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

Capítulo 190

My heavy mood lightened at his angry rebuke. I stared at Qin Wu, feeling that he had grown up quite a bit. The boy from back then now had a stubble of stubble on his chin, but his eyes remained as clear and pure as ever.

Of the seven stars, only he has steadfastly retained this naivety, remaining true to himself despite experiencing the vicissitudes of life.

I couldn't help but laugh, leaning back in my chair and looking at him, saying, "Whether I can replace him or not is not up to you to decide. Why don't you tell me that person's name? If he is really far superior to me, I will have no face to compete, and I might just leave without a trace."

Qin Wu was stunned, clearly not expecting me to say such a thing. He stammered for a long time, repeating, "He is... he is..." until his face turned bright red, but he still couldn't say anything.

I held it in for a long time before finally bursting into laughter. I knew, of course, that Qin Wu couldn't bring herself to say it; they had always assumed Lin Yu was a man. Even in modern times, same-sex relationships are frowned upon, let alone in ancient times with its conservative social customs.

I laughed for a while, but then I realized the atmosphere was strange and eerie, as if even the air itself was under a curfew, forbidden to make a sound. I looked up and saw Qin Wu kneeling on the ground, her eyes lowered, kneeling respectfully.

The man he was kneeling before casually removed his black cloak and slowly walked towards me. His bright, translucent silver hair was stirred by the wind, reflecting a shimmering light into his dark purple eyes, which held a serene tranquility and an ethereal, otherworldly beauty.

He wrapped the cloak around me and looked down at me, saying, "Why are you dressed so lightly?"

I couldn't help but laugh when I saw the cloak that was almost halfway down the ground. I tugged at his sleeve and said, "Aren't you going to let Qin Wu get up?"

Yi Han snorted and then said coldly, "Get up."

Qin Wu stood up respectfully, still keeping his head down, making his expression completely unreadable. However, his fists, hanging at his sides, were clenched tightly. After a long while, he slowly loosened them, bowing his head and saying, "This subordinate takes his leave."

I watched Qin Wu leave, her back ramrod straight, yet a sense of loneliness and desolation lingered in her eyes. I suddenly turned around, grabbed Yi Han by the collar, and roared, "Hey! How could you bully my person like this?"

Even when I grabbed him by the collar and berated him, Yi Han maintained a cold and indifferent expression. But when he heard "my people," his pupils suddenly contracted, and he grabbed me tightly, saying coldly, "Tell me, who are your people?"

"Uh..." I was taken aback, somewhat intimidated by Yi Han's anger. I shrank back, thinking to myself: a wise man doesn't fight a losing battle, so I answered obsequiously, "You! Only you are mine!"

Yi Han then snorted and released me, ordering someone to bring up lunch, knowing that I was used to eating three meals a day.

But I had no appetite for the dishes on the table. Yihan brought the laid-out dishes to me, but I only felt nauseous. I could only plead with a bitter face, "I'm really full. If I eat any more, my stomach will break."

Yi Han looked at me with concern, reached out and gently stroked my cheek, murmuring as if to herself: "Your body is too weak. I don't want to see you work so hard and ruin your health like before. I can grant you any wish."

I was touched. I took his hand and said softly, "Yihan, do you want this world? If you want it, I can give it to you."

Yi Han frowned, his face icy: "Even ten worlds couldn't compare to one you!"

"I know." A faint sadness welled up inside me. I reached out and stroked his sharply defined face, his touch revealing unwavering resolve. "Yihan, I want to end this chaotic world, and I have the ability to end it. The world may be the most coveted thing for most people, but for me, it's not worth a single genuine smile from you, Yihan. However..."

I lowered my hand and slowly turned to look outside the hall. Though only shadows flickered in and out, I felt as if I could see the vast land again. I smiled faintly, my voice peaceful and distant: "Yan Yihan, I am ultimately not a woman raised in a secluded chamber. For too many years I have lived as Lin Yu, experiencing and long since unable to relinquish his responsibilities and ambitions. The world may not be what I desire, but the moving process of conquering the world and creating a peaceful nation for the people has always silently drawn me in."

I took his hand and intertwined our fingers, my eyes welling up with tears. I turned my head away, holding them back for a long time. Gazing into Yi Han's turbulent purple eyes, I said, word by word, "The Golden Wasteland is cold, the Fire is scorching, the Wind is merciless, the mortal world is treacherous, and war rages across the land; the common people suffer, wives and children are scattered, parents are filled with hatred, the divine child is silent, and the chaos of this world will never end. You're the one who had these words spread, aren't you? Yi Han, can you tell me honestly why you deliberately treated Qin Wu and the others coldly? Why did you allow the world to spread your reputation for cruelty and bloodthirstiness?"

Yi Han shuddered, but didn't say anything, just stared at me quietly.

I wrinkled my nose slightly, my voice choked with emotion and nasal: "Because you want them to always remember me, to think that only you, young master, are truly good to them, and you don't want to take my place in everyone's hearts, is that right?"

I quickly wiped away my tears, sniffed, and then smiled, "Lin Jialan isn't as strong as Lin Yu. She cries so easily; it's really unsightly." I looked up and saw Yi Han looking at me with infinite tenderness and pity. I choked out, "Yi Han, actually, only you and Zi Mo truly understand me in this world. I have no ambition, no ruthless ambition for instant success, but I am definitely not someone who is content with mediocrity. Even if there is a day when I retire to the mountains, it will be after my life has blossomed brilliantly. That's why Zi Mo devised the final plan to attack Feng Yin for me, and you were willing to ascend the cold throne to pave the way for me to unify the world."

