Chapter 226
At the hour of Chen (7-9 AM), Yin Qiu was awakened from her sleep by Man Jiangxue's voice.
A strong wind blew outside the palace, its source unknown, swirling the remaining fragrance of blossoms among the swaying red maples. Sunlight dappled through the gaps in the leaves, casting scattered shadows like stars fallen to the ground, within easy reach.
The eaves blocked the light from the rising sun, and the room was dimly lit as no lights were on. Yin Qiu, wrapped in her blanket, got up and groggily glanced out the window. Man Jiangxue washed her face with a handkerchief and said, "Wake up, it's time to get up."
Unlike the foot of the mountain, where May in the human world has already warmed up, Yunhua Mountain is high up, and spring comes late. Even though it's already May, it's still chilly. Yin Qiu was still a little groggy from her sleep, sitting on the couch with her legs drawn up to her chest for a long time before she could recover. It wasn't until Man Jiangxue pulled her out of the covers and picked her up that Yin Qiu exclaimed in surprise, "Uncle-Master!"
Hot water filled the dressing table, its steam blurring the bronze mirror. Man Jiangxue placed Yin Qiu on her lap, held her as they sat down, and said, "Rinse your mouth."
Yin Qiu, still half asleep, rinsed her mouth, put on her clothes, and Man Jiangxue took a wooden comb to comb her hair. Yin Qiu said incredulously, "It's not even past Chen Shi yet, why is Uncle getting up so early? I'm not awake yet."
With Ji Wanshu and Wen Chaoyu away for the past two weeks, all the affairs of the palace fell to Man Jiangxue. Yin Qiu had no choice but to follow her around, busy with various tasks. After returning from Fanxin Valley, the two only rested briefly for one night before getting up early the next morning to take over Ji Wanshu's duties. For the past ten days or so, Man Jiangxue had been working from dawn till dusk every day, and her injuries hadn't been able to heal properly. Yesterday, after hearing from Lu Huaiwei that there was nothing to do today and that she could relax and get a good night's sleep, Yin Qiu was happy and went to bed at 9 PM last night. However, she didn't expect to be dragged out of bed so early this morning by Man Jiangxue.
The courtyard was filled with the sounds of flowers blooming in the breeze, giving off a languid, spring-like atmosphere. Finally, a sliver of sunlight curved across the eaves and enveloped the two of them. Man Jiangxue stood beside Yin Qiu, intently braiding her hair, and replied, "Didn't you say you wanted to stay at the house in Xifeng Mountain for a couple of days? We'll go there once we're all ready."
Yin Qiu was initially delighted, but then hesitated and said, "But Senior Sister Ji hasn't returned yet. Although we have some free time today, if we leave, who will handle any emergencies that might occur in the palace?"
Man Jiangxue said, "I'm already back. I came here before. Otherwise, I wouldn't have woken up so early."
"They've been to Jingyue Peak?" Yin Qiu asked. "I didn't hear a thing."
“You must be tired these days, you’ve been sleeping soundly.” After finishing braiding her hair, Man Jiangxue looked her over and seemed quite satisfied. She took the red string from the table and tied it to the end, then examined Yin Qiu in the bronze mirror.
“But they just got back, and we’re already going out to play? Isn’t that a bit inappropriate?” Yin Qiu said.
Man Jiangxue changed direction and stood to Yin Qiu's left, continuing to braid her hair, saying, "There's nothing wrong with it. Didn't they leave when we just got back? Besides, it was Wen Chaoyu who suggested it, and she even brought you a gift."
Yin Qiu's eyes lit up: "What gift?"
Man Jiangxue glanced at her and gave her an ambiguous smile for some reason. She raised her chin toward the desk, and Yin Qiu followed her gaze and saw a colorful little kite on the desk.
"Ah, speaking of which, it's been so long since the beginning of spring, and I haven't flown a kite yet this year." The kite was quite far away, and the surface of the kite reflected the light, so it was hard to see what patterns were drawn on it. Yin Qiu suppressed her excitement and waited until Man Jiangxue had combed her hair before she cheered and ran over in a flash.
