As he drank, Chen Hai's mind went from agitation to a pleasant buzz.
He laughed when his friends laughed.
He wasn't really following the conversation, but it was easy to laugh, and he felt happy.
Looking over the rippling water, he suddenly had the urge to paint.
Swaying, he got to his feet. His friends laughed at his clumsiness and followed him to the painting pavilion.
Chen Hai took the brush, and felt relieved. All his blocks were gone.
With a few strokes, he's painted the rippling water, the lotus flowers, and the swaying willows.
"Brother Chen is truly talented! Just look at this scene!" His friend's loud exclamation drew the attention of the other people painting in the pavilion.
Soon, a circle had gathered around admiring Chen Hai's painting. Everyone laughed and talked together.
One of the younger boys pleaded, "Brother Chen, please look over my painting and give me guidance."
Chen Hai agreed immediately, "Yes! Let's go take a look."
The whole group moved to the young boy's painting.
Chen Hai looked at it and praised, "You have a good foundation. Look how clean these lines are. What you need is-"
He was generous with his praise, and specific with what to improve. He spoke kindly. The little boy was overjoyed, and thanked him.
Seeing this harmonious interaction, others too also wanted their painting evaluated.
Soon, the group was moving from one painting to another.
Without needing to be asked, Chen Hai paused at each, studied it carefully, found some strengths, then gave immediate pointers on overcoming weaknesses.
Chen Hai was happy. His worries had disappeared. His head was buzzing pleasantly. The weather was perfect, the scenery beautiful, and he was surrounded by paintings and people who loved paintings.
When he reached the next painting, someone tried to hold him back. This was the princess' painting.
Chen Hai, unaware, pulled him arm out of his friend's grip, and drunkenly said, "Now, this is a painting with soul."
He leaned closer, "You can tell the painter really tried hard. See how the details on the lotus and water are so fine."
Standing up straight, he shook his head, "But it seems they're riddled with confusion. There is no sense of composition, precisely because there are too many details."
Turning to the crowd, he declared, "The painter needs to focus on one object and ignore the rest, no matter how lovely everything else is."
The crowd, which had been enthusiastic at other paintings was silent. Everyone looked between the silent princess and the drunken Chen Hai.
Luckily, the princess didn't get angry.
Chen Hai didn't notice anything amiss. Without pausing, he continued appraising the next painting.
Everyone took a few more glances at the princess, but when she didn't react, the initial enthusiasm returned.
They made a tour all around the pavilion, and then began painting again. Occasionally, they drank tea and ate snacks.
Chen Hai too returned to his place, and began preparing to paint again.
When Chen Hai finally returned home, it was late in the evening.
Lu Yan's maid brought a message that she wanted to visit her family. Chen Hai waved his hand without much thought.
He was still slightly drunk, and tired out from socializing. He fell into bed and slept peacefully.
---
A few days later, Chen Hai and Lu Yan set off for the Lu ancestral home together.
They had barely met in the past few days.
Chen Hai was always out, going to banquets and painting. Lu Yan was dealing with her own things, and was happy to be left alone.
In the carriage, they looked at each other for a moment before Chen Hai smiled, and starting talking about the new friends he was making.
When they arrived at the Lu ancestral home, Lu Yan's parents and brothers were there to welcome them inside.
After greetings, Lu Yan followed her mother to the sitting room where the women were.
Awkwardly, her mother said, "You're pregnant, and were injured. Should you be moving around so much?"
In truth, Lu Yan didn't know much about pregnancy. Normally, she should have had an older wet nurse guiding her.
But when she had married, her family didn't have a suitable person. She had only four first-class maids that had gone to the Chen ancestral home with her.
Her mother-in-law had been sick, then Lu Yan had been injured. Neither had visited since news of the pregnancy broke out.
Somehow, the matter had fallen to the wayside.
Her mother-in-law would probably be the one arranging a wet nurse. In the meantime, Lu Yan was on her own.
"I'm alright," Lu Yan said shortly.
Their relationship was not as contentious as it had been when Lu Yan was a child. These days, they simply had nothing to say to each other.
Entering the room, Lu Yan met her grandmother, aunt and cousin sister, none of whom she cared about.
She sit through her aunt's veiled commentary, her cousin's pointed comments, her grandmother's harsh criticisms, and her mother's stony silence.
Lu Yan thought she should be affected, but she was not. Despite sharing the same family name, these people were worse than strangers to her. Like a duck in water, she let it all flow over her without affecting her the least bit.
She was counting down the hours until she could meet master.
They had lunch together with the men. Chen Hai sat next to Lu Yan, eating with impeccable manners.
Lu Yan noticed her cousin sister glancing at him several times. In her heart, she smiled. These people would never change.
After lunch, Lu Yan left Chen Hai playing with her nephews and nieces. From previous experience, she knew they'd keep him occupied for hours. Various members of her family were sitting around drinking tea.
Lu Yan spoke briefly to Chen Hai, "I'll go rest for a bit. I'm tired. If anyone asks, can you cover for me?"
Chen Hai nodded, looking awkwardly at her stomach, "Take care of yourself."
It was finally time.
Lu Yan instructed her maids, then quietly left through a side gate and got into a waiting carriage.
When she finally reached the little shack where she used to live, she found she didn't hate it anymore.
In fact, she felt a little nostalgic.
The stone table in the little yard was the same.
Pushing the door open, she walked in. The inside too, was the same.
Someone, probably Ji Jing, had had it cleaned.
He was sitting on the old chair, drinking tea. Lu Yan felt like she'd walked back to childhood.
He looked up, and as usual, his face was expressionless, but there was warmth in his eyes when he saw her.
"You're finally here."