Chapter 157
The moment the curtain moved, a draft swept through Chenxing Palace, causing Yin Qiu's black hair and skirt to flutter in the wind. She stood there for a moment, sighed slightly in disappointment, and then shuffled towards Man Jiangxue.
The daylight was bright, and although the windows were not open, the light in the bedchamber was sufficient, making Man Jiangxue's face look very beautiful. Yin Qiu sat upright, not daring to look at her. Man Jiangxue did not question her, but gently cleaned her wounds and carefully applied the medicine powder.
A day and a night had passed. Too many things had happened during this time, and Yin Qiu had no time to think about anything else. She sat quietly in this place for a while before she finally regained some of her senses. She recalled what Gongzi Fan had said in the maple forest, and the suppressed thoughts in Yin Qiu's heart started to churn again at this moment.
She cautiously raised her eyes and saw Man Jiangxue's lowered eyebrows and eyes, calm and gentle, with her usual indifference. She held her with her icy fingertips, as if she were holding some precious object, as if Yin Qiu would shatter quickly if she did not move her gently.
The bitter smell of medicine lingered between the two quiet people. Man Jiangxue didn't seem to intend to ask Yin Qiu how she got injured. She also didn't say a word throughout the entire process of applying the medicine. Yin Qiu was a little uneasy at first, but seeing that Man Jiangxue didn't speak for a long time, she secretly relaxed a bit.
After all the wounds had been treated, Man Jiangxue asked, "Does it hurt?"
With something on her mind, Yin Qiu couldn't help but drift off into a daze. She clearly heard Man Jiangxue's voice, but she couldn't answer quickly. Instead, she paused for a moment before whispering, "It doesn't hurt."
Man Jiangxue then took the bandages again, cut them into thin strips with a knife, and bandaged Yin Qiu's fingers one by one. She still kept her head down, and said again, "Don't you have anything to say to me?"
Hearing her words, Yin Qiu was taken aback. After a moment, she asked, "...Does Martial Aunt think I should have something to say to you?"
Man Jiangxue glanced at her and said calmly, "That's exactly what I wanted to ask you." After saying that, she looked down again, "Just say what you have to say. Don't beat around the bush."
Yin Qiu felt a little defeated, realizing she was completely transparent in front of Man Jiangxue. No matter what her little schemes were, Man Jiangxue could always see through them, and she couldn't even lie. Yin Qiu hesitated for a moment before finally asking, "Uncle-Master... did you apply medicine to my mother?"
Upon hearing this, Man Jiangxue smiled slightly and softly hummed in agreement.
Seeing the smile that suddenly appeared on her face, Yin Qiu knew that Man Jiangxue must know what was bothering her. Yin Qiu hesitated for a moment, then sighed and said, "Since my martial aunt already knows, then I don't need to ask any more questions."
Unexpectedly, Man Jiangxue raised her eyes and said, "What do I know?"
Yin Qiu was slightly taken aback: "You know...you don't know?"
Man Jiangxue said, "I don't know," and then added, "Should I know?"
Yin Qiu glanced at her, and seeing that Man Jiangxue's smile hadn't faded at all, she said decisively, "My martial aunt definitely knows," she couldn't help but say irritably, "She just told me not to beat around the bush..."
Man Jiangxue chuckled and said, "Oh, so what exactly do you want to ask?"
After this back-and-forth conversation, Yin Qiu couldn't figure out whether Man Jiangxue was pretending to be confused. She pondered and struggled, unable to decide how to ask for a long time.
You can't just ask Man Jiangxue directly if Chen Mandong likes her.
Who could possibly ask that question?
While silently agonizing over her decision, Yin Qiu noticed that Man Jiangxue had already bandaged up her hand wound. Looking at her five fingers, which were wrapped up like white radishes, she sighed again: "Never mind, I won't ask anymore..."
Man Jiangxue asked, "Are you sure?"
Yin Qiu's eyes darted away, and she hesitated before saying, "Hmm..."
Man Jiangxue didn't press for details, but simply said, "Have you thought it through? If you don't get to the bottom of this now, you might never have another chance. If you don't bring it up, I won't either. Then there will always be something between us that we can't explain. Are you willing to do that?"
