Xiaoman couldn't bear to let it go at first sight. She wished she could snatch it and keep it for herself.
Duan Hui smiled and said, "This is the portrait of Young Master Zexiu that Mr. Xue painted on white silk eight years ago when he was drunk. He came to our house once when he was fifteen years old, and he stunned us all. We dared not speak to him or get close to him. We didn't even know if he was a boy or a girl. Now Young Master Zexiu has grown up, but none of us can forget that stunning glimpse from that year. I have never seen such a beautiful person in my life."
Yes, he was so beautiful, so beautiful that it reminded people of the beauty that fades after reaching its peak, and they were afraid of disturbing him, as if he would turn into smoke and drift away if they were even slightly heavier.
"Xiaoman likes this painting, doesn't she? But you can only look at it, you can't take it away. Mr. Xue treasures it." Duan Hui smiled ambiguously.
She smiled. She folded the white silk and stuffed it into her sleeve: "Don't give me that. What do you mean you secretly took it out for me? Mr. Xue asked you to give it to me, right? How could you secretly take his things? Your little schemes... you just want me to be devoted to him from now on. You want me to be completely devoted to him. I understand, so I'll take the things without hesitation."
Duan Hui smiled and said, "Xiao Man is indeed clever."
After crossing the small bridge and turning a corner, we came upon a bamboo grove, its green bamboos towering high. The rustling of the bamboo was delicate and extremely elegant. A small pavilion stood in the grove, and it seemed as if someone was talking inside.
Duan Hui pushed her slowly over, and they saw a man in a white shirt with his hair draped over his back sitting with his back to them. The weather was quite cold, but his clothes were very thin. He was holding a small rhinoceros horn wine cup in his hand, turning it around but not drinking. Behind him stood a woman in gorgeous clothes, about forty years old, with a beautiful face and slightly upturned peach blossom eyes. She looked about five parts similar to Ze Xiu.
She frowned and said in a low voice, "Even if you don't think about me, you should think about your father. He's getting old and his health is deteriorating, yet you're always out running around. This time you were almost killed by an injury. When did our family's children have to do such lowly and menial work? No wonder your father doesn't like you; you're just willingly degrading yourself. Why aren't your older brothers like you? Even your younger siblings are better than you."
The cup in the man's hand finally stopped spinning. He turned his face slightly, revealing extremely handsome features; it was Zexiu. His face was expressionless as he lowered his eyelashes and said, "Thank you for your concern, Fourth Sister. Zexiu is deeply humbled."
Fourth Sister? She looks like her father's concubine. How come she looks so much like Zexiu? As soon as Xiaoman saw that there was some gossip to watch, she quickly waved for Duanhui to find a place to hide and stretched out her ears to listen to their conversation.
The woman said seriously, "In terms of seniority, you should not only call me Fourth Aunt, but also Aunt."
A concubine? Oh, so this woman is not only his father's concubine, but also his mother's sister. How strange, sisters both becoming concubines to one man?
Zexiu said calmly, "Yes, Fourth Sister."
A hint of embarrassment flashed across the woman's face, then she continued, "You keep saying you're terrified, but I think you're just all talk. I can't see a trace of fear in you. You have to come back with me this time, and you're not allowed to wander around outside anymore. You're my only son, and I have no children of my own. I've always treated you like my own son, and I can't let you continue to mess around like this. Your father said that if you don't come back, he'll disown you as his son and sever all ties with you."
Zexiu smiled and said softly, "You're most welcome."
She flew into a rage and shouted, "Don't try to act all seductive with me! Your mother suffered such a fate because she lacked self-respect! Don't think I don't know anything. You were out fooling around with a maid. What good can a woman who runs around with men be? The family wanted to arrange a marriage for you with a rich young lady, but you pretended not to hear. Now you're messing around with a lowly maid! The third son isn't any better. He's hiding her and not letting you see her. You two have been flirting all this time. You'd better watch out! If you anger the master, you'll both be kicked out, and you won't get a single penny of the family property!"
Zexiu put down her wine glass, stood up and said, "A lowly woman who runs around with men everywhere—is Fourth Sister talking about herself? In the end, all you're worried about is the family property. Don't worry, even if I get a share of the family property, Fourth Sister, you can rest easy. I still won't give you a single penny."
Well said! Xiaoman clenched her fist, determined to stand united against this foul-mouthed, wicked woman.
