Chapter 89 She was secretly jealous; she didn't know how much he longed to be subservient to her…
Yuanfang sat on the gold-threaded cushion, his eyes scanning back and forth over the pile of colorful and exquisite pastries in front of him. He couldn't smile at all, and his lips twitched awkwardly.
Consort Wen's hairpins swayed gently at her temples, and although there were some wrinkles at the corners of her eyes, one could still glimpse the unparalleled beauty of her youth in her bright eyes. When Yuanfang first saw his mother yesterday, he unconsciously touched the end of his eyebrow.
It turns out that even if you don't grow up by her side, you can still gradually grow to look like her.
Consort Wen's lips curved into a smile that hadn't faded since her son's return. However, noticing Yuanfang's awkwardness, the smile froze. Somewhat flustered, she pulled open the plate of pastries. "I always felt you were still the same little girl you were back then; I'd forgotten you no longer like these things..."
Her beautiful eyebrows and eyes had withered, and the rouge at the corners of her eyes had turned yellow. Yuanfang felt a little sad, but put on a faint smile. "Mother, there's no need for that. These snacks can all be wrapped up. Someone I know really likes them."
Consort Wen breathed a sigh of relief when she heard that her son did not refuse her gifts, and asked with a smile, "Is it a friend from outside the palace? You seem to care about them quite a bit."
As Yuanfang saw his mother's interest rekindled, the bitterness in his heart had just dissipated when another feeling, almost sorrowful, surged into his heart.
He was separated from his parents by thirteen years. No matter how beautiful his childhood memories were, thirteen years of neglect and hardship were enough to erase them all.
The kindness and gentleness we see now are like trying to hold the moon's reflection in water, making it hard to tell if they are real or fake, so we can only be cautious.
"She...I'd say she's a friend, but more important and closer than a friend."
Within these four red walls, the father is a distant figure in the grand hall, the mother a cold spring of sorrow; he has returned, yet he yearns for the outside world. The family is truly separated. Yuanfang sits down beside his mother, but his mind wanders elsewhere. What is Qingsi doing? He didn't return promptly after leaving; will she be angry?
He used to get really angry when she was late catching crabs, but this time he broke his promise, so it's understandable that Qing Si is angry.
But… he was angry because he cared about her. What about Qing Si? Would she be angry because she cared about him? What was he to Qing Si? Her savior? Xuan Shengzi? Or a friend, or perhaps something else entirely…?
Yuanfang stood up abruptly, bowed to Consort Wen, and said, “Mother, I dare not lie to you. That friend is still waiting for me at the Meng residence. I have already delayed my return. If I delay any longer, I am afraid I will not be able to eat or sleep in peace.”
He lowered his arms and looked up at Consort Wen's reluctant face. "Although Father has granted me permission to travel around the sacred mountains to seek knowledge and cultivate myself, I can still come to the palace to visit you these days. Mother, please rest assured."
Yuanfang gave a wink to the three servants behind him, Sheng Yi, Er Sheng, San, and could no longer suppress the smile on his lips. He half-ran and half-jumped out of Consort Wen's Hanliang Palace.
Consort Wen watched that tall figure disappear into the distance, and then she followed him to the palace gate to look out. A wave of tears welled up in her throat, but she forced them back down.
As a mother, how could she not see that her child was feeling restrained and uncomfortable? It was just that she couldn't stop her son from going to Shenji Mountain in the first place, and the separation from her son was also a heart-wrenching pain for her.
Consort Wen's tears streamed down her face as she called out to Yuan Fangsui's retreating figure, "The birthday of Consort Jing is coming soon, Fangsui, remember!"
Consort Jing was one of the late Emperor's six concubines and the only one still alive in his harem. She is ninety years old this year. The Emperor, out of filial piety, holds Consort Jing in high esteem and has personally arranged to celebrate her birthday this year.
Yuanfang should be present for such an important event. With him there, Consort Wen can see him and keep him company as much as possible.
——
Le Jin woke up feeling very depressed this morning.
