Maestro de la ambigüedad

Capítulo 29

"Yes, it's up to you, how about it?"

Han Xiao blushed and couldn't bring himself to say "Isn't it beautiful?" After stammering for a while, Nie Chengyan laughed and said, "Why aren't you saying anything? Aren't you the boldest one?"

Han Xiao muttered, "Saying this isn't about being bold, it's about having thick skin," her voice very soft, but Nie Chengyan still heard her. He laughed heartily, pulled her close, and kissed her several times: "Kiss me more, and maybe we'll become closer."

Han Xiao let him kiss her shyly, but Nie Chengyan sighed and finally asked, "Xiao Xiao, what uncertainties do you still have in your heart?"

Han Xiao was stunned for a moment, then turned to look into his eyes and finally asked, "How did Master make that decision?"

How can you be sure? If you love someone, how do you determine it? Nie Chengyan was also taken aback and said, "If you fall in love, you will naturally know."

How do we know?

"I'll worry, I'll miss you, I'll panic, I'll care..." He paused, then pinched her chin: "You're just average to me, aren't you?"

The word "yes" was on the tip of her tongue, but Han Xiao hesitated for a moment before she could say it. Nie Chengyan wasn't annoyed, and simply said, "Even if you say no, it won't work. I'm the kind of person who, once I've made up my mind to do something, I'll definitely do it. I've decided on you, and that's it. Xiao Xiao, we have a lifetime to slowly work things out."

Han Xiao leaned against his chest, pondering for a while about how to ask, and finally said, "Master, you must be very different now than before. Since your accident, I've been the only one serving you for the past two years. Could it be that you've just gotten used to having me by your side?"

Nie Chengyan hadn't expected her to think of this, and frowned, saying, "Do you think I can't even distinguish between liking and habit?"

"No, no." Han Xiao was a little anxious and waved his hands repeatedly: "I'm not saying I can't tell the difference, I'm saying that sometimes... I don't know how to say it, it's just... it's just that when different things happen, people feel differently."

Are you saying that if I weren't lame, I might not even want you?

That sounds like she's judging him too superficially, so Han Xiao shook her head again. She thought for a moment and said, "It's like my uncle and aunt who never had children. They originally adored Lele. After my parents passed away, they took us home to raise us and treated us very well. But when they had their own child, and Lele got sick, things changed. Maybe this example isn't definitive, I just wanted to say..." She was genuinely uncertain: "How could Master know it was me? If I'm not the one in Master's heart, what if, after a while, Master finds out he no longer loves me..." What could she do if he didn't love her anymore? She was just a servant.

Han Xiao suddenly realized that her actions, her thoughts, and her demands had long exceeded the bounds of a servant's duty. Had she lost the heart of a servant long ago? She kept telling herself she was a servant, yet she did things a servant shouldn't do. She thought she was managing herself well, that secretly keeping him in her heart was enough, but it turned out she still harbored hopes. So, was she afraid her hopes wouldn't come true?

"Xiaoxiao." Nie Chengyan saw her staring blankly and turned her face towards him. "What are you afraid of? When your uncle and aunt adopted you, were you also thinking about what would happen if they didn't want you anymore?"

"They were very kind to us back then, and I thought it would always be like that."

"Then why did you hide a bag of silver?" During a casual chat with him, she had mentioned the past, and that the bag of money left by her parents was the life-saving money she had saved when she ran away from home with her younger brother on her back.

"I..." Han Xiao couldn't answer. She was wary, and she realized that she felt insecure even when she was happy.

"Hmph," Nie Chengyan said, "This reminds me that I need to keep a close eye on you and not give you any money. What if you feel that I'm not treating you well in the future and secretly run away?"

"Master..." Was he joking with her?

"Xiaoxiao, is the person you love the City Lord Nie who built Hundred Bridges City, or the crippled Nie Chengyan?"

Han Xiao frowned: "Isn't the lame Nie Chengyan the same Nie City Lord who built Hundred Bridges City?"

"So you can be sure that your kindness towards me isn't because you sympathize with Lord Nie for becoming crippled?"

"He's just crippled, how is he useless? He can still eat, sleep, read, and manage things, how is he useless?" She didn't like hearing these demeaning words, so she hugged him tightly.

