Chapter 133
The next morning, after Yin Qiu woke up, he went to the front hall to have breakfast with Man Jiangxue as usual. After taking his medicine, his disciples brought in the doctor to give Yin Qiu a follow-up examination.
These past few days, Man Jiangxue has not stayed overnight in Yin Qiu's room. She watches over Yin Qiu as he takes a bath, drinks his medicine, and waits until he falls asleep before returning to her own room. The two of them then meet again in the front hall the next day.
It rained for a whole day and night yesterday, and the courtyard was washed very clean. However, the clivia plant outside was left unattended, and the soil in the pot had all dried up. Yin Qiu leaned back in the rattan chair, watching his disciples throwing mud at each other outside, and found it very interesting.
"Roll up your sleeves so I can see," the doctor said after taking her pulse.
Yin Qiu was engrossed in watching and reacted somewhat slowly to the words. Man Jiangxue then rolled up her sleeves for her. The doctor glanced at her and said, "How come the scabs fell off so quickly? Didn't I tell you to bathe less?"
Yin Qiu had just taken a bath last night and knew she would be scolded if she told anyone, so she pretended not to hear. Man Jiangxue had no choice but to cover for her and say, "...I got caught in the rain."
"She's still sick, how can she get caught in the rain?" The doctor glared at Man Jiangxue and said, "This little girl is being irresponsible. As her older sister, you have to keep an eye on her. Look, the wound is infected again. If she doesn't take good care of it, how many scars will she end up with?"
The doctor had come several times and even stayed at the house for a few days, but he didn't know Man Jiangxue's identity. He only knew that she must be someone in Yunhua Palace, and that all the young men and women in the courtyard had to listen to her. Seeing that Man Jiangxue treated Yin Qiu differently, he naturally regarded the two of them as sisters.
“Sir, your admonition is correct,” Man Jiangxue said calmly and modestly, “I will definitely pay attention in the future.”
Yin Qiu stole a glance at her, trying to suppress a laugh while keeping a straight face.
After the medicine was applied and two prescriptions were written, the doctor took his leave with his medicine box on his back. Man Jiangxue paid the consultation fee and personally escorted the doctor to the gate. When she returned, Yin Qiu was holding a bowl and eating porridge spoonful by spoonful. He started to smile when he saw her.
"Don't laugh." Man Jiangxue stood at the door, blocking out the sunlight, and looked at Yin Qiu.
"I wasn't laughing." Yin Qiu immediately suppressed her laughter, but soon broke down in laughter again.
“If you laugh at me again, I’ll throw you out,” Man Jiangxue said coldly. “You have no manners.”
“It wasn’t me who said that,” Yin Qiu said, shrinking back but still smiling. “Your trouble with the doctor is none of my business.”
Man Jiangxue stared at her expressionlessly for a while, then walked to the table, sat down, and asked, "Does your wound still hurt?"
Yin Qiu smiled and said, "It doesn't hurt."
“I’m still angry,” Man Jiangxue said. “Don’t be all smiles.”
"Who's grinning like that?" Yin Qiu bumped her forehead against Man Jiangxue and said, "I wasn't angry last night. My martial uncle can't scare me."
Man Jiangxue ignored her.
Yin Qiu threw away the spoon, tilted her head and leaned close to Man Jiangxue, looking up at her and saying, "How can Shishu not change? When I saw you when I was ten, you looked like this, and now I'm seventeen, and Shishu still looks the same. No wonder the doctor said you're my older sister."
“Have you ever thought about this?” Man Jiangxue said.
"What's the problem?" Yin Qiu asked.
“It’s not that I look young,” Man Jiangxue glanced down at her, “it’s that you’re too mature.”
Yin Qiu choked, this time unable to laugh at all, and complained, "Uncle-Master, that's so mean! I was just praising you!"
Man Jiangxue said, "When I say you're mature, am I implying that I'm being sarcastic?"
Yin Qiu remained silent for a moment, then sat up straight with a displeased look, muttering, "Anyway, I can't argue with my martial uncle..."
