Chapter 51

Luo Yan practically ran into his arms, like a spoiled spark that dispelled the chill emanating from him.

His sharp features softened instantly.

Zhu Yun, worried about soiling Luo Yan's dress, tried to pull her away slightly, but was only held tighter. She said pitifully, "Qingcao sent me some delicious food through a messenger. She made it herself and even included a letter."

The letter mentioned that the villagers assumed that the Jia family had moved to the capital and hoped that they could reunite with Luo Yan after she recovered from her illness.

Two years later, my wish is about to come true.

“Everyone mentioned you during the Mid-Autumn Festival.” Luo Yan’s eyes were filled with tears, but the corners of her mouth curved up. “They all said you’re lucky to have such a thoughtful sister like me, who goes out of their way to celebrate your birthday every year.”

Just as things were getting emotional, she smelled a strong metallic odor, and the half of her face that was resting on Zhu Yun's chest was inevitably stained with blood.

Zhu Yun inexplicably became addicted to this feeling of pleasure and couldn't quit; he just wanted to get more of it.

For three days in a row, Zhu Yun clung to Luo Yan tightly, barely getting out of bed. Luo Yan felt her body couldn't take it anymore, and she was also a little confused.

Although she had already done it, and one or two more times wouldn't make a difference, and she wasn't afraid of it or being pretentious, she still felt that something was off about the situation.

He didn't seem to be venting his anger on her at all; rather, it was more like... more like...

Luo Yan racked her brains but couldn't find a suitable metaphor.

In short, things are very strange.

Zhu Yun had dressed himself up neatly and cleanly, showing no signs of fatigue. Luo Yan stared at him in surprise, thinking to herself that he really looked presentable.

He felt her gaze, turned his head and said to her:

"Luo Yan, I'm busy with official duties lately. The matter is urgent, so I won't be able to accompany you. I may have to leave Yunjian for a while."

"Ah...oh."

Luo Yan just came to her senses. If she did that too much, her mind would become very strange and chaotic, she would often drift off into a daze, and she would feel empty all the time. She didn't like that.

It turned out that he was leaving for a while, so he quickly quelled all his desires on her in order to get ready to go again.

She yawned listlessly after taking a shower, feeling too exhausted to do anything, so she decided to just lie in bed and wait to be waited on.

Jinzhan poured her a cup of tea, but she was furious.

For the past three days, neither of them had gotten out of bed much, forcing her to go to great lengths to send away all sorts of servants to avoid giving others cause for gossip.

They were having a good time, but she had to do all the remaining chores in the yard by herself, and she also had to keep watch at night.

Watching Zhu Yun's retreating figure, she felt a strange sense of satisfaction; he was finally gone.

Jinzhan secretly cursed Zhu Yun to become impotent, wanting to smash something to vent her anger, but tragically discovered that she couldn't afford to pay for anything.

She had no choice but to find a secluded spot, take off her shoes, and throw them around a couple of times to vent her anger. Then, she hopped on one foot to put her shoes back on.

What a tragic life... She really has a tragic life...

A moment later, Jinzhan, sporting dark circles under her eyes, entered Luo Yan's room and said listlessly,

"Young lady, someone is looking for you."

Luo Yan suddenly sat up in bed, feeling anxious. Could it be that Qin Sizhao had come looking for her?

"Hurry up and help me get dressed, so no one can tell anything..."

She wore a lotus-root-colored, high-waisted ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), and her eyebrows were not drawn. The bruises under her eyes and the tear troughs were quite obvious, making her look somewhat haggard. She had to quickly put on some makeup to cover it up.

Luo Yan hurriedly walked out and saw a tall horse with a boy in a round-necked robe sitting on it... no, it was a girl. Yang Ruoyun was only dressed in men's clothing, but she did not hide her gender characteristics. It was easy to tell at a glance that she was a girl dressed as a boy.

"Miss Yang..."

"Just call me Ruoyun. I promised to teach you how to ride a horse. Come on up."

"Never mind..."

Luo Yan was so frightened by Yang Ruoyun's enthusiasm that she turned and ran away, but was caught by her.

Yang Ruoyun was skilled in archery and horsemanship, with a broad back and strong arms. She picked up Luo Yan horizontally and carried her to the horse.

