Chapter 77 Crying and begging for help: Then teach me, what should I do to...?

Two steamed buns flew into Ye Can's mouth, choking him so badly he could barely breathe. He bent over, coughing violently. Seeing this, his junior disciple quickly handed him a cup of water.

Wang Yan's face was gloomy, his fists clenched tightly. "If you slander your great-aunt by even one more word, I won't hesitate to make you cry for your parents in public."

Li Changling threw three dried apricots at him, one hitting him right between the eyebrows and two bouncing onto his mouth. "Your mouth smells so bad, rinse it before you eat! Go home and ask your parents how a person should speak."

Yan Xun was furious but didn't know how to vent his anger, so he could only throw dried apricots with Li Changling.

Ye Can brushed away all the dried fruit that were thrown at him, saying, "Stop throwing them! Wang Yan, go apologize to my junior sister."

Yan Xun shouted, "Can't you understand human language? She said this is slander!"

Shen Minghuai spoke calmly: "Humans speak to others, while beasts may spout nonsense, but that is rare."

"You dare call me an animal?"

Ye Can's eyes widened in anger, and she pointed at him, shouting, "Do you still think you're that prince who everyone gives way to? Wake up! Your father is dead, you're nothing."

"Apologize?"

Wang Yan dug her fingertips into her palm, bit her lip, and scoffed, "The one who should apologize is you."

"Hit him!" Wu Baihu shouted from upstairs.

Someone immediately chimed in, "He slandered this young lady's innocence without even knowing the facts. Let's teach him a lesson!"

Some people said, "But look at the three handsome young men beside her. Maybe what this young hero said is true."

"Then let him produce evidence! Anyone can prove something with words."

At the innkeeper's desperate pleas, Wang Yan and Ye Can leaped to the top of the Gengxian Tower to settle the score with a single sword strike.

"Could you two young heroes please have some mercy and fight somewhere else? Don't destroy my building!"

The two people standing firmly on the rooftop said in unison, "It's a sword fight."

Ye Can glared at her and declared, "If there are any losses, I'll compensate you!"

The commotion drew everyone around Gengxianlou, who eagerly awaited the arrival of the two sword energies that would cleave Gengxianlou into pieces. The most excited of all was the owner of Daoxiangfang across the street, who was anxiously hoping that the two sword energies would shatter Gengxianlou into pieces.

This time, Ye Can knew to be polite and let her go first, saying, "Make your move."

Wang Yan drew his Cloud Robe Sword from his waist. "How dare you show off your limited skills in the territory of the Righteous Alliance? You were the one who started it."

"Then you'll see!"

Ye Can attacked with his sword, unleashing twelve illusory sword strikes. The thirteenth strike, a mighty sword aura, slashed down directly at Wang Yanxing. Wang Yanxing leaped onto the roof like a phantom to dodge, but the intense sword aura tore a hideous scar across the path beside the Gengxian Building.

Why are you hiding?!

"You didn't say we couldn't dodge."

Wang Yan's delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly, and he smiled and agreed, "I will allow you to dodge as well." Just as he slowly raised his sword, a voice suddenly came to mediate the fight.

"stop!"

Wang Yan glanced at him out of the corner of his eye and struck without mercy. Each sword strike came from an unexpected direction, swift and unpredictable. Ye Can had no time to react; he only smelled a lingering fragrance of flowers before he was defeated. Golden phoenix petals fell onto the cracked road. Although he was knocked down on the rooftop, his brocade robes tattered, he only suffered a cut on his arm; all the other sword attacks had been blocked.

Ling Qieting looked up at Wang Yan, whose skirt was fluttering in the breeze, and was deeply moved. Like a fallen flower, she was just as her name suggested.

Ye Can jumped off the roof in a disheveled state and walked up to the anxious Qu Zhen, boasting, "Don't worry, I wasn't hurt at all."

Ling Qieting snorted coldly, "That's because she didn't intend to kill."

Qu Zhen grabbed Ye Can's arm, extremely displeased, "Senior Brother! How can you speak up for an outsider?"