"Xiaoxiao, you asked me if I've gotten used to having you since I became lame, and I have." She stiffened, her arms almost loosening their grip on him, but he pulled her closer. "I'm a proud person, and I'll only say these things once. If you bring them up again later, I won't acknowledge them." He pressed her head against his chest, preventing her from seeing his face. "I've gotten used to having you. Without you, I feel uncomfortable all over. If I hadn't become lame, you wouldn't be by my side. With your personality, even if you admire me, you'd probably only think of me from afar and wouldn't take the initiative to approach me. And I, I'm afraid, wouldn't recognize your goodness."

Han Xiao said sullenly, "I'm afraid she's already married to your Yun'er."

Nie Chengyan smiled upon hearing this, ruffled her hair, and said, "You've never mentioned Yun'er before."

"Aren't you the same?"

"Are you jealous right now?" His voice held a hint of smugness. "My Xiaoxiao is jealous? That's wonderful." He laughed heartily, then lowered his head and kissed the top of her head. "Yun'er, she's beautiful and delicate, completely different from you." He paused, then lifted her up, his gaze meeting hers, his voice softening. "I can only say that if she and you were both in front of me right now, and I could only choose one, I would choose you without hesitation."

Han Xiao's first thought was that it was because she could serve people and endure hardship. But when she heard Nie Chengyan say, "Because you make me feel ashamed of myself, you make me feel that I have to work very hard to be worthy of you."

Han Xiao's mouth dropped open in surprise. How could this be? Nie Chengyan smiled and kissed her: "I almost couldn't believe I would have such a pathetic thought. Xiao Xiao, I hesitated and had reservations during that time because I was insecure, not because of my foot, but because of my heart. You wouldn't believe the dark thoughts I had, the things I wanted to do, the revenge I considered..."

He pressed his lips to her forehead: "I've changed, all because of you."

Han Xiao gripped his collar tightly, her blood rushing to her face; she couldn't believe it. Nie Chengyan continued, "Yun'er was a very good girl. Even now, when I think back, I still think she was wonderful. I can't deny that I once liked her, liked her so much that I wanted to marry her. When she died, I was heartbroken. I felt I hadn't protected her properly; it was all my fault. That day, I was pondering what I liked about you. I had a thought: if a god jumped out and said to me, 'If I could exchange you for Yun'er, would I be willing?' I thought about it for a long time, and my final conclusion was: I wouldn't. If you could restore my legs, I still wouldn't be willing."

Tears welled up in Han Xiao's eyes as she listened to him say, "Xiao Xiao, if Yun'er hadn't loved me back then, I would have let go. But if you don't have the same feelings for me now, I will never let you go. I will never let you leave me. Do you understand?"

Han Xiao nodded vigorously. Nie Chengyan's face drew closer to hers, and he whispered seductively, "Do you really understand?" She nodded again. He smiled and coaxed, "Then, how about you kiss me?"

Han Xiao was mesmerized and wrapped her arms around his neck. Their lips met, and he was overjoyed. But as they were about to take it a step further, Han Le's voice came from outside the door: "Sister, sister..." Judging from the noise, it sounded like she was running into the house. Han Xiao was startled and suddenly pushed him away with all her might. Because she was sitting on Nie Chengyan's lap, the push sent her sprawling to the ground, where she fell and hurt herself. Before she could even cry out in pain, she heard Nie Chengyan shout: "Han Xiao!" She must be asking for it, daring to push him!

Author's Note: Sweet talk is so hard to write. Xiaoxiao, just give in already! Don't hesitate, why are you thinking so much? Otherwise, your dear mother is going to be driven crazy by you.

To set one's mind on love

A few voices drifted in from outside, seemingly Han Le talking to someone. She could vaguely make out something like, "Great hero... looking for my sister..." Han Xiao couldn't make it out, but she guessed that Han Le had been stopped at the door by Huo Qiyang. Thinking this, her face flushed even more. If Huo Qiyang had been guarding the door the whole time, with his internal energy cultivation, wouldn't he have overheard everything they were saying inside?

Nie Chengyan was seething with anger. She had been so touched by his sweet talk earlier, and now, in such a romantic moment, how could she just push him away like that? She had accepted his kindness, so why was she afraid of her brother finding out?

