I ran breathlessly to the cherry blossom grove. During the days I was 'imprisoned' by Xiao Yao, I often visited here. Sometimes I would watch the cherry blossoms with my wife, pick cherry blossoms, sometimes I would cook modern food for her, and sometimes I would tell her jokes. My wife didn't make a fuss, which is why Gui Yao pretended not to know. Nu Yi, the old lady, also went from being wary at first to being kind later. It seems that my friendliness infected her. My wife was like a child; she was very happy. Perhaps it was our first meeting that gave her a good impression, so she especially liked to stick to me. Whenever I brought her something strange or unusual, she would treat it like a treasure. I really liked my wife; being with her was easy and happy.
"Xiaoxue, Xiaoxue!" A voice called from a thatched hut in the distance. A stunningly beautiful woman ran out of the hut and rushed towards me. Yes, this was Madam. She always appeared in front of me in this way. Perhaps she had learned martial arts, otherwise why would she run out immediately as soon as I stepped into the cherry blossom grove?
She came up to me and jumped on me. At first, seeing a beautiful woman clinging to me like that was a little unsettling, but after witnessing her clinginess, I didn't find it so bad. She kept muttering, "Xiaoxue is here, Xiaoxue is here."
"Yan'er, is anyone being good?" I was originally going to call her Madam, but this girl stared at me and told me her name was Yan'er. I didn't listen. She actually said I was uncultured. To prove that I, Zixue, am a highly intelligent human being, I started calling her that. (Author's note: Highly intelligent? Are you sure? Zixue glared at me and said: Do I look so brainless?)
"Yes, yes, Yan'er is a good girl, I know." The lady got off me and looked at me seriously, her eyes clear and bright.
"Well, come on, since Yan'er has been so good, how about Xue'er gives Yan'er something nice?"
"Good stuff, good stuff!" The lady clapped her hands happily.
"Nuyi, Nuyi, Xiaoxue is here! She has something for Yan'er!" The lady ran to the front of the thatched hut and called into the hut. She then immediately ran to the stone table and stood there like a schoolchild waiting for the teacher's praise.
Just then, an old woman came out from inside, looked up at me, and said kindly, "Miss Xiaoxue is here. Madam always thinks of you."
"Grandma, Xue'er is here to bother you." I winked mischievously. Originally, Nu Yi always believed that there was a hierarchy between master and servant and insisted that I not call her Grandma. But later, when she saw that it didn't work, she stopped calling me and changed her mind.
"Look at what you said, 'The slave girl touched my head'"
We sat down on the stone benches, and I took out the crystal dumplings and placed them in front of my wife.
The lady's eyes lit up, and she immediately picked one up and ate it, exclaiming, "Delicious, delicious!"
Looking at the childlike lady, I smiled and wiped the filling from the corner of her mouth, but I wondered why she had gone crazy. I turned to look at Nuyi, stood up, and gestured for Nuyi to come with me.
We walked through a long corridor and arrived at Biyue Lake. The lake's waters, like a mirror, reflected the blue sky and white clouds. A gentle breeze rippled the surface, creating countless tiny waves. Beside the lake stood a pavilion, and in the distance, an antique octagonal pavilion gleamed in the sunlight, its golden glazed tiles sparkling. The vermilion pillars glowed with a reddish light, making them particularly dazzling.
Once we sat down, I asked directly, without any beating around the bush.
Chapter Sixteen
Nu Yi was somewhat surprised that I didn't beat around the bush, so she began to explain, "Actually, why the Madam went mad is a taboo in Ghost Manor. No one is allowed to mention it. Anyone who has mentioned it is now lost. But if Miss Xiaoxue wants to know, this old servant can tell you."
"Won't you be alright? Didn't we say we couldn't say anything?" I looked at her strangely. Wasn't she afraid of dying?
"No, because the Master of the Manor instructed that if Miss Xiaoxue wants to know, I can tell you." So it was Xiaoyao who agreed. But how did he know I would ask? I'm not that gossipy. (Author's note: You are gossipy. Zixue said: That's because you're gossipy; you forced me to ask.)