Yin Qiu thought for a moment, then said with a troubled expression, "Of course I don't want to. It's always best to talk things out face to face..."
Man Jiangxue asked, "Then what are you worried about?"
Yin Qiu glanced at her quickly and stammered, "I don't know how to say it."
“Then let me guess,” Man Jiangxue said, “is it something that makes you hesitant to speak, or something that makes me hesitant to speak?”
Yin Qiu responded, then said vaguely, "I just mentioned my mother... Does Martial Uncle understand?"
Man Jiangxue looked her over and said, "I understand."
“Then…” Yin Qiu carefully chose her words, “Then does my mother…” Perhaps feeling that she had already said this much, Yin Qiu suddenly didn’t want to play games anymore, so she simply made up her mind and said bluntly, “My mother doesn’t like my father. The person she really likes is you, right?”
Perhaps seeing that she had finally asked the question, Man Jiangxue was clearly relieved, but she did not answer yes or no, she just nodded.
Yin Qiu felt a sense of relief, but her expression was complicated as she said, "So, this is why Uncle-Master didn't attend my mother's wedding and the day she gave birth?"
A basin of water sat on the small wooden table. Man Jiangxue turned to the side, washed her hands with the water, and said gently, "If it were you, would you go?"
Yin Qiu put herself in his shoes and thought about it for a moment, then replied, "If it were me... I probably wouldn't go either."
“Although I dislike Yin Xuan and do not want my senior sister to marry him, I should give Yin Xuan some respect on their wedding day,” Man Jiangxue said. “After all, no one can accept this kind of thing calmly. Even if Yin Xuan does not know, I cannot pretend not to know, that would be immoral.”
Yin Qiu paused for a moment, then said with a hint of unease, "Then how did my uncle know about my mother's relationship with you... Did she tell you herself?"
“She did say that,” Man Jiangxue said. “On the night before the wedding, she drank some wine and, in her drunken state, confessed her feelings to me. She said that if I was willing to accept her feelings, she would leave Yunhua Palace with me, and also leave Ruyi Gate, to go to a place where no one could find us.”
Upon hearing what she said, Yin Qiu was shocked, and her face showed deep surprise.
Shen Mandong actually confessed his love to Man Jiangxue on the eve of his wedding and even wanted to elope with her.
Yin Qiu was shocked.
As for what happened next, without Man Jiangxue needing to say more, Yin Qiu already knew most of it.
Faced with Shen Mandong's confession, Man Jiangxue naturally declined. From then on, she avoided Shen Mandong. Whether it was the wedding or the delivery of her daughter, Man Jiangxue did not attend the invitations. The last time she met Shen Mandong was on the day of the incident at Ruyi Gate.
Even though she had already learned about this from Gongzi Fan, hearing Man Jiangxue admit it to her own ears still made Yin Qiu feel uncontrollably heavy-hearted.
She and her mother fell in love with the same person, and she got what her mother didn't have.
Thinking about this, Yin Qiu couldn't help but feel a little lost again.
Is it true?
Is she really with her martial uncle?
Since the end of the new disciple conference that year, Yin Qiu had not felt such a sense of unreality for a long time. After several years, the familiar feeling returned, like a thick fog that enveloped Yin Qiu. She sat in the fog, feeling as if she was both deeply involved and detached from it. She was at a loss and suddenly did not know what to do.
A weak yet bright light shone down, enveloping Yin Qiu and making her slender figure appear even more frail. After a long while, Yin Qiu finally managed to control her turbulent emotions and asked, "Since my mother didn't like my father, why did she insist on marrying him?"
Man Jiangxue held a handkerchief, wiping the water stains from her hands, and replied, "Because your mother is the heir of the Ruyi Sect, she has the responsibility to marry and have children. The Shen family cannot be without an heir. Yin Xuan has no father or mother and is an unknown nobody with no background. Only if he marries into the family can the Ruyi Sect not change its name. If you marry someone else, then the Ruyi Sect will no longer be the Ruyi Sect of the Shen family."
Upon hearing this, Yin Qiu fell silent.
