Quand je reviendrai avec toi

Chapitre 55

"This is my...final advice to you."

"Then you'll have to leave." After a long silence, he rested his hands on the dressing table, effectively trapping her in his arms. "After arranging things for others, how will you plan for yourself?"

She closed her eyes briefly, her lips moving slightly.

"Don't tell me it has nothing to do with me!" He interrupted her before she could finish speaking, his anger on the verge of exploding. "Since you've taken such good care of others, you should at least give a fair assessment of yourself."

"You have no right to interfere in my affairs."

"Just because you were once my master, does that give you the right to disregard my wishes and make decisions arbitrarily, forcing a life I don't want onto me?" The cold rejection only fueled my anger. "You said that once we leave Tianshan, there will be no more distinction between superior and inferior."

"You don't want it?" She was also getting agitated. "What you've been longing for day and night in Tianshan is to return to Jiangnan and regain the status and position you deserve. Now that it's all come true, what else is there to be dissatisfied about?"

"Do you really know what I want?" He grasped her delicate chin, gazing into her clear, bright eyes. "Perhaps more than you think."

“That’s beyond what I can give.” Her long eyelashes trembled, her voice as firm as metal, without any hesitation.

"But all I want is for you to give me." He gritted his teeth, his love and resentment swirling within him, on the verge of losing control. "Why you of all people? Why is it no one else but you? Why do you want nothing but to leave?"

"Don't say you've forgotten everything, I can't do it. If possible, I'd like to go back seven years, as if I'd never met you. Jiuwei said you have no heart, that you're ruthless to yourself and others, leaving no room for compromise. I truly admire you. How do you do that?"

A blush gradually rose on her snow-white face. She bit her lip tightly and didn't say a word.

"It's only natural for me to be good to you, and you don't care if I'm not. No matter what I do, it's all in vain in your eyes. What do you want from me? Why do you let me kiss you? Why do you keep pushing me away..." Long, slender fingers traced her brows and eyelashes, unable to fathom the complex and hidden depths of her heart.

Jia Ye took a deep breath and forced herself to speak. "Those... were just my momentary impulses..."

He didn't say more than a few words before pressing his head tightly to his chest, half in despair and half in sorrow.

"Stop talking, I know... you'll never tell the truth."

The person in my arms seemed colder than usual.

Her delicate body, like ice that never melts, gradually froze her young and passionate heart.

"Where are we going?"

The carriage traveled along a wide stone-paved road, weaving through the bustling city; the street scene was quite unfamiliar. After observing for a while, she lowered the curtain and asked the person opposite her directly.

His handsome face was expressionless, and his tone was a bit cold, but he still answered her promptly.

“Didn’t you say you wanted to look something up? I know a place with a lot of medical books.”

"where."

"You'll know when you get there." Avoiding her question, he turned his head to look out the window.

She remained silent for a moment, then fell silent again, leaving only the monotonous clatter of carriages inside.

His once-proud brows furrowed slightly, his eyes darkened, the effects of his earlier emotions still lingering. His lips were sharply defined and stubborn; the handsome man fell silent, lost in thought, a sense of apology arising inexplicably.

Looking closely at my palm, it's covered with messy, fragmented marks, making it almost impossible to find a short, weak life line. Years of wielding a sword have deepened the surrounding lines, while the life line has become even shallower. I've vaguely read some physiognomy books, which mostly indicate an early death, but counting my age, I don't need to worry.

Sensing the gaze from the other side, she nonchalantly withdrew her hand.

Her fingertips touched the short sword tucked in her sleeve, its cold, hard texture familiar and comforting. Years of companionship had brought her nothing more peace than her ever-present sword, her only unwavering, life-or-death partner… She gently stroked it, hoping this would restore her usual resolve and sever any unfounded weakness.

The car stopped next to a long, low wall, which looked like the side gate of a mansion.

The man knocked a few times in front of the ebony gate, and the tightly closed gate suddenly opened. He then generously led her inside.

The courtyard, with its heavy, closed gates, winds its way through several moon gates to reveal a shimmering expanse of water. Exquisite rocks line the water's edge, and winding corridors meander like ribbons, while latticed windows let glimpses of verdant bamboo and branches. Shady trees carpet the ground, vines creep along the water's banks, and ancient trees stand tall, cleverly connecting the water, rocks, and landscape into a unified whole—elegant yet rustic, set against a backdrop of white walls and black tiles stretching endlessly, conveying a sense of profound depth.

As they passed through layer after layer of garden gates and corridors, the scenery changed with every step, each place offering a different view, natural and elegant. He knew the complex paths like the back of his hand, while she increasingly sensed something amiss and immediately stopped.

Junyan turned around, asking silently.

