If two childhood sweethearts
Chapter Twenty-Six
The ink spread across the rice paper, the stove crackled and hissed, and Physician Sun stroked his beard, delivering the diagnosis: "Young Master Xie's pulse is extremely weak, a sign of an inherently short lifespan. Today he caught a cold and developed a high fever. He'll be fine after a few days of rest once the fever subsides. He needs plenty of rest. This winter is going to be much colder, yet you're dressed so lightly; this won't do."
Zhou Yulin scratched her cheek, feeling a little guilty. It was clearly not her fault that Chen Muyao was kneeling in the snow. She glanced down at the flushed patient on the bed and then looked at Dr. Sun, asking, "Does he need any medicine?"
Doctor Sun took out a small gourd from his medicine box and tossed it to Zhou Yulin. "There is medicine for colds in the gourd. Take one pill three times a day, and you will be cured in less than half a week."
Tao Yao went out to see Doctor Sun off, leaving Zhou Yulin alone in the room. She stood at the head of the bed, looking down at Chen Muyao, who was lying on the bed with no color in her eyes and her eyes closed. She felt a little irritated. This inexplicable irritation came from the fact that it was strange that this person could be so vulnerable.
She had never seen Chen Muyao like this before.
Having known Chen Muyao for over a decade, she had seen him at fourteen, unleashing a barrage of arrows on the Five Spirit Platform with boundless spirit; she had seen him as a classmate, often skipping classes and eventually being caught by the elders, obediently standing outside to receive a scolding; and she had seen him at seventeen, volunteering to go to the battlefield when the situation in Jinyang City was critical—his features still somewhat undeveloped, yet his eyes filled with determination and fearlessness. Even Zhou Yulin, standing beside her master at that time, had to admit that this annoying guy did sometimes have a certain charisma.
She poured out the medicine from the gourd, intending to dislocate Chen Muyao's jaw and feed it to him. Unexpectedly, the affection she felt for the character in the script surged up, and Zhou Yulin struggled to calm herself. Among the six arts, Zhou Yulin's mental arts were the best, but without spiritual power, she could only barely suppress this affection.
"Like? What a strange feeling." In her past life, even if Zhou Yulin admired her senior brother, it was more of an admiration than a romantic love. But now, this burning affection belonging to the second young lady melted Zhou Yulin's ancient, icy heart into a pool of water. When she looked at Chen Muyao, she no longer had that cold, detached, and amused look from before. Instead, a dull pain spread through her heart.
Unable to suppress her emotions, Zhou Yulin wanted to curse, "Chen Muyao, you son of a bitch!" Why should she, who has already died once, still have to play a supporting role for this person? Zhou Yulin just wanted to find Jiang Zanghua and beat him up!
"He's your brother-in-law! You need to calm down, calm down. Impulsiveness is the devil. If you act impulsively, think about how you'll face your sister in the future." Zhou Yulin tried to persuade herself in her heart, but the more she suppressed her emotions, the more overwhelmed she felt.
The woman in the pink dress and blue shirt dug her fingernails into the wood in the room. The pain brought Zhou Yulin back to her senses. Without saying a word, she pinched Chen Muyao's mouth and threw the medicine in, then picked up the teapot next to her and poured water into it.
"Cough cough cough...cough." The boy, whose face was as pale as paper, was choked awake by this brutal method. He bent over, clutching his chest and coughing. After a long while, he finally raised his eyes, which were as clear as jade. At this moment, his eyes met the culprit through a layer of mist.
"Yu Ning, there is absolutely no possibility between us."
Unexpectedly, the woman, who would normally fly into a rage at such words, now crossed her arms and said calmly, "What's possible? What is my brother-in-law thinking?" She shook the gourd in her hand and chuckled, "I just saw my brother-in-law faint in the snow and was worried that my sister would be widowed, so I stepped in to help."
She bent down to look the frail beauty in the eye, and said in a playful tone, "It's good that my brother-in-law is awake now. In the cold winter, don't forget to wear more clothes in the future, and remember to take this medicine."
"Liu Yuning." His voice was like a gentle tapping of jade, warm yet cool, and the man's expression softened slightly. "Is she... coming back soon?"
Who she is is self-evident.
"So what?" Liu Yuning's voice fell firmly. "The things and people I've made up my mind about will not change, even if heaven and earth cannot tolerate them, even if it goes against the natural order." After saying that, the woman sneered, "You want to be loving and affectionate with her? Absolutely not."
"..." He shook his head, realizing that saying anything more would be futile.
It was only when the door closed that Zhou Yulin received the belated script.
This time, she plays the role of Liu Yuning, the second young lady of the Liu family.
As the youngest daughter of the Liu family, Liu Yuning grew up pampered by her parents, which fostered her spoiled and willful temperament. When she was fifteen, she was kidnapped by bandits. When she was found, she was badly injured and on the verge of death. All the doctors in the city shook their heads when they saw her, believing that she would not survive the night.