Bearing the heavy responsibility of continuing the family line and succeeding the sect leader, Shen Mandong still chose to boldly confess her feelings under these circumstances, and was even willing to abandon Ruyi Sect and Yunhua Palace, just to elope with Man Jiangxue.
If it weren't for her deep love for Man Jiangxue, would she have gone to such lengths?
However, things didn't go as planned. Shen Mandong's devoted love was in vain. Although she had feelings for him, Man Jiangxue was indifferent. This love affair, whose origins were unknown, eventually ended without a trace.
A wave of indescribable pain washed over Yin Qiu, and she frowned, pausing for a long time before finally speaking, "Didn't my uncle ever like my mother at all?"
Man Jiangxue remained calm and said succinctly, "Yes," she tossed the handkerchief aside and looked directly at Yin Qiu, "but my feelings for her are just those between fellow disciples, nothing more."
Yin Qiu paused, looking back at Man Jiangxue: "But my mother likes you very much, no... her feelings for you are no longer just ordinary liking, she... she loves you very much..."
Man Jiangxue frowned slightly, but did not reply to Yin Qiu's words.
The two fell silent, neither speaking for a long while, before Yin Qiu suddenly laughed enigmatically and whispered, "At first, I always thought my father had deceived my mother's feelings, but later Nangong Min told me that he actually loved my mother very much," she said, her tone gradually taking on a self-deprecating tone, "So I concluded that even though their ending was tragic, at least they had truly loved each other. But now I know that my mother never had any feelings for him from beginning to end; she never loved my father. Isn't that ridiculous?"
Man Jiangxue remained silent.
“Even my father’s love was a charade, not something that came from the beginning,” Yin Qiu’s smile widened, but it was full of bitterness. She closed her eyes and continued, “If love is a game, then my father lost completely. From the moment they met, they each had their own plans, each harbored selfish motives, and each was using the other. But what did that make me?”
Upon hearing this, Man Jiangxue finally sighed softly, "Xiao Qiu..."
"Why did they give birth to me?" Yin Qiu asked, slightly bewildered, not knowing who she was asking. "Does my existence have any meaning? My existence... seems to only prove that they made the wrong choice and caused irreversible consequences. Most people in this world are born because their parents love each other, but I... but I am not."
“A person’s existence cannot be summarized by these things alone,” Man Jiangxue leaned closer to Yin Qiu and raised her hand to stroke Yin Qiu’s cheek. “You have your own value. Don’t let the grudges of the previous generation become shackles that bind you.”
Yin Qiu's eyes flickered slightly, and her smile was somewhat forced: "I won't make things difficult for myself because of these things, but it's inevitable that I find it hard to accept. Besides, from the time I learned about my background until today, I have never complained about anything or blamed any of them, but they did leave me with a mess, didn't they?"
Man Jiangxue said, "You may not be able to choose your birth, but you can hold your destiny in your own hands. What do you think?"
Yin Qiu looked at her thoughtfully.
“Over the years, I’ve thought countless times about whether the outcome would have been different if I had gone to see my senior sister back then,” Man Jiangxue said, her gaze shifting to the ice-purifying pendant around Yin Qiu’s waist. “Meng Wugui blamed me for the destruction of Ruyi Sect. In a way, her accusation wasn’t entirely unreasonable. With me present, Nangong Min would have been more cautious. Even if she still wanted to start a war, as long as I was there to help, Ruyi Sect wouldn’t have ended up in such a passive situation, and my senior sister might not have disappeared without a trace.”
After saying this, she gazed at Yin Qiu and said, "Then you wouldn't have to suffer so much."
Meeting those gentle eyes, Yin Qiu's eyelashes trembled slightly as she asked, "Does Uncle-Master feel guilty?"
Man Jiangxue said, "When you have the ability to protect someone but fail to do so, you will naturally feel guilty, not to mention that this person has been kind to you."
Yin Qiu remained silent for a moment, then shook her head: "No, this has nothing to do with you." She raised her hand and grasped Man Jiangxue's wrist. "No matter how others see you, you can't blame yourself like this."
Man Jiangxue looked down at her and said, "I don't care about others, I only care about you." She asked softly, "Will you blame me?"
Yin Qiu answered quickly: "Of course not."
