The Killing of Crows, Chapter Five: Locking Up Spring (Part Two)
Updated: 2008-10-15 0:14:39 Word Count: 4868
I'm so hardworking, I admire myself! I've written another chapter, two more updates to go.
This is the first update.
Her hair was disheveled, tangled with his, and covered in bits of hay.
Lianyi slowly got up from the ground, tidied her hair, and put her clothes back on one by one. Although she had taken them off quickly last night, and couldn't even remember how, in the end, she still had to put them back on all by herself.
Yelü lay beside her, one hand still around her waist, sleeping soundly. Lianyi gently bent down, extended a finger, and traced his handsome features, bit by bit: forehead, bridge of the nose, eyes, eyelashes, cheeks, lips.
She no longer hesitated.
Yelü stirred, turned over, and mumbled, "Little Lianyi..." but didn't wake up, still fast asleep. He was always a heavy sleeper and wouldn't get up until almost noon.
Lianyi quietly got up and used her hands as a comb to slowly comb her hair. She didn't know how to put her hair up in a bun, so she could only tie it up with a strip of cloth.
The sun shone brightly outside the cave; it was a beautiful day. Lianyi slowly stepped out of the cave, took a deep breath, and stretched. Suddenly, a figure appeared beside her, startling her. She quickly turned around and saw Gengu standing motionless in front of her, his clothes stained with dried blood, his face pale, and his eyes dark.
Lianyi was overjoyed and exclaimed, "Gengu! Are you alright?" She ran to him, grabbed his hand, and looked him up and down, unable to contain her delight.
Gengu looked at her silently and whispered, "Sister...no. I want to call you Lianyi, is that alright?"
"Sure." Her eyebrows lit up with a smile, seeing that he was alright. She didn't care what he called her, even if he just called her "hey."
Gengu's face darkened. A murderous glint appeared in his eyes, and he said in a deep voice, "Very well, Lianyi, I'm going to do something, and you're not allowed to stop me." He raised his broadsword and was about to walk past her into the cave. Lianyi suddenly had a bad feeling and hurriedly stopped him: "What are you going to do?"
Gengu said coldly, "That beast defiled you, I'm going to kill him!"
Lianyi grabbed his hand: "No! No, it has nothing to do with him, it was my own choice!"
Gengu stared at her incredulously, a deep, wounded red in his eyes: "You're still protecting him! Let me tell you, he abandoned me, snatched you, and ran. While you two were being intimate, I almost died at the hands of Song soldiers! When you were with him, did you ever think of me even a little bit? Am I just a fool who should die for you?"
Lianyi's face was deathly pale. Her lips trembled slightly as she whispered, "I'm sorry, Gengu... I'm sorry. I just... I..."
"What? There's no woman in the world more foolish and stupid than you! He's just playing with you, and you've willingly let him play with you! He doesn't even consider you a decent person. You're just his plaything! He can use you and then throw you away! You won't even have time to cry later!"
He roared, shoving Lianyi aside: "Get out of my way! I'm going to kill him!"
Lianyi raised her hand and pressed it on his shoulder, which Gengu instinctively brushed away. Unexpectedly, she used a surprise move, twisting his elbow with her wrist and turning it backward. Gengu was taken aback, never expecting her to use her true skills at this moment. He immediately turned his body to avoid the force, and kicked her knee with his toes. Lianyi released his hand, leaped forward, and with a flash of cold light, the Crimson Cloud Blade landed steadily against his neck, holding it still.
Gengu looked at her as if she were a monster, as if she were a complete stranger.
Lianyi pressed against his neck and whispered, "Don't meddle in my business! I know what I'm going to do! I don't want anyone pretending to be doing what's best for me to do for me!"
Gengu suddenly realized he had misjudged her all along. He thought she was a simple, weak woman who needed protection, someone who didn't understand anything, and someone for whom he had to plan everything. But that wasn't the case at all. Her eyes were wide open, filled with a resolute look. It was clear that if he took another step closer to the cave entrance, she really would strike.
Gengu took a breath and whispered, "Lianyi, would you kill me? For a beast?"
Lianyi said softly, "You don't know, I have a goal now, a goal worth devoting my whole heart and soul to. Whether he's a beast or an emperor, it doesn't matter. It's what I want, what I'm willing to do, what I'm willing to do. Even if he deceives me to death, I don't care. For years I haven't been able to find someone I could entrust everything to, but now I have one. That's my business, what he does has nothing to do with me. Because I'm not empty now, I'm doing very well!"
It's a sad thing to live without any pursuits, at least for her. Others pursue what they can obtain, while she pursues what is unattainable; both are goals, no different. Just like finally finding the true meaning of life, whether good or bad, it's a fulfillment of her life.
Gengu stared blankly at her. After what seemed like an eternity, his hand finally dropped slowly, and the broadsword clattered to the ground. Tears streamed down his face as he clenched his teeth, remaining silent.
Lianyi slowly put down the Crimson Cloud Blade and said in a low voice, "I'm sorry, Gengu. I hope you will stop interfering in my affairs, please."
He slowly nodded, turned around, and stared intently at the distant, withered forest. A flock of birds flapped their wings and took flight, gliding away in the sunlight.
