Chapter 58

While bidding farewell to Shi Xuedong, Murong Feiyan had already walked quite a distance. She had always been quick to hate evil and despised the despicable and shameless sons of officials like Shi Xuedong, wishing she could kill them. Seeing Hu Xiaotian getting along so well with such people, even calling them brothers, was like seeing wolves and jackals colluding, snakes and rats in a den. She immediately rode away, out of sight, out of mind.

From the moment they met today, Murong Feiyan had shown a cold and icy attitude, not saying a single word to Hu Xiaotian. Hu Xiaotian secretly pondered, guessing that Murong Feiyan was truly angry with him. After all, she had once been an eighth-rank official, and now she had to follow him, a ninth-rank junior official, to serve in Qingyun County, over three thousand miles away, and take orders from him, a ninth-rank county magistrate. Anyone would feel disheartened and sad. But then he thought, if she really didn't want to go, she could have refused. After all, she was on suspension and could have just quit. Since she agreed to go, it meant she had accepted this arrangement deep down.

This time, Hu Xiaotian did not chase after her but followed her from a distance. The fiery clouds supported the golden sunrise, slowly rising from the distant mountain ridge, scattering rays of light into the light green sky. The green fields were still shrouded in mist, which quickly dissipated under the golden sunlight, seeping into the soil and grass, with sparkling dewdrops rolling on the leaves.

The morning breeze rustled through the poplar trees on both sides of the road, the tender green leaves reflecting the sunlight, shimmering with a brilliant gold. Outside the capital, the official road had a long pavilion every ten miles and a short pavilion every five miles. After passing the long pavilion, looking back, the city walls of the capital had already become a narrow gray line in the distance.

The pedestrians on the road gradually became sparse. Looking ahead, not far away, there was a hexagonal pavilion with green tiles and red pillars. A carriage was parked by a large tree in front of the pavilion, and a white-clad figure was standing there, watching. Murong Feiyan pulled the reins, having already recognized the girl in the pavilion as the famous dancer of Dakan, Hu Xiaoru. Hu Xiaoru also saw Murong Feiyan and smiled, nodding in greeting. Murong Feiyan's lips curved into a smile. Although she had only met Hu Xiaoru once, she had a good impression of this talented woman.

Murong Feiyan turned around. Since Hu Xiaotian was behind her, he saw Hu Xiaoru a bit later. Murong Feiyan said, "Your soulmate has come, why don't you hurry over?" This was the first time Murong Feiyan had initiated a conversation with Hu Xiaotian, and it was rare that she didn't show much resistance to Hu Xiaoru's appearance. Hu Xiaotian smiled and said, "Wait for me, I'll be right back!" He spurred his horse to the pavilion. A few servants originally wanted to follow, but Murong Feiyan raised her hand to stop them, "It's none of your business, go stand in the shade!" Liang Dazhuang shook his big head and said, "Captain Murong is right, don't go, the young master is flirting."

Murong Feiyan found the term "flirting" very fresh but also a bit jarring, so she frowned and glanced at Liang Dazhuang. These servants had all witnessed Murong Feiyan's formidable martial skills and knew that even if they all attacked together, they wouldn't be a match for her. In this era, power was everything, and the one with the stronger fist had the final say. Thus, the servants obediently shut their mouths and remained silent.

If Shi Xuedong's appearance at the ten-mile pavilion to see Hu Xiaotian off was a surprise, then Hu Xiaoru's appearance was a pleasant surprise. This meeting was no coincidence; they were already fifteen miles from the capital, and Hu Xiaoru had chosen a pavilion with few passersby. Hu Xiaotian understood that even if he wasn't a close friend to her, he was certainly not ordinary.

Hu Xiaotian looked at the carriage, wondering where the driver was, when Wan'er poked her head out from the curtain, waving at him with a smile, showing her cute rabbit teeth, and then quickly ducked back in, clearly knowing she shouldn't disturb their conversation.

