Chapter 72 "Don't be afraid, I'll catch you..."
The head of the family will hold a grand banquet to celebrate the hard-won alliance with another family.
Of course, Yoriichi Tsugikuni did not need to attend such an event. Moreover, he was ordered to stay in his room during the banquet and not to move around the mansion.
This alliance came suddenly, but from the prior preparations for the banquet, Ji Guoyansheng could see how much importance his father attached to it.
On the most important day, Katsuyuki Tsugikuni managed to find time to visit Yoriichi.
Unexpectedly, Azhi was sleeping at that time.
As the sun began to set, the room grew dim. The girl lay on her side, covered by a thin blanket, the soft bed sinking slightly into her skin. Her hands hung naturally beside her cheeks, her long black hair cascading down her back.
Azhi's hair was fluffy on top but smooth at the ends, like fine silk. Ji Guoyan once rubbed her head and couldn't get enough of it.
Kokushimaru stood by the door, his gaze lingering for a moment on the indistinct outline on the blanket, before taking a step back and gesturing for Yoriichi Kokushima to come outside to talk.
There's no need to bother A-Zhi with this.
After they came to a stop, Ji Guoyansheng got straight to the point, his slow tone carrying an undeniable force that made everyone's nerves tense: "Tonight you and Azhi stay here and don't show up in front of everyone."
Before Yoriichi could answer, he looked at his younger brother, who was almost the same height as him, and spoke again, emphasizing the last few words: "Otherwise, no one can help you, understand?"
This is not an exaggeration, but a cruel reality.
Kokushiro knew that Akeno must have already warned Yoriichi, but he could also imagine that his mother must have used very tactful language to take Yoriichi's feelings into consideration.
That's why he came in person, feeling a bit uneasy.
Even if Yoriichi were to run into his father by chance on ordinary days, his father would be furious. If they were to meet again at such an important moment, Yoriichi would be immediately kicked out of the house, and those around him would be punished to varying degrees.
In his rage, the father might not even listen to the mother's advice, which is not the situation he wants to see.
Ji Guoyansheng already spoke with a certain authority, let alone with this commanding tone and tough attitude. If someone were psychologically fragile, they might be stunned into silence.
To outsiders, these words might sound incredibly cold and even threatening, but Yoriichi knew that Kokushiro Iwakatsu was concerned about him and Aori.
He clearly knew his place in the family and understood his situation. Others might have some rebellious thoughts, but he wouldn't.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni nodded obediently.
The servants rushed over, their foreheads beaded with cold sweat, saying that the master of the house had summoned them to make arrangements. Although they did not express it explicitly in words, their eyes clearly showed their panic.
Having achieved his goal, Kokushibo no Iwakatsu no Ichiro saw him off as he was about to leave.
He wouldn't send it too far, lest his father see it and cause a series of bad things. Compared to Tsugikuni Iwakatsu, who thought a lot, Tsugikuni Yoriichi's thoughts were much simpler and purer.
He has no intention of getting into disputes with others, and if someone dislikes him, he will not take the initiative to appear in front of that person.
Kokushiro should have kept Yoriichi where he was from the beginning, but when he thought about his somewhat harsh words earlier, he couldn't bring himself to refuse.
Perhaps it was because the atmosphere was too quiet, and a long time had passed since his younger brother first spoke in front of him, that Jiguo Yansheng suddenly asked this question.
The sky was dim, and the faint light illuminated half of Kokushiro Iwakatsu's face. He was surprisingly calm: "Yoichi, why did you pretend you couldn't speak before?"
Somewhat illogically, Ji Guoyan felt neither joy at learning that his younger brother could speak, nor anger at being kept in the dark.
Yoriichi's gaze shifted to his older brother, and he stared intently at him before stating his answer without any change in expression: "Because it will bring disaster to the family."
This was something Yoriichi Tsugikuni learned from his father when he was two years old, and it was also an answer that Kokushibo Tsugikuni could never come up with.
Similarly, being so disliked by one's own father is something that would be absolutely unacceptable for most children, but Yoriichi gradually got through it.