To everyone's surprise, the next morning, when Madam Liu, her eyes red from crying, opened the door, she saw a lively and energetic daughter. Everyone believed that it was the Liu family's kindness and virtue that had brought their daughter good health. From then on, the family doted on Liu Yuning even more.
Until one person appeared, the protagonist of the book, Xie Wuwang.
He was originally a poor scholar in Jinling City. By chance, he met Liu Yuyue, the eldest daughter of the Liu family. Liu Yuyue admired Xie Wuwang, who was talented but poor, and planned to pay for him to take the imperial examination in the capital. However, Xie Wuwang, who was of noble character, politely declined.
After knowing each other for only a month, Liu Yuyue and Xie Wuwang got married quickly. Now, a year into their marriage, the two treat each other with respect. This is mainly because of the bet Liu Yuyue made with her father before the marriage, which required her to double the Liu family's assets within three years. Liu Yuyue rarely went home during this year and spent most of her time traveling to other places.
Without Liu Yuyue's protection, Xie Wuwang's life in the Liu family would not have been good.
Withholding salaries and lack of food and clothing were the most common occurrences, and being forced to kneel was an everyday occurrence. This caught Liu Yuning's attention. The usually domineering Liu Yuning was sometimes gentle and tender in front of Xie Wuwang, and sometimes forceful and loving. Unsurprisingly, Xie Wuwang rejected both of them.
It can be said that Xie Wuwang's appearance changed Liu Yuning, who had a smooth life for the previous twenty-four years. He made her curious about this person who did not flatter her, and this curiosity was mistaken for liking in the young girl's innocent heart.
But getting back to the main point, "A poor scholar and a rich young lady?" That's strange. Zhou Yulin didn't believe in stories about rich young ladies falling in love with poor scholars. Liu Yuyue was a businesswoman, so she naturally understood the principle of maximizing profits. Moreover, this was completely different from the Gu Ling version of Wu Wang that she had heard before; it was like a completely new story.
"What secret does Xie Wuwang hold?" This question piqued Zhou Yulin's curiosity. As the protagonist, the fact that the script failed to bring Chen Muyao to his senses precisely illustrates that this person harbors a reason that would enrage Jiang Zanghua.
Recalling the two people who came to find him at the beginning, Zhou Yulin remembered what Gu Ling had said about souls and suppression. You know, usually what can suppress secret realms are evil spirits. If Xie Wuwang's soul is enough to suppress a secret realm, then he should at least be a powerful expert. But the truth is, he is probably a weak scholar who can't even lift a sword.
Zhou Yulin planned to start by targeting Xie Wuwang as the breakthrough point.
Jiang Zanghua's obsession is nothing more than Xie Wuwang's soul. As long as he finds the suppressed soul, he can escape from here.
With her thoughts clear, Zhou Yulin no longer had so many worries.
Lying in bed, she recalled the look Chen Muyao gave her before she left, and it felt somewhat familiar, as if she had seen it somewhere in a past life.
When news of the imminent fall of Jinyang City arrived, Zhou Yulin was busy preparing talismans to be transported to the front lines. Upon hearing the news, she rushed to the Qiankun Palace, only to be told by the gatekeeper that her master was receiving foreign guests.
Without a second thought, Zhou Yulin barged in and stumbled upon Chen Muyao volunteering to go to Jinyang City. The boy was seventeen at the time, his features still somewhat immature, yet his brilliance was evident. Zhou Yulin knew at a glance that this man had just arrived at Xuanling Sect from Xiaobie Mountain, travel-worn and weary.
She stood at the door, not going in, because she was curious as to why Chen Muyao had requested to go to Jinyang City. Going to Jinyang City at this time was tantamount to going to one's death, even for Chen Muyao at that time. Everyone knew that the most outstanding senior brother of Xuanling Sect had perished here and his whereabouts were still unknown. Yes, at first, everyone thought that the senior brother had simply disappeared. Zhou Yulin had also volunteered to go to Jinyang City many times, but was sternly refused by their master.
"The various sects of the immortal realm are already devising a plan. Going to Jinyang City now would be suicide, Chen Muyao. Have you thought this through?"
Because of his archery training, Chen Muyao always wore a three-finger black glove. The hand that was drawing the bow was now resting on his knee. He glanced down at the calm tea surface and said, "Senior, I've made up my mind."
"I am willing to go to Jinyang City."
The young man's high ponytail was already somewhat disheveled, with a crimson and gold ribbon binding his jet-black hair. Chen Muyao picked up the wine on the table and drank it all in one gulp.
"For her?" This short guess was enough to stir the young man's heart.
After a long time, so long that Zhou Yulin thought the man would likely remain silent and leave on his own, she heard a single word that seemed to melt into the spring breeze: "Hmm."
