Peach Blossoms

Chapter 15

No one noticed that Si Junxing's face was beginning to darken, as if a torrential downpour was about to break out. He suddenly pulled Lin Suyang close, holding her tightly in his arms, and whispered in her ear, his anger barely contained, "I haven't even finished eating yet."

Lin Suyang was stunned for a moment, and struggled to sit up, but Si Junxing wouldn't let her, holding her tightly the whole time.

"Let go," Lin Suyang said. Si Junxing remained silent.

"I told you to let go." His voice turned cold. Shen Xiao and Yan Muqing both stopped talking and looked at them.

Si Junxing slowly released his hand, and Lin Suyang immediately stood up. "You guys eat, I'm going to rest first." She deliberately ignored the pain in his eyes and the astonishment of the other two, walked to a corner and sat down, then closed her eyes.

Si Junxing looked at her, dropped the food in his hand, stood up and walked out the door.

Shen Xiao watched Si Junxing's departing figure, then turned to look at Lin Suyang, who seemed to be either asleep or awake, and whispered to Yan Muqing, "Did they have a fight?" Yan Muqing hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

"Brother Si Junxing isn't not coming back, is he?" Shen Xiao asked. Yan Muqing hesitated for a moment, then shook her head.

"Oh." Shen Xiao lowered his head and continued to eat the steamed bun in his hand, and Yan Muqing followed suit.

Having not seen Si Junxing for a long time, Chen Xiao stood at the door and worriedly muttered to himself, "Could it be that he's really not coming back?" Just then, Si Junxing hurriedly ran out of the darkness.

"Quickly, there are pursuers. You two go first," Si Junxing said seriously. Shen Xiao and Yan Muqing looked at him with confusion.

"I'll tell you later. There's enough money here for you to go to Yan City. If it's none of your business, then hurry up and leave." Si Junxing didn't want to say more. He took out two gold leaves and some silver notes from his pocket and handed them to Yan Muqing.

"I'm not leaving," Shen Xiao refused. "Brother Junxing and Sister Suyan are our friends. How can we stand idly by when our friends are in trouble?"

Yan Muqing also said, "Yes. You've helped us so much. If we leave when you're in trouble, would we still be considered heroes of the martial world?"

Si Junxing thought to himself: You two will only cause me trouble here. But he didn't have time to explain the pros and cons. So he said, "Alright. You two leave first. Su Yan and I will take another route to distract them. Whether we meet or not, we'll meet in Yan City. Okay, let's go." With that, he ignored them, picked up the sleeping Lin Suyang, and rode out on his horse.

"Remember. Meet in Yan City." Si Junxing turned his horse around and hurriedly darted into the woods.

The horses squeezed through any gaps they could find along the way. Lin Suyang's white veil had somehow fallen off. Si Junxing shielded her beneath him, preventing her from being scratched by tree branches. This time, the number of people seemed to be twice that of the last. It seemed that person was determined to achieve their goal.

But who exactly is so determined to kill Lin Suyang? Si Junxing looked at the person in his arms. Why hadn't she woken up despite all the commotion? Was she too tired? He sensed something was wrong and leaned down to call in her ear, "Suyang, Suyang, wake up."

There was no response. He panicked and reached out to touch Lin Suyang's face. It was so cold! Looking closer, he saw that her lips were already dark purple from the cold, her eyes were tightly closed, and her long eyelashes were still trembling slightly.

Oh no, her injury! It's not raining or very cold, so why did her injury flare up now? Si Junxing was completely baffled. He wanted to stop and check on her, but then he heard the sound of horses' hooves behind him. He quickly sped up, and suddenly several whistling arrows whistled past. With a "whoosh," one of them pierced his shoulder as he protected Lin Suyang. Worried that removing the arrow would leave bloodstains, he endured the pain, letting the long arrow shaft swing back and forth with the horse's gallop. The arrowhead pierced and cut into his flesh, causing him to break out in a cold sweat.

The thunderous sound grew louder behind them. Si Junxing disregarded everything else, pulled the arrow from his shoulder, and thrust it at the horse's rump. The intense pain caused the already exhausted horse to exert all its strength once again. Taking advantage of the horse's frenzy, Si Junxing grabbed Lin Suyang and leaped towards a large tree he had aimed at. Everything happened in the blink of an eye. Then, a large group of fierce-looking people were seen chasing after them, firing arrows as they went. The wind they created made the leaves rustle loudly.

