Chapter 209 Can't Sleep, Want to Cry
The pale blue wine had a wonderful aroma, clearly made with many precious spiritual fruits. Even Achan felt her mouth watering just smelling it. She kept looking longingly at Bai Xiuming while quietly pushing her empty bowl forward.
On the other side, A-Mian was also pushing the empty bowl forward.
Bai Xiuming couldn't help but find it amusing. He poured wine for the two of them and then put down the wine jar.
Ye Chen looked at him expressionlessly. Bai Xiuming took out a slightly larger wine jar and said to Ye Chen, "This wine was brewed by Father himself. Consider it an apology for not being able to personally receive the Dragon King today."
Ye Chen's expression softened, and he reached out to take the wine jar, pouring a bowl for himself and Bai Xiuming each.
The liquid in their bowls was a deep, dark red color, with no aroma of wine. At first glance, it looked like blood. Ye Chen took a sip and suddenly said, "It still tastes the same."
Bai Xiuming raised his wine bowl to him: "I heard from my father that before you fought against the Demon Emperor, you swore an oath of blood and drank this wine."
Ye Chen seemed to have thought of something and scoffed, "Then he definitely didn't say that he lied to us that this wine was brewed with the blood of spirit beasts. When we swore an oath of blood, we could just drink the wine to establish the alliance without having to shed blood. Only after we won did he say that the color of the wine was simply because too many spirit fruits were added during the brewing process, which dyed it."
Bai Xiuming glanced down at the wine in the bowl, thinking to himself that his father could actually do such a thing. All that talk about how our bodies and hair are gifts from our parents is a lie; his father was afraid of pain.
But that was his father, so what could he do? He could only try to make amends by saying, "In our human race, sincerity is enough; there's no need to be bound by formalities."
“You really are his son. That’s the same excuse he made when Xi Jing and I beat him up.”
Bai Xiuming was speechless.
Having just mentioned Xijing, Ye Chen turned to look at A Mian. A Mian was talking to Chen Hui and A Chan, seemingly unaware of what was happening.
But actually, A-Mian heard it. A-Mian knew that Ye Chen and her father were friends, but she never asked him about her father's past, nor did she like him to talk about it.
Ye Chen noticed this, so he rarely mentioned it, only suddenly telling her a few months ago that her father had died.
Amian had no memory of her parents, nor did she have any expectations of them like Achan did. When she heard the news, her first thought was that Achan would be very sad if she knew, but she couldn't be by Achan's side.
She looked at Achan, suddenly feeling a little nervous. If Ye Chen knew, would the father Bai Xiuming mentioned also know? They were all her father's friends, would Achan know?
Achan naturally heard Ye Chen's words, but she didn't say anything. Instead, she picked up her chopsticks and put a bright green vegetable on Bai Xiuming's plate: "Eat your vegetables."
Bai Xiuming obediently picked up his chopsticks and started eating, immediately breaking the delicate atmosphere of that moment.
As they drank bowl after bowl of wine, the group gradually became acquainted, and the atmosphere at the dinner table became increasingly lively.
Achan had the lowest alcohol tolerance; after two bowls of wine, her eyes gradually became glazed over.
Chen Hui persisted a little longer; she drank three bowls, then sat down in a chair, closed her eyes, and fell asleep immediately.
Ah Mian drank the remaining half jar of wine without any reaction, as if she had only drunk a few bowls of sweet water.
After they had almost finished eating, she helped Chen Hui back to her room. When she came out, she saw Bai Xiuming coming out of A Chan's room.
"How is Achan?" Amian asked.
"She's been asking for you, go be with her."
Ah Mian had the same thought, but still asked, "What about you guys?"
"I'm going out for a walk with the Dragon King, and we'll be back later."
Since they were going to collaborate, they needed to first understand the capabilities of their partner before proceeding with further discussions. Although neither of them explicitly stated it, they both shared this sentiment.
A-Mian nodded, not caring what they were going to do.
The sunlight after the rain was a bit dazzling. The windows in Achan's house were open, and large patches of light fell on the ground.
The two sisters lay on a large bed, but they habitually squeezed together.
Ah Chan mumbled some unintelligible words to Ah Mian, then finally fell fast asleep. Ah Mian lay beside her, poking her cheek for a while before slowly closing her eyes as well.
The courtyard was quiet in the afternoon. The moisture in the soil evaporated under the sunlight, and no one disturbed them all afternoon.
As the sun set and the pale blue of the sky was gradually replaced by night, a gentle breeze blew in from outside the window, and Ah Chan, whose smell of alcohol had dissipated, finally opened her eyes.
She had barely stirred when A-Mian, who was sleeping beside her, opened her sleepy eyes: "A-Chan, you're awake."
"Hmm... I'm a little thirsty."
"There's water on the table." A-Mian yawned, feeling lazy and unwilling to move.
Achan didn't want to drink water. She suddenly remembered the plum drink that Huiniang had made. It was made when she was eating and had already cooled down.
She tugged at Ah Mian's arm and shook it: "There's plum drink in the kitchen."
"Oh, I'm not thirsty." She doesn't lack water, no matter what she lacks.
"Come with me." Achan didn't care whether A-Mian wanted to or not, and dragged her off the bed.
Chen Hui's room in the courtyard was still dark; she was clearly still drunk. A Chan and A Mian groped their way into the kitchen and brought out two bowls of plum juice.
The two of them, holding their bowls, squeezed together on a small stool under the eaves, sipping their sweet and sour drinks while looking up at the sky.
Amian leaned on Achan's shoulder. They had been like this since they were little, always together, always relying on each other.
"The stars here aren't bright enough," A-Mian said.
"The stars in the wilderness are beautiful; let's go together sometime."
"The wilderness?" The familiar name made A-Mian stiffen. Ye Chen told her that it was the place where her father had fallen.
Before she could even ask, Achan blurted out, "Father and Mother are buried there."
Amian sat up straight, her tone hesitant: "You... you know everything?"
“Yes, I even went there myself.” Achan lowered her eyes, the dim moonlight shining on her face, revealing a hint of vulnerability. “Sixth Uncle’s daughter lives there. I originally asked her to help me find out where my father and mother were, but when I got there… I saw my father’s remains and learned the cause of their death.”
"So that's how it is." A-Mian's voice was very soft. When she was very young, before she was disappointed in her parents, she often sat with A-Chan, wondering where they were now.
Now, they remain forever in the place they knew. When they first found out, A-Mian never even considered going to see them.
But hearing Achan's words still made her feel a little down, even though she was a complete stranger to them.
"How...did they die?"
"Before his death, the Demon Emperor cursed his father, wishing that his bloodline would be cut off and that all his descendants would die a terrible death."
Amian was stunned. Was her father referring to her and Achan as his descendants?
"My father and mother sacrificed themselves to find a way for us to survive."
"What?" A-Mian thought she had misheard.
Achan turned to look at Amian and whispered, "You heard me right."
After a long pause, Ah Mian finally realized and said, "So it wasn't just me who was lucky."
She always thought that her inexplicable resurrection after her death and her encounter with Ye Chen was simply good luck.
When she learned that A-Chan had possessed her body and been reborn, she never gave it a second thought. It turned out that death was the destiny that she and A-Chan were destined for.
Rebirth was a gift from their father and mother, a continuation of their lives. They never abandoned them.
When Bai Xiuming and Ye Chen returned to the city, it started raining heavily again.
Pedestrians on the road ran and complained loudly about the unpredictable weather, but the two of them walked slowly in the rain.
"It's been raining in the capital for several days in a row. If it continues, the water will rise." Bai Xiuming's voice rang out amidst the sound of rain.
He had seen through Ah Mian's true nature long ago; her true form was an extremely rare water spirit, not only precious and rare, but also of great benefit to the aquatic race.
Where water crystals appear, there is constant rainfall throughout the year.
There is no record of a water spirit ever developing sentience; Ah Mian is probably the only one.
“She just loves to cry.” Ye Chen said with a dark face, looking in the direction of Changpingfang. “If you’re so capable, then tell her to stop crying.”
Bai Xiuming shut his mouth; he didn't have that ability.
The rain was fierce, but it came and went quickly. By the time the two returned to Changpingfang, the rain had already subsided.
In the backyard, Achan's room was brightly lit with candles, and Achan, Amian, and Chen Hui were playing leaf cards at the table.
Ah Mian's eyes were still a little red, but her mood had clearly improved.
Seeing the two enter, Achan waved to them and even gave them a pot of plum juice.
The three played cards while the other two sat and watched. After playing for more than an hour, when it was almost time, Chen Hui put away the cards and began to think about how to accommodate the guests.
Amian can live with Achan. As for Yechen, there is a shop next door that has not yet been rented out, and she often goes there to clean it. It should be fine for her to live there.
Chen Hui hesitated slightly, then spoke to A Chan in a low voice.
Achan didn't consider whether the other party was willing, and directly asked Ye Chen, "Can you sleep in the next room tonight?"
If that doesn't work, let Bai Xiuming take him away.
“Okay.” Ye Chen was not only easy to talk to, but also had a very good temper when facing A Chan.
"Then A-Mian..." She was about to say A-Mian with me, but before she could finish speaking, Ye Chen had already pulled A-Mian in front of him.
“She has to be with me at night. She hasn’t fully grown yet and needs my presence to maintain her human form.”
This reason was so compelling that Ah Chan, after much deliberation, reluctantly gave up her younger sister.
As for Bai Xiuming, before he could even voice his thoughts, he was kicked out by the disgruntled Achan.
As night deepened, the streets were deserted, the lights in the distance went out, and people who had been busy all day were fast asleep.
On the second floor of the empty antique shop, a candle flickered faintly for a few moments before going out completely.
The bed on the second floor of the shop wasn't very big, and Ye Chen lay on it, taking up most of it. A Mian lay in his arms, playing with his fingers.
Since waking up, she has been sleeping with the night, and she has long been used to it.
As a water spirit, A-Mian is far too young to take human form. If she doesn't absorb enough dragon energy, she will lose her shape the next day and turn into a large ball of water.
Although she often played like that with Ye Chen, she couldn't allow herself to appear in front of A Chan like that, because she would definitely be laughed at!
Ye Chen closed his eyes, and after a while, he could still feel A Mian counting on his fingers.
He lifted his eyelids: "Not going to sleep?"
Amian sniffed: "I can't sleep, I want to cry."
Ye Chen touched her face; thankfully, it was dry.
“If you keep crying, we’ll be kicked out of the capital sooner or later.”
Amian turned around and glared at him unhappily.
"Tell me, who upset you this time?"
Amian buried her head in his chest, and after a while spoke in a muffled voice: "Achan told me the cause of my father and mother's death."
"Why?"
"Achan said that we were cursed by the Demon Emperor from birth, and they sacrificed themselves to prolong our lives."
Upon hearing Achan's words, Ye Chen was first shocked, then understood.
He and Bai Yu were both present when Xi Jingzhong was cursed.
The Demon Emperor hated Xijing, who had destroyed the Demon Kingdom, so he used his last bit of power against him.
Before they parted, they had mentioned the curse, but Xi Jing casually said that he had a solution, and they never brought it up again when they met afterward.
I never expected him to go to such lengths for his two daughters.
Ye Chen looked down at A Mian and pulled her closer into his arms.
“I’m different from Achan. I actually hate them. We clearly have parents, but they turned Achan and me into orphans. We were bullied on the mountain, and no one helped us. They all know that Father doesn’t want us anymore.”
The grievances she suffered with Achan were something she could never let go of.
But……
Amian murmured, "But they risked their lives to save ours. If my parents knew how much I used to hate them, would they regret it?"
"No." Ye Chen said firmly, gently stroking A Mian's soft hair at the back of her head. "If your father regrets it, I will not appear at Qingyu Mountain."
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