Kiyomi Tsuki and His Fox

Chapter 13

Chapter Seven Jealousy

The afterglow of the setting sun bathed the Qin Academy in the sky, making it appear even more desolate and chilly. The mistress of the house, once the most beautiful woman in Lujiabao, sat barefoot and disheveled by the window, her eyes vacant and lifeless as she stared at the spotted bamboo in the courtyard.

"Tears of longing fall like blood on the bamboo, a thousand leaves whisper of sorrow." Yang Xueli reached for a bamboo leaf with trembling hands, murmuring, "Lei, why did you come to see me but not take me away? Why did you come back but then cruelly leave me again? They say I'm crazy, they locked me up and won't let me out. But I'm not crazy. Lei, I'm not crazy, why didn't you come to take me away?"

Just then, the sound of the door opening came, and the wet nurse accompanied Zhou Yanhua and a maid into the room. Looking at her from a distance, the wet nurse tentatively asked, "Miss, it's time to take your medicine."

Yang Xueli trembled, climbed down from the window with her delicate body shaking, and called out, "Nanny."

The nanny exclaimed with delight, "Girl, you recognize me! That's wonderful!"

Zhou Yanhua laughed and said, "Xueli, you're awake! That's wonderful. Brother Xiang was so worried. He sent someone on horseback to fetch Doctor Li from the ranch. The medicine was just brewed. Drink it while it's hot. Ling'er, take the medicine over there."

Ling'er cautiously approached her, carrying the bowl of medicine, her heart pounding. "Miss, I am Ling'er. Please don't grab me. This medicine was just brewed. Would you like to take it?"

A flash of hatred crossed Yang Xueli's eyes, and she swept the medicine bowl away with a slap. Ling'er screamed and hid behind Zhou Yanhua. Yang Xueli shouted excitedly, "I won't take the medicine! I'm not crazy!"

Zhou Yanhua anxiously pleaded, "Xueli, can you please calm down? How heartbroken is Xiang-ge if you act like this?"

Yang Xueli glared at her, filled with hatred, "You stole Lei. Give Lei back to me, give it back to me."

She frantically grabbed Zhou Yanhua, pulled out the hairpin from her hair, and stabbed her indiscriminately, terrifying Zhou Yanhua. The nanny lunged at her again, grabbing her with all her might, and Zhou Yanhua took the opportunity to break free. However, Yang Xueli dragged the nanny along and lunged at her again. Screams, the sounds of things crashing and overturning filled the room in chaos.

Lei Yongxiang rushed in from outside, grabbed Yang Xueli and pulled her into his arms, "Xueli, it's me, calm down."

Yang Xueli cried bitterly in his arms, "Lei, she stole Lei. Give Lei back to me, give him back to me."

Lei Yongxiang patted her back affectionately and coaxed, "No, she's not. She's Yanhua, Grandma Cai's sister. Grandma Cai? Have you forgotten?"

His words of comfort calmed Yang Xueli down. Zhou Yanhua, seeing this from afar, still tried to approach and express her concern.

"Brother Xiang?"

Upon hearing her words, Yang Xueli immediately became excited.

"Fairy, you want to steal Lei. I'll kill you."

"ah?"

"Sherry, don't do this. If you keep making a scene, I'll get angry. Yanhua, you go out first."

Kiyomi Tsuki leaned against the door, watching the two women fight over a man. She blinked, too lazy to even lift a finger.

"Don't cry, okay? I've brought Lei back. He's here to see you. Don't make a fuss anymore. If Lei sees you like this, he won't like it," Lei Yongxiang kept coaxing him.

Yang Xueli gradually calmed down and asked in a trembling voice, "Where is Lei?"

“I’m here, Sherry.”

Qing Jianyue immediately broke into a joyful smile. Yang Xueli looked over and instantly met a pair of smiling, dark blue eyes. She hesitated for a moment, then broke free from Lei Yongxiang's embrace and quickly threw herself into Qing Jianyue's arms, crying and laughing at the same time, "Lei, I knew you would come to pick me up. But they said I was crazy, locked me up, and wouldn't let me go to you."

She hugged Qing Jianyue tightly, and Lei Yongxiang, watching all this, felt incredibly jealous.

Kiyomi Tsuki smiled and patted her back gently, saying softly, "Sweetie, don't cry. I came back to see you, didn't I? Come, let me see, isn't Sherry as beautiful as before?"

Yang Xueli looked up at him, appearing both excited and nervous, "Lei, am I still pretty?"

Kiyomi Tsuki cupped her face in her hands and looked at it again and again, then frowned.

Yang Xueli asked in a panic, "Have I become ugly? Don't you like me anymore?"

"Sherry, how come you've gotten so thin, like a dried-up bean curd? And look at you, you don't even comb your hair, your clothes are a mess, and you don't even have a single flower in your hair. Ugh, is this my number one beauty wife? I'm about to die of anger!" Qing Jianyue looked like she was about to explode with rage.

Yang Xueli said fearfully, "Lei, don't be angry, I'll comb my hair and change my clothes right away."

"And what happened?" Qing Jianyue pulled open one of her sleeves and shouted angrily, "Why are you so injured? Did that bastard Lei Yongxiang abuse you while I wasn't home? I'm so angry, I'm going to kill him."

Yang Xueli was terrified and cried, "No, no, don't blame Brother Xiang, I hurt myself."

Qing Jianyue quickly hugged and coaxed him, "Oh, oh, oh, good girl, good girl, don't cry. I won't scold Lei Yongxiang anymore. I'll take you to another room, let the nanny help you wash and change, dress you up nicely, and then let my dear husband pamper you. Okay?"

Yang Xueli blushed.

Qing Jianyue scooped her up in his arms and grinned wickedly, “My dear wife, don’t worry, Lei will never leave you again. From now on, we’ll be a perfect couple, not even immortals. Hehehe, Lei Yongxiang, lead the way.”

Lei Yongxiang almost punched him in the face. Among those eavesdropping outside, Cai Zhonghe laughed from beginning to end, while Cai Bo'an's expression was strange, and no one knew what he was thinking.

Night deepened, the moon shone brightly, and golden and silver sands danced wildly in the air. Lei Yongxiang slowly walked into the osmanthus grove, his eyes filled with endless emotions and sorrow. He sat down on the ground and drank in silence. A bottle of wine was finished without him even realizing it.

Suddenly, someone let out a long exclamation: "What beautiful moonlight! What beautiful osmanthus blossoms!"

Lei Yongxiang was startled and shouted, "Who?"

“It’s me.” Kiyomi Tsuki sat up from the pile of flowers. In the moonlight, he smiled like a child playing hide-and-seek. “Ha, I see you. You’re not honest at all. You’re hiding here drinking by yourself.”

Lei Yongxiang angrily shouted, "What are you doing hiding here?"

"Who said I was hiding here? I was here first. I came to admire the moon and flowers, and have some sweet dreams. I'll eat mooncakes, drink osmanthus wine, and admire the beautiful figure of the fairy Chang'e dancing gracefully under the osmanthus tree. When I wake up, I'll steal the Jade Rabbit, burn it, and cook it to eat."

Kiyomi Tsuki was drooling with delight, and the little white fox popped its head out, blinked its golden eyes, and also started drooling, as if the jade rabbit was right in front of it, roasting on a red-hot rack, dripping with oil.

Lei Yongxiang was agitated. "Go away, go away, go dream somewhere else."

“But I was here first, there has to be a first-come, first-served rule.” Kiyomi Tsuki pouted.

"Damn it, this is my home!" Lei Yongxiang roared.