"Miss was born into a merchant family. Her father was an extremely wealthy merchant. She was proficient in all the arts, including music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and was renowned as the most beautiful woman in the dynasty. Many young men had taken a liking to her and came to propose marriage, but her master had rejected them all. It seemed that her master had something more important for her to do, something I, as a servant, did not know. Miss often stayed at home, but she longed for the martial world and always wanted to sneak out, but her master always caught her and brought her back."
Hearing this, I glanced at Nu Yi. Her gaze was fixed on the lake, gentle and tender, with a slight smile playing on her lips, as if she were recalling something amusing. But she paused, her brows furrowing, her eyes sharpening, and her entire being radiating a fierce aura. I could see her anger and murderous intent.
"However, a man disrupted Miss's life. One day, she excitedly ran over, saying she wanted to sneak out to play. I was afraid the master would be angry and punish her, so I tried to dissuade her, but she wouldn't listen. I had no choice but to accompany her to the back door. But when we opened the door, a man collapsed inside, covered in blood, apparently being chased. Afraid of trouble, I tried to pull Miss away, but after looking at him deeply, she said she wanted to save him. And so, Miss and that man fell in love. I didn't tell the master, because as long as Miss was happy, that was all that mattered. But in the end, the master found out, and he was very agitated and strongly opposed it." I don't know why, but later, the young lady told me that when she told her master she wouldn't marry anyone but that man, he took her to his study and told her that the man had ulterior motives towards her, coveting the family's martial arts manual. The young lady was very angry and said her master was talking nonsense, but when her master activated the mechanism, the martial arts manual really appeared. Her master told her that this was a treasure that any martial artist in the world would covet, and that whoever obtained it would definitely improve their martial arts and might even become the best in the world. Her master wanted to pass this on to her, but she refused, only wanting a good man to love her. However, that man somehow heard about this, and he actually...
Nu Yi clenched her fists, gritting her teeth as she said, "On the wedding day, after the master agreed to the marriage, he ran to the master's study, stole the martial arts manual, and eloped. When the young lady found out, she was devastated. At that time, she was already pregnant with the young master. For the young master's sake, she endured the gossip and silently gave birth to him. Perhaps heaven had eyes; the man only stole one manual, and the master kept the other one somewhere else. When the young master was five years old, the master, because he had studied that manual, strictly taught the young master from a young age. Perhaps because he grew up without a father, the young master was more mature than other children. The master was also gratified because the young master had mastered the martial arts very well, thus becoming the second-ranked Ghost Yao in the martial arts world. When the young master was eight years old, the master passed away. Before he died, he told me that his biggest regret in life was not being able to stop the young lady from being with that man, and his greatest achievement was having the young master as his grandson. At the same time, news came from outside that the man was getting married. Under the double blow, the young lady went mad."
After saying this, Nu Yi's eyes were filled with pain, and tears kept falling.
I looked at Nuyi with a heavy heart and wiped her tears with a handkerchief. Why are there such absurd things in the world? Why do men like to hurt women's hearts so much?
The servant girl, her clothes trembling, wiped her tears with my handkerchief, her voice still heavy with sorrow, "This old servant has been rude."
"Look at what Grandma is saying, there's no such thing as being impolite. In front of Xiaoxue, Grandma, you're just being yourself." Looking at Nuyi's still tear-stained eyes, I wanted to cheer her up, so I said it in a teasing tone.
"Um, Grandma, Xiaoxue, may I ask a bad question?" I looked cautiously at Nuyi, afraid of asking something I shouldn't.
"Miss Xiaoxue, may I ask..." Nuyi composed herself and asked me with a smile.
"Who is that man?" I silently looked at Nuyi.
"He, hahaha..." Nu Yi suddenly laughed mockingly. Nu Yi looked a little terrifying like this, and her body trembled violently with the gradually increasing laughter. I didn't disturb her, but just watched her finish laughing.