The woman was so angry her face turned green, and she raised her hand to slap him. Suddenly, she heard someone behind her laugh and say, "Fourth Madam, Young Master Zexiu, Mr. Xue said you both like to eat pears. He specially sent me to bring you some fresh snow pears, saying that snow pears are good for calming the mind and reducing internal heat. Fourth Madam has a lot of internal heat, so you must eat more."
As they were talking, a delicate-looking man dressed as a maid carried a fruit platter into the pavilion.
Fourth Sister's face flushed red and then turned pale, and she said in a trembling voice, "Third Brother actually... he's got some nerve!"
The maid said softly, "Mr. Xue said he was doing it for the Fourth Madam's own good. It's okay for a woman to get old, but it's terrible if she gets angry all the time when she's old."
Fourth Sister said sternly, "Are you making fun of me, you monster?"
The maid smiled sweetly, covered her face, and said softly, "I wouldn't dare. I'm not a monster. My name is Rong Yue."
She was probably disgusted by those families and didn't know what to say. Xiaoman was just getting to the exciting part when Duanhui suddenly pushed her out, saying with a smile, "Fourth Madam, please calm down. Rongyue is currently learning how to be a good woman. If she has offended you, please forgive her."
Ugh! How could they expose her to the light of day? She hadn't had enough of the spectacle yet! Xiao Man sat in her wheelchair, unsure whether to hide or stand. Seeing everyone's eyes fixed on her, she suddenly flashed a gentle smile and waved, saying, "Hello everyone. The weather is so nice today."
Fourth Sister stared at her for a long time, then suddenly walked over. She said softly, "You're the one..."
Before she could finish speaking, Xiaoman felt someone rush in front of her, grab her hand, and suddenly pick her up. They then ran away, and she didn't even hear what Fourth Sister said afterward.
A cool breeze blew against her face and body, making Xiaoman sneeze. The person who had been carrying her and running finally stopped, put her on the artificial hill by the pond, and jumped up on the hill himself, sitting high on it without saying a word.
Xiao Man looked up, shielding her eyes from the sunlight, and looked at him with difficulty. She sighed, "Why are you standing so high up? Is the air any better up there?"
Zexiu remained silent.
Xiaoman continued, "It's hard for me to see you like this. People say that looking at bright places for too long will cause eye problems. If my eyes get sick, it must be because of you."
Before she could finish speaking, she felt him jump down again, scoop her up in his arms, and carry her to the top of the artificial hill. The two sat side-by-side, feeling the cold wind. Xiaoman turned to look at him; he remained expressionless, with a faint layer of dark stubble on his chin and his hair disheveled, looking quite disheveled. She whispered, "How's your injury? Is it healed?"
He said, "I won't die."
What's this? Cold and hard as ice. Xiao Man pouted and stopped talking, only gently massaging her broken leg, which was said to help the bone heal faster.
I heard him ask from above, "How could your leg be broken?"
Xiao Man said, "Maybe he was hit by a stone in that tomb. Sigh, in the end, he didn't get the treasure, but he broke a leg. It's not worth it. We can't do this kind of business again, it's too unprofitable. Besides, we don't know if Gengu and the others are alive or dead, it's very worrying."
Ze Xiu finally smiled and patted her on the head: "You mercenary girl, at least you found the Five Corners of Zhenbei, isn't that a gain?"
That thing isn't worth much money, and it's extremely dangerous to carry around; someone could come and rob it at any time. It's not worth much at all.
Although she thought this way, she didn't dare to say it.
Zexiu seemed to be in a better mood. She leaned back slightly, looked down at the magnificent courtyard, and smiled, "I never expected that it was my third uncle who saved us. I haven't seen him for many years. It's a miracle that we're seeing each other again."
Xiao Man smiled knowingly. She still held a treasure in her arms, a treasure he would never know about. Eight years ago, Ze Xiu was fifteen years old—so tender and delicate, so incredibly beautiful.
The artificial hill leaned against a big tree. Xiao Man stretched out her legs and leaned against the tree. Feeling bored, she took out a beaded thread from her bosom and started to make patterns.
After working for a while, she felt someone watching her. She looked up and saw Zexiu leaning over, staring at the beaded thread in her hand, and asking, "How do you tie all these knots?"
She pulled out a beaded thread and laughed, "It's very simple. Here, I'll teach you. Wrap another beaded thread around it a few times, then bend it like this, um, wrap it around a few more times... That's right, just like that... No, no, it's like this, you're so clumsy."
She snatched the tangled beaded thread from Zexiu's hand, quickly untied it, retied it into a plum blossom shape, and then beckoned to him: "Come here, come here."
