Второстепенная женская героиня невинна

Глава 18

My lips were pale, and I tried my best to suppress my trembling voice as I slowly said, "Yiyang, what nonsense are you talking about? Let go." The last two words, "Let go," came out with an unusually cold tone in my voice. Sure enough, Yun Yiyang's arms jerked as he released me from his embrace. I straightened my clothes slightly and said in a deep voice, "Yiyang, stop being childish. Go back and rest."

Yun Yiyang bit his lip hard and suddenly shouted, "Sister Bai! I...I really like you! You...you..." His childlike eyes looked at me, and there seemed to be a few tears in them.

I sighed softly, slowly walked up to him, and gently touched his face with my cool hand, saying softly, "Yiyang, look up at me..." I looked at Yun Yiyang; his bluish-black eyes were like starlight in the night, but almost devoid of emotion.

"Look at me, how old am I really?"

Yun Yiyang froze, his eyes fixed on mine. After a long while, he slowly said:

"Nineteen...no...twenty...no, that's not right either..."

I chuckled and turned around, my eyes revealing an unusual worldliness and depth beyond my years. I said softly, "In another month, I'll be twenty-five..." I looked at Yun Yiyang's eyes, which were slowly widening in surprise, and smiled, "Didn't expect that, did you?"

Yun Yiyang nodded involuntarily, and with great difficulty managed to squeeze out a sentence: "But... Sister Bai, you're almost younger than Youhua..."

I couldn't help but smile when I heard this, and then I gently stroked my face with my fingers, as if I were telling a story, or as if I were talking in my sleep: "I didn't know time had passed so quickly... My face is not old, but my heart is old; my face is not old, but my heart is old..." I suddenly smiled at Yun Yiyang and said: "Little rascal, I still prefer to be your older sister."

Yun Yiyang stared blankly at me, unaware that tears were slowly streaming down his face. He paused for a moment, then suddenly wiped the tears from his face with his sleeve and said loudly, "Yiyang's favorite and most respected person is Sister Bai. Yiyang has no biological sister, so from now on, Sister Bai will be Yiyang's biological sister!"

I smiled gently and said softly, "I don't have a younger brother, but I treat you like my own brother... Alright, go back and rest. You have things to do tomorrow."

As I watched Yun Yiyang's figure gradually disappear into the night, a look of sadness and helplessness appeared in my eyes for the first time. Because I knew that I had, intentionally or unintentionally, hurt this young man's feelings.

I'm sorry, Yun Yiyang. How could I not know your heart? But I swore long ago that I would never again have such pointless feelings in my heart. Because love inevitably brings far more pain than joy.

Whether in modern times or ancient times, I do not want to let such emotions cloud my rational and calm mind.

I composed myself, my eyes regaining their usual calm and detached expression, and slowly walked into the room. Only then did I feel a chill creep over me, and I couldn't help but sneeze.

I reached out my hand, and a few snowflakes landed on my slender, white fingers.

Before we knew it, it was already early winter.

Chapter Eleven: Fragrant Grasses Always Remain Like Old Companions

"Hahahaha... These two hundred loads of fine silk belong to Guiyun Manor again!" Qian Dakuan's loud, broken laughter echoed in the flower hall. Wiping his reddened nose, Qian Dakuan laughed heartily, "But as you said, the newly woven 'Returning Wind and Flowing Snow' silk from Guiyun Manor must first be given to Tianjin Manor, and I'll get an 80% discount. No going back on my word!"

I picked up my teacup and took a sip: "When have I ever gone back on my word, Baiyi?"

Qian Dakuan stopped laughing, looked me up and down with his bull-like eyes for a long time, and suddenly said, "You... damn it, you're really a woman?"

I looked up at him, then back at my own black clothes and long hair, and slowly said, "Does Master Qian think I'm a man or a woman?"

"You..." Qian Dakuan pondered for a while, then suddenly gave a thumbs up and exclaimed, "Impressive! I've been in the business world for over thirty years, but I've never seen a woman like you before! You're truly amazing! I wouldn't dare say my silk is the best in the world, but in the twelve states of the North and South, the best silk is from Tianjing Manor. I sell you my best silk every year, willingly and without hesitation! I really can't understand how so many shrewd businessmen have fallen to your hands!"

“Well…” I picked up the teacup, gently blew away the tea leaves floating on top, and looked at the clear, emerald-green tea reflecting my faint smile: “Because they all see me as a woman, and what they don’t know is…” I looked up and smiled:

"In the business world, there are no men or women, only businessmen. And I am an excellent businessman."

I pulled my black cloak tighter and slowly walked towards my dwelling. Before even entering the house, I could hear a melodious flute tune drifting from within. The music floated in the early winter wind, making one feel as if bathed in the warm sunshine of March, so comforting that one lost track of where they were—it was truly exquisite.

But upon hearing this, I couldn't help but groan, tapping my throbbing head. I pushed open the door latch with my left hand and shouted in a booming voice, "You surnamed Shang, who gave you permission to come and go in my room as you please!"

Sure enough, this man surnamed Shang sat leisurely on the windowsill. In such a narrow space, he could even cross one leg over the other, and do so very naturally, with a slightly worn bamboo flute held to his lips. Young Master Shang looked at me with a smile, but did not stop playing.

