Небо над реками и озерами очень чистое

Глава 60

"What did you say?"

"It's too late. The only person I want is her." Xie Yunshu glanced back at him, her expression calm. "I've thought about everything you've said, and I know how troublesome it will be in the future, but I can't control it, and I can't let go."

“You’re right. She’s stubborn and headstrong, never caring about herself. She’s also incredibly proud and would never step into a place that doesn’t welcome her. She disdains entering the Xie family’s door, and she would never stoop to pleasing others. If pushed to the extreme, she would rather cruelly cut ties…” He smiled as he spoke, sighing with helplessness, but his eyes were filled with affection. “There will never be another woman like her.”

"He doesn't sound like someone you'd be interested in at all." Seeing his expression, Song Yushang knew she couldn't persuade him and muttered resentfully.

“You wouldn’t understand.” Xie Yunshu’s expression softened as he spoke of that person. “Without this kind of temperament, she couldn’t have survived in Tianshan, much less protect me and let me return to Jiangnan alive. That pride and determination were the foundation that kept her going. But here…”

"Like a peerless divine weapon, you love its sharpness in battle, but find it too prickly in daily life. You only see her out of place and incongruous, but you don't understand the environment in which she has survived to this day."

"How could you describe her so beautifully? It's like you've been bewitched." Listening to her friend's heartfelt confession, Song Yushang was slightly moved, but still remained unconvinced.

"You all assumed she used some kind of secret or evil magic to bewitch me just because you heard she came from a demonic sect," Xie Yunshu said with a wry smile. "I really hope that's the case; at least it would show she had feelings for me..."

“You’re saying she has no feelings for you? How could that be? Siyi said you two developed feelings for each other back in Tianshan. Besides, she only smiles in front of you. It’s not that she doesn’t smile normally, but…” Song Yushang scratched his head, unable to find a suitable way to describe it.

“She does like me.” Xie Yunshu understood what he meant and couldn’t help but smile. “It’s just that she’d rather give up the trouble of being with me.”

“That proves she doesn’t like him enough.” Song Yushang finally said confidently.

“She doesn’t want me to regret it.” Xie Yunshu hesitated slightly. “Or rather, she believes I will regret it someday.”

"Just thinking about the difficulties you might encounter makes me think you'll definitely regret it," Song Yushang said after a moment of silence. "Let's try something else."

"Do you think you can still be attracted to anyone else after falling for her?" He wasn't angry; he asked calmly.

“Yes, everything else turned into ordinary iron.” Song Yushang stretched out her arm and tightened her grip on him, annoyed. “Fine, I know it’s obvious. Since you insist on this, I wish you good luck.”

"Thanks, I do need this." Seeing his friend's exaggerated sigh, Xie Yunshu chuckled and punched him lightly. "Let's go, I'll treat you to drinks tonight."

The mention of wine immediately energized Song Yushang.

"I want Auntie's homemade Drunken Flower Shade wine, the kind that's been buried for at least seven years." Madam Xie's privately brewed spring wine is a specialty of Yangzhou, but unfortunately, due to her poor health, she produces very little each year. Even the Xie family members consider it a treasure and are reluctant to taste it easily.

Xie Yunshu glanced at him sideways, "You wish."

"Five years is fine too."

"Dream on." He shook off the other person's hand with a jolt, only to have it quickly and affectionately draped back over him.

"Three years, I suppose. Our brotherhood should be worth at least that much," Song Yushang demanded with a lecherous grin.

Xie Yunshu only replied with one word to this shameless person.

"roll."

kites

Twenty days later was Xie Zhenchuan's sixtieth birthday, the head of the Xie family. Having ruled the Jiangnan martial arts world for many years, his reputation was renowned and he was highly respected. On this special occasion, a simple celebration was impossible. Guests from afar arrived one after another to offer their congratulations, and the usually peaceful and orderly Xie residence began to bustle with activity. All the guest rooms were refurbished and ready to welcome guests, and the disciples were on high alert, striving to ensure everything was perfect.

Some guests brought their wives and children, and naturally, Madam Xie was responsible for entertaining them. After several days, she was quite tired. Xie Zhenchuan, feeling sorry for his beloved wife, ordered his son and daughter-in-law to assist her and try to avoid overworking her. As a result, Xie Yunshu was busy with household chores all day and had no time to attend to anything else, only having the opportunity to visit Xia Chu Yuan late at night.

As part of some deliberate arrangement, Bai Fengge was asked for assistance by Xie's father through his eldest daughter-in-law, and was often arranged to appear with Xie Yunshu to entertain guests. After a few days, they were tacitly regarded as a couple.

The regrets of the Xie and Bai families back then were well known, and there were rumors that Xie's third son had reappeared and behaved strangely, often seen with a girl who was not yet of marriageable age. When this young and frail girl caused a major setback for the Prince of Nanjun, all these rumors attracted even more attention. While the Bai family was recovering, they closed their doors to visitors and, at Xie Yunshu's request, kept quiet. This low-key and secretive approach aroused countless speculations, and many people were curious to see what was going on.