Curiosity led her to peek halfway out of the door. Zhou Yulin caught the teacup her master threw at her and said with a few forced smiles, "Master."
She glanced at Chen Muyao then, and the way the boy looked at her today is the same way he does now.
It seems like there's a secret hidden, yet it can't be spoken aloud.
His gaze was like a hook, completely captivating Zhou Yulin.
In particular, Zhou Yulin is now greatly influenced by her role, and the thought of having to see Chen Muyao every day in the future makes her feel a bit overwhelmed.
We managed to control it today, but what about next time?
The more Zhou Yulin used to hate Chen Muyao, the more the script portrays her as liking him. This infuriated Zhou Yulin, who was not bound by rules. Even if there were a hundred possibilities in the world, it would never be that she liked Chen Muyao. Otherwise, she would have killed him right now.
Once outside the secret realm, it would be nearly impossible for Zhou Yulin to make a move against Chen Muyao.
In the past, she had a 50% chance of winning, but now even a 1 in 10,000 chance wouldn't allow her to launch a sneak attack. However, Chen Muyao's spiritual power is suppressed, and she has lost her memories. Does this mean…?
As night deepened, Zhou Yulin, thinking about this, didn't really feel anything was wrong.
In any case, what we need to find is Xie Wuwang's soul.
The courtyard was pierced by white snow, and the wooden curtains on both sides were lifted by the wind. The night was dark and the moon was high. A snowflake fell steadily into the pond, creating ripples.
Zhou Yulin wrapped her clothes tighter around herself, curling up inside the cloak. Relying on her memories of the day, she walked to the villa where Xie Wuwang lived. There were no servants guarding the door. Just as she was about to push the door open, she heard a voice behind her.
"Second Miss, what a coincidence."
The woman's calm remark left Zhou Yulin somewhat flustered. Quickly, she realized what was happening, turned around, and smiled gently, saying, "Unfortunately, I came to find you."
The man's expression remained unchanged; his dark eyes merely glanced at the person opposite him, his tone still gentle, "Second Miss, is there anything you need from me so late?"
"I can't sleep at night."
"I am not a doctor." His tone was cold and distant.
"Will you walk with me for a bit?" Zhou Yulin's words were a strategic retreat, leaving Xie Wuwang with no room to refuse. He had no choice but to agree, "Okay."
It was only then that Zhou Yulin noticed Xie Wuwang's shoes were wet. He was holding an umbrella as if he had just come back from somewhere. After just a quick glance, Zhou Yulin looked away. "Are you comfortable staying at the Liu residence?"
Naturally, I received a reluctant answer: "It's acceptable."
"I heard you're going to take the imperial examination?"
This question had really hit a nerve, and the usually gentle and clear-headed person suddenly fell silent. "...Why did you ask that, Second Miss?"
“My brother-in-law would have lived a good life even without taking the imperial examinations.”
A complex emotion flashed across his eyes, and he said in a deep voice, "Second Miss is simple-minded; it's best if she knows less about things she shouldn't."
"Knowing less is not necessarily a good thing, Mr. Xie. Ignorance is not necessarily a crime."
Zhou Yulin was testing Xie Wuwang, and as expected, the man kept his mouth shut. They talked a lot all night, but he didn't say a single extra word.
Especially with Chen Muyao's excessively beautiful face, Zhou Yulin always felt a sense of humor, like a familiar face pretending not to know him. Many times, the other party was extremely humble, and Zhou Yulin almost couldn't help but laugh. Who would have thought that the once fearless young master Chen would be so sensible and polite?
If Zhou Yulin hadn't been without a recording stone, she would definitely have made a record of it.
I'll play it on repeat, and watch it whenever I'm feeling down.
If it weren't for the unresolved grudges of the previous generation, Zhou Yulin thought, perhaps her relationship with Chen Muyao wouldn't have been so strained. Their parents were on good terms, and she and Chen Muyao would have grown up together as childhood sweethearts, innocent and playful, always bickering and teasing each other. Unfortunately, there are no "what ifs" in life.
The reality is that her parents were framed by Chen Muyao's father and their souls were destroyed, while that person has now become the famous master of the Nine Star Pavilion.
Whenever the Nine Star Pavilion was at its liveliest, Zhou Yulin would go to the tomb to drink a pot of wine and sit there all night. Several times he got drunk in front of the tomb, and perhaps his parents appeared to him in a dream. The next day, he would wake up on his bed in the Moon Pavilion.
In the past, she had repeatedly tried to defeat Chen Muyao with her sword, but only to defeat the person behind him. However, in every contest, no matter how fierce her swordsmanship was, he never retaliated. He would simply stop short of defeating her and casually say, "You are still no match for me."
As dawn broke outside the window, Zhou Yulin awoke from a nightmare.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com