However, when she stood in front of the desk and saw what the kite looked like, Yin Qiu's joy and excitement vanished instantly, and she stood there dumbfounded.
“I heard it’s a specialty of Jincheng, where there are many kite-making artisans,” Man Jiangxue washed her hands and observed Yin Qiu’s reaction with interest. “Wen Chaoyu is thoughtful, still remembering to bring you a gift even when she’s away from home—why do you seem unhappy?”
Yin Qiu looked troubled, turned around with the kite in hand, and said with a speechless expression, "How should I put it..."
Bathed in the sunlight, the kite's full form was finally revealed: at first glance, the colors were a chaotic mix of bright reds, greens, and purples, painted rather hastily and wildly, as if the person who painted it had simply smeared whatever paint they could find on the canvas. But upon closer inspection, it had hands, feet, and a head; even amidst such vibrant colors, it wasn't difficult to discern that it was a lovable, comically smiling little pig.
If I had to use a word to describe it, it would be "utterly hideous," which would be the most fitting description.
"...This is supposed to be a specialty of Jincheng?" Yin Qiu's expression was interesting as she looked at Man Jiangxue and said, "Are you kidding me? I think this must have been made by Uncle Wen himself."
“Then go ask her,” Man Jiangxue said. “I don’t think she looks good either.”
Yin Qiu said, "But it's still a token of our appreciation..." She paused and then added, "Maybe Aunt Wen is just trying to comfort me? She might have something else. Let's go find her now!"
Man Jiangxue smiled and agreed, then Yin Qiu took her hand and left Chenxing Palace. When the two arrived at the plum garden, Wen Chaoyu and Ji Wanshu were already sitting there. As soon as they saw Yin Qiu running over excitedly with the kite in his hand, Wen Chaoyu burst into laughter and said, "Oh no, they've come to interrogate me! Wanshu, you'd better shield them for me!"
"Uncle-Master Wen!" Yin Qiu strode into the pavilion, slammed the kite on the table, and asked with great eagerness, "Are you kidding me? You must have brought me other nice kites. This is just to fool me. Where is the real one?"
"What do you mean, real or fake?" Wen Chaoyu grinned mischievously. "This is it."
Yin Qiu hesitated for a moment, then said, "I don't believe you. You're definitely lying to me on purpose."
Seeing her serious expression, Wen Chaoyu laughed and said, "Why would I lie to you? When I left Jincheng, I saw many young ladies flying kites. I thought you were about the same age as them, but you had nothing to do all day except practice swordsmanship and read books. I felt sorry for you, so I bought you a kite to play with."
Yin Qiu leaned closer to her and asked seriously, "Are you serious?"
Wen Chaoyu covered her face with her sleeve and said, "How could it be fake?"
Yin Qiu said in disbelief, "I gave you two boxes of the best ointment before, how thoughtful of me! How could you repay me with such an ugly kite? I don't even want it..."
“Where is it ugly? Don’t talk nonsense, little girl.” Wen Chaoyu said seriously, “Go down the mountain right now and find a crowded place to put it. I guarantee you, everyone will only look at you and won’t look at anyone else.”
Yin Qiu frowned and said, "But this is too ugly... I'd be too embarrassed to put it in the sky. Girls love to look beautiful in everything. How come Uncle Wen doesn't even understand this?"
Wen Chaoyu said, "Isn't it beautiful? I even picked out a little pig for you, isn't it adorable?"
Yin Qiu fell silent.
Seeing her expression turn somber and melancholic, Wen Chaoyu chuckled again. Ji Wanshu couldn't bear it any longer and said to Yin Qiu, "Ignore her, this person is indeed lying to you." As she spoke, she took out another kite from her side. "The one in your hand is the one she painted, this is the one she bought. Take a look?"
Yin Qiu's expression immediately changed, and she beamed, saying, "This is beautiful!"
"How come you couldn't hold back so quickly?" Wen Chaoyu teased. "I was just teasing her, she was all puffed up, but too embarrassed to lash out, it was funny."
