Xie Kun
Chapter 44
I was treated like a precious gem, surrounded by admirers, and that "moon" continued until the Xie family patriarch arrived.
Honestly, although I don't believe what Yuanzi and Lan Feiyu told me about my background, I can't deny that in a small part of my heart, I somewhat hope it's true. Even if my background makes my situation awkward and difficult, I can't help but want to know who my father—and all my paternal relatives—are, and what kind of people they are.
When I heard from Yuanzi's subordinates that General Xie had arrived at the village entrance, my heart jumped into my throat.
Iris glanced at me and led the group out of the hall. I unconsciously took a step to follow, but Lan Feiyu came over in time and stopped me, whispering to me, "You don't need to go, just wait here."
I still felt a sense of unease, as if I had just survived a disaster. My reactions were slow, and I stared blankly at Lan Feiyu, asking, "Just wait?"
Lan Feiyu didn't answer, but smiled slightly at me. Suddenly, she leaned close to my cheek and whispered, "Xi'er, do you know how beautiful you are?"
Upon hearing this, my face instantly burned. I didn't know how to answer. Saying "no" would be lying, and saying "I know" directly would go against my nature. Besides, Lan Feiyu's praise seemed to be more delightful than others'. I unconsciously bit my lower lip, feeling somewhat embarrassed.
The arrival of the Xie family and Yuanzi saved me from the predicament, but plunged me into another, even more perplexing and awkward situation.
They naturally entered under the protection of dozens of guards, layer upon layer. I spotted Iris in the circle at a glance, but did not immediately notice the man beside her.
After Yuanzi called me, I belatedly focused my gaze on the man—and seeing him, I was somewhat disappointed.
Since he claimed to be my real elder brother, I naturally compared him to my older brother. My older brother was much younger than this man. Although he looked more like my mother and had some features of the Wuxi people from Lingnan, he also had my uncle's Han blood. Far from being unattractive, he had a unique kind of handsomeness and was a well-known beauty among the princes and nobles of the capital.
This isn't me, as her sister, boasting. When the young ladies get together, they often chat about these interesting stories of famous people while idly eating melon seeds and drinking tea. Although those daughters of noble families have no worries about food and clothing, their lives are actually stagnant and much more boring than one might imagine.
The man before me, I cannot say he is not handsome; in fact, he is quite tall, a head taller than the slender Iris beside him. However, he should be at least forty years old, and I even doubt if he is already fifty. Beneath his military cap, his temples are gray, his face is weathered, and even his halberd-like beard cannot add to his imposing presence. His eyes are weary, his corners are etched with fatigue, and his lips droop with sorrow.
When he saw me, a spark flashed in his eyes, so quickly that I couldn't tell if he was happy to see me. After the spark disappeared, he returned to his lifeless state, and even when he spoke to me, he was weak and listless: "You, are you Xi'er?"
I was isolated in the middle of the hall by the crowd and had to bow to him, who was seated at the head of the table. He stared at me, and I stared at him—oh, right, in the chaos just now, I heard Lan Feiyu secretly tell me that this person's name was "Kun". She asked me if I had heard of him.
Of course I've heard of this name, but in my mind, I always felt that this person must have died a long time ago. He was the eldest son of Xie Lian, the head of the Xie clan at the time of the Xie family's glory. He was once a great general guarding the northern frontier, but later disappeared during the palace coup.
Afterwards, the emperor investigated and quelled the rebellion. The Xie family collapsed and scattered. It's likely that they did search for Xie Kun at the time, but the search was eventually abandoned. I suspect that the emperor and his uncle felt this person posed no threat, and thus gave up. Otherwise…
But I never expected that he would survive such a near-death experience and appear before me alive as my own brother. This feeling is not much different from facing a dead person who has crawled out of the grave. I am not afraid, but... disgusted. As for a sense of familiarity... who would feel familiarity with a dead person?
Seeing that I didn't answer, Xie Kun asked again. I thought I couldn't let him look down on me, so I raised my voice and said, "Yes. You are Xie Kun?"
"Zhao Xi!" Yuanzi's face showed a hint of anger as she called me by my full name rather rudely, "This is your real brother!"
"It's alright, it's understandable that she doesn't recognize me." Xie Kun laughed, but after only two laughs, he started coughing repeatedly. This cough didn't seem like a fake dry cough; it made my heart jump. I couldn't help but blurt out, "Are you alright? Are you okay?"
As soon as I said that, I wanted to slap myself. What was I doing?
Xie Kun looked at me, panting. His gaze finally softened, and the sorrow at the corners of his mouth lessened slightly as he smiled. "It's nothing, just an old ailment."
He raised his hand and gently patted his right chest, still weakly saying, "Here, an arrow pierced through, damaging my lungs and internal organs. I almost lost my life. After surviving this ordeal, my body is practically useless. This time, I traveled day and night to see you, and I'm just a little tired."
"Oh," I replied weakly, momentarily at a loss for words, and could only continue to look at this man who seemed to be overwhelmed.
Xie Kun smiled calmly and silently, looked back at me, and asked in a low voice, "Do you want to know who shot that arrow?"
I shook my head. No, not at all.
But they insisted on pinning the answer in my head: "It's your uncle, Xi'er, your uncle who is now second only to the emperor, Zhao Rang."
As soon as he finished speaking, his face turned deathly pale, all color drained from his eyes, and he stared at me with eyes that looked like they were about to pop out of their sockets. It was a world of difference from his half-dead appearance just now. I was so frightened that I almost took a step back. Fortunately, he was not as ferocious as the "drug man". I swallowed hard and managed to keep my footing.
Looking at Xie Kun, he was clenching his teeth, making a grinding sound. Anyone who wasn't an innocent child or a stupid idiot could feel his hatred, especially me. Overwhelmed by this hatred, I just wanted to turn away from all this trouble.
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