Luo Yan was quite frightened. The hot, bouncy horse beneath her suddenly awakened some shameful memories, which felt very strange.

Afraid of falling off the tall horse, she could only hold onto Yang Ruoyun's clothes tightly and snuggle in her arms.

This feeling was extremely awkward, and Luo Yan's face turned red to the roots of her ears.

"Luo Yan, I only wore men's clothes for convenience, not because I consider myself a man. What are you shy about?"

Yang Ruoyun laughed heartily.

"Thanks to you, thank you for helping me."

Although she seemed cheerful, Luo Yan knew that some things, once done, could not be undone. Like breaking a vase, even if it were glued back together, the cracks would remain. After this incident, Yang Ruoyun could never be as carefree as before.

Luo Yan glanced at Yang Ruoyun's eyes and saw that they were a little red; she must have cried a lot.

She buried her head in her clothes and whispered:

"Let me make this clear first: I only helped you in this matter, but that doesn't mean I'll always give in to you."

"What? You like Qin Sizhao too?"

Luo Yan's face flushed red instantly, and she nearly fell off the horse as she raised her arm.

"Don't talk nonsense, don't talk nonsense! There's no such thing!"

She grabbed her arm and held her firmly in her arms.

"Still stubbornly refusing to admit it, your face is all red... If you don't like Qin Sizhao, why did you help me and then hide from me?"

Having her secret exposed, Luo Yan could only purse her lips and remain silent.

"Luo Yan, actually I feel awkward too, but you can't force things when it comes to relationships. If we're not meant to be, then we're not meant to be. I, Yang Ruoyun, can take it and let it go."

Luo Yan didn't know what to say. She only knew that Yang Ruoyun being betrayed by her father must be much more painful than being heartbroken in love.

"I will not be staying in the General's Mansion anymore... I have come today to say goodbye."

Luo Yan looked at her with some concern and asked:

Are you going to run away?

She simply nodded.

"I've come not only to say goodbye to you, but also to bid farewell to Qin Sizhao. Let's go together."

Luo Yan knew that she was determined to leave, so she could only nod.

Yang Ruoyun hesitated several times, wanting to say something but stopping herself, wondering whether she should tell Zhu Yun that he planned to marry her...

However, Luo Yan and Qin Sizhao are now mutually in love, and she doesn't want to interfere.

She then thought that if Zhu Yun truly wanted to marry her, he should tell her himself, so why did she have to ask someone else to do it? Therefore, she decided not to say anything.

Zhu Yun sat in the carriage, wanting some fresh air, so he pulled back the curtain. He looked ahead and saw a young man riding a tall horse, with a girl in his arms.

The girl only showed her slender wrist, on which she wore a delicate silver bracelet.

How could he not recognize it? He had personally put that bracelet on Luo Yan's wrist last night.

Why is she sitting in another man's lap now...? Zhu Yun's breath caught in her throat, as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over her head.

He was only stunned for a moment before the two men disappeared into the city.

Luo Yan and Yang Ruoyun went to Qin Sizhao's residence together.

An old woman lay on the ground with her lower leg dislocated and her mind clouded. Qin Sizhao rolled up his sleeves, tensed his forearm muscles, and with a snap, the old woman's leg bone returned to its original position.

He administered a few more acupuncture needles, and the old woman actually stood up shakily.

"Thank you for saving my life, young master."

Luo Yan felt a chill run down her spine. This doctor had incredible strength; he could actually reposition bones with his bare hands.

A servant helped the old woman out the door, and only then did Yang Ruoyun speak:

"Young Master Qin, I've come to say goodbye..."

She felt a little embarrassed, recalling her rash confession to Qin Sizhao, and said:

I'm saying goodbye as a friend.

Qin Sizhao was somewhat surprised and looked up to ask:

"What's wrong with the girl?"

“I didn’t run away from home because I was being willful… I just felt that staying at home would eventually turn me into a tool for marriage, so I might as well go out and make my own way in the world.”

Qin Sizhao nodded.

"Then Miss Ruoyun, please don't let your mother worry too much."

"I will send a letter home once I've settled down."

Yang Ruoyun exchanged a few more pleasantries, then got up and left. Luo Yan knew that once she left, the two would never see each other again, so she just stared at her blankly without saying anything.