To be honest, Kokushiro Kokushi didn't quite understand this feeling. He frowned and naturally didn't believe Yoriichi's statement that it would "bring disaster."
If disasters can be caused by someone's words, how can we explain the crimes committed by the most heinous and wicked people in the world?
Out of pity for his future fate, Kokushiro Tsugikuni has always treated Yoriichi with kindness and tolerance, but that does not mean he will continue to indulge his baseless behavior.
He paused slightly, turned to face Yoriichi, and his eyes showed obvious displeasure: "Yoriichi, don't be so rude over such trivial matters."
Kokushiro knew that Yoriichi would remain silent even in front of his loving mother, and that he began to speak slowly after... Ori arrived.
A smile gradually appeared on Yoriichi's face. He curled his lips and his often empty eyes gathered some light as he shared, "Aori also said no."
Ah Zhi kept saying that he was not a disaster.
Since their previous conversation, she seemed to be trying her best to change his mind, repeating it to him whenever she thought of it, as if she wanted to brainwash him.
At first, Yuan Yi didn't quite understand her persistence. Later, he couldn't help but secretly ask his mother, who then pinched his cheek and laughed at him. In the end, he didn't get an answer.
In their subsequent life together, he felt A-Zhi's genuine care and was no longer confused.
Ji Guoyansheng couldn't quite describe his feelings, but he wasn't exactly happy. He frowned, his thin lips pressed tightly together, and left behind a cryptic remark: "Is that so?"
He recalled the difference in how Aori treated him and Yoriichi. Kokushibo knew this was inevitable because Aori was the maid his mother had chosen for Yoriichi.
However, subtle differences are evident in the details, and when put together, they are enough to make people realize how big the differences are.
In martial arts, he would do his best to climb even the most treacherous peaks, but in matters like this, even the smallest problem would seem insurmountable to Jiguo Yansheng.
********
With the help of his servants, Ji Guoyan changed into his most luxurious clothes. He combed his hair again and made sure there was nothing missing before he went to receive his guests.
Despite his young age, Ji Guoyansheng had already begun to understand some of the family's affairs at a very young age, and this was the most significant alliance in recent years.
The situation was tense, but surprisingly, the discussion of various cooperative matters did not take much time to end, leaving only a banquet that might last until dawn.
Beautiful women dressed in brightly colored clothes danced gracefully to the music, while guests toasted each other and chatted with smiles in the bright candlelight that was as bright as day.
Kokugoku Iwakatsu merely spoke a few words in front of guests and retainers according to proper etiquette, yet he garnered countless praises, with some even flattering his father by saying that he was "worthy of great use."
Ji Guoyan knew that all of this was just fleeting smoke.
Don't take these people's empty pleasantries to heart, because who knows how many insidious schemes are hidden beneath their bright smiles.
Perhaps the mastermind behind some of the countless assassination attempts he suffered was sitting at this banquet.
Boring, hypocritical, and uninteresting.
Jiguo Yansheng sat upright, his expression indifferent and aloof. Even after sitting for a long time, he did not relax in the slightest, always displaying the qualities that a successor to the Jiguo family should possess.
He rarely thinks about irrelevant things when he's doing serious things, but perhaps because he saw Yoriichi today, he couldn't help but think of Yoriichi and Ori.
The two of them were confined to the room. It was already past dinner time, and it was unclear what they were doing. Perhaps they were just staring at each other in boredom.
Even just spacing out is probably more interesting than wearing a mask and pretending to be friendly with others.
Ji Guoyansheng's wandering gaze finally settled on the slightly flickering candlelight. He thought to himself casually as the noise gradually faded away, and he seemed to hear a clear laugh coming from afar.
However, all of this is just imagination.
The drumbeats suddenly changed, becoming increasingly rapid.
Ji Guoyansheng's thoughts were interrupted. When he looked up, he saw the guest sitting diagonally opposite him staring at the woman dancing in the center with shining eyes.