Man Jiangxue then asked, "If you find out about this, will it cause you to become estranged from me?"
Yin Qiu felt a pang of sadness and said, "Of course not." She paused and then added, "I was initially finding it hard to accept, and I was also worried that if my mother were still alive, and she found out... I wouldn't know how to face her."
Man Jiangxue said, "And now?"
Now? Yin Qiu raised her eyes and gazed at Man Jiangxue's face, which was as beautiful as the moon and as fair as jade. Her fingers, which were resting on Man Jiangxue's wrist, curled slightly, and then she lifted them up and placed them on Man Jiangxue's neck.
Yin Qiu hugged her and said softly, "She is her, and I am me."
Man Jiangxue's lowered eyes filled with a soft light.
“I don’t care who she likes, I only care about myself,” Yin Qiu said, tilting her head slightly and pressing her lips to Man Jiangxue’s. “If she comes back, I won’t back down easily, as long as the person my uncle holds in his heart is me.”
The calm yet firm words fell into my ears like fine raindrops falling on a lake, creating ripples.
The room was filled with the scent of frost and the two of them. Yin Qiu wrapped his arms around Man Jiangxue and kissed her passionately for the first time.
A warm feeling flowed through her heart and quickly spread throughout her body. Man Jiangxue closed her eyes and began to respond to Yin Qiu's slightly awkward kiss. She didn't say anything, but simply hugged Yin Qiu back. Before long, she naturally took the initiative and dominated the kiss.
Footsteps and voices gradually rose outside Chenxing Palace. The newly arrived disciples, having familiarized themselves with the surroundings, returned at this time, breaking the tranquility. However, the two inside were not affected in the slightest. In the gradually brightening daylight, the two embraced tightly and cuddled intimately, neither of them stopping their actions abruptly because of the commotion outside.
The wound on her hand was throbbing and she couldn't support herself. Yin Qiu subconsciously leaned on Man Jiangxue, sharing her weight with her. Man Jiangxue then held Yin Qiu's waist and pulled her down a little.
The simple dress and shirt overlapped, the soft fabric like clouds, swaying in the wind from an unknown source. Yin Qiu bent her legs, her knees lightly touching the ground, but she sat between Man Jiangxue's legs. She lowered her head, and Man Jiangxue looked up. The two leaned on each other, passing on their body heat, their breaths intertwined, spreading countless tender feelings.
Long hair cascaded down her cheeks, obscuring Man Jiangxue's profile and covering their pressed lips. In the few kisses they had shared, Yin Qiu had learned to control her breathing, no longer finding it difficult to breathe as she had done before. She wanted to kiss Man Jiangxue longer and didn't want to separate so quickly, so she followed Man Jiangxue's guidance, controlling the force and depth of her kisses, trying to be as relaxed and at ease as possible.
But my breathing became erratic.
The hand lingering around her waist carried a soothing intent, its distinct knuckles and slight coolness caressing her. Yin Qiu couldn't contain herself, a low breath escaping her throat. Unable to withstand such caresses and lingering kisses, she raised her head, revealing her smooth, white neck. Man Jiangxue's eyes slightly opened, her gaze falling upon that delicate whiteness. She gently traced her fingertips across that pristine whiteness, as if plucking a string, leaving a faint red mark on Yin Qiu's neck.
Then she tilted her head slightly and kissed the mark.
The soft touch against her neck was gentle and continuous, and Yin Qiu trembled involuntarily. Her cheeks and ears turned red in an instant. She gripped Man Jiangxue's collar tightly, trembling all over her body. Soft sobs and disordered breathing burst out at Man Jiangxue's temples, wetting her hair.
A beam of light shone through the window screen, falling directly on the two of them. The sunlight was bright and dazzling, clearly illuminating Yin Qiu's appearance at that moment. She was breathing heavily when she finally noticed the voices and laughter coming from outside. The sounds and the bright beam of light surrounding her made her feel a little absurd, as if she wasn't hiding in a room, but exposed to the sunlight.
A wave of shame washed over her, yet a strange, secret pleasure also arose within her. Yin Qiu's body went weak, and she had to reach out to stop Man Jiangxue. Her eyes were moist, as if veiled by a damp, warm mist. Yin Qiu said embarrassedly, "There are so many people outside..."