Man Jiangxue then smiled slightly, picked up two pieces of food for Yin Qiu, and said, "After you finish eating, go to your room to tidy up, and then go to the backyard to pick out a horse you like."
Yin Qiu was a little surprised: "Are we going back to the palace?"
Man Jiangxue said, "Didn't you want to see Nangong Min?"
Yin Qiu paused, then asked incredulously, "Master Aunt... you really agree to let me see her?"
“I thought about what you said last night and it makes some sense,” Man Jiangxue said. “I just don’t know if Nangong Min will be honest with me. If I ask her, she definitely won’t say anything, but if it’s you, she might reveal some clues.”
Although Nangong Min is unfathomable and her behavior cannot be measured by ordinary thinking, the fact that she was willing to remind Yin Qiu of this matter shows that she still cares about Yin Qiu to some extent. After all, because of Yin Xuan, although there is no blood relation, Yin Qiu is indeed her niece. Moreover, she does not yet know Meng Wugui's true identity, so she will not harm Yin Qiu.
“Speaking of clues,” Yin Qiu suddenly remembered, “the night she came to find me, besides warning me that someone would kill me, she also specifically mentioned the observatory in the palace, telling me to go there more often when I had time, and maybe I would make an unexpected discovery.”
Man Jiangxue's eyes flickered: "The Star Gazing Platform?"
“That place holds the cenotaphs of our various grandmasters,” Yin Qiu said. “I don’t go there often, but my uncle-master goes there frequently to pay his respects. Have you noticed anything unusual about it before?”
After a moment's thought, Man Jiangxue said, "No, that's not true." She put down her chopsticks and said thoughtfully, "But since she specifically mentioned this matter, I will naturally pay more attention to it from now on."
Yin Qiu nodded and then asked, "Will my martial uncle come with me to Cang County?"
Man Jiangxue turned her gaze to her and asked, "Do you want me to go?"
Yin Qiu said, "Of course I want to."
“But I can’t go,” Man Jiangxue said. “If I go with you, Nangong Min will definitely not want to see you. The reason she has not shown up in Weicheng for so long is that she is afraid of running into me. She knows that I will kill her if I come to Weicheng, so if I go to Cangjun with you, she will definitely hide.”
Although she knew that Man Jiangxue was right, Yin Qiu was still somewhat disappointed and incredulous: "Is Martial Aunt really comfortable letting me go alone?" After she finished speaking, she emphasized, "That is the Ziwei Sect, and that is Nangong Min."
Man Jiangxue smiled and said calmly, "What's there to worry about? Aren't you the young master of the sect, born of a noble family?"
Yin Qiu frowned and said speechlessly, "...What little sect leader? Even my martial uncle is making fun of me."
Man Jiangxue said, "Not only will I send you alone, but I will also have to return to the palace immediately after you set off."
Yin Qiu was stunned: "Huh...?"
“I’ve thought it through. You’ll be fine,” Man Jiangxue said. “And once I’m gone, the piper won’t be watching you. You’re safe.”
Yin Qiu had no idea that she had come up with all the plans overnight, and that it would still be the same arrangement. She said sullenly, "My senior uncle was so sure that he would never leave me alone again, and that he would go wherever I went. But only a few days have passed and he has changed his mind."
Man Jiangxue smiled and looked at Yin Qiu, saying, "Are you scared?"
Yin Qiu said, "It's not that I'm afraid, it's that my uncle broke his promise, and I'm angry."
“Don’t be angry,” Man Jiangxue said. “I’m still angry, so where does your anger come from?”
Yin Qiu had no choice but to accept her fate: "Then what important matter is it that my uncle is in such a hurry to return to the palace, and is even unwilling to stay in Wei City to wait for me to come back?"
Man Jiangxue observed her calmly and said, "I need to personally interrogate Zhilan, and I also need to discuss Weicheng's situation with the sect leader in person. In addition, you just mentioned the Star Gazing Platform, and I also need to go back and take a look."
