Lan Yin Bi Yue

Kapitel 34

You admire the vast and magnificent land, but I alone long for your return to the grassy fields.

The winding, deep alley is empty; the high night is as swift as a returning wind.

His brushstrokes were powerful yet steady, strong yet with a touch of gentleness; the strokes were continuous, each line flowing seamlessly into the next. Lin Suyang had never known he could write so beautifully. Looking at the paper, the ink marks, between the lines, conveyed a deep, unwavering devotion—a willingness to forsake vast territories to return home and be with his wife. It would be a lie to say she wasn't moved; she simply didn't know how to respond, how to resonate with his words.

Your devotion is so profound, your affection so tender, I am willing to follow you, I am willing to pursue you.

Volume Three, Heartbreak, Chapter Eighty: Awakening from a Dream of Your Infatuation (Part Two)

Because there were too many people, the results of the competition wouldn't be known until the next day. So, as soon as Si Junxing handed in his poem, he pulled Lin Suyang away from the noisy place. Not far from the crowd, just as he was about to speak, he suddenly saw a very familiar figure flash before his eyes.

Lin Suyang felt the hand holding her tighten. She looked up in confusion and saw Si Junxing staring intently in one direction with a pale face. She followed his gaze but saw nothing unusual except for the vendors hawking their wares and the passersby.

Si Junxing said in a low voice, "Wait for me here, I'll be right back." He released her and hurried after her. Lin Suyang stood there, pondering what he had just seen. Soon, she saw him walking over, looking lost in thought.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

Si Junxing shook his head and said, "It's nothing. I just saw an acquaintance I haven't seen in a long time." He then took her hand again and walked into the street.

"who?"

He paused, then replied, "Uncle Lian."

Lin Suyang knew who Uncle Lian was; he had told her many things about him. He was the first person to be kind to Si Junxing. Although all of Si Junxing's suffering was due to him, Lin Suyang believed that he wasn't inherently bad; otherwise, Si Junxing, who was so clear about her likes and dislikes, wouldn't have missed him for so long.

"Don't worry, if it really is him, he would definitely come to see you if he knew you were here," Lin Suyang comforted him.

Si Junxing nodded, his earlier displeasure vanishing. He grinned and leaned closer, saying, "Don't worry, my wife. As long as you're by my side, I don't care about anyone else. But my wife, you must remember your promise!" He had hoped to win her favor, but instead received a slap from Lin Suyang. She looked at him with extremely resentful eyes, but he grabbed her sleeve and dragged her like a child who couldn't get candy towards an inn.

Shortly after waking up the next day, someone knocked on the door, saying that the Prefect invited Young Master Si Junxing to his residence for a chat. It must be that yesterday's competition had concluded. Lin Suyang couldn't help but admire the Prefect's efficiency; with so many people, hundreds if not thousands, he had managed to finish the investigation in one night—it was truly impressive. Si Junxing glanced at her smugly, as if to say, "See? I told you I was capable!"

Lin Suyang couldn't help but chuckle, "Go on your way. Remember to come back early." After he left, she called the waiter to bring up breakfast. The food here was a bit oilier than elsewhere. Lin Suyang wasn't usually a picky eater, but today, the smell of oil on the dishes made her feel nauseous. She couldn't eat anything. She just assumed it was due to her irregular eating habits these past few days and didn't pay much attention.

She drank only a few sips of her light porridge. She sat by the window, gazing at the clear blue sky outside. It was almost March. The peach blossoms in the Peach Blossom Grove should be in bloom by now. It was a pity that the climate of the Northwest wasn't suitable for peach trees. Otherwise, against this clear sky, they would have been incredibly beautiful.

Counting the days, she's been in this world for twenty-one years. Time flies. Twenty-one years. She's forgotten what her past life was like, where she lived. Sometimes, when she thinks about it, she feels it was all a dream—a dream of being born in this era but living in another.

She didn't know how long she had been sitting there in a daze. She only came back to her senses when someone warmed her hands in their arms as she began to feel cold.

"Why are you just sitting here without moving? Look, your hands are so cold." Si Junxing lowered his head and rubbed her hands, breathing on them repeatedly. Lin Suyang felt a warm sensation coming from her fingertips, then traveling through her blood and nerves to the depths of her heart.

She withdrew her hand, stood up, and leaned close to his chest, listening to his strong heartbeat. A faint smile appeared on her lips.

"Oh, my lady is truly all-powerful! Knowing I had won, she immediately threw herself into my arms... Ouch..."

Lin Suyang released her grip on Si Junxing's waist, pushed him away, and sat down on the stool.

"My lady," Si Junxing leaned closer, beaming and holding out his hand to her, "You promised yesterday, you must keep your word. Look, this is my reward." He then pulled a stack of silver notes from his pocket and placed them on the table.

