Peach Blossoms

Chapter 33

"I heard Yu'er's voice." Lin Suyang pushed Si Junxing away and said, then turned to see Qin Yu staring at them without moving.

Oh no! Lin Suyang glanced at Si Junxing, then stood up and walked over to her.

"Yu'er..."

"No need to say anything, I already knew. Ziyan already told me." Qin Yu smiled and pulled Lin Suyang to Si Junxing's side, whispering to him, "But I can't hand her over to you yet. How can I just give my consort to someone else?"

"Of course, but I still thank the princess for her kindness." Si Junxing straightened his long robe and bowed to Qin Yu, but he was sitting down, and the posture looked very strange. Qin Yu immediately smiled again.

Lin Suyang asked her to sit down next to him. "Go to sleep early, you have to get up early tomorrow." Qin Yu nodded, pulled the blanket over herself, and lay down on the haystack to sleep.

Volume Three, Heartbreak, Chapter Seventy-Eight: Awakening from a Dream of Your Infatuation (Part 1)

Since there were no extra horses, Si Junxing "consciously" sat behind Lin Suyang. He kept making small, infuriating gestures, making Lin Suyang want to just throw him off. Knowing his skin was thicker than a city wall, she had no choice but to slow down and walk at the back.

"What are you doing?" Lin Suyang asked through gritted teeth.

"It's nothing, I was just worried my wife was too tired so I drove the horse for her." It was a perfectly natural answer.

Lin Suyang grabbed the arm that was wrapped around him like an iron hoop and said, "Let go! What kind of behavior would it be if someone saw this?"

"I don't care what people say about me being gay, what's there to be afraid of?"

"I told you to let go, didn't you hear me? There are people from the imperial court in front of us. What if they notice something?" Lin Suyang had no choice but to gently persuade him when he was unmoved.

"Sigh, really, when will I be able to be with you openly?" Si Junxing said dejectedly, placing the reins in Lin Suyang's hands, while his hands quietly slid to her waist.

"I'll take you away."

"What did you say?" Lin Suyang turned around and looked at him in surprise.

“I said, I’ll take you there. We’ll go to Hedan by another road and meet them there,” Si Junxing said.

"Are you kidding me? I'm the highest-ranking official in the entourage. What would happen if I left them?"

"They have hands and feet, can't they walk on their own? Besides, what can you, the highest-ranking official, do by staying here?"

Lin Suyang raised an eyebrow: "You mean I'm useless?"

"You said it yourself." Si Junxing looked at her with a wicked smile.

“You…” Lin Suyang glared at him. Then she turned around. “No way.”

"Why?"

"No reason. No means no." Lin Suyang's tone turned cold. He shook the reins and quickened his pace to catch up with the group that had already gone far ahead.

Si Junxing didn't say another word. Lin Suyang assumed he was angry and didn't try to reconcile them. She was prepared to reason with him during a rest stop, but to her surprise, he dismounted and walked straight towards Lin Ziyan without even glancing at her. She sighed. When did he become so petty?

Qin Yu walked over with some dry food and water and handed it to Lin Suyang, saying, "Are you tired? Eat something."

Lin Suyang pulled her to a clean place to sit down: "I'm not tired at all. It's you who is tired. You used to stay at home and rarely went out. Now you have to travel with us through wind and rain, and travel by carriage. It must be hard on you."

Qin Yu immediately replied, "How could that be? You know I've lived in Yundu for almost twenty years and have wanted to come out and have some fun like this for ages. This time, thanks to you, otherwise I don't know when I'd have this opportunity." The happier she was, the more somber Lin Suyang felt. All their freedom was in the hands of one person, but that person would probably never let them have their way.

Seeing her downcast mood, Qin Yu comforted her, "Don't worry, once we return from Hedan, I'll find my brother, and then we'll travel to famous mountains and rivers. Then I can go wherever I want, wouldn't that be better?" Just don't leave me behind then, okay?

Lin Suyang forced a smile. "Yes, it's very good."

After resting, the group resumed their journey. Lin Suyang mounted her horse and, seeing Si Junxing standing motionless in the distance, grew somewhat annoyed. She spurred her horse forward, looked down at him, and asked, "Aren't you coming?"

