Chapter 38

Since learning root carving from Tang Jie, the young master has been completely captivated by it.

Compared to Tang Jie, Wei Tianchong is not particularly fond of human figures but prefers to carve flowers, birds, fish, and all sorts of peculiar things.

As time passed, the garden gradually filled with his carvings. Whenever guests came and learned that these were the young master's works, they would exclaim in admiration at his talent.

At such times, Tang Jie felt a sense of impending unemployment.

Tang Jie's "incompetence" in art led him to give up hope in carving early on. If it weren't for the young master, he might not have carved at all.

Currently, Tang Jie's greatest achievement in root carving is creating a maze—this is simple, just find some wood, dig seven or eight holes, and stack them up like a small mountain for the little one to play in.

Tang Jie's root carving plan completely failed, but an unexpected benefit emerged: Wei Tianchong's relationship with Tang Jie greatly improved.

After the horse-stabbing incident, Wei Tianchong was neither cold nor warm towards Tang Jie, not because he still harbored resentment. After the daytime fall from the horse, he no longer resented Tang Jie.

However, he couldn't forget the cold look in Tang Jie's eyes when he killed the horse. Whenever he thought of that look, he would involuntarily tremble, making him subconsciously avoid getting too close to Tang Jie.

Tang Jie, on the other hand, was focused on the lady, and had little interest in pleasing Wei Tianchong, so the two maintained a very ordinary superior-subordinate relationship.

It wasn't until after the root carving that Wei Tianchong and Tang Jie's relationship became closer.

Whether there was something or nothing, Wei Tianchong would think of giving Tang Jie a share of his rewards.

This made the servants in the mansion extremely envious. Tang Jie was already favored by the lady, and now he had a good relationship with the young master, which seemed to increase his prospects in the servant world.

Despite their jealousy, Shimu, Shimeng, and others had no choice—when someone was just starting to rise, they could still be suppressed. But once they had risen, it was much harder to suppress them.

As time passed in the Wei mansion, Tang Jie, like Shimu and the others, had already established his own network of relationships and was no longer someone who could be easily dealt with.

Another month passed, and after completing the layout of the small house maze, Tang Jie completely gave up on root carving.

However, he didn't idle. Instead, he suddenly shifted his interest to making flower pots.

Compared to root carving, his flower pots were even worse, but Tang Jie was thoroughly enjoying himself. Unfortunately, the young master had no interest in it.

The time spent making flower pots was not long. One day, Tang Jie made a complete large flower pot, then planted a particularly straight root carving in it. After staring at the flower pot for a long time, Tang Jie finally nodded in satisfaction.

After placing the root carving and Xiao Yiyi's flower pot together, he never made another flower pot.

Of course, he still did root carving, but he had shifted his focus from carving to array formation. Others didn't know, and thought he was still trying hard to catch up with the young master, secretly laughing at him as "a piece of rotten wood that cannot be carved."

Thus, after "Tang Jie who earns three strings of cash a month" and "Tang Jie who stabbed the horse," there was now another name for him: "Rotten Wood Tang Jie."

Time passed quickly, and several months went by. Tang Jie spent his days working and studying array formations, and his evenings practicing calligraphy and cultivating the Zangxiang Classic, guiding qi into his body. In his free time, he played with the little one and occasionally taught the little one to speak. His life was peaceful and comfortable.

Unfortunately, Yiyi still hadn't learned to speak, and every day she just babbled incessantly. When she wanted something, she would point at it, and Tang Jie would have to scurry to serve her. Fortunately, the little one was indeed adorable, and Tang Jie found joy in it, treating her like a pet.

Half a year passed, and today Tang Jie was still struggling with a piece of wood in his hands.

To form an array on a puppet is actually a very complicated task.

Xu Muyang excels in the grand arrays of heaven and earth, drawing materials from nature and using the entire world as his canvas. His task is to paint his own dye on the world and ultimately shape it.

In this sense, the grand arrays of heaven and earth are actually the easiest to set up, but the requirements are high, and the usage restrictions are significant, such as the inability to move.

Forming an array on a puppet is different. It uses the puppet as a canvas, and the canvas's size greatly reduces the available space for the array.

Although Xu Muyang has some knowledge in this area, he is not particularly skilled, and Tang Jie can only study it himself.

Today, he was studying the coordination of array patterns with the wood grain when he saw Wei Die walking alone towards him.

