Chapter 150
After the snow, the sky cleared after days of gloom. The red maples were scattered about, and the thin snow looked fragile. The red and white colors in the courtyard were quite beautiful.
Knowing that Jingyue Peak was now unattended and that Man Jiangxue and Yin Qiu both loved to sleep in, Bai Ling feared that Wen Chaoyu might take the opportunity to escape, so she bid farewell to her master early in the morning and led the group to Chenxing Palace. The disciples boiled water and prepared breakfast. Just as they finished, Yin Qiu came out of his room, stood silently in the corridor, and did not enter the palace.
"Oh, that's strange," Bai Ling raised an eyebrow when she saw Yin Qiu from afar, walked over to her and leaned against a pillar, "Why are you up so early today?"
A cold wind swept through, causing Yin Qiu, dressed in a plain white dress, to gaze at the distant mountains. Her fingertips unconsciously rubbed the Zhu Bing belt around her waist as she said, "With Uncle Wen here, I can't sleep too late."
Bai Ling glanced at Yin Qiu and was surprised to find that she looked exhausted today, with dark circles under her eyes and her hair disheveled. She asked in surprise, "What's wrong... are you feeling unwell?"
Yin Qiu frowned slightly and gave a soft "hmm": "I'm not used to this bed. I just got back and I'm not used to it yet. I didn't sleep well last night."
Actually, it wasn't just that she didn't sleep well; she barely slept at all last night.
Yin Qiu still felt like she was in a dream about the conversation she had with Gongzi Fan in the maple forest. She tossed and turned on her bed, thinking back and forth, and didn't close her eyes all night. Her mind was filled with Shen Mandong and Man Jiangxue.
Recalling the past, along with some fragmented moments that had gone unnoticed, and considering Man Jiangxue's previous reactions and behavior, Yin Qiu, no matter how unwilling she was to believe it, had to admit that Shen Mandong did indeed admire Man Jiangxue.
With this conclusion, the mystery raised by Nangong Min is easily explained: Man Jiangxue did not visit or accompany Shen Mandong on those two crucial days, which was naturally because she deliberately avoided them.
The reason for avoiding it is also easy to explain: it's simply a case of unrequited love.
Yin Qiu had imagined many possibilities. She even wondered if Man Jiangxue had feelings for Shen Mandong, and that seeing her beloved married, Man Jiangxue was deliberately distancing himself from her. Yin Qiu had guessed all this, but she had never considered the possibility that Man Jiangxue and Shen Mandong were in different positions. After all, Shen Mandong was married and had children, and Yin Qiu would never have imagined that her mother truly loved another woman.
Ironically, that's exactly the truth.
No wonder that when Yin Qiu asked Man Jiangxue about her in Yao Dingcheng, she was speechless and refused to tell him herself, leaving Yin Qiu to figure it out herself. It turns out she really couldn't bring herself to say it.
— No one could bring themselves to say this.
Could it be that the female protagonist is amidst a blanket of snow?
Yin Qiu couldn't understand it on one hand, but on the other hand, she understood it very well.
It's not surprising that someone like Man Jiangxue is born to be admired, but surprisingly, Shen Mandong is among those admirers.
Yin Qiu found it hard to accept that she and her biological mother had fallen in love with the same person.
Such a thing is simply unheard of.
Even though after the trip to Weicheng, Yin Qiu could basically conclude that Shen Mandong was most likely no longer alive, what about Wan? Wan was still alive.
If she suddenly reappeared one day and found her daughter and her former lover together, how would she feel? How would she react?
Yin Qiu couldn't even imagine it, and it was hard for her to imagine.
If that really comes to that, how will she face her mother?
Now, how should she face Man Jiangxue?
As dawn slowly broke, the long-awaited clear light could not illuminate Yin Qiu's gloomy heart. She kept stroking the sharp, thin blade of Zhu Bing, and at that moment, she had a sudden realization and understood something else.
Zhubing and Ningshuang were the twin swords once used by the Grandmaster. She gifted these two swords to Manjiangxue and Shen Mandong respectively, and the names were given to them by Shen Mandong later.
Chasing Ice... Chasing the Sister's Pavilion?
It is ice formed from frost flowers.
So... who is chasing whom?
Naturally, Shen Mandong was chasing after the snow-covered river.
Yin Qiu then recalled the expression on Man Jiangxue's face after seeing Zhu Bing on that day in Yao Dingcheng.