He was only wearing a thin white shirt with the collar slightly open. Xiaoman looked at him for a long time, not knowing where to hang it, and finally had to tie it to his wrist: "This is for you to play with, but don't break it, or I'll scold you."
As soon as she finished speaking, she felt his hand gently caress her cheek, his palm warm to the touch, his thumb lightly tracing her nose and lips. Xiaoman looked up at him; his eyes were like two dark crystals, gleaming with a captivating light. She felt her breath catch in her throat and instinctively tried to pull away, but he pressed down on the back of her neck.
His hot breath brushed against her face. She thought he was going to kiss her, but he didn't. He simply pressed his cheek against hers and gently caressed her, as if trying to remember her scent. His breath tickled her face.
Xiaoman clutched her clothes tightly, her palms sweaty, her heart pounding in her throat. His hand reached out, separating her hands and intertwining with hers. His lips gently pressed against her neck, his stubble brushing against her skin. Xiaoman flinched, "It tickles..."
He pinched her chin, looked up at her, and whispered, "Don't care what others say, don't take it to heart. Just look at me, just me."
So, I discovered something really frustrating today.
Pirated copies of "Love and Redemption" have appeared. The simplified Chinese version hasn't sold yet, and the traditional Chinese version was just finalized. So I've been feeling very inferior, thinking it's not well-written and that's why nobody wants it.
I can't believe there are pirated versions, and there's more than one... I'm so frustrated and angry.
This feeling is completely different from simply releasing a simplified version followed by a pirated copy. It's truly heartbreaking. 55
Um, I'm sorry to say that you shouldn't buy pirated copies, since they're really cheap.
All I can do is scream in a ridiculous tone: Support the original! Support the original! Don't let unscrupulous pirates make money... (Where are you, original? *runs away in tears*)
The Chaotic Scroll, Chapter Sixteen: He's So Good (Part One)
Updated: 2008-10-04 15:09:35 Word Count: 4331
This is the first update of the last day's double update.
Looking at only him—does that count as confessing my feelings?
Xiaoman felt as if she had flown back to the house, feeling light from head to toe, from her toes to her teeth.
She had received so little happiness in the past sixteen years, and even felt a little apprehensive, fearing it was all a dream. She firmly believed that some good things would never belong to her, but today they nestled into her arms, held tightly in her embrace, and seemed unlikely to run away, so she didn't want to let go.
That's not considered cheating, is it? He took the initiative, so it's okay for her to accept it and enjoy it a little, right?
Even if it's just for a moment, or even if it's very brief, it doesn't matter.
She floated upstairs with her cane and saw that Duan Hui's face didn't look too good. As soon as she saw her, she quickly waved and said, "Xiao Man, be quiet and don't talk. Come here first!"
She quietly walked over and whispered, "What's wrong?"
Duan Hui pointed into the room: "The women have arrived, looking very aggressive. It must have been Fourth Sister who instigated them. They're from the Master's side, so Mr. Xue can't easily stop them. Why don't you stay inside for now?"
He looked at her with concern. The child looked so thin and pitiful; he feared even a breath from Fourth Sister could knock her over. He didn't want to see Xiaoman upset. Just look at Young Master Zexiu to see how sharp-tongued Fourth Sister and the others were.
Xiao Man laughed and said, "Why not come in? I'm not a mouse, hiding everywhere." Duan Hui wanted to stop her, but she had already pushed the door open and gone in. He could only go to the back to get some tea and stand guard at the door, waiting for a bad situation so he could go in and save the day.
Sure enough, a group of women sat inside, adorned with jewels and fine clothes, their fragrance delightful. Xiao Man entered with a smile, quickly scanning the room. About three or four women had arrived, with Fourth Sister seated in the center. Surprisingly, they weren't as aggressive as Duan Hui had predicted; on the contrary, they all smiled upon seeing her. At least they appeared kind and generous.
"This must be Miss Xiaoman." Fourth Sister greeted her with a smile, took her hand, and looked her up and down.
Xiao Man said softly, "I didn't know the ladies were coming. I'm late, please forgive me."
Fourth Sister laughed and said, "I'm sorry you had to see me make a fool of myself in the pavilion earlier. Zexiu is a strange boy, and I got angry and scolded him a few times. I didn't even have a chance to greet you when I saw you. It's a pity that Third Brother has been nowhere to be seen, so we couldn't just barge in. We only found out where you live today, so we had to come and see you and have a chat. You're a guest from afar. How is your place, Miss?"
She was so polite and gentle, completely different from the shrew in the pavilion. Wow. A master of changing faces. Anyone can do that.