Yin Qiu wanted to try again, racking her brains to say, "But didn't Meng Wugui say there was something else he wanted to show Uncle-Master? Uncle-Master isn't going?"
“Hmm,” Man Jiangxue said indifferently, “I’m not going. I originally wanted to go, but I’ve had enough of her pretentious tricks and I’m too lazy to go.”
Yin Qiu looked at her with a mournful gaze for a while, then sighed deeply, slumped onto the table, and said, "Fine then..." After saying that, she deliberately added, "I'm still injured..."
Man Jiangxue said, "By the time you leave Cang County and return to the palace to meet me, your injuries will be almost healed."
Yin Qiu said dejectedly, "But I suffered internal injuries. The doctor said that I can't easily use my internal energy until next spring. What if I encounter an accident and get beaten to death outside?"
Man Jiangxue said, "You can't use your inner energy, but wielding a sword is fine. Take Zhu Bing with you; if you can't win, just run away."
Yin Qiu said, "How can I escape? I can't even use my light-foot technique."
Man Jiangxue said, "Besides the Ziwei Sect, which is the only dominant sect in Cangjun, the other sects are not worth mentioning. So unless you cause trouble yourself and offend someone you don't want to mess with, no one will touch you for no reason. Even if you do cause trouble, there are people from the Ziwei Sect everywhere in Cangjun City. As long as you ask them for help and tell them who you are, nothing will happen to you."
Yin Qiu said, "I'm so angry."
Man Jiangxue couldn't help but chuckle, but still said, "Don't be angry. Aren't you listening to your martial uncle?"
Yin Qiu gave a low hum, buried her face, and remained silent.
Man Jiangxue reached out and patted her head, saying, "Have you eaten? If you have, go to your room and pack your luggage so we can leave early."
Yin Qiu didn't want to talk to her.
Man Jiangxue said, "You're being temperamental again. If you don't listen to me, how are we supposed to investigate these things? Look, the people behind the secret guards are after me, and so is the flute player. Your master only trusts you now. If you don't help me, your master will be in great danger. Are you willing to watch your master be assassinated?"
Yin Qiu moved her head, peeking out with her eyes, and looked at Man Jiangxue, saying, "I can't bear to part with her..."
Man Jiangxue said, "Then why are you still so unwilling? Don't you feel sorry for your martial uncle?"
"How could I not feel heartache?" Yin Qiu sat up abruptly and said with utmost seriousness, "It's not that I'm unwilling; on the contrary, I'm actually very willing to find out about these things. I just don't want to be separated from my martial uncle."
Man Jiangxue looked at her and smiled, "My martial aunt doesn't want to be separated from you either."
Yin Qiu sighed again: "Alright, I understand what Martial Uncle means. I'll go." After she finished speaking, she immediately stood up. "I'll go back to my room to pack my luggage."
Man Jiangxue smiled gently and stood up as well. Suddenly, she reached out and picked Yin Qiu up in her arms, saying, "Then I'll see you off."
After saying that, she carried Yin Qiu out the door and headed towards the side room amidst the astonished gazes of the disciples.
Yin Qiu was stunned. When she came to her senses, the two of them had already entered the corridor. She looked up at Man Jiangxue, who was also looking down at her. Yin Qiu blushed and noticed out of the corner of her eye that the disciples were all looking in their direction. She said shyly, "Uncle, please put me down. I can walk by myself."
She buried her face in Man Jiangxue's chest, her cheeks quickly flushing red. She didn't know where to put her hands. Man Jiangxue slightly curled the corners of her mouth and said, "Why are you shy? It's not like it's the first time I've hugged you in front of them."
Yin Qiu said in a soft voice, "But I'm already so old..."
"Can't we hug someone just because they're grown up?" Man Jiangxue said. "Who made that rule?"
Yin Qiu raised her eyelashes and looked into Man Jiangxue's gentle gaze. As their eyes met, she suddenly felt a strange, indescribable feeling.
She felt that something about Man Jiangxue seemed different.
