Green Waterfall in its youth 5
Seven days after Shi Qing left, the light yet persistent footsteps were no longer heard on the stone steps of Gui Shizi.
Yuanxi continued to go to the inverted pot every day to fetch medicine, decoct it, and take it. Shuangshuang on his shoulder seemed to have gotten used to her new master's silent rhythm. She no longer bit his collar anxiously as she had in the first few days. Instead, she quietly curled up in the crook of his neck and occasionally touched his chin with her wet nose.
Hongyue came once, leaning against the door frame watching him wipe the dart rope that hadn't been used in a long time.
"You really don't plan to go see him?" she asked.
Yuan Xi didn't stop: "What are you looking for? He has his own path."
"Have you ever asked him if you're on his path?"
The dart rope tightened between his fingers, then slowly loosened. Yuan Xi didn't answer, but simply wrapped the cleaned rope back around his wrist. As he moved, a familiar stiffness came from his lower back. His expression remained normal, but his breath hitched almost imperceptibly.
Hongyue saw this and sighed, "I don't want to be too harsh, but as your senior sister, I can't just watch you continue like this."
“Wonseok, after all these years, you are still the same as before, someone who is very easy to ‘compromise’.”
Upon hearing this, Yuanxi paused in his wiping motion. "Me?"
He countered, "Easily compromising? Where did you get that from?"
“Isn’t that right?” Hongyue said, “Six years ago, you accepted the terrible news from the north, then compromised and stayed in Jiuliumen, and almost lost your life; now… that child is showing no restraint at all. At this age, you can’t hide your feelings for someone. I don’t believe you didn’t see his feelings for you. Even so, you still didn’t cut your losses in time, compromised and indulged him to stay by your side, and only thought of pushing him away when he was already in love.”
“Wonseok, this is not ‘for his own good,’ let alone ‘noble’ or ‘selfless.’ As an outsider, I only feel that what you did was hurtful and selfish.”
“…I admit, I was selfish.” Yuan Xi finally stood up and walked to Hong Yue. In the candlelight, the weariness and weariness between his brows could no longer be concealed. “Senior Sister, I’m not a saint. I’ve been greedy too, I’ve thought…maybe I could keep him a little longer.” He could used to convince himself that Shi Qing had come with an attitude of “repaying a debt of gratitude,” but this child at the market had made his attitude almost entirely clear…
"He shouldn't stay here, he shouldn't be with someone who has no future." The noise outside the Ghost Market reached his ears, and Yuan Xi found it extremely noisy. The sounds that were usually so ordinary were now making his mind go blank, and he didn't even know what he was saying.
Hongyue leaned against the door, listening to nothing more than three words: "I am not worthy."
The stone chamber fell into dead silence. Only the two of them made two uneasy squeaks.
After a long while, Yuanxi carefully rolled up the dart rope and placed it next to the pile of luggage on the table.
"Alright, Senior Sister, I know what you mean. But Shi Qing and I... that's probably it." He took a deep breath and forced a smile as if nothing had happened. "Anyway, he's already repaid his debt of gratitude."
"..." Hongyue stared at him quietly, and rolled her eyes slightly as he turned away. "Stubborn mule," she muttered under her breath.
*
Tianquan's headquarters in Kaifeng was located in the southeast corner outside the city.
Shi Qing had been practicing even harder than usual these past few days. He would perform a set of sword techniques from dawn until the sun was high in the sky, his indigo-blue outfit soaked with sweat, which dripped onto the ground, leaving shallow craters. His brows were furrowed, and the blade he swung created a sharp wind, displaying a reckless and fearless attitude. His senior brother leaned against a pillar with his arms crossed, watching for a long time. Only when Shi Qing finally stopped and caught his breath did he throw him a handkerchief.
"Your swordsmanship has improved, but your mental discipline has become chaotic." The senior brother said bluntly, "Junior brother, why are you dodging?"
Shi Qing paused in wiping his sweat.
"I didn't dodge."
