La vida de la gente del campo en la ciudad durante la dinastía Song

Capítulo 161

Yu Fei dared not linger and quickly turned and rushed out of the room. Just as Xu Lie regained his footing, Yu Fei's figure disappeared through the door. Xu Lie gave a cold smile, then sighed inwardly. From any perspective, Han Zimo was a worthy opponent, yet he was about to imprison him using far less-than-honorable methods.

Sure enough, a loud bang came from outside the door, followed by a muffled groan from Yufei. Xu Lie walked step by step to the door, stood in the middle of the doorway, and looked at Yufei lying on the ground with a blank expression.

Yufei raised the gun, but found his hand went limp halfway up. He looked at the wound on his leg in disbelief—no blood, no pain. He sneered, his voice weak: "A tranquilizer gun?"

Xu Lie nodded: "I don't want to hurt you, but I won't let you take Galan away."

Yu Fei gradually collapsed to the ground, his brown eyes darkening as if brewing a storm, while a strange, wicked smile appeared on his pale face: "Xu Lie, you'd better not hurt her, otherwise, you will be the one who suffers the most in the future."

He coughed, his voice growing weaker and weaker: "What's yours is yours, and what's not yours, you can never hold onto..."

Even seven days later, Yufei's words still resonate clearly in Xu Lie's ears, waking him up from his dreams every time he sleeps. The emptiness and desolation of losing Galan is all around him, and the pain is unbearable.

This pain and fear accumulated day and night, finally erupting completely today when he discovered that Garan was packing his bags to leave. A kind of anger at being used and pain at being betrayed pierced his heart like a steel needle, carrying a strange poison, stabbing him until he bled profusely and driving him mad. Madness stemming from fear, longing, and jealousy.

So, Xu Lie spent a day planning. Xu Lie knew that his parents would be attending a banquet that night and wouldn't be back until at least 10 p.m. He made a phone call to them, telling them that he and Jialan were both very tired today and would go to bed early, and not to wake them until 7 a.m. the next morning.

Xu Lie called Galan's parents again, telling them in a very sad tone that Galan had decided to leave the next day and asked them to come pick her up the next morning.

Xu Lie had prepared everything and began calculating the time of Galan's return. He drank alone, and it was strong vodka. As he drank, he repeatedly told himself: he would break Galan's wings, cut off all her escape routes, and leave her isolated and helpless, with no choice but to stay by his side. He wanted Galan to depend on him, love him, and even be able to only turn to him for help.

Xu Lie knew very well that Galan, who had lost her memory, was not as decisive and clear-headed as she had been in Switzerland. Every moment, she was hesitant, confused, and fearful, so she absolutely could not survive alone amidst the misunderstanding of her family and friends.

Xu Lie secretly vowed to himself that he would make up for the pain that Jialan had endured today with double the love and tenderness in the future, so that she could stay by his side forever in happiness and innocence.

Yufei always said that Feng Yihan loved more deeply and more passionately than he did, that he could even stay by Jialan's side without complaint or regret, asking for nothing in return. But Xu Lie never agreed. Love means possession, it means jealousy, how could one not ask for anything in return? His lack of desire only shows that he hasn't experienced the process of gaining and losing, and then gaining again, like he has. Once he tastes such torment, once he regains the person he loved with his life, would someone as selfless as him also love madly?

Thinking about all this, Xu Lie felt even more afraid. He absolutely could not let Jialan remember him, and he absolutely could not let Jialan leave his side.

I could faintly hear the sound of cars speeding by outside the window. The clock upstairs, which had been ticking away, struck nine times. In another hour, Mom and Dad would be back.

Xu Lie thought for a moment, then helped Jialan up. Drunk, she swayed unsteadily, finally collapsing into his arms. Her hot, humid breath seeped through her thin shirt and onto his abdomen, making his already burning body feel like it was on fire.

Xu Lie, panting heavily, bent down and scooped her up in his arms, heading upstairs without hesitation. Galan's slender body was almost entirely enveloped in his embrace, like a tender infant, yet her red, moist lips, rosy cheeks, and slightly heaving chest resembled a deadly, alluring poppy.

As if sensing the burning heat of his body, Galan began to struggle restlessly, her murmured voice breaking into fragmented sounds, a low, soft, moan-like tone that was nothing short of the strongest aphrodisiac.

Xu Lie quickened his pace, pushed open the door, and stepped inside. The familiar furnishings and atmosphere greeted him. He was momentarily stunned. This place held his and Jialan's purest and most beautiful memories. This place recorded Jialan's simplest attachment and love for him. This place held countless laughs and their earnest hopes for the future.

But today, in this very room, he intends to plot against his beloved wife, cutting off her escape route.

“Who…” Garan murmured urgently in his arms, “Who are you? Don’t… don’t go…”

In the blink of an eye, in the instant of a change of heart, Xu Lie couldn't tell whether his body was on fire or doused with ice water. His face was contorted in agony, a mixture of longing and pity, jealousy and guilt, causing every vein in his body to throb with pain. His voice was hoarse with agony, yet filled with a frantic obsession: "Galan, I know this is despicable, but I have no choice. I'm afraid it will be too late. Once you remember him, I'll truly lose you..."

