Chapter 180 It’s time for my elder brother to return to the border

Wen Xingluo looked up in shock.

The young man was wearing a leather belt and military boots, and his sable cloak was covered with snow. His gorgeous and beautiful face with distinct bone structure was tinged with the bleakness and solemnity of the northwest. His brows seemed to hide the bone-chilling cold of winter. The familiar sandalwood scent faded, leaving only the bloody smell brought back from the battlefield.

He lowered his eyes to look at Wen Xingluo, his thin lips curled up slightly, "Why are you running out here instead of staying at the palace to celebrate the New Year? Is there really no one who can control you when I'm not here?"

Wen Xingluo slowly stood up.

She stared at Xie Guanlan, suspecting that this was an illusion caused by her excessive sadness.

She tentatively touched the young man's cloak.

The warm touch couldn't be more real on a snowy night.

She was surprised and asked, "Why are you here?"

Xie Guanlan said nothing, just stared at her quietly.

"Are you back to get something important?" Wen Xingluo guessed, "A map? A seal? Or something else? Do you need me to accompany you to the government office?"

Xie Guanlan was silent for a while, and the lines of his lips became more and more raised.

He asked in return, "Ningning, which of these do you think is worth my coming back for in person?"

He had just finished fighting a battle two days ago, and the generals in the tent discussed having a simple New Year's Eve celebration. He watched them prepare pork and mutton, and helped the cook make dumplings. In such a lively atmosphere, he couldn't help but think of Wen Xingluo.

The little girl looked quiet and resilient, and it seemed that she didn't mind being alone.

But he knew very well that she was most afraid of being alone.

There was no one in the palace to stay up with her to celebrate the New Year. What should she do?

So he rushed home at night, wanting to spend New Year's Eve with her.

Their eyes met.

Wen Xingluo saw that the young man, who always paid attention to his appearance and demeanor, had a new strand of rime on the side of his bun, as if it was scratched while crossing mountains and ridges. His expensive and elegant sable cloak also had many scratches, which showed how fast the Jade Lion Zhaoye had run all the way from Mount Gongga to Chengdu.

Outside the paper umbrella, the snow is rustling and the night is dark.

Under the paper umbrella, the girl picked the rime for Xie Guanlan and wiped the snow off his eyebrows and eyelashes with a handkerchief.

In the dim light of the lantern, she could clearly see the haggard and dark circles under his eyes.

The young man's narrow eyes were deep and dark, and the orange light of the wind lantern fell in his pupils, as if a ray of sunlight was shining into the dark sea. Wen Xingluo could clearly see the rapidly surging tide.

Her fingertips paused at the corner of his eye.

The soft and delicate touch was like the first butterfly awakening in spring, lightly landing on the face of the ferocious beast. Its wings shook off the spring breeze and fragrant powder, awakening the ferocious beast from its deep sleep throughout the long winter.

When Xie Guanlan was young, whenever he was reading in his study, he would always see a butterfly fluttering past the window. It was very beautiful, with a delicate and brilliant color that was completely different from the simple and solemn study.

He likes that butterfly very much.

So he picked a bunch of fresh flowers every day and put them on the windowsill, hoping that the butterfly would stay outside his window for a while longer.

Then one day, the Master discovered it.

The teacher said that he was wasting his time on trivial things and had failed to live up to everyone's expectations, so he killed the butterfly with a casual wave of his hand.

He watched the butterfly fall in front of him.

The beautiful, fragile creature struggled only briefly on the floor tiles before falling completely silent.

Under the paper umbrella, Xie Guanlan's Adam's apple rolled.

He suddenly wanted to hide Wen Xingluo in his sleeves.

Just like hiding the butterfly from that year.

He quietly locked her up in his Canglang Pavilion, so that this spring scene belonged to him alone and no one else could peek at it.

As if possessed by some unknown force, he grabbed Wen Xingluo's hand.

The girl was wearing a smoky pink double-breasted jacket and skirt today. Her hands, which stretched out from her wide sleeves, were delicate and tender, completely different from his. The newly painted nail polish on her fingertips was the same fresh and bright color as the cuffs.

She liked to wash her hands with flower juice, so even her warm skin was lingering with fragrance.

It was the smell he often dreamed of during those long nights outside the Great Wall.

But those dreams, deep or shallow, always end in separation.

