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Chapter 9: Next Time
🕑 Added 2025-01-21 12:34:08 +0000 UTCThe road to the prayer hall wasn’t short. Since someone was watching them, Qiu Che didn’t say much. She maintained a slight distance from Li Qingwu, walking neither too close nor too far away.
The scenery of Ganyu Temple was serene. Along the way, they occasionally encountered monks who would nod in greeting.
From a distance, the two figures seemed to merge into one, exuding a peaceful and timeless charm.
Passing by one of the courtyards, Qiu Che saw a woman in plain linen clothing step out. She instinctively moved aside.
Li Qingwu, wearing a bamboo hat, couldn’t see the path clearly. She asked softly, “What’s wrong?”
Qiu Che reached out and gently tugged her sleeve, explaining briefly, “Someone is ahead.”
The motion was light, but Li Qingwu still stumbled slightly, causing her veil to sway.
She instinctively raised a hand to steady her hat, while Qiu Che glanced at her, frowning faintly. “Is Miss Yue feeling unwell?”
“…”
Li Qingwu pressed her lips together, her voice barely audible. “No.”
She discreetly adjusted her embroidered shoes with gold edges and, slightly embarrassed, admitted, “The shoes are too big.”
Qiu Che followed her gaze downward and froze for a moment.
The shoes weren’t big; they were perfectly tailored for women with bound feet—the kind commonly worn by ladies with three-inch golden lotuses.
Among the nobility of the Great Xia dynasty, bound feet were all the rage. Only daughters of wealthy families could afford to pursue beauty through such painful means.
For ordinary women, those unmarried needed to work to support their families, and bound feet were impractical. Married women often had to help their husbands in trade or farming, subjecting them to criticism for being “unrefined.”
Society’s expectations for women were stringent: they were to be cultured yet submissive, virtuous yet utterly devoted. Unable to bind their hearts, society chose to bind their steps.
Some even wrote poems praising bound feet:
"Surpassing Diao Chan,
Her feet less than three inches,
She walks with a delicate stagger.
Tiny toes and radiant shoes,
Hidden beneath her skirt, a fleeting lotus bloom."
But in reality, having bound feet brought countless inconveniences to women’s lives. Every step had to be cautious to avoid falling.
Looking at those feet, smaller even than her own mother’s, Qiu Che felt a rush of complicated emotions.
If she hadn’t disguised herself as a man back then…
Would she, too, be among the women with bound feet today?
Nearby, the woman in plain clothes cast a glance at them and spoke suddenly, her tone a mix of mockery and lamentation: “Golden lotuses of three inches, confined to the courtyard with every step… Bound feet are merely the product of men’s vile whims and should have been abolished long ago.”
Li Qingwu paused slightly upon hearing this. She didn’t respond, merely lowered her head and gave a slight bow. “Madam.”
Qiu Che maintained her composure and greeted the woman, as if that “men’s vile whims” remark had nothing to do with her. “May I ask who Madam is?”
“This old woman’s surname is Jun, just an ordinary nobody,” she replied coldly, nodding slightly toward Qiu Che. However, when her gaze shifted to Li Qingwu, her tone softened considerably.
Reaching out to support Li Qingwu in a gesture of courtesy, Madam Jun asked, “Miss Yue, are you heading to the prayer hall?”
Li Qingwu nodded and, noticing Qiu Che standing aside, added, “I am traveling with this gentleman, Master Qiu.”
Madam Jun raised her eyebrows in surprise. “Master Qiu—are you referring to the famous Qiu Che, the imperial scholar?”
Qiu Che didn’t understand the emphasis on the word “famous,” but she nodded calmly, neither humble nor arrogant. “That’s me.”
At that, Madam Jun finally lifted her eyes for a closer look. As she observed Qiu Che, the latter also subtly scrutinized her.
Though Madam Jun wore the simplest of garments, she appeared to be no older than her mid-thirties. Her demeanor was poised, exuding a serene and otherworldly air.
Perhaps it was her eyes—Qiu Che thought.
She not only seemed to find Yue familiar but also struck Qiu Che as someone she had seen before.
But where?
Lost in thought, she heard Madam Jun say, “I was just heading to the prayer hall myself. Since we’ve met, might I join you?”
Qiu Che saw no reason to refuse, and Li Qingwu remained silent.
Thus, what had started as a two-person journey turned into a party of three.
Qiu Che found the situation oddly awkward. Trying to ease the atmosphere, she commented, “Madam Jun, you appear to be in the prime of life. Why refer to yourself as ‘old’?”
Madam Jun chuckled faintly. “You’re quite the sweet talker. But my husband passed many years ago, and with over ten grandchildren under my care, how else should I address myself?”
Qiu Che felt she had hit a sore spot and nodded apologetically, refraining from asking why Madam Jun, with her large family, was alone at the temple.
Every family has its own struggles.
And Qiu Che wasn’t particularly interested in others’ family affairs.
Madam Jun glanced at Qiu Che, then at Li Qingwu, who had been unusually quiet since their encounter. Amused, she remarked, “Though I reside here at the temple, I’ve heard of your talent, Master Qiu. Achieving the top scholar title at just eighteen is truly remarkable.”
Qiu Che paused for a moment, then replied meaningfully, “Madam Jun is remarkable as well.”
The two exchanged a glance, and Madam Jun, surprised by the comment, laughed heartily. “You’re an interesting young man. You’re not bad-looking either. Tell me, are you engaged?”
Li Qingwu and Qiu Che both froze at her question.