"You...this is my room..." I stared at him with eyes that could kill for a long time, finally giving up my twenty-eighth chance to protest, and casually pulled up a bamboo chair to sit down. I looked at him helplessly.

I'm confident that I can solve any problem, but I'm helpless against scoundrels.

Especially towards scoundrels like Shang Shaozhang.

"I remember you were supposed to be teaching Yi Yang martial arts, not coming here every day to make me listen to your flute playing," I said coldly after patiently listening to Shang Shaochang finish playing.

Shang Shaozhang stretched lazily, his eyes half-open and half-closed, and said, "As for the skills... I've practiced them enough. This young master from Guiyun Manor has a poor foundation and low comprehension. Although he works hard, he's nowhere near as good as I was back then..." Seeing my face getting darker and darker, he quickly changed his words, "However, after my training, this young master Yun can easily handle seven or eight ordinary thugs!"

I raised an eyebrow, half-believing, half-doubting: "Really?"

Suddenly, Shang Shaozhang opened his eyes. Without me noticing, he floated down from the windowsill and stood in front of me, laughing, "What I said is true. A student taught by a top-notch assassin like me, even if he's an idiot, will still be a top-notch idiot."

“You…” I looked up at him and said expressionlessly, “I only hope that you don’t raise him to be a first-rate scoundrel.”

"Hahahaha..." Young Master Shang laughed heartily, reaching out to lightly lift my chin. "One is a first-rate talented woman, and the other is a first-rate scoundrel. Aren't they a perfect match?"

I slapped away Shang Shao's sneaky hand, my eyes blazing with anger that could practically set the whole room ablaze! "Who said you're a perfect match for me!"

"Tsk tsk tsk..." Young Master Shang shook his head repeatedly, a sly and ambiguous smile appearing on his face. He whispered in my ear, "You're nowhere near as adorable as you were that night..."

That night... my eyes blinked several times before I suddenly remembered that he was talking about the night I got drunk.

That night, I stood barefoot in the courtyard, lost in reverie. That night, Young Master Shang, dressed in a blue robe, played the flute on a bamboo branch. The melodious flute music, the lingering mist, the cool stream… That night, for the first time, in a hazy state of consciousness, I nestled in a man's arms…

Thinking of this, my face flushed, and I realized that Shang Shao's face was almost touching mine. I was so angry that I slapped him across the face: "Bastard! You actually...you actually...!" I was so angry that I didn't know how to retort.

With a light flick of his wrist, Shang Shaozhang easily dodged my hand. Suddenly, he swiftly reached out and lightly brushed my cheek. Before I could even get angry, he had already floated out of the window. His laughter echoed in the air: "Such tender skin... blushing clothes are the cutest..." His voice faded into the distance, and he was already more than ten feet away.

Without realizing it, I touched my cheek and found it was burning hot. When I looked in the mirror, I was surprised to see a faint blush showing through my pale skin.

That bastard, Young Master Shang!

The window was still open, and a blast of early winter air blew into the already not-so-warm room. Instantly, I burst into an uncontrollable cough, which took a long time to subside. I turned around, drank some water, and slowly tried to calm the burning sensation and discomfort in my chest—

The winters here are even colder than in modern times.

After November, it began to snow in Jiangzhou City. Snowflakes, like goose feathers, drifted down from the gray sky, covering the streets and pedestrians in white. Street vendors called out their wares loudly in the snow, their breath white as snow. "Grandpa, freshly baked sesame cakes!" "Auntie, this wicker basket won't spoil no matter how much you put in it—" "Selling eggs—" Compared to the cold winter, the streets were as lively and bustling as ever.

"Sister Bai, we've arrived at Grandpa Zhao's noodle shop again. It's so cold, let's go grab something to eat and visit him!" "Yes, yes, Youhua is a little hungry too." Yun Yiyang, dressed in brocade robes, stood tall and elegant. The past month of training had shed much of his childishness, giving him a steadfast and imposing presence. Youhua, draped in a snow-white fox fur coat, her long, black hair cascading over the flawless pelt, appeared even more pure and radiant, her beauty beyond compare. At that moment, the two of them were standing around me in front of a noodle shop, urging me to go in and rest. The noodle shop was small and simple, with a few wooden tables and chairs inside, but it was already full of people. It was bitterly cold outside, but the noodle shop was steaming hot. Almost everyone was holding a large bowl with fragrant, hot noodles in it. The white breath from their mouths mingled with the steam from the noodles. Although the noodle shop was small, the business was booming. A crooked wooden plaque hung on the roof, which was almost touching people's heads: Zhao's Noodle Shop.

I breathed on my hands, which were almost frozen, and rubbed them vigorously a few times. I took off the hood attached to my mink cloak, pulled my hair out from under the cloak, and said with a smile, "Now that we're here, of course we should go in and have a seat!"

"Great!" Seeing Yun Yiyang cheer and jump into the noodle shop like a child, a joyful smile involuntarily flashed in my eyes. Youhua still moved gracefully and elegantly across the threshold, and as she stepped into the room, she didn't forget to slowly lift the hem of her fox fur coat—this movement was so elegant and beautiful that even looking at her from behind made me a little mesmerized.