Si Junxing glanced around to make sure everyone else had left before he nimbly stepped onto the horse. Before Lin Suyang could speak, he grabbed the reins from her hand, turned the horse around, and gave it a sharp slap on the rump, sending it galloping off in another direction.

"Are you crazy?" Lin Suyang tried to pull the reins, but Si Junxing wouldn't let her. He held the horse with one hand and wrapped his other arm around her, trapping her in his embrace.

"What are you trying to do? Stop right now!" Lin Suyang raised his voice and continued to struggle to grab the reins that he was holding tightly.

"I told you I would take you away, but you didn't believe me, so I had no choice but to do this." Si Junxing seemed helpless.

Lin Suyang was both amused and exasperated. "Fine, I believe you now. Turn around quickly, or they'll be gone."

“Who said we should go with them? I’ve already spoken to Lin Ziyan. I will take you to Hedan by myself and have them wait there.”

"You actually went to see Ziyan?" Lin Suyang was genuinely surprised now. Could it be that he had just gone to see Lin Ziyan to discuss this matter?

“Yes, weren’t you worried they wouldn’t agree? I not only approached Lin Ziyan, but also two other ministers,” Si Junxing said smugly.

"Ziyan, he agreed?" That shouldn't be the case. They always seem to get along, so why would Ziyan agree to let him take her away?

"At first he disagreed, but I said one sentence and he agreed."

"What did you say?"

Si Junxing glanced down at her, then moved his mouth close to her ear and said, "I told him, you are my wife." Lin Suyang's body instantly froze. This man was truly insane; he actually said such a thing to Lin Ziyan!

Si Junxing slowly loosened the rope and said, "Alright, turn around if you don't want to."

Lin Suyang smiled wryly: "You've ridden this far, how can you still catch up?"

"You agreed to it yourself now." Si Junxing rode up again, and when the person in his arms wasn't paying attention, a smug smile appeared on his face.

"If you don't know the way, don't expect me to talk to you again."

"How could that be, my lady? Your husband may not be good at much else, but he's incredibly accurate when it comes to directions..."

Qin Yu kept looking back, but Lin Suyang's horse was nowhere to be seen chasing after them. He was starting to worry that something might have happened to them. Looking at Lin Ziyan not far away, he saw that he had a cold face, as if someone had stolen his most cherished possession.

Qin Yu rode closer to him and reminded him, "Lord Lin hasn't arrived yet." Seeing that he neither spoke nor looked at her, she became angry and continued, "Lord Lin hasn't arrived yet, shouldn't we wait?"

"Hey, say something!"

“No need to wait.” Lin Ziyan said in a deep voice, “She won’t come. Si Junxing is taking her to Hedan by another route, and we will meet there.”

"I see," Qin Yu murmured, lowering her head and gripping the reins even tighter, the pressure hurting her. She followed the group for a long time, oblivious to everything. The clear sky darkened, threatening rain. Hopefully, she could find a place to stay today. She slept terribly last night; her heart wasn't strong, and it was cold at night. Why was she hungry again so quickly? Listen, her stomach was still rumbling. Heh, so this is what hunger feels like…

Like a walking corpse, Qin Yu followed Lin Ziyan and the others into the farm, found his room, closed the door, and buried his head in the blanket. "Huh? Why is it wet? Is the house leaking?" Lifting his head, Qin Yu touched his face and cried.

The latch clicked, and the door opened. Lin Ziyan stood there, staring at her expressionlessly.

"I got a few jars of fine wine from the owner of the estate. Would you like some?"

"Okay." Qin Yu replied, secretly wiping his eyes.

Lin Ziyan handed Qin Yu a jar, then sat down on the ground, broke the seal, and started drinking. Qin Yu, holding the jar, paused for a moment and then also took small sips.

"She said she would take me with her, but she left with someone else..." she said, bringing her nose to the mouth of the jar and inhaling the intoxicating aroma of the wine.

"Don't you think you're wrong? She's a woman, and so are you, but you've fallen in love with her," Lin Ziyan mocked.

Ignoring how he knew she liked Lin Suyang, Qin Yu retorted sarcastically, "I'm wrong? What about you? You're her brother, you're even more wrong!"

“Yes. You and she are both women, and I am her brother. Neither of us is qualified.” Lin Ziyan raised the wine jar, shook it at Qin Yu, and then tilted his head back to take another big gulp.

"She is my only family in this world besides my brother." Qin Yu's eyes were blurry, and everything in front of him was overlapping.

"She is also my only family member in this world besides my father," Lin Ziyan said.

"But I would rather I had never met her."

“Me too.” Lin Ziyan looked at Qin Yu and smiled.

This world isn't so starvation-free, but when your only belief and pursuit are destined to come to nothing, the experience of living becomes the most painful process. Those who refuse to submit will fight, unaware that even shedding their last drop of blood cannot ultimately defeat a predetermined fate.

Volume Three, Heartbreak, Chapter Seventy-Nine: Awakening from a Dream of Your Infatuation (Part Two)

"Actually, I really want to ask you how you knew I left Yundu and headed northwest, and how you confirmed that we would take that route?" Lin Suyang straightened up and asked the person behind him while riding his horse.

Si Junxing placed his hands on her waist, tilted his head close to her bare neck, and said, "Secret, secret." His warm breath made Lin Suyang feel a little itchy, and she leaned back to avoid it. "Stop playing riddles here, just say it."

"Cough cough cough, your husband is omnipotent and omniscient, able to go to heaven and earth..." Lin Suyang turned her head and looked at him coldly. He immediately shuddered and said with a grin, "Yes, my lady, I'll explain right away. After I arrived in Yundu that day, I heard that you and some ministers went to the Northwest and had been gone for two days. I thought about it, and since there were so many of you, you should have taken the official road. So I rode as fast as I could and took a shortcut day and night. Actually, I wasn't sure if you had taken it or not, so I tried my luck. Hehe, I didn't expect to be right." No wonder he was covered in scratches from tree branches. Now that he had no martial arts skills, what would he do if he encountered danger while traveling alone in the deep mountains and forests? He really was a fool.

"What if we miss it, or what if we don't even take the official road?"

"Then I'll turn around and chase after you again. There's plenty of time; I'll find you eventually," Si Junxing said nonchalantly.

Lin Suyang sighed, "Is it worth it?" The thought that she was no longer a virgin made her heart ache and tighten. She wanted to push him away and let him find someone else, but she couldn't let go of him either. Was this selfish? If so, then she would be selfish just this once. If the two of them eventually separated, at least she would have memories to comfort her. This was also the reason why she was willing to leave Lin Ziyan and the others with him.

“It’s worth it, why wouldn’t it be worth it? You are my wife, whether in the past, present, or future, you are the only one I will ever have. Even if one day you no longer wish to be by my side, I will still watch over you from afar and think of you in my heart, even if you never look back at me again.” The horse slowly came to a stop, and Si Junxing rested his head on Lin Suyang’s shoulder again, his voice trembling, like a child’s soft sobbing.

"You know, when I learned that my eyes could be cured, my greatest wish was that the first person I would see when I opened my eyes again would be you. For forty-nine days, I used the medicine for forty-nine days. Every day, I sat in front of the door wearing the bandage, listening to the wind and the snow, and then I would think about how many days it had been and what you were doing. As I thought about it, I started to worry. If you knew that my eyes were cured, would you leave me? If that were the case, I would rather never see again."

“I knew Shen Xiao had sent you a message, so when I arrived in Yundu and heard that you had already left, my heart sank. Did you really not want to see me? This question terrified me, as if the sky were about to fall, so I kept chasing and rushing. When I finally saw you, my fear vanished. I saw the heartache in your eyes, so I knew you wouldn't abandon me, wouldn't ignore me, right?”

Lin Suyang was already in tears. She leaned back into Si Junxing's arms and said softly and slowly, "Yes, I won't abandon you, I won't ignore you. I want to follow you to every corner of this continent, and I want to spend every day and night with you. If one day I forget you, don't be sad, because that is no longer me. You must believe that the real me will never have anyone else in my eyes."

"To find one true love, and grow old together, never to be parted." Lin Suyang had always thought this was just an empty phrase, or a dream that could never be realized. But now, she desperately hoped that these words could come true, that she could find one true love, and only ask to grow old together. If before she was still struggling and hesitant, now only peace and determination remained in her heart.

Mountains crumble. Rivers run dry. Winter thunder roars. Summer snow falls. Heaven and earth unite. Only then will I part from you. Lin Suyang dared not make such a promise. But... she could live if you live, and follow you if you die.