"Then tell me, which direction should you face when you start that move you were just practicing?"
"..." Shi Qing couldn't answer. His mind was filled with Yuan Xi's words "It's good", the warmth of the man's fingertips as he ruffled his hair, and the dull, aching pain in his chest as he turned away.
His senior apprentice approached and patted his soaked shoulder: "Xiao Qing, the martial world is vast, and there are many people. But there must be only one who can make your swordsmanship so chaotic."
Shi Qing looked down at the reflection of her slightly reddened eyes in the halberd in her hand: "He said... he would help me with my marriage."
"Then what?"
"Then I couldn't speak... so I ran away." Shi Qing gave a weak tug at the corner of her mouth. "How pathetic, right?"
After a moment of silence, the senior student suddenly asked, "You're not afraid that he'll reject you, you're afraid that he really doesn't care at all, right?"
Shi Qing suddenly looked up.
The senior brother's eyes were clear: "If you really think he's indifferent, you can give up. But right now you're not sure—if he really doesn't care, why would he send you to the ghost market every day? Why would he take your candy, keep your wooden plaque, and make you accompany him to sell lanterns and drink? But if he does care, why does he always push you away?"
These words struck right at the most perplexing part of Shi Qing's heart. He clenched his handkerchief tightly, the fabric crumpling in his palm.
"I don't know," he said hoarsely. "I don't know what he did to me..."
His senior looked at him and suddenly smiled: "Then go and find out. We can lose, but we can't lose in a muddle."
Three more days passed. The willow catkins along the Bian River began to drift, a vast expanse of white, falling on the water like unmelted snow.
Yuanxi took on a delivery job, transporting a batch of medicinal herbs from the south to a pharmacy in the east of the city. The shipment wasn't large, but the journey was long. He pushed the cart through the bustling market, squatting on the handlebars with both hands, his little paws gripping a packet of licorice, sniffing it curiously.
As they approached Shengping Bridge, the crowd grew denser. Yuan Xi slowed his pace, his gaze habitually sweeping over his surroundings—a habit he had cultivated over many years, a skill of the Nine Schools: first look at a person's pockets, then their gait, and finally their eyes.
Then his gaze fixed.
Beside the bridge pier, a familiar figure leaned against something, head down, fiddling with something in his hands. Indigo sleeves, a ferret collar, and his hair neatly combed in a bun—it was Shi Qing.
He seemed to have been waiting for a while; a few willow catkins fell onto his shoulder, but he didn't notice, as he was focused on carving a small piece of wood. There were already many wood shavings scattered at his feet, as well as several half-finished pieces that had been poorly carved.
Yuanxi stopped in his tracks. The cart had stopped too abruptly, and the wheels rolled over a pebble with a creaking sound.
Shi Qing looked up when she heard the sound.
Their eyes met.
A flicker of panic crossed Shi Qing's eyes. His fingers tightened, and the carving knife left a deep mark on the wood. But he quickly regained his composure, tucked the wood and knife into his robes, dusted himself off, and stood up.
"I..." He opened his mouth, then closed it again, as if he hadn't thought of an opening line.
Yuan Xi spoke first, his tone as usual: "Waiting for someone?"
"I'll wait for you," Shi Qing replied quickly, as if afraid she would back down again.
Yuan Xi raised an eyebrow: "Something wrong?"
"have."
"explain."
Shi Qing took a deep breath and walked towards him. Her steps were steady, and her eyes were bright, so bright that Yuan Xi was reminded of the child seven years ago who was clutching his cloak and munching on a biscuit—just like him, once she made up her mind, she would never back down again.
"I've come to return the things," Shi Qing said.
Yuanxi looked at his empty hands: "Give back what?"
"I'm returning the wooden plaque and the cloak you gave me back then," Shi Qing said, enunciating each word clearly. "Now that I've returned them, we're 'even.' And then—"
He paused, then his voice became more determined: "And then I started pursuing you."