Yin Qiu was in high spirits after receiving the new kite, but she didn't throw away the ugly one. She held both of them in her arms as if they were treasures. The four of them met up and had breakfast together in the pavilion. Later, Man Jiangxue said goodbye to Yin Qiu, went to the stable to choose a horse, and went down the mountain while it was still early.
After a period of rectification and cleanup, Shangyuan City has long since returned to its former prosperity. Today, the weather is fine and the sun is shining brightly. The streets are bustling with people.
Yin Qiu sat in front, holding onto the saddle, while Man Jiangxue held the reins, encircling her in his arms. The two strolled around the city for a while, bought some food, and then slowly left the city, heading towards Xifeng Mountain.
Xifeng Mountain has many temples, and many pilgrims go there to burn incense and pray for blessings, making it more lively than Yunhua Mountain, which is rarely visited. The two walked up the mountain path, and Yin Qiu found the temples novel and took a few more glances at them—she had never been to a temple to pray for blessings before in her life.
Man Jiangxue asked, "Want to go?"
Yin Qiu pondered for a moment, then shook her head and said, "Never mind, I don't believe in Buddhism." She spoke very softly, leaning close to Man Jiangxue's ear, "I only believe that you have to rely on yourself in everything. I only pray to gods and Buddhas for peace of mind."
Man Jiangxue asked, "Then are you at peace with yourself?"
“I feel at ease,” Yin Qiu said. “With my uncle here, I feel at ease about everything.”
Man Jiangxue smiled and said, "What if I'm not here?"
"You're not here?" Yin Qiu thought for a moment and said, "That's alright. I'm all grown up now, I don't need to rely on my uncle anymore."
This was a brilliant answer in any situation, but Man Jiangxue fell silent after hearing it. After a moment, she hugged Yin Qiu tightly and said, "Then you shouldn't grow up."
The horse moved slowly forward, leaving the temples and people behind. Yin Qiu turned her head, her eyes crinkling, and said, "Why? Everyone has to grow up, and I'm no exception."
“You won’t need me anymore when you grow up,” Man Jiangxue said. “Then it’s better if you don’t grow up, just like when you were little, and stay by my side forever.”
“No, I will always need my martial uncle,” Yin Qiu leaned on her shoulder, a smile on her slightly upturned face. “Didn’t you swear an oath at my mother’s grave that you would protect me forever?”
Man Jiangxue hummed in agreement, lowered her head and kissed Yin Qiu, saying softly, "Of course, I keep my word. I will only protect you."
The two smiled at each other, then nestled together on horseback for a tender kiss. A gentle mountain breeze carried the scent of unknown wildflowers as the horses carried them into the forest. Soon, a small building, hidden among clusters of winter plum blossoms, came into view. Yin Qiu dismounted first and knocked on the door. An old man quickly came in; it was the same man Yin Qiu had seen on her last visit.
After some pleasantries, the maids and servants of the mansion came out to greet them as usual, serving hot tea and snacks. The group chatted and laughed in the hall for a long time before dispersing, giving Man Jiangxue and Yin Qiu a quiet atmosphere and not disturbing their time alone.
After a busy few days, Yin Qiu was overjoyed to finally have a leisurely day. She took Man Jiangxue for a stroll around the courtyard, admiring the flowers and scenery. At noon, the two returned to the building for lunch and took a nap. Once they were refreshed, Yin Qiu suggested that they go out to fly kites before it got dark. However, the weather turned against them, and it started to drizzle just as they were about to leave, so they couldn't go out.
The mountains were shrouded in mist, and raindrops splashed through the stream in the courtyard, bringing a chilly feeling. Yin Qiu stood at the door with two kites in her hands and sighed, "This rain really came at the worst possible time. It was sunny just a moment ago, and now the weather has changed. I was planning to fly the kites and then go to the mountaintop to look at the stars."
The light suddenly dimmed, plunging the building into a gloomy atmosphere. Man Jiangxue lit a few lamps at the back and looked out the door, saying, "It's alright, it might come and go quickly, and the rain might stop soon."
