Chapter 181 Wishing Tree: I only pray that the gods will bless my beloved...
She couldn't tell the difference.
The sigh was too soft.
In the moonlit palace, Huan Xun sat on the edge of the bed, his body bent over.
He raised his right hand, his knuckles slightly bent, and slowly approached her, tracing her eyebrows and eyes with gentle movements.
Afraid that his slightly cold fingers might hurt her, he curled his fingers back and forth a few times until they warmed up before placing his palm on hers. Not daring to wake her, he only lightly touched her, the back of his fingers tracing the contours of her cheek, his deep tenderness tinged with a devout appreciation, his dark eyes revealing tenderness.
He just stared at the person on the bed, without intending to wake her.
Even though his chest was churning with a frantic longing, he wanted to hold her tightly in his arms, to feel her warm breath, and to hear her call his name in a sleepy voice.
But all these surging impulses were pinned down by that arrow.
The harrowing scene in the capital replayed in his mind day and night.
He thought, if it weren't for him.
If he hadn't insisted on eliminating the Xiao family, she wouldn't have appeared in the Southern Yin Imperial Palace.
If he hadn't been careless and failed to notice the lurking danger, that arrow would have pierced his chest.
Instead of her, it was he who took the fall for him.
In his view, it was all his fault.
He almost pushed the person he wanted to protect most to the brink of death with his own hands.
He almost really killed her.
So, when she was unconscious and in excruciating pain, and he stayed by her side listening to her unconscious moans, he couldn't forgive himself.
So he had Cuiwei and the others fabricate a lie, saying that he had gone to the northern frontier.
The moonlight, as white as jade, illuminated his tightly furrowed brows.
He silently watched over her, like a prisoner confined to his own territory, atoning for his sins against her.
As the hour of Yin approached, the darkness outside the window began to turn grayish-white. He withdrew his hand, gazed at her one last time, and, as he had done the previous nights, stood up, turned, and left.
Just as he took a few steps, a familiar, wide-eyed voice rang out from behind him: "How long are you going to hide?"
Upon hearing the sound, Huan Xun froze on the spot, his back revealing a panicked state with nowhere to hide.
After a moment of silence, he didn't speak and turned around.
On the bed, Yu Nie had woken up at some point, propping herself up on her arms and gazing at him blankly.
The shadow of the curtains fell on her face, obscuring her expression; only her clear eyes pierced through the night.
Their eyes met.
Huan Xun's lips moved, but he didn't dare look into her eyes and lowered his gaze.
After a moment, he managed to squeeze out a sentence: "When did you wake up?"
Her eyes were red-rimmed as she got up and got out of bed.
As she walked toward him, she spoke, her words filled with the grievances of the past few days: "The scent, the sandalwood fragrance on you, how could I not be familiar with it? And during the day, when I tested Cuiwei and Song Juling, although they didn't say it explicitly, their evasive eyes told me that they also knew that someone had come to my room at night."
“If they were thieves, they would have said they would have been more anxious than I was, but they weren’t. That makes me even more suspicious that the person in my room last night was you. So I didn’t touch the calming tea that Cuiwei brought tonight.”
Her voice trembled with sobs as she tried to compose herself, "Why, why did you let them lie to me and say you went to the northern frontier? Do you know how I truly believed you had left?"
Her last words were slurred and thick with emotion, as if she were about to burst into tears.
In the past few days, the intense pain of losing a close friend, and the emptiness and sorrow of thinking that he too had left, have all turned into a grievance that is laid bare before him.
Every word she spoke pierced his heart.
Looking into her tearful eyes, he felt so much pain that he could hardly breathe. He had never felt such pain, no matter how severe the wounds he had suffered on the battlefield.
“I…” His voice was dry and hoarse: “How could I really leave?”
“That arrow should have been aimed at me. I dragged you into danger and sent you to the brink of death.”
He spoke with regret and self-loathing.
"I almost lost you. The hurt you caused was my fault, and I can't forgive myself."
Before he finished speaking, tears finally welled up in Yu Nie's eyes.
She raised her hand, no longer gently touching him, but striking his chest repeatedly with light force.
"Just because of this, you're going to leave me, keep me in the dark, and make me bear everything alone?" Her voice was broken, trembling with tears. "Huan Xun, you bastard!"