After saying that, he suddenly lowered his head and captured Galan's soft lips, his tongue probing inside, frantically plundering and sucking. Galan's face slowly turned crimson, her body burning hot, whether from the alcohol or the friction, she frowned, shaking her small head trying to avoid the kiss. But Xu Lie wouldn't let her back down, his kiss deepening until Galan was laid down on the soft bed.

Xu Lie listened to his own heavy breathing, looked at the pale, translucent collarbone peeking out from under the collar of the garment, and gave a hopeful, self-deprecating, sad, and longing smile before leaning in and pressing down on her...

Some say loneliness isn't innate, but begins the moment you fall in love with someone. From the moment he lost Jialan, Xu Lie tasted loneliness every single moment. That taste wasn't bitter, nor astringent, but a heart-wrenching, excruciating pain. When Xu Lie found Jialan and held her tightly in his arms, he finally realized he could no longer bear such suffering. Therefore, he was determined to keep Jialan by his side, forever and ever, never to be separated.

But Xu Lie forgot that line of poetry, that line everyone could recite: "Heaven and earth may pass away, but this sorrow will last forever."

The extra volume, "Eternity Has Its End," is now complete.

Volume Four, Part Two: The Fragrance Lingers on the Sleeves When the Weary Birds Return

Chapter 29 Disorder (Part 1)

Silence, a deathly stillness, yet time flowed by slowly like water.

On the vast land, dust swirled, smoke billowed, thousands of troops galloped past, weapons clashed, horses neighed, men roared, and war drums beat. But why was there still no sound...?

Suddenly something was lifted by the wind; before I could see it clearly, before I could discern its nature, my eyes were already blinded by that silvery white. Pure and translucent white, clear and crystalline white, yet why did it shimmer with a sorrowful luster? I couldn't help but want to shed tears.

The silvery white light glided away like lightning, disappearing from my sight, and a pair of eyes suddenly met mine…

When I woke up, I had a headache, and I knew it was from a hangover. I'm not a big drinker, but I still overestimated myself and had two drinks. Not those yellow, malty beers, but two glasses of clear liquid.

The bottle was covered in scribbles I couldn't recognize at all, but it must be a good bottle nonetheless. After all, a bottle that Xu Lie was holding and drinking must be something special.

I reached out to rub my temples, which felt like they were being pricked and burned, but suddenly felt a chill.

In fact, it's normal to feel cold in the early morning, even though it's only the beginning of September. But the chill at this moment is quite different from usual, and my mind is sluggish from drinking, so I can't quite put my finger on what's different.

When I got home last night, Xu Lie was drinking. It was such strong liquor that I would get completely drunk after just two glasses, but he had already drunk more than half a bottle when I walked in.

Xu Lie's alcohol tolerance was indeed excellent. After drinking so much, he only had slightly flushed cheeks and a slightly glazed look in his eyes. His originally strong and handsome features now exuded a touch of allure. Just like... I looked up at the window, and the clear moonlight was gently covered by dark clouds. Yes! Just like the hazy moon, beautiful and enchanting, yet with a touch of coldness, exceptionally alluring.

Although I was worried that drinking too much would harm his health, Xu Lie is mostly a calm and self-controlled person, and I've only had the privilege of witnessing his fiery temper on several occasions. So, it's understandable that he might occasionally feel like getting drunk when he's in a bad mood.

So I tiptoed past the kitchen and upstairs. Now we're no longer bound by that contract; I'm just a tenant here, so I can't be as arrogant as before.

But Xu Lie, who was clearly drunk and bleary-eyed, spotted me immediately and beckoned me over. Of course, I wasn't going to pay him any attention and ran away as fast as I could. Everyone knows you can't get close to a drunk person. Not only might they suddenly lose their temper, but the smell of alcohol on them is something I avoid like the plague.

However, I forgot one fact. Not only should you not get close to a drunk person, but you also shouldn't provoke them. Xu Lie was clearly enraged by me; he crashed over two chairs and rushed over, pinning me down and kissing me frantically, completely ignoring my protests. He devoured my lips like a wild beast, the pain so intense it made my back stiffen.

I slapped him hard, showing no mercy whatsoever.

His expression was like a bucket of cold water had been poured over his head, whether he'd sobered up or not was unknown, but he was definitely stunned. He stared at me blankly, half his face slowly swelling up, like a puffed-out cheek, the fierceness gradually fading, replaced by a hint of grievance.

"Fan Yingying is in prison, and Shao Jun is ruined. Are you going to move out as soon as your revenge is over?" He frowned fiercely, but his misty eyes and swollen face made him look like a sulking child. "Is my only value to you being able to avenge you? To be used and then discarded?"

I paused for a moment, then laughed angrily, "Xu Lie, I can pretend you were drunk and talking nonsense tonight. But if it happens again, we won't even be friends anymore!" With that, I turned and left.

Xu Lie shouted "Galan!" and frantically hugged me from behind, his voice hoarse: "Galan! Don't go! Don't go! I know you don't need my help at all, right now... you fucking don't need my help at all!"

I turned to look at him. Xu Lie, when drunk, didn't usually burp, but he would occasionally wrinkle his nose. He looked disheveled, yet somewhat pitiful, with his nose wrinkled. "I know Yufei is incredibly capable now. From teaching you to feign weakness to trick Fan Yingying into giving a confession, to teaming up with Xiaodong to send that woman from heaven to hell, it was all his doing. Even just playing the stock market, he went from a nobody with zero assets to a millionaire in just six months."