Chapter 34 — Ten Thousand Bats
劍問蒼天 · Page 1 of 6
Zhang Qingyue was taken aback for a moment, then recognized her as the beautiful young woman who had argued about the sleeping fish at dinner. She was still in that same water-green dress, her skin like snow under the moonlight, of a peerless purity and loveliness, like a fairy maiden.
The girl put the flower she had just picked to her nose and breathed in deeply; an enraptured expression rose on her face, and with it a loveliness that was nothing short of breathtaking. And the flower, before her exquisite face, seemed to bloom all the brighter.
Yet from the depths of Zhang Qingyue's heart an indefinable anger welled up. Frowning, he said, "That flower was blooming perfectly well. Why did you have to pick it?"
The green-clad girl's bright eyes wheeled; her glance, like water, slid over Zhang Qingyue. "I picked this flower," she said coolly, "and that is the flower's good fortune. That I should smell its fragrance is a fate this flower cultivated over three lifetimes. A worldly man like you—how could you possibly understand?"
Zhang Qingyue was dumbfounded. Never in his life had he heard anything so absurd. Shaking his head, he said, "Once you've picked it, the flower's very life is gone. How could it be glad?"
The green-clad girl gave him a sidelong look. "You're not a flower. How do you know it isn't glad?"
Hearing such sheer unreason from the woman, Zhang Qingyue's anger only deepened. "You're not a flower either," he said, "so how do you know it's glad? For all you know, this flower is in agony right now. Ah, look—there's water on it. I'll bet it's crying from the pain."
The green-clad girl visibly froze for a moment, then burst into a fit of giggling. It was as beautiful and dazzling as a hundred flowers blooming at once, and it nearly struck Zhang Qingyue dumb.
"Flower tears? Ha, flower tears! This is the first time in my life I've heard a grown man call dew the tears of a flower. I'm dying of laughter!"
Zhang Qingyue flushed red and stammered, unable to get a word out. But seeing how the girl was bent double with laughter, his face burned, and he forced himself to say, "So—so what if it is?"
To his surprise, this only made the girl laugh harder, and the sight of him made it worse still. Her clear, bell-like laughter echoed through the quiet, shadowy garden, lending it a touch of warmth.
Zhang Qingyue was furious. He wanted to say something but could not find the words. Looking at the woman's delighted smile, he stamped his foot in pique and turned to go.
He had not gone two steps when he suddenly heard the green-clad girl behind him stifle her laughter. Her tone, though, still carried a trace of amusement. "Hey—wait a moment."
Zhang Qingyue had come out tonight in a good mood, but after running into this woman it had turned thoroughly sour. Hearing her call out now put him in a fresh fit of irritation, and he could not help turning his head. "My name isn't 'Hey.' Who are you calling?"
The girl was taken aback, and the smile vanished from her face at once; the look she gave Zhang Qingyue seemed to have turned a few degrees colder, as though few people had ever spoken back to her like that. But a moment later she seemed to think better of it. Though she did not recover that radiant smile, her tone was still fairly gentle. "Oh. Then what are you called?"
The words rushed out of Zhang Qingyue's mouth: "I'm—" He choked, then gave a huff. "Why should I tell you?"
The green-clad girl's face turned grave, and she looked somewhat angry. But when she saw Zhang Qingyue's sulky expression, like a little boy in a snit, she could not help bursting into giggles again.
That laugh utterly dissolved the severity she had just mustered. Against the moonlight and the fragrance that filled the garden, the beautiful woman's face was all smiles—as though she knew it was not quite proper, and shook her head trying to hold it in, yet still she laughed.
It was as if some innocence from long ago had come back to life tonight.