Lave

Chapitre 73

Upon hearing this, Ning Lang felt as if he had been granted a pardon and hurriedly got up and left.

Behind him, Song Gen and Xie Mo shook their heads as they watched him hurry along.

“Judging from worldly standards, Junior Brother should be a good husband,” Song Gen said.

"It's a pity that the Seventh Young Master Lan is a 'Jade Demon,' and demons have different perspectives than mortals," Xie Mo said, tapping the empty bowl.

Song Gen flicked a grain of rice that had fallen onto his Taoist robe and said, "Fortunately, you and I have both become monks, so we don't need to worry about these things."

"Yes." Xie Mo nodded, somewhat relieved. "Most of the troubles of ordinary people come from marriage."

Ning Lang went straight to the small building where Lan Qi lived after leaving the house. He arrived at the building in a short while and ran into Lan Tong and Lan Long who were coming out.

"Young Master Ning," Lan Tong and Lan Long greeted him politely.

Ning Lang returned the greeting with clasped hands and asked, "Is Seventh Young Master here?"

"Upstairs." Lan Long's eyes held a slight smile. "Lan Tong and I have some matters to attend to, so would you please come up by yourself, young hero?"

Ning Lang nodded hurriedly, "Okay, thank you both."

Lan Long and Lan Tong invited Ning Lang inside before stepping out. After walking several feet, Lan Long whispered, "This young hero Ning should be the kind of person Seventh Young Master dislikes the most, but I don't understand why Seventh Young Master treats him differently."

Lan Tong said, "Isn't she engaged to Seventh Young Master? Of course, it's different."

Lan Long scoffed at this, saying, "Does our Seventh Young Master even care about these agreements or laws?"

Lan Tong recalled Ning Lang's clean and innocent eyes and said, "At this moment, in terms of character, only this young hero Ning can be considered worthy of the entire valley. Even in the whole martial arts world, there are not many like him. If Seventh Young Master really marries him, it wouldn't be a bad thing."

"Marriage?" Lan Long thought for a moment before saying, "That would be too pitiful. In a place like the Lan family, this young hero Ning would be reduced to ashes."

“That’s true.” Lan Tong nodded. “However, if Seventh Young Master is willing to protect him, then things will naturally be fine.”

"Protect him?" Lan Long rolled her eyes at him. "How many people are there in the Lan family? Has Seventh Young Master ever protected anyone?"

Lan Tong shook his head. Looking back at the small building, he suddenly remembered what the Seventh Young Master, who was still a teenager, had said to him a long time ago.

“Those who cannot survive on their own should not exist,” Lan Long murmured. “Seventh Young Master said that a long time ago.”

Lan Tong was silent for a moment before saying, "Let's go quickly, these are not things we should be thinking about."

"Mm," Lan Long replied.

The two flew through the air and quickly disappeared into the valley.

Ning Lang climbed to the second floor. A curtain blocked the way at the top of the stairs. He gently lifted the curtain, and a wave of heat rushed out, instantly warming his body. Looking inside, he saw a room of moderate size. To the right was a cloth screen painted with flowers and trees, behind which a gauze curtain was vaguely visible, presumably containing a bed. In front, near the window, was a table and a chair. On the table were writing brushes, ink, paper, and an inkstone, and on the chair was a cushion. To the left was a couch, and Lan Qi was lying on it with her eyes closed, covered with a brocade quilt, seemingly asleep. In front of the couch was a charcoal fire, with a teapot simmering on it.

Seeing this, Ning Lang was caught in a dilemma, unsure whether to go in or leave, and stood frozen at the doorway. A gust of cold wind blew in from the stairwell, making him shiver. Afraid of catching Lan Bian's chill, he lowered the curtain, and as it fell behind him, he entered.

After standing at the door for a moment, he finally tiptoed over and stopped a few steps in front of the bed.

The person on the tatami mat seemed to be fast asleep, so at this moment one could boldly and without restraint look at them.

The windows were closed, the curtains hung low, and the winter sun lazily shone through the paper windows, casting a warm, soft light inside the room. The person on the bed was completely covered by the blankets, with only their face visible. Ning Lang quietly gazed at that face. Perhaps because those emerald eyes were closed, the demonic aura emanating from them vanished, leaving only a serene sleeping expression.

Deep within Qianbi Mountain, there are several pear trees. Every spring when the flowers bloom, the brothers like to practice swordsmanship under the trees. The wind from the swords stirs up the blossoms, which flutter down like falling snow. The eldest brother once said something that his fellow brothers laughed at as being too sentimental: "Untouched by dust, cold and beautiful as snow."

In his heart, this sleeping face was like a pear blossom, cold and beautiful as snow, untouched by any dust.

From the moment he first saw her in women's clothing on the ship that day, he considered her his wife.

There was a small stool next to the brazier. Ning Lang quietly sat down, his gaze fixed on that face.

Her face, as delicate as a pear blossom, had her eyes gently closed, and her thick eyelashes curved into two shallow, dark crescent moons in the snow, making him want to reach out and touch them to see if they were as soft as he imagined, but he only thought about it.

With her arms draped over her knees and her head resting on them, she stared intently at the flower, gradually becoming mesmerized.

Many people say that this face is so beautiful it's almost otherworldly.

Many people say that this person is as terrifying as a demon.

My senior once said that staying away is the best course of action.

However, he didn't find it scary, nor did he want to stay away from it.

This face is undoubtedly beautiful, unmatched by anyone else in the world, but... that's not why he doesn't want to stay away. He just... just wants to get closer, just doesn't want to leave, that's all.

