Un cœur pur dans un pot de jade

Chapitre 57

“…Qingshan…” Even though he knew I wouldn’t really do it, he was still speechless because of my words, his voice low and hoarse, “It’s my fault, it’s all my fault…” He held my hand tightly, “Don’t be angry anymore, there’s no time left, if you leave… I’ll never see you again, please don’t argue about this anymore, okay?”

"Noisy?" I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "You didn't choose the time, I chose a lifetime—wild man, please don't be so noble or a Casanova. If you're a little selfish, I can be with you forever!"

The savage was stunned, as if he had never considered this question before. Suddenly, he let go of my hand, his face pale, and turned his head to the side.

"Savage...?"

He snapped out of his daze, quickly regained his composure, and asked me with a smile, "There's an observatory on the mountaintop, would you like to go stargazing?"

Seeing the forced smile he managed, I couldn't bear it and nodded vigorously.

Chapter 74

The position of leader is not obtained for nothing. The reason why the savages have gone through so much hardship is because this position is a public office. During my tenure, I have a personal guard, bodyguards, a life-saving token, official appointment, and all the convenient conditions that he has arranged for me to use... It's better to be prepared than not.

There are still five days until the Alliance Leader's wife takes over as the principal wife. In these five days, I've been busy taking baths, changing clothes, serving tea and water to the savages, feeding them medicine and telling them stories... I'm almost going crazy with all this work.

On the very day he made a name for himself in the arena, a summer breeze blew by one night, and the savage fell ill. Xu Yi diagnosed him, saying that he had forcibly activated his internal energy, which had blocked his meridians, so he would be weak all over and bedridden for ten or eight days, accompanied by fever.

I laughed at him for being so sickly, and he chased me away, saying, "What's so interesting about being sickly?"

I scolded him for being narrow-minded, saying that once he could speak, he started being sarcastic and vindictive.

He smiled with his eyes narrowed, looking quite comfortable. After a while, he told me to go back to sleep and not disturb his rest.

That night, there was thunder and lightning. I sneaked back to his room in the rain and found him lying stiffly on the bed, his eyes wide open, staring blankly at the ceiling.

"Didn't you say you were going to sleep?" I frowned and walked over to ask.

A bolt of lightning struck, illuminating the room. The savage turned to look at me, his mouth agape, revealing a mouthful of blood from his teeth.

"Ah—!" I screamed and my legs went weak, and I sat down on the ground. It wasn't because the scene was so terrifying—the lightning was followed by a deafening thunderclap, and the room was dimly lit. The savage, pale-faced, got up and tried to help me. I looked at him from a distance and realized for the first time that he was right. With his ability to cause so much trouble, he would definitely die before me.

"Go back to bed!!" I shouted at him, got up from the floor myself, turned around, lit the lamp, and poured water.

He rinsed his mouth, and after rinsing, he explained to me, "I just had a nightmare... so I bit my tongue."

"How old are you?" I asked, my heart pounding. "Still dreaming about biting your tongue? Aren't you ashamed?!"

The savage remained silent for a while, then pointed out the window and said, "I'm afraid of thunder."

"Who would believe that?!" I rolled my eyes at him. "You'd be more likely to say I'm afraid of thunder."

He coughed and chuckled, "I really didn't know if you hadn't told me..."

"I'm a woman!" I protested. "I'm afraid of many things!"

"Hmm," he replied. "Tell me about it."

When I was a child, I was afraid of flies—

He chuckled, and I glared at him. "You know perfectly well that when I was a kid, I watched a movie about a person turning into a fly, which dealt a devastating blow to my life!"

The savage nodded. "It's also because you put a live fly in the freezer and froze it to death. You were afraid it would come back to life and come looking for you, and you felt guilty. Otherwise, why would you be afraid?"

"Huh?...So you still remember." I rubbed my nose and asked, "You remember everything I said back then?"

The savage nodded.

"You remember our first meeting?"

He continued nodding, "You were wearing pajamas, no shoes... you punched my nose, changed my name... I remember."

"Who knows your name?!" I said irritably. "You're clearly a savage, or should I call you Superman?"

He smiled and lowered his eyes.

As soon as I noticed he was distracted, I quickly followed up with a question: "Do you know what I'm most afraid of right now?"