"It was my junior brother who provoked me first with his reckless words. Did I say anything wrong?"

Ling Qieting walked towards Wang Yan, bowed and clasped his hands, saying, "As the senior brother of the Righteous Alliance, it is my dereliction of duty that you have come from afar, yet such a thing has happened. I apologize to you on behalf of my junior brother."

Wang Yan walked past him, looked at Ye Can, and said firmly, "I want him to apologize."

Ling Qieting shouted loudly, "Junior brother, apologize."

Ye Can was afraid of him, so she finally lowered her head and mumbled three words: "I'm sorry."

Wang Yan kept her eyes fixed on him. "Not enough."

Ye Can quickly grew impatient. There weren't many people who could make him apologize. What more did she want?

"Don't push your luck—"

Ling Qieting silenced him with a single glance. Wang Yan demanded that he clearly and plainly tell everyone: her relationship with Ling Qieting was completely innocent, and that his fabrication was baseless.

Ye Can pouted and reluctantly repeated, "Your relationship with him is completely innocent; I made that up out of thin air, alright..."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a bucket of excrement was thrown at Ye Can. Before he could even close his mouth, he was now even more stinky.

"who!!!"

An old man living nearby peered into the bucket and said, "I was going to throw sulfuric acid in there, but I took the wrong one. You've already slashed everyone's road, so this is a bargain for you."

Yan Xun had just been wondering what Shen Minghuai was up to when he saw him leading an old man out of the alley. He hadn't expected this move.

Ye Can dared not utter a word, vomited on the spot for a while, and returned home, suppressing her anger. Ling Qieting followed the four of them back to the inn, repeatedly apologizing. Upon hearing that Wang Yan had decided not to attend the ceremony in nine days, he hurriedly analyzed with her: if she didn't go, wouldn't that confirm the rumors? She should attend gracefully; that would be the best way to prove their innocence.

Shen Minghuai stood behind her and said disdainfully, "Whether she goes or not is her freedom. What does your innocence have to do with her?"

Yan Xun chimed in, "That's right. It was your junior brother who spread rumors and caused trouble. Why should only your sister give in to you?"

Ling Qieting tightened his grip on his sword. "I apologize, it was my oversight. Whether you come or not, I respect Lady Wang's wishes. Since you've traveled all this way to Xinzhou, I still hope to see you that day. Those invited by the Righteous Alliance to attend the ceremony are not unknown figures, and it would be good for Lady Wang to make a few friends."

Wang Yan, propping his head up with his hands, impatiently ushered Ling Qieting away. He returned to his room early and went to bed, but tossed and turned, unable to sleep. He put on his outer clothes and leaped onto the roof, intending to admire the moon, but found it invisible; fortunately, there were still some stars.

Shen Minghuai tiptoed to her side and sat down, staring at her without saying a word. Seeing that she seemed about to leave, he took her wrist and took out a package of pastries wrapped in oil paper from his pocket. "Would you like some?"

Wang Yan gasped, "Besides making me food, can't you do anything else?" If you eat any more, you'll gain two more pounds!

Shen Minghuai froze for a moment, slowly put away his food, and lowered his head. "Then teach me, what should I do to make you happy? Do you no longer need me?"

"I..." Wang Yan was momentarily at a loss for words.

Shen Minghuai asked cautiously, "Shall I go and beat him up for you?"

"No need." Wang Yan thought to himself, with your mediocre skills, who do you think you can beat up? You're clearly Fu Jizheng's apprentice, how come you've learned to be like this?

Shen Minghuai bowed even lower, "You really don't need me anymore."

Wang Yan looked away and reluctantly admitted, "Yes. So you should leave and go back to the capital."

Shen Minghuai took her hand with his other hand, resting his forehead against the back of her hand, and pleaded in a low voice, "But I need you, can you please stop chasing me away..."

Aside from shamelessly staying at Wanchun Garden to cook for her, she really didn't know what he needed from her. Wang Yan lowered her eyes and brushed his hand away, "Do you really need me? You're doing just fine in the capital without me—" except for that one time.

