Chapter 57
The night rain pattered against the eaves and the flowers and trees in the yard, the pattering sound making the night seem even more quiet and desolate.
The lamplight flickered, and in the dim shadows, Lu Huaying sat blankly on the bed, her black hair draped over her shoulders. Raindrops slid down her bare feet, condensing into crystal-clear droplets before falling.
Tick-tock.
The aggressive demeanor she displayed when she entered the room had vanished; she felt empty inside, a little ashamed, a little dejected, and a little annoyed.
Wei Mingsu pulled a small brazier from under the desk, moved it to the bedside, sat back down at the desk, turned his back to Lu Huaying, took out a bag of books from his book collection, and began to read a volume.
Looking at his calm back, Lu Huaying felt a sense of bewilderment.
She had already made up her mind to knock on Wei Mingsu's door, but she did nothing and obediently sat on the bed as he told her to.
"Wei Mingsu, aren't you a man?"
She said bitterly.
Wei Mingsu looked down at his book and said, "Third Sister, you will regret this in the future."
In the pattering rain of the night, his voice was calm and mellow, his tone as steady as Mount Tai.
Lu Huaying was somewhat embarrassed and angry, and sneered, "How do you know I'll regret it if you don't do it?"
Wei Mingsu did not respond.
She said, "I won't regret it, I love you."
Wei Mingsu remained silent.
"Wei Mutou!"
Lu Huaying grabbed a piece of cloth from beside the bed and angrily threw it at the back of Wei Mingsu's head.
A gentle breeze blew behind her head, and a damp cloth fell onto Wei Mingsu's shoulder. She had just used the cloth to dry her hair and body, and her delicate fragrance wafted close to her cheek.
He lowered his eyes, removed the cloth from his shoulder, stood up, draped the cloth over the brazier with his head down, and then turned back to the table.
Lu Huaying was so angry she laughed. She hugged the quilt and lay down on the couch, sprawling out in a large "X" shape.
After lying down for a while, she was a little unwilling, so she got up again, grabbed the quilt, got out of bed, walked to Wei Mingsu's side, and sat down next to him.
Wei Mingsu did not look up.
Lu Huaying reached out and moved the oil lamp aside, tilted her head and leaned against Wei Mingsu, looking at him with a hazy light falling on her eyebrows and eyes brimming with tears.
"Wei Mutou, am I not pretty?"
Her eyes sparkled as she playfully scolded him.
Wei Mingsu acted as if he hadn't heard.
Lu Huaying suddenly became angry and deliberately went against Wei Mingsu, raising her hand to snatch the book from his hand and throwing it on the ground.
Wei Mingsu lowered his eyes, his expression unchanged. He bent down, picked up the book she had thrown aside, patted it gently, and continued reading.
Lu Huaying rolled her eyes, looked at the oil lamp, leaned forward, opened her mouth, and gently blew a breath.
The oil lamp flame flickered violently.
Wei Mingsu reached out and blocked the oil lamp.
The flames lit up again.
As soon as he withdrew his hand, Lu Huaying continued playing.
The flames flickered.
Wei Mingsu reached out again and moved the oil lamp to a place where Lu Huaying couldn't blow it.
He continued reading.
No matter how much trouble Lu Huaying caused, he remained calm and composed, showing no anger and not even glancing at her.
Lu Huaying struggled for half a day, like baring her teeth and claws at a hard, cold piece of wood. Bored, she rolled her eyes at Wei Mingsu, grabbed her blanket, stood up, went back to the bed, and lay down, sprawling out in a starfish shape.
She lay in bed, plotting how to tease Wei Mingsu, and soon fell asleep.
Outside the window, autumn rain drizzled, and inside the house, all was quiet.
Lu Huaying was in a daze and didn't know how long she had slept. After having a dream, she woke up.
The oil lamp was still burning, but the wick was almost burned out, and the light was dim.
Lu Huaying looked somewhat bewildered. She sat up, glanced around the room, and her gaze fell on the figure beside the table.
Wei Mingsu lay on the table, eyes closed, brows slightly furrowed; he was already asleep.
Lu Huaying squinted, lifted the quilt, and tried to get out of bed. When her bare feet touched the ground, the chill made her shiver, and she pulled her feet back.
She slowly lay down and quietly watched Wei Mingsu sleeping.
The anger that had consumed her reason when she ran out of the dormitory in the rain had quietly subsided at some point.
Everything outside the window was quiet; the rain had stopped.
...
A sudden gust of wind swept through the courtyard, and with a loud bang, a door that wasn't closed properly was flung open by the wind.
Yu, the attendant on duty, ran past the window.
They found the door and closed it.
Lu Huaying, standing by the window, woke up with a start, drenched in sweat.
The room was bathed in a pale yellow light; she had forgotten to blow out the light before going to sleep, and it was still on.
