Chapter 2 This Joy Is Not That Joy

At dusk, Lin Chengtong hurriedly pushed open Lin Chengye's bedroom door, saying that he needed to go back to Tingyi Mansion to pick up Rong Qian.

Lin Chengye pulled herself out of those deep thoughts, reached out and shook her wide-sleeved new dress. She rarely wore wide-sleeved dresses, and with an intricately carved jade crown and her hair half-tied up, she finally looked as noble as a child from a noble family, but it also made her feel awkward.

Lin Chengtong replied helplessly, "It's easier for you two to get back to the Lin residence than to drink water. Sister Li always runs straight over without even bothering to take a sedan chair."

"Oh dear, you're too young to understand."

Lin Chengtong flicked his hand, used his inner strength to step on the pavilion in Lin Chengye's Qingfeng Pavilion and flipped out. The hem of his dark red robe swept away the withered branches on the pavilion and knocked off a few tiles from the courtyard wall. The tiles landed with a clatter next to the tabby cat that was taking a nap, startling the cat so much that it arched its body and hissed angrily.

"snort."

Lin Chengye gave a helpless smile and turned to wave at Yao Wan, who had stepped aside.

"Let's go to the gate to greet them. Prefect Liu and Liu Yue will be here soon."

...

Prefect Liu's carriage had already appeared in sight. Lin Chengye had excellent eyesight and saw from afar a fair and slender hand parting the beaded curtain and touching the white jade bracelet on the wrist, producing a series of crisp sounds like bells.

Then a young man leaned out of the window, his almond-shaped eyes dark and bright, though slightly red-rimmed. He looked around like a fawn. When he saw the figure in front of the Lin residence, his eyebrows curved into a smile, a sincere and lingering one, his dimples deepening. But he quickly coughed lightly, his lips trembling as he retreated back into the carriage, leaving only the tinkling of the beaded curtain, mirroring the turmoil in his heart just moments before.

Lin Chengye shook his head helplessly and took out the gift hidden in his wide sleeves to take a look.

She naturally understood why, but this time she had no right to comfort Liu Yue.

Yesterday morning, Liu Yue's personal guard delivered a letter to her, which only contained the two characters "亥时" (Hai Shi, the hour of Hai) written in neat handwriting.

Lin Chengye suddenly felt that this time it was definitely not going to be good. In the past, when she angered Liu Yue, she would always sneak into the prefectural government office to apologize at this time. Almost the next second, she was already thinking about when to go to the pastry shop in the west of the city to get something to coax her.

She wanted to get something out of the guard named Weicao, so she thought of what to say beforehand, but she didn't expect that Weicao would lower his head and remain silent this time, clenching his teeth tightly.

Lin Chengye clearly saw that the anger was directed at her, but he dared not retaliate because of his status. She remained silent for a while, then put the envelope into her bosom and told Weicao to pass on a message to Liu Yue, saying that she understood.

As night swallowed the day, only the watchman on duty kept a dim oil lamp burning. A dark figure skillfully scaled the secluded back wall of the prefectural government office, then slowed his breathing and dodged the patrolling guards.

Lin Chengye's martial arts skills were all lacking, and even his internal strength was criticized by Lin Daiqiao for being unsound. The only skill he had mastered was the lightness skill "Lingyuan Taxue" passed down through generations of the Lin family. He had probably learned it by sneaking into the prefectural government office to hide from the guards.

In the vast prefectural government building, only one courtyard still had a round lantern hanging under the eaves, embroidered with a lively young deer. A dark shadow, as if it had grown wings, rushed straight there, and in a flash, it slipped into the half-closed wooden door.

Upon entering the room, there was a screen, and a person sat quietly turning the pages of a book, their shadow illuminated by candlelight.

After confirming that she had not been discovered, Lin Chengye closed the wooden door, took off the black robe he used to conceal himself, and placed it in his arms. But she just stood there, not taking another step.

The slightly cool night air suddenly felt a bit tense. The figure reflected on the screen trembled, as if arguing with someone, and remained silent.

But as time passed, that invisible hand tightened its grip on the hearts of the two people in the room, and the saturated emotions in the thick, sour air almost drowned them.

Lin Chengye lowered his head and took a deep breath.

"...You've arrived."

The book was hastily closed, and the voice behind the screen must have sounded like it had been soaked in water and crumpled into a ball. The shadow behind the screen emerged, transforming into Liu Yue, her eyes red-rimmed.

Unlike his usual flamboyant self, today he wore only a plain, wide-sleeved robe and a simple yellow-white jacket, without any jewelry. His skin was bluish-black, and his cheeks were deeply sunken. But his eyes, besides retaining the boyishness of his past, also held a newfound determination.

Lin Chengye sighed, stepped forward, and wanted to reach out and wipe away the tears that had welled up in Liu Yue's eyes but had not yet fallen, just like before.

"I……"

"Just stand there! Don't come any closer!"

Liu Yue bit his lower lip until it turned white. He stretched out a finger and froze Lin Chengye in place, five steps away from him.

