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Глава 34

"Really?" She blinked her innocent, watery eyes, looking utterly innocent.

Qiao Fenglang naturally knew that things were not that simple, but knowing that she was safe and sound was enough for him.

Yin Wuxiao glanced at him cautiously: "Don't tell Aunt Yun and Aunt Nan about this, lest they worry."

Then, Yin Wuxiao realized she had stepped on something, and she subconsciously looked down.

That was a hand.

Even stained with blood, it still retains its beauty.

※ ※ ※

That woman likes Brother Fenglang.

Although she had just come of age, she had acquired a lot of knowledge from books, and with her friend Shi Mansi, who was outspoken and uninhibited, she knew a bit about matters of love and romance.

Ever since she and Qiao Fenglang rescued the girl in black from the mountains, Qiao Fenglang has become exceptionally busy. This is because, ever since the girl woke up, she has only eaten the food that Qiao Fenglang fed her and only drank the water that Qiao Fenglang gave her. She seems to harbor a strong hostility towards everyone else.

"What's your name?" she finally couldn't help but ask, interrupting the girl in black's reverie by the window.

The girl glanced at her sideways, but ignored her.

Yin Wuxiao, still unable to hide his intense curiosity, asked with a smile, "Are you a good person or a bad person?"

The girl still ignored her.

Yin Wuxiao was annoyed.

"You know I'm going to marry Brother Fenglang in the future," she said casually.

Sure enough, this sentence successfully captured the girl's attention.

"You...aren't siblings?" she finally asked in a low voice. The girl was beautiful, and her voice was as clear as a nightingale's song in a secluded valley, though it was slightly hoarse from her injuries.

“We,” Yin Wuxiao raised the corners of his mouth, “are nominally cousins, but actually we are not related by blood.”

The girl in black bit her lip.

"He...won't marry you just because his parents want him to."

“But he won’t marry anyone else as long as I refuse.” Yin Wuxiao looked at her with a smile. She’s given herself away, hasn’t she? They’re about the same age, but she just can’t stand the girl’s indifferent and cold-hearted attitude.

"Then... what does that have to do with me?" The girl turned her head away, feigning bravado.

"But you like him."

"I don't...like him at all." The girl suddenly turned around and glared at her, but the last three words lacked conviction. Yin Wuxiao, on the other hand, was startled by her angry and embarrassed gaze.

"You really don't like him? Brother Fenglang is a young hero of the new generation, dashing and gentle, compassionate and noble..."

"Shut up!" The girl in black suddenly blushed.

She knew, of course. She had walked a tightrope between life and death, and it was Qiao Fenglang who pulled her back. It was also Qiao Fenglang who calmed her down with gentle words when she was in excruciating pain and on the verge of madness. She had a violent temper and was hostile to everyone. At first, she refused to eat, and it was Qiao Fenglang who personally fed her every day, and even ate the food himself first to prove it was safe, gradually gaining her trust.

This man was outrageously kind and patient. She was just a stranger he'd met by chance, yet he not only offered her a helping hand but also showed the kind of care only close family members would give. She lived in a world filled with fear and hatred. She hated her grandmother, her family, her mentor, yet she feared she couldn't meet their expectations, couldn't do what they wanted her to do. But now, there was this man who, without any reason, cared for her, looked after her, and worried about her, without requiring her to do anything.

It was at this moment that she suddenly realized that those people she had desperately tried to gain even a shred of praise and care from were merely using her as a tool to achieve their own goals.

It was at this moment that she realized this young man was worth her lifelong pursuit.

Yin Wuxiao carefully studied her expression.

"Don't you want to know if he likes you or not?" In any case, she had never seen Qiao Fenglang treat any other woman like this.

The girl in black, Yuwen Cuiyu, was stunned. She hadn't considered what Qiao Fenglang thought of her.

Yin Wuxiao chuckled to himself.

"I bet Fenglang has feelings for you." Being a good person is one thing, but being this happy about being a good person is another. Although this girl has an extreme personality and an unknown identity, she genuinely likes Qiao Fenglang. As his younger sister, shouldn't she lend him a hand?

"If you keep talking nonsense, I'll cut out your tongue!" Yuwen Cuiyu scolded her, her face flushed, but the murderous intent in her eyes had vanished. The fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl was vaguely thinking, what if he really did something to her...?

"Why are you in such a hurry? I'm just trying to be helpful!" Back then, her family's head steward, Cen Lu, was tricked into signing a sixteen-year indenture by her silver tongue.

"I've invited Brother Fenglang to go to the garden to admire the peonies tonight. Are you coming?"

Yuwen Cuiyu's expression changed, thinking that she was showing off again.

"I'll ask him for you then, okay? Brother Fenglang loves me the most, he would never lie to me. You can hide behind the pavilion, Brother Fenglang won't notice." Yin Wuxiao's eyes crinkled with a smile.

"I……"

"Isn't that a very tempting offer?" Yin Wuxiao added fuel to the fire.

Yuwen Cuiyu's heart skipped a beat.