"He is none other than Luo Ying, the infamous master of Luo Manor in the martial arts world. Hmph, if it weren't for that martial arts manual, he might have been killed long ago. How could he have such a status now?"
"Master Luo of Manor?" I asked thoughtfully.
"What, Miss Xiaoxue doesn't know?" Nuyi asked me, looking at me with suspicion.
"Well, I was born in a rather remote place, so naturally I don't know any江湖 (jianghu, the martial arts world) figures!" I tugged at the end of my hair and told Nuyi with an embarrassed smile, telling a lie without batting an eye. This was my most successful lie yet.
"No wonder, no wonder. Luozhuang is one of the five major manors that gradually grew stronger in the past six years. You don't know who he married, Miss? It was Ye Xiaoqian, the daughter of the former leader of the alliance. What a hypocrite. But now he is far inferior to Guizhuang." Nu Yi's eyes were full of smugness.
After returning from the lady's, I was lost in thought, head down, walking aimlessly, staring at the path on the ground. Not noticing what lay ahead, I bumped into a wall—oh, no. It was a person. Before my eyes, I saw a pair of black boots.
"What are you thinking about?" came a sharp voice from above.
It was only then that I came to my senses and looked up, realizing that I had somehow ended up outside the room.
Seeing my bewildered and dazed look, Jue playfully pinched my nose and asked with a smile, "What's wrong?"
Looking at Jue, I pulled her into the room, closed the door, and found Xiao Wu wasn't there. Jue must have asked her to do something!
I sat down in the chair and asked him, "Do you know about the lady's matter?"
"I know," Gui Yao told me. "Jue sat down beside me, looking at my serious face, and answered me casually."
"Uh," she replied so casually, as if it were not a taboo at all.
"We're leaving tomorrow," Jue suddenly blurted out.
"What? Where are you going?" I stared at him in astonishment. How could he be going so fast!
Chapter Seventeen
"You want to know?" Ju asked me in a seductive voice.
"Yeah, I'm with you, of course I want to know," I rolled my eyes at Jue.
Suddenly, Jue pulled me into his arms, resting his chin on my shoulder. Startled by his movement, I instinctively put my hands on his neck.
Jue whispered in my ear, "Do you like the palace?"
I felt ticklish from his breath, and I touched it with my hand. "Why do you ask that? Are we going to the palace?" I looked up at Jue, who still had that deep gaze, but there was a fleeting glint in his eyes that I couldn't even catch.
"without"
I looked at Jue with a puzzled expression, but he had already buried his face in my shoulder.
Although I found him strange, I still voiced my thoughts. "I don't like it. It's a birdcage, Jue, you know? It's a place where invisible killers reside. I hate it, but I also admire it." Jue had been listening quietly since earlier. At first, I thought he was asleep, but when he heard the word "admire," his body stiffened, letting me know he was listening. I shifted into a more comfortable position in Jue's arms, lifted his head, and stroked his cheeks with my hands, making him look into my eyes. "Jue, what's wrong? You're acting strange. What are you worried about?"
Looking at my worried face, Xue'er wouldn't lie to me, wouldn't hurt me. I shouldn't doubt her. But why can't Xuanwu and the others find out her origins? Could it really be that heaven sent her to me? No matter what, Xue'er, I won't let go, even if I end up shattered to pieces. Jue hugged me even tighter, as if afraid I would disappear, as if he wanted to meld me into his body, to become one with him.
"Alright, stop frowning like an old man. That's not pretty at all." I gently patted Jue's face and pulled up the corner of his mouth. I thought for a moment, "If I'm leaving, then I should say goodbye to Xiao Yao and Madam." I sorted out what I needed to do in my mind.
Jue pulled my hand down, put it down, and said, "Gui Yao already knows," before placing me on a chair and leaving.
That's strange. What's wrong with him? He's been acting strangely all afternoon. Could it be that he's going through menopause? But I've never heard of men having menopause. Am I remembering wrong?
