Chapter 72: The candle went out and darkness enveloped him. Yun Yang drank...
The candle went out and darkness fell.
Yun Yang drank too much and felt hot all over, as if ants were crawling on him, and his throat was dry. He stood up in the dark to find some water, but his bare feet stepped on the floor that was heated by the heating, which made him feel even more anxious. He reached out and swung his hand on the table, causing the teacup to fall to the ground and shatter.
The crisp sound of tinkling was particularly harsh in the silent night. She was so startled that she shuddered and fell to the ground.
"Young lady, what's wrong?" Rong'er rushed in upon hearing the commotion and quickly relit the candle. "Young lady, are you still feeling uneasy? The eldest master said he won't keep you locked up forever. He'll release you once Lord Lu is released."
Yun Yang propped himself up and stood up, his face flushed as if on fire, and he mumbled for water.
Rong'er was quick and decisive. Without cleaning up the mess on the ground, she brought over a pot of cold tea and fed it to her. After downing a cup of cold tea, Yun Yang finally felt her internal organs no longer feel so uncomfortable. She whispered, "Why did he lock me up?! Why didn't he see me?"
"I don't know anything about the master's affairs, but young lady, please believe that the young master is doing this for your own good." Rong'er sighed. "If you want to drink, I'll find a way to get you some. Whatever you want to do, I'll do as you please. Just relax and wait. When Lord Lu is released, the young master will definitely keep his promise and let you out."
After that, he gave her some sobering soup and found a cool towel to wipe her face.
After just a few wipes, two lines of tears flowed from those confused and empty eyes.
Rong'er was stunned, sighed, and wiped her tears, "Miss, what's going on between you and the young master..."
Yun Yang wiped away her tears, said thank you, climbed onto the bed and lay on her side, obviously not wanting to talk anymore.
Since that day, Xue Yu inexplicably locked her up in Jinxiang Pavilion. His food and drink expenses remained unchanged, but he did not allow her to step out of the courtyard under any circumstances.
There was no way the gate could stop her. After Yun Yang forced her way out, she discovered that there were six or seven men standing silently around the Jinxiang Pavilion. They were silent and fierce, guarding the place day and night.
This clearly means that she is not allowed to go out.
In fact, after she came out of the cell, she vaguely felt that something had changed between her and Xue Yu. She didn't want to delve into it because she knew she couldn't respond to his feelings and was destined to not make him feel at ease, so she decided to just go for broke.
But she didn't expect it to come to such a point where they were at loggerheads. He banned her from traveling and even avoided her.
After feeling depressed, one will feel aggrieved. When the grievances accumulate, they turn into resentment.
Rong'er was relieved to see that she was sleeping peacefully, but she was also afraid that she would get hot from drinking and wake up in the middle of the night, so she left the window a crack when she left.
The room was silent. Yun Yang turned over and looked out the window. He had no idea when the snow had started to fall, and it covered the ground in a silvery white blanket, like an illusory dream.
Outside the Xue Mansion, there was also a howling cold wind, mixed with flying snow, which hit the walls of the carriage and made a rustling sound.
When they arrived at the agreed location, the coachman hurriedly got off the carriage and lit the parchment lantern under the eaves. The faint light flickered in the snowy night.
A corner of the car curtain was gently lifted, revealing a handsome but slightly tired face.
Xue Yu was wrapped in a snow-white fox fur coat, which made his face look like a jade, except for a faint bruise under his eyes. He made a gesture to the guards outside the car door.
This was not the first time that the East Factory's guards had met Xue Yu. The scholar had always been calm and composed the few times he reported news to him. But this time, he seemed to have changed a lot. What had not changed was the inexplicable convincing demeanor on his body.
The guard lowered his eyes and presented the letter with both hands.
The chaos in the government and the country right now is all caused by this Lord Xue. The weariness in his expression is understandable. After reading this letter, I'm afraid he will be even more...
Although I don't know who the girl he is determined to find is, judging from the money he has spent over the years, that girl must be a very important person.
In the carriage, Xue Yu held the secret letter in his hand and was stunned for a moment.
A year ago, he had met the Yongzhou Tongpan, Mr. Fan, when he went to the local government office. He only remembered that the man had gray hair on his temples, a haggard face, and a black forehead.
Half a year later, Lu Jie was sent to Lucheng, and this person was among the officials who were secretly found to have embezzled military pay and supplies.