Lin Suyang suddenly remembered the promise she made yesterday, and her face immediately turned bright red.

"My lady, you won't go back on your word, will you?" Si Junxing stared at her nervously when she didn't seem inclined to speak.

"We'll talk about that later, I'll owe you for now," Lin Suyang replied.

"No way, you can owe this much?" He was about to complain when he saw her look and immediately changed his tune with a smile, "Yes, whatever you say, my lady." After saying that, his expression suddenly changed, and he hurriedly pulled Lin Suyang up to pack their things and leave.

What are you doing?

"This place is not safe to stay any longer. Let's go quickly, I'll tell you on the way."

It turns out that the Prefect of Shicheng wasn't simply holding a poetry and literature gathering; his main purpose was to choose a suitable husband for his beloved daughter. Upon seeing Si Junxing today, he was extremely pleased with his handsome appearance and exceptional literary talent. He initially wanted to openly recruit him but worried about being too abrupt, so he subtly "hinted" at him several times. However, Si Junxing kept feigning ignorance, allowing him to escape. If he continued to stay, the Prefect might send people to "forcibly abduct" him.

Hearing this, Lin Suyang laughed so hard she couldn't stand up straight. Si Junxing, worried she'd fall off her horse, quickly pulled her back to sit properly. "Your own husband is about to be stolen away, and you can still laugh?"

"When did you become my husband? How come I didn't know?" Lin Suyang asked with a smile.

"See? You're being unreasonable again. I've been calling you 'wife' for so long and you haven't objected. Doesn't that mean you've acknowledged me as your husband?"

"I've never seen anyone as shameless as you..." As she was speaking, another wave of nausea washed over her, and she quickly covered her mouth and turned her head away.

"What's wrong?" Si Junxing asked hurriedly.

"It's nothing, I probably just ate something bad recently and my stomach is upset." Lin Suyang said, but her heart was trembling. A thought flashed through her mind, and she was so shocked that she let go of Si Junxing's hand. Just as she was about to fall off the horse, Si Junxing suddenly hugged her and they fell forward together onto the horse.

"What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell? Should we go back and see a doctor?" Si Junxing asked anxiously as he helped her to sit up.

Lin Suyang shook his head: "It's okay, it'll be fine in a little while, don't worry."

In the following days, this situation did not recur, and Lin Suyang's anxiety subsided somewhat. Because they were traveling along a remote route, there were few towns nearby. Occasionally, they would only stop at a few villages to buy some dry rations, spending the rest of their time in the mountains and fields, often sleeping in the open in the deep forests, by a stream, or in a cave. Life was hard, but they were happy.

That night they stayed in a dilapidated temple. Near dawn, Lin Suyang woke up by chance and found that Si Junxing, who should have been fast asleep beside her, was nowhere to be found. She looked around and saw that the fire was still burning brightly, as if someone had just added firewood.

She left the dilapidated temple and walked into the woods ahead. It was still quite dark, and she could only vaguely see the dense shadows around her. Following her path, she reached a more spacious area and saw broken leaves and branches everywhere. Tree trunks that would take two people to encircle had been snapped in half, a scene of utter devastation, as if a fierce fight had taken place. Lin Suyang's heart tightened, and she quickened her pace. She bumped into someone and took a few steps back in fright. When she saw Si Junxing staring at her in surprise, she rushed forward and hugged him without saying a word, her voice trembling with fear.

Si Junxing patted her back to comfort her, saying, "I was afraid you wouldn't be used to the smell of wild game, so I went out and found some ripe fruit. Look." Only then did Lin Suyang notice that he was carrying a large, hard bag.

"But what about that grove of trees I just came from?"

"Maybe the lumberjacks came by. I saw them too. Don't worry, I'm fine, aren't I? Okay, let's go back quickly. It's still cold, be careful not to catch a cold." Si Junxing led her towards the dilapidated temple. As they passed through the messy woods, a figure flashed past them quickly. A glint flashed in Si Junxing's eyes, and before Lin Suyang could notice, a cryptic smile appeared on his lips.

These past few days, Lin Suyang has felt very tired. Not only did she sleep soundly at night, but she also felt dizzy on horseback during the day. Fortunately, Si Junxing was there to hold her back, otherwise she would have fallen off the horse countless times. Every time Si Junxing suggested going to find a doctor, she refused, saying that there were definitely no doctors in this desolate wilderness, and that she was probably just too tired and that there was nothing seriously wrong.

Actually, it wasn't that she didn't want to know what was wrong with her, but she was afraid to know the outcome. If it was really as she thought, she didn't know how to face Si Junxing. Right now, she just wanted to enjoy this limited time with him. As for the future, she would let nature take its course. She wouldn't stop him from leaving or staying, just like she had thought before. At least this memory was good.