Because it was dark enough, they didn't notice that the horses ahead were no longer there, giving Si Junxing a good chance to catch his breath. Once the group had passed, he jumped down from the tree and retraced his steps.

Back in the dilapidated temple, he gently placed Lin Suyang on the haystack, took off his shirt, and examined his injuries by the still-burning firelight. He saw that his wounds had begun to turn black and numb, and streaks of black fluid flowed down his shoulders and back. He hastily wiped himself with his clothes, then added a few handfuls of firewood to the fire and knelt beside Lin Suyang, holding her in his arms. He continuously channeled his inner energy to warm her until he could feel the warmth in her hands.

Si Junxing held Lin Suyang tightly, warming her with his body heat, until finally he could no longer bear it and collapsed.

When Lin Suyang woke up, she saw someone on top of her. Just as she was about to scream, she took a closer look and saw that it was Si Junxing. His face was dark, and there was a hole the size of a coin on his bare shoulder and back, from which black liquid was still oozing.

She wanted to check his injuries but couldn't sit up. She then realized that Si Junxing, even in his unconscious state, was holding her tightly. Lin Suyang pried his hands open and carefully helped him lie face down on the haystack where he had just been lying. Then she examined his wounds closely.

The wound was poisoned! Realizing this, Lin Suyang bent down without hesitation to suck the poison from his wound, sucking it out bit by bit until she saw bright red blood. She then hurriedly rummaged through Si Junxing's clothes and finally found a small bottle. She opened it, poured out some medicine, and smelled it. It smelled the same as the medicine he had applied to her that day. Relieved, she carefully poured the medicine onto his wound. Only when the bleeding stopped did she breathe a sigh of relief and sit down.

In fact, Lin Suyang knew everything that had just happened. She knew that Si Junxing's injury was to protect her, and that Si Junxing had disregarded his own safety to save her first, which allowed the poison in his wound to spread. Although she had kept her eyes closed, the cold pain caused by the heat poison in her body had rendered her unable to move, but her senses were still intact. She could hear what Si Junxing was saying and feel what he had done when he carried her away.

She now understood that the man in front of her had taken such good care of her all along, had been constantly worried about her injuries, and had almost lost his life because of her.

From the moment she started to feel cold, she knew that the aftereffects of that injury meant she would suffer even more from the cold. Every night, Si Junxing would find one reason or another to sleep with her, all because he was afraid she would get cold, so he would hold her tightly and not let go.

The jade pendant bearing the character "Lin" dangling from his chest stung Lin Suyang's eyes. She couldn't tell if she was moved or something else, but she felt a pang of sadness, as if she had soaked a few unripe bayberries and wanted to take them out, yet had unknowingly fallen in love with their faint color.

Seeing Si Junxing slowly wake up, Lin Suyang closed her slightly reddened eyes, then opened them and asked, "Does it still hurt?"

Seeing that she was alright, Si Junxing smiled and said, "This little injury is nothing. I can do it a few more times without any problem."

Lin Suyang was inexplicably furious when she heard him say such a careless thing about himself: "What is this? Do you know that this little injury almost killed you!"

Looking at her flushed face, Si Junxing said, "My life is worthless."

Lin Suyang was even more furious: "What did you say? Worthless? How could you think like that? What am I supposed to do if something happens to you?"

Upon hearing these unexpected words, Si Junxing paused for a moment, then said with a bitter smile, "I'm sorry, I'm too incompetent to protect you properly..." Before he could finish speaking, he saw large tears begin to fall from Lin Suyang's misty eyes.

He reached out blankly and gently wiped Lin Suyang's face, saying incredulously, "You...you're crying for me?"

Lin Suyang looked at him, and tears welled up in her eyes, dripping onto the back of his hand, warming his heart with their warmth.

Si Junxing said happily, "You really cried for me? Haha, you cried for me, you cried for me."

He rolled around excitedly in the haystack when suddenly a stalk of grass poked his wound, making him cry out in pain. Lin Suyang quickly asked, "What's wrong? Does your wound hurt again?"

Si Junxing smiled at her: "It's nothing, I was just too happy." Then he hugged her tightly and said, "You cried for me, which proves that you've started to have feelings for me, right?"

Lin Suyang gently pushed him away, looked up at his handsome face with a bit of stubble, and said, "I'm sorry, I'm just very touched by your help and care. As for whether I have feelings for you... I don't know."

