Chapter 33 Who Bullied You? Xue Yu’s case was already closed, but actually…
Xue Yu's case was already closed, and actually he didn't need to handle it personally. However, when he suddenly realized the subtle and unseen emotions in his heart that day, he panicked for a moment, thinking that it must be because he had too much contact with Yun Yang recently, which gave rise to such ridiculous and abnormal thoughts.
In that case, it’s better to avoid it.
After a few days, I felt much more at ease, and the disturbing and lingering emotions had almost faded away.
After putting away the files that day, he set out from his official residence outside the capital and headed home. Before he reached Changting, he saw a small path beside the official road. Many luxurious carriages were going deeper into the path. For some reason, he thought that the girl liked to have fun, and if she knew about the newly opened wine and teahouse, she would definitely be happy.
Xue Yu's carriage followed in, and after driving for about half a minute, it got stuck.
Chang Sui, who was driving the car, wanted to step forward to identify himself as an official, but Xue Yu stopped him.
He didn't want to attract attention in the first place, so why would he reveal his identity just to save time, and would inevitably have to mediate with the owner of the teahouse?
By the time Chang Sui tied up the carriage and dismounted, it was already getting dark.
Xue Yu got up early to work on a case and ate a few bites casually. He was now starving and felt very irritated.
This teahouse has a winding path. I followed the waiter all the way to a secluded place. Just as I was about to sit down, I saw a familiar figure on the river bank.
She could only see the man's back, his figure tall and thin. But Yun Yang could clearly see most of her face.
No one knew what the two were talking about. When they got excited, Yun Yang covered her lips with her hands and giggled, her eyebrows curved, and she looked at the man with a gentle gaze.
Xue Yu frowned, standing with his hands behind his back, not taking a seat. The waiter, puzzled, asked politely, "Sir, do you find this private room inappropriate? There's a more private place. I'll take you there right away."
Xue Yu continued to look at the two people chatting and laughing happily, and said to the waiter without emotion: "This is a great location, there is no better one."
The waiter saw the guest's expression was strange, wondering if he was dissatisfied with the teahouse. He panicked and began to introduce himself incoherently, "Sir, you don't know, but we face the Yangliu River. There's a legend from the past dynasty that says that all candidates who drank from this river passed the imperial examination. And look at our decorations! The hanging poems are written by the immortal poet Li Mu himself, and the paintings on the sheepskin lanterns are..."
Xue Yu waved his hand, thinking that the waiter was too noisy, and did not let him continue to serve.
He sat down. The view from this elegant seat was very nice. It was quiet amidst the hustle and bustle. The high-hanging glass lamps flickered. The setting sun, the river bank, and the weeping willows with frost were just right in sight. In this secluded and beautiful scenery, Xue Yu could only see those two people.
The girl was wearing a scarlet cloak, which made her face look rosy. She stood under the colorful lanterns, and her smile was lively and bright, as if her beauty did not belong to this world.
A gust of cold wind blew by, and the young man opposite her stretched out his hands to tighten the belt of her robe. After a pause, he reached out again to tuck the messy hair on her temples behind her ears.
The girl was stunned, then smiled at the boy without any concern.
Xue Yu frowned. He didn’t even know to go home because it was cold?
Standing by the river in the cold weather and chatting? What's there to talk about?
Xue Yu narrowed his eyes slightly, and a sense of unhappiness that was hard to ignore rose in his heart. He silently looked down at the two people who were talking happily.
The waiter served delicious wine and food, but the guest was reluctant to move. Just as he was hesitating about what to say, the guest suddenly stood up and strode towards the river bank.
Yun Yang heard someone calling him, the voice coming from far away.
Song Fanghe also heard it, and the two of them looked towards the teahouse.
A young and handsome man emerged from the shadows of the drooping branches. He wore a blue-gray cloak with wide sleeves, his sleeves fluttering in the wind, and moved with the grace of a banished immortal.
He wore a black jade crown to tie his hair up. He was very tall, with an upright figure and outstanding character. He had a stern expression, and his narrow eyes were filled with gloom. He exuded a strong sense of oppression that made people feel stagnant.
"Yun Yang." Xue Yu called.
In the dim night, Yun Yang's eyes widened as he asked in surprise, "Brother-in-law?"
Xue Yu walked to her side, naturally took off his cloak and draped it over Yun Yang, saying lightly: "Why are you wearing so little? The wind is strong by the river, be careful not to catch a cold."
