Une jeunesse errante

Chapitre 80

"I didn't lie to you, I've never lied to you. Believe it or not, I would never lie."

"Then tell me, why don't you care about me? Why don't you propose to my brother-in-law and sister? Why do you let the lady give me to the lord of the fortress? You have no guts, He Zhiqiang, you have no guts. I despise you."

Enraged, Zhao Yu bit down on the back of his hand again. He Zhiqiang's face turned pale with pain, but he didn't dare to utter a sound.

“I lost my father when I was four years old, and my mother remarried when I was six. My stepfather didn’t like me and treated me like a servant. Later, I couldn’t take it anymore, so I ran away. At that time, Lujiabao was recruiting servants, and I was recruited because of my strong body.”

Zhao Yu gently released her teeth from his hand, slowly raised her head, and looked up at him with her beautiful face full of tears.

"I'm just a servant, good for nothing except strength and fighting skills. I'm illiterate, barely literate, let alone able to write poetry or prose. I'm clumsy and awkward, unable to speak properly, and utterly devoid of charm. Miss Zhao, you are a woman of noble birth, beautiful as a fairy, skilled in poetry, painting, and writing. How could a rough man like me be worthy of you? Yes, I promised you. But have you ever considered that back then, I had neither money nor family background, no way to provide you with a life of luxury? I lived a life of constant danger, always on the verge of death. If I died, how could I leave you alone?"

Zhao Yu grew increasingly heartbroken as she listened, "Zhiqiang..."

"Later, at Baishi Manor, Master Tong said, he, he..." He Zhiqiang was filled with grief and hatred, and could no longer continue.

Zhao Yu first stared wide-eyed in astonishment, then burst into tears as if she had been humiliated. She angrily lunged at him, swinging her embroidered fists and punching him fiercely, shouting, "I'll beat you to death! I'll beat you to death! He Zhiqiang, I'll beat you to death!"

He Zhiqiang was startled and hurriedly grabbed her hand, "Don't cry, let me finish..."

"I don't want to hear what you have to say. Let me go, you bastard! You won't let me hit you! You think I like Tong Lei, so you're ignoring me? He Zhiqiang, I hate you so much! You blockhead, you pig, don't move! Stand still! I'm going to kill you, and then I'll die too!" Zhao Yu cried even harder, resorting to her embroidered kicks when her delicate fist techniques failed, abandoning all semblance of ladylike decorum.

She was crying so hard that He Zhiqiang felt both heartache and anxiety. Suddenly, an invisible killing intent shot out from the darkness, and instinctively, He Zhiqiang pulled her into his arms.

Zhao Yu cried out in pain, then choked back tears as she shouted angrily, "You're so annoying, let me go!"

Unexpectedly, the obedient He Zhiqiang not only didn't let go of her, but hugged her even tighter. He reached out a large hand and gently pressed her head down, whispering, "Don't move."

Zhao Yu was already exhausted from the fight and breathless. When he hugged her, she nestled in his arms and cried without struggling.

He Zhiqiang's sharp, hawk-like eyes stared coldly into the darkness as he shouted, "Come out."

"oops."

Qing Jianyue stumbled and was kicked out from behind a large tree. He Zhiqiang was startled and exclaimed, "Young Master Jianyue!" Qing Jianyue blushed and said with a grin, "Sorry to interrupt your flirting. Continue, continue, just pretend you didn't see me." After saying that, he pounced behind the tree and cursed, "Qingfeng, how dare you kick me!" Qingfeng's laughter came, "It was Zhonghe who kicked you." Cai Zhonghe shouted, "We'll each kick you, neither of us can get away with it." Qing Jianyue was furious, "You two stand still, I'm going to kick you back!"

Amidst laughter and playful banter, the three ran off into the distance, leaving He Zhiqiang and Zhao Yu blushing and too ashamed to lift their heads.

Chapter Thirty-Three: After the Banquet

By the time they returned, the banquet had already begun. Maids, flitting like butterflies, served wine and dishes; drums and music filled the air; and two groups of dancers entered the hall through the side doors, their graceful movements a feast for the eyes. Qing Jianyue ran to stand beside Lu Qingcheng. Lu Qingcheng put down his wine cup, turned to look at him, and smiled, "Where have you been playing? I could hear the gongs and drums coming from the banquet hall from afar, making quite a racket. I was wondering if you were up to something, but when I came in, you were nowhere to be seen."

Qing Jianyue poured him wine, grinning, and said, "The lord of the fortress guessed wrong this time. It was Liu Xicheng's words that caused this disaster. He said, 'Sister Yunya, you look as beautiful as a fairy descended to earth tonight. All the women here combined are not as beautiful as you.' Upon hearing this, the beauties started pinching and threatening their husbands, saying, 'Tell me, is she more beautiful or am I?'"

His imitation was so lifelike that it made Lu Qingcheng burst into laughter.

Madam Lu said coldly, "I'm afraid you'll be up to your antics too."

Lu Qingcheng said unhappily, "Mother, today is a celebration banquet, everyone should be happy."

Madam Lu could easily detect the displeasure in her son's tone, and she retorted angrily, "What kind of attitude is this? I only said one sentence, and you replied with three. Are you really trying to drive me crazy?"