He grew increasingly impatient, his face darkening with disgust for the first time. He unconsciously clenched his hands on his knees, finding the food, which was much more plentiful than usual, dry and hard to swallow.
********
Everyone in the manor was overjoyed by this hard-won alliance, and lanterns and decorations were everywhere, but these had nothing to do with Yoriichi Tsugikuni and Oori; they were completely forgotten.
Well, dinner was also forgotten.
Previously, perhaps at the joint instruction of the lady and Iwakatsu, the meals brought by the servants were now for two people, and there was no longer any incident of food being withheld.
Therefore, Azhi felt that they probably didn't do it on purpose this time, and were just busy preparing for the banquet.
However, the hustle and bustle of the household had nothing to do with them, but it disturbed the peace and quiet of the residents. The noisy conversations and the brightly lit candles made it impossible for anyone to have a moment of peace.
Azhi was woken up by the noise. She stared blankly out the window, finally understanding why Yoriichi had suggested she go to bed early that afternoon.
She thought she was just too sleepy to hide it anymore, but it turned out to be both.
Aori wasn't very hungry yet, but she didn't know if Yoriichi was hungry.
She turned her eyes and watched as the boy straightened up and walked from one side of the room to the other, picking up some things and putting them in his arms, as if he were about to leave.
Aori rubbed her eyes, making sure she hadn't misunderstood Yoriichi's meaning. Her eyes widened again, and she stammered, "But, Madam, Madam won't let us go out."
Azhi didn't know that Tsugikuni Iwakatsu had also come by while she was asleep, for the same reason. She only remembered the words that Madam had given her and Yoriichi that morning while holding their hands.
Aori has never met Yoriichi's father, who is the current head of the Tsugikuni family, but all the information she has gathered from various sources indicates that he is a very terrifying person.
They'd better not provoke this terrifying person.
Her tiny fingers gripped his clothes tightly, still not completely at ease, as if afraid of being abandoned. Aori also hugged Yoriichi's arm tightly, looking up with her big, dark eyes.
She didn't know what to do, so she could only stammer and repeat, "No, we can't go out."
"It's alright." Yoriichi Tsugikuni realized that the girl seemed to have misunderstood. He paused for a moment, looked down at A's face, and explained slowly, "We're not going to the manor, we're going outside."
Besides going to see Akeno with Ori, Yoriichi Tsugikuni often goes out alone, sometimes to take care of daily chores, and sometimes to leave the Tsugikuni residence.
Last winter, he left at least ten times, but he hasn't gone out much lately.
After thinking it over, Azhi felt that this did not seem to go against the lady's wishes, so she stopped clinging to it and instead wanted to work towards another direction.
The girl puffed out her cheeks, her eyes sparkling, and muttered, "Yoichi, I want to go too."
Yoriichi Tsugikuni had never hidden his travel plans from her, and this wasn't the first time Ori had wanted to go out with him, but without exception, she had been rejected each time.
This time, however, is different from all the previous ones.
The boy's eyes widened slightly, and a hint of hesitation crept into his voice. He seemed to be struggling with his decision as he asked A-Zhi, "Are you sure you want to go?"
Yoriichi Tsugikuni was indeed conflicted because he had encountered bad people outside, bad people who specifically kidnapped children.
That must have been the daughter of a nearby farmer. She went to town to buy things and was spotted by a suspicious person on her way home, who was waiting for the right opportunity to kidnap her.
Yoriichi observed for a moment, then picked up a clod of dirt from the side and threw it next to the man. The sound of it exploding was neither too loud nor too soft, but it attracted the attention of passersby.
The person probably didn't dare risk being recognized, so he wandered around somewhere else for a couple of minutes and then slunk away.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni didn't forget that Akeno had praised the girl as "cute" and "pretty" many times, making such a child a more obvious target.
It's very dangerous outside. After all, Yoriichi Tsugikuni is still just a child. He can't guarantee that he can solve all the problems, so he had previously refused Oori.
However, it doesn't seem right to leave Azhi alone tonight, so we need to take other protective measures...