Yin Qiu had no choice but to hang the kite at the door, walk up to Man Jiangxue and lean against her like a boneless person, saying in a muffled voice, "So what do we do now? We can't just go back to sleep, can we? I'm perfectly fine."
"Besides flying kites, what else do you want to do?" Man Jiangxue hugged her and looked around the room. "There's not much for you to do here, but there are some miscellaneous books in the study. Would you like to read them?"
Yin Qiu shook her head: "I've read enough books in the palace. I just want to play today."
After a moment's thought, Man Jiangxue smiled and said, "Then come with me." She led Yin Qiu to the door, spread out a soft satin on the ground, set up a small table, sat down, and then beckoned to Yin Qiu.
"Bring the kite over here."
Yin Qiu was curious, wondering what Man Jiangxue was going to do, but she obediently took the kite and walked over to her, leaning against Man Jiangxue's chest. The two sat a step away from the gate, facing the courtyard outside. Man Jiangxue took the kite, raised her hand and sent it out the door. The kite floated up lightly, hovering like a bird's feather in the corridor, unaffected by the wind or rain, perfectly stable.
Yin Qiu exclaimed "Wow!" with delight and wonder, and asked, "How did you do that?"
“It’s very simple, it’s the same principle as controlling a sword,” Man Jiangxue glanced at Yin Qiu, her eyes filled with obvious doting affection. “Look, you can fly a kite even when it’s raining.”
Unexpectedly, true qi could be used in this way besides for practicing martial arts and wielding swords. Yin Qiu was amazed. On one hand, she was happy for Man Jiangxue's actions, but on the other hand, she was worried about her. She quickly said, "Alright, alright, I'm satisfied with just one look. Martial Aunt's injuries haven't healed yet, put her down."
“It’s alright,” Man Jiangxue said. “These little tricks are nothing to me. I’ve been recovering from my injury for over a month, so I know what I’m doing.”
Yin Qiu was deeply moved, thinking of how Man Jiangxue had disregarded her injuries just to make her happy. Yin Qiu said, "Then I'll play by myself for a while. Meng Jing just told me yesterday that it's best not to use my true energy for a short time. Please listen to me, Uncle-Master. I can manage on my own."
Man Jiangxue then handed the spool of kite string to Yin Qiu and hugged her. Yin Qiu tried it out and found that flying a kite this way was quite fun, so she played with it enthusiastically for a long time, never getting tired of it.
The cold wind and rain were kept out of the room. Looking up, it was as if a layer of mist had risen. The winter plum blossoms in the courtyard had long since passed their blooming season, leaving only bare branches. A few remaining spring red blossoms dotted the pond water, which were spring peaches and red apricots that had drifted from the mountains.
The two nestled together, exchanging few words, simply sitting intimately, enjoying this rare moment of peace and quiet. Before long, Yin Qiu grew tired of playing, releasing the kite from the string and letting it fall onto the corridor. With her eyes closed, she said to Man Jiangxue, "It's fun, but it's exhausting and draining. I'm getting sleepy again."
Man Jiangxue carefully retrieved all the strings she had let out, then remotely retrieved the kite and set it aside, asking, "Would you like to go to bed for a while?"
Yin Qiu nodded and naturally stretched out her arm to hug Man Jiangxue's neck. Man Jiangxue then picked her up and carried her through the jingling beaded curtain into the inner chamber.
The blanket was soft and had a fresh scent of soap. Yin Qiu was laid down on the couch, and Man Jiangxue knelt down to take off her shoes. Yin Qiu squinted at her for a while, and just as Man Jiangxue got up to leave, she suddenly pulled her in front of her. Although Man Jiangxue was slightly surprised, she steadied herself in time, put her hands on Yin Qiu's ears, and looked down at her.
"What are you doing?" Man Jiangxue asked.
Cool strands of hair brushed against her cheek, carrying that familiar, delicate fragrance. The beaded curtain hanging by the door was still swaying. Yin Qiu glanced in that direction and said, "Where are you going? Aren't you coming with me?"
