Chapter 49 The grievances are soothed little by little
Qiao Xi took a bite of watermelon, shook her head. The clouds on the horizon blended with the color of the watermelon. Sitting on the ridge of the field, she could smell the scent of green seedlings growing in the summer evening breeze. Qiao Xi closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and then slowly opened her eyes.
She stood up and said to Jinlan, "I'll be fully trained by autumn, and I'm going back to practice now."
With that, she waved and turned to leave. Before leaving, she muttered to herself, "Ten years is ten years. It's not like we can't wait."
Qiao Xi left, and Jin Lan sat there eating the remaining watermelon, feeling terrible. As Qiao Xi's good friend, he felt bad seeing her like this. As the biggest fan of the Qiao Xi and Emperor couple, he also felt bad seeing his CP like this.
Jinlan looked down at the ants on the ground, as if they weren't crawling on the ridges of the field, but in his heart. He sighed, broke off a piece of watermelon, and placed it in front of the ants.
"blue?"
As he looked down, a shadow fell over his eyes. Jinlan looked up and saw that Grandma Qiao, with her back to the setting sun, blocked the little light she could see. She smiled at Jinlan and handed her two warm pancakes.
Jinlan took it, put one piece in his pocket, intending to bring it to Qiaoxi as a late-night snack, and planned to eat the other piece directly.
Jinlan said, "Grandma, you brought me food again."
Grandma Qiao smiled and said, "You've helped me tidy up these fields, so I'll give you as many treats as I can."
Jinlan nodded, took a bite of the pancake, and found that it was filled with red bean paste. He smiled and said, "Little Qiaoxi likes sweet things."
Grandma Bridge sat beside him. The sun was setting and night was about to fall. The summer evening breeze was still a bit hot. A few people sat in the distance, enjoying the cool air. They were fanning themselves with palm-leaf fans, and from time to time, the sounds of children making noise could be heard from there.
Grandma Bridge said, "These peaceful days are wonderful."
Jinlan nodded: "It is thanks to the protection of the Emperor and the others that we have the life we have today."
Grandma Bridge nodded, then said, "Lan is a very good child. Without you and your team, our village would have so much more trouble."
Jinlan was a little embarrassed by the praise, and said, "I'm just doing my duty as a logistics soldier."
Grandma Bridge smiled kindly and said, "This autumn will bring a good harvest, no matter which world you're in."
Jinlan blinked, not understanding what Grandma Bridge was saying.
*Bamboo Garden.
After returning from the fields, Qiao Xi had been practicing her sword in the courtyard. Now that summer was halfway over and the temperature was at its highest, she dressed simply, wearing a thin gauze top and a pair of linen trousers for easy practice.
Under Liu Yun's tutelage, she has learned the flying kick and can easily fly on her sword using incantations—well, if flying ten centimeters in the air counts as flying.
Although Liu Yun and Yi Xiao both agreed that Qiao Xi's actions could only be described as gliding on a sword, Qiao Xi meticulously examined each word from the definition of "flying" to the definition of "moving," finally convincing her two masters that she was flying on a sword.
Qiao Xi was very happy, but in her happiness, she also thought that if Morax were here, he would definitely not let her act so recklessly.
Or perhaps Morax will listen to her sophistry and acknowledge her sword flight.
Now, Qiao Xi placed the sword on the ground, stepped on it, closed her eyes, and made a hand seal. The sword lifted her up ten centimeters. Qiao Xi tried to lift it higher, but the sword did not move at all.
Qiao Xi then gave up, thinking that this sword actually had its own principles.
After practicing for a while, Qiao Xi turned around and prepared to move her sword toward the house. Just then, she heard the sound of the courtyard gate opening behind her. Qiao Xi thought it was Jin Lan, but when she turned around, she saw Morax instead.
Morax must have just returned from the battlefield; he came to her before he even had a chance to remove his armor, and there was still a little dust on his shoulders.
For a moment, Qiao Xi was somewhat dazed. She tilted her head, stood on the sword, and looked at the person in front of her who hadn't said goodbye a few months ago.
They had established a romantic relationship, but the time they spent together could be counted on one hand, and the time they were apart was always too long, so much so that before Qiao Xi felt she had truly gotten to know Morax, they were forced to separate time and time again.
This left Qiao Xi momentarily at a loss as to how to face the person in front of her. She felt a sense that she should be close to him, and she wanted to be close to him, but at the same time, she felt that their relationship wasn't that close.
Qiao Xi lingered on the sword for too long, and finally Morax walked towards her. He stopped in front of her and smiled slightly: "It's been a long time. You've already learned to fly on a sword."
Hearing his familiar voice, seeing his familiar smile, and in his gentle gaze, it seemed as if everything was still the same as before.
In reality, nothing major happened between them.
It's just a separation.
It's just a separation.
Qiao Xi's eyes stung a little. She nodded and said, "Don't you think this is like gliding on a sword?"
“How could that be?” Morax said.
Hearing this, Qiao Xi's pent-up grievances burst forth for no apparent reason, and she cried.
“They all say I can’t fly, but I’ve really practiced for a long time. Morax, you’re the best. You said I could fly the moment you arrived, Morax.”
Her eyes filled with tears, and her voice was aggrieved as she continued, "You're still the best."
Morax knew that her crying wasn't because of flying or gliding on the sword; she was just upset that he hadn't told her personally when he left.
Morax stepped forward, grabbed Qiao Xi's hand, and pulled her forward.
Although Qiao Xi was a little confused, she quickly adjusted her steps and tiptoed forward a couple of times, afraid that the tip of the sword would pierce Morax's leg.