This man was sentenced to beheading and his entire family was exiled. His two sons died of illness on the way to exile. His first wife insisted on reaching the place of exile, Shuzhou, but unfortunately also died. His daughter-in-law was two months pregnant and her life and death were in danger.
Yun Jia, after leaving Shangjing, actually went to Yongzhou and became this man's daughter-in-law?
Xue Yu's expression changed slightly, and he asked, "Is the news true?"
The guard replied, "We've been searching for Master Xue for so long that the girl's appearance has long been etched in our minds. Someone has seen Magistrate Fan Tong's eldest daughter-in-law, and she does look 80% like the girl you're looking for!"
"Master Xue, we have been looking for someone for the past few years, and we always thought it was a girl who was living outside, so we kept looking for her in brothels, taverns, and theaters. We didn't expect that the person you were looking for was actually in someone's house, and she turned out to be a woman, also an official's wife."
The guard raised his eyes quietly and found that the blood had drained from the face of the person in front of him. The usually calm man had a flash of panic between his eyebrows. The snow-white letter was deeply creased in his hands.
"Keep looking. Send people to Shuzhou. We must find her." Xue Yu had calmed down. "We must find her alive or dead. We must bring her back to Shangjing."
Yun Jia might be Yun Yang's only relative in the world. If even she...
Xue Yu felt that he was having trouble breathing.
Tracing back to the root of the problem, it was because he let Yun Jia go without a care in the world that day. Yun Jia suffered a disaster, and he could not escape the blame.
I had thought that when I found Yun Jia, I would tell Yun Yang everything that happened back then, but I didn't expect this to be the result.
If she said it, she would fall back into the pain of losing her loved ones that she had experienced before, and the source of this pain was undoubtedly his negligence in the past.
If she doesn't tell him, she will never accept him.
It seems that there is an arrangement in the dark, and many things are destined. Are he and Yun Yang destined to be apart?
Xue Yu waved his hand, and the driver left quietly. After a long while, he said to the driver, "Let's go back home."
Xue Yu came back from outside the house, and Si Qing went to greet him. Si Qing said that Yun Yang was holding the wine jar tightly and was drunk.
He had kept her locked up these days because he was afraid that if he wasn't paying attention, she would do something earth-shattering, such as colluding with the princess or the King of Nanzhao to find a way to secretly replace Lu Jie.
He resisted the urge to see her for a long time, but tonight... he felt a vague fear in his heart, and had a premonition that he was going to lose her.
Si Qing saw that the young master had a rather cold expression and frowned without saying anything. She really couldn't figure out what was going on between the young master and the second Miss Yun. The two of them seemed to be on the verge of a ray of hope and had broken the window paper, but sometimes they would make a fuss. After the second Miss Yun left, the young master's face was so gloomy that water could drip out of it. Two days later, he was quiet again as if nothing had happened. Later, the young master even banned the second Miss Yun from visiting her and did not allow anyone to see her.
Thinking of Second Miss Yun's gentle and bright smile, Si Qing decided to speak up for her and tentatively asked, "Young Master, would you like to go and take a look? I haven't seen Second Miss for a while. I wonder if there's enough charcoal in Jinxiang Pavilion. I heard that the silver charcoal this year was cut corners. The Fourth Madam has complained about it several times in the courtyard and it's really choking."
The snow fell silently, and with a chill all over his body, Xue Yu pushed open Yun Yang's door.
It was freezing cold, and snow had accumulated on his cloak. The cold wind rushed into the room through the suddenly opened door. The man in the hot bed felt comfortable all over and let out a satisfied sigh.
He walked closer to see that Yun Yang had buried her head in the soft pillow, but the quilt was kicked all over the floor. One of her white silk socks was missing, and the other was half hanging on her foot.
"Thirsty..." she murmured, tugging at her collar impatiently, her hands groping around the edge of the bed.
Xue Yu held the teacup in one hand, half-lifted her up, and passed the tea to her lips, saying gently, "Drink it."
Yun Yang sat up and drank several cups of tea from his hand. Rong'er replaced the tea with a hangover-relief herbal tea, which tasted sweet at first but bitter aftertaste.
Xue Yu watched her eyes become more and more clear-headed, but her body collapsed limply in his arms, her breathing was rapid, her lips were full and rosy, her eyebrows were drooping, and she had the lingering drunken look of someone who was drunk.
"How much did you drink to get so drunk?" He said in a cold voice, his eyebrows drooping. "You're drinking to drown your sorrows. What are you worried about? Are you worried about not being able to see Lu Jie and missing him so much? Or is it because you don't believe I can help him get away with this?"
