Chapter 12: The galloping horse startles the magpie
Wan'er's delicate hands were no longer what they once were, now covered in calluses and scars. She had learned many things she never knew, and she had gone from a life of luxury to a self-sufficient wife. Yue Chi wrapped his arms around Wan'er's slender waist, lifting his once smooth and delicate hands, now rough and taut. He kissed Wan'er's neck with deep affection, saying with a gentle, apologetic touch, "I'm sorry for all the suffering I've put you through."
"I like you. This isn't suffering for me. I feel it's happiness. You take good care of me outside, and I'm willing to do this for you at home."
"Silly girl, we will be in this valley for the rest of our lives, don't you want to go out?" Yue Chi looked at the gentle and beautiful Wan'er. Wan'er raised her head and held Yue Chi's affectionate face, "No, if I have to choose between freedom and lover, I will choose lover. I am happy only when I am with my lover. If freedom cannot bring happiness, why should I dream about it." She loved him so much that she had decided to grow old with him for the rest of her life.
"Okay, let's live in this valley forever."
Qiqi hesitated, pacing back and forth at the doorway. Yue Chi and Wan'er were flirting with each other inside the house, and Qiqi blushed. He didn't understand why Yue Chi and Wan'er chose to stay in the valley for the rest of their lives, but their deep affection made Qiqi envious.
Yue Chi saw the figure on the window and deliberately said to Qi Qi, "Wan'er, I like you. From the past to now and in the future, I will always like you. Wan'er, you are truly my sweetheart."
The loud kissing sound gave Qiqi goosebumps when she heard it outside. Yue Chi's plan succeeded, and he walked out with a smug look on his face. Looking at Qiqi's blushing face, he thought to himself, "Young people, cherish the present and still be shy."
"How does it feel to eavesdrop outside? Is your heart surging, your face flushing?" Yue Chi hugged Qiqi and teased him in his ear. Qiqi avoided his gaze and said in a panic, "Not serious at all. I'm here to deliver a message. I met someone at the valley entrance who was looking for you. He asked me to take you to see him."
Yue Chi's expression became serious. He looked nonchalant and unserious just now, but now his brows were furrowed and his eyes were filled with resentment.
"He was riding a white horse, wearing a long black cloth gown, and looked to be a middle-aged man in his forties."
Qiqi shook her head. He hadn't said what kind of person he was yet, so how could Yue Chi guess? "How do you know what he is like?" Yue Chi snorted, with contempt and anger in his tone.
"Wait for me, I'll go with you!" Qiqi followed Yue Chi, Wan'er leaned against the door frame, her almond eyes full of affection, looking in the direction Yue Chi was going with worry in her eyes.
All the way to the valley entrance, Qiqi followed behind, observing their expressions without saying a word. The man leading the horse saw Yue Chi approaching, rubbing his hands nervously with a half-smile, his eyes fixed on Yue Chi, straining to contain his excitement and delight. Qiqi stopped a few meters away, keeping her distance from Yue Chi.
Yue Chi looked at the man with disdain, as if he were a filthy, disgusting animal. The man's hands, trembling with excitement, tried to touch Yue Chi, but Yue Chi didn't give him a chance and retreated a few steps back into the Hundred Flowers Valley.
"What are you doing here? What if the eldest sister and the third sister can't find you?"
"I, I just wanted to come and see you. I heard you left the valley. Is there anything I need help with? I can call someone to help you." The man's behavior was humble but his eyes were full of desire. Yue Chi avoided the man's gaze guiltily and said, "No, I've already taken care of it. You'd better go back early. The clan still needs you to deal with all the big and small matters. Hurry up and don't come again."
"Chi'er, I am..." The man crossed the border of Baihua Valley and excitedly and unwillingly reached out to grab Yue Chi. He stepped into the boundary. Yue Chi took a few steps back in panic, pulled out a dagger from his sleeve and pressed it to his throat. He looked at the man in front of him uneasily, but held the dagger with a fearless attitude. "If you take another step closer, I will die here and there."
The man was startled and painfully retreated to the outside of the boundary. He looked at Yue Chi, who was ready to die, with heartache, "Chi'er, Dad will come to see you again. I don't care what you want to do in this valley. I just want to remind you that no one is more cruel than Wen Shi. He knows you are here, and he knows who you brought here. Don't get involved with him, okay? He will kill you if he goes crazy."
Yue Chi's face was filled with disdain. "My life or death has nothing to do with you. Yue Huainan, if you come again in the future, I will make sure you never see me again in your life. Go away."
Yue Huainan's eyes were filled with disappointment and reluctance. He turned around with difficulty, mounted his horse, and left, looking back every step of the way. Only when he could no longer hear the sound of Yue Huainan's horse's hooves did Yue Chi put down the dagger with peace of mind. His hands and forehead were already covered with nervous sweat. Qi Qi supported Yue Chi, who was dangling. Looking at Yue Chi's pale face, he felt more sympathy for Yue Chi, "You and your father, is it..."
"He is whatever you want him to be. I'm just taking a gamble, using his feelings to preserve my own temporary happiness. He and I always have to make a choice between death and death. I'm not afraid of you laughing at me. Don't be like him in the future, but don't be like me either. Ah Ran is a good person, he just hasn't seen your heart yet. As long as you persist, he will like you."
Qiqi lowered his head and said nothing. Yue Chi's words were like a good medicine, bringing peace to his heart.