"I'm afraid of opening the yogurt." The savage answered immediately without thinking.

"How do you know everything?!" I exclaimed, my eyes wide.

He chuckled and chimed in, "The yogurt in the plastic seal will spray all over your face when you open it, and you used to have nightmares about it... You said it yourself."

"Then you can open my yogurt bottles from now on," I said, speeding up my speech as I made my request.

His smile froze, the savage lowered his eyes, and then nodded.

"Don't lie to me!" I added.

The savage frowned, but said nothing more.

"Oh, right!" I climbed onto his bed, and he pulled me into his arms. "I've arranged a dinner for you tomorrow. You'd better do well and not waste all my efforts."

"What kind of dinner party?" he asked, a beat late in the minute.

"Have dinner with your brother, I'll cook."

"No need," he refused outright, adding, "It's too hot, don't go to the kitchen."

“Wild Man, the white jade hairpin you gave me today is very beautiful.” So I skillfully started the conversation.

He responded, "Yes."

"So I'm rewarding you by cooking for you. You're not allowed to give Qingyou a hard time; he's your younger brother."

The savage coiled my hair around and murmured, "...I'm afraid I'll disappoint you..."

"I'm afraid you'll regret it for the rest of your life," I retorted.

Chapter 75

Dinner ended badly, and now my stomach is growling loudly.

A person squatted in the hexagonal pavilion, while a light rain fell outside, its melancholy lingering, perfectly matching my current mood.

Soon after, a person walked out of the pavilion. To my surprise, by the light of the lanterns by the pavilion, it turned out to be Shao Qingyou, who had not yet been caught and locked up.

He was soaked to the bone, clearly having been running around the manor for quite some time.

"Finally found you..." These were the first words Qingyou, who never gives me a friendly look, said to me.

"What do you want from me?" I asked sarcastically.

“What happened before,” he said, “I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to disappoint you.”

I was taken aback and looked at him in surprise. I never knew he could be so understanding. "You know it's my feeling and you still let me down?!" I was still angry.

"But sometimes good intentions can backfire," Qingyou's younger brother said with a wry smile. "Don't bother next time."

"Why are you all saying this?!" I was extremely annoyed. "You two brothers don't have any deep-seated hatred, so why have you made things so tense? And do you really want to anger your brother to death? Do you know that you made him so angry that he vomited blood, but he didn't dare let me see it? You—" I choked on my breath and couldn't say another word.

Qingyou turned his face away, the obvious redness and swelling on his cheek still lingering. He sighed and said softly, "Who says it's not a deep-seated hatred?" Then he added, "...He will never forgive me, so why force him..."

"What did you say?" I saw Qingyou's hand clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white, and I immediately thought of the savage. "The thing about you poisoning him?" I immediately shook my head. "The savage doesn't hate you at all. It's because you're always resentful and provoking him—"

"Sister-in-law Qingshan," Qingyou interrupted me, putting a heavy burden on me, and asked, "Did you realize where you went wrong at the banquet just now?"

"Wrong?" I asked, puzzled. "Wrong about what?"

"The first time," Shao Qingyou said, "you said he was successful in love and that lovers would eventually get married, but did you see... Shao Yanhe... his expression change?"

"What?!" My face changed too. "How could this be?!"

"The second time..." Shao Qingyou continued, "You served food to Doctor Xu. Don't you know that everyone can see it? Your relationship with that doctor is extraordinary. Do you really think he feels nothing?"

“I…but, I…” I was speechless.

The relationship between Xu Yi and me is extraordinary. Even Xu Yi himself may not know that I made a vow to the deceased beauty Chenchen that I would do my best to take good care of Xu Yi... After all, it was me who made him live to this day.

Sigh... It's a long story... I'm so frustrated...

"Why aren't you saying anything?" Qingyou's younger brother asked again. "Don't you really understand that person? He's calculating and possessive. Is this how you always treat men in front of him?!"

"No way!!" I denied it, but the thought of how I had hugged, kissed, and even...done things with other men in front of the savages... "It's over..." I muttered to myself, "...It's over..."

Qingyou looked at me strangely. "...Actually, I know the savage is quite jealous," I confessed, "but he never says it. Sometimes I forget, sometimes I deliberately provoke him... Anyway..." I feel so sorry for him now. Was I partly responsible for the savage vomiting blood? Actually, if I were the savage, I definitely wouldn't forgive Sun Qingshan either. It seems like no man could accept a woman like that...

