Agent secret Wind Boy

Chapitre 42

Huaiyuan glanced at me but didn't answer my question. Instead, he chuckled softly, picked me up affectionately, and carried me into the room. "Tired? I'll take you back to your room to rest. We'll talk again tomorrow."

"Hey, this is about your innocence, how can we just let it go? Of course, the sooner we find out the answer, the better! Do you like being misunderstood?" I reluctantly wrapped my arms around his neck, my words sounding noble, but my heart was a little uneasy—I asked myself: Am I really worried about him? Perhaps the deeper reason is that I don't want him to leave me.

"My innocence? Didn't you ruin it long ago? What innocence is left to speak of?" Huaiyuan lowered his head, revealing a set of white teeth to me. His handsome face was filled with a captivating smile, appearing extremely wicked. "You said you would take responsibility for me, so you can't go back on your word. Believe me or not, I'll bring Shijian here as a witness."

"Hey, don't try to confuse things, okay? You know perfectly well that what I said about being innocent isn't what you're saying!" I rolled my eyes at him and protested in a coquettish voice, "Besides, how could anyone ruin your innocence?! If anyone ruined your innocence, it's Lu Rumei, what does it have to do with me?" — I couldn't help feeling a pang of jealousy, and as soon as I said it, I regretted it — Why did I even bring her up? Now I'm definitely going to make things awkward!

Sure enough, Huaiyuan remained silent, his smile gradually fading. "It's getting late, I'll go see Grandpa. You should rest." — Was Lu Rumei really that important to him? Couldn't he even mention her? Of course, she was deeply devoted to him, sacrificing the most beautiful years of her life! What reason did he have not to be moved?! If it weren't for that accident six years ago, the two of them would probably be living happily ever after, and I wouldn't be here feeling jealous!

I gritted my teeth, suppressing the urge to reach out and pull him away, stubbornly refusing to acknowledge him. I watched his broad, lonely, and desolate figure recede into the distance. Finally, unable to bear the intense, tearing pain in my heart, I buried my face in the blankets and sobbed uncontrollably… (This book was first published on Xiaoxiang Novel Original Network. Please retain this information when reprinting!)

[Volume 3: War and Chaos - Chapter 3: Why the Sigh of White Hair?]

Standing at the crossroads, I hesitated. Gritting my teeth, I finally chose the left sign and embarked on the path leading to "Ryotingin".

"I'm sorry, Huaiyuan. I was too willful yesterday." No, saying that would be too embarrassing. I shook my head and rejected that opening line.

"Huaiyuan, where are you planning to go today?" This doesn't seem right either. He already says I'm immature, and saying this makes it sound like all I know is playing. No, I need to think of something else.

"Huaiyuan, I won't lose my temper anymore." If I say that, will he become even more arrogant in front of me? If he just walks away like this every time I get angry, won't I be asking for trouble?

After much deliberation, before I could even come up with an opening line, the gates of Ryoutein Temple were already in sight—never mind, I'll talk to him when I see him. He shouldn't be so petty as to just ignore me, right?

Sigh, when did someone as carefree as me become so insecure, sensitive, and easily angered? Reaching the door, I surprisingly hesitated to enter—this was the first time I'd ever apologized so earnestly. I really wanted to just turn around and go home—but then, thinking of Huaiyuan's weary figure and furrowed brows from last night, I gritted my teeth and pushed open the door.

"Sword Master! I'm here." Huh, no one answered? It seems like nobody's here! I breathed a sigh of relief. "Where did everyone go so early in the morning?"

Hmm, is this where Huaiyuan lives? I looked around curiously. I originally thought that Huaiyuan's residence would be very grand—after all, he is the master of the number one manor in the world! Who knew it would be so ordinary?! Well, that makes sense; he seems to have always preferred simple and clear layouts.

In the center of the hall stood a pearwood table, flanked symmetrically by six carved wooden chairs. The space was simple, neat, and dignified. A few calligraphy and paintings hung casually on the walls, none of them the work of famous artists. A pot of jasmine, its fragrance rich and intoxicating, sat on a high table by the window.

Passing through the hall, there is a covered corridor. Following the corridor through two doors, you can see Huaiyuan's bedroom—inside, besides a round table, a low table, several square stools, and a large wardrobe, there is only a large rosewood bed.

I glanced at it once and turned back. Continuing down, I passed another moon gate and saw a door with the three powerful, flowing characters "翰墨轩" (Hanmoxuan) written on it – Huaiyuan's calligraphy. This must be his study.

I tried pushing the door; it was ajar and opened easily. Wow! Although I knew Huaiyuan loved reading back in Wushan, seeing so many books neatly arranged on those orderly rows of bookshelves still made me a little dizzy. The room was filled with the intoxicating scent of ink.

There was a half-closed book on the desk—obviously unread and just casually placed there. Huaiyuan is usually very organized, likes to keep everything neat and tidy; it's rare to see him leave things so messy—heh, next time he laughs at me for being careless, I'll be able to refute him! I smiled and walked over to pick up the book, intending to help him tidy it up.

Wow! There was a piece of crystal-clear jade lying under the book—pure white and flawless, radiating a soft glow. The jade was round, with a dragon soaring through the clouds and coiling within it. The carving was extremely fine and lifelike. It was clearly a priceless treasure.

"Who's inside?" A strange voice came from outside. I quickly put down the jade, stood up, and went to greet them. "It's me. Ye Qingyang."

Outside the door stood a strange young man, who looked me over with curiosity. "You're Young Master Ye? I heard you and our master are sworn brothers? How come...?" He didn't finish his sentence, but the suspicious look on his face clearly showed that he was wondering how an ordinary person like me could be so close to Huaiyuan.