Si Junxing pulled her close again, resting his chin on her forehead: "It's okay, I can wait, until the day you truly see me. Until then, please don't push me away, okay?" Even if that day is a very long time away, I will wait. But I won't let it last forever. When I'm no longer willing to wait, I will take you away without hesitation.

Lin Suyang wasn't sure what she was thinking, what she should be thinking, or perhaps she couldn't think of anything at all. She simply said, seemingly unconsciously, "Okay."

Volume Two, Fallen Dust, Chapter Thirty-Eight: Enemies Meet on a Narrow Road (Part 1)

Since they set off this morning, Si Junxing has been laughing like a fool, his eyes fixed on Lin Suyang, almost bumping into a tree trunk several times without even realizing it.

"Su Yang," he called. "Hmm," Lin Su Yang replied without turning his head as he walked ahead.

"Su Yang," he called again. "Hmm."

"Su Yang." He continued. "Yes." Lin Su Yang replied.

"Su Yang, Lin Su Yang."

"What exactly do you want?" Lin Suyang turned around impatiently.

He looked at her, his smile fading, and said seriously, "I was thinking, what should I do if I call your name and you don't answer?"

Lin Suyang looked at him and sensed a faint sadness in his eyes. Her heart suddenly ached, and she involuntarily walked over, reached out and touched his face, saying, "You're a fool."

Si Junxing gently embraced her, buried his head in her long hair, and sighed, "I'm afraid this is all a dream, and when I wake up I'll be alone again." Lin Suyang took his hand and said, "Look, I'm really here with you."

Si Junxing looked up into her eyes, then kissed her forehead and said, "Even if it's a dream, I hope I never wake up." Lin Suyang laughed, "If you don't want to wake up, then don't wake up." Si Junxing also laughed, took her hand, and said, "Okay, I've decided I never want to wake up."

The two showed no awareness whatsoever of being fugitives. Strangely enough, the chase last night seemed to have never happened; there was no disturbance today. Si Junxing and Lin Suyang were even enjoying themselves, admiring the roadside flowers and plants while chatting and laughing. Most of the time, Si Junxing was the one talking and teasing Lin Suyang, while she remained as quiet and reserved as ever, her occasional smiles making Si Junxing grin for a long time.

The journey that broke down that barrier was indescribably joyful. Every night, Si Junxing still held Lin Suyang in his arms as they fell asleep by the fire, warming her with his own body heat. On rainy days, he would constantly channel his inner energy into her to cool her down. They traveled along, stopping and starting, and before they knew it, they had arrived in Yan City.

The city of Yan has been unusually lively these past few days. While not everyone is overjoyed, a festive atmosphere permeates the air. Stop anyone on the street and they'll proudly tell you: the Martial Arts Tournament is being held here. After strolling around the wide streets of Yan City twice, Si Junxing and Lin Suyang arrived at the gates of the Kong family, the foremost family in the martial arts world.

Today is the fortieth birthday of Alliance Leader Kong Mingqi. Visitors are flocking to pay their respects. Furthermore, the official martial arts tournament is the day after tomorrow. It's likely that most martial arts practitioners will gather at the Kong family residence. At this moment, the area in front of the Kong residence is teeming with people, a scene of such crowds comparable to the grand peach blossom banquet of that year.

Si Junxing decided to find an inn nearby to stay in. However, after inquiring at several places, they were all full. Lin Suyang asked in confusion, "Other places are fine too. Why do you have to find an inn on this street?" Si Junxing couldn't possibly be saying that he wanted to stay nearby because he was going to steal medicine from the Confucius Mansion, could he? Just as he was stammering, a voice came from ahead: "Brother Junxing. Sister Suyan."

Looking up, they saw Shen Xiao waving at them. Standing beside her was a young woman dressed in red, holding a gold-inlaid sword.

Shen Xiao skipped over and grabbed Lin Suyang's hand excitedly, saying, "Sister Suyan! I'm so glad to finally meet you! Were you alright that day? You scared me to death!" She patted her chest, as if the scene from that night was playing out before her eyes again. Lin Suyang didn't want anyone else to know about this, so she changed the subject, saying, "Where's your senior brother?"

“Oh, we came out looking for you everywhere after we arrived at Uncle Kong’s house yesterday. This morning, Brother Muqing said that we would find you faster if we split up. Hehe, and I really found you.” Shen chuckled, then turned to the woman who came with her and immediately said to Lin Suyang, “Oh, right, Sister Suyan, this is Uncle Kong’s daughter, Kong Ling, a friend I just made. Kong Ling, this is Lin Suyan, Sister Lin, whom I mentioned to you. And that,” she pointed to Si Junxing, “is Sister Lin’s husband, Brother Si Junxing.”

