Volume One: The Youngest Among Three Hundred Chapter Sixteen: Return

A faint creaking sound broke the silence, as the fragrant door was slowly pushed open once more. Chen Chang'an "saw" the now-familiar courtyard again, unchanged from before. There was a well, a wooden rack, a stone table; the only difference was that the peach tree, once withered and dead, now seemed to show the faintest hint of tender new buds.

He straightened his robe and greeted with courteous composure, "Sister Peach Blossom, I have returned."

A response drifted from behind the window of the upstairs loft, "I know, come in!"

With a small laugh, Chen Chang'an stepped inside, where he was greeted by the Peach Blossom who had once wept at his poetry. Tonight, unlike before, her attire and makeup were no longer casual or personal, but dignified and formal.

She wore an elegant gown of pale pink and white, layered from the waist down with subtle new hues, which accentuated the graceful curves of her upper body and the slenderness of her lower half. Her face was bare of cosmetics, pure and natural, with only a single peach blossom painted at her brow. Her cascading black hair was gathered up with a green wooden hairpin—she was breathtakingly beautiful.

Chen Chang'an gazed at her in rapt admiration, a lump in his throat before he finally managed, "Sister Peach Blossom, you are truly beautiful!"

She giggled, covering her lips with her hand, and lightly grasped her floating sleeve as she invited him, "Young Master Chen, it seems you have escaped danger. Please, have a seat!"

He nodded and sat, his voice warm and even. "Yes, all is well now, and I have you to thank. Otherwise, I might not have survived. I came here tonight especially to express my gratitude."

Truth be told, I covet your body, but I won't say it—I can restrain myself...

"Young Master Chen is simply clever, that's all," Peach Blossom replied modestly.

Chen Chang'an then reached into his waistband, rummaging about until he produced a homemade spinning wheel, two small bottles of wine, and a scroll of calligraphy. He had commissioned these from the carpenters in Huaiyuan Ward, Chang'an City—tools of courtship, one might say.

He first presented the scroll, carefully unrolling it. "Sister Peach Blossom, I wrote this just for you. I hope you will like it."

Her eyes, clear and bright as glass marbles washed in the purest seawater, softened as she read the lines written in elegant script:

"In Chang'an, April's blossoms have faded,
Yet in the Fragrant Courtyard, the peach flowers bloom anew!
I have always lamented that spring, once gone, is lost without trace,
Never knowing it had quietly returned here!"

Peach Blossom's expression shifted subtly; she was unconsciously drawn into the poem. The image of all the city's peach blossoms withering, the fruitless search, the disappointment on the verge of giving up—only to suddenly discover the surrounding peach trees abloom, competing in splendor. The surprise at the journey's end, the unexpected turn, the immersion in the joy of seeking spring—he had captured it all, exquisitely and deeply moving.

Savoring the poetic beauty, Peach Blossom was full of admiration for Chen Chang'an's talent. "Young Master Chen, your brush truly brings flowers to life. Yesterday's 'The Peach Blossoms Still Smile in the Spring Breeze' still lingers in my mind, and today you have once again brought the Fragrant Courtyard's peach blossoms vividly to the page."

"Do you like it, Sister Peach Blossom?" Chen Chang'an asked, eyes full of anticipation.

"I do. I like it very much!" she replied, accepting the scroll with both hands.

A satisfied smile spread across his handsome features. After all, with half the wealth of classical Chinese literature in his mind, Chen Chang'an was confident in his poetry—unless he encountered another time-traveler armed with the same knowledge, he was unmatched.

Peach Blossom carefully rolled up the scroll as if it were a treasure. Her gaze fell on the spinning wheel, curiosity in her voice. "Young Master Chen, what is this?"

"Oh," Chen Chang'an replied, sitting up to explain seriously, "Sister Peach Blossom, this is a game. The wheel is divided into five sections: drink, double, a hug, a kiss, and obey the other's command."

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"We take turns spinning it. Whatever the pointer lands on, we must do as it says!"

Peach Blossom's beautiful eyes blinked, her lashes fluttering, full of curiosity about this novel game. She couldn't wait to try it. "Can I... can I try first?"

"Of course, Sister, please go ahead!"

Delighted, Peach Blossom gathered her skirt and leaned forward, her slender fingers gently spinning the wheel. After a few turns, it stopped at "drink."

"Is it my turn to drink?" she asked, a novice at the game.

Silently Chen Chang'an prayed to every deity he could think of for the pointer to land on "kiss," but outwardly he merely smiled, masking his disappointment. "Yes, Sister Peach Blossom."

