linfengchun

Capítulo 89

Author's Note: I'm extremely excited about xiaweiweigogo's long review, so I'm offering this first half-chapter and doing a hula dance as a thank you.

Wishes fulfilled

After a long silence, no one spoke.

Even Xie Jingze couldn't help but secretly give him a wink.

Xie Quheng remained silent for a long time with a pale face before finally speaking.

"This matter must be reported to my father; Qu Heng dares not act on his own."

The situation suddenly changed, but Jun Suiyu remained humble and polite. "Of course, I hope that Elder Xie will understand the deep affection of my children and grant their wish."

A close attendant walked up to him and whispered something.

Jun Suiyu smiled broadly.

"Please thank the Third Young Master."

Xie Yunshu was vaguely surprised, guessing that things must have turned out badly, but what he saw was his eldest brother looking angry, his second brother looking strange, and Qinglan winking.

Jun Suiyu nodded with a smile and in a very friendly manner.

"You've come at the perfect time, Third Young Master. Your brothers have been waiting for you for a long time." To be honest, they were quite satisfied with this brother-in-law.

Xie Yunshu hesitated for a moment, then spoke frankly to his face.

“Young Master Jun, it may be presumptuous of me to bring this up so hastily, but I wish to take Pianxian away from your esteemed residence. I hope you will grant me permission.”

"Leave? Where to?" Jun Suiyu had expected this, but feigned surprise. "Although Pianxian will eventually become a member of the Xie family, she is not yet officially married into the family, so going to Yangzhou is probably not appropriate."

Xie Yunshu was stunned for a moment.

"I was just discussing the marriage alliance between our two families with Brother Xie," Jun Suiyu said casually. "We've reached a preliminary consensus on many things, so there's no need to rush."

Big brother... you agreed?

He looked at his elder brother in astonishment, and the strange expressions on his brothers' faces immediately became clear. The other party must have said something that forced Xie Quheng, whose will was as strong as steel, to nod. He vaguely guessed what had happened and couldn't help but laugh. This Jun Suiyu was indeed no ordinary person.

“Pianqian…you must know that she is too weak.” Setting aside the formalities, Jun Suiyu said with some sadness, “The Xie family is large and complex, and I’m afraid she can’t handle it.”

"I won't let her waste any effort."

"If you really marry her, it will definitely take a lot of effort and cause a lot of trouble. Have you thought it through?"

"What do these things matter if I can have her as my wife?"

Jun Suiyu nodded in comfort, without saying another word.

"Big brother."

After everyone from the Jun residence had left, he called out.

"This is all your doing." Xie Quheng was still furious.

Xie Jingze thought about it and found it amusing. "Now you've finally got your wish. Your elder brother has already given in, so Father probably won't object. We can't really let you become a live-in son-in-law of the Jun family."

Son-in-law?

Jiuwei chuckled.

“I originally intended to take her away from the Jun residence to a place outside Yangzhou, so as not to involve the two families.”

"Then your parents raised a son for nothing." Xie Quheng said rudely.

He gazed at his elder brother, his expression a mixture of explanation and pleading. “I can only choose between love and filial piety. Our parents have other brothers to serve and care for them, but she only has me. Please forgive me, elder brother.”

There's nothing we can do now that things have come to this.

“Well… things are unpredictable. Who knew she would turn into a young lady of the King’s Mansion…” Xie Quheng said sullenly, “My third brother has given us a handle to use against him again. If we refuse again, it won’t be fair.” “I’ll talk to Father. Rather than letting her abduct you and wander outside, it’s better to keep you at home for peace of mind.”

Even if there are any rumors about their background, the Jun and Xie families are powerful enough to suppress them. It's better than letting the two of them wander outside.

The most stubborn elder brother finally relented, and my tense heart relaxed a little. Suddenly, my sleeve was gently tugged, and Qinglan's bright smiling face appeared beside me.

"Congratulations, Third Brother."

He paused for a moment, then finally laughed.

The sensational rumors spread far and wide within days.