"You guessed that my mother would bring up the marriage between our two families on your seventeenth birthday, right? That's why you went to General Lin yesterday to say that you only see me as family, and that's why you said you wanted to travel the world. That's why you said you have someone you love."

His voice trembled, but every word was clear.

If you guessed correctly, then these questions aren't difficult to answer, they're just hard to say. Lin Chengye took a deep breath, looked up to meet Liu Yue's gaze, and responded earnestly, word by word.

“Yes. Actually, I had said this before, but at that time everyone probably thought I was being immature, so I had to bring it up again yesterday. I don’t want Prefect Liu and my mother to bring this up at their birthday banquet, and I don’t want to embarrass you by refusing you in public.”

Lin Chengye rarely spoke to her in such a tone. Liu Yue stared blankly at the person in front of her, and suddenly the tears that had been welling up in her eyes fell uncontrollably, landing on the ground between the two of them. The tall figure in her vision became blurry, as if she had returned to the five or six-year-old child, when she was still his own sister Chengye, who would take him to catch butterflies, teach him to read and write, and run a long, long way to buy him jujube blossom pastries from the west of the city.

But when did Lin Chengye start to grow up, and when did he realize that his feelings for her were not the same as his feelings for her?

Perhaps he already knew, but just didn't want to admit it.

Every year during the Lunar New Year, when lanterns were lit, he would write the two characters "Peace" in a daze, but at some point it changed to "May we meet again year after year" which he couldn't let anyone see. But Lin Chengye still wrote the four characters "Peace and Joy".

"...I just, I just don't believe it, I just want to let go."

Liu Yue reached out to wipe away her tears, but like an unbreakable bond, even after wiping her eyes until they ached, the tears continued to flow.

"But I still can't let go, I'm not reconciled. We've known each other since childhood, and you've been so good to me. Everyone thought... we would always be together."

Lin Chengye stepped forward and hugged Liu Yue tightly, leaving no gap between them.

Liu Yue heard herself finally break down in tears, wiping her tears and snot on Lin Chengye's collar. She heard Chengye's sister apologizing to her again and again, saying it was her fault.

But that's exactly what he least wants to hear.

...

As the prefectural carriage drew closer, Lin Chengye suddenly felt a chill; the northern wind rushed into his collar, and he shivered involuntarily.

She frowned, flicked her sleeve at the door, and subconsciously pinched her right thumb lightly against her index finger.

"The first snowfall in Litao Prefecture this year was too light, and there wasn't a single snowfall in the Central Plains and the capital. This winter..."

"Perhaps it's just not the right time yet. When it's truly deep winter, there will surely be several heavy snowfalls. Miss, you don't need to worry too much. General Lin will definitely discuss it with you."

Yao Wan nodded slightly, her lowered eyelids filled with admiration. This was by no means flattery; everyone in Litao Prefecture knew that Miss Lin was highly knowledgeable and composed. In the novel, she assisted General Lin in disciplining his troops and, with a single sentence, solved a serial murder case that had long troubled the Judicial Court, bringing peace of mind to the people of Litao Prefecture.

On a larger scale, last year a hundred elite soldiers from Ningyan Kingdom disguised themselves as bandits and invaded the border of Lai Kingdom, intending to harass the people of Litao Prefecture. They were extremely cunning and their whereabouts were unpredictable.

General Lin was furious and ordered the eldest son and second daughter to resolve the matter within half a month. Lin Chengye stopped Lin Chengtong from leading men to guard the area, saying that they should learn from them. He had Lin Chengtong's hundred Weilai soldiers disguise themselves as civilians and disperse into the area, and they wiped out most of the bandits in one fell swoop, in just three days.

This incident has been written into seventeen or eighteen stories in Ya Yin Lou. Yao Wan once went there with Lin Chengye and found that the story had been spread like wildfire among the people. People said that the eldest son of the Lin family killed a hundred riders by himself and that the second young lady was so resourceful that she was like a god descending to earth. Lin Chengye, who was drinking tea on the side wearing a mask, almost choked to death.

Seeing that the carriage was already in front of him, Lin Chengye didn't say anything more, but just nodded heavily.

"Lin Chengye!"

Liu Yue didn't need the reeds for support; he hopped and skipped down from the carriage that had just come to a stop. He seemed to be in good spirits, and it was unclear what he had figured out.

"They don't call Chengye 'sister' anymore."

Lin Chengye smiled and shook his head, then took a wooden sword from his sleeve and placed it in Liu Yue's palm.

One end of the wooden sword was simply carved into a jade bead nestled within an auspicious cloud, while the other end had only a rounded, pointed tip. If other craftsmen saw it, they would only say it was a waste of sandalwood and a waste of jade.

The crudely made wooden hairpin was clearly not as exquisite as the jade pendant Liu Yue wore at her waist, but Liu Yue held it in her hand and examined it again and again. The wood had been warmed by her touch when it was handed to her, and the sandalwood scent was rich but not pungent. He could no longer suppress his emotions, and his eyes filled with resentment as he glared fiercely at Lin Chengye.

"Then I'll accept it. Also, you don't have any gifts this year."

"Fine, fine, I deserve it. Go inside, it's too cold outside."

