Chapter 18 Affair "You're living such a happy life (^_^)"...
The Lu family residence and the Ruan family residence were several miles apart. By the time the boat docked, it was already sunset. The midday heat had subsided, and the occasional gentle southerly breeze was intoxicating.
Ruan Yang stepped off the deck, and a line of solemn guards stood on both sides. Her maids and servants immediately followed her ashore.
The Ruan family sent a sedan chair over early on. The head maid was a confidante of the First Madam, Xu. She spotted a beautiful young woman standing by the riverbank from afar.
The girl stood at the bow of the boat, the golden sunset reflecting on her black hair. Her red, flowing robe shone like fire, further highlighting her snow-white skin.
She had lived in the Ruan family for decades and had never seen the second daughter dressed up so glamorously and vibrantly.
She went up to her and said with a smile, "We've finally waited for you, Second Miss! Madam, Master and Madam are waiting for you in the front hall!"
Ruan Yang was still feeling groggy after recovering from a serious illness. A Chou told her that she came from a wealthy and influential family and had enjoyed a life of luxury since childhood, making her a privileged daughter that others could only envy.
She was not some country bumpkin at all.
Thinking of the man who had deceived her, Ruan Yang felt a pang of sadness.
However, the past is like smoke, easily blown away by the wind. Today she is returning to her real home and seeing her parents who cherish her like a precious jewel; she will soon forget Ning Xian.
She smiled and said, "Then let's go quickly, I miss them too."
As soon as Ruan Yang stepped off the carriage, the courtyard became lively. The maids and servants surrounded her with smiles. When the Ruan couple saw her, they were overjoyed and wept. The old lady also took her wrist and was about to lead her to the seat.
She had been away from home for a long time and hadn't felt needed for a long time.
The windows of the Ruan Mansion were wide open, shimmering with golden light. The sounds of string and wind instruments filled the air, and various delicacies were laid out on the purple-gold platters on the table, while the fruit wine in the jade cups emitted a sweet fragrance.
After an hour of pleasantries, Ruan Yang was a little tired, so he pretended to be drunk and slowly leaned on the table.
The banquet finally quieted down for a moment, and someone asked, "Eh? What's wrong with the Second Miss?"
The old lady, her face flushed with joy, said while drinking her wine, "Yangyang seems to have drunk too much. Quickly help her back to her room to rest!"
After hearing this, A Chou, who was behind Ruan Yang, came to her senses. She helped Ruan Yang up in a daze and followed Shuang Ye and the others back to Ruan Yang's old residence, Jiangyunxuan.
Bamboo shadows swayed in the courtyard, and insects chirped. Ruan Yang didn't go inside; instead, she lazily and contentedly lay under the eaves watching the fish playing in the pond.
"Ah Chou, what's wrong? You seem unhappy today. Are you not feeling well?"
Ah Chou was a maid who had come with Lu Wenjin's household. Ruan Yang noticed that she was standing not far away, lost in thought, with her fingernails turning white and already embedded a few millimeters into the rotten pine wood.
Ruan Xi was clearly not used to the name "A Chou". She paused for a while before replying, "Oh, yes, I probably ate something bad. Don't worry about it."
Ruan Yang was worried, so she went to A Chou's side and rubbed her bleeding fingertips, sighing, "Look at you, you broke your own fingernail and you still say it's nothing. The old lady gave me some ointment, you can take it and use it later."
Ah Chou withdrew his hand and said coldly, "You really are considerate. No wonder Lu Wenjin can't forget you."
His words were barbed, a far cry from the gentle tone he used when speaking to Ruan Yang.
Now she is Ah Chou, not Ruan Xi, and no longer needs to wear that mask of a well-bred lady.
Ruan Yang was somewhat bewildered. Lu Wenjin wasn't there, and A Chou had been keeping her company at the Lu family's house for the past few days.
She didn't know what she had done wrong to upset Ah Chou. After a moment of silence, she opened her arms and hugged Ah Chou tightly, laughing, "Then I won't be friends with anyone else anymore, and I'll only be considerate to Sister Ah Chou, okay?"