"Don't I look like him? Ye Qingyang isn't exactly a famous person either. Do you think I need to impersonate him?" I couldn't help but smile. "Or is it that only monsters with three heads and six arms are qualified to sit on equal footing with your grandpa?"

His face flushed instantly. He scratched his head and smiled sheepishly, "I'm sorry. But, Young Master Ye, why didn't you go outside to watch the excitement? There are so many martial arts practitioners here in the manor!"

"What happened?" I asked casually—there's excitement every day, how can we possibly watch it all?

"You didn't know?" He was clearly extremely surprised, looking at me like I was an alien. "Mr. Ye is dead!"

"What?! Impossible! I saw him yesterday!" I exclaimed instinctively—Huaiyuan told me last night that he was one of the culprits in the Sunjiawan massacre, and he's dead today?! What a coincidence!

"It's true. I heard he felt so guilty and ostracized that he set himself on fire! Fortunately, he left a will before he died, stating that the Sunjiawan massacre was his doing and had nothing to do with our master. At least he did something good before he died..."

I had no patience to listen to his rambling any longer, so I waved my hand to interrupt him, "Where is your master now? Take me to see him."

From afar, the commotion in the council hall of Jingyou Manor could be heard. Upon closer inspection, it was a sea of people, all wearing extremely insincere smiles.

"I told you long ago that Master Jiang wasn't that kind of person, but you wouldn't believe me!"

"Ahem! The Number One Manor under Heaven represents the justice of the martial arts world, so Manor Master Jiang would never do such a heinous thing!"

"I never imagined that Mr. Ye would actually try to deceive everyone..."

"、、、、、"

From afar, he was surrounded by that group of people. I couldn't hear a word he was saying. All I saw was Rumei's striking red dress, fluttering in the wind, subtly piercing my heart. I remained silent and quietly walked away—this was not the place for me!

I walked quietly for a long time, but the loneliness in my heart still lingered.

"Girl, don't be sad." An old voice suddenly rang in my ears.

I was startled and looked up—it was Guan Dingshan, Grandpa Guan. "How could I be sad?"

"Stop being stubborn, your tears are still on your face!" He winked at me and sat down next to me.

"Ah," I cried out softly, and hurriedly reached out to wipe it away—sure enough, cool tears were streaming down my face.

"Although Xiao Huizi didn't say it, I can tell he's really fallen for you." Grandpa Guan was unusually serious, actually acting as Huaiyuan's advocate. "Don't worry, girl. He doesn't feel the way you think about Rumei. It's just that it was a marriage arranged for him by his mother before she passed away, and Rumei has wasted so many years of her youth for him. You know, Huaiyuan is stubborn but soft-hearted, and he has a very strong sense of responsibility. Otherwise, given his personality, he wouldn't care about those petty things in the martial arts world."

"What happens between him and Rumei is none of my business." I sighed leisurely, my smile bitter. "Grandpa Guan, you don't need to tell me these things. I understand. Actually, there's nothing between me and Master Jiang."

"Silly girl, do you think your grandpa is an idiot?" Grandpa Guan gently stroked my hair. "Little Huizi has changed so much since he came back. Do you think I can't see it? Why don't you give Little Huizi a little more time? Let him figure out how to handle the relationship between the three of you?"

Seeing that I didn't say anything, he touched his nose and coughed twice before continuing, "In my opinion, it would be best if the three of you could get along well. You know that the Jiang family has only had one son per generation for five generations, and the population has always been small. If Xiao Huizi can help the family grow and have more descendants, then the ancestors of the Jiang family will jump out of their graves and clap their hands in celebration! Don't you think so?"

My face flushed red. "Grandpa Guan, what nonsense are you talking about?! How many children they have is a matter between Rumei and Hero Jiang. Why are you dragging me into this?!"

"Don't you know? That silly boy, Xiao Huizi, seems clever, but he's actually as stupid as an ox. If you don't agree to this, I think that silly boy will be caught in the middle between the two women, and Jiang Han and I will have no chance of having a great-grandchild." Grandpa Guan stared at me with wide eyes, giving me a look that said, 'You're being unreasonable.' He sighed, "Actually, Ru Mei looks glamorous, but her background is quite pitiful!"

She's pitiful? What's so pitiful about her? She comes from a prestigious family, is as beautiful as spring flowers, and has a fiancé who is both scholarly and martial. And then there's you, her loving grandfather! With all these advantages, who would dare say she's pitiful? —I silently mocked myself, and finally remained silent.

"When Rumei was four years old, her father suddenly brought home a woman and a six-year-old boy, claiming the child was born outside the marriage, a fact kept secret from Madam Lu. Rumei's mother was a proud and arrogant woman; how could she bear this? In a fit of anger, she ran away from home, only to encounter her enemies. In her confusion, she was captured and lost her life." Grandpa Guan sighed softly, lost in his memories. "Rumei was strong-willed. Seeing her stepmother enter the family and kill her own mother, how could she swallow this insult? Naturally, she spoke to her with much sarcasm. Unfortunately, Mengyao was a daughter of an official, frail and sickly. She was also destined for a short life; four years after marrying into the family, she gave birth to Rulan, but less than half a year later, she passed away."

"It was her own fate, but those servants shifted the blame onto Rumei. Adding to that, when Rulan was eight, the two sisters had a quarrel, and in a fit of anger, Rumei accidentally pushed Rulan into the pond. Luckily, Xiao Huizi rescued her. Rulan was so frightened that she fell ill and never recovered. Master Lu had no choice but to send Rulan away, saying she was being fostered in a nunnery. Not long after, Jianfeng also ran away from home. From then on, Rumei lived with the guilt of driving her aunt to her death and driving away her own brother and sister." Grandpa Guan sighed and shook his head, ending his long-winded explanation—I don't see anything pitiful about Rumei. It's more like her family is pitiful!