Kiyoshi knew in her heart that things were going to get really bad; the mother and son were about to start arguing again.

Xu Yun considerately brought over a cup of fragrant tea, "Madam, please have a cup of fragrant tea."

Madam Lu said softly, "Yun'er is still the one who understands me best." She took the fragrant tea and said, "My son is no longer mine. His heart has been completely given to someone else. This is the sorrow of every mother."

Xu Yun said reproachfully, "Young Master Jianyue, as the most trusted person of the Fortress Master, you should advise him to be more filial to his mother. How can you stand idly by while your wife and the Fortress Master are at odds?"

Qing Jianyue was startled, but Xu Yun, standing before her, possessed a noble and unapproachable air amidst her beauty. Although her tone was stern, her eyes were incredibly gentle and kind. This made Qing Jianyue dare not try to argue or make excuses. Like a well-behaved child, she obediently said, "Yes, Miss Xu is right. I was wrong."

His flustered and timid demeanor amused Xu Yun, who chuckled. Her eyes, as gentle as water, sparkled as she caught Lu Qingcheng staring at her with slight surprise. Her heart pounded like a deer's, and her cheeks flushed crimson. She lowered her head slightly, like a shy lotus flower. Lu Qingcheng sighed inwardly, "What a beauty!" Thinking this, he glanced at his mother, only to see her beaming with approval. He immediately sensed something was wrong and hurriedly turned away, meeting Qing Jianyue's bright, dark eyes glaring at him fiercely, as if burning with fire.

Lu Qingcheng flashed a guilty smile, as if she had been caught doing something wrong. "Jianyue, are you hungry?"

Kiyomi blinked his bright eyes, looking somewhat bewildered, as if he couldn't understand why his mood had suddenly turned so bad. He turned his face away in frustration, extremely irritated.

Lu Qingcheng thought he was jealous and angry, and was both surprised and delighted. She grabbed his hand and held it tightly, and said softly, "Are you angry?"

Just then, the song and dance ended, and the dancers fluttered like two flocks of butterflies towards the side doors. Tong Kang laughed heartily, picked up his wine glass, and shot a sharp look at him. Qing Jianyue quickly shook off Lu Qingcheng's hand, and Lu Qingcheng sat up straight. Tong Kang flattered with a beaming smile, "Our Lu Family Fortress was able to defeat the powerful Sky Eagle Sect, all thanks to my cousin. Come, let's all toast our cousin."

People rose from their seats, raised their glasses, and toasted Lu Qingcheng.

Lu Qingcheng waved her hand and said, "Master Tong is wrong. The reason why our fortress was able to defeat the Sky Eagle Sect is entirely due to all the uncles and brothers present. I, Lu Qingcheng, am able to be where I am today entirely because of them. This cup should be toasted to them."

Tong Kang laughed and said, "If that's what you say, cousin, then let's pay our respects to the Great Lord. I heard that the Great Lord deserves the most credit for defeating the Sky Eagle Sect this time."

Qingfeng said calmly, "Master Tong, you are wrong again. If it weren't for the leadership of the fortress lord, the Grand Enforcer's tireless efforts and hard work, Zhonghe's successful diplomacy, and the silent and powerful support from Lord Lin, Chief Bai, and Chief Zhou, if it weren't for everyone's concerted efforts, brainstorming, and valiant fighting, how could our fortress have defeated the Sky Eagle Sect?"

"The Grand Lord is too modest," Tong Kang said with a smile. "If you hadn't put aside your personal grudges and taken over the position of Grand Lord when your cousin was seriously injured, Lu Family Fortress would probably have collapsed long ago. Even if everyone fought bravely, what would have been the use? So, you deserve the most credit. This cup of wine is well-deserved."

“If Master Tong says that, I feel even more ashamed,” Qingfeng said. “If it weren’t for Jianyue’s earnest persuasion and my cousin’s tolerance, I, Lu Qingfeng, would probably still be feeling sorry for myself, and how could I be living so easily and freely in this world as I am now.”

Upon hearing this, Tong Kang said, "Then let's pay our respects to the Third Lord, the Fifth Lord, the Sixth Lord, the Seventh Lord, and the Eighth Lord."

Lei Yongxiang shook his head and said, "I didn't do anything special."

Li Anguo said, "It was the Third Lord's skillful command that made me contribute anything."

He Zhiqiang said, "It was the Third Lord's command, the Fourth Lord's control of the overall situation, and the brothers fought to the death. I am nothing."

Du Fangwei said, "I have no credit for this; it is all thanks to the Third Lord's skillful command."

Liu Xicheng was a straightforward and outspoken man. He said loudly, "If you ask me, this cup of wine should be toasted to Young Master Jianyue. Ever since Young Master Jianyue cleaved Zhong Dakun, Zhao Feihu, and Yan Jiujin in three blows, assisted the Grand Enforcer in inviting the three lords, presented the flower hairpin to help the fourth lord of Tianlong Fort deliver birthday gifts, and during the Black Pine Forest incident, he risked his life to protect the fort lord and persuaded the Grand Lord Qingfeng. Don't you think Young Master Jianyue's contribution is the greatest?"

People immediately agreed.