Quand je reviendrai avec toi

Chapitre 94

"Brother," the girl said crisply, her manner very obedient. "Thank you for helping me retrieve the kite."

"I'm not your brother!" The anger in her chest grew stronger and stronger, and her fingers accidentally used force, snapping the bamboo strips of the kite with a crisp sound.

The girl froze for a moment, her bright black eyes quickly welling up with tears, clear droplets threatening to fall from her eyes, looking aggrieved and timid, like a pitiful little puppy.

The butler, feeling sorry for her, explained on her behalf, "The kite was made by the master himself, and the young lady treasures it very much."

"lightly."

Like the melodious sound of jade colliding, a woman in white softly called out, her face slightly pale, her beautiful eyes sweeping over with a hint of surprise, making her feel as if she could not breathe.

My mother was quite beautiful, but…

Her pristine beauty was captivating, like frost falling under the moon, pure and flawless, an indescribable beauty that caught his eye. He suddenly recalled the description of her as a beauty that could topple kingdoms in the book.

"Mother." The girl turned and threw herself into a soft, fragrant embrace. "The kite is broken, Uncle is mean."

The woman patted it gently. "My sweetie, I'll make you an even prettier one next time."

"It has to be made by Daddy." The girl's eyes welled up with tears. "Daddy made it for a long time."

He couldn't stand it. "That's my dad, so what if he ruins him?" He wanted to say more, but his mother held his shoulder.

Su Yan suddenly turned pale, her gaze towards him growing increasingly strange. She then looked at the people behind him, finally settling on the butler. The butler was caught in a dilemma, and after a long while, he finally nodded.

"Mother!" The girl cried out in pain from being strangled, momentarily forgetting to complain.

“I…I didn’t mean anything by it, I just wanted to talk to you.” The mother’s voice was soft as she lowered her head and nudged her. “Yu’er, take your sister over there to play for a while. Mother wants to talk to this…madam.”

"Mother." The girl noticed something was wrong and hugged her leg, refusing to move.

Her beautiful eyes froze for a moment before she bent down to coax him, her expression blank. "Pianqian, play with your brother. Mother will be here soon."

The mother was talking to herself, while the woman listened silently, her face devoid of color. Her delicate and graceful appearance seemed quite different from the vixen the servants had described.

He lowered his head as his hand moved slightly.

The little girl secretly dragged the kite away when no one was looking, trying to straighten the twisted kite. Unfortunately, her clumsy technique not only failed to restore the kite to its original state, but also damaged it even more.

"That's not how it is." He couldn't help himself, so he stretched and straightened it slightly, then used his small knife to split a piece of wood and embedded it in as a replacement, barely restoring it to its original state. He probably couldn't fly again; his father's workmanship was really poor.

The girl looked at it again and again with delight, easily forgetting her annoyance and filled with pure joy. "My brother is so good."

The sweet, soft child's voice was innocent and naive, and he could no longer get angry, so he just sullenly hummed.

Seeing that he was still somewhat displeased, she spun around, pouted her pink lips, and suddenly started singing.

…The song is really nice.

The tone was incomprehensible, but it was soft and clear like a babbling brook. A sweet smile on her rosy face attracted a passing bird to hop onto her slender fingers. Its colorful tail feathers brushed against her delicate hand, showing no fear of human affection.

The strange and natural images are as if imprinted on my mind, vivid and clear in my mind.

Many years later, he could still recall that day's bright and radiant sunlight, the fragrance of fallen leaves floating in the sunlight, and the shy, childlike peeking, the bright eyes yearning for closeness.

His... sister...

She fiddled with the bamboo dragonfly with it, sitting obediently to the side. "Brother's is so interesting. I hope I can bring it to my lessons too."

If... we bring him back to Xijing, will Father never go out again?

Are you practicing calligraphy?

The little boy nodded, not without a hint of smugness. "I was supposed to be learning the piano, but I made my teacher leave in anger."

Seeing her smug expression, he couldn't help but feel puzzled.

"Didn't Dad scold you?"

"Mother said a few words." The girl stuck out her tongue and spread her delicate fingers. "Father won't blame me. I told him my fingers hurt so much, and then he wouldn't let me study anymore."

The father never indulged his studies and was very strict with his children. Yet he spoiled this little girl so much. He felt extremely uncomfortable and stood there for a long time. When he came to his senses, he realized that the little girl had hidden behind a tree and was digging in the soil with a branch. Soon she was covered in mud and her clothes were filthy. He frowned involuntarily.

What are you digging for?

She chuckled but wouldn't say anything. After digging for a long time, she finally revealed a round altar.

"What is this?" It sounded heavy when knocked on.

"My mother brewed this wine, saying I can only drink it when I get married." The girl struggled to lift the seal.

"Why are you digging now?" It seems like I've heard of this custom before.

"Mother said we'd have to wait more than ten years." The child's voice was full of regret. He wiped his dirty hands on his silk dress, pulled out a piece of jade from the collar, and threw it in with a thud. "By then, she and Father will have forgotten about it."

"You!" Before he could stop him, he was speechless with anger. "What are you doing?"

“The jade is inside.” She grabbed some soil and sealed it up, her eyes crinkling with pride. “This is better; it will remember for as long as it’s been.”

"Your father will scold you if you lose the jade." He also has a piece of the same kind of jade, so how could he not understand its importance?

“Dad is the best, he never gets angry.” The girl wasn’t scared at all. “I’m not afraid.”