She was stunned, silent, and hesitant. Those fleeting glances and expressions didn't catch Yin Qiu's attention at the time. Only now did Yin Qiu belatedly realize and understand the meaning behind those expressions.
What should she do?
Her fingertips dug deep into the thin blade of the dagger, cutting her skin. She expected it to hurt, but Yin Qiu felt nothing. Bai Ling, who had been watching her lost in thought for so long without interrupting, was shocked to see Yin Qiu gripping the dagger tightly, blood dripping from her hand. She exclaimed, "Xiao...Xiao Qiu...your hand!"
Yin Qiu was in a daze, but Bai Ling's exclamation pulled her back to her senses. She looked down at her hand, paused for a moment, and then said, "It's nothing."
Bai Ling looked her over and over, then quickly took out a handkerchief to wipe the blood from Yin Qiu's hands, saying, "What happened to you? You've been so distracted since early morning, looking so preoccupied. You even managed to hurt your hand while thinking about things. If your martial aunt sees you like this, she'll be heartbroken. You're covered in injuries... Is this some kind of injury you're looking for?"
Bright red blood seeped through the silk handkerchief, spreading a blush. Yin Qiu closed her eyes and whispered, "Don't tell my martial uncle, it's just a minor injury."
"This is just a minor injury?" Bai Ling exclaimed in surprise. "All five fingers are broken. Let me see... the wounds aren't shallow. Come on, come on, let's go inside and get some medicine."
Yin Qiu stood still, a hint of pain showing on her face: "Bai Ling, you must have noticed that I have something on my mind, but I don't want to say it. Although I know you won't ask, please keep my cut hand a secret for now. Don't tell my uncle yet. I'm very confused right now. Let me calm down."
Bai Ling looked worried, but considerately didn't ask any further questions. She simply sighed and said, "Alright, since you've said so, I'll pretend I don't know. But if you're really bothered by my sister's words, just come and talk to me. Don't bear it all by yourself. Besides, your martial aunt is here. You can talk to her. Your martial aunt can solve even the most difficult problems. You're worried about my sister."
Yin Qiu glanced at the inner chambers inside the gate. The curtains were tightly drawn, obscuring the view inside. Yin Qiu remained silent for a moment, then nodded gently: "I understand. You go ahead with your work. My aunt shouldn't be up yet. If she wakes up, call me, and I'll go back to my room for a short rest."
Seeing that Yin Qiu's complexion was not good, Bai Ling was really worried, but she didn't know how to persuade her. She could only go along with Yin Qiu and say, "Alright, go back and get some more sleep to cheer yourself up, so that your master will definitely ask about it later. Go ahead."
Yin Qiu replied with an "okay," and then went straight back to her room without saying anything more. As soon as she left, Wen Chaoyu and Xue Tan came from the other end of the corridor.
"What's wrong with Yin Qiu?" Wen Chaoyu yawned and stretched. "She doesn't seem happy. Did something happen?"
Bai Ling thought to herself, "You have such good eyesight, you can see clearly from so far away." Remembering Yin Qiu's instructions, she naturally made up an excuse: "I didn't say anything, it's just that I haven't been back for a few months and I'm not used to sleeping in this bed. I didn't sleep well last night."
Wen Chaoyu said "Oh," and was about to enter the hall when Bai Ling asked curiously, "That's strange. Yesterday you complained that I woke you up too early, but today you're up even earlier than your martial uncle?"
“Is it so strange that I get up earlier than Man Jiangxue?” Wen Chaoyu said. “That person is a lazybones. She must have died of exhaustion in her past life. She can never wake up in this life. Don’t compare me to her.”
Bai Ling had been in the palace for a long time and had never seen anyone treat Man Jiangxue so casually, or even disrespectfully. Bai Ling had learned something from this person and said with a smile, "Alright, would you like to wash up first or have your meal first?"
Wen Chaoyu said with a strange expression, "Isn't that obvious? Who doesn't wash their face and rinse their mouth before eating?"
·
At the end of Chen Shi (7-9 AM), Man Jiangxue opened her eyes on the couch.
The noise outside the bedchamber was deafening. Wen Chaoyu and Xue Tan had been talking non-stop since early morning. Man Jiangxue had been keeping a light sleep all night, watching Wen Chaoyu, and only fell asleep when it was almost dawn. But Wen Chaoyu had kept her awake until this hour, which made her a little unhappy.