Ah Chou was taken aback. She used to hate Ruan Yang's coquettish and obsequious manner towards her, and now she hated it even more.
She ruthlessly pushed Ruan Yang away: "I don't want to."
"Sister A-Chou...."
"I..."
Ah Chou paused for a moment, then said, "It's getting late, you should rest. Let me close the window for you."
Ah Chou returned to the house and slammed the doors and windows shut in a fit of rage. Her eyes welled up with tears. The old lady's ointment? What did that mean? Was she showing off to her?
A lowly concubine's daughter was transformed into the apple of her eye, while she could only be a slave, living a life of constant danger!
What right does Ruan Yang have to replace her and steal what rightfully belongs to her?
She clenched her fists, her resentment burning so fiercely it threatened to consume her entirely.
Ruan Xi took a deep breath, clutched the dull pain in her chest, ran to a corner, and spat the black blood she had been holding back into the flowerbed.
Ning Xian is a suspicious and vindictive man who cannot tolerate even the slightest injustice. If he knew that Ruan Yang had betrayed him and was with Lu Wenjin, he would definitely not let her off easily.
She wiped the blood from her lips, turned around and went back to the small pavilion where the maid lived. In the dead of night, she decided to send a letter to Ning Xian to tell him that Ruan Yang had survived.
...
It's already the month of You in the blink of an eye. Today is the Qixi Festival. The moonlight is bright and clear. The Ruan family mansion is decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations. Various kinds of tea, fruits and snacks are laid out on the table in the backyard to make wishes and pray for blessings from the Weaver Girl.
After paying homage to the Weaver Girl, Ruan Yang fanned herself with a small round fan and cooled off under the pumpkin trellis in the courtyard.
Ah Chou, holding the cooled medicine, said, "Miss, it's time to take your medicine."
After hearing this, Ruan Yang took the bowl from her hand and drank the bitter medicine. After several months of treatment, she was able to recall some fragments of her childhood, but those images only flashed through her mind for a moment before disappearing without a trace, and she could no longer remember them.
But in any case, the condition is improving.
"Girl, someone's waiting for you outside!"
Shuangye, still munching on a jujube cake, ran excitedly toward them. Before she could even swallow the cake, she said with a smile, "Miss, go on! You've been cooped up in the manor for a long time. Going out for a walk will lift your spirits. Don't be afraid, the manor will send guards to go with you!"
Ruan Yang had no worries about being kidnapped. This wasn't Danzhou; it was Bashu. No one would risk abducting her: "Who's waiting for me?"
Shuangye paused for a moment, then said regretfully, "Little General Lu, don't you remember? Every year at this time, you and General Lu would go to the river to release lanterns."
"I see."
Even though Ruan Yang had no memory of her fiancé, she didn't want to hurt Lu Wenjin anymore, so she tied up her hair, got up, and left the courtyard.
“Miss, this is a rare opportunity, you must catch up properly! It would be best if you could remember everything from the past, otherwise I’m worried that you’ll forget about General Lu after he leaves.”
Ruan Yang stopped: "Is he going to war again?"
"Yes, I don't know what the master was thinking. How could he exploit his own son-in-law like this? The border is dangerous now, and the court is constantly putting pressure on him. General Lu hasn't had much rest, and his leg injury hasn't even healed before he has to lead troops into battle again. He's really working so hard..."
...
Ruan Yang followed Shuangye and the others to the back door.
A golden breeze blew, and petals fluttered down from the locust tree. The tall, handsome young man stood under the lush green canopy, waiting for her. Every now and then, a few playful petals would drift onto his brow bone, but he didn't mind. He simply closed his eyes and lazily brushed them away.
At this moment, "Ta Xue" let out an untimely neigh and began to move around uncontrollably. Lu Wenjin looked at Ruan Yang staring at him with slightly wide eyes, and he was so embarrassed that his ears felt hot.
He had no choice but to pull hard on the reins, hiding the restless horse behind him, pretending nothing had happened, and looking at Ruan Yang with a smile.
Afraid that he would feel embarrassed, Ruan Yang smiled and took the initiative to pull Lu Wenjin's palm, which was rubbed red by the reins: "Let's go, let's release the lanterns."