He calmly separated the two of them, and after taking off his cloak, his scarlet official uniform was inevitably revealed.
The young man's eyes lit up and he blurted out, "Are you Master Xue Yu?"
Xue Yu turned around, frowning, "Exactly."
Song Fanghe had heard of Xue Yu's reputation a long time ago. His father had always told him to please Xue Yu in every way when he arrived at the Xue Mansion, but for many days, he had not even met this person. He wanted to ask Yun Yang, but was afraid that Yun Yang would think too much.
Who would have thought that we would meet here by chance?
For Song Fanghe, the imperial examination was an extremely difficult task. The genius in front of him who had passed the top three exams had only appeared in rumors. It was a rare sight to see him at this moment, and he was speechless for a long time.
Yun Yang said, "Brother-in-law, why are you here? This is Song Fanghe, yes, yes..."
When Song Fanghe's identity was mentioned, Yun Yang's pretty face flushed and felt hot. She didn't know how to introduce him to her brother-in-law.
A lot of things happened during the few days since I last saw my brother-in-law. I have to start from the beginning.
"I'm sister Yangyang's... Sister Yangyang and I are about to get engaged." Song Fanghe said gritting his teeth.
The carnelian earrings beside Yun Yang's cheek swayed gracefully, making her face look as beautiful and attractive as the sunset. Xue Yu suddenly remembered that the man's hand seemed to have brushed across her cheek just now, and her anger grew even stronger.
The cold light in Xue Yu's eyes could not stop the two of them from looking at each other silently. Although they said nothing, the affection between the young man and woman still flowed silently. Xue Yu frowned, unable to suppress his anger.
Song Fanghe, with his plain appearance and a pair of peach blossom eyes that reveal his unconcealed charm, is a handsome young man who meets one of Yunyang's hard requirements: good looks.
But a gentleman should not look sideways, and his behavior was not very appropriate, which made Xue Yu's unhappiness even more obvious.
Song Fanghe saw that Xue Yu had a stern expression and could not even say the words he had prepared earlier. He had the clear and stupid look unique to young people. He looked panicked and felt that the man in front of him, dressed in red official uniform, had a kind of intimidating aura that was hard to look away.
"Master Xue, Sister Yangyang and I have a matchmaker. The three letters and six gifts will be delivered to your house soon. We, Yunyang and I, the two of us..."
Xue Yu looked at his expression and knew that his admiration for Yun Yang could not be faked, and his anxiety and hesitation were also real.
But why do I see him so anxious?
Xue Yu narrowed his eyes and was about to speak when he heard the Fourth Madam's laughter. "Oh, I was wondering why he hadn't come back for so long. Turns out he ran into someone he knew!"
"Fourth Madam." Xue Yu smiled. "Did the Fourth Madam bring Yun Yang here?"
He smiled kindly, but the Fourth Madam felt like she had a thorn in her side and could only say awkwardly, "Yes, yes, this new teahouse has opened. It's said to be full of wild fun, so I asked Madam Song to come here. Not only us, but Yingniang and Zhou Ge'er are also here, right?"
Yun Yang nodded, guessing that her brother-in-law must not like her meeting with a stranger without getting married. She felt a little guilty and whispered, "Yes, we all came here to play together."
He stared at her and smiled gently, "Is it fun?"
Yun Yang pursed her lips and looked at Xue Yu's face. She couldn't tell whether he was happy or angry. She knew that his gentle and polite smile actually meant he was angry.
The pair of narrow eyes stared at her, dark and intimidating. She replied cautiously, "Very good, that's right. This place is not open to ordinary people. Only the rich and powerful come here. There are not many people here, and it's elegant."
That is to say, not many people saw her and Song Fanghe.
Can my brother-in-law understand...
Song Fanghe felt a little frightened. Xue Yuguang standing there, his scarlet official uniform, looked very imposing.
He and Yun Yang had clearly made an appointment to meet in the presence of their relatives, but for no reason he felt embarrassed as if he had been caught having a secret meeting. At this moment, Xue Yu gave him a cold glance. Song Fanghe was completely deflated and gave up the idea of chatting and making friends with Xue Yu.
The Fourth Lady winked at Song Fanghe, and he bid farewell to Xue Yu and turned away.
The Fourth Lady was also puzzled. Didn’t she do a good thing? Why did Xue Yu look so bad?