She put on her coat, intending to go out and tell Wen Chaoyu to shut up, but when she lifted the curtain, Bai Ling walked in instead.
"Uncle-Master, are you up?"
Man Jiangxue hadn't slept well, and her complexion looked a little pale. She asked, "Where's Xiao Qiu?"
Bai Ling said calmly, "She's still sleeping. I'll go wake her up now. Martial Aunt, please wash up first."
She brought in hot water, and soon Yin Qiu arrived. After Man Jiangxue finished washing up, she sat in front of the dressing table. Yin Qiu greeted her and then walked behind her, skillfully taking a wooden comb and tying up Man Jiangxue's hair.
After returning to her room, Yin Qiu still couldn't fall asleep. She just closed her eyes and pretended to sleep for a while to rest and tidy up her appearance. She didn't bandage the wound on her hand, but just applied some ointment to stop the bleeding. At this moment, she was holding a comb with her left hand, so Man Jiangxue didn't notice anything unusual.
"You don't look well," Man Jiangxue said, glancing at Yin Qiu in the bronze mirror. "Is something wrong?"
Yin Qiu looked up and met her gaze for a moment, then smiled and said, "I'm not feeling unwell, it's just that I haven't been back for a while, and I'm having trouble sleeping in this new bed."
Man Jiangxue said, "Wan Shu and Huai Wei probably won't arrive until tomorrow. I need to go to Mingguang Hall to talk to the sect leader later. Why don't you stay and get some more sleep?"
Yin Qiu agreed.
Both of them hadn't slept well for some reason, so neither of them spoke when they met. Man Jiangxue sat on the wooden stool with her eyes closed, letting Yin Qiu comb her hair. She leaned back slightly and rested her body against Yin Qiu's chest, so Yin Qiu moved closer to support Man Jiangxue.
There were no windows in the sleeping quarters, and the curtains in the outer room were still hanging. The light inside was dim and unclear, as the sunlight was concentrated outside the windows and could not penetrate.
A wooden comb passed through her hair, releasing a delicate and subtle fragrance. Yin Qiu lowered her eyes, her face seemingly calm, but her heart was filled with mixed emotions. She tilted her head slightly, using her fingertips to brush aside the long hair that cascaded down Man Jiangxue's cheeks, secretly observing her.
Her relaxed eyebrows and eyes, straight nose, rosy lips, and well-defined jawline were all flawless, as if they had been meticulously sculpted.
When she's not smiling, she can be a bit aloof, making people hesitant to approach her, and leaving them wondering what she's thinking about. But when she smiles, that aloofness vanishes, replaced by gentleness and affability, making people want to see her smile more often.
This contrast drew Yin Qiu's attention and fascination for a long time.
Because Man Jiangxue reserved all his coldness for others, but gave all his gentleness and smiles exclusively to her.
Even if she looked at this face a thousand times, it would still make Yin Qiu's heart flutter. However, as she looked at Man Jiangxue now, a thought arose in her mind: Does Mother also look at her Uncle like this?
In Mother's eyes, is her martial uncle also her sister's?
Her chaotic thoughts were like the spring rain in March, drizzling and indescribable. Countless questions she wanted to ask were on the tip of her tongue, but she subconsciously swallowed them back. Yin Qiu withdrew her gaze, her heart filled with mixed feelings.
·
"Something on your mind?" Suddenly, Man Jiangxue's voice rang out.
Yin Qiu paused, her hand holding the wooden comb, and noticed that Man Jiangxue had looked up at her. She tried to sound natural as she said, "No," then added with a smile, "I could have a sister who's so handsome..."
Man Jiangxue looked at her, raised her hand and grabbed Yin Qiu's wrist, saying, "You practically wear your heart on your sleeve, what's wrong?"
Meeting her inquiring and concerned gaze, Yin Qiu couldn't help but waver, yet amidst this wavering, she felt extremely conflicted.
How should she answer?
J, like Man Jiangxue, couldn't bring herself to speak openly, and Yin Qiu also couldn't bring herself to ask, especially since the current situation didn't seem like a good time.
So Yin Qiu could only sigh, no longer pretending to be calm, and made an excuse, saying, "I... I just thought of my fellow guards after returning to Jingyue Peak..."
This was indeed a good excuse. Man Jiangxue didn't suspect anything after hearing it. She took the opportunity to pull Yin Qiu onto her lap and sit down, hugging Yin Qiu and saying, "It's all in the past. You'll get used to it slowly. Don't overthink it."