This meant nothing to her, yet he stopped appearing before her because of it.
This made her believe that he really didn't want her, just like her parents had abandoned her.
He didn't flinch, letting her vent until she was exhausted and her forehead pressed against his shoulder.
The next moment, he could no longer restrain himself and stretched out his arms to pull her tightly into his embrace. The force was so great that it felt as if he wanted to meld her into his body and never separate her again.
"It's my fault...it's all my fault..."
He buried his face in her neck, repeatedly apologizing: "I shouldn't have lied to you, I shouldn't have left you alone, I'm a bastard, I deserve to die."
Yu Nie: "If I hadn't realized it was you, were you planning to never show up again? What would I do then? Who would I marry?"
Huan Xun tightened his arms around her: "No, I can't let you marry someone else. You can only marry me."
Even he didn't know how long he could keep up this lie. If she hadn't discovered it on her own initiative, he would have exposed it sooner or later through his own means.
Several times, when he looked at her quiet profile during the day, he almost couldn't control himself and wanted to walk up to her and tell her that he was right beside her and had never left.
He loosened his grip on her slightly, cupped her face, and wiped away her tears: "I know I'm unreasonable, but you can only marry me." He repeated.
Under the moonlight, the gloom in his eyes gradually dissipated in his honesty, replaced by a bright light of something lost and regained.
Yu Nie's heart trembled at the undeniable possessiveness in his words, and the lingering grievances turned into a deeper attachment at this moment.
She clutched his shirt, her voice choked with sobs, "Then promise me you'll never disappear like this again, and you won't hide anything from me anymore."
"Otherwise, I..."
Before she could utter the words that carried a hint of threat, they were completely silenced by his sudden kiss.
This kiss was different from the previous gentle probing; it carried an eagerness of something lost and regained, a deep-seated guilt, and an irresistible force that stole her breath.
His cool lips quickly ignited a burning heat on hers, his tongue entwining with hers. It was as if he wanted to make up for all the intimacy they had missed these past few days in this instant.
Yu Nie was stunned by this sudden attack, but the burning sensation between her lips and teeth quickly dispelled her dazedness.
Her body gradually softened, and her hand, which had been clutching his clothes, slowly moved up to embrace his neck.
Her closed eyelashes trembled as she responded to him with a hesitant yet firm voice.
The kiss, initially urgent, gradually transformed into a tender, lingering one.
After an unknown amount of time, until both of them were breathless, he slowly released her, their foreheads touching, their breaths mingling, sharing the same tranquil moment.
After the initial mutual probing, the twists and turns from Huaiyuan to Jian'an, and the hardships and life-or-death situations along the way from Jinzhou to Jian'an.
They realized more clearly than ever before that they could never leave each other again.
Like two trees that once grew independently, but gradually drew closer together in the wind and rain.
Their roots have long been intertwined deep within, unseen by anyone, drawing nourishment from the same land, supporting each other's lives, and together withstanding the harsh winds and frosts.
From this day forward, no one can separate them anymore.
He looked into her eyes, misty from the kisses, and at her slightly swollen lips, his expression carrying an unprecedentedly solemn promise:
"I promise you, from now on I will never disappear again, and I will never hide anything from you again."
Outside the window, the hour of Yin had passed, and the first rays of dawn were just beginning to appear, spilling over the window frame and quietly falling upon the two people embracing.
This long night has now begun, paving the way for dawn.
*
After several days of recuperation, Yu Nie's arrow wound healed very well under careful care. Although he occasionally felt sore and swollen on rainy days, it was no longer a serious problem.
When Langxi's cold subsided, she went to the Jade Palace to visit Langxi.
Langxi's abdomen is now swollen.
The two talked for a long time in the Jade Palace.
Zhao Yunfu's future was already set; all that remained was the arrival of the new life in Langxi's womb, after which his throne would change hands.
News also came from outside the palace.
Thanks to Huan Xun's intervention, Cui Miaochang's numerous arrest warrants, which were spread across various regions, have been revoked.
Two days ago, they received a letter from Cui Miaochang through a third party. The letter was written in a free and easy style, and it said that she traveled all over the world, practiced medicine and helped people, had a broad mind and was in good health.