She was pulled into Morax's arms, and he could smell a faint scent of dust and a fishy smell on her shoulders.
Just as Qiao Xi was about to look up, Morax pressed her down with his hand, rested his chin on her head, closed his eyes, and calmly said, "Let me lean on you for a while."
Qiao Xi said cautiously, "I'm afraid the sword will stab you."
Morax paused, somewhat helplessly, and said, "No."
Qiao Xi: "Is it because you're not afraid of pain?"
Morax found it hard to imagine how the girl could maintain her peculiar thought process during such a long-awaited reunion.
Although explaining might disrupt the atmosphere, it seems that without an explanation, Qiao Xi wouldn't feel comfortable letting him hold her.
So Morax said, "I noticed, it won't prick you."
Only after he said this did he feel the girl in his arms relax.
Qiao Xi let him hug her.
After a moment, Morax said, "Things happened so suddenly that day, I only left you a letter, please forgive me."
His words, "Please forgive me," soothed Qiao Xi's grievances of the past few months, and the hug also quietly shattered Qiao Xi's recent sense of unfamiliarity with Morax.
She asked him, "I felt that you were very cold to me the day you left."
She heard Morax chuckle softly.
Qiao Xi frowned, feeling inexplicably a little wronged.
Morax stroked her head and said, "I was thinking about other things that day and didn't think about you. I'm sorry."
After Morax said that, Qiao Xi's inexplicable grievances disappeared.
She said, "Your clothes are all dirty."
At this point, Morax seemed to remember something, released Qiao Xi, bent down and looked into her eyes: "I got your clothes dirty."
Qiao Xi shook her head: "I work in the fields every day, and my clothes are dirtier than yours."
She smiled at Morax.
Morax looked down and saw that the girl's pants were indeed covered in mud. He couldn't help but laugh, pinched her cheek, and continued to hold her in his arms.
Qiao Xi asked, "Are you doing alright out there?"
"All is well."
"Would you like to go inside and rest for a bit? You seem a little tired."
"It's alright, that's fine."
The surroundings were quiet, with the occasional chirping of insects. Just as they were embracing, Qiao Xi keenly sensed that Master Yi Xiao was approaching from not far away.
Almost instantly, Qiao Xi pushed Morax away. Since there was no friction when flying on a sword, she quickly moved far away from Morax.
Morax was surprised to be slapped for no reason. He looked at Qiao Xi, who was still gliding, with disbelief in his eyes: "You..."
Qiao Xi kept winking at Morax, then waved behind him, "Master Yixiao! You've arrived!"
Upon hearing this, Morax turned around to look and saw that it was Yi Xiao who had arrived. He then looked helplessly at Qiao Xi, who gave him a silly smile.
Yi Xiao heard Qiao Xi's voice from a great distance. He thought that this girl had been sullen all summer, which had made him very worried. Today she was suddenly so enthusiastic. Could it be that something had happened?
He ran over quickly, only to find Morax standing in the yard.
Yi Xiao was taken aback: "Your Majesty, when did you return?"
Morax: "We've arrived here soon."
Yi Xiao looked at Qiao Xi behind Morax. Qiao Xi was standing on the sword, presumably to show the Emperor the results of her learning.
Therefore, Yi Xiao couldn't help but think that the Emperor really had a hard time. Even though he had just returned, he still had to check on Qiao Xi's training progress first.
In addition, Yi Xiao also found a reasonable explanation for Qiao Xi's sudden enthusiastic shout: Qiao Xi was hinting to him that the Emperor had arrived and that he should be prepared and not lose his composure.
He truly is a good disciple; he's so considerate.
Yi Xiao cast a kind and gentle look at Qiao Xi.
Qiao Xi jumped off the sword, ran over, and stood next to Morax: "Master, I'm having dinner with Morax here tonight."
Yi Xiao did come to call her for dinner. After hearing her words, he said, "The Emperor has just returned and hasn't changed his clothes yet. Let the Emperor rest for a while and don't keep bothering him."
The word "entangled" reached Morax's ears, and he felt inexplicably better.
Qiao Xi frowned: "Indeed, I haven't changed my clothes yet."
She turned to Morax and said, "Then remember to come tomorrow."
Morax wanted to ruffle her hair, but remembering that Yi Xiao was there, he didn't. He nodded and said, "Okay."
Morax then said to Yixiao, "Qiaoxi has learned to fly on a sword and has made great progress. You and Liuyun have indeed worked hard."
Yi Xiao said, "It's only right."
But what he was really thinking was: Did the Emperor also think this was flying on a sword?
Yi Xiao continued to say to the Emperor, "Xiao Xi's handwriting has become more and more like yours these days, and sometimes it can even fool me."
Morax looked at Qiao Xi.
Qiao Xi smiled and said to Morax, "I was just imitating your handwriting, so it's normal for it to look a little similar. Besides, there shouldn't be anything wrong with it, right? It's not like anyone would imitate your handwriting and forge your signature or anything like that."
Yi Xiao nodded and said, "That's true."
At that moment, Venti, who was still a wind sprite in Old Mondstadt, sneezed. The boy asked him what was wrong. The wind sprite shook his head.
Now, it was getting dark, and Qiao Xi was preparing to have dinner with Yi Xiao. They went down the mountain with Morax, and during the trip, Yi Xiao felt that the atmosphere between Xiao Xi and the Emperor was strange.
Could it be that Xiao Xi angered the Emperor?
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Author's note: See you tomorrow.
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