Chapter 64
As night fell, the rain started again.
Yin Qiu had just taken a bath and changed into clean clothes. She huddled in the quilt, not daring to move.
Rain pattered on the pavilion, making a light and crisp sound. The screen reflected the figure of Man Jiangxue changing clothes. Soon after, she came out carrying a bowl of ginger soup and helped Yin Qiu feed it to her.
The soup had brown sugar in it, so it wasn't too spicy. Yin Qiu gulped it down in one go, which dispelled some of the coldness in her body, and she didn't feel so cold anymore.
Man Jiangxue glanced at the night rain outside, got up, cut out a square piece of red paper, and pasted it on the window. She left the window half-closed so that if Ji Wanshu returned to Hezhou City and saw it, she would know that they were here.
A light drizzle fell, and there were few pedestrians on the streets of the city. Only the night watchmen, wearing straw raincoats, walked through the streets and alleys. Yin Qiu had been lying in bed all day and had hardly gotten up. Her whole body ached terribly. She had caught a chill in the water, and to make matters worse, she had her period at that time. She had a fever during the day and slept for a long time. She only woke up slightly at night, but she was still weak and sickly.
"Want some food?" Man Jiangxue instructed the servant to bring the food. She picked up a piece of fish with her chopsticks and fed it to Yin Qiu.
"I can't eat..." Yin Qiu leaned against her chest, her voice weak.
"You've only had soup and water all day, how can you not eat?" Man Jiangxue didn't stop.
Yin Qiu felt extremely unwell, her mind was foggy, her fever hadn't subsided, and her stomach was cramping in waves. She opened her mouth and ate the fish, saying, "I didn't expect my period would cause stomach pain. Does my martial aunt also experience pain?"
Man Jiangxue placed the back of her hand on her forehead to feel her body temperature and said, "I haven't been in pain. This is your first time here, so it's inevitable that you'll feel uncomfortable. Plus, you got cold in the water. As long as you take good care of yourself these next few days, you won't necessarily feel pain every time in the future."
Yin Qiu was a little worried: "But if we do this, we won't be able to return to Yunhua Palace quickly. What if the Ziwei Sect catches up with us?"
“If we were going to chase after her, we would have done so already,” Man Jiangxue said. “Nangong Min has ulterior motives. She will not force you to stay in the Ziwei Sect. A whole day has passed, and such a big thing has happened in the Ziwei Sect, but there is no sign of martial law in Hezhou City. Don’t worry. Once you feel better, I will rent a carriage. Wan Shu should find us soon, and then we can go back to the palace together.”
Yin Qiu seemed to be deep in thought.
When the Ziwei Sect caused such a commotion that night, Yin Qiu thought that Nangong Min would not let it go and would definitely hunt them down. However, a day and a night had passed, and the Ziwei Sect had not made a move at all. Not only did they not send anyone to hunt them down, but they also did not strengthen the defenses of Hezhou City. It was as calm as if nothing had happened.
Nangong Min clearly said that no matter whether Man Jiangxue brought the Holy Sword or not, she would not let Yin Qiu go, but now it seems that this is not what she said.
Moreover, with the main altar destroyed and countless believers killed or injured, would Nangong Min really let them go so easily?
And what about Gongzi Fan? Why did he also appear at the Ziwei Sect and help Man Jiangxue stop Nangong Min?
Was he here to save me too?
A host of doubts arose in Yin Qiu's mind, and she couldn't figure it out. She looked at Man Jiangxue and said as naturally as possible, "I was able to get out of here this time thanks to someone who set fire to the Ziwei Sect. Does my uncle know who did it?"
Man Jiangxue said, "Do you still remember that man in the black robe?"
Yin Qiu's eyes flickered slightly, and she nodded.
"It was his doing, and it was he who led the way for Wan Shu and me to find you."
Yin Qiu wasn't surprised, but she still feigned surprise and asked, "Who is he?"
Man Jiangxue pondered for a moment, then said, "I don't know," she paused, "but the woman in purple and the little girl who shot the arrow should be the ones who saved Huaiwei that day."
