighed. He put one hand under his shoulder blade and the other hand under his leg. He held him horizontally in his arms.

A gust of wind blew and petals fell on the two of them. Hua Manlou, who loved flowers and plants the most, was not in the mood to appreciate them.

He had something on his mind.

When Yang Muzhi woke up, he was lying in his room in Wanmei Villa. It was dark all around. There was no light, but he intuitively felt that there was someone. Without thinking, he called out, "Hua Manlou?"

Hua Manlou, who was sitting in the outer room, had already heard the changes in his breathing. He did not move until he heard him call out, "I'm here."

After drinking to his heart's content, he would feel uncomfortable when he woke up. Yang Muzhi rubbed his head with one hand and walked out, "Why are you sitting here?"

There was only a trace of light in the sky outside. Hua Manlou hid himself in the darkness. There was no trace of a flaw in his voice, "Brother Yang, you're too drunk. I'm afraid you'll have a headache at night. Do you want to drink a bowl of hangover soup?"

Rubbing his head, Yang Muzhi was a person who could not remember when he drank too much. He had no impression that Hua Manlou had gone to the back of the mountain to look for him.

"There's no need for hangover soup. It's useless to me.

It's getting late. Hua Manlou, you should go back and rest. "

"There's really no need?"

"There's really no need."

Hua Manlou stood up and walked very slowly. Finally, he stopped in front of the door, "Brother Yang, if you're feeling depressed, you should drink less. Drinking too much is bad for your health."

How could Yang Muzhi, a doctor, not understand the principle of drinking too much is bad for the health? He waved his hand, "I'll remember it. You should go back and rest."

The door of the room slowly closed. Yang Muzhi picked up Hua Manlou's half-drunk tea and stood by the window to watch the sky brighten little by little. The sun slowly rose.

It was already a new day.

He didn't know that in Hua Manlou's room, which was only a wall away from his, Hua Manlou was also not sleeping. Instead, he sat outside the room with an expressionless face for the whole night.

When the crisp sound of birds rang out, Hua Manlou rubbed his stiff cheeks. After washing up, he went to find Yang Muzhi, but found that he was already gone.

Hua Manlou stopped a passing servant girl and asked, "Where's Mr. Yang?"

The servant girl's face was bright red. She lowered her head and said respectfully, "Mr. Yang is in the Manor Lord's study."

Hua Manlou thanked her and turned to leave. However, the servant girl called out, "Childe Hua!

You dropped something! "

It was a jade pendant with mediocre workmanship. The servant girl picked it up and returned it to the guest. However, the guest seemed to treat it as a treasure and carefully kept it close to his body.

The servant girl, who had just experienced her first awakening of love, had never liked anyone before. However, she had read a few novels about talented men and beautiful women.

She thought that it must have been given to him by the person he loved the most.

Unfortunately, she guessed wrong. This jade pendant was not given to him by Hua Manlou's sweetheart. He had picked it up himself.

Yesterday, when Yang Muzhi and Ximen Chuixue fought, it seemed like the two of them hadn't moved at all. In fact, they had already decided who was better. This pendant had fallen out of his sleeve at that time.

Lu Xiaofeng had been so focused on the two of them that he didn't notice it. It was only when Hua Manlou heard the sound of the pendant falling to the ground that he noticed it.

He should have warned Yang Muzhi, but he didn't. When he turned back to pick up the pendant, he realized that it wasn't the one that Yang Muzhi was used to wearing, but the one that Shangguan Xueer had used to swap.

Even so, he still carefully wiped it clean and kept it close to his body. It seemed that when he was changing clothes, he didn't notice that he had placed it too close to the edge. When he walked, it fell to the ground.

This kind of trinket from Yang Muzhi, Hua Manlou had collected a whole box. From the concentric knot at the beginning, to the fan pendant, small wooden carvings, protective talismans, zither strings, etc., he had given Hua Manlou a whole box.

He remembered that once, Yang Muzhi had asked Hua Manlou if he didn't like the fan pendant he had given him. Why hadn't he used it yet?

Hua Manlou said that he was afraid of being remembered by a thief. In fact, he was reluctant to take it out and show it to others. He only wanted to open the box and slowly explore it when he thought of it.

He was thinking about something along the way. He had intended to go to the study to look for someone, but he was stopped by the housekeeper of Wanmei Villa.

"What's the matter?"

After the housekeeper bowed, he first expressed his apology for stopping him, and then handed him two letters.

The familiar touch, the familiar family emblem.

They were letters from the Hua family.

Hua Manlou took out the letters and rubbed them. The first letter was very simple. It could be summarized in one sentence. "Father is sick. He misses him, the youngest son. If he still has father in his heart, he should hurry back to the Hua family to visit him."

The second letter was also very simple. It was from his sister-in-law. She directly exposed him, saying that his mother-in-law had arranged another girl for him to see. She asked him not to be fooled.

It was interesting to say that many people were curious. The Hua family, the richest family in Jiangnan, had seven sons. Wouldn't they fight over the family property?

In fact, not only did no one fight, but the family property was pushed back and forth like a hot potato.

The reason was also interesting. After inheriting the family property, one had to be the head of the Hua family. Not only did he have to manage such a huge amount of wealth, but he also had to regulate and mediate the various branches of the family. It was really tiring.

Therefore, none of the young masters of the Hua family, who had their own ambitions and made a name for themselves in their respective fields, was willing to stop this thankless job.

The eldest son of the Hua family, Hua Manlou's eldest brother, Hua Man Xuan, was 14 years older than him. When Hua Manlou was just babbling, Hua Man Xuan was already married.

Therefore, his sister-in-law treated him like her own child. If it wasn't for her strong support, Hua Manlou wouldn't have had the opportunity to move out of Hundred Flowers Tower.