25 Chapter 25 She and He
◎ “He was born for you”◎
Upon hearing this, Yuliu sighed softly.
She realized belatedly that Yunhe had probably guessed that she actually wanted to get rid of the others and find a chance to talk to Fangyue alone when she took the initiative to say that she would give Jiang Jingmo a ride.
That's why she and he went with the flow and took the initiative to take Jiang Jingmo to the west wing.
Yuliu stood quietly beside the carved door covered with climbing willow vines, lowering her eyes to look at the candlelight in the lantern swaying in the night breeze, without answering Fangyue's question.
Even though she knew that Yunhe just wanted to look back at her and ask why.
Yunhe wanted to turn back and ask Yuliu why.
But he has always been self-disciplined and respectful. No matter how curious he is, he will always give Yuliu enough space and will not rashly try to spy on the purpose of Yuliu's sudden actions when there are others around.
Therefore, the slight thought that Yun He revealed when he paused seemed like a tiny crack that quietly appeared on the surface of the lake in winter. With the blowing of heavy snow, it would soon be covered again by the newly fallen snow.
As soon as Fang Yue finished her question, Yun He had returned to normal and took Jiang Jingmo into the corridor leading to the east wing.
Yuliu watched Yunhe and Jiang Jingmo disappear into a halo before she silently averted her gaze. She turned with Fangyue toward the vermilion veranda of the main house and asked casually, "Did you stop by the teahouse next to the Spring Breeze Fence on your way home today to rest?"
Fangyue, being the younger of the two, became visibly more animated when discussing food and drink, shaking her head excitedly as she said, "Of course I went! Miss Yu is absolutely right. The spring tea brewed at that teahouse is truly fragrant and sweet. It's truly delicious!"
Yuliu nodded slightly at that, lifted the beaded curtain with her bare hands, and walked without stopping, leading Fangyue into the main room. She took out the Spring Breeze Brushing Rails deed from her sleeve, which she had taken away today but had not been able to use. Then, she carefully smoothed out the wrinkles on the paper and was about to put it into the drawer at the bottom of the treasure box. Fangyue, who was helping Yuliu remove her hairpin, noticed the four words "Spring Breeze Brushing Rails" that suddenly appeared in large letters in the center of the yellowed deed. She stopped taking off her hairpin and said in surprise:
"How did this land deed, so beautiful as the spring breeze blowing through the railing, end up in the girl's hands?"
Of course, Yuliu sent Yunhe away not just to listen to Fangyue share how the tea tasted.
When passing by the bustling teahouse for the first time, Yuliu and Yumei overheard the conversation of the tea drinkers. As she expected, what they were referring to was "Su Yunyue got pregnant in danger, and Jiang Jingmo repaid her kindness in danger."
The second time, she went out with Yun He, and she could hear the tea drinkers talking about the "brothel fire case", while Yun He could only hear about "the fourth prince's wife escaping danger".
Why is there such a difference?
Why has the system, which has always served as a medium between the world and the host, disappeared for so long and never appeared again? Instead, it seems to have been just hearsay and after-dinner conversation, hinting at the subsequent plot?
as well as……
Why does Yunhe know her so well?
Why does she seem to be able to gradually feel Yunhe's subtle psychological changes now?
Yuliu looked at the bronze mirror, where she saw herself stretching out her hands to hold the deed. She slowly raised her eyelids and looked at Fangyue's surprised face through the mirror. She raised her lips slightly, "What's wrong? This deed...why can't I have it?"
The deed to the land under the spring breeze is the reward for her first side quest.
She originally thought that it was just to provide her with a stable and sufficient source of income in this world, but the teahouse's repeated mention of "the big cremation of the brothel, the spring breeze blowing on the railing" forced her to re-examine the meaning behind this deed.
Yuliu closed her eyes slightly. She could still clearly recall in her mind the illusion of hellfire that the fluctuation of the world line allowed her to glimpse when she first met Yunhe.
Was that infernal fire... the one that buried the brothel?
Fang Yue gently took off the jade hairpin that was inserted in her bun. The silver threads of the hairpin hung down like a silver waterfall. The gilded light rippled the candlelight from the surroundings onto the dressing mirror, and coated everything around with a layer of light.
The end of the jade hairpin slowly detached from her inky bun. Fang Yue tilted her head slightly as if recalling something: "Ah..."
"That's because, while drinking tea, I heard them talking about the man who bought Spring Breeze and became the head shopkeeper of a prosperous high-rise building..."
Yuliu's heartbeat suddenly quickened, as if she realized something. Her dark pupils in the mirror dilated slightly, and the title deed that had been smoothed by her green fingertips was now scratched with a deep wrinkle by her slightly trembling fingertips.
