Chapter 40
The warm winter sun shines through the large glass windows, lazily filling the warm room covered with thick carpet.
The air was filled with the delicate aroma of tea and a subtle scent of herbs. The master sat in a cushioned rattan rocking chair, covered in a thick wool blanket. I lay on her lap, my cheek pressed against her warm, dry palm, just as I had done when I was a child, feeling the slow, gentle caress of her calloused fingertips.
Time seemed to freeze at this moment and then flow backwards rapidly.
After my parents passed away, my master restrained all her edge and, like an ordinary grandmother, held my hand and walked from the deep mountains of Yunnan into the hustle and bustle of Jiangnan.
She refused the luxurious residence arranged by her family and stubbornly took me to live in an ordinary blue brick building by the river.
In the mornings, we would haggle in the bustling market, and in the evenings, she would cook in the kitchen. She would braid my pigtails with her rough hands, and under the starry sky on summer nights, she would tell me stories that were full of swordplay but ultimately peaceful.
My childhood had no magnificent halls, no servants following around, only the shouts of the farmers in the vegetable market, the firelight on the stove, the weeping willows by the river, and the always clean and refreshing soapberry scent on my master's body.
It was my master who, in the simplest way, taught me to be down-to-earth and prevented me from being tainted by arrogance and vanity.
Until the last few years, her body had begun to show signs of fatigue, like an old tree worn down by time. She coughed more often and her energy was far less than before.
With the insistence of the family elders and me, she finally moved into this villa, which is equipped with the most advanced air purification system and has professional medical staff on call at all times.
The environment has improved, but I know that what she misses most is the sound of gurgling water outside the window of the small building and the familiar greetings from the neighbors downstairs.
"Nannan..." The master's voice was slow and hoarse, like sandpaper polished by time, but very clear. "Are you leaving again?"
I looked up, the sunlight outlining her silver hair, each strand sparkling with the wisdom and calmness of time.
"Well, the holidays are almost over."
Her wrinkled hands gently stroked my hair, her eyes distant and loving: "Take good care of yourself. Eat when you need to eat, sleep when you need to sleep. Don't rely on your youth to push yourself."
"That... is a burden, but also an opportunity. Master knows you can do it."
She understood that I went to Japan not just to study, but also to gradually take over the family's extensive and profound business there. It was a responsibility and a test of experience.
The master's gaze seemed to look through me and into the more distant past.
She narrowed her eyes slightly, a nostalgic arc curling up at the corner of her lips. "Back then... in that small mountain village in Yunnan, I had decided not to accept any more disciples in this lifetime. I'd had enough of the life on the edge of a knife, and I just wanted to live out the rest of my life in peace and quiet."
Her fingertips unconsciously stroked the thin calluses on the back of my hand from whipping. "But that day, your uncle came to see me with little you in his arms... You were just so small, and you didn't cry or make a fuss. You just looked at me with your big eyes like black grapes..."
"Just one glance, and my heart softened instantly..."
She laughed softly, her laughter carrying the tenderness accumulated over the years and a barely perceptible sob: "This softness has lasted for so many years. Nannan, it is my blessing to have you accompany me."
The warm room fell silent, with only the creaking of the rocking chair. The sunlight moved slowly across the floor.
The master's gaze looked out the window, as if penetrating time and space, and fell on the distant, layered colorful clouds in the south.
"Yunnan..." Her voice carried a long sigh, like the wind echoing in the valley. "That's my roots. The mountains are high, the forests are dense, and the clouds float halfway up the mountain. It's like a fairyland."
"The people in the village, coming and going, are all genuine, lively and quiet."
Her eyes became hazy and nostalgic, immersed in the picturesque scenery of her hometown. "Over the years, my dreams have been filled with those mountains, those waters, those clouds... and the old banyan tree at the entrance of the village."
She paused, her tone unusually calm, as calm as the falling snowflakes in winter, with a calmness that came with everything settled: "Wait for me... When the time comes, Nannan, remember to send me back."
"Be buried where you can see the mountains and clouds. Leaves fall, and they always return to their roots."