Shen Minghuai raised his reddened eyes and asked her, "How do you know I'm doing well? Have you ever come back? Have you seen it with your own eyes?"

He took her hand and placed it on his face, guiding her to stroke it inch by inch. "You're not doing well at all. You're not eating well, you're not sleeping well. Can you see that?"

Two years had passed, and he had indeed lost a lot of weight. His eyebrows, eyes, and lips were still the same, but the flesh on his cheeks had thinned, and a faint sadness always lingered in his eyes. He looked more颓废 (颓废 is a difficult word to translate directly, but it implies a state of listlessness, apathy, and a lack of vitality) than before, though outwardly he appeared the same. Others couldn't tell, but she did. That day of parting was like a thorn stuck in her heart. Having been there for so long, the pain had subsided. Now, if she pulled it out, would the wound heal?

"I was born to become the next Duke of Dingguo. This is not only my destiny, but also my choice."

If she turned back, would he abandon her again? She dared not gamble.

Wang Yan cupped his face in her hands and looked directly into his captivating eyes. "We both need some time to think things through. Until that day comes, let's keep some distance for now." With that, she returned to her room, only to find an uninvited guest waiting for her.

"Could you leave Shinju tomorrow?"

"What an impolite child to show up uninvited." Wang Yan poured herself a glass of water, trying to reassure her.

"I will not attend the ceremony."

Qu Zhen still stubbornly insisted that she leave, saying, "But your existence will make me a laughingstock."

Wang Yan frowned, puzzled, and said, "I have no relationship with him whatsoever, how can you be a joke?"

"But he likes you!" Qu Zhen couldn't help but yell at her, "Can't you just stay here and ruin my marriage without feeling guilty?"

Wang Yan's face darkened. "Is it my fault? Is it your fault that Ye Can likes you?"

“You’re not wrong, and neither am I,” Qu Zhen questioned, “but why should I bear all of this?”

Wang Yan glanced at her coldly, "Then you should ask yourself why you still married him if he doesn't like you."

Qu Zhen shook her head and laughed, "You have his love, you wouldn't understand. Even if his heart doesn't belong to me, I will keep him by my side and make him only look at me."

Wang Yan, suppressing her disgust, denied it: "He doesn't love me."

Qu Zhen stared at her and stated a fact: "I'm not talking about Ling Qieting. Ling Qieting doesn't love anyone."

Wang Yan's heart suddenly tightened, and the flowing water seemed to freeze at that moment.

"Does he love me?"

Qu Zhen burst into laughter, her expression twisted, as if she had heard the biggest joke in the world. "Don't tell me you don't know."

Does he love me, or is he just used to me and can't bear to part with me?

Wang Yan suddenly realized she wasn't crazy anymore and asked seriously, "What is love?"

"Love?" Qu Zhen pondered for a moment before answering, "Love is being willing to die for that person."

Wang Yan asked in astonishment, "You're willing to die for him?"

Qu Zhen seemed puzzled, "You don't want to?"

Wang Yan shook her head repeatedly, "I don't want to. Maybe I don't love him, and maybe he doesn't love me either."

Qu Zhen's lips pressed into a straight line, utterly helpless, "Or perhaps you love him, but love yourself even more."

Wang Yan nodded in agreement. "You love him more than you love yourself?"

Qu Zhen looked up and thought for a while, "Isn't keeping him by my side just for my own sake? It's just that I love him as much as I love myself."

The atmosphere somehow eased, and Wang Yan handed her a glass of water.

"Then how do you know he loves me? He wouldn't die for me."

Qu Zhen suddenly sat up straight and drank two glasses. "How do you know he can't? Everyone has a different definition of love. Whether he loves you or not, only you can feel it yourself. You're so much older than me, yet you're so stupid. Fine, I'll let it go since you're so stupid."

Wang Yan was speechless. The little brat who had inexplicably barged into the room had spoken a few words about "love," and now he was generously and forgivingly saying he forgave her.

"Who are you calling stupid? Aren't you going to kick me out?"

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A note from the author: