She was as beautiful as a flower.
The journey continued from south to north, taking more than half a month.
At Master Hua's bedside, where he served him medicine daily, he had grown increasingly ashamed. Therefore, when Miss Yan saw him, she was startled, thinking that this man was none other than the philandering Zhong Liansheng.
She came to see him, and when the cart arrived, she approached the gate and knocked. Japanese soldiers were guarding the entrances of the alleys in this area, and the man looked at her strangely, which made him feel goosebumps.
The servants from Xusheng's household came to open the door for her, only opening it a crack. Upon seeing her, they greeted her as Miss Yan and hurriedly led her inside.
Turning the corner and entering the courtyard, the person who opened the door said, "Miss Yan, you have to be careful. Something happened to the family across the street yesterday. These Japanese are all wicked."
She said seriously, "When he looked at me like that outside, I really started trembling."
Xu Sheng came out of Master Hua's room at this moment, paused when he saw her, and said, "Why are you here at this time?"
"You've been back for so many days and I haven't seen you anywhere. It's a mess outside, so I thought I'd go check on you."
"Wait in my room for a moment, I'll be there for you soon." With that, he turned and went into the kitchen.
"Since the young master returned these past few days, he has only been taking care of the master, but he himself has become thinner..."
She sat at the table in his room, idly stroking a small, oily green basalt toy to pass the time, slightly lost in thought, and didn't even notice him come in.
"Why isn't anyone serving you a cup of tea?" He frowned slightly when he saw her sitting there listlessly, and turned around to call someone over.
"That's alright, I'm the same way." She gestured for him to sit down, and the two faced each other. Miss Yan poured a glass and pushed it in front of him, then poured herself another glass, and remained silent, holding the rim of the glass in her mouth.
"The situation has become serious. Are you leaving or not?" Xu Sheng asked.
"Where would we go if we just left?" Miss Yan asked.
Xu Sheng slightly raised his eyelids and smiled, but his face looked lifeless due to his thinness, and his smile seemed more like a bitter smile.
"I'm going to Lankang to stay with my aunt. I've made some preparations."
She thought of the Second Madam Yuan he had mentioned in his letter, that graceful fairy, who lived in Lankang. She raised a hand and rested it on the edge of the table, as if looking for something to support her.
Sometimes she resented his frankness; he had so bluntly told her about his feelings for that second mistress.
Praising his lover in front of his fiancée—perhaps only he could be so despicable.
It is said that he is used to being a womanizer; when he was studying away from home, he never stopped having girlfriends.
Fortunately, he never went to brothels after they got engaged, and she felt a bittersweet sense of relief when she talked about it.
"Give me some time to think it over. I need to go home and discuss it with my parents."
"That's the important thing. You should go home and discuss it before making a decision. We originally planned to set off at the end of the month anyway."
He stood up after speaking, grasped her earlobe with his left hand and tugged at it, then gave her a wry smile.
"Let's have lunch here. My mother hasn't seen you in a long time and misses you. Besides, it's not peaceful outside, and I'm worried about you by yourself. I'll take you home in a while."
"That's fine, it's kind of you to be so thoughtful," Miss Yan said, watching him turn out of the house and into the kitchen, his body covered with the faint smell of medicine.
Miss Yan went out and walked into the back courtyard. Autumn in Beiping was a time of lofty spirits, carrying an arrogance that contradicted the somber atmosphere.
The great fire in the human world continues to burn, waxing and waning without end.
Human killings are indeed a drop in the ocean compared to the ever-flowing universe.
Walking through the ancient hutongs of Beiping, Japanese soldiers in their yellow-green uniforms moved freely, clearly usurpers, yet they surveyed the trembling, breathing civilians on either side of the road with such indifferent eyes. "Zhi na pigs," was their perception of this land.
Miss Yan spent some time in the courtyard before being invited by a servant to dine in the main room. Previously, meals had always been served at Master Hua's place, but now that he was ill and his eating habits differed from the others, they had moved to Madam Hua's room. As soon as she entered, she saw Madam Hua sitting in the center.
She smiled and said to her, "Sit down quickly. I knew you wanted to stay for dinner, so I made all your favorite dishes."
Miss Yan agreed and sat down next to Madam Hua.
"Xusheng has been busy with his father all this time. It's been more than half a month, and he hasn't even sent you a single message."
"Master Hua's medical history is the most important thing. I'll take care of it."
As they were talking, Xu Sheng came in and sat down on the other side.
