Un corazón puro en una vasija de jade

Capítulo 136

Gradually, the sunlight almost set the entire bamboo house ablaze. Yongye pulled a thin blanket over herself to block the blinding sunlight, but her hands trembled, and she couldn't muster any strength. She struggled to turn over, her chest tight with unbearable discomfort, and she coughed up blood. She remembered the slap Uncle Ping had given her from behind, which she had mistakenly thought was harmless.

Yongye lay on the bed, listlessly thinking of Yuepo and Qiangwei. She opened her mouth and called out Feng Yangxi's name, the three words escaping her lips as lightly as a breath. With all her might, she swung the throwing knife in her palm, the blade striking the copper basin with a thud.

Just as she heard the sound, the door creaked open. The cool breeze of the July morning blew in, startling Feng Yangxi. She rushed forward to help Yongye up, only to see her smile before fainting again.

She was perfectly fine last night, how did she end up like this today? Feng Yangxi remembered that Yongye was injured on her shoulder. He carefully pulled open her collar and saw that the redness and swelling had subsided, leaving only a small bruise. He frowned, took her wrist pulse, and felt that her internal energy was disordered and her pulse was weak. He was greatly surprised.

He called Yongye's name several times without getting a response, so he didn't hesitate to reach out and unbutton her clothes. A wooden plaque slid out from around Yongye's neck, on which were written the three characters "Feng Yangxi" in a flamboyant style.

Feng Yangxi was stunned, clutching the wooden plaque, recalling the scene when Yongye had asked him to be her bodyguard. Her timid, innocent, and naive appearance pierced his unyielding heart like a knife, striking straight into the softest part of his soul. He was the one who hung the plaque back around her neck, saying she could use it to ask him to do something. She had always worn this plaque, wondering if it was for protection should he try to kill her one day? Or was it to use it to use him again? Yet she had always worn it, never taking it off.

"I don't care why you're wearing it..." He closed his eyes, a surge of joy rising in his chest, a feeling that made him want to go crazy. Feng Yangxi looked at Yongye, her fingers trembling slightly. Her lips moved slightly, revealing a smile, as if she felt that nothing was impossible.

He swiftly removed Yongye's clothes, even taking off the cloth binding his chest.

Yongye's chest was as soft as a dove's, and her skin was fair and tender, as it had never been exposed to the sun.

"Where is the injury?" Feng Yangxi murmured, seemingly oblivious to the beauty emanating from her body. He frowned and turned her over, revealing a red, swollen handprint on her back. His hand touched it and felt as hot as a branding iron.

Feng Yangxi knew that Yongye must have been injured by an internal martial arts master first, so he took a deep breath and used his internal energy to regulate her breathing. After a full half hour, he heard Yongye hum in relief, and then he breathed a sigh of relief. After tucking her clothes in, he glanced at the wooden plaque and gently put it back.

His fingers brushed over the faint handprints left on her face, and Feng Yangxi was filled with remorse. Why was he so harsh on her? He knew she hadn't meant to kill those people, he hadn't blamed her, so why was he still provoked by her?

Feng Yangxi sighed. Thinking of Yuepo, whom Yongye had so wholeheartedly protected, a hint of mockery appeared in his eyes, and he felt a complex mix of emotions.

First kiss

In the boundless darkness, the eternal night seemed to have returned to the River of Divergence. The icy water carried her up and down. She seemed to have drunk the river water, so bitter that she wanted to vomit, and every time she opened her mouth, another mouthful of bitter water came out.

Being a ghost is so hard! You have to be ostracized by other ghosts and put up with the wrath of the ghost messengers. Before her eyes, she seemed to see the blood-red spider lilies blooming in vast fields, like blood flowing down the road.

Suddenly, a sliver of moonlight appeared among the flowers, and Yue Po, covered in blood, lay in the flowerbed gazing at her.

His eyes were still so gentle, yet filled with boundless sorrow!

Yongye tried hard to swim ashore, but the river was too deep for him to swim, and he felt light and weak.

She screamed, and as she opened her mouth, mouthful after mouthful of bitter water poured in, all her voice drowned out by the river. She watched helplessly as Yuepo gazed at her, utterly powerless.

He cried out in the silent night, helplessly drank the river water that rushed into his mouth, and wept helplessly as he watched the moon grow ever more distant.

She floated on the river, seemingly sinking and floating, with no end in sight, no light, and no consciousness.