“…It’s Yunhe.” Fangyue’s almond-shaped eyes were full of innocence and purity.
Cloud Crane.
When Yuliu heard the name, what came to her mind was Yunhe's profile when he paused and wanted to turn his head slightly to look back when they parted just now.
The dim light cast by the lamplight and moonlight softened his smooth jawline, while the other half of his face was completely submerged in the reflection cast by the eaves at the corner.
Half light, half dark.
Yuliu's gaze stayed on Fangyue's innocent and bright eyes for only a moment, then moved upwards, reached out and pulled out the jade hairpin that Fangyue was holding tightly in her hand, and threw it into the makeup box that was full of glittering treasures.
The jade steps of her hairpin collided with agate and jadeite, and amid the crisp tinkling of beads, large and small, falling into a jade box, Yuliu, with her three thousand black hair drooping, turned to face Fangyue, raised her eyes and looked directly at her, without a trace of smile on her face, and said word by word, "Are you sure that the person they are talking about is Yunhe?"
Fang Yue stared blankly at Yuliu, briefly lost in her shimmering beauty. Then, belatedly, she realized that Yuliu seemed a little angry. However, she didn't understand why Yuliu asked such a repetitive question. Her voice was soft and confused: "Ah? Miss, what do you mean...?"
Yuliu stared at Fangyue without blinking. "Did they explicitly say it was Yunhe from the Poison Doctor Valley?"
"Oh, it's not that specific." Fang Yue finally realized what was happening and shook her head. Then she said, "But, among the three kingdoms of Xiao, Song, and Wu, there's hardly any family with the surname Yun! And what a coincidence, the person happens to be in the territory of Xiao Kingdom. So, doesn't that mean he must be Young Master Yun?"
That's true.
The words "Yunhe" are not often used as surnames and given names here. Fangyue had a preconceived notion and subconsciously thought that the person was Yunhe. It was actually not surprising.
But Yuliu's mind flashed back to Yunhe's expression when he finally held her back and insisted on making a promise to go to Chunfengsuluan together next time. However, a faint voice in her heart said, "That's not the case."
Yunhe has lived in her Yuqing Courtyard for such a long time, and he never goes out of the main door. Apart from resting, he reads books and chats. Even if there is something else occasionally, he will come to inform her.
If Yunhe is really the boss of Chunfeng Buluan, even if he has lost his memory and cannot remember it, the traces of his existence will not be completely erased.
In the huge and prosperous Wanbao Building, countless big and small things happen every day. If something happens to the big boss behind the scenes, it will naturally be impossible to hide it for a long time, and some rumors will inevitably spread.
What's more, no matter who is left in her Yuqing Courtyard, as long as Yumei is there, she will naturally inform the Fourth Prince as soon as possible.
If "this Yunhe" is "that Yunhe", then when the Fourth Prince wanted to ask Yunhe to see a doctor, there was no need for him to use Li Shengshou's method to persuade him in a roundabout way. Directly using Chunfeng Brushing the Railing to threaten Yunhe's lifeblood was the Fourth Prince's usual method.
Yunhe is still in her Yuqing Courtyard. He can decide his coming and going and his residence as he pleases without being restricted by others. To a certain extent, he is indeed extremely free.
Yuliu finally understood why Yunhe said in the palace today that sometimes amnesia might not be a bad thing.
It is true that only those who have forgotten can live freely and at ease.
Yuliu pursed her lips, but her subjective analysis was separated from Fangyue's more objective thoughts, making her hesitate and unable to make an accurate judgment in time. This hesitation made Yuliu feel a little unhappy.
She rarely hesitated like this.
Yuliu lowered her eyelashes and sat back on the soft stool. She said with a bit of low spirits, "Fangyue, you should go back first and see how they are settling in."
Yuliu did not explicitly say who "they" referred to, but everyone knew that Yuliu was talking about Yunhe and Jiang Jingmo.
Fangyue remembered that Yuliu was going out today to collect the land lease at Chunfeng Fulan, so she thought for a moment and asked, "Miss, do you want me to ask Master Yun about Chunfeng Fulan on the way?"
Yuliu gathered her black hair that was scattered on her back to one side of her right shoulder. When she was combing her hair below her shoulder with a sparse-toothed comb, she paused slightly when she heard these words. The wooden-toothed comb pressed the soft hair into a horizontal arc.
"No." As Yuliu spoke, her thoughts drifted further afield. She recalled Yunhe's reaction when she mentioned Spring Breeze Blowing Lan in the car this morning. She flicked her wrist and moved it smoothly. "We'll know who the real boss of Spring Breeze Blowing Lan is when we go there tomorrow. Just go to the east wing and see how they're settling in. Don't do anything unnecessary."