I shook my head, clearing my mind of all the jumbled thoughts, and ran to the door, calling out, "Xiao Wu, Xiao Wu!"
"Miss, what is it?" I was startled by the sudden appearance of her face. What was going on? Even if she was beautiful, she couldn't be this scary!
"Xiao Wu, don't you know that scaring someone can kill them?" I said to Xiao Wu.
"What is it, Miss?" Xiao Wu repeated the same question without a smile. She has absolutely no sense of humor! (Author's note: So lame! Zi Xue's comment: Get lost, that's a lame joke.)
"Oh, Jue said he's leaving. Could you help me pack?"
"Yes, Miss, it's my duty." Xiao Wu then went to pack. I also ran to say goodbye to Madam, casually took Xiao Yao with me, and then came back to wash up and go to bed, so I wouldn't be unable to get up tomorrow.
The next day
I was led by Jue to the gate of Ghost Manor, where I saw a magnificent golden carriage. My god, how much does Jue cost? Even his carriage is so extravagant! As soon as I stepped out of Ghost Manor, I heard "Xiao Xue, Xiao Xue..." coming from behind me.
I recognized the voice as Madam's, so I stopped and turned around. I saw Gui Yao helping her walk up to us, looking at us helplessly. "My mother is making a fuss about coming out, so I can't help it," she said, then shrugged at us.
"Is Xiaoxue leaving? 555555555, doesn't she want Yan'er anymore?" The lady was extremely agitated. I looked at the maid beside me with a questioning gaze, and saw the reluctance and sorrow in her eyes. When she saw me looking at her, she told me, "Last night, after you left, Miss had a nightmare, constantly calling out, 'Ying, don't go, Xiaoxue, don't go?'"
A chill ran down my spine, and I shivered. I ran to Xiao Yao's side, gestured for him to lower his head, and whispered in his ear, "Your mother likes me? I'm a normal, virgin! I'm already pregnant. I admit I'm cute, but I'm not charming enough for every woman to like me!"
When Gui Yao heard her say she was about to die, her heart ached. She glanced at me and tapped me lightly. "What's going on in your head? All you think about is this stuff. My mother probably has some kind of trauma, afraid you'll leave like him!" As she said this, a sadness mixed with a hint of murderous intent enveloped Gui Yao. Poor child, growing up without a father and having to care for her mother, how much pain must Gui Yao be in? He didn't do anything wrong by hating his father; anyone would hate him. I gently patted her shoulder and smiled, saying, "Gui Yao, you will be happy, because Gui Yao, you're a very good person."
No one had ever said this to him before. In fact, he knew that although people outside were afraid of him, in their eyes he was a devil. Staring blankly at the woman in front of him, his heart unconsciously stirred again. Damn it, this feeling again.
We exchanged glances, unaware of the incredibly ambiguous gesture we were exchanging. Jue, his face dark, watched them. Leng Mei asked curiously, "What are they doing? It's so ambiguous... could it be...?" Before he could finish, Leng Mei's mouth was covered by Leng Tian. Leng Tian pulled him away from his master, whispering, "Do you want to die? Can't you see the master's expression?"
I was pulled by Jue and ran into his arms. I looked at him innocently and saw that his face was very ugly and he was surrounded by cold air.
I looked around. Leng Tian and the others were looking at me with disdain. Xiao Wu ignored me, as if she didn't want to talk to me. Nu Yi and Yan Er were stunned. What had I done? Why were they looking at me like that?
"Yan'er, Xiaoxue will not abandon you. Xiaoxue keeps her word," I said earnestly as I walked up to the lady.
Little did I know that I had done something disgusting again. My wife and I now looked like lovers parting ways. They were sweating profusely in the cold weather. Xiao Wu held her forehead and Jue rubbed her temples. Xiao Yao sighed.
"Really?" the lady asked, gripping my hand tightly as if pleading.
"Yes," I nodded cautiously.
