Blumen pflücken und lächeln

Kapitel 115

At first, Mu Shuangshuang didn't know the name of her most beloved junior brother, only that her master's wife often murmured sweet nothings to her in a gentle, melodious voice. She didn't know what he looked like either, only that he always wore a blue robe made for him by her master's wife, with a snow-white jade pendant at his waist. She had seen that jade pendant before; it was on her master's wife, engraved with "fragrant as orchids, elegant as pine trees." Although not expensive, it was exquisite. Mu Shuangshuang asked for it several times, but her master's wife always smiled and said that it was for her own child.

Mu Shuangshuang had assumed her master's wife would give the jade pendant to her junior sister, Yao'er, her daughter. However, a few days later, when she inquired about the missing jade again, her master's wife said it had been given to Feng'er. Mu Shuangshuang had never met her junior brother, yet she knew almost every detail of his life. At that time, her feelings for him and her longing to see him were less about liking him and more about jealousy and vying for his favor.

Until that night of torrential rain, she finally couldn't bear the loneliness and cold of Wuji Mountain any longer and ran into the forest, sobbing uncontrollably. She was afraid of thunder and lightning, but she was even more afraid of others seeing her vulnerable side. The shallow cave offered no shelter from the rain. She wept bitterly and fearfully. At only twelve years old, no matter how mature and composed she appeared on the surface, she was still just a child. Who would embrace her fragility? Who would soothe her loneliness? Who would warm her coldness?

Just then, a boy not much older than her appeared at the cave entrance. He looked down at her, who was trembling and covering her ears, and asked in a cool voice, "Who is it?"

Despite being soaked to the bone and looking utterly disheveled, Mu Shuangshuang still retorted, "And who are you?"

A bolt of lightning flashed, and Mu Shuangshuang cried out in surprise, looking down to see the young man's rain-soaked blue robes and the snow-white jade pendant at his waist. She exclaimed in realization, "I recognize you! You're Feng'er... no! Senior Brother Feng!"

The boy remained standing at the cave entrance. Mu Shuangshuang, familiar with the darkness, watched the torrential rain drip from his hair, completely obscuring his face. He asked in the same cool tone, "Who are you?"

“I…I am Ling’er…” Mu Shuangshuang said in a trembling voice. Ling’er was her nickname, and that was what her master and mistress called her in Wuji Mountain.

The boy sheathed his sword, his voice muffled in the rain: "Junior sister? It's too late, let's go back..."

"Boom—!!" The huge thunderclap almost struck the edge of the cave, startling Mu Shuangshuang so much that she screamed and rushed into the boy's arms, hugging him tightly.

"What are you doing?!" The boy tried to push him away in a panic, his voice no longer cold, but filled with deep anger and unease. "Let go!"

"I...I'm scared..." All of Mu Shuangshuang's taut nerves seemed to snap the moment she threw herself into the boy's arms, and she burst into tears, "Ling'er is scared of thunder, Daddy...Brother...Ling'er is scared..."

The boy, who had initially pushed her away with great force, finally relented and let her hold him. The two of them nestled together in the torrential rain for an hour, then another, until Mu Shuangshuang fell into a deep sleep.

When she woke up the next day, she was lying in a cave covered with dry grass (dried by her internal energy), but the boy was no longer there. However, from that day on, she remembered this boy, this senior brother who had given her warmth in the rain.

She would casually inquire about his preferences, temperament, and even his daily activities from his master's wife. Gradually, Mu Shuangshuang learned that he lived on the west side of the mountain, separated from her only by a stone gate; that he loved martial arts but disliked military strategy; that he never got close to other women besides his master's wife and junior sister (there were other disciples on Wuji Mountain besides Shen Tu, but their ranks were relatively low, practically like servants); and that he was aloof and lacked ambition, yet possessed an inherent pride…

Those were all Feng Yihan in Mu Shuangshuang's mind, the Feng Yihan of the past. But why, at this moment, looking at the man in blue robes in the distance, whose every movement was so careful, as if he were holding a precious treasure, did she have a feeling of being in another world? Was that really the aloof and indifferent junior brother she remembered, who didn't care about anything?

Brother Feng, what are your feelings as you protect your master? What are your feelings as you hold him in your arms? You two... are you both men?