Qiu Che shook her head, baffled by the sudden shift in topic. Before she could respond, Madam Jun seized her hand and smiled warmly. “I have a granddaughter about your age. She’s beautiful and has admired you for quite some time. Would you consider marrying her?”
Qiu Che tried to withdraw her hand.
She couldn't pull her hand away.
Amused, she said, "Madam, I have no plans of getting married yet. I’m afraid I must disappoint your kind intentions."
No sooner had she finished speaking than Li Qingwu suddenly looked up at her.
But with the veil obscuring her face, Qiu Che didn’t notice.
"Really?"
"Without a doubt."
"The folks in the surrounding ten miles all praise my granddaughter as a beauty—smart, lively, with a delightful temperament. She's young and stunning," Madam Jun teased. "Are you truly unwilling to marry her?"
Qiu Che simply shook her head.
Madam Jun regretfully released her hand. "What a pity."
She sighed lightly twice, murmuring, "What a pity." Qiu Che didn’t understand what exactly Madam Jun found so regretful, though she had an inkling.
By then, they had arrived at the temple’s main hall. The three stepped forward to offer prayers and blessings, and none of them spoke again.
After finishing her prayers, Madam Jun announced she would stay to meditate with the abbot, leaving Qiu Che and Li Qingwu to return alone.
The journey back felt even quieter than the way there.
Qiu Che, however, appeared to pay no mind, leisurely admiring the scenery while idly picking a blade of wild grass and twirling it as she pondered.
Halfway through her thoughts, Li Qingwu suddenly broke the silence. "Does the young master have someone in his heart?"
Qiu Che almost choked on her own spit.
Coughing twice, she looked at Li Qingwu in puzzlement. "Why would Miss Yue ask such a question?"
Caught off guard by her strong reaction, Li Qingwu replied in a muffled voice, "I know Madam Jun. Her granddaughter comes from a well-off family... For you to reject the proposal outright without even meeting her, isn’t it because you already have someone in your heart?"
Qiu Che found this amusing. "Miss Yue jests. Not everything in this world is black and white. For example, my refusal to marry isn’t because I have someone in my heart—whether I do or not, I still wouldn’t marry."
Li Qingwu understood the first part but not the second.
"Why?" she asked, perplexed.
Even though her eyes were hidden behind the veil, Qiu Che inexplicably felt as if they must be rippling pools of autumn water.
The tone of her voice, too, resembled that of a stranger’s she once knew.
Qiu Che smiled faintly. "No reason."
After all, how could she say, because I’m a woman?
She thought for a moment, then added lightly, "If I must give a reason, it’s that I once wronged someone. Even though things have changed since, it would still be inappropriate for me to marry."
Li Qingwu frowned slightly, hesitating before asking, "So, you could say there is someone?"
Qiu Che shifted her gaze back from the distance, changing the subject as if by chance. "Does Miss Yue care deeply about the answer?"
Li Qingwu quickly withdrew her gaze, avoiding direct eye contact.
"I was just curious, that’s all," she murmured.
Qiu Che nodded and didn’t press further.
Before parting, the two slowed their steps near the courtyard gate.
Li Qingwu thanked her first, and Qiu Che casually waved it off. "No need for thanks—but, Miss Yue, you’ve come all this way and done nothing but ask me a few questions. Don’t you think that’s a bit of a waste?"
Li Qingwu paused, realizing Qiu Che was growing suspicious. She glanced at the two maids trailing far behind them and calmly replied, "If we had gone out exploring on the very first day of meeting, wouldn’t that be even stranger?"
Qiu Che chuckled. "That makes sense."
"Oh, right," Qiu Che suddenly remembered something. She tossed away the wild grass in her hand and clapped the dust off her palms. "I can answer your earlier question, but—"
Li Qingwu’s eyes lit up as she repeated, "But—?"
Qiu Che stretched her words leisurely. "But, in exchange, you have to tell me who you really are."
Li Qingwu’s heart skipped a beat.
Had her identity been exposed?
No.
It shouldn’t be.
She reasoned that Qiu Che had never met Princess Lehe before. Even if she tried to guess based on her attire or behavior, she’d still need confirmation.
Relaxing under Qiu Che’s smiling yet scrutinizing gaze, Li Qingwu gradually eased her posture. After a long pause, she softly agreed, "Alright."
"You first."
Qiu Che narrowed her eyes slightly, and without much hesitation, replied, "I have no one in my heart."
Li Qingwu tilted her head. "But you said you wronged someone."
"I do feel indebted to them, but it’s not because of love."
She was clear that she had never loved the other person.
Li Qingwu understood and finally felt a weight lift off her chest. "…I see. I understand now."
Understand what?
Qiu Che raised an eyebrow, smiling as she reminded, "It’s your turn to keep your promise."
Li Qingwu suddenly raised her hand, adjusting the brim of her bamboo hat as she apologized. "Another time."
Qiu Che: "?"
Li Qingwu’s tone carried a hint of amusement as she gestured behind her. "My two maids have caught up. So, let’s save it for another day, shall we?"
Qiu Che: "You can’t say it now?"
Li Qingwu smiled slyly. "I only said I’d tell you, not when I’d tell you."
With that, she turned and walked toward the courtyard gate. Her robes brushed lightly against Qiu Che’s outstretched hand, like a breeze slipping away.
Crossing the threshold, Li Qingwu instinctively glanced back.
She met Qiu Che’s gaze, slightly gloomy as if she felt cheated and disappointed.
After some thought, Li Qingwu stopped and called out, "Master Qiu, next time."
"Next time we meet, you’ll know who I am."
"This time, I won’t trick you."