Chapter Eighteen
Jue and I boarded the carriage, drew back the curtains, and stuck our hands and heads out the window to wave to them. As the carriage moved, Xiao Yao and Madam became increasingly blurry, gradually disappearing into the mist. I pulled my head and hands back, my heart filled with conflicting emotions and a touch of sadness. In this unfamiliar place, apart from Jue, Madam and Xiao Yao had been incredibly kind to me. I had come to regard Madam as a confidante and Nu Yi as my grandmother. Although Madam had the mind of a child, she always subtly influenced me, making me forget any sorrow. Although Xiao Yao mostly treated me coldly, I could sense that he meant me no harm. In the past ten days, I had grown deeply attached to this seemingly eerie yet warm and welcoming ghost village. I had come to regard it as my first home here. I no longer felt the fear I once had towards it, but instead felt a deep reluctance to leave.
Jue seemed to sense my sadness, placing his hand on the back of my hand, pulling me to lean against his shoulder, and gently patting me to soothe the ripples in my heart. Perhaps it was Jue's actions that calmed me down, or perhaps his hand had a kind of magic that could put me at ease. Amidst the bumpy swaying of the carriage, I drifted off to sleep with a smile.
On the way to the palace, I had a great time, Leng Tian and the others were having a great time, and Jue was having a great time watching. Finally, after I made another request, Leng Qing, who was as cold as ice, finally snapped and yelled at me, "Miss, can't you behave yourself?"
I was a little dizzy from the yelling. Looking at the man in front of me who didn't seem like Xiao Qingqing at all, I quickly shook my head and blurted out words that would only drive him more crazy, "Calm down, calm down, Xiao Qingqing, are you out of your mind?" Hearing my words, Leng Qing took a deep breath, trying to control his emotions. He kept reminding himself, "Stay calm, stay calm. Miss Zixue's thinking is different from ordinary people. I can't treat her like ordinary people." After calming himself down, Leng Qing exhaled, his tone seemingly calm, but if you looked closely, you would see how suppressed he was!
Hearing our conversation, Jue finally looked up from his book and stared at us with great interest. Leng Tian and the others paused for a moment before rushing to the carriage. Xiao Wu only glanced up before continuing with her needlework. Inside the carriage, Leng Qing was on the verge of collapse, his face as black as Bao Gong's, veins bulging on his forehead, his hands clenched into fists, yet he stared at the innocent-looking woman with a stiff expression.
Why was Leng Qing in the carriage? This goes back two days. I was so bored I was practically going crazy, so I begged Jue to call Leng Tian or one of the others to play with me, but Jue refused. So I tried everything, and finally, Jue agreed and called someone—yes, Leng Qing. His face was like a deadpan expression, making my lips twitch. Jue was really something; of all people, he called Leng Qing, who was almost mute like him. I thought, since Jue had given in, why should I hold a grudge? So, after I said a lot of things, and Leng Qing responded with 'uh-huh, ah, oh,' I cleverly chose to ignore it and continued being bored. But today, his unusual behavior was something I hadn't expected.
"I didn't do anything? Why are you so angry, my little darling?" I kindly reminded him, seeing his furious expression.
With a 'bang,' smoke appeared coming out of Leng Qing's head, and those around could tell that he couldn't hold back any longer.
Leng Tian and the others swallowed hard, looking at Leng Qing with pity. Poor child, she was so angry. Miss Zi Xue is just too powerful, she can make people angry to death!
"I didn't do anything, Miss Zixue. Who's making us walk at the speed of ants just to see how they carry things? Who's making us run around the streets aimlessly, trying to rescue someone from being bullied, forcing us to deal with all that trouble? And who's throwing stones around randomly? Throwing them around is fine, but why throw them upwards? And why throw them at a beehive? Making us run around like madmen. Luckily, Leng Mei had some bee-repelling powder, otherwise you'd see us looking like pigs by now. I can tolerate all that, but now you're saying you want to see some embroidered ball? I can't guarantee you won't marry that woman. Miss, can't you just shut up for a bit?"