Chapter 18
At 1:15 AM, while the sky was still a bluish-purple, the village was already bustling with activity.
Most households had lit their lamps, and white smoke billowed from their chimneys. Some were even shouting as they pushed millstones, or using sharp knives to carve hard bones, as they leisurely set off in oxcarts to the town.
The sounds of people, roosters crowing, and car wheels mingled together, acting like a natural alarm clock, waking Zhu Yun from his sleep.
He dressed properly, took out a wooden sword and crossbow from the box, and began the final polishing.
Once the wood carving became smooth and easy to hold, Jia Yufang went into the east kitchen to prepare breakfast. Along with it came the call of her third sister, who must have been asking the officials for food.
It's time.
Zhu Yun quietly entered the next room and saw a black dress laid out on the bench, presumably prepared in advance. As for Luo Yan, half her face was buried in the quilt, as if she was struggling to get up but had fallen asleep again.
He wrapped his hands, which had been soaked in cold water, around Luo Yan's ankles, making her shiver. She opened her eyes blankly, only to find that she couldn't see anything.
"......"
We forgot to light the lamp.
By the time Zhu Yun took out the tinderbox, she had already buried her face in the blankets.
Zhu Yun reached out and pinched the back of her neck, just like he was teasing his third sister. Luo Yan cried out, rolled over, and pressed the back of his fingers against her head, pleading, "Let me sleep a little longer."
Unfortunately, only my grandmother was swayed by this.
He withdrew his hand and said calmly, "Then I'm leaving."
"Don't go." Luo Yan was startled awake, her almond-shaped eyes now clear and full of accusation, but she dared not let him see it, lest he give up. She parted the curtain, reaching for her robes as she muttered, "Why are you so impatient?"
Turning the tables on someone else.
Zhu Yun smiled silently, deciding not to argue with her, and moved to the outer room.
She had previously asked her grandmother to make her a dress just like Zhu Yun's, with a neat cut that made it very easy to move around in. After changing, she called someone in to do her hair, and took the opportunity to secretly glance at him in the mirror. She saw that his expression was normal and he didn't seem angry.
"It was my attitude that was wrong." Luo Yan felt guilty and apologized, "I will definitely get up as soon as I say I'm going to tomorrow and will never stay in bed."
"Um."
The boy's long, slender fingers quickly styled her hair into a high ponytail. Then, recalling her earlier accusation that she lacked patience, she touched her nose and said, "Ah Yun, do you know what you look like?"
"Like a soft-hearted bun, it doesn't say a word even when it's bullied."
Zhu Yun ignored her and pulled Luo Yan to her feet.
There was no need for breakfast, so Jia Yufang forced them to drink tofu pudding, filled the gourd with water, and stood in the courtyard watching the two leave home.
She looked back, chuckled, and sighed, "When I was three or four years old, there was nothing wrong with my body. My parents sent me to school like this. I really miss it."
It's not that I miss specific people, but rather the few warm moments from my previous life.
Zhu Yun listened quietly, thinking that he had no past worth remembering.
*
Archery also tests physical strength, so from today onwards, Luo Yan will have to climb the mountain slowly on her own two legs.
She made it to the halfway point of the mountain in one go, and persisted for another 15 minutes before gradually feeling exhausted. Zhu Yun finally offered her help.
With someone pulling her along, she gritted her teeth and managed to continue.
When he could vaguely see the familiar summit, Zhu Yun took out a wooden sword from his pocket, his eyes smiling: "A reward."
The wooden sword was no bigger than the palm of her hand, all the splinters had been smoothed out, making it both miniature and imposing. Luo Yan instantly felt all her fatigue vanish, and after swinging it a couple of times, she exclaimed with delight, "Was it made especially for me?"
No wonder he's always sitting in the yard shaving.
Zhu Yun drew his sword and gestured for her to look: "I'll carve this one, and when you're feeling better, I'll buy you the real thing."
"Thanks......"
Her calves trembled, which pulled at her facial muscles, turning her sweet smile into a bitter one. "Why are you being so nice to me all of a sudden? I have a bad feeling about this."
This time, Zhu Yun guiltily looked away: "There are only a few steps left, let's go."
He carved out a path through the remote mountains day after day, wide enough for two people to walk side by side, with stone steps in steep sections.
Luo Yan withdrew her hand that had been used for support and took the initiative to walk in front, secretly vowing not to complain of being tired easily later.
While she caught her breath and rested, Zhu Yun took off his archery vest and tested his short bow. The first arrow flew two steps and fell straight to the ground. The second arrow regained its feel, piercing through the fallen leaves and embedding itself firmly in the tree trunk.
"Wow!" She was so enticed that she lost all interest in being lazy and said in a cheerful voice, "Master, let's begin. Do we need to do a horse stance or throw punches?"
Zhu Yun glanced at her in surprise: "You don't need to."
Luo Yan realized what was happening: "Because my constitution is too weak."
"Hmm." He handed her the short bow, guiding her to the correct posture while encouraging her, "But you have good physique and flexibility."
She was pleased with herself and learned to hold the bow, draw the string, and aim, saying in a strong voice, "All done."
After saying that, noticing that Zhu Yun had taken two steps back, he said leisurely, "Practice for now, and rest in a quarter of an hour."
Just as she was about to ask how to correct her posture if it was wrong, she saw out of the corner of her eye that Zhu Yun grabbed a handful of small fruits and one of them was aimed at her slightly relaxed elbow.
"......"
Okay, fix whatever's wrong.
Luo Yan repeated the process over and over, with her shoulders and lower abdomen being hit the most. Gradually, her arms also began to ache.