The chopsticks clinked against the porcelain plate a few times. Madam Hua slightly composed herself and said, "You two have been waiting for so long. Why don't you get married sooner? The situation is complicated now, and there's no certainty about the future. Our master is worried about it every day."
"This matter still needs to be decided with her parents," Xu Sheng said, glancing at Miss Yan. "You should reschedule a visit to the Yan family with me. Rushing things like this will only cause unnecessary trouble."
Madam Hua said, "Then we'll wait for Miss Yan." With that, she ladled out some chicken soup and handed it to her.
Just then, a maid came from outside and called out, "Madam, the master is looking for you."
Madam Hua stood up and said, "I'll go take a look. You all just eat."
The two sat there absentmindedly for a while longer. Miss Yan kept tugging at the clothes piled on her lap, her eyes and brows lowered.
Xu Sheng smiled slightly and said, "It's been so long, I'm afraid you're already thinking about going back."
She didn't elaborate, but simply accepted the sentence silently. After walking a few steps outside, she suddenly stopped and said, "I think it would be better to wait until your mother comes out to say goodbye, otherwise it will look like you're about to run away."
Just then, she saw Xusheng smiling lazily, looking somewhat roguish, and immediately slapped him.
What are you laughing at?
Xu Sheng did not respond, but continued to laugh to himself.
Miss Yan had no choice but to remain silent and get into the car first, bypassing him.
Every year, autumn is the season with its most enchanting charm. Before the weather gets too cold, a graceful breeze drifts by, carrying people far away, seemingly without end.
They didn't hold hands, yet they were so close that a slight touch from either of them would be enough to hold each other firmly in their palms. However, they both willingly relinquished this small amount of freedom.
"I haven't seen your father this time either. Is he feeling any better?"
“My father is very particular about his ceremonial hall, and now that he is ill in bed, he is very reluctant to be seen. If this continues, I think he can live a few more days…”
Before he finished speaking, Miss Yan gently squeezed his fingers. Her hand was especially cold, and he took it and held it firmly.
"It's so cold, let me warm you up."
The car finally stopped at the gate of the Yan family's house. She stood at the door, carrying her purse, and said goodbye to him.
"Won't you come in and sit down?"
"To marry you, you need to pay a visit early in the morning. It's not proper to only go in half a day later."
Miss Yan smiled at him, revealing a row of exquisite white teeth. Her charming and innocent appearance stirred his heart. He immediately got out of the car, put his arm around her, and tried to kiss her, but she blocked him.
"The driver is still here, aren't you ashamed?"
"What's there to be ashamed of when I'm kissing my own wife?"
"Oh? When did I become your wife?"
Upon hearing this, Xu Sheng straightened up, realizing she was just teasing him, and could only pat her hair.
"Come with me to Lankang, okay?"
"Go find your Miss Huai?" She looked at him with a smile, seemingly not annoyed.
"I want to marry you, not Miss Huai."
"When there's trouble, Zhong Wuyan is there; when there's no trouble, Xia Yingchun is there. Young Master Hua is quite decisive." She smiled slightly, as if holding a jade pendant in her mouth.
She figured it was just that Miss Huai refused to marry him.
Huai Yiling is an outstanding woman; even men would drool over her. Yet, she is also arrogant and domineering, clearly displaying the airs of a wealthy young lady.
She must be incredibly beautiful, but Miss Yan doesn't compare herself to that. Xu Sheng used to say she was too rigid; he thought young women who had studied abroad should all have some charm, their minds should flow with the eternal river of romance, they should be fluent in foreign languages and able to recite ancient scriptures, and they should also possess some virtuous and capable qualities. He gave a disdainful smile.
Xu Sheng asked, "What are you laughing at?"
Miss Yan said, "You mean I'm not romantic? No, I just do something playful so I don't end up like Zhong Wuyan (a character from a Chinese folktale known for her lack of charm)."
"Isn't Zhong Wuyan good enough?"
"Look at you, isn't that just being stubborn? Is Zhong Wuyan really that good? Then how come there's Xia Yingchun?"
They looked at each other, and he kissed her again.
The sensation of the kiss was so different from what she had imagined. Two soft lips touched, light and delicate, like lying on a cotton ball—it was so subtle. She had expected a strong, pressing sensation, but now, having kissed her, she knew it was like a dragonfly skimming the water.
He said, "We can have each other for a lifetime."
A lifetime? She was so confused while teaching him how to kiss that she actually closed her eyes.
Staying together is not difficult; what is difficult is falling in love.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com