Upon arriving, they saw Xie and Bai working together to entertain the guests, and both believed the rumors were wrong. They resolved to choose a new day to arrange the marriage alliance between the two families. The guests were delighted with the outcome, and the two were repeatedly met with friendly inquiries and laughter. Eventually, Xie Yunshu lost patience to explain further.

The happiest person in this lively gathering was probably Qinglan. Being confined to her home for three years and forbidden from going out was the most unbearable thing for the lively and active Qinglan, far more painful than the punishment of being caned. Now, with so many elders visiting with their children, it was as if she had more playmates. Apart from respectfully listening to the elders' instructions and pretending to be well-behaved, she mostly mingled with her peers, and her days were full of fun.

Yu Sui, whom his father held in high regard, moved out of the Xie residence under a pretext as his birthday approached. He moved into one of the Xie family's clandestine properties in Yangzhou, specifically requesting to stay at Chunze Garden. When Uncle Li reported this, he was secretly suspicious. Chunze Garden was right next to Xiachu Garden; was this young master Yu's choice merely a coincidence? He instructed Uncle Li to find an excuse to have his guests stay at Qiufu Garden, far away from Jia Ye's residence. Although he knew Jia Ye was capable of protecting himself, he secretly increased security and had people monitor Yu Sui and his party's comings and goings.

He was exhausted. Sometimes his weariness disappeared after seeing Jia Ye, and sometimes it was even worse. As long as they didn't talk about the future, didn't try to get her to make promises, and didn't pry into her past, everything would be fine. But without these things, even when he was holding her, he still felt empty inside, always worried that she might turn away at any moment. The fear of losing her kept assailing him, and even though he knew he shouldn't, he still drove Jia Ye to become increasingly anxious, and he grew more and more gloomy.

The observant mother was the first to notice her beloved son's unusual behavior.

"Shu'er hasn't been feeling well lately." A mother's slightly worried gaze swept across his face; she always had the keenest intuition to observe.

"No, I'm just a little tired." He forced a smile. "Mother, go take a nap when you have time. You can leave things here to me and my second brother." One tiring task after another, his heart was indeed restless, but he didn't want his mother to worry.

“Shu’er isn’t someone who gets affected by such trivial matters.” Madam Xie wasn’t so easily fooled. After a moment’s thought, she saw through her lie. “Because of Miss Ye?”

He was tired of hiding it, so he could only remain silent.

Madam Xie smiled knowingly, her eyes filled with affection. "Don't worry too much about your father. Although he doesn't approve, he might not be so stubborn in time. I know Miss Ye is a good girl." She patted his hand reassuringly. "Although she has a chronic illness, with Jingze around and the Xie family having the means, she can recover slowly. As long as you like her, I don't care about social status or anything like that.

"Father won't agree," he knew in his heart. His father had high expectations for him and would never allow him to marry a wife of questionable birth. No matter how you looked at it, Jia Ye was not a suitable candidate for the Third Young Master's wife.

Jia Ye also knows.

Therefore, she never even considered stepping into the Xie family, unwilling to compromise her pride in the slightest.

"Mother, if I leave the Xie family..."

As soon as she spoke, Madam Xie's face turned pale, her lips trembled slightly, and it took her a long time to utter a word.

"I'm getting old, and I just want you all to be safe and sound by my side. I don't want to worry about you anymore..." His sorrowful expression made him feel so guilty that he almost swallowed his words back. Madam Xie paused for a moment, then continued, "Take your time with Miss Ye. I'll try my best to persuade your father. As children, we shouldn't argue with our parents over trivial matters or easily say we're leaving home, okay?"

He could only nod; he couldn't utter another word.

"It's your father's birthday today, so bring Miss Ye along for a chat. Let your mother have a good talk with her. There are some things you can't say to her, so I'll do it for you, okay? I think she's intelligent and polite, and she must be reasonable."

Of course, Kasya understands the principles of things.

It is precisely because I am so clear-headed that I see things so clearly and never have any illusions.

She always sleeps curled up, even in my arms, her back to me. The slightest movement will wake her; she's always on guard, her heart like a tightly locked chain. Perhaps the only way is for time to melt her away.

He has that kind of patience, but what about time?

"Third Brother."

Qinglan ran closer, full of energy and a cheerful smile. A boy of similar age followed behind, his handsome and refined features instantly endearing him to the eye.

Who is this?

"This is Shen Huaiyang from the Shen family of Luoyang, the second son of Shen Shibo." The young man had a clean and bright temperament, with a slight scholarly air. If it weren't for the long sword hanging at his waist, it would be hard to associate him with the Shen family, which is also one of the four great families in the Central Plains.

"Thank you, Brother Xie." Beneath the respect lay curiosity, clearly showing a strong interest in the legendary protagonist who had returned after being missing for seven years.