Thirty minutes can feel so long. She took a deep breath and turned her gaze to the target, imagining the glorious moment of hitting the bullseye every time soon.
When Zhu Yun called for a stop, her limbs were stiff, and she was sweating profusely. She said pitifully, "I can't move."
He smiled and rolled up Luo Yan's sleeves, applied an unknown cooling ointment, and massaged her arms. Once the soreness subsided, she saw Zhu Yun put away the porcelain bottle and instinctively asked, "Don't you need your legs?"
Climbing mountains and standing as punishment are far more painful than just having sore arms.
Unexpectedly, his expression became subtle, as if he wanted to reprimand her, but for some reason, he swallowed his words. Finally, he spoke in a muffled voice: "Do it yourself."
Luo Yan was determined to be a model student. After thanking him, she hid under the shade of a tree and lifted her skirt.
"......"
Zhu Yun quickly turned his back and drew his longsword to practice the ninth move.
The wind was strong, swirling up fallen leaves all over the ground.
Although she was a novice, it didn't stop Luo Yan from recognizing beauty and ugliness. She could see that the young man was very skilled, and the weapon in his hands seemed to have a spirit, containing a vigorous power, but the power was under his control.
Lost in thought, her heart inexplicably raced, and her hands, which had been massaging her calves, stopped abruptly.
To everyone's surprise, Zhu Yun also stopped. He quickly walked over, knelt on one knee, and took Luo Yan's left hand to check her pulse.
From her angle, she happened to see a few broken leaves stuck in the boy's hair. Just as she was about to remove them for him, her right hand was also grasped.
"Why did you suddenly feel panicked?" He looked up, his expression grave.
Luo Yan was taken aback and said blankly, "What do you mean by panicking? I'm not panicking."
After saying that, he suddenly realized the reason and his face turned red instantly.
Zhu Yun became even more worried and reached out with the back of his hand to touch her forehead. Unexpectedly, Luo Yan's heartbeat became faster and faster, sounding like thunder in his ears.
"I'm fine." She pushed Zhu Yun away with both hands and feet, both angry and ashamed. "Also, don't look at me like you're looking at a dying person."
"But--"
With her back to him, Luo Yan patiently explained, "It's not necessarily a physical problem. When people feel guilty or afraid, their heart rate increases."
Zhu Yun reluctantly accepted this explanation, casually smoothing out her trouser leg that was rolled up to her knees, and said indifferently, "What are you feeling guilty about?"
"I... I have no guilty conscience at all."
Luo Yan's voice suddenly rose, making him furrow his brow, but he didn't back down. Instead, he asked, "Then what are you afraid of?"
"......"
Unable to come up with a story, she simply stood up and said, "Let's practice separately."
After an unknown amount of time, sunlight filtered through the leaves and enveloped them. Zhu Yun squinted, called Luo Yan back, and told her it was time to descend the mountain.
She climbed onto his back with practiced ease, muttering, "Why don't you let me walk by myself?"
"You've just sweated; if you don't change your clothes quickly, you're more likely to catch a cold."
Qingyuan Village is situated on high ground, so even in the height of summer, it's not considered hot except at midday. The mountains to the east are also cooler than the village, so given her constitution, she was indeed prone to illness.
Luo Yan wrapped one arm around his neck and brandished the wooden sword with the other, saying with great interest, "I was practicing drawing the bow just now. At first, it was very boring, but after I got used to it, I found it quite interesting."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Yun was somewhat surprised.
Because Luo Yan usually prefers to lie down rather than stand, she's delicate and loves to act spoiled. She only shows some tenacity when reading and practicing calligraphy, which unexpectedly applies to archery as well.
It seems she genuinely enjoys learning, no matter what it is.
Thinking of this, Zhu Yun said, "I'll teach you some sword moves later. They won't hurt anyone, but they'll do you good for passing the time."
"Thank you, Master." She called out affectionately, then inquired, "Did you never slack off when you were little?"
Why shirk your responsibilities?
He enjoyed the feeling of controlling power. Far from feeling tired, he was like a gluttonous beast, wanting to absorb more and more until he trampled everyone under his feet.
Luo Yan exclaimed softly, "What a pervert!"
"They keep saying words I can't understand."
Zhu Yun put the person down, and they each went back to their rooms to bathe and change.
Luo Yan took off the short bow and casually placed it on the antique shelf; then she found a crimson hair ribbon, carefully tied the small wooden sword to it, and hung it at her waist.
He wore it while eating, while practicing calligraphy, and even held it in his arms when taking a midday nap.
A strange sour feeling welled up inside him, yet he still insisted on taking it, forcibly making Luo Yan open her eyes. She said in an unfriendly tone, "You'd better give me a legitimate reason for disturbing my peaceful sleep."
"Play with me."
Luo Yan ignored him, turned her back to him, and said irritably, "I got up at six o'clock, did my morning exercise for two hours, and I'm so sleepy."
I thought he would stop there.
Unexpectedly, after a slight rustling sound, a finger poked her lower back: "For you?"
She glanced back and saw a crimson sword tassel, adorned with round, sparkling gemstones that perfectly matched the hair ribbon binding the sword.
"It's said to have been made by my birth mother, but who knows if it's true or not." Zhu Yun's tone was flat, as if she were telling someone else's story. "Come here, let me help you tie it."
Luo Yan raised her arm, and her neck and shoulders, which had not been treated with medicine, ached terribly. She grabbed Zhu Yun and cried out, "It hurts so much!"
"Hiss." He snatched back his hair that had been mercilessly pulled and suggested, "Let Grandma rub it for you."
"This is the only way."
She lay back down, feeling utterly hopeless, wondering if Zhu Yun would kill her if she skipped class tomorrow.
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