If Yunhe was really the boss of Chunfeng Fulan, perhaps he would have taken the initiative to mention it to her in the car today, but in fact, Yunhe never took the initiative to mention a word about Chunfeng Fulan from beginning to end.
Therefore, rather than exploring the relationship between Yunhe and Chunfengfulan, Yuliu is more inclined to believe that Yunhe really doesn't remember.
So there was no need for Fangyue to ask, and it would be useless to ask.
Yuliu carefully sorted out the clues in her mind. As Fangyue closed the wooden door outside the main room and placed the sparse-toothed comb on the dressing table, the footsteps had not yet completely faded away when she tentatively called out, "System?"
As soon as she finished speaking, the long-lost mechanical sound of the system appeared in Yuliu's mind. She frowned slightly, feeling a little uncomfortable.
Compared to Yuliu, System Electromagnetic Wave's voice was filled with unconcealed excitement: "Host, you've been performing really well lately! You don't even need my supervision or urging. You've already taken care of the enemies around you and helped the heroine overcome the crisis! So, you're truly worthy of being the victor who successfully passed the Nine-Layer Staircase dungeon!"
The emotional expression under the mechanical voice was a bit vague. Yuliu couldn't tell for a moment whether the last sentence of the system was an exclamation or a question.
But it is obvious that although the system has not appeared for a long time, it still knows everything that happened here.
This made Yuliu keenly aware that the system's usual offline state wasn't truly offline. While she pondered, she lowered her head and smiled slightly, then put on her usual smile, pretending to be a little shy at the system's praise. She humbly followed up, "Really? But if you were always by my side to give me guidance, perhaps I would do better. After all, you said..."
"...In this last world, your system authority is the highest."
"Yes, it is indeed the highest." If the system had a physical body, its eyebrows would probably be twisted into a knot. It said suspiciously: "But didn't you discover it long ago? The teahouse next to the spring breeze is me revealing information to you!"
"I'm always by your side." said the system.
Yuliu did have some doubts before, so it was not surprising that it was verified by the system now.
But she deliberately sent Yunhe away, and called the system before Fangyue completely left, in order to verify another hypothesis.
She has been thinking.
If her previous speculation was correct, then there must be a reason why the system with the highest authority had to indirectly convey the message to her through the mouths of the world...
Yuliu felt that the only possible and reasonable explanation was that the system might not not want to appear, but it was inconvenient for it to appear when Yunhe was there!
Yuliu lowered her eyes and used her bare hands to brush her combed black hair behind her shoulders and neck. The ends of her black hair fell down to her slender waist. As she stood up, the hair fluttered in the night breeze, creating a slight ripple.
Sure enough, Yunhe is a very special existence in the system.
Yuliu subtly tried to elicit the answer she desired, but remained impassive as she continued to play ball with the system, attempting to extract more information. As she walked around the red beech table, she covered her mouth with her hand and yawned softly. Her voice was sweet and nasal, as if she was begging for candy. "Yeah, it's because I noticed it that I'm even more reluctant to let go... But this is a rare opportunity. How about we chat a little longer tonight?"
Perhaps it was because Yuliu had done such a good job entering the palace that the system, which had never bothered to talk outside the main storyline, actually followed Yuliu's words for once: "Sure, what do you want to know?"
Yuliu sat on the bed with her clothes on, looking past the carved wooden window and through the panes at the willow trees outside the yard covered in moonlight. As the night wind blew, she seemed to smell a faint herbal fragrance again.
Yuliu sniffed lightly and spoke slowly. She wanted to open her mouth and directly verify with the system the question that had puzzled her for a long time. However, when the night fragrance came over her, she suddenly turned the two words on the tip of her tongue into a brief introduction.
Elm Willow looked at the weeping willow tree outside the window and whispered, "I met someone."
"Who are you talking about?"
The system didn't understand the girl's euphemisms and asked directly with a mechanical stiffness: "Xiao Tianmin? Su Yunyue? Or Jiang Jingmo? Li Shengshou?"
Yuliu: “…”
She was somewhat choked by the several options the system provided: "...Besides the protagonist and the supporting characters, can't I meet other people in my life?"
"Of course not." The system answered decisively.
Yuliu was slightly stunned.
His fingertips unconsciously clenched the quilt, and the strength of his five fingers created fine wrinkles on the soft fabric.
"The reason you still exist is to serve the protagonist." The system said coldly and ruthlessly: "The protagonist and the heroine, they are the reason for your existence and mine. If they are not needed, even the existence of the supporting characters in this world can be eliminated."