“I was going to make you some tea, but the fire in the stove is still burning,” Man Jiangxue said. “I’ll go check on it.”
“It’s windy at the entrance, it’ll get cold on its own,” Yin Qiu said. “I need my martial uncle to come with me, so please don’t go.”
She lay there with her head tilted back, her face full of longing and anticipation. Man Jiangxue saw her own reflection in Yin Qiu's clear, watery eyes. She leaned down and touched Yin Qiu's nose to hers, saying, "Okay."
Warm breaths mingled as they drew closer, their lips almost touching in the dim light, yet hesitant to meet. Yin Qiu had indeed been sleepy, but the ambiguous atmosphere had banished all her drowsiness. She reached out and grasped Man Jiangxue's collar, her hand brushing against the pearl button. Seeing her lean in, Man Jiangxue instinctively wanted to kiss her, but stopped just before they were about to.
"Weren't you sleepy?" Man Jiangxue asked calmly.
"Hmm..." Yin Qiu replied hastily, "I'm sleepy."
Man Jiangxue clearly saw the unspoken words in her eyes and said, "Then let's sleep."
After saying that, she lowered her head again, as if to kiss Yin Qiu. But when Yin Qiu leaned closer to her again, Man Jiangxue raised her head and said, "No, there's a soft satin draped at the door. I'm not at ease if the fire isn't extinguished. What if it catches fire?"
Yin Qiu failed to kiss her several times, and couldn't be sure if Man Jiangxue was deliberately teasing him. After a moment of silence, he fell back onto the couch and said, "...Then go and take a look."
A faint smile played on her lips as Man Jiangxue calmly rose, parted the beaded curtain, and went to the door.
—The fire in the stove had long been blown out by the wind.
She smiled silently with her back to Yin Qiu. When she turned around again, she could no longer see him on the bed. Yin Qiu had quietly slipped under the covers and hidden himself away.
"What are you doing hiding?" Man Jiangxue sat down on the edge of the bed, lifted the quilt and saw that Yin Qiu was curled up in a ball, ignoring her.
"Are you angry?" Man Jiangxue said. "The weather is dry, so we need to be careful about fire."
Yin Qiu: "..."
Yin Qiu: "...The rain is getting heavier and heavier, where does this talk of dry weather come from?"
Man Jiangxue couldn't help but laugh out loud, hugged Yin Qiu from behind, and said, "A fire can start even on a rainy day. Don't you like this place? If it burns down, everything will be gone."
Yin Qiu turned her head and glanced at her.
"Alright, I'll be back soon, won't I?" Man Jiangxue coaxed. "Don't be angry."
Yin Qiu said, "I'm not angry," she turned over and pressed Man Jiangxue down, "but you made fun of me, so you have to apologize."
Man Jiangxue asked, "How should we apologize?"
“That’s your business,” Yin Qiu said. “I don’t care.”
“You’re clearly angry,” Man Jiangxue said, gently pulling her to her chest and kissing Yin Qiu’s forehead. “Is this okay?”
Yin Qiu glared at her: "No."
Man Jiangxue said "Oh," then kissed Yin Qiu on the cheek and said, "How about this?"
Yin Qiu was still glaring at her.
"Not even this?" Man Jiangxue chuckled, finally raising her head slightly to kiss Yin Qiu's lips. After lingering with her for a moment, she asked, "Is it okay now?"
Yin Qiu neither agreed nor disagreed, but let out a low hum from his throat.
Seeing her like this, Man Jiangxue couldn't help but laugh. She pulled Yin Qiu to lie down beside her and said, "You're throwing a tantrum at me again. Didn't you promise me that you would never argue with me again?"
"Then who told you to tease me first?" Yin Qiu accused. "You did it on purpose, just to make me angry."
"How did I tease you?" Man Jiangxue said calmly. "Tell me."
Yin Qiu fell silent for a moment, then, as if she had nothing to lose, raised her voice and said, "You've refused to kiss me several times, aren't you just toying with me?"
