When love draws near, it's like snow - Chapter 76
"Hmph!" Huaiyuan snorted, rolled his eyes at me, and leaped to his feet, quickly moving towards the beautiful creature. His departure left me feeling cold and a slight sense of loss creeping over me—shaking my head to shake off the inexplicable sadness, I sat up, a smile playing on my lips, to see how he would subdue that leisurely strolling being!
Huaiyuan moved with the speed of a swift arrow, rapidly closing in on it. It was alert; when Huaiyuan was still twenty meters away, it pricked up its ears, its large, clear eyes watching Huaiyuan warily. As if sensing danger, it reared up, galloping wildly through the emerald green like a red lightning bolt.
With a flick of his left hand, Huaiyuan swung the lasso in a beautiful arc, precisely ensnaring the horse's graceful neck. He lightly touched the ground with his feet, like a wisp of smoke brushing against its body. Startled, the horse began to gallop wildly, leaping and bounding desperately to throw Huaiyuan off. But no matter how it twisted and jumped, Huaiyuan remained firmly attached, as if glued to its back. Then, the horse grew angry, carrying Huaiyuan across a stream and galloping deep into the vast grasslands. The red lightning bolt suddenly vanished from my sight.
I smiled expectantly, but to my surprise, he didn't appear for a long time. I was startled, my heartstrings were tugged in an instant, and I instinctively jumped up from the ground. In the distance, all kinds of unknown wildflowers bloomed wildly and unrestrainedly, like colorful patterns embroidered on a huge, gorgeous green carpet. The wind blew, the grass bent low, but there was no trace of the man and his horse.
"Huaiyuan!" My heart skipped a beat, and I couldn't help but shout. I rushed into the waist-high weeds, but in my panic, I tripped and fell to the ground. The vast grassland swallowed my voice completely.
A nameless fear swept over him—would Huaiyuan just disappear forever?
"Qing'er! Look what I brought you!" Huaiyuan's voice suddenly rang in her ears.
I turned around—the sun was setting, and the sky was ablaze with colorful clouds. The afterglow of the setting sun gently bathed Huaiyuan, gilding him with a light golden hue. He rode proudly on his blood-red Akhal-Teke horse, standing there like a god, smiling broadly and tilting his head to look at me with a smug expression—like a child who hadn't grown up.
"I've decided, its name will be Chase the Sun!" Huaiyuan gently jumped off his horse and floated to my side. He gently stroked the horse's bright, satin-like red mane, his bright eyes fixed on me, a meaningful light flashing in his dark pupils.
"Huaiyuan," I whispered, not having time to think about his meaning, I just rushed into his arms and hugged his strong waist tightly: "Promise me, you will never leave me alone again!"
"What's wrong?" Huaiyuan noticed my unusual behavior. He lifted my chin and saw the tears welling up in my eyes. He exclaimed in surprise. I didn't say anything, but just snuggled into his arms. Suddenly I felt so cold. For a moment just now, I really had the illusion that he had abandoned me and left me behind!
"Could we have encountered wolves? No way, I've checked, there shouldn't be any wolves around here! Could it be... a snake?!" Huaiyuan was also caught up in my tension, grabbing my hand and anxiously looking me over.
"I thought...you'd abandoned me!" I pressed myself against his chest, finding reassurance in his steady heartbeat. Then, a little embarrassed, I stammered—I was being too sensitive, wasn't I?!
"Silly girl!" Huaiyuan sighed softly and gently kissed my cheek. "You are my wife, how could I abandon you?!"—I blushed, touched by the doting tone in his voice.
"Qing'er..." Huaiyuan murmured, his gaze growing intense, his heart pounding. His large hands crawled from beneath my clothes onto my skin, igniting flames within me. I clung tightly to his burning body, feeling his passionate caresses. He swallowed my breath, searing my skin; my body went limp, trembling involuntarily. We'd been married for half a year, sharing the same bed every night, yet why did each moment of intimacy make my heart race and my face flush, like drinking fine wine, leaving me dizzy and disoriented...?
Night quietly descends, the moon shyly hides behind the clouds, and only the countless stars blink their innocent eyes, like countless dazzling pearls, adorning the late summer night sky.
"Do you know, Huaiyuan? Some people say that every star in the sky represents a love story." I rested my head on Huaiyuan's arm, looked up at the bright stars in the sky, and whispered to him with a dreamy expression.