What the system says is very cruel, after all, this is the basic theory on which the system is built.
In the nine world lines that Yuliu had experienced, he had also been influenced by this system's theory for a long time.
But she doesn't feel that way anymore.
After all, under Yunhe's guidance recently, she has gradually realized that her emotions and her thoughts are the most important.
She is not a tool for the plot, nor does she exist for the plot.
Or perhaps, just the opposite.
The plot needs her to push it forward.
It's just mutual benefit and common need.
As she pondered, Yuliu's tense fingertips slowly relaxed. She ungrabbed the quilt and folded her hands across her lap. Just as she was about to ignore the system's words and try to extract more information, she heard the system suddenly say, "But... this isn't absolute."
"...Hmm?" Yuliu raised her eyes, quite surprised.
She had long been numb to the system's brainwashing propaganda, so much so that she had never imagined that there would be exceptions to the system's ironclad rules. "What do you mean by 'not absolute'?"
"Because there isn't much information in the system about this other existence, it's impossible to verify it, and it might even just be a rumor."
The system seemed unusually uncertain. Its previously steady voice became erratic, carrying a hint of antiquity and mystery against the night sky. "Very few people can survive the Nine-Tier Staircase dungeon. Therefore, I initially only told you that clearing it would grant you a new life and allow you to return to your own worldline. But it is said..."
"...In the last world, there will be a destined person."
Yuliu had never heard of such a term before, so she subconsciously frowned and asked, "What is a destined person? Is he my destined person?"
In the nine worlds she had experienced in the past, Yu Liu had often suffered from the sudden and inexplicable displays of affection (harassment) from playboys, the sudden and violent seizures from overbearing and powerful princes, and the sudden and uncontrollable peacock-like appearance of her secret guards...
But how to say it?
The harder they tried, the more trouble Yuliu found.
Because often their inexplicable enthusiasm will lead the plot to a worse direction.
In short, after experiencing so much, Yuliu subconsciously feels a little repulsed.
However, the system laughed a few times after hearing this and said, "There's no need to be so nervous. The destined one is different from those cannon fodder clowns."
"However, speaking of which, no one actually knows who the 'destined one' is in the last world. It's even unknown whether the 'destined one' exists at all."
The night is dark and the moon is alone in the sky.
The system suddenly lowered its volume, and the sporadic chirping of insects outside the window made the sound seem even more natural and lively. Like an old storyteller with a long and arduous time, it spoke slowly and drawledly:
"It is said that the destined person is an existence beyond the system..."
"The attraction between two destined people is beyond words. The bond between you is rooted in your bones, etched into your souls. Not even pain, oblivion, or even death can destroy it."
"No matter what twists and turns you've experienced in your reincarnations, or what bizarre worlds you've journeyed through, your destined person will, when you dedicate yourself to the plot, go against the flow, cross the chasm, and rush towards you unconditionally..."
As Yuliu listened, her head suddenly buzzed.
In an instant, all the chirping of insects and birds seemed to fall silent. Even the moonlight flowing from the night sky condensed into firefly-like fluorescent dots in the stagnant evening breeze.
Everything is silent, the wind has stopped and the trees are still.
Only the system's voice echoed in her ears, circle after circle, layer upon layer:
"He will go all out and become the one born for you."
The buzzing sound in her mind seemed to have transformed into fine mist and rain without her noticing. The clear words of the system penetrated the curtain of water and rain and were washed away and blurred. The sound became vague and distant, and it emitted a misty vapor when it echoed in her mind.
The system's words came one after another, slowly condensing into a crystal water droplet, falling from the misty sky. As the angle changed, light waves overflowed, and the light intertwined and stretched infinitely. When it penetrated the mist, Yuliu seemed to see a green silhouette as tall as pine and bamboo on the flowing rain curtain.
Click.
Drops of flowing water fell into the sea of consciousness as smooth and bright as a glass mirror, stirring up circles of ripples in the center of the water surface that spread outward. Amidst the ups and downs, the illusory figure that had not yet taken shape was broken up into pieces of tiny light that fell like shooting stars.
At that moment, Yuliu heard Yunhe's voice.
It surged towards her like a tide.
【Author’s words】
Thank you to the little angels who voted for me or provided me with nutrient solution between 2023-05-11 22:10:27 and 2023-05-16 02:31:47~
Thanks to the little angels who provided nutrient solution: Jiang Wenmeng (9 bottles); Changan Youguli (5 bottles); Senmo (1 bottle);
Thank you very much for your support. I will continue to work hard!
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