Man Jiangxue said, "Of course not," and then added, "Besides, didn't I just kiss you?"
"You're just being unreasonable!" Yin Qiu bit Man Jiangxue's neck angrily. "If you don't coax me properly, I'm really going to get angry."
After rolling around on the bed, Yin Qiu's hair was all messed up, looking fluffy and like some kind of little animal with its fur standing on end. Man Jiangxue thought Yin Qiu was cute, so she hugged her and patted her, coaxing her softly, "Okay, okay... I was just teasing you. I'll apologize to you now, don't be angry anymore, okay?"
Yin Qiu wasn't angry; she just wanted to cling to Man Jiangxue for a while. She was also easily swayed and couldn't resist Man Jiangxue's soft and gentle coaxing. Before long, she couldn't help but put on a smiling face again.
“I saw Uncle Wen and Senior Sister Ji in the palace before, and they seemed to be in good spirits,” Yin Qiu moved closer to Man Jiangxue and said, “It seems that Uncle Ji and Aunt Ji have agreed to let them be together?”
"I guess so," Man Jiangxue said, "otherwise, why would Wen Chaoyu be so interested in bringing you a gift from so far away?"
Yin Qiu's eyes flashed, and she said with a hint of mischief, "That means you've met my parents. Now, only my uncle hasn't officially met my father yet."
Man Jiangxue said, "Don't worry, I've prepared the betrothal gifts. As soon as he comes back, I'll propose to him."
Yin Qiu blushed and avoided eye contact, saying, "Really? I'm with you every day, how come I didn't know you had already prepared the betrothal gifts?"
“I prepared a list for Huaiwei before I went to Fanxin Valley to pick you up,” Man Jiangxue said. “She had already prepared everything for me, but she forgot to tell you.”
Yin Qiu's heart raced, and she stammered, "Oh, I see..."
“I’ve been meaning to ask you this,” Man Jiangxue suddenly leaned closer to Yin Qiu, her lips brushing against hers, “I’ve prepared the betrothal gifts; it’s what I should do. So, are you willing to marry me?”
Upon hearing what she asked, Yin Qiu's breath caught in her throat, and her entire face instantly burned red.
Would you... marry her?
Marry your martial uncle?
Yin Qiu was stunned, her heart pounding faster, like a drumbeat resounding through her chest.
She stared blankly at Man Jiangxue, speechless for a moment. Man Jiangxue watched her for a while, then her hand, hidden in her sleeve, moved slightly. Yin Qiu felt something cold slide down her fingertips and stop on her wrist, feeling rather heavy.
"Xiao Qiu," Man Jiangxue said softly, her eyes full of affection, "see if you like it?"
Yin Qiu curled her fingers slightly, feeling the coldness and weight. She slowly lowered her head and soon saw what was on her wrist.
It was a crystal-clear jade bracelet without any impurities.
Shaped like a full moon, of excellent quality, with a smooth and lustrous texture, delicate and translucent, it is not carved with any patterns, but is simply designed, which makes it even more dignified and elegant, and makes the skin look as white as snow, which is very beautiful.
Yin Qiu's lips parted slightly as she stared at the bracelet without saying a word, her eyes filled with surprise and joy, unable to look away for a long time.
Man Jiangxue didn't look at the bracelet; she stared intently at Yin Qiu the entire time. She scrutinized every subtle change in Yin Qiu's expression, and after a long while, she asked again, "Do you like it?"
Yin Qiu had never been so speechless before, and could only whisper, "I like it..."
She likes it very much.
Man Jiangxue laughed, took Yin Qiu's hand, looked directly at her and said, "Then are you willing to marry me?"
At that moment, childhood memories and past scenes flashed before her eyes one after another, and everything after she met Man Jiangxue played out in her mind like a fleeting moment. Listening to her words, Yin Qiu's eyes unconsciously welled up with tears, and she choked up.
After a long while, she finally suppressed the indescribable emotions in her heart and smiled through her tears, saying, "I do."
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