——The royal family has a good reputation for a hundred years. Since you are the prince, you should consider the family's interests.

——You have your own scale in your heart to judge what you should do and what you should not do.

——If you do something against the moral code in private, not only you, but I'm afraid that girl will also bear the infamy of thousands of people.

——As long as she is the prince's second wife, you can't get close to her.

——Xie Ziheng, you should think about your father and the palace.

The old man’s words are still ringing in my ears.

But at this moment, the butterfly was also held in his palm.

She did not resist, but just stared at his face.

The young man's breathing became deeper in the snowy night.

The dark ocean tide in the narrow eyes was almost on the verge of getting out of control, and the surging tide was about to overwhelm the sky, like thousands of crumbling stars in the sky.

The moment midnight arrived, firecrackers were set off in the streets and alleys of Chengdu. The sound of firecrackers heralded the end of the old year and the arrival of the new year. The noise of joyous celebration broke the silence in front of the city gate and brought the two back to their thoughts.

Wen Xingluo slowly withdrew his hand.

She lowered her head and stared at her pearl shoes. She wanted to say something, but her throat was hoarse, as if it was not the shoes that were soaked in the snow, but her heart.

She once asked Xie Guanlan if they could really be brother and sister for life.

His answer was that even if he couldn’t do it, he would still do it.

Can't let grandma down.

No scandals can be spread that will ruin the reputation of the Zhenbei Palace.

The fingertips were tightly curled up, as if restraining and clenching all the emotions, not letting them show up at all.

Between her and Xie Guanlan, one of them has to remain rational.

She looked at Xie Guanlan again, her round almond-shaped eyes were bloodshot and moist, and there was unspeakable sadness hidden in her dark pupils.

She straightened Xie Guanlan's coat, stepped back a half step, and softly reminded him, "Brother, it's time to return to the border."

Xie Guanlan looked at her.

The cold wind blew the snow and hail under the paper umbrella and into her eyes.

He took off one of his suede gauntlets and touched the girl's head.

His voice was hoarse, "Ningning has grown up."

Know how to restrain, know how to endure, know how to take responsibility.

She is a very good little girl.

Wen Xingluo looked at him and smiled.

She laughed but couldn't help pursing her lips, as if she was afraid that she would lose control and burst into tears.

Xie Guanlan stroked her face with his palm and said, "Don't cry."

The moment the words fell from her mouth, Wen Xingluo's emotions, which she had been able to control, suddenly collapsed. She lowered her eyes, and tears fell continuously on the back of his hand.

It's so hot that it seems to burn people's hearts.

Amidst the bustling city, Xie Guanlan whispered, "I always seem to make you cry."

Wen Xingluo didn't say anything, but just rubbed her face against his palm.

She did it willingly.

After just a moment of close contact, Xie Guanlan put on his suede gloves again and said, "It's time for me to go back."

Through tears in her eyes, Wen Xingluo watched him climb onto his horse.

The guards have opened the city gates.

The young man gripped the reins tightly, looked back at her deeply, and then galloped into the snowy night.

Five hundred miles of travel, sleeping in the wind and snow day and night.

Just one side is enough.

…

Because Wei Si was willing to come out to meet guests, the number of guests at the Zhenbei Palace during the first month of the year was twice as many as in previous years. Everyone was eager to see her rumored beauty, and almost all of them came to the palace with their families.

Wen Xingluo was afraid that his mother would be bullied, so he always stayed by her side to help.

Wen Yueyin also came to join in the fun.

Mu Zhiqiu mocked her for being not as good as Wen Xingluo, but she wanted to prove to her that she was a hundred times or a thousand times better than Wen Xingluo.

When the family banquet was held at the palace on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the Wen brothers and sisters rushed to Wansong Courtyard. They arrived early, and Wei Si and Wen Xingluo had not come yet.

Wen Yueyin poured Xie Jing a cup of tea and said respectfully, "Xingluo is so ignorant. How could she let Father and Grandmother condescend to wait for her? Unlike us siblings, we came here early to enjoy their company."

Xie Jing remembered the agreement he had made with Wen Xingluo and coughed lightly, "Well, you'd better not call me daddy... It's not appropriate."

Wen Yueyin was puzzled and said aggrievedly, "But I see Xingluo always calls you that."