"Really? Then it must be the brightest one that represents us." Huaiyuan gently took my words, hugged me, and smiled with a slight upturn of his lips—as if he was truly content just to hold me and gaze at the starry sky like this!
"Oh? So which star is the brightest? Is it your Leo, or mine Gemini?" I couldn't resist teasing Huaiyuan—hehe, Huaiyuan seems all-knowing, but he's completely clueless when it comes to stars. No matter how I teach him, he just stares blankly. Ah, so satisfying!
"You naughty girl!" Huaiyuan reached out and tickled me—how sneaky! She resorts to violence when she can't win an argument…!
Zhu Ri became Huaiyuan's favorite animal, and he wouldn't allow anyone but me to approach it. He personally took care of everything for it—feeding it hay, grooming its fur, washing its skin… he didn't let anyone else do it. He never even kept it in the stable, letting it roam freely, saying he didn't want to stifle its nature! I almost suspected that Huaiyuan treated it like a lover! That beautiful little creature had clear eyes; long limbs; a mane as wild as flames; elegant manners; noble lineage; and was as proud as a princess!
I fell madly in love with this life of working at sunrise and resting at sunset, living by the water and grass. During the day, Huaiyuan would take me on his motorcycle, the Chaser, galloping across the grasslands, letting me revel in the feeling of riding the wind. At night, we would lie in our little tent, me nestled in his arms, telling him little by little about my past, my school, my classmates; about the future world, about trains, about airplanes, about the Olympics; when I was happy, I would talk about Jin Yong, Gu Long, Wei Xiaobao, and the East and West Poisons; when I was angry, I would talk about naked men at the beach in summer, which made him grit his teeth in frustration!
Gradually, Huaiyuan began to tell me about his past, the funny things that happened when he was a child, and about his mother, a strong-willed woman who died from a qi deviation caused by mental disorder during her martial arts practice; his father, however, died by severing his own tendons at his beloved wife's bedside... Huaiyuan spoke with a calm tone, but I felt heartache for the sorrow and pain hidden beneath that composure. This chaotic relationship had not only hurt the five adults, but had also indirectly ruined Jianfeng, Rumei, and Rulan, and almost added Huaiyuan to the list!
Huaiyuan said that because of his traumatic childhood experiences, he had never considered taking a concubine, and he even doubted marriage itself. Until he met me, and I loudly declared to him that I was "searching for the one and only love in my life, a love that will last a lifetime," he was deeply moved, feeling something stirring and awakening within him…
"What do you mean by 'itching to get close'? That sounds so awful! You're so proud! You're clearly smitten with me, okay?!" I pouted and pinched him, my eyes sparkling. "You fell in love with me back then, didn't you?!"
"Hmph!" Huaiyuan hugged me tighter, but refused to answer the question—hehe, he was shy!
"Ah! I miss Xiaobai so much!" I curled up and unceremoniously placed my icy feet on his stomach to warm them. "Back in Wushan, I was so grateful to Xiaobai for warming my feet." — Ever since I recovered from that illness, I've had this problem of being sensitive to cold limbs. Alas! Brother Zongwang has really done me a disservice!
"Hmph! That's enough! Am I not even as good as Little White?" Huaiyuan frowned angrily and muttered under his breath, "I should have killed it sooner!"
"Hey! What do you mean? Did you deliberately let Xiaobai die?! You, how awful!" I almost jumped up, but he held me tightly, so I had to use my finger to poke his chest hard—a suspicious red appeared on his face—God, could it really be true?!
"Qing'er..." Huaiyuan forcefully sealed my lips, swallowing my voice...
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[Volume 4, Finale: Chapter 21 - Bells Ring and Music Disperse]
"Sister Qing, the bride is here! Come out and see!" Ten-year-old Toya heard the commotion in the distance and jumped up and down anxiously, urging me on.
"What's the rush? Are you afraid she'll run away?" I pursed my lips, deliberately fastening my belt slowly, then looked in the mirror again—if you removed the furrowed brows, the pouting lips, and the forced sorrow on my face… my delicate features, my misty eyes, and my cheeks that had transformed from pale to a healthy rosy glow—in fact, the reflection in the mirror revealed a woman like a flower bud about to bloom! I had to admit, Huaiyuan's meticulous care had transformed me into a butterfly emerging from its cocoon! However, I still decided to remain angry with Huaiyuan! —I lowered my head, pretending to be reluctantly dragged along by her—it must have been Huaiyuan who encouraged her to come, humph!