But I'm clearly not promiscuous! I don't dare to show any skin when I wear clothes, I don't dare to chat up strange men, and I don't get all excited when I see a handsome man... and yet I still cheated on my partner. I might as well die.

"Did you say those things at the dinner table on purpose because the savage was acting strangely?" I asked Shao Qingyou.

Qingyou lowered his eyes, remaining noncommittal.

"You were so convinced he'd never forgive you, that eating with you was torture for him, that you even flipped the table and decided to turn against him?!" I sighed, "You two really are brothers, your thinking is so different from normal people!"

“You don’t understand,” Shao Qingyou said. “There are some things you simply don’t know…and don’t pressure him anymore, he…”

"What's wrong with him?" I asked.

“It’s nothing.” Qingyou’s younger brother shook his head. “He wasn’t like this before. When I was very young, he was actually very good to me… but then he completely changed… like everyone owed him something, and he wouldn’t let himself have a single good day…”

I started to pout, and Qingyou was startled. "What are you doing? Why do you look like you're going to cry?!"

"I'm so sad..." I sobbed. "Actually, the Wild Man really didn't mean it. Like when he sent you away before, he did it for your own good. He didn't want you to suffer with him, and he didn't want you to become like him, full of resentment. And now he's doing it for my own good too, not wanting me to stay here and worry about him... He knows we'll be sad, but that's just how he is, he does everything he feels he can... Qingyou, believe me, the Wild Man really hasn't blamed you, really... Sometimes he calls your name in his nightmares, he's never called mine. You have no idea how jealous I am of you..."

As I spoke, I started to cry, and Qingyou was so frightened that he didn't know what to do. "Don't cry, why are you crying...?"

"Nonsense!" I wiped my tears. "You're so heartbroken! You actually said he'd never forgive you. If he doesn't forgive you, why would he want to have dinner with you? Do you think I'm that powerful? Even the wild man wants you to acknowledge him as his brother! You stupid little brother!!"

"I'm a stupid little brother," Qingyou said helplessly. "Then Sister-in-law Qingshan, please stop crying. If my brother, who loves you to death, sees this, he'll skin me alive!"

"Have you figured it out?" I asked.

“It’s not that I haven’t thought it through,” Qingyou’s younger brother said, “but it’s really as you said… If he truly wants to acknowledge me as his brother, don’t worry, I will definitely not disappoint him, nor will I let him…”

Halfway through his sentence, Qingyou sighed and skipped the rest.

Why is he being so easy to talk to... I wondered to myself, what happened to him? He seemed to suddenly feel incredibly sorry for the wild people, as if they were suffering terribly...

Or is it that tears are a woman's ultimate weapon?

Chapter 76

Before going to Hengshan, I succeeded as the leader of the martial arts alliance. Before that, I made a wrong decision: I cut my hair.

The key issue was that the savage wouldn't compromise, so I threw away all the little things he gave me every day, the wood carvings he made by hand, the little sparrows he wove by hand, the beaded necklaces he strung by hand, the lovebirds he cut out by hand, the rouge, powder, earrings, and hair ornaments he ordered by hand...

I dug out the hair scissors I'd brought from home. I honestly couldn't remember why I'd brought them. Maybe it was to trim the savage's beard, but those scissors were a gift from my ex-boyfriend, and they seemed to prevent split ends... So, with the scissors in hand, I started negotiating with the savage. "If you don't let me go to Hengshan, I'll fight you to the death! Even the Jade Emperor won't give me a chance this time. I, the leader of the Green Mountain Alliance, will see Hengshan no matter what!" With that, I snipped the hair with the scissors.

The savage's face changed color. "Have you had enough?!" He snatched the scissors from my hand and asked, "So, if I die, will you give up?" Then, with a "snip," he cut off a large clump of his own hair.

I gasped in surprise, then started laughing. The savage threw down the scissors, looking both angry and helpless. Soon, both of them had new hairstyles.

I grabbed a large clump of the savage's long hair with my left hand and a large clump of my own short hair with my right hand. After studying it for a long time, I finally managed to entangle both of our hair together.

"When husband and wife are of one mind, their strength can break metal!" I showed it to him.