Lu Huaying wiped away her sweat. The joints on her hands and legs, which had been rubbed with ointment, were very swollen and painful. She closed her eyes, trying to fall asleep again, but the pain kept her awake. As she turned over, her gaze fell on the lamp that emitted a faint yellow light.
Even in my dreams, there is only a faint light.
That night, she slept in Wei Mingsu's room, while Wei Mingsu read books all night.
A smile bloomed on Lu Huaying's face.
Fan Hui was right; four years ago, she had excellent judgment and knocked on Wei Mingsu's door.
The area outside the window gradually brightened; it was dawn.
Lu Huaying couldn't sleep, so she got up very early, wanting to practice her knife skills in the yard, which made her joints even more painful.
When Afu came to deliver medicine, he noticed that she looked unwell and asked her what was wrong. When she told him that her old injury had been hurting all night after applying the medicine, he became worried and called a doctor.
The doctor took Lu Huaying's pulse, pondered for a moment, and said, "Pain after applying the medicine may not be a bad thing, but I cannot say for sure how effective it will be. You should continue applying the medicine. If the pain does not subside after three days, stop applying the medicine and I will check again."
Afu was worried that Lu Huaying would waste the medicine because she was afraid of the pain, so he told her, "Even if it hurts, you still have to apply the medicine."
After Lu Huaying turned thirteen, she secretly sought out doctors in Chang'an to treat her injuries. All the doctors shook their heads and said that her internal strength could not be restored. She did not expect the doctors brought by Fan Hui to cure her, but she did not want to disappoint Wei Mingsu's good intentions.
She smiled and nodded: "I'll wipe it."
Three days later, Lu Huaying's pain subsided somewhat after applying the medicine. Seeing that she could tolerate it, the doctor suggested that she continue applying the medicine.
Wang Yu and Xiao Suniang felt sorry for Lu Huaying and told her to rest more. They said they could take care of the medicine, and Lu Hongbi, who was in poor health, would help her every day.
The heavy snow stopped and the sky cleared, but the snow still hadn't melted.
Lu Huaying's old injury wasn't as painful as it had been a few days ago. She got up in the morning, took her saber, and went into the snow to practice her swordsmanship for a while.
As she sheathed the knife, she was too eager to exert force, and a sharp pain shot through her wrist, causing the saber to slip from her hand and fall onto the snow.
She looked down at her saber and sighed.
With a creak, the courtyard gate was pushed open, and a figure emerged from behind it, walked up to Lu Huaying, and picked up the saber.
Lu Huaying looked at him and said, "Brother, you got up very early today."
Lu Hongbi brushed the snow off his saber: "Feifei, your brother has something to say to you."
Lu Huaying raised her head.
Lu Hongbi looked at her and said, "Feifei, I'm sorry, I didn't help you six years ago."
Lu Huaying was taken aback, remained silent for a moment, and then smiled and said, "Brother, it's all in the past."
Six years ago, Lu Hongbi and she were still young, and Lu Hongbi could not disobey his grandfather and father. After her martial arts were crippled, she seemed like a different person. Lu Hongbi felt very guilty and granted her almost every request. Whenever she had a conflict with her father and elder brother, Lu Hongbi would always cover for her.
"Feifei, what happened six years ago is in the past, but your brother owes you an apology."
Lu Hongbi said solemnly.
“Feifei, before, your brother didn’t understand you…”
Lu Hongbi didn't understand why Lu Huaying insisted on learning martial arts, nor did he understand why she would rather become a female Taoist priest than marry into the Wang family.
Later, the Lu family was exiled to Qianzhou.
Lu Hongbi suddenly understood Lu Huaying's feelings.
He was born into a noble family and studied under a famous teacher from a young age. He was the teacher's most admired disciple. He was proud of his talent and family background and was confident that he would pass the imperial examination. He believed that he could then realize his ambitions and leave his name in history.
Just as he was confidently preparing for the exam, the Duke's mansion was surrounded.
These pampered scions of noble families, with their promising futures, were suddenly thrust off their pedestals, trampled into the dust, reduced to the lowest social class, and forever disqualified from taking the imperial examinations.
Unable to participate in the imperial examinations, his ideals and ambitions vanished, and he could only lead a mediocre and unproductive life.
Lu Hongbi finally understood why Lu Huaying had been living a life of debauchery and confusion after her martial arts were crippled.
Trapped in one place, his lifelong ambitions and pursuits shattered, his aspirations forever unfulfilled, and no matter how hard he tried, he could not change his fate... That helplessness and despair shattered his will.
He was in unbearable pain.
Lu Hongbi took a deep breath, suppressing the bitterness in his heart, and smiled slightly at Lu Huaying, saying, "Feifei, your brother is incompetent and has been a burden to you all these years. Now that your brother is cured, he will be able to take care of himself. Don't worry about me and your sister-in-law, do what you want to do."
He handed the saber to Lu Huaying, his gloomy expression replaced by a smile.
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