"Let that brat in." Nie Chengyan shouted towards the door. He didn't like things being ambiguous and wanted to get everything straight today.

Han Xiao quickly got up from the ground and said, "Master, let me talk to him." She was afraid that if Nie Chengyan said these words, it would sound like he was forcibly taking a woman from the common people, and she didn't want to frighten Han Le.

Nie Chengyan frowned as he looked at her pained expression, but couldn't help asking, "Did you hurt yourself?"

"It hurts." Han Xiao originally wanted to say no, but then she changed her mind and acted coquettishly.

"Hmph, you deserve to suffer." Unfortunately, her coquettish act didn't work.

Han Le came running in, her voice quite loud: "Sister, why is the hero guarding the gate?"

“He is my bodyguard, so naturally he will guard the door for me,” Nie Chengyan said. “After a while, I will pick one for you too.”

Han Le's eyes widened: "Lord City Lord, I won't do anything bad, really, please don't send anyone to spy on me."

“What use is it to monitor a mere kid like him? Your status will be different in the future, so naturally you'll need a bodyguard.” Nie Chengyan was about to say this when Han Xiao stopped him: “Master, let me talk to Lele.”

Nie Chengyan looked at her and said, "Okay, you tell me." He waited to hear it.

Han Le looked at this one, then at that one, and finally stared expectantly at Han Xiao, waiting for her sister to speak. Stared at by the two of them like that, Han Xiao couldn't bring herself to speak. Things had progressed too quickly. She loved him, and she trusted him, but she truly didn't know why. She found their intimacy in private acceptable, but to openly declare her feelings to others was something she simply couldn't bring herself to say.

Nie Chengyan stared at her for a while, and seeing her troubled expression, his brows furrowed. He looked like he was about to lose his temper, so Han Xiao quickly pulled Han Le along: "Lele, I still have a bunch of clothes to wash, can you help me?" She had asked privately, surely that would be alright.

Nie Chengyan glared at the two siblings as they ran off towards the backyard, shouting, "I want to hear too!"

Han Xiao shoved her younger brother into the backyard, then turned and rushed back into the house, handing him the dossier Nie Chengyan had just been looking at: "Master, please attend to your business first. I will definitely talk to Lele properly."

Nie Chengyan opened his mouth to speak, but Han Xiao hugged him tightly again: "Really, really, I'll tell him everything properly, I won't hide a single thing from him." Nie Chengyan's heart softened: "Then go tell him, I'll wait." As soon as he finished speaking, they heard a surprised "Ah!" from the small gate leading to the backyard. The two turned around and saw Han Le secretly peeking through the gate. Seeing her sister and the city lord hugging each other, she must have been quite surprised.

韩笑红着脸放开聂承岩，拎着韩乐又往后院去了。聂承岩捧着那卷宗，半个字都看不进去，心里就惦记着这韩笑是怎么跟韩乐说的。如果她没给自己正名，他一定要揍她屁股，罚她写一百遍“爱城主恋主子，韩笑不离不弃”，然后贴得满屋子都是，到时看她的害羞症还好不好了。

Nie Chengyan tossed the dossier back onto the table and sighed. He was still pondering his own feelings, but in the end, he was forced by that old man to make up his mind to express his feelings. She was still young, her emotions were simple, and she was such a shy person. It was normal that she wasn't like him. He had to take it slowly and not push her too hard in front of outsiders.

Suddenly, Han Le's loud shout came from the backyard: "Really?" Nie Chengyan couldn't help but laugh. After a while, he heard Han Le's "Wow!" again. Nie Chengyan shifted his body, feeling restless, and really wanted to hear what Han Le had to say. After much restraint, he finally took the file and forced himself to read it word by word.

After a while, Han Le ran in by himself and stopped a few steps away from Nie Chengyan. Nie Chengyan looked up at him, and Han Le greeted him with a serious expression, "Lord City Lord."

"Hmm." Nie Chengyan suddenly felt a little nervous.

"Lord of the City, do you truly love my sister?"

"Of course," he answered quickly, afraid the child wouldn't believe him.

"What does the City Lord like about my sister?"

Nie Chengyan was taken aback. What did he like? Han Le frowned, looking at him like a little adult, as if he would never let him pass if he didn't answer well.