The Fourth Madam is an elder, but she always feels like she is being lectured in front of Xue Yu.
"Your dress looks great today." Xue Yu said to Yun Yang with a faint smile. Her fair face was lightly flushed, which made her look very pretty.
Why do I feel so depressed?
He obviously admired her innocence and frankness, as well as the flawless and clean aura that emanated from head to toe. Besides, she was actually very well-behaved, and was motivated and hardworking in her studies. Who wouldn't like her?
Later, after the flood in Youzhou, he couldn't help but feel pity for her... She also seemed to like his concern for her, and expressed her dependence on him with a smile on her face.
But slowly, he changed and wanted to keep this clean thing to himself.
"Ah..." Yun Yang blushed slightly and stroked the hem of her skirt. "Thank you for the compliment, brother-in-law. This skirt was made a few days ago. I thought it was a little too gaudy..."
The evening breeze brought a faint fragrance. She raised her eyes and looked at him confusedly, her soft long hair hanging down, and her bright and charming eyes fell into Xue Yu's eyes.
She is a big girl now.
She is still a beautiful and silly girl who doesn’t know it, Xue Yu thought.
Song Fanghe couldn't help but look back when he walked out of the teahouse. In the golden afterglow of the setting sun, he saw a tall man with his head down whispering something to Yun Yang. She stood on tiptoe and seemed to look at him, then shook her head, walked forward and shook the man's sleeve.
Like very intimate.
Song Fanghe couldn't help but tighten his hands in his wide sleeves.
In the carriage.
Yun Yang looked at Xue Yu with her big, dark eyes. When she learned that he came to the outskirts of Beijing to handle a difficult case, she was obviously nervous and concerned. It was obvious that his previous injuries had left a shadow in her heart.
A genuine smile finally appeared in Xue Yu's eyes. He was about to reassure her that everything was fine, but for some reason he said, "It was indeed difficult. I almost fell into a trap set by the bad guys."
Yun Yang's expression became noticeably more nervous. Ben, who was sitting opposite him, stood up and came closer, looking him up and down. "How are you? Are you hurt?"
Xue Yu pinched her face and said, "No, don't worry."
"Stop pinching...Brother-in-law, why do you always pinch my face like my dad? I'm already grown up..." Yun Yang muttered.
"Grown up?" Xue Yu smiled faintly.
He stared at her for a while. She was delicate and pure. She was definitely not the pale and thin girl she had been when she first came. Her hair was black and her skin was white. She was as beautiful as a newly opened petal.
"When you grow up, you can look for someone on your own. Why don't you tell your brother-in-law that you have a lover?" He looked at her and said.
Yun Yang's eyes flashed with panic and embarrassment for a moment, and she whispered, "Fourth Madam wanted to relieve my brother-in-law's worries, so she found some reliable families for me. Young Master Song is a simple man, easy to get along with. He's not a sweetheart, but at least he's not annoying."
"Do you really want to marry him?" Xue Yu raised an eyebrow and asked, "Do you know the details of the Song family and what kind of person he is? I've only been here for less than half a month, and you've already decided on him?"
"...The man the Fourth Madam introduced me to is from a down-to-earth and reliable family. He's just a bit low-ranking, but I think he's just right for me." Yun Yang lowered his eyes. "Brother-in-law, didn't you and sister also get married blindly?"
"When it comes to reasoning, you are no less capable than the Imperial College's chief academic officer." Xue Yu said with a faint smile.
Yun Yang wanted to argue again, but said nothing.
She knew she couldn't stay at the Xue family forever, and that she would have to leave one day. The Xue family had helped her so much during the Youzhou flood.
My sister will come back and live in harmony with my brother-in-law.
Before that, she had to find a place to stay and slowly break away from the Xue family, so as to avoid being gossiped about and people saying that she was clinging to the Xue family.
Yun Yang didn't know whether she was thinking of her sister, her parents, or her cold-blooded relatives in Youzhou, but her eyes couldn't help but turn red.
Why do you cry so much...
"Crying?" Xue Yu's voice came softly.
He saw that she didn't speak for a long time, and a tear fell into the red hem of her skirt.
He leaned over slightly, twisted her chin, and his tone changed. "What's wrong? Who bullied you?"
-----------------------
Author's words: Thank you for reading. I have actually updated twice as many words as the list this week. I will take a day off tomorrow.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com