Si Junxing nodded expressionlessly at Kong Ling. Lin Suyang looked at Kong Ling, a charming little beauty, and said with a faint smile, "You look beautiful, young lady!"

Kong Ling, who was also carefully observing the two people in front of her, blushed immediately upon hearing this. "Sister Lin, you're joking." Then, as if remembering something, she said to Lin Suyang, "Are you looking for a place to stay, Sister? If you don't mind, you can stay at my house." She looked at her sincerely.

“Yes, yes, Sister Suyan, Uncle Kong is a very nice person, and Kong Ling is also very nice. Let’s go there; it’s closer for us,” Chen Xiao said from the side.

Lin Suyang glanced at Si Junxing. Although she didn't know why he lived near the Kong residence, she was sure he had his reasons, perhaps some unavoidable hardship. So she asked Kong Ling, "It seems many people have come to visit your residence today. Would it be appropriate for us to go?"

"It's nothing. Most of the guests stay at my villa. You and this brother are friends of Shen Xiao and Mu Qing, which means you're my friends too. You can stay in my side room." For some reason, Kong Ling looked at Si Junxing with fear, but she couldn't help but steal glances at him.

Si Junxing noticed these subtle actions, and his face grew even colder. He said indifferently, "Since Miss Kong has extended such a sincere invitation, we have no choice but to accept."

When Kong Ling saw that Si Junxing had spoken to her, she immediately said happily, "Then, please follow me." With that, she walked ahead to lead the way.

Shen Xiao walked beside Lin Suyang and started chattering again, completely unaware that Si Junxing was staring at her with immense resentment as she held Lin Suyang's hand behind her.

Soon they were back outside the Kong family mansion. The two servants who were busy collecting invitations greeted Kong Ling with a bow and said, "Greetings, Miss."

Kong Ling nodded haughtily and said, "These two are friends invited by my father; invitations are unnecessary." The servant replied, "Yes." Then Kong Ling led Lin Suyang and the others through the gate.

Bypassing the crowded and noisy front hall, Kong Ling led them directly into the small courtyard at the back, reserved for distinguished guests. In front of the courtyard was a small, narrow arched bridge, beneath which flowed a clear, transparent pool of water, where a few small fish could occasionally be seen darting among the floating reeds.

As soon as the group stepped onto the stone bridge, they saw two people walking towards them. One of them was handsome and dashing, with an alluring and captivating beauty; his smile seemed capable of charming a city. Shen Xiao stared in disbelief, glancing between the man opposite her and then back at Lin Suyang, who wore a veil, secretly wondering who was more beautiful.

Lin Suyang recognized the person at a glance and sighed inwardly. "This world is truly small," he thought. It was Han Yufeng, the Holy Emperor of the Yan-Liao Kingdom.

Si Junxing didn't recognize Han Yufeng, but from the way Han Yufeng stared intently at Lin Suyang, a strong sense of hostility arose within him. Unable to retaliate due to the current situation, he subtly shifted his position, blocking Lin Suyang's path. Sensing Si Junxing's movement, Han Yufeng frowned, his eyes sharpening as he stared at him. The air instantly thickened with tension; a single spark could ignite a full-blown battle.

Seeing that things were not going well, Kong Ling immediately stepped in and said, "Ah, it's Young Master Feng," standing between Han Yufeng and Si Junxing. "Young Master Feng, these two are my friends. They just came from afar to attend my father's birthday celebration. Brother Si Junxing, this is my father's friend, Feng Hanyu. You two know each other?" Judging from their expressions just now, they seemed to be familiar with each other, but the atmosphere was a little different.

“I don’t know him,” Si Junxing said, shaking his head, his eyes fixed on Han Yufeng. Lin Suyang kept her eyes down, afraid to speak, lest Han Yufeng expose her if she opened her mouth. Little did she know, Han Yufeng already knew she would be here, already recognized her; everything was as expected, except for the presence of someone who shouldn’t have been there.

"These two friends of Miss Kong's seem quite interesting. Would Miss Kong not introduce them to me?" Han Yufeng said with a slight smile, withdrawing his probing gaze. "Uh..." Kong Ling hesitated for a moment, sensing something amiss in his tone, and dared not say anything more.