Nie Chengyan pondered for a moment, then beckoned. When Han Le approached, he pulled him into his arms and carefully replied, "I just like him, but I don't know how to say it."

Han Le was not satisfied. He shifted his body and decided to ask one question at a time: "Is my sister pretty?"

"He's fairly good-looking and pleasing to the eye."

"Is it because you like her gentle and virtuous nature?"

Nie Chengyan patted his little head and said, "It would be more accurate to say that she is hardworking and diligent."

Han Le thought about it and realized she was right; her older sister could be quite fierce when she got stubborn. "Does the city lord like that my sister does her work well?"

"Well, strictly speaking, she often left me to read medical books and learn how to treat illnesses, and many of the chores were done by other servants."

Han Le was displeased; no matter what they said, it seemed like he didn't like anything about her. "Then why would the City Lord want to be with my sister?"

"Lele, are you happy being with your sister?"

"happy."

“Me too.” Although Nie Chengyan felt it was absurd to talk about love with a child, he still patiently said, “Besides, I would be unhappy if we weren’t together. Only your sister can bring me this kind of happiness, so I want to be with her.”

Han Le felt like she understood, but then felt like she didn't. After thinking for a long time, she finally asked, "Then you won't bully my sister, will you?"

"What if your sister bullies me? Whose side will you take?"

"Of course I'll help my sister."

"So, with two of you against one of me, I'm at a disadvantage. What are you worried about?"

"That's true." Han Le chuckled, secretly thinking that while he was being nice to her, he should cultivate his own forces. If he really betrayed his sister, he would make him suffer.

After Nie Chengyan had calmed the kid down, he asked him, "What did your sister say to you?"

Han Le rolled her eyes and looked at him, saying, "I won't tell you. My sister and I are on the same side, so I can't tell you."

Nie Chengyan frowned: "You brat."

"And another thing, you have to be good to my sister, you can't swear at her, you can't make her do any work, you have to give her money to spend, and you have to give her meat to eat." Han Le counted the conditions on his fingers: "If you make my sister sad, I won't forgive you."

"Hmph, you're not allowed to be naughty and make your sister angry. You have to study hard, do all the homework I've assigned you, and learn martial arts well so you don't get sick and worry your sister. When I'm with your sister, you're not allowed to wander around. I've assigned you guards, so you're not allowed to leave them behind, act alone, or cause trouble." Nie Chengyan spoke even more smoothly than he did: "If you make your sister and me unhappy, I'll deal with you."

"Wow." Han Le's eyes widened. "You have more demands than I do."

Nie Chengyan poked his head with his finger: "I'm an adult, you're a child. Wait until you're all grown up before you try to negotiate with me."

Han Le hesitated for a moment, then said, "Anyway, you're not allowed to bully my sister, or I won't listen." Nie Chengyan chuckled, ruffled his hair, and Han Le glanced at him before running off to the backyard, shouting, "Sister, we've made our deal! Have you finished washing your clothes?"

Nie Chengyan breathed a sigh of relief, leaned back in his chair, and couldn't help but laugh as he listened to Han Le's chattering. From now on, he had a family.

That evening, when they were alone, Han Xiao confirmed with Nie Chengyan the reason for Han Le's recovery. Nie Chengyan couldn't hide it from her, and naturally, she learned about the actions of the Cloud Mist Elder. Han Xiao felt both pain and anger, and didn't sleep well all night.

Before dawn the next day, she arrived at Xi's clinic as requested. The first thing she said to the old man in the clouds was, "Miracle doctor, my brother's illness is completely cured. He can walk and jump again."

The old man in the clouds replied calmly, "Then congratulations." There wasn't a trace of guilt or unease in his tone.

Han Xiao gritted his teeth and said, "I have witnessed the skills of the divine doctor."

The old man in the clouds glanced at her and said coldly, "You can guess it's an intracranial disease, but you can't even tell if it's cured or not. Your skills are inferior, so what is there to say? You're far too inadequate. If you don't want to be ambushed, besides being wary, you also need real skills. If you want to settle scores, learn properly first."

Han Xiao felt aggrieved and clenched his fists. As the old man Yunwu walked into the house, he said, "You are not good enough for Ayan."

"Whether you're good enough or not isn't up to you to decide," Han Xiao finally retorted.