Seeing that she didn't know Gongzi Fan's identity, Yin Qiu secretly breathed a sigh of relief and changed the subject: "They're here to help too. They saved Senior Sister Lu before. Do they know Uncle?"
Man Jiangxue said, "They might know each other, but they probably came for you."
Yin Qiu was genuinely surprised: "For me?"
“Hmm,” Man Jiangxue said, “If it was just to help me, they should have approached me beforehand. There’s no reason for them to suddenly offer help and then deliberately avoid contact with me. Judging from their actions, they not only know the Ziwei Sect very well, but they also know my whereabouts very clearly. This means that they have been planning this for a long time, observing in secret, and then revealing themselves when the opportunity arises. Moreover, they are unwilling to expose their identities, which means that they must have some reason why they cannot meet with me, but they still have to save you.”
Yin Qiu couldn't help but ponder, speculating, "Is it possible that they and their martial uncle actually know each other, but they just can't let you tell who they are?"
Man Jiangxue said, "It seems that way at the moment."
Yin Qiu looked at her: "Did your martial uncle recognize who they were?"
Man Jiangxue said, "We've met too few times to even exchange pleasantries, so we can't tell who he is just by his appearance."
So, apart from Man Jiangxue and Ji Wanshu, there were actually two groups of people willing to risk breaking into the Ziwei Sect to rescue Yin Qiu. Yin Qiu could guess the reason why Gongzi Fan did this. He must be doing it for Shen Mandong's sake, not wanting Yin Qiu to fall into the hands of his enemy. Therefore, he created chaos on the side to help Man Jiangxue. However, it was hard to guess why the woman in purple and the little girl did this. There was no clue at all.
"Or perhaps they weren't trying to save you, but rather to deal with the Ziwei Sect," Man Jiangxue continued after a moment of silence. "As the saying goes, skill breeds courage, and a master naturally has no fear of the Ziwei Sect. That woman was able to bravely step in to help Huaiwei defeat Qin Zheng before, and now she might also take advantage of our momentum to harm the Ziwei Sect. She may have a grudge against Nangong Min and just wanted to take this opportunity to join in the fun and fight with Nangong Min again. Unfortunately, Nangong Min is very smart. She knew she had no chance of winning, so she backed down and didn't pursue the matter further."
Her analysis made a lot of sense, and Yin Qiu nodded repeatedly in agreement.
“But no matter what, you’re back,” Man Jiangxue said, patting Yin Qiu’s shoulder. “From now on, your master will protect you and won’t give Nangong Min any chance to take advantage of you again.”
Upon hearing this, Yin Qiu smiled and snuggled closer to Man Jiangxue, saying, "During these days staying at the Ziwei Sect, I've been thinking every day about when my martial uncle will come." She looked up at Man Jiangxue, "Fortunately, my martial uncle really did come."
Man Jiangxue looked down at her, her eyes full of tenderness: "During this time, has Nangong Min made things difficult for you?"
Yin Qiu thought for a moment and said, "No, that's not the case." After she finished speaking, she recounted to Man Jiangxue all the things that Nangong Min had done for her in the past.
Man Jiangxue didn't show any surprise after hearing her story. She just raised an eyebrow and said, "It sounds like she treats you quite well."
Yin Qiu said, "It's probably because of my father. I originally thought that I would be in danger if I joined the Ziwei Sect. I didn't expect that Nangong Min not only didn't make things difficult for me, but also treated me very well. This was really unexpected." After saying that, she added, "If I hadn't always remembered that she destroyed the Ruyi Sect and did a lot of bad things, I would have almost thought of her as my aunt many times."
The night rain gradually deepened, flowing down the eaves like a delicate beaded curtain. Man Jiangxue picked up a few more bites of food and fed them to Yin Qiu, teasingly asking, "So, do you think I'm better to you, or is she better to you?"
Yin Qiu chuckled: "How can she compare to my martial uncle?"