"Fourth Miss, the young master is in class..." Tang Jie put down the wood carving and stood up to greet her.

"I'm here to see you," Wei Die said as she approached.

"See me?" Tang Jie was slightly surprised.

Since the old lady's birthday, when the two of them worked together and sparked rumors, Wei Die had not come to see Tang Jie again. Even if she occasionally came, she would never come alone and would not speak to Tang Jie. Tang Jie knew she was intentionally avoiding suspicion, but he didn't expect her to come alone today.

"Yes, come with me," Wei Die said, already turning to walk out of the Quiet Heart Garden.

Tang Jie was at a loss and could only follow her.

Wei Die led him straight to the small bamboo grove at the back of the mansion. This place was remote and rarely visited, and Tang Jie was surprised why Wei Die brought him here.

Deep in the bamboo grove, Wei Die stopped and turned to look at Tang Jie, saying, "The matter with the Heartless Pavilion is settled. In a few days, I will be going to Yanzhou."

"Is that so? Congratulations, Fourth Miss," Tang Jie said, genuinely happy for Wei Die. "Your long-held wish has been fulfilled, which is a cause for celebration."

"Yes, I finally succeeded, but for some reason, I don't feel happy at all," Wei Die said wistfully. "Once I leave, it will be three to five years before I can return to Lingzhou. At home, I always wanted to go out, but now that I'm really leaving, I find it hard to part."

Tang Jie smiled. "It's normal to feel hesitant about leaving home."

"Hesitant about leaving home?" Wei Die thought for a moment, then shook her head lightly. "What I can't bear to leave is not the home, but the people."

"If you miss your parents, you can come back to visit often."

"What if you miss me?"

This question hit Tang Jie like a bolt of lightning, leaving him speechless.

He stared at Wei Die, and after a while, he managed to respond, "Fourth Miss... you shouldn't joke like that."

Wei Die smiled, her face blooming like the most beautiful flower on a sunny day. She said softly, "Yes, it's just a joke. I came to thank you for helping me, but I accidentally scared you. It's my fault."

Her tone was light, but there was a hint of sadness in her eyes, as if she was troubled by something, which made Tang Jie's heart tremble.

So the two of them stood there in silence.

Staring at each other.

Looking at each other in silence.

For a long time.

Finally, Wei Die said, "Well... I'm leaving. Will you miss me?"

Tang Jie opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say. After a while, he managed to say, "Of course."

Wei Die sighed at his insincere response. "You still don't have me in your heart."

"I wouldn't dare. It's just that the path of the Dao is before me, and I cannot be distracted," he said, avoiding the issue of their master-servant relationship, fearing that Wei Die would make a lifelong commitment with him.

"Perhaps you just haven't met the right person. I wonder what kind of woman would be worthy of you..." Wei Die said dejectedly, showing no sign of joking at this moment.

The rumors once greatly affected Wei Die, but now she only wished they were true.

However, rumors are just rumors. The fallen flower may have intentions, but the flowing water has no feelings.

Looking at Tang Jie, Wei Die's eyes welled up with tears.

She suddenly bit her lip and said softly, "Since I brought you to this secluded place, I must do something embarrassing to feel satisfied."

What?

Tang Jie was taken aback. He saw Wei Die step forward, gently wrap her arms around his neck, and kiss his lips.

This kiss, light as it was, seemed to imprint on Tang Jie's heart, leaving him at a loss.

Just a light touch, and Wei Die let go, her face flushed. She lowered her head and walked out of the grove. After a few steps, she seemed to remember something and turned back, saying, "I forgot to tell you. I opened the Jade Gate a few days ago and am now at the fifth level. I've already said it, you must go to the Moon Washing Academy. On the path of immortality, let's see who goes further!"

Reaching the fifth level of the Jade Gate, the Wei family finally had a second prodigy after Wei Qing'er, but both were girls, which was a great irony in the male-dominated Wei family.

With that, Wei Die turned and left.

Tang Jie wanted to call out to her but hesitated and didn't. He just watched her figure gradually disappear into the grove...

Leaving the bamboo grove, Tang Jie still felt a bit dazed.

Wei Die's kiss was the first kiss he received from a girl in this world, and it could be considered his first kiss.

Though the action was light, it seemed to be deeply etched in Tang Jie's heart, and he knew he would never forget this kiss.

Before the ripples in his heart had settled, Tang Jie noticed a girl standing not far away.

"Shiyue?" Tang Jie was surprised.

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