Lingchuan Ranch is located at the junction of the Song, Jin, and Western Xia dynasties, a no-man's-land. It's inhabited by a mix of Mongols, Wuhuan, Xianbei, and Han Chinese, with Mongols being the majority. I had originally thought I'd have a chance to witness a traditional Mongol wedding for the marriage of Uliji, the eldest son of the Mongol chieftain Bayin. But as the ranch owner, Huaiyuan was treated as the most honored guest and, unsurprisingly, became the officiant—that Huaiyuan, I don't see what's so special about him! Being the officiant, he ruined my chance to see last night's wedding procession! Now he's just catching the tail end of the excitement, what's so great about that?! Pshaw!
"They're here! They're here!" Toya stood on tiptoe and screamed excitedly at the dust raised by the wedding procession in the distance.
Huaiyuan stepped out of the newlyweds' tent, standing tall with his hands behind his back. He wore a royal blue Mongolian robe—the very one I had deliberately chosen for him, the one he disliked the most (he thought the color was too bright)—a wide belt, and deerskin boots. He stood there casually, his piercing black eyes holding a hint of aloofness and indifference, exuding an undeniable kingly aura. Even in his least favorite royal blue, the color that clashed with him the most, he was still the most outstanding and handsome man there. He smiled at me, his eyes holding a hint of pleading. I pretended not to see him, turning my head to look at the dazzlingly colorful wedding procession—trying to seduce me? No way! Humph!
The bride and groom rode beautiful chestnut horses and circled the yurt three times. Then, amidst enthusiastic laughter, Uliji and Aruna smiled happily and walked hand in hand through two blazing fires symbolizing the purity of their love and the prosperity of their life, before entering the yurt to perform a series of complicated rituals, such as worshipping gods, ancestors, and elders.
Outside, the bonfire burned brightly and leaped, filling the air with a joyful atmosphere. The moon generously showered down its tender light; the roasted whole lamb on the rack emitted a rich and enticing sweet aroma; the morin khuur (horsehead fiddle) accompanied the melodious singing of a young woman; young men raised silver cups and drank heartily; children chased and played joyfully…
I silently walked through a cluster of yurts, left the crowd, and went into the shadows. Suddenly, I realized my anger was rather inexplicable—why did I refuse to watch the fun and make myself unhappy? Now I couldn't bring myself to go see him—yes, I've been sulking and ignoring him since last night, and now I miss him so much! Damn it, why isn't he coming to find me? When will that damn ceremony finally end?!
"Madam, are you still arguing with the Master?" Aunt Suhe appeared beside me at some point, looking at me with a smile, which made me feel embarrassed—that rascal Huaiyuan, does he have to make sure everyone knows before he's satisfied?!
"Who said I was angry with him? That's not true, don't listen to people's nonsense." He put on a smile and pretended to be stupid—he would rather die than admit it.
"Oh, since there isn't one, why don't you come and join the young people for some fun, Madam?" Aunt Suhe didn't argue with me and dragged me to the campfire without further ado.
I reluctantly followed her back into the crowd, secretly peeking into the new house—I wondered how much longer it would take before she came out.
"Who are you looking for? You're not looking for me, are you?" Huaiyuan suddenly popped out from behind me, reached out and put his arm around my waist, and whispered in my ear—he and sapphire blue really don't match, they look weird no matter how you look at them, and I regretted teasing him a little.
"Who's looking for you?" I retorted defiantly, a smile playing on my lips. "I'm watching the wrestling over there! I wonder if you could beat Batel without using martial arts?!"—Good for you, you know to come out and keep me company. Fine, I'll let you off this time.
"Why would I need to beat him?" Huaiyuan glanced at Batel indifferently and curled his lip. "He's too fat, it's uncomfortable to hug him! I only need to hug you."
"Pfft," I blushed, glared at him, and finally couldn't help but laugh out loud—Bater was as strong as a bear, while Huaiyuan was so skinny, I probably couldn't hug him in one go.
"Not angry anymore?" Huaiyuan grinned and hugged me tightly, his chin resting on my shoulder, his warm breath tickling my neck. "Sorry, I'll take you to see the whole thing next time." — Liar! He's giving me another empty promise. Next time there's a wedding, won't he be the officiant? But next time I'll sneak off to see it by myself, and I won't be stupid enough to listen to him again—who says I have to go with him? Pshaw!