Lu Wenjin was surprised that the girl would actually talk to him. The flower that was about to wither in his heart bloomed again in an instant, and he nodded solemnly, almost with tears in his eyes: "Yes."
Shuangye laughed and said, "You two can go have fun and have a good chat. I'm still waiting to take care of your little ones!"
Seeing that Lu Wenjin was a little reserved, Ruan Yang glared helplessly at Shuangye: "Alright, alright, stop talking, don't scare him..."
After speaking, she turned her head and saw Lu Wenjin turn his back and suddenly kneel down on one knee.
Ruan Yang was startled: "Hey... it's not like it's Chinese New Year, why are you kneeling down for me?"
Lu Wenjin turned her head to the side and smiled, "Come on up."
He's going to carry her on his back?
Ruan Yang took a few steps back: "You're going to carry me? Is that alright?"
The boy snorted: "There's nothing wrong with it. It's just that Ta Xue was being naughty today, and I was afraid it would hurt you."
Ruan Yang glanced at the increasingly agitated horse and had no choice but to carefully bend down and lie on Lu Wenjin's back.
The boy's back was broad and warm, but Ruan Yang remained stiff, not daring to put all her strength on it. She stared blankly at the boy's black outer robe, not daring to move an inch the entire way.
It's likely that she and Ning Xian did the most intimate things in the world: hugging, kissing, caressing, and even making love.
She almost got pregnant, which nearly led to a terrible mistake.
Even though they were that intimate, she had never leaned on Ning Xian like this before. She wondered if his back was as strong and warm as Lu Wenjin's.
Uh, never mind.
That arrogant and conceited man probably wouldn't lower his head and let a "country bumpkin" like her overpower him.
Ruan Yang relaxed her limbs and patted Lu Wenjin's head: "General Lu, everyone says you're very, very good to me, but will you be this good to me for the rest of your life?"
He replied earnestly, "Yes! Of course."
Ruan Yang sighed, "But others have told me they'll never throw me away..."
Lu Wenjin frowned, a nameless anger rising in his heart at the mention of that little beast Ning Xian: "He is him, and I am me."
Ruan Yang joked, "Oh, really not?"
Lu Wenjin became somewhat anxious. He said very solemnly, "It's true! If I ever betray my promise and abandon my wife and children, it will be because I have unfortunately passed away."
Upon hearing this, Ruan Yang immediately covered his mouth: "Don't say such unlucky things!"
"You saved my life. If we really have to part ways, I still hope you live a good life, rise to great heights, and have beautiful women by your side. Then we'll... forget each other in the vast world!"
"Stop, little miss, don't say such unlucky things anymore! I will never forget you, and you are not allowed to forget me either!"
Lu Wenjin smiled dismissively: "Don't worry, Yangyang, I've been very resilient since I was a child. No matter how much I'm hurt or injured, I'm fine. My mother even had my fortune told. She said I'm blessed with good fortune and will live to be a hundred years old, with many children and grandchildren. I won't die young."
"Besides, you and your mother are still in this world. For your sake, I will work hard to live a good life and give you the best life."
Ruan Yang laughed and said, "Okay, then I'll wait for you to marry me."
...
The streets were bustling with people and brightly lit. Even after the three-month truce in Sichuan and Chongqing, vendors and tourists still walked through the streets after midnight.
Ruan Yang carried a lotus lantern through the bustling crowd, her skirt fluttering slightly in the night breeze. She squatted down by the riverbank, preparing to put the lantern into the river.
Suddenly, a gust of cold wind came from nowhere and swirled up the withered leaves on the ground, causing the young women and girls by the riverbank to gasp in surprise.
Lu Wenjin: Are you alright?
Ruan Yang waved the dust off his face and coughed, "I'm fine, it's the lanterns that are in trouble. Look, all the candles inside have been extinguished."
Lu Wenjin smiled and said, "It's nothing, I'll go to the shop again and get you a tinderbox."
"Okay, hurry back, I'll wait for you to release them together."
Ruan Yang waved to the boy and watched him leave.