Man Jiangxue shifted her gaze and looked at her calmly: "So who do you like more?"
Yin Qiu said, "Is there even a need to ask? Of course it's you, Uncle-Master."
Man Jiangxue slightly curled the corners of her mouth, her eyes revealing a hint of mockery: "You are a highly respected junior leader in the Ziwei Sect, and you have so many people serving you. You don't get that kind of treatment in the Yunhua Palace."
Yin Qiu blinked: "But I don't care about being a little sect leader, I just want to be with my martial uncle."
Man Jiangxue glanced at her and asked, "Did she accompany you in your studies and sword practice?"
Upon hearing this, Yin Qiu smiled for some reason: "What?"
Man Jiangxue asked, "So, do you prefer her company, or do you prefer me?"
Yin Qiu paused, a mischievous glint in his eyes, and his smile widened in an instant as he asked, "What does Martial Uncle think?"
Man Jiangxue said, "How would I know? I'm asking you, aren't I?"
Yin Qiu had been waiting for her to say that, and immediately brought up old grievances, saying, "Uncle-Master always tells me to be confident, how come you're not confident yourself now?"
Looking at Yin Qiu's lovely smiling face, Man Jiangxue chuckled and pinched Yin Qiu's cheek, saying, "It's not that I lack confidence, I just want to hear what you have to say. If you say you like her more, I'll beat you up."
Yin Qiu wanted to reply, "My aunt would never hit me," but the words that came out were, "But Nangong Min would never hit me. She spoils me. She gives me whatever I want."
Man Jiangxue said, "Don't I also do everything you say?"
Yin Qiu smiled, deliberately refusing to answer.
Man Jiangxue said, "You just said you liked me more, so why are you silent now?"
Yin Qiuling's sharp tongue was on full display once again: "But whether I like my martial uncle or not has nothing to do with whether he always does what I want."
Man Jiangxue asked with a smile, "Then tell me, why haven't I always done what you wanted?"
Yin Qiu was just teasing Man Jiangxue because she saw that Man Jiangxue wanted to compare herself with Nangong Min. How could she not understand how good Man Jiangxue was? But seeing that Man Jiangxue kept asking, Yin Qiu also became a little playful and said, "Whether it is really according to me or not depends on the performance of my master."
The room was warm and cozy, and the incessant sound of rain outside the window made the space feel exceptionally tranquil and cozy. Man Jiangxue thought to herself that this child had really gone astray, but she also noticed that Yin Qiu seemed to be much closer to her than before, and was much more lively in front of her. Man Jiangxue felt somewhat relieved. She touched Yin Qiu's face and said, "Then how do you want me to behave?"
Under the orange glow of the dim light, Man Jiangxue's face was like a hazy moon on the horizon, pure and flawless, radiating a faint light. When she spoke, her eyes held a slight smile, and her tone sounded somewhat casual, yet also subtly serious and doting.
Yin Qiu's heart raced for no reason. Looking at Man Jiangxue's beautiful face so close to hers, she didn't know where she got the courage, but she whispered, "Uncle-Master...can you kiss me?"
Man Jiangxue was naturally a little surprised: "Give you a kiss?"
Seeing her reaction, Yin Qiu tensed up instantly. She observed Man Jiangxue's expression and asked, "Is it not allowed?" After saying that, she immediately added, "I don't have a mother or a father, and I've never been close to anyone. Back when I was in the Su family, Madam Su would kiss the eldest young master every time he went to his study to study. I was always so envious when I saw that. Now, my uncle is my only family. Can you kiss me too?"
The night breeze blew in through the half-open window, stirring the candlelight inside and ruffling the stray hairs on Yin Qiu's forehead. The flickering flames reflected in Yin Qiu's clear and bright eyes, like a cluster of fireworks that lit up and then faded away.
Man Jiangxue watched her quietly, and a picture naturally appeared in her mind: the Su family mother and son loving each other, while young Yin Qiu could only watch helplessly from the side, her face full of envy.