But Yin Qiu couldn't quite put her finger on what was different. All she knew was that after this serious injury, Man Jiangxue's attitude towards her seemed to have changed. Although they still interacted as before, chatting and laughing, and even had physical contact, and Man Jiangxue acted very naturally and openly, Yin Qiu always felt that she seemed different from her former martial aunt.
And this feeling is especially strong at this moment.
The familiar, lingering fragrance floated in the air, and Man Jiangxue's white robes always exuded an air of weathered hardship. She was just like her name, as pure and captivating as snow.
Her heart was pounding, and her ears were getting warm. No matter how much Yin Qiu didn't want to think about it, she had to admit that there seemed to be some vague ambiguity between her and Man Jiangxue.
ambiguous.
Yin Qiu was captivated by this word.
If word got out that he could have an ambiguous relationship with Man Jiangxue, probably no one would believe it.
But that's exactly how it happened.
But did it really happen?
Yin Qiu was uncertain yet desperately hopeful. Her mind wandered, recalling every little detail of the past few days, and the way Man Jiangxue looked at her. It felt as if a spring rain had fallen on Yin Qiu's heart; the rain was warm, watering the seed that had already sprouted in her heart and making it blossom.
But she dared not let the flower bloom, because she did not know whether the rain was given to her by Man Jiangxue or was just her own wishful thinking.
With a creak, the door opened gently, and Yin Qiu's chaotic thoughts were promptly pulled back by the sound of the door opening. Man Jiangxue carried her into the room, seemingly unaware of Yin Qiu's inexplicable quietness along the way, and said to herself, "You don't need to bring any change of clothes, just bring two silver notes. Buy whatever you need. Change your clothes before you go."
Yin Qiu glanced at her quickly, responded softly, and after regaining her balance, opened the wardrobe and picked out a clean white dress. Just as she was about to go behind the screen to change, she saw Man Jiangxue reach out and take another set of clothes, handing it to Yin Qiu and saying, "Wear this."
It was a crimson dress, made of soft, flowing fabric, with a layer of ethereal gauze over it. The color was bright but not gaudy; it was very beautiful.
This dress was bought on the day I first arrived in Weicheng. Man Jiangxue has always disliked carrying clothes when she travels, as she finds it inconvenient to walk around. So she always buys clothes on the spot, no matter where she goes. Yin Qiu, who is with her, is used to wearing simple clothes. On that day, she only praised the dress, and Man Jiangxue bought it for her. However, she has not worn it yet.
Yin Qiu took the dress, glanced at it, and said, "Isn't this color... a bit too flashy?"
Man Jiangxue sat down at the table, examined her for a while, and said, "No, you're used to wearing disciple's robes and rarely wear casual clothes. This color suits you well. Try it on."
Since it was Man Jiangxue who asked her to wear it, Yin Qiu didn't refuse. She changed the dress behind the screen, but suddenly felt a little embarrassed to go out.
Although there was nothing to be embarrassed about, the jumbled thoughts in her mind hadn't dissipated, especially the thought that Man Jiangxue was waiting outside to see what she would look like in this dress, which made Yin Qiu even more nervous.
She hesitated and lingered behind the screen, unable to muster the courage to go out and see Man Jiangxue. It wasn't until Man Jiangxue asked her that Yin Qiu took a deep breath and slowly moved out.
The blush on her face hadn't faded, and her evasive eyes revealed an unconcealable shyness. Her gauze dress fluttered, red like a cloud of mist, which made Yin Qiu's sickly face appear even more radiant.
Man Jiangxue smiled the moment she saw her. She looked Yin Qiu up and down before finally saying, "Beautiful."
Yin Qiu stood there with her hands behind her back.
"Why aren't you saying anything?" Man Jiangxue stood up and walked towards Yin Qiu, smoothing Yin Qiu's slightly messy hair with her fingertips.
As the distance between them shortened, their shared essence blended together. This seemingly ordinary gesture, like a sudden gust of wind on a lake, stirred ripples in Yin Qiu's heart.
The snow-covered river is like that gust of wind.