Hu Xiaotian entered the pavilion. Hu Xiaoru stood with her hands behind her back, her smile as calm as a chrysanthemum, quietly watching Hu Xiaotian. Despite the impending farewell, even though Hu Xiaotian tried hard to find it, he could not detect any sadness or reluctance in her clear, beautiful eyes.

Hu Xiaoru had a composure that surpassed ordinary people. Her expression was calm, and it was unclear whether she had always been this way or if Hu Xiaotian hadn't yet touched her heart. Hu Xiaotian mimicked Hu Xiaoru's posture, placing his hands behind his back, standing face to face with her. Hu Xiaotian said, "Did you come specifically to see me off, or did you suddenly change your mind and decide to go with me to West Sichuan to enjoy the mountains and rivers?" Hu Xiaoru shook her head, "Neither!" "Oh, I guess I was just being presumptuous!" Hu Xiaoru said, "I just wanted to verify if what you said about dancing on your toes is like this." She lightly touched her toes, elegantly standing up.

Hu Xiaotian didn't expect that his offhand remark would be taken so seriously by Hu Xiaoru. The toe dance he mentioned was actually ballet. Even though Hu Xiaoru's dance skills were unparalleled in Dakan, she had never thought of using her toes to support her body's weight. In his heart, Hu Xiaotian wished Hu Xiaoru had come to see him off rather than to seek advice. Hu Xiaoru's exceptional talent for dance allowed her to grasp a new realm from Hu Xiaotian's words, even though she hadn't yet mastered the true essence of ballet, her movements were already quite similar.

However, the embroidered shoes on Hu Xiaoru's feet were clearly not suitable for ballet. Hu Xiaotian smiled and said, "It's a bit like that, but the shoes are wrong." He fished out a piece of charcoal from his pocket. His calligraphy wasn't great, but he found this to be a suitable tool. He asked Hu Xiaoru, "Do you have any paper?" Hu Xiaoru was momentarily taken aback by the strange charcoal stick in his hand but quickly realized it was a writing tool Hu Xiaotian carried with him.

Hu Xiaotian said, "Toilet paper would work too!" He thought women usually carried such things. Hu Xiaoru, of course, didn't know what toilet paper was and softly said, "Wan'er, get some rice paper!"

Hu Xiaotian immediately spread the rice paper on the stone table in the pavilion. He first drew a pair of ballet shoes. Hu Xiaotian had a good level of skill in painting; in his previous life, if he hadn't chosen medicine, he might have become a painter. The secret of ballet shoes lies in the toe box, which is hidden in the toe of the shoe. The toe box is actually a hard casing that encases the toes and part of the foot. Hu Xiaotian's charcoal quickly and skillfully sketched on the rice paper.

Hu Xiaoru knew he was talented in literature and quick in thought, but she didn't expect him to be skilled in painting as well. However, this painting method was something she had never seen before, and even the brush was so strange. It was the first time she had seen someone use a charcoal stick to paint, but Hu Xiaotian's brushstrokes were divine, and with just a few strokes, he created a vivid image. Hu Xiaotian said, "The toe box is usually made of six layers of ordinary burlap or other coarse fabric, keeping the toe of the shoe neither too hard nor too soft, and not easily broken."

As for the material of the shoes, they are often made of satin, with peach and pink being the most common colors. To dance well on your toes, you must have a suitable pair of dance shoes; otherwise, you won't be able to move freely and may easily injure your toes. Hu Xiaoru blinked, her beautiful eyes shining with excitement, a rare display of emotion for her: "Mr. Hu, your knowledge is truly vast."

Hu Xiaotian decided to help her all the way and casually drew a few ballet poses. Hu Xiaoru watched, completely awed by Hu Xiaotian. He didn't realize that his show was aimed at achieving this effect. He didn't know when he would return, and with Hu Xiaoru's unparalleled beauty, she certainly wouldn't lack admirers and suitors.

If he didn't take the opportunity to deepen her impression of him, he feared that by the time they met again, this fine cabbage would already have been eaten by a pig. Regardless of anything else, with his sketching skills, even if he couldn't make her fall madly in love with him, he could at least make her remember him fondly.