Xiao Man hurriedly took two steps back, bent down and bowed with difficulty, leaning on her cane: "It's all because of my inconvenient legs that I couldn't go to the front to pay my respects to the ladies. I'm so sorry to have troubled you to come and see me."
Everyone laughed and helped her to a chair. Duan Hui nervously came over to serve tea. Seeing the harmonious atmosphere in the room, with everyone smiling, he felt curious. After serving the tea, he hid behind the door and listened intently.
Fourth Sister held Xiao Man's hand and asked her about her age and background. Xiao Man smiled and said, "I am sixteen years old this year. My family is in..." She originally wanted to say Wutong Town, but suddenly realized that it was wrong and quickly changed her words: "...in Cangya City. Madam may not have heard of the things in the martial arts world."
As expected, they all looked bewildered. Fourth Sister then said, "So you're the dashing and heroic female knight-errant of the martial world! You certainly have an extraordinary bearing. But you're too thin. Young lady, you should take care of your health at such a young age." After saying that, she turned around and smiled, "Eighth Sister, do you remember the Fourth Miss Yu who came to our manor to play last time? She should be about the same age as her then. The two of them standing together looked like a pair of beautiful porcelain dolls."
"They're here!" Xiao Man sensed something different. The fourth young lady of the Yu family?
The one called Eighth Sister must be Zexiu's father's eighth concubine. Good heavens, how many concubines does he have? This Eighth Sister doesn't look much older than Xiaoman. She has delicate eyebrows and red lips and is very pretty. She covered her mouth and laughed, "Yes, that Fourth Miss is so delicate. She blushes when she sees Zexiu. Zexiu peeled an orange for her, but she didn't dare to take it. At that time, the First Madam even joked about them, saying that they were already treating each other like guests before they were even married. They both blushed deeply."
Xiao Man felt like yawning. How boring! These women, they don't say what they mean. She thought it was going to be something fun, but they were hiding their true intentions. She was getting impatient.
They started talking about the young ladies of the Yu and Zhang families, from their eyebrows to their clothes, from their hair to their skirts. One moment they were a perfect match, the next they were well-matched in social standing. Xiaoman grew increasingly bored and was about to find an excuse to go out for a stroll when she suddenly heard Fourth Sister say, "Miss Xiaoman is a chivalrous woman and can be considered Zexiu's confidante. This child is young, has a bad temper, and is quite childish. If she jokes with you too much, please don't take it to heart. Children's words shouldn't be taken seriously."
Xiao Man smiled obediently and said, "Okay, Fourth Sister, don't worry."
She got up, leaning on her cane, her face pale, and smiled apologetically, "Excuse me, everyone, I need to relieve myself." She then walked shakily into the inner room, her voice trembling as if she couldn't bear it any longer. Her smug laughter could be faintly heard. Xiaoman quickly closed the inner room door, rushed to the bedside, and yanked back the covers.
There was a mezzanine under the bed, used to store chamber pots and other odds and ends. She tried it out and found she could lie down comfortably. So, leaning on her crutch, she walked to the railing, where there was a pot of orchids. She grabbed the orchids and threw them down the stairs with a loud thud. Then she threw her crutch down as well, hopped back onto the bed on one leg, lay down in the mezzanine, pulled the blanket over herself, and went off to enjoy herself.
These gossipy old women are the least sophisticated; they don't say what they mean directly, but instead beat around the bush. She was initially looking forward to it, but the more she listened, the more bored she became. Rather than listen to their pointless chatter, she decided to hide away and go to sleep.
She lay there for a while, and sure enough, she heard a commotion outside. Then the door was pushed open, and many people called her name and rushed to the railing to look. They were panicked, thinking she had jumped off the building.
Well, you can take your time looking for the body.
Xiao Man yawned. Listening to the chattering outside, she felt a mischievous pleasure. The space under the partition was spacious and warm, and there was even some pleasant incense. She lay there for a while, gradually becoming drowsy and weak, truly sleepy, and could no longer hear the sounds outside. She curled up in her blanket and fell into a deep sleep.
She didn't know how long she had slept when she suddenly felt someone rummaging through the bed. Then, the interlayer was yanked open, and Xiaoman woke with a start. Looking up, she saw the room was pitch black, and a person holding a candle stood by the bed, staring at her. It was Zexiu. She let out a soft "Ah," and yawned. Slowly sitting up, she said softly, "How come it's you? How did you manage to find me?"
Zexiu slammed the candlestick onto the table. He pulled her out and said coldly, "What are you doing?! Everyone thought you jumped off the building and committed suicide! And here you are, sleeping!"