"This humble woman is Lin Suyan, and this is my husband, Si Junxing. Greetings, Young Master Feng." Lin Suyan took a deep breath, bypassed Si Junxing who was blocking her way, and looked directly at Han Yufeng. When Si Junxing heard Lin Suyan call him "husband," he was overjoyed, feeling like he could fly to heaven.

"Husband?" Han Yufeng narrowed his eyes dangerously, then laughed: "But why does this girl look so familiar to me? She looks a lot like my lost wife."

With a soft "crack," something broke. Chen Xiao waved her hand awkwardly, "Hehe, sorry. You guys continue, continue." She had been staring blankly at Han Yufeng's face, and accidentally stepped on a dry, horizontal branch behind her, completely unaware of what they were saying.

Volume Two, Fallen Dust, Chapter Thirty-Nine: Enemies Meet on a Narrow Road (Part Two)

Si Junxing clenched his fist tightly; if there hadn't been others around, he probably would have already swung it. How could he not hear the hidden meaning in the man's words? His wife? Wasn't this blatant provocation?

Lin Suyang stood in front of him with her back to him, so he couldn't see her expression. But based on his understanding of her over the years, he vaguely knew that the two of them seemed to really know each other. Because Lin Suyang would never call him "husband" in front of others, and even if they were actually married, she wouldn't say it herself.

If that's the case, then why did Lin Suyang pretend not to know her? Was the word "wife" merely a test, or...? An unprecedented sense of tension crept into Si Junxing's heart. Then he thought again, she was the son-in-law and tutor of the Great Yang, and had always been dressed as a man before. If her identity were exposed, wouldn't she have been imprisoned long ago? With his heart calming down a little, Si Junxing slowly relaxed again.

Lin Suyang's bright, watery eyes remained fixed on Han Yufeng. Upon hearing his words, she couldn't help but smile and say, "The world is so vast, it's not surprising that people can resemble each other. I am honored to have something in common with your esteemed lady. But please, sir, don't mistake me for someone else." Her tone was gentle and polite, and to outsiders, Lin Suyang truly appeared to be a well-mannered and eloquent young lady from a prominent family.

Han Yufeng looked at her, a faint smile playing on his lips: "I apologize for my rudeness. Miss Kong, are you going to take the two of you to your rooms? There are two empty rooms next door, so why don't you stay there? That way we can visit each other more often, and I can make some new friends."

"Um... this..." Kong Ling wanted to say that they were husband and wife and didn't need to live separately, but for some reason she just didn't want to see Si Junxing and Lin Suyang being intimate, so she said, "That's fine too. Sister Lin must be very tired, right? The rooms in this courtyard are very quiet and comfortable. Brother Si Junxing, would you please let Sister Lin get some rest?" She looked at Si Junxing questioningly, but he ignored her.

Si Junxing grabbed Lin Suyang's hand and said coldly, "No need. I will take good care of my wife."

Han Yufeng's alluring eyes swept over Lin Suyang: "Miss Kong is right, I think Miss Suyan also wants to rest alone, right?" The words contained a hidden warning.

Lin Suyang understood his unspoken meaning. She wasn't worried that he would reveal her identity now, but if she didn't separate from Si Junxing, she didn't know what other fabrications he would make up. After thinking for a moment, she said, "As Miss Kong arranges."

Seeing that she had actually agreed, Si Junxing said with dissatisfaction, "You..." Lin Suyang turned around, tightened her grip on his hand, and whispered, "I'll tell you when I have time."

Han Yufeng had never seen Lin Suyang be so gentle with anyone before, and his face immediately darkened as he said, "Since Miss Kong still wants someone to take care of her room, why don't you all come and chat in my room?"

Si Junxing was eager to see what other tricks he had up his sleeve. He said, "Very well," and pulled Lin Suyang along as they entered the courtyard.

Shen Xiao stood there, stunned. Only when she realized the person was already far away did she immediately scream, "Ah! Wait for me!"

Han Yufeng's room was spacious. Five people could sit comfortably without feeling crowded. After everyone sat down, the atmosphere became unusually awkward as they stared at each other. Especially Si Junxing and Han Yufeng; a dangerous magnetic field seemed to exist between them. The cold air emanating from each of them suddenly dropped several degrees in temperature. Those who wanted to continue feigning ignorance and chuckling were now filled with trepidation.

"Um... Young Master Feng. You said your wife went missing. What happened?" Kong Ling could no longer bear it and was the first to break the silence.