“Then I’ll tell you too.” He bent down, picked up the broadsword, slung it at his waist, and turned to look at her calmly: “I also have a goal, one I’ll pursue at any cost. No matter what she becomes, I don’t care, I won’t give up. If she never looks at me, I’ll never leave. This is my stubbornness, and it’s yours too. In short, she’s the only one for me in this life!”
He turned and left, never to return. Lianyi watched his retreating figure silently, and for some reason, she dared not stay or leave.
She seemed to understand his words, yet also seemed not to. In truth, a lifetime is a very long time, yet they always define such a long period with a short span. And they diligently adhere to it, stubbornly refusing to look back. Whether this is good or bad, no one knows.
Lianyi stood at the cave entrance for a very long time. Until Yelü emerged from inside, shirtless and yawning, and suddenly embraced her. He opened his mouth and bit her ear, whispering, "What are you looking at? Are you thinking of me?"
Lianyi smiled slightly, then suddenly felt an urge to cry. She whispered, "I was looking at a very nice person. He just walked past."
Yelü smiled slightly, put his arm around her shoulder, and gently led her back into the cave: "Fools aren't worth seeing. You'd be better off looking at the scenery. Or—look at me. Little Lianyi, did you like it last night?"
A trembling moan escaped her throat as she hurriedly pressed his hand down, saying urgently, "No... it's dawn..."
Yelü gently released her, put on his clothes, tied his hair up, and said, "Let's go back to the Liao Dynasty. This place is a desolate wilderness, there's nothing here at all. It's so boring."
Lianyi couldn't help but recall the "lifetime" she and Gengu had talked about, and couldn't help but ask softly, "Yelü, what do you want most in this life?" He gently pinched her cheek: "Call me Shulu. That's my courtesy name. I don't like hearing you call me by my full name. I don't know what I want in this life. Right now, what I want most is you."
He grabbed her and pulled her to the ground, crushing a flower in his arms.
She didn't know how much time had passed. She seemed to hear footsteps outside the cave. Startled, Lianyi quickly pushed Yelü away; he had fallen asleep on top of her again. Lianyi hurriedly put on her clothes, picked up the Crimson Cloud Robe, and quietly walked to the cave entrance. Looking outside—no one was there. She looked around in confusion, then breathed a sigh of relief. Turning to go back into the cave, she was suddenly struck on a vital point on her back, rendering her instantly immobile.
A dark figure slowly walked in, unusually tall. It was indeed Yelü Wenjue. He coldly looked at Lianyi, raised his hand and slapped her: "You slut! You're hiding here getting intimate with a man! What happened to what I told you to do?"
A trickle of blood slowly slid from her mouth. Her face was deathly pale as she stared blankly at him, whispering, "I won't do it! I won't harm my master!"
Yelü Wenjue sneered, "You've only known her for a few days, yet you keep calling her 'Master, Master.' You've only known this man for a short time, yet you've already slept with him. You really are shameless, just like your mother."
Lianyi said in a trembling voice, "It doesn't matter how long it's been. I know who treats me well, and I know what I want! Even if you are my father... my mother did nothing wrong. She just loved the wrong man, but at least she never regretted it until she died. That's better than you calling her a slut behind her back!"
Before she could finish speaking, she was slapped again, this time harder. She opened her mouth and spat out a mouthful of blood mixed with a broken tooth.
Yelü Wenjue looked at her coldly and said softly, "Don't call me father. I don't have a daughter as lowly and foolish as you. It's fine if you don't go looking for your master. I heard that you and this man have a good relationship with her. I know some things about the situation along the way. You can come with me.
He clapped his hands, and several men in black immediately appeared behind him. They skillfully pressed acupoints on the sleeping Yelü, hastily dressed him, hoisted him onto their shoulders, and quickly walked out of the cave. Lianyi wanted to speak, but someone slashed her neck, and her vision went black; she immediately fainted.
Tianquan hasn't gone out since he came back. Every day when Xiaoman and Uncle Zhao are shoveling snow, she can see him standing by the window whenever she turns around. Sometimes she feels like he's looking at her, but other times she feels like he's not looking at her, but at some vague and distant place.
This young nobleman has many secrets in his mind, and he is completely unpredictable. You will never know what he is thinking.
Xiaoman has always had a bit of awe for such unfathomable people and doesn't dare to get too close. However, Qifu and Sanxi always urge her to go to Tianquan to do this or that, as if they really enjoy seeing her get the short end of the stick. They always laugh slyly and with ill intentions.
One snowy morning, Xiaoman, hunched over, brought in the meat Uncle Zhao had left outside to dry. Suddenly, she heard hurried footsteps behind her. Turning around, she saw Qifu rushing towards her with a basin of hot water. Before she could speak, Qifu shoved the basin into her hands: "Quick! Take this to the young master! Don't let the water get cold!"
Xiao Man paused for a moment, clearly unwilling: "I'm collecting dried meat!"
Qi Fu scooped up the dried meat from under the eaves: "I'll collect it. You go and bring hot water. If it gets cold, the young master will be angry."
Whether he's angry or not is none of her business! Helpless, Xiaoman had no choice but to carry the water into Tianquan's courtyard.
His door was tightly shut. Xiaoman called several times but no one answered. She had no choice but to kick the door open roughly, take off her shoes, and go inside, calling out, "Tianquan! Tianquan! The hot water is here for you!"
Still no one answered her, so Xiaoman had no choice but to carry the hot water upstairs again. His bedroom door was ajar, and a warm, fragrant scent of plum blossoms wafted out. Xiaoman went in, placed the hot water on the washbasin stand, rubbed her cold hands, and looked back—oh dear, he was still asleep in bed! The bed curtains were layered, but only half-covered, revealing his fair and handsome sleeping face. His long, black hair fell across his forehead; he was having a sweet dream and hadn't even woken up when she came in.
"Tianquan, the hot water is here." She called out softly again.
Tianquan finally stirred, slowly opening his eyes. His dark pupils were unfathomable, filled with a captivating, bewildered allure. He glanced at her, then suddenly reached out and hugged her legs, resting his head against them, murmuring, "...Why are you up so early..."
Xiao Man was so frightened that her whole body stiffened. She stuck out a finger and poked his hair: "It's me! Are you sure you haven't mistaken me for someone else? Hey!"
Before she could finish speaking, she felt a sudden dizziness, her back went limp, and she fell onto his bed. She screamed in fright and frantically tried to get up, but suddenly someone supported the back of her neck with one hand, and his body pressed down on her, incredibly heavy.
Xiao Man couldn't catch her breath, her vision blurred with stars from the pressure. She felt his hot breath on her neck, and his lips gently pressed against her ear as he murmured, "Say something... Pei Niang... one more time?"
Pei Niang?! Xiao Man finally caught the word clearly. Seeing that this man was acting like a beast and that her chastity was in danger, she didn't have time to think about how he could have become like this. In her haste, she opened her mouth and bit him on the shoulder. Her fingers scratched wildly, not knowing where she was scratching. She heard him hiss, then he suddenly stood up and stared at her.
"You beast!" Xiaoman was so angry she was trembling all over, raising her hand to hit him. Tianquan grabbed her wrist, somewhat shocked, but mostly filled with guilt. He quickly got up, retreated to the bedside, and whispered, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to."
Xiao Man hurriedly jumped out of bed, straightened her collar, and turned to run away. Tian Quan said softly, "I'm sorry, because you and I... look alike, I'm really sorry."
"Who looks like you!" Xiaoman grabbed a calligraphy brush from the table and threw it at Tianquan. Tianquan easily caught it with a flick of his sleeve. She was utterly frustrated and depressed, unable to find anything to retaliate against, so she could only turn away and continue walking.
Tianquan stepped out of the room and asked again, "Where are you going?"
"Mind your own business! I can walk all the way to Zhenzhou by myself!" She made up her mind not to stay a moment longer and left immediately.
Suddenly, her vision blurred, and the person appeared before her like a ghost, raising his hand as if to grab her. Xiaoman screamed in fright and almost jumped up, but she lost her balance and fell to the ground, unable to get up for a long time.
The Killing of Crows, Chapter Six: Locking Up Spring (Part Three)
Updated: 2008-10-15 0:14:40 Word Count: 4209
Yes, it's the diligent Fourteenth again, another chapter written. Two more updates to go.
This is the second update.
A hand grabbed her wrist and pulled her up. Xiaoman shook it off and jumped far away, her face pale: "Don't touch me!"
Tianquan stood quietly by the door, his hair loose, his chest mostly exposed, looking somewhat helpless and annoyed. It was rare to see such an expression on his icy face. Normally, Xiaoman might have mocked him privately, but right now she just wanted to scratch that face to pieces.
"I mistook you for someone else, I'm sorry," he said softly.
"That excuse is too lame!" Xiaoman was furious. "I'm not some kind of 'Pei Niang'! You can even mistake your own wife; I feel sorry for her!"
Upon hearing the name, his face turned pale, and he fell silent.
Xiao Man took another step back, looking at him suspiciously. She suddenly remembered Sanxi saying that his young master never flirted with women, and at twenty-four, he was still unmarried. Pei Niang clearly couldn't be his wife; she must be a prostitute he frequented outside! This man seemed so refined and unapproachable, looking down on everyone, but who knew he was so despicable in private!
Tianquan remained silent for a long time before turning his head away and whispering, "Peiniang is not my wife, she is... she is already dead."
Dead? She still couldn't believe it. She carefully hid behind the chair, gripping the back, wondering if she had the strength to lift the chair and throw it to him.
Tianquan didn't speak again, but turned and went upstairs step by step. Xiaoman released the back of her chair and couldn't help but ask, "Then...who is she? Does she really...look like me?"
He paused for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "Go out. Don't even think about running around. Once you're outside the gate, I'll definitely catch you and bring you back."
What kind of talk is that?! Xiao Man was furious again.
“Look carefully. I’m not Pei Niang, so don’t treat me like someone else. I don’t care about or need your pity. I am who I am. If you’re protecting me for some other reason, there’s no need for it. I won’t appreciate your kindness.”