Expectations
"Young Master, we have arrived at the Prince's residence." Chu Huai Cong woke up from the swaying carriage and realized upon hearing this that he had left Jiangzhou and arrived at the Chu Prince's residence. This was the first time he had ever been to Fuzhou, and everything here was different from Jiangzhou.
It wasn't until he got off the carriage and saw the plaque of the Chu King's Mansion that he realized he was in another world.
There is no Yongliu Manor here, no uncles and aunts, no masters, and certainly no Niao Niao...
"Huai Cong!" A clear male voice interrupted his thoughts, and he was suddenly pulled into someone's arms.
Chu Huai Cong looked up at him. The man's eyebrows and eyes were eight-tenths similar to his own, and he looked very young... Could this be his father?
"Father?" Chu Huai Cong called out tentatively, a feeling he couldn't quite describe welling up inside him.
"Ah? No, no, no, Huai Cong, I'm your older brother!" Chu Yongxi took a step back and patted his shoulder. "I didn't expect you to be so grown up. You must be tired from your journey. The manor has prepared a meal for you. Come in quickly."
Chu Huai Cong was stunned upon hearing this, and for a moment he was speechless. He had always known that he had an older brother who was more than ten years older than him. He had been granted the title of heir apparent since birth and had been personally raised by his father. His mother treated his brother like a precious jewel. Countless people in Jiangzhou had told him these things. He had thought many times about what he would feel when he met his brother, and he had also thought many times about what his brother's attitude towards him would be.
The most likely scenario is that he would ignore him, since he poses no threat to Chu Yongxi's position as heir apparent. However, he never expected Chu Yongxi to be so enthusiastic, as if the two were the closest of brothers.
However, he couldn't quite describe his feelings for Chu Yongxi. After all, they were siblings from the same mother, yet their treatment was worlds apart. He was raised in the remote Jiangzhou and had never seen his parents since childhood, while Chu Yongxi was pampered and adored.
"Yes, brother." Chu Huai Cong didn't say much, but bowed to him. He had experienced the coldness and warmth of human relationships since childhood and had long since developed a heart of stone. How could he have an emotional breakdown just because he saw Chu Yongxi?
The King of Chu declined the invitation to the family banquet, citing his busy schedule, and the Queen Consort said she was unwell. In the end, only Chu Yongxi and Chu Huaicong attended.
Chu Yongxi looked at his younger brother, his heart filled with mixed emotions. He remembered how his brother looked when he was born, as white as a delicate glutinous rice ball. Because he was born prematurely, he was as thin as a few-month-old cat. Not long after he was born, he was sent to his uncle's house. At that time, he tried his best to stop it and did not understand why his father and mother were so cruel. Fuzhou was nearly a thousand miles away from Jiangzhou, with high mountains and long rivers. How could his newborn brother withstand such a bumpy ride?
His father glared at him and ordered the guards to tie him up and lock him in the study. He struggled desperately, saying that he wanted to go to Jiangzhou with them and that he was willing to take care of his younger brother.
That was the first time his father hit him. The slap was extremely powerful, making him dizzy. He was locked in the study and frantically pounded on the door. Finally, his father couldn't bear it any longer and knocked him unconscious. When he woke up, it seemed that there had never been this so-called newborn younger brother in the palace. He didn't even have a name yet.
Later, he secretly sent people to deliver things to his uncle: trendy gadgets, gold and silver treasures, weapons and military books, hoping to make up for his guilt.
The servants in the manor all said that the reason Chu Huai Cong was sent away was because a highly virtuous monk had predicted before he was born that he had the appearance of an emperor and that his nobility was beyond measure. At that time, the late emperor was already in his twilight years and had few children, yet he had not yet established a crown prince. There were even rumors that the late emperor wanted to choose someone from the imperial clan to be the crown prince. In order to prevent Chu Huai Cong from being resented and harmed, the Prince of Chu had no choice but to send him to the remote Jiangzhou.
Chu Yongxi didn't understand. His younger brother was still so young, and even if an heir were to be chosen, it wouldn't be his turn. Why was his father being so cautious?
Pulling himself away from his past thoughts, Chu Yongxi's gaze fell on Chu Huai Cong. He looked very much like his mother, who was once the most beautiful woman in the capital. As her son, Chu Huai Cong was already an exceptional beauty at a young age, and his eyes and brows also possessed the imposing charm of the King of Chu, as if he were a miniature version of himself.
