Cut off his ear?! Xiao Man couldn't help but shudder.
Tianquan released her hand and said softly, "Xiaoman, is being with me really that unbearable?"
She gritted her teeth and said, "Yes!"
He smirked: "Because I lied to you? Or because I like you?"
She cried out angrily, "I don't want to be with you! I don't like you!"
He didn't speak for a while, then said, "Don't you believe what I'm saying?"
I don't believe a single word!
He chuckled: "Then what would it take for you to believe me?"
The Crimson Butterfly Chronicles, Chapter Nine: Sea of Flowers (Part Three)
Updated: 2008-10-19 16:47:09 Word Count: 3827
These are the three most agonizing and heartbreaking chapters I wrote.
Yeah, but I'm also very happy. Tianquan, oh Tianquan.
First update.
Xiaoman was furious at his gentle, persistent approach, but she couldn't vent her anger. His unhurried manner made her feel like a madwoman who could only yell and scream. She took a breath and pointed out the window: "You use the sea of flowers to control me, making me see flowers all the time, but that's just an illusion. If you can really make a sea of flowers bloom outside, then I'll believe you!"
Tianquan said in a low voice, "Xiaoman, I am not a god."
"Whatever!" She lay back down on the bed and pulled the covers over her head. "Get out!"
After a while, hearing him gently close the door, Xiaoman was furious beyond measure. She should open the window and run out again; he was going to use that "flower sea" thing on her again. Her body was completely naked; he had seen everything. To remove the flower sea, he'd have to cut off her ear… Why should she cut off her own ear for a worthless earring?!
She tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep. The thought of Zexiu searching for her filled her with unbearable sorrow. But did she truly hate Tianquan? She couldn't say. Her feelings for him were becoming increasingly complex, first dislike, then gratitude, and then a sense of unease. But to say she hated him to the point of wanting to kill him was absolutely not true.
He was really good to her.
Xiao Man closed her eyes tightly, only feeling the wind howling outside. Gradually, she fell asleep.
It was as if she was having a dream.
Her maternal grandfather, whose face is somewhat obscure, disliked her appearance and threw ten thousand taels of silver at her, kicking her out of the house. She was left begging outside with the thick wad of silver notes. She was incredibly pitiful. Later, she met a chivalrous man in a black cloak with three swords at his waist. He rescued her and took care of her.
Somehow, it turned into their wedding night. The hero lifted her veil and pinched her shy chin. He whispered, "That's why I told you not to look at him. You made a mistake, didn't you?"
She was suddenly stunned, completely baffled as to what the wedding night had to do with making a mistake.
In the blink of an eye, the chivalrous hero transformed into a gentle and refined young man in white robes. His eyes were as deep as the night, and he said softly, "You will be mine."
He suddenly blew a gentle breath, and the bridal chamber instantly transformed into a sea of flowers, with colorful petals falling in profusion. Just as she was about to marvel at this, she suddenly felt the person in front of her turn into a giant, silver-white python, gently coiling around her, rendering her unable to move. She screamed in horror. Suddenly, she heard someone say in her ear, "So, you really did make a mistake."
Xiao Man woke up with a start, her back drenched in cold sweat. Turning her head, she saw no giant python or bridal chamber. …It was already broad daylight. She threw back the covers and sat up. The more she thought about it, the more bizarre the dream seemed.
She lifted the curtain and saw a food box on the table. Inside was a beautifully prepared bowl of congee and two dishes of vegetables, still steaming hot, clearly freshly made. For some reason, she sighed, washed up, and then obediently came over to eat.
Halfway through my meal, I suddenly felt something cool land on my neck. Turning around, I saw that the window had been blown open a crack by the wind, and snowflakes were seeping in through the gap. It was snowing again.
She got up to close the window, glancing quickly out and seeing the courtyard bursting with vibrant colors, every hue imaginable. Xiao Man, surprised, flung open the window and was met with a vast sea of flowers blooming in the snow! It was a sea of colorful blossoms. Every tree, every branch in the courtyard was covered in blossoms. A gentle breeze blew, and the flowers swayed softly, as if petals were about to dance in the air, a vision of spring's arrival.
He actually made the trees bloom in winter!
Xiao Man was so surprised she could hardly close her mouth. Suddenly, she saw someone moving in the courtyard—it was Tian Quan. He was wearing a mink cloak, holding an umbrella, and gently tying the flowers in his hand to a tree branch. As if sensing someone watching him, he turned his head slightly.