If he had not left this time, if Wen Ranqi had not been discovered for deliberately making things difficult for him, if he had not met Yue Chi and Uncle Liang, he might still be just an apprentice who followed his master's words and worked hard all day long. He was still just a child who only knew that he was thinking about Wen Ranqi all the time, worried about Wen Ranqi, and wanted to stay by Wen Ranqi's side and take care of him wholeheartedly.
Since when did his heart become so empty that it couldn't hold anyone else? Since when did he start to panic when he couldn't see Wen Ranqi? Since when did he become miserable all day long if he saw Wen Ranqi even slightly unhappy? Wen Ranqi's injury was more painful than his own, and he was happier than Wen Ranqi herself when she was happy.
Qiqi asked Yuechi, "Will Master like me?"
Yue Chi patted Qiqi's hand and comforted her, "Yes, A'ran will like you." When Qiqi heard Yue Chi's affirmation, the corners of her mouth turned up and she smiled like a child who got candy, with anticipation and sweetness.
In Murong Gelie's tent
Tiele and his two brothers warmly welcomed Murong Gelie home. They brought their own prepared beef, mutton, salted cheese, and several fine jades they had looted from Wen Ranqi, one of which was the Qilin that Qiqi had given to Wen Ranqi. Wen Ranqi had already planned to abandon all of Qiqi's belongings when she left Yuemu Town, but after much hesitation, she turned back to take the jade. Wen Ranqi thought about it and kept it with her as travel expenses until Tiele snatched it away.
Tiele showed off the beautiful jades he and his brothers had obtained, intending to present them to Murong Gelie. Several jades had smooth surfaces and uniform colors. Murong Gelie picked one up at random and hung it on his body. Jade was not what he wanted. What he wanted was somewhere on the grassland.
"Tie Le, I want you to take your brothers to the entrance of the Huolie Tribe. Have some of you check for me if there's anyone coming from the south with a red brand on their shoulder, a brand that looks like a flower. Have a few other brothers look for the herdsmen. I'll go to the city to check, and you guys will be in charge of the outside world, okay?"
Tiele agreed naively, not knowing why Murong Gelie suddenly came back and said he was looking for someone. He and his brothers followed Murong Gelie's instructions and sent the people out. Murong Gelie personally went to Mandar City, the city where the Fire Tribe, whom he had once despised, gathered and did not welcome him.
Wen Ranqi emerged from the river, dressed, and sat on a rock. Wen Yuhan's hound wagged its tail to please him, and Wen Ranqi thought of Ah Huang, the obedient and clever boy back in Yuemu Town. Qiqi, reluctant to eat her own meat, always fed Ah Huang first. When Wen Ranqi woke, Ah Huang would always be at his bedside, trying to please him.
"This dog is not like this usually. He really doesn't treat you as an outsider." Wen Yuhan also sat down and touched it.
"Cats and dogs all understand human nature. They can feel whether you are kind or not." Wen Ranqi rubbed the dog's ears and complained in his heart about his cat, Xiaoyu, that arrogant master, who would paw him whenever he was unhappy, and his hands were scratched many times.
In the distance, sheep were grazing freely under the blue sky. Wen Ranqi and Wen Yuhan were lying under a tree, enjoying the scenery. After taking a bath, they both dressed lightly. From the moment they entered the river, Wen Yuhan noticed the mark on Wen Ranqi's shoulder.
Wen Shi's heart was cruel to everyone, and he was no exception. Although the plum blossom brand was not as shocking as before, the bright red mark was still eye-catching. Wen Yuhan still remembered the memory vividly.
"Am I not clean enough?" Wen Ranqi scratched his back and asked Wen Yuhan curiously. Wen Yuhan said, "I have washed myself clean. I just saw someone who reminded me of you. My younger brother. He is about the same age as you. He is similar to you in many ways. He is kind and upright, always helping others, and he is also very smart."
"Then there may be one difference between him and me. I'm not smart. I can't cook since I came here, and my daily life is difficult. My apprentice helps me. Otherwise, I would have starved to death long ago."
"You have accepted a disciple, why isn't he with you? What kind of person is he? How is his martial arts training going?" Wen Yuhan was happy that Wen Ranqi had accepted a disciple, and his speech speed increased. He seemed to have forgotten that Wen Ranqi's current health was no longer able to practice martial arts, let alone teach.
"He's actually a nice guy, quite obedient. I didn't let him follow me, I sent him to practice martial arts with a friend. I don't know how he's doing these past few months, but I've already given him to someone else to be his apprentice. We don't even know if we'll ever see each other again." Wen Ranqi still missed Qiqi's cooking; it seemed like no one could cook better than him. He thought, Qiqi had left so decisively that day, she must have been very unhappy with him. He must have forgotten about him in the past few months, which was just what he wanted.
However, Wen Ranqi's guesses never seemed to be right, just like every time he did multiple-choice questions or guessed the lottery, he always picked the wrong one and couldn't do well on the questions. What he thought turned out not to be what he thought, but he always brainwashed himself with confidence, believing that there would be no problem.
In Wen Yuhan's heart, the encounter with Wen Ranqi itself will become the happiest thing in his life. He cherishes every happy moment now. At the same time, he always remembers the words left to him by the mysterious man. He has struggled in his heart for many days and nights.
"Xiao Ran, big brother has something to tell you."
"Brother, whatever you want to say, just say it. I'll listen to you."
"Okay, listen carefully and don't forget."
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