"Yihan, thank you." I lowered my head and kissed his rough palm. "Thank you for understanding me so well, thank you for everything you've done for me, and thank you even more for always tolerating and loving such a selfish person like me..."

Yi Han grabbed my wrist, pulled me into his arms, and kissed me deeply. He looked up, his breath softly brushing against my face: "Lin Yu, I always thought I could give unconditionally, never asking for anything in return. But I was wrong..."

He lowered his head and kissed my eyelashes, nose, and lips again and again, his voice low and husky: "It's not that I don't ask for anything in return, but that what I crave is more than anyone else's, more extravagant than anyone else's. Lin Yu, I want your love for a lifetime, your affection for eternity, and a unique place in your heart. Will you... give it to me?"

"Do I even need to ask?!" I reached out and hooked my arms around his neck, propped myself up and kissed his lips fiercely until his breath was hot and he couldn't control himself. Then I suddenly let go of him, smiled gently, and made a heartfelt vow: "In life and in death, we are bound by our promise; I will hold your hand and grow old with you."

Yi Han's eyes shimmered with tenderness and affection. Suddenly, she reached out and hugged me tightly, whether out of excitement or to prevent me from seeing the glistening tears in her purple eyes, I couldn't tell.

At that moment, in that situation, even though I was in the deep palace, I only felt the warmth of the smoke and the tranquility of time.

On the sixth day in ancient times, it was drizzling. Alone in my room, I quietly removed the gauze from my neck and was delighted to find that the pinch marks had finally faded. Yihan had asked me about the white cloth on my neck, and I simply told him I'd slept with a stiff neck, and this was a modern treatment that worked very well. He couldn't tell if it was true or not, so he didn't press me further. Thank goodness!

I don't know if it's because I'm too tired from traveling back and forth, but I haven't been feeling well lately. I'm sleepy and have no appetite. I threw away the gauze and dozed off on the couch. Suddenly, I heard a very familiar female voice burst into the room with anger. As soon as she stepped into the hall, she roared, "Feng Yihan, get out here!"

I jolted awake, all sleepiness gone, and jumped out of bed with wild joy, running outside. There I saw a beautiful woman in a pink gauze dress, looking around angrily, until her gaze landed on me, and the flames of anger turned into a raging inferno.

"You actually dared to keep a mistress in a gilded cage!" The woman in pink was so angry her voice trembled. "Feng Yihan, you just wait!"

Ignoring the hatred in her eyes and the anger on her face, I shouted, "Yunyan..." and rushed over to hug her neck. While she was stunned and unable to react, I took the opportunity to cup her soft, fragrant, and oily face and kiss her.

Even though I was teasing her, my eyes welled up with tears, and I choked out, "Yunyan, I miss you so much."

Yunyan stared at me blankly, as if her soul had been taken away, letting me tease her.

"It can't be true, can it?" she murmured, her lips trembling. Then her whole body trembled, like the last leaf on a withered tree, swaying in the wind, so fragile and lonely that it could be blown away at any moment.

I laughed, hugged her tightly, and said in a choked voice, "It's true. Yunyan, even if you don't believe Yihan, you should believe in yourself. I promised you, 'Let's go to the ends of the earth hand in hand, and return to our nests together when weary birds are in flight.' Do you think I would easily forget that and leave you behind?"

Yunyan was still trembling, and then low, cat-like whimpers began to escape. She slammed her fist into my arm, and said bitterly, "You idiot! You faithless bastard! We clearly agreed that we wouldn't sacrifice ourselves for each other, so why did you stand in front of me? Do you think I'd be happy to save me? Do you think I'd thank you...?"

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" I hugged her tightly, feeling a cold, damp patch on my shoulder. I didn't even need to look to know that she was already in tears. "Yunyan! I will never do it again! I will never put myself in danger again and make you worry. Yunyan, I know how sad and heartbroken you are. But now, it's all over."

I pulled her away, letting her look at me through her teary eyes: "Look, aren't I perfectly fine now? Even though I have a different body and a different face, I'm still alive and healthy."

Yunyan wiped away her tears, a bright and joyful smile spreading across her noticeably thinner face. Her gaze remained as beautiful as the rising sun, captivating all who looked upon her. Yes! This was the Yunyan I knew—the radiant, elegant, and beautiful woman, Chu Yunyan.

Her voice was still a little hoarse, but no longer sorrowful: "Yihan said you would come back, but I didn't believe it. Back then..." She paused, with lingering fear of despair in her eyes, "Back then, you had stopped breathing, your heart had stopped, and your body was getting colder and colder. But Yihan refused to bury you. He said you had just gone to another world and would definitely come back."

"At the time, no one believed him, thinking he had gone mad from excessive grief. Actually, you can't blame them, because Yihan was truly as crazy and terrifying as a god or demon back then. But I believed his words, and believed that you were not dead."

“I remember when we were little, you would often say things like ‘My world is like this and that.’ We used to think it was just your crazy talk, but when we thought of it during our most desperate times, it became our only lifeline.”

"So, I used the 'Face-Preserving Pearl' to preserve your... body, and then stored it in an ice coffin. No matter what those who truly knew the truth said, Yihan and I always believed that you would come back. But we never expected that you would appear before us in this way."

Thinking of the pain they endured back then, I felt a pang of sadness, yet also a sense of relief that we had finally come together again. I smiled and said, "This is what I truly look like—very ordinary, very average, isn't it!"

Yunyan nodded without hesitation, and then solemnly said, "Only the eyes are equally beautiful."