15 Chapter 15
◎Ethical Norms◎
Pei Xueyan looked up at him with exceptionally earnest eyes, her voice trembling with emotion: "I don't know anything about morality or shame. I only know that ever since you said you had someone you loved, these days have been utterly bleak. Third Uncle, please save me! Tell me you don't have anyone you love, that 'Xue Lian' is a fake, that there are no truly beautiful women in the world, and that I am the most beautiful, right?"
"......"
And so narcissistic.
It turns out that she never believed in any ethical or moral principles and knew that her third uncle was a fake.
After going around in circles, we eventually got caught up in emotional entanglements.
She looked so pitiful, her beautiful face filled with expectation and unease, and her eyes were surprisingly bright.
Whether it was the female demon's arrogance when she called him a "stinky Taoist priest" before the illusionary journey, or Xue Lian's affectionate gaze as she ran away from her wedding in her wedding dress, or Chen Wei'an's stubbornness when she confessed her love to him at this moment.
They were all so innocent and touching.
Jiang Qiye lowered his eyes to avoid her gaze, his voice low and deep: "You and I are uncle and nephew, people will laugh at us."
Pei Xueyan laughed, took his hand and said, "You mean, apart from our 'uncle-nephew' relationship, you don't have any other woman in your heart, right?"
Jiang Qiye sighed and did not answer.
Such emotions must have already reached the point of Core Formation.
We still have to kill her, so why bother with this unnecessary entanglement?
With such a living, breathing person, such genuine emotions and scenes, would she feel pain seeing him kill her?
Before Xue Lian breathed her last, did she feel pain watching her beloved man kill her without any mercy?
What about Chen Weian now?
Having lost her father and mother, she thought she had found a ray of light when an uncle came looking for her.
Now that I have someone else in my heart, I've fallen in love with him again.
If he really did kill her, would she glare at him with the same fierce eyes she used to give when facing her pursuers?
Tonight, Jiang Qiye will probably be unable to sleep peacefully again, and can only rely on quiet meditation to calm his mind.
His cultivation of the ruthless path was ultimately not profound enough, otherwise how could he be so hesitant and confused?
It seems I'll have to practice the ruthless path again tonight to suppress my emotions.
Seeing that he was lost in thought, Pei Xueyan pressed on, asking, "What is your name?"
Jiang Qiye almost blurted out, "Jiang--Jiang..."
Realizing something was wrong, he immediately stopped talking.
She immediately smiled smugly, her eyes curving into crescents: "An answer that doesn't take a second thought is correct, and she even claims to be my third uncle's, yet they don't share my surname."
"When your father went into seclusion back then, he had already changed his name and surname." Jiang Qiye covered up the lie without changing his expression.
Pei Xueyan wouldn't believe it; people often speak the truth unconsciously.
Since confessing her feelings that night, her attitude towards Jiang Qiye has become increasingly direct and passionate, just like a girl in love. Her eyes are always glued to him, and she often sends him a shy glance.
After spending time together, Jiang Qiye had figured out and understood Chen Weian's personality.
She loves to use her cleverness, is eloquent, sometimes dashing, sometimes melancholy, and always expresses herself openly. When it comes to love, she is bold and passionate, a stark contrast to Xue Lian, the well-bred young lady from her previous life who was always hesitant but ultimately devoted to him.
Upon closer reflection, they do share some similarities at their core. For instance, they are equally stubborn, equally pure, and equally willing to do anything for the person they love, even throwing away so-called ethics and morality.
Presumably, this is the true nature of the female demon.
It's hard to say whether this characteristic is good or bad; it has a fatal allure for Jiang Qiye.
He never rejected her advances.
Some even readily accepted this fervent affection.
During their time in Jiangnan, Jiang Qiye tried his best to maintain a sense of propriety and distance befitting an elder.
The results were unsatisfactory.
She was immersed in his joy at having no lover and no marriage.
Chen Weian is only one step away from completing the elixir condensation process.
It seems that people's hearts are always in trouble when they are just one step away from being fully formed. What is it that Pei Xueyan in this life is missing from being fully formed?
After much thought, given their relationship as uncle and nephew, they would inevitably need to deliver the final blow due to their kinship.
People are most likely to open their hearts to those around them when they are in the most pain and feeling most lost.
With this in mind, Jiang Qiye had already made up his mind.
That day, the two were strolling around Su Garden when a man walked towards them, whose accent was somewhat similar to Jiang Qiye's.
Upon seeing them from afar, the man first smiled and bowed, then quickly walked forward, his face full of surprise and delight.
The man, who was about forty years old, looked Pei Xueyan up and down before turning to Jiang Qiye and saying in a warm tone, "Third Young Master, congratulations! Is this the orphan girl who has found the eldest young master?"
Jiang Qiye nodded calmly, then turned to Pei Xueyan and explained, "He is the son of my father's former accountant. He went out to do business a few years ago, and it seems he has become a very wealthy businessman."
The man quickly waved his hand, speaking modestly: "Not at all, not at all! The travel expenses for our trip back then were sponsored by the master. Over the years, the master has also asked me to help find the eldest young master's family. I have always felt guilty. I didn't expect that you, second young master, have already found the eldest young lady. It's truly a cause for celebration! Since the third young master and the eldest young lady have come here, you must give me face and treat me to a banquet at the restaurant to celebrate and welcome them home."