He was covered in chills, like the cold of snow. Yun Yang, now mostly sober, tried to push him away, but fell back into his arms, angrily saying, "I'm not drinking to drown my sorrows. I'm not drinking for anyone. I drink when I want to, and I like to drink. Is that not okay? And you're wrong. This isn't about exonerating him, it's about clearing his name."
Xue Yu curled the corners of his lips slightly, his eyes becoming deeper. His cold fingers traced across the corners of her red eyes. "Are you still crying? Why... Tell me, why are you crying?"
His fingers slowly caressed her hot cheeks, as if he were treating a rare treasure, unable to let go, yet with a hint of the danger of destruction.
As his fingertips slid down, Yun Yang's breathing became increasingly erratic. Her eyes sparkled as she gazed at him with an inexplicable affection, but she still said stubbornly, "I'm not crying. I'm so happy without you. I have wine, meat, food, and drink, and you're out there running around for Lu Jie. Why should I cry?"
Xue Yu said indifferently, "So my absence makes you happy?"
Yun Yang didn't answer, her breathing rising and falling, her eyebrows drooping, her eyes covered by her dark eyelashes. It was unknown what she was thinking. Xue Yu placed her on the soft pillow, tucked in the corners of the quilt for her, and looked at her for a while, "Go to sleep."
The bead curtain swayed with a rustling sound. Xue Yu left the inner room and was about to lift the curtain when something hit his back, followed by the sound of a teacup falling to the ground and shattering.
"... smashed another one?" Rong'er rushed over upon hearing the noise and pushed open the door. "This is the second one tonight. Why do girls love smashing things when they're drunk..."
Xue Yu turned around and saw Yun Yang sitting up from the bed. Her little face, wrapped in long hair, was flushed, but with a cold look as cold as ice. Her red lips were tightly pursed, as if she was extremely angry. It was not enough for her to smash a cup, she threw another one at him with force, followed by a pillow and bedding, all of which were thrown at him.
The tea splashed all over the floor, and the corner of his robe was also mottled.
The young man didn't look angry at all. Instead, he showed a faint smile and said to Rong'er, "Bring another teacup and smash it for Miss Yun."
Yun Yang heard his calm tone, which even contained a faint smile. She couldn't help but feel embarrassed and annoyed. She was so angry that he didn't want him to leave. With red eyes and panting, she shouted at him, "Come closer, I can't hit you!"
"I couldn't ask for more." He said as he walked to the side of her bed, accommodating her, lowering his shoulders and leaning over. "Is it close enough? Sister Yangyang, how else do you want to hit me? Where do you want to hit me?"
She stood up and grabbed his collar, biting her lip and said angrily, "You..."
"What's wrong with me?" Xue Yu asked.
Yun Yang looked up at him. After not seeing him for many days, he had lost a lot of weight, and his handsome features seemed a little colder. He stared at her intently with a smile on his lips.
Yun Yang felt a palpitation.
He suddenly lowered his head and held her lips. She had no time to dodge, or didn't want to dodge, so she let him kiss her gently.
The doors and windows were tightly closed, and the room, which was heated by a floor heating, felt warm and stuffy. The ambiguous and sticky atmosphere was like a chaotic dream. The aqua-red curtains had been lowered at some point, making the candlelight even more gorgeous.
Her lips were soft and moist, her tongue was as greedy as the little beast's. Her breathing became increasingly rapid as they entangled with him. A muffled groan escaped from Xue Yu's throat, his Adam's apple rolling slightly. He slowly opened his eyes and saw that her half-closed eyes were hazy with intoxication. He suppressed the growing ripples in his heart and said in a hoarse voice, "Who am I?"
She looked at him, her eyes clear for a moment, then closed again, mumbling in a trance: "...Lu Jie."
Xue Yu was stunned. His pair of narrow eyes were extremely dark, and a layer of moisture appeared in an instant. He stared at her straightly, and a sarcastic smile appeared on his thin lips.
Even though it was expected, these two words still made him feel like he was falling into an icy cave, his heart as cold as ashes. Unable to bear it any longer, he grabbed her neck and bit her lips, pouring out his hatred without a trace of pity, and choking out her sobs and pleas for mercy.
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The author has something to say: Guys, the plot will begin in the next chapter!
Yangyang and Xueyu will soon express their affection for each other! If there are any shortcomings in my writing, please point them out and I will improve them!
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