Just imagining that scene made Man Jiangxue feel a pang of pity. Seeing Yin Qiu looking at her with such eagerness, his eyes filled with both expectation and restraint, and his previously relaxed body becoming somewhat awkward, Man Jiangxue's eyes flickered, and she sighed inwardly.
If her senior sister were still alive, how could this child be so lacking in love? And how could she have never even experienced the most ordinary contact with her family?
Perhaps because Man Jiangxue did not respond for a long time, Yin Qiu, though remaining calm, could not help but feel some disappointment.
Isn't she asking for too much?
Yin Qiu could never forget that fleeting kiss in the water, which she didn't have time to fully savor. She had a selfish reason for wanting to experience it again, as if that action would bring her closer to Man Jiangxue and make them even more intimate.
Yin Qiu lowered her head subconsciously, smiled slightly, and tried to save face by saying, "Why isn't my Uncle feeding me anymore? I think I'm getting a little hungry again..."
As soon as she finished speaking, Man Jiangxue put down the bowl and chopsticks she was holding on the small table.
Seeing her actions, Yin Qiu felt a pang of panic.
Could it be that my martial uncle is angry...?
She paused, then looked up to see Man Jiangxue's expression. But before she could finish, the light dimmed, and the white dress drew nearer. A familiar fragrance filled her nostrils, and Yin Qiu was pulled into a warm embrace. The next moment, something cool and soft touched her brow.
Yin Qiu's hands and feet stiffened, and after realizing what it was, she slumped down.
Man Jiangxue gently kissed her forehead and said, "Like this?"
Like a dragonfly skimming the water, the soft touch quickly faded away. Yin Qiu was stunned for a moment, then blushed instantly, and an indescribable joy welled up in her heart.
She raised her eyes in surprise and delight, and said softly, "Uncle-Master..."
Man Jiangxue held her firmly in her arms, smiling gently: "Tell me, doesn't your Martial Uncle always do as you please?"
If it weren't for feeling unwell and unable to move easily, Yin Qiu would have jumped up and cheered. She looked deeply at Man Jiangxue and nodded heavily: "Yes!"
Overjoyed that her little scheme had succeeded, Yin Qiu grinned, straightened up, hugged Man Jiangxue's neck, and said excitedly, "Uncle-Master is the best!"
It was just an ordinary kiss, but Yin Qiu was overjoyed as if she had found a treasure. Man Jiangxue felt both heartache and guilt. She gently stroked Yin Qiu's thin back and said, "From now on, whatever you want, just say it. As long as it is something your uncle can do, I will do my best to satisfy you."
Upon hearing this, Yin Qiu's heart stirred, and she turned to look at Man Jiangxue, saying, "Is this a promise my martial uncle made to me?"
Man Jiangxue said, "Of course."
Yin Qiu's eyes brightened, and she asked, flattered, "Whenever is fine?"
Man Jiangxue said, "As long as you want to."
Yin Qiu had never received such a promise before, and she was overjoyed. She buried her head and rubbed against Man Jiangxue a few times, then immediately seized this rare opportunity and said, "Then I want my martial uncle to kiss me again!"
True to her word, Man Jiangxue planted another kiss on Yin Qiu's forehead without hesitation.
Yin Qiu's heart pounded, and her face flushed as she said, "I want more!"
Seeing that she was pushing her luck and had a hint of smugness in her expression, Man Jiangxue smiled helplessly and did as she was told.
Yin Qiu chuckled. At that moment, her dizziness and stomachache disappeared, and she felt comfortable all over.
She looked at Man Jiangxue with delight, greedily asking for many kisses. Man Jiangxue always complied with her, showing no impatience whatsoever, perfectly demonstrating what it means to keep a promise.
After a long while, Yin Qiu, her face flushed, tilted her head and leaned close to Man Jiangxue, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek.
Then, she shyly shrank into Man Jiangxue's arms, covered her eyes with both hands, and smiled brightly on the lower half of her face.
Man Jiangxue simply shook her head and chuckled, her expression one of unprecedented affection and doting.
Author's Note: Waaaaah!
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