Shicheng is located in the middle of Beiliang Road. Beyond Shicheng lies the entire northwest region. Not only the terrain and climate change, but also the architecture and local customs undergo significant transformations. Therefore, along this invisible dividing line of Shicheng, you can hear different local languages and see distinct local characteristics.

Lin Suyang, dressed in women's clothing, followed Si Junxing onto the main street and saw many people running towards the city center. Si Junxing stopped the owner of a nearby fabric shop and asked, "Shopkeeper, may I ask if something has happened up ahead? Why is everyone heading that way?"

Seeing that the person who called him was a handsome young man, the man patiently stopped and replied, "It seems you are from out of town, sir. No wonder you don't know. There is a competition platform in the center of this stone city. All literary and martial arts competitions are held there. Today, the prefect has opened a literary and poetry contest on the platform. The winner will be rewarded with a thousand taels of silver. If you are interested, sir, you might as well give it a try."

A thousand taels of silver? Si Junxing's mind raced. Then he eagerly ran to Lin Suyang, grabbed her hand, and said, "My lady, why don't we give it a try too?"

Seeing his bright, sparkling eyes, Lin Su got goosebumps. She shook him off, frowning, and said, "Why would you try? Are you short of money?" Doing something like this in an unfamiliar place is just asking for trouble.

Si Junxing looked at her embarrassedly and chuckled dryly, "Hehe, well, Mu Qing prepared plenty of silver for me when I went down the mountain, but the expenses along the way, plus the sheep I bought to stop you... I don't have much left now, I'm afraid it won't last until Hedan..."

"You..." Lin Suyang really didn't know what to say to him. He didn't say he didn't have any money earlier. He should have taken some from Qin Yu. Who would have thought that he would take him away without a word that day, without him having time to prepare anything.

"Do you think I'm dressed appropriately for the competition?" Lin Suyang glanced meaningfully at her women's attire and looked up at Si Junxing. In this era, men were still superior to women; women rarely appeared in public except to stay home and raise children. Shouldn't such a competition only be open to men?

Si Junxing smiled, shook his head and said, "You don't need to go, I will go."

"You?" Lin Suyang stared at him suspiciously. "You can?"

Si Junxing snorted: "You underestimate me, huh? Today I'll show you just how good I am." With that, he pulled her toward the city center.

The so-called competition platform was actually just a spacious open space in the center of Shicheng. More than ten long tables were placed in the center of the open space. The contestants had to stand behind the long tables to write poems and paint, and then submit them to the prefect in the distant pavilion. After being reviewed by several respected old scholars, the winner would receive a reward of a thousand taels of silver.

By this time, a lot of people had already gathered around the open space. Some were eager to go up and show off their skills, some were cheering on their friends and family, and many more were just there to join in the fun. In short, the area, which was not very big, was packed with people.

There were many spectators, and even more participants. Lin Suyang could no longer distinguish between those who came to watch and those who came to compete. All she could see were dense crowds everywhere, with all sorts of clothing on display. The sounds of mixed languages, some she could not understand and some she could not, filled her ears, making her feel annoyed.

Si Junxing led her far away, preventing the rushing crowd from touching her. With his considerable height and keen eyesight, he noticed that the closer the long table was to the prefect's pavilion, the more people gathered there were. In contrast, the farthest corner was sparsely populated and quiet. Those who kept pushing forward were simply trying to attract the prefect's attention.

Si Junxing pulled Lin Suyang to the last table and stopped. Seeing two or three people already there, he nodded to them, then picked up a brush, unfolded some Xuan paper, and began to ponder. Lin Suyang couldn't help but chuckle at his pretentious manner. She leaned closer and whispered, "Don't know how? Do you want me to help you?"

Si Junxing glanced at her sideways, "My wife, if I finish writing it, what reward will I receive?" Lin Suyang was certain he couldn't write anything outstanding, so she smiled and said, "Alright, if you really win, I'll call you 'husband,' okay?"

Si Junxing lowered his head and said lightly, "It's a deal!" Turning around, he picked up his pen and wrote:

If you are as firm as a rock and I am as weak as a reed, we are hopeless and tears fall freely.

The intertwined branches, unaware of the playful mandarin ducks, laugh as the twin blossoms watch the birds chase each other.