Zhan Chun - Chapter 33
Ningning rushed over and hugged his leg, her naked body pressed against it, trembling slightly: "If you're willing, young master, I'll do anything you want... Why bother with that senior sister who has no feelings for you?"
Yang Shen suddenly stood up, gently kicked her away, and was about to speak when he suddenly heard Yi Chun's voice outside the door: "Yang Shen, what happened? I heard a loud noise."
He paused, then managed to keep his voice calm: "It's nothing, I just accidentally broke a teapot..."
Ningning wrapped herself in her clothes and said with a coquettish smile, "Don't lie, Young Master Yang."
She whispered in his ear, "A wise man submits to circumstances, Young Master Yang. Think carefully, lest you end up dying a violent death in the street."
His body stiffened again.
Yichun pushed open the door and exclaimed urgently, "Is that Ningning's voice? She's here?"
Ningning giggled, "Take care, sister." Then she jumped out of the window and floated away into the night.
Yi Chun was somewhat stunned: "Why is she here? Wasn't she staying at Yan Yufei's villa?"
Yang Shen's face was grim. He lowered his head and after a long pause, he said, "She... is now working for Yan Yufei."
Yi Chun scratched his head: "Was she bribed by Yan Yufei? What is she doing coming here in the middle of the night? And... why does she look like she's really good at kung fu?"
He shook his head: "...Senior sister, I'm tired and want to sleep for a while. You should rest early too. We'll leave Tanzhou tomorrow."
She looked at him quietly for a while, then suddenly called out, "Sheep Kidney, what's wrong?"
He was agitated, as if a thousand needles were constantly pricking his brain. One moment his mind was filled with the gruesome sight of his parents covered in blood, the next with his master's grim face telling him: "You are no match for Yichun; you can only rely on a despicable sneak attack." Finally, the image shifted to Yan Yufei's cold eyes, as if he were bowing to him, with a profusion of flowers behind him, a bright future ahead. He was inviting him; he possessed absolute power.
There are only two outcomes: agree or disagree.
Yichun is dead, or he is dead.
A pair of hands grabbed me; the palms were warm, and the fingers were strong.
She held his hand tightly, looked up at him with concern, and whispered, "Yang Shen, are you feeling unwell? Should I get you a doctor?"
Yang Shen stared blankly at her fingers. Her fingers weren't slender, unlike the descriptions of girls' hands in books—like delicate orchids, smooth as cream. On the contrary, her hands were long yet strong, the hands of a chivalrous knight, free and warm.
As if possessed, he asked, "Senior sister, if I do something bad, will you blame me?"
Yichun smiled, staring intently into his eyes, her gaze clear and bright: "I know you won't do anything bad."
"No, I mean...if." For some unknown reason, he seemed to be falling, desperately seeking some kind of approval, though he didn't know the answer. Perhaps he already knew in his heart, but something was missing that prevented him from truly facing it; something else was needed.
“If you do something bad, of course we’ll pull you back. Do you think we’d let you keep going down this path?” Yichun chuckled. “No matter what, I’m here. No matter how far you’ve run, just remember I’m behind you and don’t get lost.”
Yang Shen smiled and squeezed her hand: "Senior sister, you have to keep an eye on me. With you here, I won't go anywhere."
Before leaving, Yichun said, "To be a dagger for others is to live like a tool. We haven't even become upright adults yet, so let's not go astray ourselves."
So, she knew all along.
Yang Shen lowered his eyelashes, and suddenly felt an impulse he couldn't suppress. He walked over and hugged her tightly from behind.
He felt like he was about to cry.
"Yichun, I will not let you be hurt by anyone, not even in the slightest."
He kissed her hair and pressed his face against it.
She seemed somewhat stiff, looking around aimlessly, her gaze never settling on a single point, muttering over and over again, "I know, I know."
His fingers gently caressed her cheek, warm and soft to the touch. He dared not use any force, as if afraid of breaking her. She was an unknown treasure, dazzling and free as a bird.
Occasionally, I feel the urge to kiss someone, but I don't dare, afraid of hurting them.
He could only sigh, as if he wanted to exhale all the melancholy and bitterness in his heart.
"Yichun...I'm so tired."
She took his hand, about to speak, when suddenly a figure flashed through the doorway, followed by a strange shout: "It's you two! Why didn't you close the door if you wanted to be intimate!"
They were both startled. Upon closer inspection, they saw that Little Pumpkin was dressed up as a woman in a dress and was squatting at the door making faces at them.
Chapter Twenty
Yichun walked over and smiled without any hesitation: "What a coincidence, we've met again. Are you staying at this inn too?"
Little Pumpkin didn't answer at first, his eyes darting back and forth between the two faces. Seeing that Yi Chun's expression was natural and Yang Shen's expression was strange, he winked and said, "So you two aren't just fellow disciples... I really didn't realize that..."
Suddenly seeing Yang Shen frown, he quickly jumped up and waved his hands repeatedly: "I can't say anything more, my master is in trouble, I have to hurry and help him!"
Yichun took a few steps after him, then leaned against the handrail and asked, "What's wrong? Can I help?"
Little Pumpkin looked up and scrutinized her for a moment, then honestly shook his head: "Let's talk about it when you're all dressed up nicely."
She really didn't understand what making friends or saving people from danger had to do with being pretty.
Yi Chun grabbed Yang Shen's hand and pulled him downstairs: "Come on, let's go see what happened to Shu Jun."
He hesitated for a moment, then withdrew his hand, somewhat displeased: "I... I haven't finished speaking yet, why are you always concerned about that scoundrel?"
She stopped silently and turned to look at him quietly.
Yang Shen regretted it deeply. After hesitating for a long time, he lowered his head and said, "No, pretend I didn't say anything. Let's go take a look."
Yichun has always been like this, living freely and unrestrained, truly coming into this world naked and leaving without any attachments. He, standing beside her, was like a talkative, meddlesome myna bird, constantly telling her not to do this or be careful about that. Sometimes he even felt a bit overwhelmed himself.
He wanted those clear, black and white eyes to linger on him more, instead of looking at others or thinking about other things.