Pei Xueyan's vision went black. The titles "Second Young Master," "Eldest Miss," "Master," and "Young Master" struck her heart like heavy hammers, instantly draining all her strength.
So... they really are uncle and nephew.
They were uncle and nephew, so close, and related by blood.
That man didn't lie to her; he never lied to her from the very beginning!
She couldn't accept this fact.
Looking at Jiang Qiye's face, she realized that his appearance and personality were nothing like hers, so how could he be her uncle?
But this matter is already certain.
The man was still talking to Jiang Qiye, discussing which restaurant to go to for the celebration, but Pei Xueyan couldn't hear a word he said.
I felt unsteady and dizzy, my legs felt incredibly weak, and before long, everything went black and I passed out.
When she woke up again, she was lying in a quiet thatched hut.
To be precise, it was a fence and three thatched huts that Jiang Qi, a suburb of the city, created by magic at night. Outside were bamboo groves and streams, and next to them were several vegetable plots, all neatly tended.
A stone table sits in the center of the courtyard, with several stone benches, creating a serene and elegant atmosphere with a touch of summer coolness.
Pei Xueyan supported herself as she walked out of the thatched hut, just in time to see Jiang Qiye push open the fence gate and walk in, carrying a water gourd in his hand.
"You've got heatstroke." He said in a flat tone, revealing little emotion.
He's very good at making excuses for Pei Xueyan.
She didn't suffer from heatstroke; it was the overwhelming sadness and despair in her heart that made her dizzy.
Pei Xueyan unconsciously wanted to keep her distance from him. They were uncle and niece, and what they had done a few days ago had caused this sense of shame about their blood ties to arise.
She felt both embarrassed and awkward; her cheeks flushed bright red, and she didn't know what to do with her hands and feet, completely at a loss.
Jiang Qiye didn't show any expression. He handed her the water gourd and comforted her, "The summer heat came early this year. You're weak, so you might not be able to handle it. You might need to rest more."
She is not weak.
Not at all.
Pei Xueyan silently took the water gourd, drank a few mouthfuls, then turned and walked back to the thatched hut, lay back down on the bamboo bed, and remained motionless with her back to the door.
Seeing her listless expression, where even her usual vibrancy had vanished, Jiang Qiye was truly satisfied.
This is exactly the effect he wanted.
It was worth the effort to find someone to impersonate a relative.
The result of this was that Pei Xueyan cooled off towards him considerably, and became depressed every day.
Sometimes when I'm sad, I'll go outside and sit by the river for a long time before coming back.
Such a melancholy look is quite similar to Xue Lian's.
Jiang Qiye was immersed in this false and forbidden bloodline. On the one hand, he saw through her entanglement and contradictions, and on the other hand, he wanted to know if she would develop abnormal feelings under such human ethics and norms.
He never understood why Chen Weian's parents, who were top-notch martial arts masters, had raised their daughter to be a useless person who knew absolutely no martial arts skills.
That's why, no matter how much Pei Xueyan wanted to escape, she eventually had to return to this small courtyard.
This was her only way to survive; otherwise, she would once again be forced into a life of wandering and exile.
Jiang Qiye's actions were completely different from before. In the past, he ignored her, but now he would go to the city every day to buy food, and he would even choose food according to her taste.
The sweets from Jiangnan are the most exquisite and delicious, and these days, this little devil has indeed developed a strong preference for this kind of food.
That day, Pei Xueyan didn't return to the courtyard until the sun had set and only a faint yellow glow remained on the horizon.
Jiang Qiye wasn't worried about her safety; he was simply eager to know the extent of her feelings for him.
When she returned, Pei Xueyan had a flask of wine in her hand, and her expression carried a hint of nervousness that was not easily detected.
Candles were lit in the courtyard, and the food on the table was still warm.
"Going to buy wine?" Jiang Qiye asked.
"Hmm." Pei Xueyan gripped the wine pot tightly and sat down at the table.
Jiang Qiye got up and went to the room to get a thin cloak. The early summer night still carried a bit of a chill in the air.
She looked unusually weak and pitiful today, and it was obvious that Jiang Qiye had softened and realized that he had gone a bit too far.
Anyway, it's not the first time I've been soft-hearted.
At the dinner table, Jiang Qiye barely touched his own food, but kept putting food on her plate. He seemed to be really into the role, acting as if he were the "third uncle" taking care of a junior.
However, the little devil kept his head down, not daring to look him in the eye, and ate slowly and carefully.
It was unusually quiet.
"Pull your hair up."
Jiang Qiye couldn't stand the few strands of hair hanging down her cheeks, making her look messy and disheveled. He really didn't understand why she deliberately let her hair cover her eyebrows and eyes.
Pei Xueyan obediently tucked her hair behind her ear, looked up at him and smiled gently: "Third Uncle, you eat."
As she spoke, she also picked up a piece of food with her chopsticks and put it in his bowl.
Jiang Qiye wasn't hungry, but since it was rare for someone to care about his diet, he ate it anyway.
“Wei An, life is full of disappointments. You are still young and easily tempted by people and things in the outside world.”
Pei Xueyan bit her chopsticks, her voice soft but tinged with grievance: "Yes, I'm naive and always get fooled, including by you."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com