He sat on the bed with his arms crossed, waiting until noon.
Can anyone tell me why the bed curtains were torn open? And why is there such a strong sandalwood scent on Yuanfang's pillow?
When Le Jin discovered these abnormalities, she was completely bewildered. Covering herself with the blanket was of no use; she was still chilled to the bone. Beyond the chill, there was also an utter sense of utter speechlessness.
For the seventeenth time, Le Jin buried her face in his palm, becoming so frustrated that she screamed in anger.
That madman climbed onto the bed while she was asleep, like a snake finding a crack, and nestled beside her! Le Jin felt a wave of nausea, suddenly remembering the times when his fingers had probed into her body on the bed, on the couch…
Le Jin's ears felt like they were on fire, and sweat poured down her neck. She had finally seen it for herself: Meng Shutai was not only a madman, but also a shameless beast!
Grabbing the sandalwood-scented pillow, Le Jin, wanting to avoid the hassle, tossed it off the bed. The pillow rolled a few times before coming to rest behind the front door.
A maid's voice rang out from outside the door: "Miss Qing Si, Xuan Shengzi has returned."
Le Jin jumped out of bed with a cry of "Ah!" and quickly opened the door, startling the maid who had come to deliver the message.
Her eyes sparkled like stars as she excitedly shook the maid's arm, asking, "Who did you say came back?!"
"I!"
Before the maid could answer, Yuanfang came running from the end of the corridor with a smile on his face.
Shouldn't he have been kept in the palace by Consort Wen? Why is he back now? Le Jin looked Yuan Fang's attendant up and down, and could hardly believe her eyes.
He broke out in a light sweat, and had just stopped in front of Le Jin when the girl suddenly threw herself into his arms, wrapped her arms around his neck, and hugged him tightly in a flustered manner. Her cool face brushed against Yuan Fang's hot skin, and he was dumbfounded.
"……What's wrong?"
Yuanfang trembled at the sound, because he noticed that Qing Si's body was shaking.
She didn't speak, remaining silent for a long time, but the strength in her arms holding him didn't lessen at all.
"Did someone bully you while I was away?"
Le Jin had only acted impulsively, wanting to hug the only person she trusted, just for a short while. But when Yuan Fang asked her a question, her nose suddenly stung as if it had been filled with vinegar, and a tear fell onto his collar.
Someone is bullying her.
They bullied her because she was a helpless girl and they were determined to devour her.
Yuanfang felt the girl in his arms' body change from trembling to convulsing, and he was so frightened that he almost lost his mind. He quickly patted her shoulder.
"Who bullied you? Tell me, and I'll skin them alive!"
He was aggressive, but his movements were gentle, as if Yue Jin were a flower that would shatter if he struck her hard.
Le Jin bit her lip, forcing back her tears.
Anyway, she'll be gone with Yuanfang in a few days. She's free to roam the world, who cares about Meng Shutai? Today she'll go buy locks and lock all the doors and windows. He's not a real snake, how can he not be stopped?
There's always a way.
Le Jin let out a breath, composed herself, and slapped Yuan Fang Sui on the back to get out of his arms. She glared at him fiercely and asked, "Why did you name me 'The Ox That Carries People'?"
"ah……"
Yuan Fang never expected Qing Si to change her mind so quickly, let alone that she had found the explanation for "Si". He suddenly felt guilty and chuckled awkwardly.
“Back then, you could eat and sleep well, and you had more energy than ten oxen. So I used a little trick on you…” Yuanfang pinched his thumb and forefinger together and looked at Le Jin from the middle with a sly look.
It's not his fault... When he picked up Qing Si, she was indeed sullen at first, not speaking or looking at anyone, just sitting alone on the edge of the bed in the room, like a young wife who had suffered some kind of blow.
But less than three days later, she pushed open the door, startling Yuan Fang, who was secretly watching her from behind it.
He still remembers her standing inside the doorway, the sunlight shining on her, creating golden dust. She stood there, a slight smile on her clean face, her eyes clear and bright.