Man Jiangxue glanced at her, the coolness on her fingertips replaced by an unyielding heat. She looked down at Yin Qiu's neck and said, "It's red here."
Yin Qiu covered herself with her hand in embarrassment, but Man Jiangxue grabbed her wrist and guided Yin Qiu's hand to roam over her skin, saying, "And here too."
Yin Qiu's remaining composure vanished instantly. She lowered her eyelashes, stepped back, and disappeared into the shadows, saying, "Don't look..."
Man Jiangxue smiled slowly, hooking Yin Qiu's chin and saying, "You were the one who kissed me first, and now you're shy?"
Yin Qiu avoided Man Jiangxue's gaze and whispered back, "Is that not allowed?"
“Okay.” Man Jiangxue responded and moved closer to Yin Qiu again. The two were flipped upside down in an instant. Yin Qiu felt a chill on his back and was quickly put down on the ground.
Man Jiangxue looked her down and said, "Now that the knot in your heart has been untied, isn't it my turn to ask you now?"
Unable to move, Yin Qiu's loose black hair accentuated the rosy lips of her face. She paused for a moment, then asked, "What do you want to ask me?"
Man Jiangxue calmly asked, "Who told you that?"
Although her words seemed somewhat abrupt, Yin Qiu understood what she meant. After a moment's thought, considering that Gongzi Fan had clearly stated that he could not yet tell Man Jiangxue about his existence, Yin Qiu had no choice but to shift the blame to someone else, saying, "...Nangong Min told me."
Man Jiangxue looked at her: "Nangong Min?" She raised an eyebrow, her eyes scrutinizing her. "It's been so long since we left Cang County and returned to the palace. Why did you only think of bringing this up today?"
Knowing that Man Jiangxue was particularly perceptive, Yin Qiu really didn't want to lie to her unless absolutely necessary, but for now she could only continue to evade the question by saying, "There were too many things on the way, and I haven't found a suitable opportunity yet. Moreover, I still don't know how to ask you, so it has been delayed for so long."
Her face was still flushed, and her eyes and brows still held obvious shyness. Man Jiangxue could not tell the truth from Yin Qiu's expression. She asked the question deliberately just to confirm whether Wen Chaoyu had let it slip behind her back. Since it was not, Man Jiangxue did not ask any further questions.
“It’s almost noon, it’s too late,” Man Jiangxue said, glancing at the sky. “Go take a bath early, you’ll probably sleep until tomorrow morning.”
Seeing that she didn't show any doubt about her words, Yin Qiu secretly relaxed a little and raised her right hand, saying, "But my hands are all bandaged up like this, how am I supposed to take a bath?"
Reminded by her, Man Jiangxue seemed to only then remember, her tone tinged with reproach: "How dare you bring this up? You didn't tell me you were injured, and you wouldn't rest last night. You've gotten so bold now, you really have to hide everything from me."
Yin Qiu's relaxed heart involuntarily tightened again. She turned her face away and said somewhat stiffly, "No way..."
“Still being stubborn,” Man Jiangxue sighed. “In the past, when you made a mistake, you would admit it immediately. Now you’re becoming more and more outrageous.”
Yin Qiu paused for a moment, then muttered, "That's because I used to only see you as a respected senior uncle, but things are different now. I can't keep seeing you as a senior uncle forever, can I?"
“I have never used my status as your senior uncle to suppress you,” Man Jiangxue said. “You make it sound like you’ve suffered a lot of grievances from me. Have I ever mistreated you?”
Yin Qiu pursed her lips: "No, not at all..."
“If you make a mistake, you should admit it, and so should I,” Man Jiangxue said. “You always try to get away with throwing tantrums, do you think I’m that easy to fool?”
Having no other choice, Yin Qiu had to honestly say, "Alright, I was wrong this time. I shouldn't have kept it from my martial uncle..."
“This is a one-time exception,” Man Jiangxue said, pulling Yin Qiu up from the ground. “Go take a bath as soon as possible.”
Yin Qiu huddled in her arms, struggling, "But my hand—"
“It’s alright,” Man Jiangxue said earnestly, “I’ll wash it for you.”
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