Volume Three, Heartbreak, Chapter Eighty-One: Peach Blossom Makeup (Part 1)

Lin Suyang had a dream, a very strange dream. A long, seemingly endless corridor, a dark and oppressive sky—it looked like it was raining, yet it wasn't. It was cold all around, and she seemed to hear voices, faint and ethereal, coming from the other side of the corridor. She was wearing a light blue gauze dress, walking and walking, the wind lifting the hem of her dress. She felt her footsteps were heavy, yet she couldn't hear the sound of her own footsteps.

The distant conversation suddenly changed, turning into the crying of a baby, the initial whimpers gradually turning into a deafening wail. Her eardrums throbbed with pain, and suddenly a white mist appeared before her eyes, in which stood a person, beckoning to her with an unchanging smile: "Wife, come quickly."

"Si Junxing." She murmured, her stopped steps naturally leading her towards him. But before she'd gone halfway, his face transformed into a handsome yet domineering coldness. He said to her, "Do you think you can escape?" She stepped back, but he lunged forward and grabbed her hands tightly. She struggled, but he wouldn't let go, only whispering in her ear, "Listen." It was still the baby's cry from before. The once pitiful cry now felt like cold arrows shooting from all directions, piercing her body inch by inch. She screamed in terror, "No…"

Opening her eyes, she saw a faded mosquito net. Her whole body ached and felt weak, as if she had just finished a long-distance run with heavy loads. She moved her fingers, and someone immediately leaned over to her: "You're awake?" It was Si Junxing's voice, but it trembled noticeably.

Lin Suyang looked at him, her eyes were red, her hair was messy, her clothes were a little dirty, and her once smooth chin was now covered with stubble.

"How did you get into this state?" Lin Suyang asked weakly, his throat dry and his voice hoarse.

Si Junxing ignored her and collapsed onto her: "Do you know you were unconscious for three days and three nights? I thought you would never wake up again, never again..." His sobs, like those of a child, made her heart ache, as if she were shedding tears.

"Cough cough cough, are you trying to crush me to death?" Lin Suyang said, pretending to be in pain. In fact, he didn't put his whole weight on her; he was just leaning against her. But she didn't want to see him looking so vulnerable.

"What's wrong with me?" she asked slowly after Si Junxing got up.

A complex emotion flashed in Si Junxing's eyes, but it was quickly missed by Lin Suyang, who was still in a daze.

"The doctor said you are too weak and haven't been eating well lately, so you have insufficient blood and energy, which caused you to fall into a coma."

Lin Suyang smiled: "If that's the case, what are you still worried about?"

Si Junxing took her hand. He said guiltily, "I'm sorry. If I hadn't insisted on taking you away, you wouldn't have suffered like this."

“What are you saying? I want to be with you. Besides, I don’t feel it’s hard at all. I’m very happy by your side.” The last sentence was spoken very softly, but Si Junxing still heard it. He happily lowered his head and kissed her face again and again. “I knew my wife was the best.”

"You're really pushing your luck." Lin Suyang tried to push him away but couldn't budge him no matter what she did.

"By the way, where is this place?" She looked over Si Junxing's shoulder and surveyed the room. The furnishings were simple. It didn't look like an inn.

"You suddenly collapsed at the home of a kind farmer. I frantically carried you and searched everywhere before finally finding you here. Luckily, this kind couple was here. Otherwise, I really wouldn't know what to do. I should have taken the official road," Si Junxing said regretfully.

"Don't blame yourself anymore. I'm perfectly fine, just a little weak, nothing serious," Lin Suyang comforted, trying to sit up by supporting herself on the bed, but she was too weak to fall. Si Junxing reached out and hugged her, asking, "What do you need?"

She shook her head: "I've been lying down for too long and I want to sit up."

So Si Junxing held her in one arm and used the other to prop up a pillow against the wall so she could lean against it.

"I'll have the energy after a rest. I'll go get some food."

Lin Suyang felt a cool sensation on his back, and when he touched it, he found it was wet.

Si Junxing brought a bowl of thick rice porridge and sat down in front of the bed. "Drink this first to fill your stomach. When you feel better, you can eat your favorite sweet and sour fish." He gently blew on the porridge to make sure it wasn't too hot before feeding her little by little.

"You need to stay here and recover properly these next few days before you can continue your journey." Si Junxing kept nagging like an old man, making Lin Suyang want to laugh but unable to.

After she finished her porridge, he wiped her mouth for her before saying, "I've boiled some water for you, so you can take a hot bath soon. How about that, aren't you touched?"

"Yes, I'm very touched." Si Junxing didn't expect her to answer so gently. He was stunned for a moment, then put down his bowl, hugged her tightly, and said in a low voice, "I don't need your gratitude, I never have. You just need to know that I did everything for you willingly."

He touched her back and found that her clothes were soaked and cold against her body. He frowned and asked, "What happened? Your back is all wet."