A faint sense of envy welled up in her heart. Yang Ruoyun was skilled in archery and horsemanship, truly a bird soaring freely in the sky.

Unlike her, who was pregnant...

She looked at Qin Sizhao, a skilled doctor. She knew that as long as she asked, he could help her get rid of this major threat.

But it's not so easy to confess to your sweetheart that you're pregnant with someone else's child.

No matter what, Luo Yan couldn't bring herself to speak. She could only watch as he fetched a basin of water and washed and dried his blood-stained hands.

"Luo Yan, are you worried about Miss Yang?"

He grabbed her hand and pulled her a few steps into his arms.

“Miss Yang is not a reckless person when it comes to important matters. She must have made preparations in advance, so you don’t need to worry too much about her.”

Luo Yan wished he would still hold her wrist, her mind a jumble of thoughts, all about the baby in her womb.

As she lowered her eyes, the silver bracelet on her wrist reflected a blinding light, and all sorts of unbearable memories surfaced before her eyes.

This silver bracelet was put on her by Zhu Yunyi and Xingzhi Yun last night.

Luo Yan's hands trembled uncontrollably, and her eyes were instantly filled with shame and embarrassment.

"Young lady, this bracelet has a rather unique design."

Qin Sizhao gently stroked her bracelet with his fingers, and with just a slight smile, Luo Yan quickly pulled her hand back as if burned by those unbearable experiences.

She clenched her fists, and a fine layer of cold sweat appeared on her forehead.

"But I was too rash and made the girl unhappy?"

Qin Sizhao looked at her with concern.

Luo Yan secretly slipped her hand into her sleeve, and with a sudden burst of strength, ripped the bracelet off, leaving her hand red.

She secretly hid the silver bracelet in her sleeve, and stammered:

"No...it's nothing..."

Without pointing out her embarrassment, Qin Sizhao smiled calmly and said:

"Then why don't we go see a play together?"

Luo Yan followed Qin Sizhao to the theater without fully understanding what was going on.

The two arrived in haste and could only watch whatever was available. A cheesy play called "Lady Hibiscus" was being shown on stage.

The plot is roughly that a Han envoy met a beautiful Jiaozhi girl while traveling beyond the Great Wall. After they fell in love, the Han envoy returned to the Central Plains, and the Jiaozhi girl raised their child alone.

When the child grew up, the girl became a woman. She took the child and traveled thousands of miles to the Central Plains, only to find that the Han envoy had already become a prince consort and married a noble princess.

The princess questioned the innocence of the woman from Jiaozhi. To prove her loyalty to the man and her own innocence, the woman resolutely drew her sword and committed suicide. The man spent the rest of his life in regret.

What a stupid plot.

Luo Yan frowned as she read.

The gemstone set in the bracelet was digging hard into her forearm, and Luo Yan felt inexplicably sad.

"We cannot see the true face of Mount Lu, simply because we are in the mountain ourselves..."

If it were outside the play, one could naturally point fingers at the woman's foolishness from a superior position. But once one becomes a character in the play, there are always times when one is not in control of one's own destiny and is swept up by the tide of emotions from all directions.

Jinzhan was watching the show while cracking melon seeds to the side and behind. When she looked down, she saw that the person sitting in the front row was Miss Luo Yan.

Then she looked again and saw who was sitting next to her. Jinzhan was startled.

Her voice was broken and fragmented, and she awkwardly pursed her lips.

But Zhu Yun flicked her finger away and pleaded, "Call me by my name."

Luo Yan resisted fiercely, even biting his fingertip as a form of punishment. Unexpectedly, his hot breath brushed against her collarbone, and he put into practice what he had previously thought: using both his hands and mouth.

How could she conceal her broken whispers? Her hair ribbon also slipped off in the struggle.

In the dim candlelight, Luo Yan saw his pale pink tongue tip, and the deep pink tongue she held in her hand...

Zhu Yun was stunned, and slightly raised her face to meet her seemingly tangible gaze: "You."

"Ah Yun," she said softly, "you are a thousand times more beautiful than in the picture book."

The boy's pupils suddenly contracted, and he collapsed onto the layers of blankets, exhausted, followed by a violent tremor. Amidst the girl's gasp, the scent of heather gradually filled the tent.