She had to admit that even the most beautiful painting couldn't capture this scene. The snow fell heavily, like cotton wool being torn off. He held an umbrella, his brows revealing the deepest scheming and the most terrifying tenderness. His long eyelashes fluttered slightly, and suddenly his gaze locked onto hers, followed by a gentle smile.
In that instant, it was as if the whole world had fallen silent. Xiaoman could clearly hear her own heart pounding, each beat louder than the last.
He held up the flowers in his hand and said softly, "I'm giving you a real sea of flowers, Xiaoman. Don't you believe me?"
She involuntarily took a step back, unable to utter a single word. It turned out those weren't real flowers, but rather folded from colored paper. So many—had he spent the entire night folding them? And then tied them one by one to the tree?
Tianquan tied the last flower on, then slowly walked to the window with his umbrella. He looked somewhat haggard, his eyes bloodshot, but his smile remained gentle and warm. He said softly, "Now, do you believe me?"
She will be killed by this tenderness, suffocated little by little, never to rise again.
A gust of wind blew by, ruffling her hair. Something landed on her hair, and Tianquan gently picked it up. It turned out to be a pupa.
"Is it a moth?" For some reason, she suddenly asked a strange question.
He looked at it for a while and shook his head: "No, it's a butterfly. Falling down in this freezing weather and landing in the snow means certain death." He gently placed the chrysalis on the table and said softly, "Keep it in a warm place. Perhaps it can emerge in the spring."
"...Put it here with me?" She couldn't quite understand whether this person was gentle or cruel.
Tianquan smiled slightly: "Yes, it's beautiful when it emerges from its cocoon, you'll like it too."
Xiao Man nodded silently, gently holding the chrysalis in her hand. Turning back, she saw him still standing in the snow with his umbrella, and couldn't help but whisper, "You... do you want to come in? Hmm... there's a lot of food, I can't finish it all by myself..."
His eyes shone like stars. He closed the umbrella and said softly, "Okay, thank you."
As he spoke, he jumped in through the window, closed it, took off his cloak, and sat down at the table. Xiaoman silently poured him a bowl of porridge and whispered, "I've already eaten... don't mind."
He shook his head. He picked up the chopsticks she had used and began to eat. Xiaoman played with the pupa in her palm, sitting beside him without saying a word.
Tianquan suddenly said, "My father once said that everyone is born with a cocoon. Some people spend their whole lives inside the cocoon, while others can break free. I didn't understand what he meant before, but now I do."
Xiao Man said softly, "I... don't quite understand."
He put down his chopsticks, his voice just as soft: "You'll understand later."
He gazed silently at the incense burner in the corner of the room, its smoke curling upwards, and thought of things from long ago, such as Pei Niang. Such as that deep, silent palace that existed only in fragments of memory, such as his father.
In his youth, he lived so recklessly, believing that was true beauty. In the desolate courtyard, he made love with a woman he had once respected as an elder, without any restraint. Perhaps he once thought that physical pleasure was beauty. He guarded this secret, experiencing a secret, forbidden thrill, both afraid of being discovered and yearning to be discovered. He thought he was soaring in the sky, fearless.
His father eventually found out, but he didn't fly into a rage; by then, his health was failing. He lay in bed, his eyes unusually bright, and took his hand. He whispered, "Jianyu, you've created your own trap. The cocoon on your body is the thickest, the strongest, and the largest. You're destined not to shine; living a stable and uneventful life is your only duty."
He died, and then Pei Niang died too. Alone, facing the empty, desolate courtyard, he instantly understood what it meant to be trapped in one's own web.
What he perceived as colorful was actually silk, which only further bound him up.
He has no chance of advancement; the beautiful scenery will always be on the other side, only to be admired from afar.
But now he wants to gather, with a completely different kind of life. He will have many, but if he cannot obtain what he desires, then all of those things will become as fleeting as clouds.
If he is falling into darkness, use his last ounce of desperate strength to wrap himself up in something—something that can save him, something that can elevate him. Something brilliant and radiant.
He held Xiaoman's hand tightly, stared intently into her eyes, and whispered, "Xiaoman, don't leave me."
She lowered her head and remained silent.