She was about to sit on the steps and look at the night view while waiting for Lu Wenjin to return, but when she turned around, a hand with distinct knuckles passed through her neck and came close to her, very close.
Ruan Yang's heart skipped a beat, thinking that some robber was going to knock her unconscious, but when she opened her eyes, she saw that slender fingers were holding a lit match.
Ruan Yang: "..."
You offered to help, but you didn't say a word. Your sudden appearances are terrifying...
Ruan Yang lazily turned around, and what came into view was a fanged mask, facing her menacingly.
She smiled awkwardly and handed over the wick of the paper lantern. With a "whoosh," the faint light filled the lantern.
Ruan Yang, holding the lantern, politely said, "Thank you for your kindness, sir, but it's getting windy here, so I must go home. I cannot keep you company any longer."
The masked man didn't speak, but slowly approached, and before Ruan Yang knew it, he had cornered her in a dark corner. The night wind blew up their dark hair that hung down to their chests, and then they became sticky and intertwined.
Ruan Yang realized that her hair was being too unruly, shamelessly burrowing into the man's chest.
She immediately gathered her long hair that was floating in the air and threatened, "My husband is not far away. I advise you not to get so close to me, otherwise he will definitely beat you up if he catches you."
The face behind the mask chuckled inwardly, then stopped and tapped Ruan Yang's forehead lightly with the folding fan in his hand.
"?"
Ruan Yang winced in pain and glared at the man: "Who are you? Do we know each other? You're really rude, please move aside..."
After she finished speaking, she rubbed her forehead and saw the man take out a palm-sized box from his wide sleeves and hand it to her.
Ruan Yang was taken aback: "Are you going to give this to me?"
The masked man nodded, and before Ruan Yang could ask what was inside, he turned and left. She looked at the box in her hand; it was made of sandalwood. When she brought it closer to her nose, she could smell a faint fragrance of lotus flowers.
She was startled and immediately chased after him, but the man from before had vanished without a trace, as if he had never come out at all.
Ruan Yang sighed. She thought she must be delirious from the fever. How could Ning Xian possibly be here, and even follow her all the way here?
That guy has probably forgotten about her long ago. Judging by the time of day, he's probably holding Jinlian's little face and nibbling on it.
Besides, Ning Xian would never be so patient with her; when he sees her, he'll just bark and howl at her like a mad dog.
Unable to resist the temptation of curiosity, Ruan Yang half-closed her eyes and slowly opened the box. Seeing that no hidden weapons or anything like that flew out after a while, she gradually relaxed her vigilance and opened the box completely.
Under the candlelight, a velvet pad was laid in the center of the box, and on the white velvet lay something about the size of a thumb, pink and translucent. Upon closer inspection, there were traces of blood on the bottom, and it seemed... to be human-shaped?
Ruan Yang realized something, and her whole body trembled. She gasped and hurriedly threw the box into the water. The note inside fell to the ground and was swept to her legs by the cold wind.
Ruan Yang unfolded the note with trembling hands, and its contents left her stunned.
"You're living such a happy life. Do you ever think about the child you killed? ^_^"
She swallowed hard, crumpled the paper into a ball, and looked at the box floating on the water, feeling as if she had fallen into an ice cellar.
The people around her were startled by her action and turned to look at her.
Lu Wenjin took the tinderbox and returned. Seeing a crowd gathered ahead, he immediately pushed through the crowd and squeezed in.
"Yangyang?...Yangyang?"
Ruan Yang's mind went blank, and her legs went weak. If Lu Wenjin hadn't been supporting her waist, she probably would have ended up kneeling on the ground in a sorry state.
He actually came looking for her, and even gave her a ruthless show of force.
She took a deep breath and looked at the shimmering lake, but her stomach began to churn. The faint smell of blood made Ruan Yang gag.
Lu Wenjin didn't ask any more questions, and picked up the girl in his arms, leaving the crowd.
A note from the author:
----------------------
The wicked smile of the bully dog: (^_^)
With the support and comments from our readers, this little tree will grow strong and healthy [shy emoji]. Plus, little red envelopes will be dropping in from time to time! [cheering emoji] [cheering emoji]
P.S.: This article is anti-Stockholm syndrome.
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