Thinking of this, Chu Yongxi couldn't help but laugh, and Chu Huaicong looked up at him, puzzled.
"Brother Cong, how have you been these past few years? Did you receive the gifts your elder brother sent you? I don't know if you like them." Chu Yongxi asked while putting food on his plate.
"Thank you for your concern, brother. I'm doing very well." Chu Huai Cong's smile was flawless, like the most exquisite and flawless jade, even his emotions were cold.
Chu Yongxi suddenly felt that his question was meaningless. He had been raised in his uncle's house since he was a child, and his father and mother never cared about him. How could he have lived a good life? Even if his uncle treated him like his own son, he was not his biological son after all.
The meal was utterly unappetizing. Chu Huai Cong was placed in the most secluded courtyard in the Prince's mansion. He wanted to visit his father and mother, but neither of them wanted to see him. Before coming to the mansion, he could comfort himself by thinking that his father and mother might have their reasons for not being able to raise him personally. But now, having witnessed this bloody truth, he had no reason to comfort himself anymore.
It turns out that admitting that your parents don't love you is such a long and painful process.
Chu Huai Cong suddenly longed to leave. He wanted to return to Yong Liu Manor, to go fishing and shrimp catching with Niao Niao and You Li, to fly kites in the spring, to row a small boat in the summer under the shade of lotus leaves, to steal persimmons from his master's planted trees in the autumn, and to stay indoors in the winter roasting sweet potatoes and chestnuts. It was a pity that such wonderful days would never come again in this lifetime.
Niao Niao and Zhao Youli left in a hurry, and he was also sent back to the Prince's Mansion. Overnight, Yongliu Manor became a place that the group could never return to.
In the following months, he still did not see his father and mother. Instead, Chu Yongxi kept coming to see him. However, Chu Yongxi was also very busy. His father had entrusted most of the military affairs to Chu Yongxi. In addition, Chu Yongxi's son was still young and at the age where he was very clingy. Therefore, Chu Yongxi could not find time to see him later.
However, Chu Yongxi sent his son over to keep him company. Chu Huai Cong was only nine years older than his nephew, and the two looked more like brothers than uncle and nephew.
My little nephew, Chu Muqing, nicknamed Mumu, is only two years old. When he sees Chu Huaicong, he calls him "Father," probably because Chu Huaicong looks like Chu Yongxi, which is why he mistook him for Chu Huaicong.
Chu Huai Cong helplessly hugged his little nephew, "Not Father, but Uncle. Call me Uncle."
Chu Muqing couldn't understand, and just kept calling out "Father," which gave Chu Huaicong a headache for quite a while.
Because of this troublesome fellow, Chu Huaicong's lonely days were much better. After Zhao Youli settled in, he wrote to him, vaguely mentioning that Niao Niao had developed amnesia. Chu Huaicong collected a lot of medicinal herbs and trinkets and sent them to Shenjing, hoping that she could recover soon. In order to help her remember the past, he started writing to her, telling her all the interesting things from the past. Unfortunately, all those letters disappeared without a trace.
Later, Chu Huai Cong became increasingly busy with affairs. He began to go to the battlefield, starting as a common soldier and gradually rising to a position that everyone respected. Zhao Youli became the commander of the Zhao family army, stationed in Youzhou. When the two corresponded, he often asked about Niao Niao's situation. However, six years was enough time for too many things to change. The passing of his father and mother, the death of his elder brother in battle, and the suicide of his elder sister-in-law forced him to take this position. He felt lost, but when he looked at the devastated Fuzhou and Chu Muqing, who was tugging at his sleeve and calling him "Uncle," he became the fearsome King of Chu.
He saw Niao Niao again because of Zhao Youli's recent death. In the midst of the swirling snow, her figure was slender yet resilient, standing tall like a bamboo shoot in the wind and snow. He felt a long-lost sense of belonging. He thought that no matter what she wanted to do, he was willing to be the most suitable knife in her hand.
"Cousin, you're actually daydreaming?" Zhao Youyi tugged at his sleeve with some curiosity. Chu Chanyin pulled himself out of his reverie, his gaze gentle and tender.