"Alright! Alright!" Peach Blossom clapped her hands in glee, took up the wine Chen Chang'an had brought, and drank it with easy grace, wiping her lips with the edge of her palm when she finished. "So fun, so fun, now it's your turn!"

"Alright!"

Now the pointer was at "drink," and just next to it was "kiss." Chen Chang'an carefully controlled his strength and flicked the wheel.

But it landed on "double."

Peach Blossom laughed and pointed at him. "Quick, quick, drink double, drink double!"

Her bright eyes watched intently as Chen Chang'an downed the penalty. Peach Blossom, delighted, spun the wheel again for herself.

Outside, a not-quite-real moon circled equally illusory stars, twinkling in the night sky. Within the loft, laughter rang out, carefree, unrestrained, wild and free.

A full half hour passed before the Fragrant Courtyard finally quieted. Inside the loft, Chen Chang'an and Peach Blossom lay face to face across the table, hiccuping incessantly.

Peach Blossom's cheeks were rosy as she waved her sleeve. "I didn't expect—didn't expect that after a thousand years, there would still be such fun things outside Chang'an."

"Ugh..." Chen Chang'an groaned, fighting nausea. "Not... not a thousand years, it's been countless ages, haha, countless ages!"

He was far more drunk than Peach Blossom—not for lack of tolerance, for in truth, having soaked in every kind of liquor from the notorious fake spirits to the finest brews, he could outdrink ten Peach Blossoms if it were just a matter of wine. But for some reason, every spin landed on "double," and never once on "kiss" or "hug"—the very ones that would have let him take advantage. His luck was abysmal.

Burping drunkenly, Chen Chang'an slurred, "Sister... do you like it?"

Peach Blossom's cheeks were flushed. "Of course I do, I like it especially—a long time since anyone played with me, I haven't been this happy in ages, hahaha!"

Their words grew indistinct as sleepiness crept in. Chen Chang'an dozed off, and when next he woke, he shook his head and forced his heavy eyelids open. He saw that Peach Blossom had, at some point, returned to her bed to rest.

Looking back, he discovered beside him a green-brown pill, glossy as a mung bean cake, exuding a potent medicinal fragrance.

"Is this... last night's reward?"

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As he muttered, Peach Blossom answered from the bed, her back to him, "That's right. This pill is called the Vigor Pill, crafted by a great sage of the Demon Realm a thousand years ago. It was accidentally left in the Fragrant Courtyard during the chaos of the ancient wars."

"It can greatly boost vitality and strengthen the body, even... unlock hidden potential. Oh, and the Demon Sage instructed: it is for men only. Do not give it to anyone else when you leave!"

"I enjoyed last night—thank you!"

Chen Chang'an stared blankly at the green pill in his hand, momentarily dazed. A pill left behind by a demon sage after a night of pleasure, and it's called the Vigor Pill? That sage must have been quite the character!

"Anything else?" Peach Blossom's pleasant voice came from the bed.

"Oh, no... nothing. If you're happy, I'm happy too. Sister Peach Blossom, rest well, I'll take my leave!" Chen Chang'an waved, pocketed the Vigor Pill, and turned to go.

Clearly, tonight's offensive had ended. There was little point in lingering; after all, he hadn't come here just for pleasure. Cultivating with the Fragrant Courtyard's abundant spiritual energy was his true purpose.

Only those who contribute nothing to society have their minds full of pleasure!

Chen Chang'an left the building and, beneath the peach tree, pulled out a bamboo slip from his hair, preparing to meditate further. Before that, he opened the "Chronicles of the Fragrant Courtyard" for a look.

Peach Blossom's current favorability: 36.6%
Her loneliness eased: 40%
Gifts received: Flying Sword Fortune Stick; Vigor Pill!
Secret skill acquired: Peach Blossom's Allure!
Time he could remain in the Fragrant Courtyard: 45 hours!

"Well..." he sighed. "So after all that effort, I only got a pill, not even a secret art. Ridiculous."

Still, the progress in easing her loneliness had surpassed her favorability—perhaps only natural, given how much fun they'd had.

"Never mind, I'll take it slow—there's no rush."

Muttering to himself, Chen Chang'an closed the "Chronicles" and began studying the Immortal Slaying Heart Method inscribed on the bamboo slip. Since experiencing the deadly flying stick in the cavern beneath the old well, his resolve to cultivate had only grown stronger.

He spent eight hours in meditation, and when he felt he had made sufficient progress, his consciousness departed the Fragrant Courtyard and returned to the Su family's house. The time outside matched the moment he had entered; nothing had changed, except his body felt a bit weary.

"Whatever, time to sleep!"

Chen Chang'an closed his eyes, flopped down, and was soon fast asleep. Before long, gentle snores filled the room.