The Xie family is about to form a marriage alliance with the Jun family. The most renowned scion of the martial arts world has finally decided to get married. The question of where the beautiful woman who has captured their hearts comes from has become the focus of heated discussion.

There are many rumors and speculations about the origins of the young lady whom the Prince's mansion regards as a precious gem, how she was brought back to the mansion by Jun Suiyu, and when she met Xie Yunshu. Because it is so mysterious and without any warning, all sorts of bizarre rumors are circulating.

Some say she is merely a distant relative of the royal family, of humble origin, and only a pretext for the alliance between the two major powers in the north and south; others say she is ugly and used a secret drug to bewitch the mind of the third young master of the Xie family, making him devoted to her and determined to marry her; the more unpleasant version is that she used evil magic to abduct Jun Suiyu, but then developed feelings for Xie Yunshu, and plotted against him in every way to bring about the marriage.

The rumors became increasingly outrageous, even exceeding reason, and grew more and more absurd and unbelievable as they spread.

In contrast to the rampant rumors, the Jun and Xie families remained unusually quiet, discussing and working diligently on all the details of the marriage alliance. Xie Quheng and Jun Suiyu were handling almost all the planning and arrangements, leaving no stone unturned. Xie Yunshu occasionally participated, but most of the time he spent in the garden playing chess and drinking with his beloved, leading a very leisurely life.

Jiuwei returned to the Western Regions; having just ascended the throne, it was not advisable for her to leave for too long, a regretful but unavoidable situation. The Four Wings were swamped with preparations, while Xie Jingze took Qinglan back to Yangzhou to make arrangements. Everything was incredibly chaotic, except for the courtyard, which remained quiet and peaceful. Jun Suiyu had issued a strict order that no news could reach her ears, making her the only person in both Xijing and Yangzhou who hadn't heard anything about the wedding.

She lazily rested her chin on her hand, listening to the zither. Xie Yunshu, standing beside her, spread out Xuan paper and meticulously sketched with his brush, sometimes smiling as he intently examined the subject. Finally, he revealed the last touch of beauty, leaned over, and embraced her.

Does it look like it?

The beauty on the paper is lifelike, with starry eyes like water, and dark black hair hanging down her side. The most touching thing is the faint line of affection between her brows.

"Is that how I am?" she asked, slightly surprised.

“This is how I see you.” He just smiled. “I’ve painted many portraits of you before, all based on my memory. Now your appearance and figure have changed, so I have to make them look more like you than the original paintings.”

"Isn't it strange?" She unconsciously touched her face. "I haven't looked in the mirror much in years, and it's like I've suddenly become a stranger."

“I loved how you were before, but you’re even better now.” A captivating tenderness lingered on his handsome face. “I used to fantasize about what you would look like when you grew up, but you’re even more beautiful than I imagined, perhaps… a little too beautiful.” He sighed with a smile. “Seeing other men staring at you like that, I really want to hide you away.”

A feeling stirred within her, and she smiled slightly, her face flushing with embarrassment.

"Are you... alright staying in Xi'an?" I've been wondering. "What exactly did you say to your older brother that day?"

"Guess?" With the day drawing near and the truth finally coming out, he decided to stop hiding it.

"Did Sui Yu make some condition, asking you, Xie Jiarong, to stay here with me until I die?" She pondered, resting her head on her hand, calm and natural, as if she were talking about someone else's affairs.

"No, guess again." Despite the excruciating pain in his heart, his handsome face still wore a smile.

"Or did you insist on staying at the Jun residence and break ties with them?" She frowned slightly. If that happened, Xie Zhenchuan would definitely rush to Xijing... and even cause the Xie family and the Jun residence to clash... Impossible, neither he nor Suiyu would let things get that bad.

"Think about it again?"

She thought for a while, and her face gradually turned pale.

"You..." she couldn't say, a sudden panic gripping her. "You want to..."

"Yes, I want to marry you." He finally revealed his feelings, gazing at her pale face, which had lost its composure, his tone light yet firm. "I want you to be completely mine."

"You're insane!" She sat up abruptly, the jade cup shattering on the floor, the zither music abruptly ceasing. "Suiyu..."

