Chapter 512: Chapter 512: Old Affairs from the Past
 

Elder Leisure, apparently delighted by Liu Sisi’s informal speech, guffawed heartily.

His laughter boomed through the room: “Perfect! It’s too boring eating alone as an old man! Servant, bring another set of chopsticks and a bowl.”

In a relaxed manner, Liu Sisi sat down across from Elder Leisure, chuckling, “Thank you, old gentleman.”

Shortly, her utensils were brought. Smiling at Elder Leisure, Sisi picked up her silver chopsticks and began to eat.

Appearing easy-going, she occasionally tested the limits of the old man sitting across from her.

Gradually, she realized that no matter what she did, Elder Leisure just laughed graciously, without any hint of reproof.

It was only after she had satiated her hunger, dropping her silver chopsticks, that she looked at the old man across from her who had barely eaten anything.

“Old gentleman, you have been living here all alone, with no one around. Don’t you find it boring?”

“Who says I’m alone?”

Caught off guard, Elder Leisure chuckled at her insinuating smile, “She is always with me, remaining forever by my side.”

“Him?”

Liu Sisi raised an eyebrow.

“Oh, right, you must not have met her yet. Come, let me take you to see her. Now that you’re grown up, you should meet her.”

Without a second thought, Elder Leisure stood up and led Liu Sisi out of the room.

Shocked beyond belief, Liu Sisi found his unique and spontaneous behavior quite peculiar – he just suggested a visit and off they went.

Despite her bewilderment, she quickly rose and followed him.

At the door, Elder Leisure turned to look at her, “Let’s go!”

As she followed Elder Leisure, she instinctively maintained some distance from him, raising his eyebrows in confusion.

“Why are you so slow?”

“Hmm? We’re here,” she responded

Raising her pace, Liu Sisi found herself walking abreast with the old man. She gave him a smile as she matched his stride.

Despite her gentle exterior, countless thoughts roiled in her mind. She was so tense that she didn’t even notice her fingernails digging into her palms.

The people around here attached a lot of importance to their positions when standing or sitting. Now that he had asked her to walk alongside him, it meant a lot!

Even if he was now a “dethroned prince”, he had once held the status of a former Crown Prince. Initially, she thought it was his kindness that spared her life, and she took his remark about her “freedom to roam the world” lightly. However, the current situation made her reassess his real intentions.

What had she done to warrant such a step from him?

Although her mind was at a loss, her face wore an unusually sweet smile.

Elder Leisure led Liu Sisi up and around, picking wildflowers from the roadside as they passed by. They wound their way through a grove of sweetgum trees, and a plum orchard now in ruins, finally reaching the top of a hill where Elder Leisure halted.

He gestured towards the vast and beautiful scenery around them, unable to help but burst into laughter.

“Sisi, what do you think of the view here?”

His tall and straight figure was accentuated by his black mink coat, his upturned eyes and sword-like eyebrows adding to his aura of dominance.

Making eye contact, Liu Sisi quickly averted her gaze, casting a quick glance around her.

But before she could speak, Elder Leisure, looking pleased, preempted her.

“This mountain experiences four seasons, and the weather varies every ten miles.”

“To the left, you will see all things reviving and flourishing. To the right, you will see a world cloaked in silver and a snow-covered summit. In front of you is a riot of colorful flowers. Behind you, you will find hills covered in red leaves, their magnificence simply stunning.”

“Mountains far to the left and to the right stretch as far as the eye can see. And if you look in the distance straight ahead, you will see them connecting with the sky itself. The overlapping layers of clouds make for an incredibly picturesque scene. Behind us is a vast plain that offers a panoramic view of the landscape. At the foot of the mountain, numerous streams crisscross each other. It’s difficult to find anywhere more beautiful or majestic than here!”

As he finished his oration, Liu Sisi looked around in astonishment.

Surprisingly, the place was exactly as he had described – the beauty of the surrounding scenery was indeed unparalleled!

“Even if it’s beautiful here, it’s frankly quite dull. There are barely two people in sight,” Liu Sisi retorted nonchalantly.

“Who says there are only the two of us here? There is clearly another person here!” Elder Leisure declared confidently.

“Where?”

Liu Sisi looked around carefully but couldn’t see any other person.

“Here.”

Elder Leisure pointed to the ground.

“Where?”

Liu Sisi still couldn’t see anything.

“Here, underneath the ground!”

Elder Leisure rebuked, somewhat exasperated, “Why are you so muddled? I wonder who you take after?”

He and his wife were both exceptionally intelligent people. How could they have a daughter so obtuse? Probably, it was due to her upbringing!

Liu Sisi: “…”

Lowering her head, Liu Sisi noticed that they were standing on a flat piece of land. The onset of spring had brought about the sprouting of innumerable tiny green grass blades on this patch. There was also a large cluster of daylily seedlings creeping out of the ground, about an inch long…

Hold on! Daylily seedlings! Don’t these usually grow around graves in the wild?

She was immediately taken aback. Jumping hastily, she moved away from the cluster of daylily seedlings.

“This… that… you, he…”

Stammering for quite a while, Liu Sisi still couldn’t put together a complete sentence.

“Indeed! It’s just as you thought, she lies beneath our feet.”

Elder Leisure looked distinctively smug. He casually placed the wildflowers he had gathered earlier on the ground, throwing away a bouquet of wilted flowers that had previously been laid.

“Come! Offer your respects too.”

Without declining, Liu Sisi stepped forward and respectfully bowed thrice.

Considering her prominent belly, Elder Leisure did not insist on her kneeling. Instead, he asked Liu Sisi, “I have a story to share. Would you like to hear it?”

“This….”

With a bitter smile, Liu Sisi knew her trek up the mountain wasn’t meant for storytime. But judging by his earnest demeanor, she had no option but to listen to the story he was about to unfold.

“Thirty years ago, there were two good friends – both young, energetic and handsome. They happened to meet a woman, and both were instantly smitten by her. Respecting their friendship, they agreed to compete fairly for her affections. The one who won the woman’s heart first would marry her. Each pulled out all the stops, hoping to win her over.”

“While the two friends fought over a woman, their family elders were suddenly struck by a serious illness. Caught off guard, they rushed back home, only to find that catastrophe had struck.”

Although Liu Sisi didn’t respond, she understood that the story the former Crown Prince was sharing was his own – the story of him and the woman lying beneath their feet.