Chapter 82: Embrace

When the complete poem was finally revealed, everyone fell silent.

The half-poem might resonate with those who had experienced similar emotions, but the full version struck a chord even with those who had never endured the pain of love separated by great distances.

For a moment, all the women in the Flowing Pavilion who heard the poem wiped their tears, and even many sensitive scholars sighed deeply, treating their tea like wine, drinking cup after cup in quiet contemplation.

The only one who could not share in these feelings was the young master in the pavilion above—Sun Xuan.

Once Li Xunshan recited the second half of the poem, Sun Xuan’s reputation as a plagiarist who had tried to falsely claim credit would likely be irreparable.

His legs weakened, his vision blurred, and he barely managed to steady himself by gripping the railing.

As his peripheral vision shifted, he realized that Ren Yue, who had been standing nearby, was nowhere to be seen.

Hearing a commotion from the main hall below, Sun Xuan looked down and saw Ren Yue standing in front of the scholar surnamed Li.

“Xunshan!” she choked out his name. Seeing no response from the man before her, she reached out, trying to remove his veil.

“You’ve mistaken me for someone else, young lady,” Li Xunshan said hoarsely, gripping her wrist to stop her.

Ren Yue, her face tear-streaked like a flower in the rain, did not resist. Staring at the calluses on Li Xunshan’s hand, she forced a smile. “Xunshan, the calluses on your hand have thickened again… You’ve been doing manual labor, haven’t you?”

Feeling a faint tremor in his wrist, Ren Yue wiped her tears and smiled gently, her eyes curving like crescent moons. “Why did you come here? Why didn’t you come find me?”

Li Xunshan’s voice was heavy. “Young lady, you’ve mistaken me for someone else…”

Suddenly, Wei Hai stepped forward and, with one swift motion, tore off Li Xunshan’s veil. The sound of fabric ripping filled the air as the black silk fell in two pieces.

“Don’t glare at me,” Wei Hai said, grinning mischievously. “The young lady already recognized you. What’s the point of all this hesitation and denial?” Having done his “good deed,” Wei Hai casually returned to the old beggar’s side, acting as if nothing had happened.

But the matter didn’t end there—Ren Yue threw herself into Li Xunshan’s arms!

This move left everyone stunned.

Many attendees of the poetry gathering knew that Sun Xuan intended to use this event as a means to propose to Ren Yue.

But now, Ren Yue, in full view of everyone, dared to embrace another man. Sun Xuan’s face, already metaphorically slapped once, now burned with fresh humiliation.

Holding the woman he loved in his arms, Li Xunshan hesitated for a moment before finally wrapping his arms around her.

And so, the two embraced tightly, oblivious to everyone around them.

The sight made Gu Ning’an smile knowingly.

Nearby, Wei Hai slung an arm around the old beggar’s shoulders and laughed heartily. “A perfect match! Truly a perfect match!”

Through the fragments of conversation and Li Xunshan’s poem, the old man pieced together the story of the couple before him.

“Since true lovers have reunited, I won’t intrude any further,” the old man said, cupping his hands respectfully. He nodded toward Gu Ning’an, then turned and left the Flowing Pavilion.

“Let’s go too,” Ren Yue said, looking up. Her cheeks still bore traces of dried tears.

Li Xunshan paused. “Go where?”

Ren Yue, acting as if no one else existed, took hold of his arm and replied, “Home!”

“Oh… alright…” Li Xunshan muttered, letting himself be pulled along by her.

As they passed Gu Ning’an and the others, Ren Yue smiled and nodded to each of them. “If you don’t mind, why not join us at home for a meal?”

Gu Ning’an nodded in agreement. “We’d be honored.”

“Thank you, sister-in-law!” Wei Hai chimed in.

“Old me has quite an appetite!” added the beggar.

With laughter and banter, the group began to make their way out. But before they had gone far, an urgent voice called out behind them.

“Master Li! Please wait!”

They turned to see Manager Mo squeezing through the crowd, panting heavily. “Master Li, the second Poetry Gathering isn’t over yet. Your masterpiece should unquestionably win the championship!”

Li Xunshan responded with a calm smile. “Doesn’t the winner have to be decided by votes?”

Manager Mo gave an embarrassed laugh. “That’s true.”

Li Xunshan waved it off. “Then I won’t participate. No need to put the other gentlemen in an awkward position, right? Let Young Master Sun take the title.”

“This…” Manager Mo hesitated, glancing up at the second-floor private booth, only to find it empty.

Earlier, he had noticed Sun Xuan leave in a huff after witnessing the embrace between Ren Yue and Li Xunshan. Otherwise, Manager Mo wouldn’t have mentioned that the title might now belong to Li Xunshan.

After all, if Sun Xuan had stayed, even with Li Xunshan’s superior poem, the votes would likely have gone to Sun Xuan. Most scholars and gentlemen prioritized “social obligations” over literary integrity in such situations.

“Safe travels!” Manager Mo called out helplessly as the group departed. He then returned to host what was now an anticlimactic poetry gathering.

…

“Why are Uncle and Auntie standing at the gate?” From a distance, Li Xunshan spotted Ren Yue’s parents standing outside the “Ren Family Courtyard.”

Ren Yue smiled. “My father promised me that after I attended the Poetry Gathering, he would join us for a meal when you came.”

Hearing this, Gu Ning’an thought to himself: If that’s the case, it seems Miss Ren was entirely unaware of her father’s “plans” from beginning to end. As for the letter, it was probably forged by someone else.

Now, the question was whether the Ren family patriarch and his wife, after witnessing all this, would still insist on breaking up this pair of “star-crossed lovers.”

Gu Ning’an couldn’t help but feel that tonight’s dinner would reveal the answer.

“Father! Mother! Why are you here?”

As she spoke, Ren Yue still clung to Li Xunshan’s arm, completely unconcerned about any propriety. The Ren couple, however, seemed unfazed. Their eyes briefly rested on their daughter’s hand before quietly shifting away.

“I promised you that as soon as Xunshan arrived, I’d join you for a meal,” Patriarch Ren said with a smile.

“Father, you’re the best!” Ren Yue said playfully. After Li Xunshan greeted the couple, he began introducing Gu Ning’an and the others. Following the introductions, Patriarch Ren warmly invited everyone into the house.

Walking at the back, Wei Hai and the old beggar nudged Gu Ning’an with knowing looks.

“The Ren family is wealthy—a famous name in Jiangling Prefecture. They own many businesses in the city… Back when he bought my wine, he offered 100 taels per jar without blinking!” Wei Hai said.

“He doesn’t put on airs, though,” added the old beggar. “Even seeing me like this, he’s always cordial.”

“He’s a decent businessman,” the beggar concluded with a nod.

Glancing at the two, Gu Ning’an chuckled. “Alright, stop gossiping about people behind their backs…”