Yin Qiu felt her own heartbeat and the presence of Man Jiangxue. Amidst her excitement, she couldn't help but feel that she was being absurd and too fragile to be touched.
But what should we do?
She genuinely enjoys Man Jiangxue's touch and wants to touch him in return. However, whether their touch stems from the same emotion is a mystery she cannot yet unravel, and a tremendous obstacle she cannot overcome.
Perhaps asking a question would clarify things, but if she were to actually ask, could she bear the answer from Man Jiangxue?
So, besides asking in person, are there any other ways to test the waters?
If something cannot be verified through words, what if we leave it to touch itself? Would there be an unexpected response?
Yin Qiu pondered for a moment, then loosened her clenched fist and slowly raised her head.
The cold wind swirled and intertwined at the doorway, but did not completely enter, only giving the two people inside a just-right breeze. Man Jiangxue's white dress rippled gently in the wind. She was tall and slender, and always bowed slightly when facing Yin Qiu. This was no exception. She looked down at Yin Qiu as she looked at her, and the crimson in her eyes quickly began to flicker, slowly approaching her.
Man Jiangxue stood quietly, noticing the sudden change in Yin Qiu's expression. She moved her lips, about to ask Yin Qiu a question, but Yin Qiu gently snuggled into her arms before she could utter a sound.
The hug was routine, without any unnecessary gestures, yet Man Jiangxue suddenly felt something different from usual.
The feeling was subtle, something she couldn't refuse or control. She keenly noticed that this hug was noticeably different from the ones she had in the past, yet it brought her the same pleasure.
There was a bit more weight on her shoulders, and a bit more warmth with dampness. Yin Qiu buried her head in the side of her neck, her light breaths like a falling feather, lingering on her skin.
Naturally, Man Jiangxue raised her hand that was hanging by her side, embraced Yin Qiu's slender body, and hugged her in her arms. Then she tilted her head slightly and lowered her gaze to Yin Qiu's pale and reddish profile.
Perhaps sensing her gaze, those beautiful eyes looked at her the next moment. Yin Qiu's hair was slightly disheveled, and her eyes seemed to be covered with a layer of wet mist. The expression in her eyes was so obvious, it was an undeniable attachment, and it also carried a kind of unspeakable emotion that could only be understood. It was like an invitation, and it was also like an expectation.
Man Jiangxue's heart stirred, and she gazed at Yin Qiu.
She seemed to want something, but she wouldn't say it.
Why don't you say so?
Is what she wants the same as what she can and is willing to give?
Man Jiangxue hesitated.
The warm breath on her neck continued, and the person in her arms was still looking at her. While thinking, Man Jiangxue unconsciously raised her hand. Her expression was calm, but her eyes were somewhat deep. She gently stroked Yin Qiu's face, her fingertips wandering over Yin Qiu's hazy eyebrows, fan-like long eyelashes, and burning cheeks. She held Yin Qiu's waist, and her fingertips suddenly stopped when they moved to the corner of Yin Qiu's lips.
Treated so intimately, Yin Qiu's breathing became erratic. This was a response she had wanted but hadn't expected. She couldn't help but feel happy, yet also wanted more. But the hand remained motionless at her lips. She could only muster her courage and softly call out, "Uncle-Master..."
Man Jiangxue's eyelashes trembled slightly, and the light in her eyes flickered because of this call.
She understood.
What Yin Qiu wanted and what she wanted to give were the same.
A surge of joy welled up in her heart, like a sudden tidal wave that swept over her in an instant. At this moment, Man Jiangxue abandoned all restraint and hesitation, and reached out again to gently touch Yin Qiu's lips.
The soft touch lingered on her fingertips and spread from them to her heart. Yin Qiu trembled slightly and closed her eyes under Man Jiangxue's gentle and delicate caresses.
Man Jiangxue looked at her, and the hand that was around Yin Qiu's waist unconsciously tightened its grip, making her hug Yin Qiu even tighter, but the hand that was touching Yin Qiu's lips remained gentle.
Want to go a step further?
Man Jiangxue pondered.
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