Willow catkins fluttered down, landing between the two. The river flowed gently beneath the bridge, while voices clamored above, but at this moment, Yuan Xi only heard Shi Qing's voice—clear, stubborn, and carrying a reckless, do-or-die attitude.
Both of them made a "squeak" sound on the handlebars.
Yuan Xi stared at Shi Qing for a long time. So long that Shi Qing thought he was about to say "It's fine" again, so long that his own palms became sweaty.
Then, Won-seok suddenly smiled.
It wasn't the usual nonchalant, roguish smile, but a faint, almost helpless smile, with something finally loosening up.
“Shi Qing,” he said, “do you know how stupid it is to chase after someone who lives in Ghost Market and might never get up again one day?”
"I know," Shi Qing answered without hesitation, "but when the day comes that you really can't get up, I can carry you on my back."
"..."
“You carried me on your back then,” Shi Qing took a step forward, leaving only half a step between them, “Now it’s my turn to carry you, is that not allowed?”
Yuan Xi didn't speak. He simply reached out—this time without ruffling his hair or pinching his cheek, but gently wiping away a willow catkin from Shi Qing's shoulder with his fingertips.
The movements were very light and natural.
“The medicine will be delivered late,” Yuanxi said, pulling his hand back and pushing the cart again. “The old man at the pharmacy is going to yell at us.”
He pushed the cart forward without looking at Shi Qing again.
Shi Qing stood there, her heart sinking deeper and deeper.
But just as Yuanxi was about to merge into the crowd, he suddenly turned his head and his voice drifted over on the wind: "At three-quarters past dusk, in the back alley of the market. Let's have dinner together after I finish selling my goods."
Shi Qing was stunned, then his eyes gradually lit up. "Okay!" he replied loudly, attracting the attention of passersby.
Yuan Xi didn't turn around, but his shoulders seemed to relax a little. Shuangshuang, who was perched on the handlebars, turned their little heads and squeaked twice at Shi Qing, wagging their tails happily.
The willow catkins are still drifting.
*
At 3:45 PM, in the back alley of the Market Office.
The alley was narrow and deep, flanked by towering gray walls covered with withered but not yet dead vines. The setting sun cast long, thin shadows. Yuanxi leaned against the wall, carrying a coarse cloth bundle in his hand, with Shuangshuang perched on his shoulder. The little mouse squirmed restlessly, its tiny nose twitching incessantly towards the alley entrance.
Shi Qing appeared on time. He had changed his clothes; instead of the indigo outfit Tian Quan wore, he was dressed in plain, everyday clothes. His hair was also unusually loose, not tied in a bun, but simply tied at the back of his head with a hairband. This made him look less sharp and more youthful and refreshing than a sect disciple.
"Have you been waiting long?" Shi Qing strode closer, her eyes shining.
"Just arrived." Yuan Xi straightened up and handed over the package in his hand. "Here you go."
Shi Qing was taken aback: "This is..."
"These things you've given me these past few days," Yuan Xi said calmly, "wooden plaques, candy, and a few other things."
Shi Qing didn't take it, but just stared at the package. He was very familiar with the way the coarse cloth was tied. Seven years ago, when Yuan Xi sent him away, he prepared three or four boxes of luggage for him, and the bundles inside were tied in this way.
In an instant, he felt as if he were back at that ferry crossing, and his next words were farewell.
"...What do you mean?" He heard his own voice sound a little stiff.
“If you want to settle things, I’ll pay you back.” Yuan Xi said it casually, as if he were talking about the weather. “Let’s go eat. That mutton soup shop at the alley entrance, you’ve said before that you wanted to try it.”
After he finished speaking, he turned and walked towards the alley entrance, his steps unhurried. Shuangshuang looked back at Shiqing from his shoulder, their black bean-like eyes reflecting the light of the setting sun.
Shi Qing stood there, clutching the package in his hand. The fabric was rough, and there weren't many things inside, but it was so heavy that he could barely lift it.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com