At the end of the letter, she wrote that she would come to ask for a cup of celebratory wine when Langxi gave birth or when Yu Nie and Huan Xun got married.
This news put Yu Nie and Lang Xi at ease.
Since there was no one at Lingbao Temple, Aunt Liu chose to stay at the Princess's Mansion to keep Yu Nie company.
With Aunt Liu by her side, she would be much happier.
She didn't have many relatives in this world, just a few, and Aunt Liu was one of them.
This is the best outcome for now. If Aunt Liu wants to return to Lingbao Temple in the future, she can understand.
In addition, she received a letter from Zhao Huayan, in which she and Nie Lanting were now happily married and had a child.
However, the child is too young to travel long distances. After expressing his deepest gratitude for her taking his place, Zhao Huayan said that she and Nie Lanting would personally visit to express their thanks when the child is older.
Aunt Wu, on the other hand, took leave a month ago to visit distant relatives in the suburbs. On her way back, she was robbed and her body was never found.
This incident caused a sensation in Jian'an. Huan Xun did not express much opinion, but simply erected a cenotaph for him in a quiet place outside the city.
What the others didn't know was that this cenotaph was erected by Huan Xun for the real Aunt Wu, which could be considered a belated consolation.
On the day that Gu Xiangzhi was ordered to go on a mission to Nan Yin, Yu Nie pulled Huan Xun, whose face was gloomy and clearly unwilling, and together they went to the outskirts of the city to see him off.
Upon seeing her, a rare smile appeared on Gu Xiangzhi's usually cold and handsome face.
However, when he saw Huan Xun, who was standing with his arms crossed and whose whole body was radiating displeasure, his smile became a polite formality that both of them knew was a sign of distance.
They both sensed a hint of disdain in each other's eyes.
Unaware of the silent exchange between the two men beside him, Yu Nie stepped forward and said, "The journey to Nan Yin is long and arduous; please take care of yourself."
“Your Highness’s concern is deeply appreciated.” After a pause, he took a sandalwood box from Mei Nian’s hand and handed it to her: “I am carrying out the Emperor’s orders and will be traveling far away. I am afraid I will not be able to attend Your Highness’s wedding in person. This is a small gift to express my congratulations. I hope Your Highness will like it.”
Yu Nie paused slightly, glanced at Huan Xun, and took it personally.
When the wooden box was opened, a pair of gold and kingfisher feather hairpins adorned with phoenixes and peonies lay inside, clearly priceless.
Beside her was a pair of shimmering jade bracelets. The jade was the familiar peacock blue, but unlike the others, this peacock blue was naturally formed, and its texture clearly indicated that it was no ordinary piece.
Yu Nie felt the gift was too expensive and was about to decline it.
As if he had guessed her intentions, Gu Xiangzhi said, "It is but a small token of my appreciation, Your Highness, please do not refuse."
"But this item is too valuable."
“No matter how valuable it is, it’s always appropriate to give it to Your Highness.” He said firmly, “Your Highness, please accept it.”
Huan Xun gave a light hum, maintaining a facade of politeness: "Lord Gu is too kind."
Yu Nie patted him lightly and could only accept Gu Xiangzhi's gift.
She also gave Gu Xiangzhi a lot of things, including food, daily necessities, and some alcohol. Many of these things were purchased with her help by Huan Xun.
Although he didn't like Gu Xiangzhi, he knew that Gu Xiangzhi had done a lot of work for him in Jiangling, and he had also given Gu Xiangzhi some things that Gu Xiangzhi might need.
Now, gunpowder is controlled by the government, and if Prime Minister Gu needs gunpowder, he can request it from the appropriate place.
After delivering the items, the two exchanged a few more words.
The moment had finally come when we had no choice but to set off.
The carriages and horses rumbled along, and Bai Zhiwei stood at attention, waiting.
As he gazed at the person before him, Gu Xiangzhi's eyes held a more subtle lingering affection than before.
After a moment of silence, he spoke: "The Jian'an era is ever-changing, Your Highness... I hope you take care." Yu Nie met his gaze, overwhelmed with emotion, and hummed in agreement.
She said, "I wish you a safe and smooth journey. I look forward to seeing you again when you return."
Gu Xiangzhi glanced at her and nodded.