Yao Wan skillfully handed over a dark blue lotus-patterned cloak, which Lin Chengye tied on Liu Yue's neck. He then helplessly rubbed Liu Yue's nose, which was red from the cold.

Looking into Lin Chengye's calm yet smiling eyes, Liu Yue felt a lump in her throat and bit her lip, turning her face away. She couldn't help but feel grateful for the cold weather; Lin Chengye couldn't tell whether he was cold or about to cry, but it would take him a very long time to truly let go.

"Let's go, Liu Yue. We'll go inside first. Cheng Ye will have to wait for Young Master Lin and Madam Li."

When he was young, Prefect Liu was attacked by refugees, which left him with a disability in his right leg. He could not walk fast and was also afraid of the cold. He was holding a hand warmer in his hands, wearing a thick gray-blue long coat, and his hair was neatly tied up with a jade-colored hair crown. He was being helped over by his maid.

Although she was nearing the age of fifty, Prefect Liu's cloudy eyes had seen through the matter between the two of them quite well. Although they were both young at heart and these regrets would fade with time, she couldn't help but sigh.

Lin Chengye quickly summoned the sedan chair that had been prepared beforehand, and asked Prefect Liu to sit in it first. He then asked Yao Wan to coax Liu Yue to go inside with him, leaving her alone here.

Before long, the familiar sound of horses' hooves could be heard from the other side of the road. Lin Chengye stood outside the door, his feet and hands freezing, and he had already begun to secretly warm his body with his internal energy.

Lin Chengtong, dressed in a thin red robe, wrapped Li Rongqian in a white fox fur coat and protected her in front of her. She rode her horse ostentatiously, not even stopping when they arrived at the Lin residence. Lin Chengye couldn't help but roll his eyes at her.

"Xiao Ye!"

Li Rongqian was gently put down from the horse by Lin Chengtong. She ran over and hugged Lin Chengye in surprise. She then stood on tiptoe and gestured a few times above their heads, only to find that she was just below Lin Chengye's shoulder.

"You've grown so tall already, even taller than when I last saw you."

"You're almost catching up with me."

Lin Chengtong handed the horse's reins to the servant, smiled, walked over, took his wife's hand, and slowly channeled his inner energy to dispel the cold.

Lin Chengye couldn't stand seeing the two of them still so lovey-dovey after nearly ten years of marriage, so he snorted and urged them to go inside.

After passing through the entrance hall, the path was lined with lit candles and lotus lanterns, a delightful sight. The three of them walked side by side as if stepping on the moonlight reflected in a pond, chatting about everyday matters and new policies at court, and soon entered the main hall, which was sure to be bustling with activity that night.

...

Lin Daiqiao felt an itch in his hands.

If it weren't for Wei Liu's gentle persuasion in her ear and his desperate grip on her right hand, and if it weren't for the presence of Prefect Liu at this otherwise joyous banquet, she would have immediately picked up the scabbard behind her and whipped Lin Chengye until he was scrambling to the ground.

She took a deep breath, clenched her left fist, and slammed it hard on the table. With a loud bang, the full wine glass shattered into several pieces, as fragile as paper, and the wine spilled all over the floor.

Lin Daiqiao frowned deeply, stood up from the main seat, and swept his sharp gaze across the room. Everyone in the room immediately felt breathless, not daring to even look up at the furious man. He unconsciously gathered his inner strength and pressed down on the person kneeling in the center of the hall, as if he wanted to crush him.

Lin Chengtong flicked his wrist, and the rich wine spilled from the rim of the glass, wetting his sleeve. He barely dared to breathe. Lin Daiqiao had rarely been furious in recent years, but no one could forget that she was the decisive and ruthless young general, strong and resolute, and no one dared to challenge her.

Lin Chengtong was somewhat panicked and tried to stand up to plead for Lin Chengye, but his wrist was held tightly by someone. Li Rongqian pursed his lips and shook his head at him.

“Say it again, Lin Chengye, what do you want?”

The overwhelming aura that commanded thousands of troops was now pressing down on one person. Cold sweat dripped from Lin Chengye's forehead, dripping onto his trembling fingers that were bracing themselves on the ground. His knees ached so much that he could barely move.

She struggled to straighten up, tilted her head back, and met the anger in her mother's eyes. Lin Chengye suddenly felt angry too, and that bit of fear was burned into resentment and indignation.

Her usually calm voice trembled, but she didn't change a word, and her voice was even more forceful than the first time she spoke.

"On my seventeenth birthday, I have no other wish but that my mother will allow me to travel the world three months from now."

Your daughter has no great ambitions in life, and her martial arts skills are mediocre. She is unable to inherit your mantle. She only hopes to dedicate herself to the world, to eliminate evil and promote good, and to travel the world as a chivalrous knight.

But I, Chengye, have never forgotten the teachings of my mother—loyalty to the emperor, service to the country, and concern for the people's suffering. I earnestly hope you will grant my request.”

A note from the author:

Lin Daiqiao: What a tragedy! Miss Lin insists on going out to wander!

Lin Chengye: I really, really just want to roam the world.