The room was quiet, with only the soft sound of breathing. The heat from the charcoal fire filled the entire room, creating a warm and peaceful atmosphere.

All the evasion, embarrassment, and anxiety he had shown in front of her before had vanished without a trace. At this moment, his mind was calm and peaceful.

If only things could stay this way forever.

In a warm and quiet little house, she slept peacefully, and he watched her quietly.

She wouldn't have that eerie smile, nor that icy gaze.

That way, she won't get tired, and he won't feel heartbroken.

Quiet —

But this

Time seemed to stand still inside the house, while time outside quietly slipped away.

Ning Lang sat quietly, staring intently, motionless, not tired, just watching...

In the blink of an eye, a thousand years have passed.

It seemed as if it had been this way since birth, yet it also seemed as if it were only a fleeting moment, and his eyes met a pair of clear, emerald-green eyes.

After a while, he realized that Lan Qi had woken up.

Instantly, ripples spread across the still lake.

Actually, Lan Qi woke up the moment Ning Lang stepped onto the stairs. She knew he was standing at the door, she knew he had quietly come in. She was waiting to see what this silly boy was going to do, but after waiting for a long time without any action, she drifted off to sleep again.

I don't know how long I slept, but it was peaceful and fulfilling, something I hadn't felt in many years.

This is the first time in so many years that I've been completely unprepared when there are people around me.

When I woke up again, I was met with a pair of eyes, clear and bright, with something in them that was so clear, so deep and warm.

She was in a daze for a moment, but then suddenly felt a chill.

She had already given up on those things.

"Are you... thirsty?" Ning Lang asked blankly after a long pause.

Lan Qi raised an eyebrow and looked at him.

"Let me pour you some water." Ning Lang took the teacup and poured a cup of water from the teapot warming on the brazier before handing it to her without waiting for her reply.

Lan Qi sat up and reached out to take it.

The moment their fingertips touched, Ning Lang almost dropped the cup, but the next moment he saw the scar on Lan Qi's hand and exclaimed, "You're injured!" His voice was urgent and loud.

"Hmm." Lan Qi placed the teacup in her left hand, raised her right hand to look at it, and found the scar quite ugly. She frowned, and then thought of Ming Er's words from that day, so her brows furrowed even more.

"Does it still hurt?" Ning Lang frowned as he saw her frown. The scars were on both the palms and backs of her hands. Just one glance was enough to tell that they had pierced through the entire palm. The skin and flesh were twisted and looked particularly hideous. He couldn't help but feel a tightness in his heart, making him feel uncomfortable and unable to breathe.

Lan Qi downed her tea in one gulp, glanced at Ning Lang, and saw his expression in return. A fleeting moment of emotion touched her, but…

"It's ready already," I replied simply.

"Oh." Ning Lang scratched his head, unsure of what to say next.

Lan Qi toyed with the teacup in her hand, her deep blue eyes fixed on Ning Lang. She watched as his handsome face grew increasingly flustered under her gaze, his eyes darting left and right, his face slowly turning red. He glanced back at her, their eyes meeting briefly before he looked away again. His hands clasped tightly together, then clenched into fists...

"Pfft!" I couldn't help but laugh out loud.

Ning Lang's face turned even redder.

"Ning Lang, Ning Lang, how could you be so interesting?" He tapped his finger on her red forehead and sighed softly.

Ning Lang touched his forehead and stammered, "I...I wanted to come see you, um, see you...um, that...um..."

"Hehe..." Lan Qi chuckled as she looked at his nervous expression, but a strange heaviness rose in her heart.

Ning Lang, will your pure kindness remain unchanged throughout your life? But even if it remains unchanged, what then?

Lan Canyin... no longer needs those things.

"Um... you must have used up your internal energy healing me, so I wanted to check if you were alright. Um... if you're alright, then... then I'll be going." Ning Lang finally finished speaking, clenching his fists, and got up to leave.

Lan Qi called out from behind him, "Ning Lang, how about you come out for a stroll with me?"

“Okay!” Ning Lang immediately agreed, his tiger eyes shining with joy.

"If this makes me happy, I'll tell you a story." Lan Qi stood up.

"Mm." Ning Lang nodded.

The two stepped out of the room, and the curtains fell behind them, shutting out the warmth and tranquility of the room.

Little did they know that those afternoon moments in that small building would be etched in their memories for a lifetime.

Stepping out of the small building, a cold wind blew in, dispelling all the warmth I had brought from inside.

Lan Qi raised her head and squinted at the sky. The winter wind was always so cold, but it was this cold wind that withered all the trees and ruined all the flowers that reminded people of the cruelty of the world.

29. Oaths Should Not Be Taken Lightly (Part 2)

Ning Lang followed Lan Qi, walking slowly along the hillside. Finally, they reached the west side of the hillside, where it was sheltered from the wind and the winter sun shone down, making people feel warm and lazy.

Lan Qi stopped and sat down on the thick, dry grass, saying, "Let's bask in the sun here."

"Mm." Ning Lang sat down next to her.

Lan Qi plucked a blade of grass and tied it around her finger, squinted at the sky above, and said, "This weather is perfect for telling stories."

"Mm," Ning Lang replied again.

Lan Qi played with the withered grass between her fingers. "A long time ago, I also listened to people tell stories under this kind of sun. I was too young to understand then, but now, looking back, I feel that no matter what kind of story it is, even the darkest one won't frighten me when I hear it under this kind of sun."

"Mm," Ning Lang replied again.

Lan Qi turned her head to look at him, her green eyes slightly shimmering, a hint of a smile on her face, yet her expression was deep and unfathomable.