He didn't turn around immediately; his gaze lingered on her face for one last moment before he walked to the waiting horse and mounted it.
Once he was firmly seated on the horse, he tightened the reins, turned the horse around, and bowed respectfully.
After the ceremony, he no longer hesitated, gave a soft shout, and his horse galloped away.
Seeing this, the guards behind them also spurred their horses and followed in unison.
In an instant, the sound of horses' hooves filled the air.
The procession meandered, gradually disappearing into the distance, eventually becoming a blurry silhouette along the official road, merging into the midday sun.
Watching Gu Xiangzhi walk away, Yu Nie was filled with mixed emotions.
A steady hand gripped her shoulder as Huan Xun pulled her closer, saying, "They've gone far away, and the sun is blazing. We should go too."
Yu Nie withdrew her gaze, turned her head to look at him, and suddenly curled her lips into a smile, deliberately asking, "Our Lord Huan was silent just now, but now he's in a hurry for me to leave. Could it be that he drank a jar of aged vinegar and is so sour that he can't speak?"
Huan Xun's ears turned red, and he vehemently denied it: "I'm not jealous at all."
Then, he awkwardly shifted his gaze to Cuiwei and Lu Jinshi behind him, and instructed, "You two escort the things back to the manor first. I will accompany the princess to see Ahui and take a walk around while we're at it."
Cuiwei and the others understood and respectfully agreed, then left first with the other servants and the wooden box containing the congratulatory gifts.
After the others had gone far away, Huan Xun led over two horses.
One was his magnificent and extraordinary steed, Daoli, and the other was a gentle little red horse that had followed Yu Nie since Huaiyuan.
He first helped her onto the horse, and only after making sure she was seated securely did he sit on the horse himself.
There was some distance between here and Ah Hui's grave. The two walked side by side, slowly making their way to the hillside on the outskirts of the city where Ah Hui rested.
At Ahui's grave, Yu Nie dismounted.
She whispered to Ahui everything that had happened during this period, including that Langxi had a child and that she was getting married.
Huan Xun added paper money to the paper offerings.
After the memorial service was completed, she waited until her mind was at peace.
They let their horses roam freely, riding slowly along the riverbank.
A gentle breeze carried the scents of grass and river water, dispelling the sadness from before.
After walking for a while, Yu Nie saw a slightly dilapidated ancient temple in the distance at the bend of the river.
In the open space in front of the temple, a lone, ancient tree with lush foliage stands, its branches adorned with swaying red ribbons.
Yu Nie realized that it was a wishing tree.
Originally, she wanted to go with him to see the ancient camphor tree in Nanyin.
Unfortunately, due to unforeseen circumstances, I was unable to go.
Knowing her wish, Huan Xun promised her that it wouldn't be too late to go after she fully recovered and they got married.
She smiled and nodded, and the two of them headed towards the ancient temple together.
The afternoon sun was warm, and the place was full of life, with birds singing and flowers blooming.
Passersby and vendors frequently pass by on the road.
With the world at peace, such days are filled with tranquility.
Upon arriving outside the temple, Yu Nie saw the ancient tree draped with red silk ribbons, each bearing countless ordinary yet fervent wishes.
Seeing this, Huan Xun went to the temple for a walk and found an old man guarding the temple.
He took out some silver, bought red silk for making a wish, and took a pen and ink. He then went out and placed them on a stone not far away.
She followed in his footsteps and accepted the red silk he offered.
Huan Xun: "Make a wish."
"What do you mean by 'promise'?" she wondered, momentarily at a loss.
"Either is fine, you can take your time to think about it."
There wasn't enough room for both of them on one rock, so he had to find another place.
After a moment's thought, Yu Nie picked up his brush, dipped it in ink, and wrote in one stroke: "Lanterns line the fiery trees, the moon is full over the starry bridge, the nation is prosperous and the people are at peace." Twelve large characters appeared.
"Is that all you're allowed?" A laughing voice came from beside him. He had appeared at his side without him noticing, his gaze sweeping over the words.
Yu Nie's eyebrows curved into a smile, revealing a hint of slyness: "I have one more wish."
"Oh?" He waited patiently.
“However…” she drawled, her smile deepening, “I won’t tell you.”