"Young Master Shen has come from afar to offer his congratulations, please make yourself at home. If there is anything I have done inappropriately, please feel free to tell my younger brother."

"Thank you, brother. Qinglan and I hit it off immediately, it couldn't be more casual." The two young men were close in age and from similar families, and had become friends in just a few days. He smiled slightly, recalling his first meeting with Song Yushang, which was probably a similar situation. This kind of social interaction was naturally the best occasion for young men from noble families who had not yet entered the martial world to gain experience and knowledge.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, he was about to leave when Qinglan grabbed him and sneakily approached.

"Is Third Brother going to find Miss Ye?"

He didn't say anything, but grabbed his younger brother's ear and twisted it hard. Qinglan immediately grimaced and cried out, "Third brother, I was wrong, I didn't know anything... Ouch... Be gentle."

Xie Yunshu finally let go, satisfied, and Qinglan immediately jumped back a few steps.

“I will never tell my parents that you often go out at night, and I will never tell them that you only come back when it is almost dawn.”

He narrowed his eyes, and Qinglan took two steps back, a fawning smile on her face.

What do you want?

"Please, Third Brother, put in a good word for me and ask to be exempted from these days of discipline and postponed until after Father's birthday banquet, would that be alright?"

"You know the rules of the house, it's not that easy."

"That's why I'm begging you, Third Brother." Qinglan winked mischievously. "You'll definitely persuade Father if you ask. How could Third Brother bear to be happy by himself?"

He was at a loss for words, both laughing and crying.

"If you can keep this a secret, I'll find a chance to ask for you."

"Don't worry, Third Brother, I will definitely defend it to the death. Even if Father beats me, I won't say a word." Qinglan was overjoyed and immediately made a solemn promise, showing the spirit of a man of his word.

They hadn't gone far when they heard two boys whispering to each other.

"What are you using to threaten Brother Xie?"

"You don't know, my third brother has fallen for someone. He sneaks out every night to meet her, he's completely infatuated..."

"Not the second young lady of the Bai family?"

"Of course not, let me tell you..."

"Qinglan!"

The shout startled Qinglan, who then turned around and smiled obsequiously.

"Farewell, Third Brother. I...didn't say anything...hehe..."

He gave an awkward laugh while dragging Shen Huaiyang away in a flash, his guilty conscience obvious.

I went out a little earlier than usual tonight, and Jia Ye was still asleep.

A bed covered with bamboo branches and cotton paper was laid out. He frowned and fumbled to piece them together. Under the flickering candlelight, they had a unique and elegant beauty.

"What do you want to do?" Seeing her distressed and unaware that her hair was disheveled, he couldn't help but chuckle affectionately and loosely tied it up with a silk ribbon.

"That butterfly kite from last time seemed pretty easy to make, but I just couldn't get it to stick together." He gestured with the bamboo strip in his hand, puzzled. "Something doesn't seem right."

He took a closer look and immediately burst out laughing. "You split the bamboo strips too thin. A kite like this will fall apart before it even takes off, and besides, the shape of the kite isn't right either." He picked up a bamboo branch from the side and split it again. When he was young, he often played with his older brothers and made his own kites. He was quite skilled at it.

He worked meticulously, striving for exquisite detail. He split bamboo strips, attached a frame, and covered it with cotton paper. With a few flips, a beautiful kite appeared before his eyes. Jia Ye reached out and touched it, "It seems like something's missing."

He glanced at it, smiled slightly, took it to the desk to grind ink and mix colors, and with a few light strokes, he changed colors and added some more, instantly transforming it into a lifelike butterfly, so colorful that it seemed ready to flutter away at any moment.

Jia Ye took it and looked at it against the lamp, a childlike smile gradually appearing on her face, an incomparably pure joy. She even tried to guide the cotton thread in the room, and the butterfly kite would sometimes jump with her guidance, like an easily pleased innocent child.

"You're amazing, you finished it in no time." Her face flushed slightly with joy, like a rosy sunset. He rarely saw her so happy, and it put him in a very good mood as well.

"You like it?"

"Mmm." She touched it again and again, unable to put it down. She lay it down to look at it, then rolled over and spread it on the bed to study it with great interest.

"Why did I suddenly want to make a kite? There probably isn't much wind this season."

“It’s okay if you don’t give it to me, I just want one.” Her slender fingers traced the patterns on the butterfly’s wings. “I used to have one just like it.”

"Did your father make this for you?"

She nodded, her long eyelashes fluttering slightly. "He's clumsy; it took him a long time to finish, and it flies crookedly." The girl looked up and smiled, a hint of nostalgia in her eyes. "But I still like it very much."

"And then?" He loved seeing her smile like that, her dark eyes sparkling as if filled with light.

Upon hearing this, the light suddenly dimmed, and Jia Ye bit her lip. "Later, the string broke, and the kite was gone."