"I'm hungry. Do you have anything to eat? I can do some work for you in exchange for food."
That's why Yuanfang named her that. But he wasn't mocking her at all. Niu'er is so good, strong, healthy, and long-lived. If Qing Si really had such a destiny, he would be happier than anyone else.
The girl in front of him still had glistening tear stains on her face, and she was looking at him sideways with her eyes, as if she was furious.
"Oh, don't be angry. It's just a name. If you don't like it, we can choose another one together."
"Or, shall I carry you?"
Qing Si disliked the idea of carrying people, so he carried her as an act of atonement.
As Yuanfang spoke, he lifted the hem of his robe, knelt in front of Le Jin, and braced his fists on the ground, pretending to carry someone on his back.
"Hey! Get up!"
Le Jin hurriedly tried to pull him up. She was just making an excuse to calm herself down; who would have thought he would actually carry the load?
"This is the first time I've seen you cry so hard. You must be upset. It's okay, you can bully me and vent your anger, then you'll feel better."
Yuanfang spoke with great nonchalance, as if he were not bowing down like an ox but instead plucking flowers and embracing the moon. He looked at Le Jin, his pupils clear and bright, his sincerity leaving no room for refusal.
Le Jin stomped her foot in frustration and looked around to see if anyone else was in the corridor.
"Aren't you ashamed...?"
Yuanfang smiled broadly and said, "Of course."
"Aren't you going to come up so I can stay lying down forever?"
Le Jin's cheeks were so red they looked like they were about to bleed. Yuan Fang urged her on, so she could only turn her back and sit gently on his back, burying her head in her hands and gripping his clothes tightly, trembling slightly uncontrollably.
Once Yuanfang knew she was seated securely, he slowly crawled forward a few steps. He carried her effortlessly, taking his time.
Le Jin swayed slightly, her heart pounding, and then she suddenly smiled.
It looks like a carousel in an amusement park.
She had never ridden a carousel before, and Yuanfang was the first person in the world to "take her on one".
Le Jin blushed and jumped off his back. Her toes felt numb and she couldn't stand steadily.
"Alright, alright, you really are carrying it."
She turned and ran back into the room, leaving Yuanfang to brush the dust off her knees with someone in the corridor.
Yuanfang laughed more heartily than Lejin, watching her blush and then run away.
He could carry a girl he loves for a lifetime.
He shook the dust off his knees and immediately followed Yue Jin into the house. The vermilion door faced a two-story carved platform in the courtyard.
A person leaned against the railing of the small platform, taking in every move that Le Jin and Yuan Fang had just made.
Her jade-colored fingernails dug deeply into the railing, the blood color suppressed to a pale white.
Meng Shutai's face was deathly still, his jealousy as thick as ink that could not be dissolved, heavily shrouding his bright, star-like eyes.
Le Jin... hugged him? She even sat on his back.
Their playful banter and playful arguments made them look exactly like a pair of young lovers with unspoken feelings.
How could this be?! She pushed him far away, forcing him to steal her kisses. Yet that Yuanfang Sui was able to so brazenly do what Meng Shutai had always dreamed of…
Their intimacy served as a mirror, reflecting the twisted, demonic nature of Meng Shutai's heart—why wasn't Le Jin riding him? Why wasn't he the one sitting on her?
She had no idea how much he longed to be beneath her.
Meng Shutai's heart cracked open, and jealousy and resentment turned into black mist, eventually forming a miasma that trapped him and Le Jin.
The way she fell to her death from the tower was Meng Shutai's nightmare; he was terrified that Le Jin would escape in such a tragic way again. So this time, he did everything in his power to suppress his violent desires, letting them flow like dark water towards her feet.
For her sake, he was happy to be humble no matter what.
But just as Yuanfang bent down, he suddenly couldn't hold back any longer. "Qisheng, let's go see Xiaolang."
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Author's Note: This is a transitional chapter, so it's very short, sorry~
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