"I had a nightmare, maybe it was just cold sweat. I'll just wash it off in a bit." Thinking about the dream, Lin Suyang took an uneasy step back.

"I'll go get some water now, so I don't get sick again." Si Junxing said, hurrying out. He then carried in a large bathtub, followed by several buckets of hot water poured into it. After adjusting the water temperature, he hesitated and asked, "Are you sure you can manage by yourself?"

Lin Suyang nodded and said, "Okay, you can go now."

Once the door was closed, she stood up, supporting herself on the bed. She took a few difficult steps, leaning against the shaky old wooden table next to her, and walked to the wooden tub. She braced herself firmly on the edge of the tub with both hands. Only after she had her body steady did she free one hand to untie her belt. Unexpectedly, her legs suddenly gave way and she fell to the ground.

Just then, a door nearby was slammed open with a bang, and Si Junxing rushed over anxiously, asking, "How are you? Are you alright?"

Lin Suyang lay half-reclined on the ground, silent. Panicked, he immediately picked her up and was about to leave when Lin Suyang grabbed him, saying, "It's alright, I'm just still recovering." She paused, then asked, "Is this farmer a couple?" Seeing Si Junxing nod, she said, "You...go ask that lady...to help me..."

Si Junxing immediately understood what she was going to say. A blush rose on his handsome face, and he lowered his head, not daring to look at her. He stammered, "I... I told them we... we are husband and wife." Si Junxing, who was always so nonchalant in front of her, had never been so embarrassed before. Even during the time he was blind, he had never been like this. Lin Suyang thought about it and chuckled softly.

Hearing her laughter, Si Junxing fell silent, quietly went to close the door, and then carried Lin Suyang to the bathtub.

"What...what are you going to do?" Lin Suyang asked in surprise.

Si Junxing didn't speak, but carefully helped her down, placing his hand on her waist. Lin Suyang quickly grabbed his hand and said, "No need, I can do it myself. You can leave." He sighed, pulled her into his arms, and softly asked, "Are you willing to be with me for the rest of your life?"

Lin Suyang was stunned for a moment. She understood his meaning and felt a mix of emotions. Was she willing? From a selfish point of view, she was completely willing, but... Before she could finish her question, Si Junxing had already quickly untied her belt.

“You…” Lin Suyang stared at him in surprise.

"By the time you've finished thinking, the water will be cold," Si Junxing said helplessly. "Whether you like it or not, from now on I am your husband, so, my wife, there's no need to be shy."

When Si Junxing's slightly rough hands touched Lin Suyang's smooth back, she trembled slightly, lowered her head, and dared not move her eyes. Si Junxing slowly put her into the water, then placed the clean clothes he had borrowed from the host's house in the nearest spot. From beginning to end, he was very attentive, unlike his usual unruly behavior.

"You can shower by yourself now. I'll be right outside. Call me if you need anything." He opened the door and went out after seeing Lin Suyang nod slightly.

After feeling the scorching heat leave, Lin Suyang actually felt cold. He hugged his arms and sat softly in the tub. The water just covered his shoulders and back, and the temperature was just right, slightly hot.

The rising steam made my eyes well up with tears. Looking down at my reflection in the water, my beautiful face was pale. The slightest movement caused the ripples in the water to shatter my captivating features.

Si Junxing sat on the stone steps in front of the door, gazing at the swaying spring flowers, their vibrant reds and greens bringing a unique vitality to this arid place. He knew that such scenery would be rare on the journey ahead; the picturesque landscapes of the past few days were actually a result of him leading Lin Suyang on aimless wandering. Someone as intelligent as her probably already knew this, but she didn't point it out, simply following him as if they were truly on a journey.

Si Junxing smiled happily; her heart belonged to him.

Volume Three, Heartbreak, Chapter Eighty-Two: Peach Blossom Makeup (Part Two)

Lin Suyang was forced to stay here and rest for several days by Si Junxing. Every day, he would prepare different delicious dishes, which made Lin Suyang feel that something was different.

Lin Suyang finally breathed a sigh of relief when he agreed she could leave, no longer feeling cooped up in the house. Si Junxing hurried off to the mountains to gather some fresh fruit, while she packed her belongings in the house. After finishing, seeing that it was still early, she went out to thank the host family.

When the hospitable woman saw Lin Suyang coming over, she hurriedly brought out a bowl of soup from the kitchen and said, "Madam is so lucky to have found such a considerate husband. Unlike my husband, look, he left early this morning without saying goodbye. Sigh, it's wishful thinking to expect him to care more about his wife."

Lin Suyang simply smiled. The woman handed her the soup and said, "Madam, to be honest, it's rare to see such a kind man as your husband. Before he left, he asked me to make you some chicken soup so you could drink more for your journey. It's true, pregnant women need to nourish themselves..."