“He’s very supportive.” He couldn’t hide his delight. “No one objects. It won’t be long before you come back to Yangzhou with me and become my rightful wife.”

She was trembling all over, struggling to suppress the urge to smash things, and spoke each word carefully.

"I will not marry."

"Your expression doesn't seem like surprise; it's quite different from when you agreed." He teased casually. "What a disappointment. In Jiangnan, I'm the object of many young ladies' affections." As a handsome and extraordinary young master from a prominent family, he naturally had countless admirers, yet his description was still a little understated.

"When did I ever agree to that?" Ignoring his teasing, anger surged within her.

"You forgot?" He pulled her slender hand over and kissed her palm, his tone light and suggestive. "That day in the pool, you nestled in my arms, nodding no matter what I said."

It seems... there is such a thing.

During that day and night of madness, she couldn't remember what she had agreed to; her mind was in a daze due to excessive stimulation.

Barely suppressing her burning desire, her momentum weakened. "Impossible, I don't remember you mentioning that."

"I said back then... You're not allowed to hide from me anymore, keeping everything bottled up inside. From now on, we'll be together forever, never to be apart." He gently stroked a strand of hair. "What could be more suitable than becoming my wife?"

"I thought you were just..."

"I want a title." He looked into the confused eyes, his expression extremely serious. "It means I can protect you, keep you by my side day and night, and no one can say a word against it."

"Marrying someone who's about to die..." She didn't know what to say, only managing a sarcastic laugh, a bitter laugh, almost unable to hold back the rising sorrow. "Don't waste your energy."

“Everyone dies.” He suppressed his emotions, trying his best to appear calm. “I will marry you and spend more than three years with you. I will search the world for the best medicine to heal you and spend a dozen or twenty more three-year periods with you, until we grow old together with our hair turned white.”

She desperately wanted to shatter the impossible fantasy, but in the end, she closed her eyes as a wave of despair washed over her, instantly breaking down her defenses.

His warm hand covered her slender fingers, and he whispered something in her ear. She couldn't hear the words, but she slowly calmed down and spoke again after a long while.

"I will not marry you." She spoke as if defying something. "And I will not go to Yangzhou. Don't think that just because I've lost my powers, I'll be at the mercy of others. Wait for the next life."

"Where do you want to go?" He held her waist tightly. "To find Jun Suiyu? His hopes are no different from mine, and he won't let you be so stubborn."

"Let go!" After struggling to break free several times, she shouted angrily.

"Don't even think about it." He just smiled, gentle yet unyielding.

"I can't control what happens in the next life, but don't even think about escaping me in this one."

Author's Note: I worked hard to write this long review for xiaweiweigogo... hehe.

Thank you to everyone who left comments and gave extra points for each chapter! I'm sending you all kisses and tears of gratitude!

Dilemma

The fingertip, concealing the sleeping pill, paused briefly at the tip of the nose.

The breathing beside him was steady and normal, his handsome features were clearly defined in the darkness, and his lightly closed eyes remained motionless. It was impossible for him to be sleeping so soundly; the medication might not even be effective, and would only give him an excuse to act recklessly. Thinking about the recent events, her ears burned, and she withdrew her hand.

She carefully moved off the bed, but he remained sound asleep, looking... unreal. She pursed her lips, casually threw on a coat, and forced herself to leave the room.

The night patrol was taken aback when they saw her. Knowing how disheveled she looked, she refused the offers of help and finally approached Jun Suiyu's study. The lights were on late at night, and a figure was seen hunched over a desk in the window.

"lightly?"

He came out to greet her before she even reached the door. Without asking any questions, he carried her into the study, found a silver mink cloak, put it on her coat, and wrung out a hot towel to wipe her cold hands.

"Why did you come like this? Shuangjing didn't even care." There was a hint of reproach between his gentle brows, and the blame wasn't just directed at Shuangjing. He glanced out the window.

"Let her go and rest." Her slightly chilled body warmed up, and she steadied her breathing. "I came here of my own accord."