"Uncle Lan!"
After laughing for a while, Lan Yanfeng stopped laughing. "Isn't Xiao Wuzi good? I think he's much more interesting than his master."
Xiao Yuan was momentarily lost in thought, then lowered her eyes. "He... isn't bad. But I... I don't know why I have to like that bastard Yi Chunjun." The thought of him always deceiving her made her angry.
"Hmm." Lan Yanfeng smiled and nodded knowingly.
Xiao Yuan looked up at him with a wistful gaze, "Uncle Lan...can I ask why Mother didn't choose you back then?"
Lan Yanfeng's eyes dimmed for a moment, then he gave a self-deprecating laugh. "Let me ask you first, did the little fox apologize to you?"
Xiao Yuan frowned, a little confused. "Well, he was the one who made the mistake, so of course he should admit it."
Lan Yanfeng stared blankly at the slender leaves of the bamboo opposite him, "And I—I never apologize to her..."
Xiao Yuan looked at him; he must be lost in memories, right? Because every time he and Uncle Zhu thought of their mother, a look that was both tender and bitter would appear on their faces.
"When I was young... I didn't like to admit defeat, let alone admit my mistakes. Even with her, I wouldn't give in, and I made her cry many times. Once, she insisted on learning the Thunder Slash. When Master wouldn't teach her, she came to pester me. She knew that Senior Brother listened to Master the most, and his personality... he would never make an exception and secretly teach her. Of course, I didn't want to teach her either, because that skill was too brutal, and if you didn't control it well, you would hurt yourself. If only I had clearly said that I was afraid she would get hurt, that I felt sorry for her, but I told her that her skill level was not high enough to learn the Thunder Slash, and that she was not worthy of learning it."
Xiao Yuan sighed. Of course, his mother would be furious if he said that.
“She wanted me to apologize to her, but I argued with her, saying that I did nothing wrong and why should I apologize? She ran away crying and ignored me for several days, and I ignored her too. Then she went down the mountain, and I stubbornly refused to chase after her. When I saw her again, my master had passed away, and she had already married your father.”
Xiao Yuan felt a pang of sadness and didn't know what to say.
Lan Yanfeng seemed a little embarrassed by recounting so many past events, then deliberately chuckled twice and said in a relaxed manner, "If I had pursued her back then, your father wouldn't have been involved at all. And there wouldn't be a little beauty like you."
She truly understands that feeling!
For the past ten years, she has repeatedly imagined "what ifs"! A thousand ifs, ten thousand ifs—in reality, there are no ifs, only the fact of what happened back then. The feeling is—regret.
“Xiao Yuan’er, you really should thank me.” He looked at her and smiled. “From a young age, I told Chun Jun that there is no right or wrong in love, only love and not love. There are no principles when it comes to the person you love. How about it, he has learned it thoroughly, hasn’t he?”
Xiao Yuan's nose tingled, and tears welled up in her eyes.
Over the years, his heart has probably suffered even more than that of his senior brother, Master Zhu.
“Go see them. Take them to your parents’ graves and explain everything. Let your parents formally meet your son-in-law. Also… clear Pei Junwu’s name in front of your father, so he no longer has to bear the burden of loyalty and righteousness for the Xiao family. That child… has suffered too much because of these things. If he could grow up carefree and happy like Chun Jun, he would be the most outstanding man in the world, much better than that bastard Chun Jun.”
Xiao Yuan smiled slightly and said, "That's right. Pei Junwu should live without any worries, say what he wants to say, and do what he wants to do."
She thought of Yi Chunjun's plan again and felt it was increasingly promising. When her daughter grew up, she would see Pei Junwu as she had seen her two senior uncles, Zhu Lan and Zhu Yi, and she would definitely fall in love with him…
Chapter 66 of "The Smiling Flower": A Confession at the Grave
Master Zhu has taken great care in maintaining this grave.
Xiao Yuan gently placed a bouquet of chrysanthemums in front of her father and mother's tombstones. Pei Junwu and Yi Chunjun, standing behind her, stood solemnly with their hands at their sides.
Xiao Yuan sighed, silently praying. "Father and Mother," she thought, "these two men, one with the title of husband and wife, the other with the de facto, both deeply love me. Today I'm going to tell them my decision. I hope... I hope... they won't be so sad."
Not sad? How could I not be sad...
She turned around, "Today, in front of my parents, I..."
"Xiao Yuan, before you speak, I need to say a few words to my third uncle and aunt, okay?" Pei Junwu smiled faintly.
Xiao Yuan stared at him blankly, then nodded.
He stepped forward and gracefully knelt down.
“Third Uncle and Third Aunt, for so many years, we have let Xiaoyuan wander alone, failing your trust. We are truly guilty and ashamed. Pei Junwu kowtows to you on behalf of our deceased father and Uncle Gui to apologize.”
Just as Xiao Yuan was about to speak, Yi Chunjun grabbed her hand and shook his head at her.
"I have finished speaking as a family member. Now, Your Majesty, I have something else to report."
Xiao Yuan was taken aback, then saw him respectfully bow again.
"The Pei family has been loyal and righteous for generations, and Junwu has been a member of the Pei family for three generations. Now, the successor of the Moon King has found a better protector. We also ask His Majesty the Moon King to grant Junwu his freedom, so that he can live as he pleases, pursue higher levels of martial arts without any worries, and travel all over the world's magnificent mountains and rivers."
“Junwu…” Her vision was blurry. Was he afraid of putting her in a difficult position?
Pei Junwu stood up, and after a long while, he turned around. He could now look at her with a smile. "Xiao Yuan, from today onwards, I will be your elder brother Pei, no longer your retainer."
"Junwu!" She threw herself into his arms.
This man is so good, so incredibly good.
“Pei Junwu—” This time, Yi Chunjun let the two embrace without hesitation. He looked at him approvingly and said, “No wonder I liked you back then. You are a really good man.”
Pei Junwu looked at him with a mischievous smile, "If you decide to continue liking me now, that's fine too, I accept."
Xiao Yuan couldn't help but chuckle as she cried.
Yi Chunjun paused for a moment, then burst into laughter, "Good, good. This will make it even more interesting for me to be your father-in-law."
"Huh?" Pei Junwu didn't quite hear clearly.
“Junwu,” Xiaoyuan wiped away her tears and smiled, “Yi Chunjun and I have a big gift for you.”
"A grand gift?" Pei Junwu raised an eyebrow. "I dare not accept Yi Chunjun's grand gift; he will definitely want an even bigger one in return."
Xiao Yuan was also stunned for a moment, then couldn't help but burst into laughter. He really knew Yi Chunjun very well.
Yi Chunjun laughed, "Don't worry, it's within your ability to repay. Besides, this great gift also comes with our sect's secret technique, the Sky-Supporting Mantra. You must cultivate it well and master the art of preserving your youth, otherwise I won't be able to help you."