"Where is this?" she stared at him.

"My home." He actually smiled, and the coldness in his eyes disappeared.

Her face turned cold, and she turned and left.

Xie Yunshu grasped her hand. "Didn't you say you wanted to read medical books? There are the most here in Yangzhou City."

"No need." She tried to break free, but he held her firmly.

“There’ll be no one else here. You wait in the room while I go get the book.” He coaxed softly, his tone gentle. “I don’t mean anything by it. My second brother studies medicine and has the most complete collection of rare books. You’ll definitely find what you’re looking for.”

"Why didn't you say so sooner?" She gripped her wrist tightly, filled with regret.

"So you won't overthink it," he explained gently. "Knowing you don't like meeting strangers, I specially chose this secluded path in the garden, so you can rest assured."

…………………

If it weren't for the necessity of consulting medical books, she would have avoided the situation at all costs and would never have been lured into the Xie family.

Sitting alone in the room, she barely managed to suppress her anxiety as she looked around.

Polished square bricks, whitewashed walls with bamboo screens, and a long sword hanging on the wall. The layout is simple yet robust, without any superfluous decorations. The roof is inlaid with glazed tiles, and sunlight casts straight beams of light, making the windows even brighter and the green bamboo outside more lush, exuding a distinctly masculine atmosphere.

A scroll tube sat in the corner. I casually pulled one out; it depicted the scenery of Jiangnan, with misty willows and light boats, but the signature was from several years ago. On the dark wooden table lay an unfinished piece of calligraphy, the strokes flowing like dragons and snakes, writing a poem for the Han Dynasty.

...There are tall trees in the south, but I cannot rest there. There is a maiden by the Han River, but I cannot pursue her...The firewood is piled high, let us cut the brambles. This maiden is going to her husband's home, let us feed her horse...

One glance was enough to throw my mind into turmoil.

That stroke of calligraphy was wild and unrestrained, each character seemingly dancing before her eyes. She dared not contemplate the profound meaning it contained, for it was something that could never be realized.

My heart was in turmoil, and the pent-up abdominal pain resurfaced, becoming unbearable.

Her bare face grew increasingly pale, and cold sweat beaded on her forehead. Suddenly, she pushed open the door and rushed out.

Author's Note: *rolls around in tears*... More than halfway through... Are there any kind readers willing to write a long review? Tears...

gentle

She was about to leave, passing through several courtyards, when she suddenly lost her way. The quiet, secluded courtyards were layered upon each other, and she could no longer find the path she had come from. Getting lost was something that would never happen to her, but in this winding and exquisite Jiangnan garden, it had become an undeniable reality.

As if drawn by some invisible force, she kept circling back and forth in a small space, as if she had fallen into a maze. She calmed down and observed carefully. The arrangement of every stone and piece of wood seemed random, but it contained hidden patterns. It was clearly an unknown formation.

She had clearly figured out the way out, but after a turn, it turned into a garden again. She climbed over the wall to try to get a full view, and her toes almost kicked a thin thread. If it weren't for a glance out of the corner of her eye, the thread-like pull would have been triggered, and a tiny copper bell could be seen in the distance, hidden from view.

What a fine family the Xie family of Yangzhou was.

She spotted the rock she was about to step on, but her foot slipped and she dodged a bamboo shoot that ricocheted towards her. She couldn't help but curse under her breath.

It is a maze of traps and mechanisms, and once a stranger enters, it is extremely difficult to escape, making it no different from an invisible cage.

"Who!" came a sharp shout.

A sharp-looking man followed behind a middle-aged man with slightly graying hair, his gaze fixed on the person who had landed by the pond. "Who are you, intruding here?"

She glanced at him, too lazy to answer, and followed the probing impression to find her way out, secretly regretting that she had only hastily glanced at the art of formations back then and had never studied it at all.

A gust of wind came from behind her, and she flipped over to dodge it, changing direction. The partition in front of her suddenly turned into a rockery, and she quickly pushed off with her backhand, causing the palm strike from behind to miss its mark.

A soft exclamation of surprise escaped his lips. The men's fight intensified, while the middle-aged man watched from a distance, his dignified face showing a hint of astonishment.

After exchanging blows for several rounds, she began to lose patience.

Although her male opponent was highly skilled, he couldn't do anything to her. However, he repeatedly attacked with formations, making it difficult to defend against and forcing her into a somewhat disheveled state. She simply closed her eyes and relied on her hearing and subtle changes in the air to react. In a flash, her short sword was drawn, its clear light instantly grazing her opponent's chest, leaving a long gash.

The man felt a chill as the cold air seeped into his body. Looking down, he saw no blood, indicating that his opponent had held back. Before he could recover, he heard a cold snort, and the petite girl had vanished without a trace.