As she walked down Wangyue Slope step by step, her pace remained unchanged, but a surge of bitterness welled up in her heart. Mu Shuangshuang turned her head away and gritted her teeth to cool down her burning eyes.

No! Now is not the time to think about such things. Mu Shuangshuang took a deep breath, letting the bitterness and sorrow buried deep in her heart settle down, and her expression and movements returned to their usual noble elegance.

"Mo Li..." She gazed at the bottom of Qifeng Valley, where soldiers had just been fighting, and said calmly, "Order the three armies to rest and prepare for the second wave of attack in one hour."

Mo Li's eyes held admiration and adoration, yet she lowered her head humbly and said in a deep voice, "Yes, Miss!"

On the sunrise-viewing slope, as the army returned to camp and the war drums sounded their final note, the young man in blue could no longer hold on. His thin body, wrapped in blue, slowly slumped down, settling into a cool but stiff embrace. The blazing sun beat down on them, even the ground beneath their feet seemed to steam, yet the young man wore a comfortable and at ease smile, as if he were bathed in a gentle breeze and light rain.

The man in blue held him tightly, his hands trembling slightly, whether they were around his slender waist or supporting his back with his inner energy: "Young master, go and rest."

The boy in blue opened his eyes, his pale, chapped lips uttering a silent word: "Here..."

"I'll handle this." The man in blue concealed all the heartache and pity in his eyes and said in a cold voice, "I will definitely not fail."

The young man's delicate brows furrowed slightly, his expression gentle, his tone tinged with tenderness: "Yihan, she is, after all, your junior sister. I know... you don't want to... hurt her..."

"No!" The man in blue raised his voice slightly to interrupt him, pulling him tightly into his arms, his voice resolute and trembling, "To me, nothing is more important than you... nothing!"

The boy in blue gently closed his eyes, his long eyelashes trembling slightly beneath his fair eyelids. His pale, chapped lips parted slightly, exhaling a faint breath, which made his handsome face appear even more poignant.

The man in blue suppressed the urge to lower his head and kiss his lips, and called out towards the downhill slope, "Qin Wu!"

A handsome young man immediately stepped forward and respectfully greeted, "Master." Upon seeing the blue-robed youth's haggard and weak appearance, almost on the verge of death, his eyes showed alarm. "Is Young Master alright?"

"Take the young master to Feifei's place." The man in blue pursed his lips after saying this. Qin Wu quickly reached out to take the boy from his arms.

The man in blue slowly loosened his grip, intending to hand the person in his arms over. But the boy in blue suddenly reached out and hugged him tightly, pressing his face against his chest, and said in a hoarse, silent voice, "Wait... Yihan, hold me a little longer... just a little longer..."

His voice was weak, his breath barely audible, yet his expression was so resolute it was heartbreaking. The man in blue could no longer restrain himself and pulled him tightly into his arms. He couldn't be too greedy; if he could hold him like this forever; if he could have his son's reliance and trust forever, that would be enough! Enough…

Because of the sweltering heat, the sunrise-viewing slope, which appeared to be shrouded in white smoke from afar, featured a man in a blue robe tightly embracing a blue-shirted boy who had fainted in his arms. A faint smile slowly curved his hard-edged lips. That smile, a mixture of relief and sorrow, longing and despair, was so tender it was almost piercing.

Xiao Yi

2008.2.2 11:53

Chapter 7, "Military Review," is complete.

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Author's Note:

ICE, I saw your comment and felt a pang of remorse.

Chapter 6: The Flames of War (End)

===================

Seeing these words got me so excited, please forgive me... I just wanted to see how the plot unfolded, is that okay? Amen~

Well... I have some bad news for you. There are still two chapters left in the war intrigue, so you'll have to endure the hardship... And I can't repay your excitement... I'm going to go and repent...

Chapter 8: The Scheme of Counter-Espionage (Part 1)

Chapter 8: The Scheme of Counter-Espionage (Part 1)

Doubt within doubt. Comparing it from within, you don’t lose yourself.

—From *The Thirty-Six Stratagems: The Counter-Espionage Stratagem*

When Mu Shuangshuang returned to Wangyue Slope after an hour of recuperation, she was surprised to find that the blue-robed youth was no longer on the opposite hillside. Remembering his earlier weakened state, she realized he must have collapsed.

Instead of the expected joy and relief, there was a faint sense of regret, and a vague unease when I saw the lone man in blue standing on the hilltop.