Yoriichi Tsugikuni's gaze fell on one spot.
Azhi, unaware of what was about to happen, nodded vigorously, afraid of being rejected if she hesitated even for a second, and pressed on, "I want to go! I want to go!"
********
A few minutes later, Azhi stiffened: [Suddenly I don't want to go anymore. Staying here is fine.]
Looking at the freshly baked little black egg, 000 suppressed a laugh and comforted her, "[They were just doing it for your safety. And you know what, they applied it quite evenly.]"
When Ji Guoyuan expressionlessly reached for the soot at the bottom of the pot, Azhi sensed something was wrong. When he raised his hand to smear it on her face, Azhi almost jumped up on the spot.
Her body was stiff, and she couldn't see what her face looked like, but looking at her dark hands, she wondered if she were wearing black clothes right now, she could blend perfectly into the night.
She's not exaggerating; she's not saying she's been kidnapped. The person who kidnapped her might not even be able to find her.
Aori bit her lip angrily, then spat out the next second, because Yoriichi Tsugikuni was so thoughtful that he didn't even spare her mouth.
Since she was already sneaking away, Azhi had to be even more careful. She felt that if she got caught like this, she would never be able to live freely again.
Yuan Yi was very familiar with the route, and even though the defenses had been strengthened today, he could still find a way out. For A-Zhi, the most difficult thing was to climb over the last wall.
Under the bright moonlight, the boy moved a stepping stone from somewhere and placed it at the base of the wall. Then, he placed his hands on the top of the wall, and with a push, he lightly flipped himself up.
Aori looked at him with great admiration. She thought Yoriichi might be able to fly, but what was scary was that she couldn't.
When it landed on her, she stood on the stone, clumsily tiptoed and clung to the wall, barely managing to prop herself up with her arms before slipping back down.
After repeating this several times, he not only worked up a sweat, but also got dust from the wall smeared on his temples.
Although Azhi was already quite dirty today.
The girl had thin wrists and ankles, and it didn't look like she could climb over there at all. Yoriichi's initial plan was to "carry" Aori over there himself.
But she seemed to have her own ideas and wanted to try it herself first, so Yoriichi withdrew his hand and silently watched the girl become panting, and then put her feet on the stone she had started with.
Azhi: "…………"
Yoriichi Tsugikuni: "…………"
Sweat beaded on Azhi's forehead, her cheeks were slightly flushed, and her little mouth was pursed, a very vivid expression of embarrassment, only her dark complexion today somewhat limited her performance.
A moment later, she looked away from the ground, her soft little black hand grasping Yoriichi's finger, her voice very soft: "...I...I can't get up there, I need help."
Azhi almost couldn't bring herself to say the second half of the sentence, because she knew she was in a lot of trouble, but there was nothing she could do. She figured she wouldn't be able to get out by the time it was dawn!
Upon hearing this weak plea for help, Yoriichi Tsugikuni's lips curved into a slight upward smile. He took Aori's hand and pulled her up without much effort.
Yoriichi went down first again. After leaping and landing steadily, he looked up at the girl sitting on the wall with her legs bent, and slowly opened his arms: "Don't be afraid, I'll catch you."
Yoriichi wasn't exaggerating; he simply had enough confidence.
Azhi's weight is very light, which is the least important factor he needed to consider when making the decision to take her out.
The boy's tone and expression remained flat, yet they exuded a strong sense of security. Perhaps it was the gentle moonlight that shone on Yoriichi's face, adding a touch of softness to his appearance.
It seems that ever since he climbed over the wall, Yoriichi has become different. Now he is like a gust of wind in the wilderness, freed from his constraints, light and free...
—Completely different from him in the Jiguo Palace.
In a daze, Azhi suddenly had this thought in her mind. She jumped down, only having time to experience the panic of falling for a moment before she was embraced tightly.
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Author's Note: Surprised? Unexpected?! Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 2023-07-19 14:40:03 and 2023-07-19 22:26:20!
Thank you to the little angel who watered the nutrient solution: nzz (33 bottles);
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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