She slipped past several courtyards and hid behind a low fence, leaving her pursuers behind. The pain in her abdomen intensified, and she couldn't help but bend over, cold sweat dripping from her forehead. She tried to curl up as small as possible, hoping not to disturb anyone. The pain seemed endless, and the girl bit her lip tightly, her consciousness gradually fading.

In her dazed state, she heard a cacophony of sounds around her—screams and shoving. She desperately wanted to open the door, but her body was utterly powerless; pain consumed everything. She felt only cold, an endless chill enveloping her, as if she had fallen into an unreachable abyss, plunged to the bottom of a frozen lake, and her thoughts became fragmented.

In a hazy state, a pair of soft, warm hands approached, gently touching her face and then lifting her head. A delicate fragrance wafted into her nose, a familiar tenderness.

It felt as if many years ago, someone had also shown her such tender care, cherishing her like a precious jewel, fulfilling all her wishes, and naively believing that happiness could last forever…

The memories she had deliberately forgotten surfaced and melted away her defenses, and she finally let herself fall into darkness.

The room of Xie's only physician was filled with all kinds of herbs, quite messy. The elegant room was filled with the fragrance of herbs. There was only a young servant boy decocting medicine and growing herbs in the room. He walked close to the wall of books and rummaged through them for a long time, not sure which ones would catch Jia Ye's attention. She still refused to say what she was looking for, so he was also at a loss.

"What are you looking for?" Xie Jingze was slightly surprised to see his third brother picking through the medical books covering the wall as soon as he returned. "When did you become interested in these things?"

"Second Brother, you're back just in time. Help me find some rare items; a friend of mine wants to take a look." Back then, Jia Ye forced him to read some books on toxicology and medicine, but he only had a superficial understanding, mainly in terms of poison prevention. He wasn't an expert at all.

"How strange, what kind of friend?" Xie Jingze asked casually, reaching out to pull down several ancient books with dark yellow hues. "I never lend them out."

"Just once in a while?" he asked, half-pleading.

Xie Jingze glanced at his younger brother's expression, a cryptic smile appearing on his face, and then picked out several incomplete medical books. "Is it the one Qinglan mentioned?"

Junyan looked slightly embarrassed. "Are there still people in the family who don't know?"

"I'm afraid not." Xie Jingze chuckled. "Regardless of Father's attitude, Mother and I are very curious about when we'll bring the person back to see."

"She waited in my room and refused to see anyone else." He was helpless.

"You treasure her so much? I thought you were exaggerating, but you really like a little girl?"

"Second brother, have you ever heard of a poisonous flower that can stop a person's growth and make them look like a child?" Xie Jingze, who was often away practicing medicine, rarely came home. He asked about the long-standing mystery and also mentioned Jia Ye's situation.

Xie Jingze stopped laughing, pondered for a while, and then answered seriously.

“I once heard someone mention a rare plant in the Western Regions called the Jade Iris Flower. It should be nearly extinct. How could she have mistakenly ingested it? It should only cause this after prolonged use.”

It was certainly not an accidental ingestion; in fact, it was a rare poisonous flower that she had painstakingly searched for. Explaining it would involve too much complexity, so for now, she could only manage a wry smile.

Is there any way to detoxify?

"It depends on the specific situation. If she's been taking it for many years, it might be difficult. Even if she recovers, she'll have missed her growth period, and the chances of her returning to normal are very small," Xie Jingze commented prudently. "How old is she this year?"

"The year of Double Ten." He thought for a moment and then added, "Probably."

“We need to take her pulse first to determine the cause.” Xie Jingze, with the curiosity of a physician, his refined face showing eagerness, said. “Perhaps you could bring her along?”

"I'll think of a way." Persuading Jia Ye was a tricky problem, and he began to have a headache.

A figure flashed at the entrance of the study, and Qinglan rushed in, calling out "Second Brother" repeatedly. When she saw Xie Yunshu, she immediately exclaimed.

"So that's where Third Brother went! I've been looking for him for ages!" she called out repeatedly, sounding somewhat exasperated. "Something happened to Miss Ye, and Mother sent me to find Second Brother to check on her."

Xie Yunshu's expression immediately changed, and she grabbed her underling. "What happened? What's wrong with her?"

She was still waiting for him to come back in the room, how could this be...?

“I don’t know either. I don’t even know when Third Brother brought her in. Mother found her in the flower garden. She seemed to have fainted, but there were no external injuries. We don’t know what happened. If it weren’t for the jade pendant tied to her skirt, those aunties would have said they would send her to the torture chamber for interrogation, fearing she was a spy or something. Mother sent someone to call me to ask, and that’s how I identified her. She told Second Brother to take her pulse…”