She gradually became more silent, able to sit quietly for an entire day while he read. Perhaps she also became gentler, tying the sash of his cloak for him when they went out to shovel snow.
Perhaps they are all waiting—waiting for what, no one knows.
The afternoon was as still as a stagnant pool. The room was warm, and Xiaoman was practicing calligraphy on the table. Gradually, she got sleepy and fell asleep leaning against the table, the pen in her hand slowly sliding down.
It felt like someone had wrapped their arms around her waist from behind, their hands getting quite restless. Xiaoman suddenly woke up, grabbed them, and yelled angrily, "You lecherous devil!" She hadn't shouted like that in a long time. The hands trembled slightly, but instead of leaving, they tightened their grip. A faint scent of musk filled her nostrils, and Xiaoman immediately stiffened.
"Tianquan... let me go," she whispered.
His face was pressed against her neck, as if smiling: "I won't let go."
Xiao Man panicked immediately, struggling wildly and twisting her legs: "Let go! You bastard!"
His arms were like iron hoops, and he couldn't break free no matter what he did. Suddenly, he felt an itch on his neck; it was his lips that had landed on it. He murmured, "If I had known this would help you recover, I would have come to hold you sooner."
Xiao Man was so anxious that her face turned red and her neck bulged. She scratched wildly, not knowing where she scratched him, but he hissed in pain and his arm loosened. Xiao Man immediately jumped up, turned around and started beating him without any regard for his feelings. She kicked him in the chest and said hatefully, "You're a lecherous bastard too!"
Tianquan grabbed her ankle, holding her bare foot in his hand. Her feet were delicate and lovely, her toes snow-white, and they were still twitching slightly. He lowered his head and gently kissed the top of her foot. Xiaoman's face turned as red as if it were about to bleed. She suddenly pulled her foot away, but lost her balance and stumbled towards the small table.
Tianquan quickly hooked her waist, pulled her back, and threw her onto himself. She bit her tongue, cried out in pain, and tears streamed down her face.
He quickly held her face and asked, "Let me see, is there any bleeding?"
She covered her mouth, pushed him away forcefully, and mumbled, "I don't want you to look! Go away!"
Chapter Ten of the Crimson Butterfly Chronicles: Crimson Butterfly (Part One)
Updated: 2008-10-19 16:47:10 Word Count: 3766
Second update.
For the first time, he felt a mix of amusement and exasperation. He pried her wrists open, grabbed her chin, and forced Xiaoman to open her mouth. He looked and saw that she was indeed bleeding a little, but thankfully she hadn't bitten her tongue. He took out a small box from his pocket, dipped it in some ointment, pulled her back from the doorway, forced her to open her mouth again, and applied the ointment to her tongue.
"Don't talk or drink water for an hour, it will be better soon." He instructed as he applied the medicine, looking down at her with her watery eyes, glaring at him with a mixture of annoyance and frustration, her expression truly endearing. The touch of her fingers was warm and smooth, and his heart fluttered slightly; he couldn't bear to take his hand away.
"Take it away..." she mumbled, glaring at him intently.
"Shh, don't speak," he said softly, his fingers unconsciously tracing her tongue. Her face grew increasingly red, and she suddenly clenched her teeth to bite his fingers, only to have his thumb slip inside, gently kneading them. Her body went weak, and she could no longer bite down. She raised her foot to kick him, landing squarely on his stomach. His expression changed slightly, and soon his white robe was stained with blood.
Xiao Man was so frightened that she dared not kick him anymore. She grabbed his wrist and pushed him away with all her might. He raised his hand and scooped her into his arms.
"You really hit hard." He smiled bitterly, taking off his white shirt, which was covered with whip marks. It seemed he had just been beaten, and the marks were red, swollen, and bleeding. Her kick had made the bleeding even worse.
His fingers were still in her mouth when he suddenly withdrew them, lowered his head, and placed a light kiss on her lips. Xiaoman reached out to grab him, but seeing the whip marks on his body, she didn't know where to grab and could only let go dejectedly.
Tianquan chuckled softly, "You're just worried about me too."
The wound on her tongue became numb and itchy after the ointment was applied. She seemed a little unresponsive, her speech still mumbled: "The punishment you mentioned... is this? Your master hitting the ground?"
He didn't speak, but gently picked her up, looked up at her, and whispered, "Xiaoman, even just a little bit. Do you like me?"