Losing the family heirloom jade pendant would anger even the best-tempered father. The overconfident and fearless little girl suddenly wanted to teach her a lesson, so he held back and didn't say anything more. Watching the soil being scattered, the soil being filled in, and the soil being tamped down, no one would have guessed that a beautiful piece of jade, hidden from the light of day, was buried in the wine jar under the tree.

The people from afar talked for a long time, and they played for a long time. He helped her break grass and catch fish, climb trees to catch birds, and listened to her complain about her complicated and difficult-to-write name. She asked about everything outside the wall, full of curiosity and longing.

Holding his mother's hand, he looked back into the distance.

The little figure, covered in mud, was held in the arms of the woman in white. Looking up at her almost transparent, bare face, he seemed extremely flustered. Did she know? Did she know that they would soon be moving to Xijing and living under the same roof as him?

...He wanted to listen to her songs again, and maybe even play with her. Although he was willful, he was... very cute.

I waited for a long time, but it never came.

Much later, he learned that the day after they met, the woman left Yangzhou forever, taking his sister, whom he had only met once, with her and disappearing without a trace.

When he returned, only his father was there; he couldn't believe his eyes.

Half of his once black hair had turned white, making him look much older and lacking the vigor and freedom he once had.

The father did not blame the mother a single word, and continued to treat her very well, never leaving Chang'an from then on.

But... he never smiled again.

It wasn't until his mother passed away, and his haggard father stared blankly at the memorial tablet, that he finally had the courage to ask.

"Father...do you blame Mother for going to Yangzhou?"

After a long silence, the father spoke of the past for the first time.

“Your mother was a good woman. Although she was a princess and married by imperial decree, she was gentle, virtuous, chaste, and reasonable. I am sorry that I was unable to give her happiness.”

"Why………………"

“It’s my fault. I’ve hurt two people.” The father murmured as if to himself, his face gaunt with weight. “I should be content. Qing Le is so good. She’s been so considerate since she married me. She’s the perfect wife.” He paused, his voice trembling, and found the nearest chair to sit down. “…She…I knew I was wrong when I met her. I didn’t deserve her, but…I wanted her. I wanted to be with her all the time, never to be apart.”

"Father...you can bring her home. Mother has already decided to accept her..."

The father shook his head wearily. "...She is a princess of the Cangwu Kingdom of Nanyue, and the people of that clan are extremely proud. Even if she were all alone, she would never stoop to be a concubine. I know...no matter how much she likes him, she would never give herself to a married man. So...I lied...she will never forgive me for the rest of her life."

I will never forget how my father, whom I revered like a god, broke down in tears before my mother's memorial tablet.

The only time I ever saw my father cry.

It was then that he realized how deep his father's pain was and what kind of torment he was enduring.

Since then, my father would occasionally bring up certain moments, as if reminding me or giving me instructions.

Pianxian's birthday is on the eighth day of the seventh lunar month.

She likes lotus flowers, has a sweet tooth, and is not very patient, but is exceptionally intelligent and has a photographic memory.

She looks just like her mother; she'll definitely be a beauty when she grows up.

Pianxian might learn martial arts, and her outstanding beauty could easily attract trouble.

…I hope she doesn't know martial arts and lives a peaceful and happy life somewhere.

If... her skill level exceeds the norm, she must have practiced a secret technique of Nan Yue, which is extremely dangerous.

If that day ever comes...

My father couldn't continue speaking; his sorrowful and worried gaze lingered in my mind.

As he grew older, his father also grew weaker and eventually fell ill, and medicine proved ineffective.

He knew that his father had been waiting for this day.

I've been waiting impatiently since that day many years ago.

In his final moments, a smile suddenly appeared on his thin face as he stared intently at the doorway. He vaguely resembled the noble young man who once rode across Chang'an, galloping through mountains and rivers, his fleeting glimpse of a flower amidst dense willows and blooming blossoms, a vision that would forever bind his soul to him.

The laughter grew lighter and lighter, like a young man in springtime breaking free from his constraints, washing away years of depression.

The empty doorway seemed to be swept by a breeze, causing the curtains to sway slightly before returning to stillness.

Sixteen years of arduous searching, and several moments of despair.

The father moved the entire villa in Yangzhou to Xijing, and every plant and tree was exactly the same, including the bamboo dragonfly placed by the bedside. The only thing missing was the broken butterfly kite, which was said to be the only thing the mother and daughter took with them when they left.

She must be in her early twenties now, perhaps already married. I wonder which young master could possibly be worthy of her—lively, mischievous, spoiled, and willful—and she probably lives a peaceful and happy life.

So... that definitely wasn't her.

The child was too aloof, always on guard and defensive. At thirteen or fourteen years old, his gaze was desolate and indifferent, as if he had no human emotions.

She exuded an extremely dangerous aura, and he was unwilling to risk his life. He was vaguely disappointed, thinking that he had probably made the wrong choice again on this trip to Yangzhou.

Xie Yunshu, the third young master of the Xie family... is also a strange person.

He was impeccable in both character and appearance, a rare and handsome man, but his love life was questionable; anyone could see the strange connection between the two. Rumors circulated that he had peculiar tastes, and that his love interest was such an unusual girl, which was indeed... intriguing.

She wouldn't be Pianxian.

No matter how you look at it, there's nothing that connects it to the children from back then.

but………………

Everything proved the truth…