"What are you saying, cousin? Can't I just daydream?" He said this in a gentle tone, with a faint smile. Zhao Youyi keenly sensed that the person in front of her was in a good mood.
The two stood by the window, enjoying the night breeze. It had been raining in Wanzhou for the past few days, and the scent of rainwater washing away the dust was comforting. Zhao Youyi liked the rain but disliked the rainy season, as the continuous drizzle always felt gloomy. But at this moment, with Chu Chan hidden beside her, she felt inexplicably joyful.
It's probably because his smile is so heartwarming.
"My cousin seems to be in a good mood because I smiled?" Zhao Youyi blurted out her thoughts without realizing it. Chu Chanyin covered his lips with his folding fan, turned his head away, and laughed even more heartily.
The night rain was silent, and his eyes seemed particularly bright in the twilight. Or perhaps it was her imagination, since how could a person's eyes possibly glow?
For some reason, she always seemed to have drunk two ounces of wine in front of Chu Chanyin, and her rationality always ran away because of his good looks.
"Yes, if I could make my cousin smile, I would gladly offer him all my treasures," Zhao Youyi joked, her eyes crinkling with delight.
Perhaps it was a joke, or perhaps it came from the heart.
Upon hearing this, Chu Chanyin simply tapped her forehead lightly with his folding fan. "What would I do with your treasures? Wealth is just an external thing; you can't take it with you when you're born, and you can't take it with you when you die. It's rather meaningless."
Zhao Youyi knew that Chu Chanyin was speaking from the heart. After all, Chu Chanyin was a person with very little desire for power and material things. When he was young, he would not even glance at the gold and silver jewelry sent by the Prince's Mansion. Instead, he would spend all day practicing martial arts and studying medicine, holding military and medical books and staying in his room, not even afraid of growing mushrooms.
“My treasures are not just money,” Zhao Youyi said.
"What else?" Chu Chanyin raised an eyebrow in surprise. Their relationship had finally returned to how it was when they were children. Although they weren't exactly inseparable, he was content that they could joke around with each other.
"I'll tell my cousin when I have the chance," Zhao Youyi said mysteriously as he snatched the folding fan from his hand. "Why is my cousin also following the example of those literati, carrying around a fan in the spring?"
Chu Chanyin didn't press further, and looked at the folding fan, saying, "This is an old item that my elder brother gave me. I thought of him today, so I took it out to look at it."
Upon hearing this, Zhao Youyi couldn't help but examine the folding fan closely. She thought that someone as noble and precious as the King of Chu would have a folding fan that was at least exquisite and flawless, if not priceless. However, the painting on the fan looked like a child's scribbles, and the handle was old. It was probably something the owner would take out and play with from time to time.
"This was made by my elder brother and my nephew. They are just like father and son, both lacking talent in painting," Chu Chanyin couldn't help but laugh as he recalled how Chu Yongxi and Chu Muqing looked so disheveled while making this fan.
Hearing him bring up his family, Zhao Youyi's gaze lingered on his face. Seeing that he didn't seem displeased, she felt relieved. After all, there were many rumors about the King of Chu in the capital, including the rumor that Chu Chanyin had murdered his father and brothers to seize the throne. Zhao Youyi had never believed it, because she vaguely remembered that Chu Chanyin was an extremely sentimental person when he was young, and that he was kind and gentle, even helping injured birds.
“Cousin, didn’t you want to know how I’m doing at the Prince’s residence?” Chu Chanyin noticed her strange expression and suddenly remembered the rumors. “I don’t have much affection for my father and mother. My father was very busy with affairs, and I didn’t even see him a few times before he passed away. My mother is in poor health, and she… doesn’t want to see me.”
Zhao Youyi stared in surprise, her eyes widening. She couldn't help but reach out and grab his fingers, as if to soothe his emotions.
Seeing her actions, Chu Chanyin smiled, his eyes curving like crescent moons.
"I don't blame them. Since there is no love, there is naturally no hate. Without expectation, there will be no disappointment. My mother carried me for ten months and gave birth to me. I am very grateful to her. After all, childbirth is difficult for women. They have one foot in the grave. I don't expect her to love me." Chu Chanyin sighed deeply and looked at her with gentle eyes.
Zhao Youyi suddenly felt as if a soft feather had brushed against the most secret place in her heart, stirring her heartstrings.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