The familiar embrace gave Yin Qiu a feeling different from before. She hid her injured right hand, forced a smile, and said, "I know, but I just can't help thinking about it."
"Then how can I stop thinking about it?" Man Jiangxue smiled and suggested, "How about I don't go to Mingguang Palace today and spend more time with you?"
Yin Qiu couldn't help but avoid Man Jiangxue's gaze and said softly, "That's not necessary. The important matter is still here. The sect leader has many things to discuss with his martial uncle."
Man Jiangxue looked at her, thought for a moment, and then asked, "Then do you want to come with me?"
Yin Qiu lowered her head: "...That's not necessary. I want to take another nap later."
Noticing that she seemed to be avoiding eye contact, as if she was somewhat afraid to look at her, Man Jiangxue was slightly puzzled, but did not ask any questions. She simply asked softly, "Have you eaten?"
Yin Qiu hummed in agreement: "I used it before."
Man Jiangxue asked, "So, are we going to sleep now?"
Yin Qiu paused for a moment, then said, "I'll go to sleep after my martial uncle leaves."
As soon as she finished speaking, Man Jiangxue immediately got up, carried Yin Qiu to the bedside and put her down. She then bent down to take off Yin Qiu's shoes and said, "Sleep now. I'll stay with you and leave after you fall asleep."
Watching Man Jiangxue squatting by the bed to take off her shoes and then her outer robe, Yin Qiu felt complicated, and the smile on her face was almost forced.
She shrank into the blankets and lay down, and Man Jiangxue sat down on the edge of the bed. Their eyes met, and their expressions were different.
"Didn't you want to sleep?" Seeing Yin Qiu staring at her, Man Jiangxue touched her face. "Why are your eyes still open?"
Yin Qiu paused for a moment, then quickly closed her eyes and whispered, "I'm going to sleep now."
With no more words spoken, the bedchamber fell silent, save for the intermittent chatter of Wen Chaoyu and Xue Tan. The two were chatting animatedly, sometimes laughing heartily, sometimes arguing loudly, their enthusiasm unbearable. Even on ordinary days, Yin Qiu, burdened with worries, would be kept awake by their noise. But for now, she could only pretend to be unaffected, slowly adjusting her breathing to be gentle and trying her best to act convincingly.
After an unknown amount of time, Yin Qiu was starting to feel drowsy. In her hazy state, she sensed that Man Jiangxue had left for a moment, and the noise outside quickly disappeared.
A moment later, her body sank slightly to the side, and Man Jiangxue quietly returned to her bedchamber. Just as Yin Qiu was about to fall into a deep sleep, she suddenly felt a warm and soft touch on her lips.
Man Jiangxue gave her a gentle kiss.
Like a butterfly's wing fluttering, the kiss was fleeting, without lingering. Yin Qiu's eyelashes trembled slightly, and she snapped back to her senses, but she restrained herself and didn't open her eyes.
Man Jiangxue stayed by her side for a while, and seeing that Yin Qiu seemed to have really fallen asleep, she quietly lifted the curtain and went out. She walked up to Wen Chaoyu with a clear purpose and lowered her voice to ask, "Did you tell her?"
Wen Chaoyu was still annoyed by Man Jiangxue's earlier threats to shut her up, and upon hearing this, she impatiently said, "Say something, sister."
Man Jiangxue looked at her quietly.
Wen Chaoyu—completely confused: "I said, 'Sister, you're so cute!'"
Man Jiangxue glanced at her, about to speak, when Bai Ling suddenly rushed in, shouting, "Uncle-Master! Senior Sister Ji has returned with Senior Sister Lu!"
The expressions of the two people in the hall both changed.
Wen Chaoyu naturally looked terrified, while Man Jiangxue frowned and said, "Keep your voice down."
Bai Ling immediately understood and quickly covered her mouth, repeating in a low voice, "Senior Sister Ji and Senior Sister Lu are back. J is waiting in Mingguang Hall."
Wen Chaoyu was on high alert and immediately said to Xue Tan, "We're doomed, let's run!"
Xue Tan chuckled and glanced at Man Jiangxue beside him: "You run away, I wouldn't dare..."
“Tell them to wait,” Man Jiangxue said, standing with her hands behind her back. After a moment, she sat down in the rattan chair. “We’ll talk about it when Xiao Qiu wakes up.”
Author's Note: I'm late, sorry!
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