Who can argue with that?

※ ※ ※

By the moonlight, Yin Wuxiao glanced at a piece of dark fabric peeking out from behind the tall bushes behind the pavilion.

"Xiao'er." The voice behind me was somewhat broken, with a heavy nasal tone.

She was taken aback, then quickly turned around and recognized Qiao Fenglang, which put her mind at ease.

"Is Brother Fenglang's throat uncomfortable?" Yin Wuxiao stepped forward with concern.

Qiao Fenglang shook his head, his bright eyes shining in the darkness.

"Why are you looking at me like that? Is there something on my face?" She suddenly felt a dryness in her throat and couldn't help but shrink back.

"Xiao'er..." Qiao Fenglang called again, this time with a hint of a sigh.

"What's wrong?" Yin Wuxiao blinked. Why was the night wind so cold?

"It's nothing." He suddenly smiled, his usual gentle and loving smile. "Did you call me here tonight for something?"

Yin Wuxiao touched his nose, composed himself, and walked silently into the pavilion, picking up the wine pot and filling two small cups.

"The town is famous for its Daughter's Red wine. Since I rarely get to come out, I asked Uncle Nian to go and get some."

"Oh? Why is Xiao'er in such a good mood?" Qiao Fenglang raised an eyebrow and obediently sat down.

The aroma of wine permeated the entire garden. Tonight, Qiao Fenglang didn't forbid her from drinking. Oh well, this was exactly what she planned to do—tell the truth while drunk.

"Brother Fenglang, how old were we when we got engaged?"

Qiao Fenglang's brows furrowed.

A few very faint sounds also emanated from the bushes.

"Who?" He suddenly stood up, staring into the bushes, his face full of wariness.

Yin Wuxiao hurriedly pressed down on his tense arm, soothing him: "It must be rats. I caught two big rats behind the pond yesterday, their fur was shiny..."

Before he could react, she stopped talking, then pointed at him and screamed, "Don't change the subject! You must have forgotten, right? How could you forget something so important?"

"I..." Qiao Fenglang chuckled awkwardly, caught off guard as she steered the conversation back to the original topic.

Yin Wuxiao's expression softened slightly, and he asked with a smile, "When will you marry me?"

Qiao Fenglang stared blankly at her.

"Anytime...no, when do you want it to be?" He finally processed her words and suddenly reached out and grabbed her hand.

Hmm... This is a bit different from what she expected... Shouldn't Brother Fenglang be struggling to express the last remaining brother-sister affection between them?

"Um... I mean..." She stared at his pupils, which were beginning to sparkle, with a sense that something was amiss.

"I mean, even if you only feel brotherly affection for me, and even if you are very, very likely to fall in love with another girl, you still absolutely have to marry me?"

She's already hinted so clearly, so speak up! Resist her words loudly and passionately, tell her you will follow your heart and bravely pursue your love!

Qiao Fenglang took a step closer, his dark eyes gazing intently into her pupils: "What makes you think that I only have brotherly feelings for you?"

Huh? Huh? Huh? Huh?

"Isn't it...?" Yin Wuxiao suddenly had a premonition of impending doom.

“Xiao’er,” Qiao Fenglang took another step forward, placing his hands on her shoulders to close the distance between them, looking down at her and drawing her into his shadow.

“I, Qiao Fenglang,” he paused, a fleeting hint of disgust in his voice, “I swear I will have you in this life, and I will marry no one but you.”

"What?" Yin Wuxiao was completely incredulous.

“I said, I love you.” A meaningful smile appeared on Qiao Fenglang’s lips.

"Wait..." Yin Wuxiao gasped, frantically covering his rapidly approaching face.

"What about the girl in black in the east wing? What do you think of her...?"

“You are the only one in my heart, and only a woman like you is worthy of me,” Qiao Fenglang interrupted her firmly.

"This..." Yin Wuxiao looked distressed. Had she made a mistake by trying to do something clever?

A loud shout suddenly came from behind the bushes, the voice sharp and angry.

"Yin, Wu, Xiao!" The woman in black leaped out of the air, brandishing a long sword and gritting her teeth.

"I...I..." Yin Wuxiao couldn't help but tremble slightly.

Qiao Fenglang, already alert, shielded her behind him and met the attacker with a palm strike. As expected of someone with a family tradition of martial arts, he struck Yuwen Cuiyu with a palm after a few exchanges.

Yuwen Cuiyu coughed up a mouthful of scarlet blood, her slender body flying up and crashing hard into the courtyard wall.

She slowly got up, using the longsword in her hand for support.

"You... do you really treat me like trash?" Yuwen Cuiyu trembled as she covered her wound, looking at Qiao Fenglang, who was full of caution, in disbelief.

After a long pause, Qiao Fenglang slowly spoke:

"Who are you?"

Yuwen Cuiyu and Yin Wuxiao both opened their mouths wide at the same time.

The difference was that Yuwen Cuiyu quickly closed her mouth.

She swayed, then swayed again, and suddenly burst into a vicious laugh.