"You won't tell me? Then someone else won't hear my wish either." With that, Huan Xun turned and made as if to leave.
She fell for it, grabbing his sleeve: "Hey! What did you wish for? Tell me!"
He took her hand, smiling but not answering.
She wouldn't let it go and insisted on getting to the bottom of it.
The two started laughing and joking under the tree.
In the end, he didn't let her see it. Instead, he tied the red ribbon they had written together to a tree and led his horse away.
"Huan Xun, tell me quickly, what wish did you write down?"
He led the horse, looked up at her, and kept her in suspense.
"Fine, Huan Xun, if you don't tell me, I'll sell your Daoli."
“You can’t sell it, then your little red horse will be without a companion.”
"I'll sell it."
"Can't."
Their voices, along with their receding figures, blended into the warm spring sunshine.
A gust of wind came, and the red ribbons on the wishing tree fluttered in the wind.
On the back of the red silk that read "Lanterns line the fiery trees, the moon is full and the stars bridge the bridge," there was another line of slightly smaller, more delicate handwriting:
As the sun and moon traverse the sky and rivers flow across the land, I wish that my husband and I may never be separated again in this life, and that our love may endure through the ages, from the mulberry fields to the blue sea.
Just then, another red ribbon flew up from the side, obscuring the four characters "Lanterns and Fire Trees".
Compared to the delicate handwriting just now, this one is more unrestrained and flamboyant, with each stroke carrying a seriousness that seems to penetrate the fabric.
Upon closer inspection, a rather long sentence was written on it:
Heaven and earth, and all the gods above, are my witnesses, and may they bear witness to my heart.
I am deeply grateful to have loved ones by my side, and I have no other desires in this life.
If I were to ask for anything else, I would only pray that the gods would bless my beloved, that she would be free from illness and disaster, free from worry and anxiety, and that she would live in peace year after year.
Even after the wind had passed for a long time, the two wishing ribbons still clung tightly together.
On an ordinary afternoon in a peaceful year, they lingered for eternity.
(End of text)
-----------------------
Author's Note: Hello everyone! I haven't had much time to talk to you all after serializing this for so long. Thank you for following along. After more than six months, "I Survive in a Chaotic World with Chemistry" is officially coming to an end today.
When I wrote the last word, I thought I would be in a relaxed state, but I wasn't. When I reached the end, what I was thinking about more was whether this book could be called a complete story, a passable novel.
how was it?
Is it good enough?
Do you all like it?
Such questions filled my mind.
Judging solely from the data on the serialization period, it is clearly not good.
This feeling of unease troubled me for a long time, and I wondered if it was worth continuing to write. After much deliberation, I finally decided to finish it properly. I needed to give my readers, who were following the story, and the characters I created an explanation.
That's why I'm able to stand at the finish line today and say these things to everyone.
When I first considered signing with Jinjiang Literature City, it was right after the May Day holiday. I had several ideas in mind, and after weighing them, I finally chose this story. Chemistry, time travel, ancient times... these elements combined allowed me to express the characters and content I wanted to write about while maintaining an innovative perspective.
When I applied for the contract, I only had a slightly complete story synopsis and a 10,000-word application requirement. I didn't have any drafts saved up. After the contract was signed, I was actually quite anxious, wondering if I could manage to update daily. The editor asked me how many words I expected in the full text, and I said 500,000. But in my heart, I was thinking, "Can I really write 500,000 words? Is that too much of an exaggeration? What if I don't write enough?"
Fortunately, I didn't let my editor down and managed to write it. I managed to update daily. Except for a few days this month, I usually only have two days off at most (ps: it's really painful not having any drafts saved up. I'll try to save more next time. The feeling of rushing to finish a draft every day is too wonderful. I don't want to experience it a second time ( )). But when I start serializing the next book, I hope I can update on time.
Also, I've read everyone's comments. Sometimes I didn't reply to things about the plot because I was afraid of giving away spoilers. I remember all the IDs that frequently leave comments. Anyway, thank you all for your support. I have no way to repay you except by writing more and better stories.
I've rambled on for so long, I feel like I'm getting annoying if I keep going. So, see you in the next book! The next one is a modern romance, a reconciliation story, and I'll start collecting pre-orders soon.
Goodnight everyone, muah muah!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