A pair of dry, warm hands brushed across her face, and she could feel the rough calluses on those hands.

"woke up?"

The sound came from the distant horizon. Yongye listened in a daze, unconsciously hummed in response, and then fell asleep again.

Yongye slept for three whole days. Logically, she should have slept another night before waking. Yongye's recovery was quite good, which was related to the strange and pure internal energy within her body. This internal energy was never revealed externally; no wonder he didn't know she knew martial arts at first.

Feng Yangxi stood by the bedside, watching her. While unconscious, she had called out Yuepo's name. Feng Yangxi recalled the person in the moon-white robe, with a serene and composed demeanor. Was Li Tianyou's desire to kill Yuepo also because she loved that person?

She and Yuepo grew up together as childhood sweethearts. She fled from Shengjing because of him; Yuepo was the only one in her heart.

He recalled watching her and Yuepo living in the simple courtyard from afar, and the undisguised smile on her face and her light footsteps when she returned. His mouth tasted bitter.

Sunlight streamed in, revealing Yongye's pale, weak face.

Feng Yangxi stared at her intently for a while, then turned and left the room.

When Yongye awoke, the sun was already setting. She blinked and realized her injuries were mostly healed. She thought of Feng Yangxi; had he used his internal energy to help clear her meridians? The wound on her arm had also healed.

Yongye glanced at herself, dressed only in her undergarments, a blue cloth robe, the cloth wrapped around her chest neatly folded and placed beside her pillow, and the only remaining throwing knife. Had he undressed her? Yongye quickly avoided the question.

She got out of bed and pushed open the door. A large lake shimmered with golden light, forcing her to squint. The crimson sunset was still several feet above the lake's surface. The sky was ablaze with color, and flocks of egrets flew by. "Sunset Lake!" she exclaimed.

"Feeling better?" Feng Yangxi came over carrying a bowl of medicine. "You're right, this lake is called Sunset Lake, and it's most beautiful at sunset."

"Thank you!" Yongye took the medicine, drank only one sip, and then spat it out. "It's so bitter!" She remembered the bitter river water in her dream; it turned out to be medicine.

Feng Yangxi was about to offer a word of advice, saying that good medicine tastes bitter, when she saw Yongye take a deep breath and drink the medicine down to the last drop. She licked her lips, a hint of bitterness still lingering on her tongue. Yongye laughed self-deprecatingly, "I wasn't prepared for the first sip. Good medicine tastes bitter, but I can't stay sick forever. An assassin has no right to complain."

Her words moved Feng Yangxi deeply. How much hardship and suffering must she have endured to utter such words? She must be terrified of death, hence her fearlessness in the face of hardship.

The setting sun shone on Yongye's face, making her face even more beautiful than the sunset itself.

The evening breeze ruffled her long hair, but her simple cloth robe did not diminish her beauty in the slightest.

Feng Yangxi realized he had been lost in thought and cursed himself as a troublemaker. He glanced at the neatly folded bodice on the bedside table and lied without batting an eye: "You've been asleep for three days. Chen Qiushui's Qiushui Manor isn't far from here, so I hired a maid to come and take care of you."

Yongye smiled with relief. Suddenly remembering Feng Yangxi saying she had slept for three days, she couldn't help but ask anxiously, "I slept for three days?"

"Um."

She thought of the moon and the rose, and was eager to leave.

"The place is deserted. They're not that stupid."

Yongye felt a sharp pain in his chest and staggered back a step.

Feng Yangxi frowned and helped her up: "Your injury hasn't healed yet, you'll need to rest for a few more days."

Rose's image flashed into her heart, and in the blink of an eye, she was gone again, along with Moon Soul. A surge of intense regret and self-reproach welled up in Yongye's heart, a fierce anger rising in her chest. She murmured, "If I had stayed quietly at the An family and secretly sent you a message, would I have been able to save them? That Uncle Ping is very skilled in martial arts; I'm afraid if I go back, I won't be able to get out..." Overwhelmed by anger and anxiety, Yongye spat out another mouthful of blood.

Feng Yangxi was startled. Seeing her bloodshot eyes and glazed gaze, he flipped his hand and knocked Yongye unconscious. He sighed. The Uncle Ping Yongye spoke of truly wanted her dead. Had he guessed wrong?

He picked up Yongye and carried her into the room, sitting quietly by the bedside to keep her company.