My heart sank, as if gripped by an icy hand. That ominous premonition surged over me again, stronger than ever.
"Master!" I raised my head anxiously, grabbed her slightly cold hand, and said in a voice that I didn't even notice was trembling. "Don't talk nonsense! You are in good health! We still need..."
"Silly child," the master said, gently patting the back of my hand with her free hand, interrupting my flustered words. Her eyes were clear and penetrating, with a broad-mindedness that came from a deep understanding of the world.
"Birth, aging, sickness, and death are the laws of nature. Master has lived for eighty years and witnessed all the changes in the world, from the chaotic wars of the late Republic of China to the peaceful and prosperous times of today... Enough is enough. I'm tired."
“Death is not the end, but a homecoming. Like a weary bird returning to the forest, a wanderer returning home. It is not to be feared, but a liberation and a fulfillment.”
Her tone was so calm, as if she was discussing whether tomorrow would be sunny. However, this calmness made the sadness and panic in my heart flood through my eyes like a tide.
I bit my lower lip hard to prevent the tears from falling, and just hugged her arms tighter, burying my face deep in her warm and dry palms, absorbing the familiar and reassuring breath.
The master felt my attachment and uneasiness. She stopped talking about the journey home and instead stroked my cheek with a gentler force, her fingertips filled with infinite affection.
"Nannan," her voice lowered, a little mysterious and solemn, "Master has saved something for you over the years."
I raised my head and looked at her with tearful eyes.
"It's not a huge sum of money. It can't compare to your family's assets." She smiled, her eyes filled with pure love and a hint of subtle pride. "It's just that over the years, I've saved the living expenses your uncle and his family gave me, as well as the little savings your master had. I've put it all in a separate account. The password is your birthday."
She paused, and looked at me with gentle and profound eyes, as if she could see through me into the distant future: "This is the dowry that Master saved for you."
"Master has no special abilities in this life... This is all I have." She sighed softly, and a trace of deep regret that even time could not erase flashed across her eyes.
"Don't imitate your master. Nannan, if you meet someone you really like in the future and you're determined in your heart, be brave."
"Go after it, go love it, don't hesitate, don't worry too much."
Her voice lowered, carrying a hint of distant melancholy. A flash of tears seemed to pass through her eyes, so fast that it seemed like an illusion: "Don't be like me... I missed it once and regretted it for the rest of my life."
She did not elaborate on the story that made her regret for the rest of her life, but the deep regret and hidden tenderness were like the darkest ink, soaking through the warm afternoon sunshine and dripping silently on my heart.
I hugged my master's arm and put my face on her thin but still warm shoulder.
Outside the window, the winter sun shines brightly, and the aroma of tea wafts through the warm room. But my heart feels like it's being pulled down by something, sinking into a warm yet bitter ocean.
"Yes, I understand, Master." I whispered, my voice thick with nasal sounds. Thousands of words were stuck in my throat, and in the end, they turned into only the most solemn promise:
"I will."
The sunlight cast long shadows on the floor, and the rocking chair creaked softly and lingeringly. I crouched beside the master, like a fledgling clinging to its nest, quietly waiting for this warm but brief moment.
The plane taxied smoothly on the runway of Tokyo's Narita Airport. Outside the window was the familiar gray-blue sky with a crisp winter feel.
A month of vacation flew by, like the blink of an eye. I packed my backpack and followed the crowd toward the corridor bridge exit. The light at the end of the passage brought a sense of reality.
As I stepped out of the corridor bridge, my eyes habitually swept over the crowd of people waiting to greet me. The next second, my steps stopped.
In the bustling crowd, a tall and straight figure is particularly eye-catching.
Atobe Keigo was wearing a perfectly tailored dark gray cashmere coat, his hair was meticulously combed, and his hands were tucked into his coat pockets. His posture seemed casual, but he had an innate aura of nobility.
He stood outside the isolation zone, his eyes fixed on me precisely, as if he had been waiting for a long time.
Before surprise could even register on my face, he had already stretched out his long legs, walked through the crowd, and came to me in a few steps.
There were no greetings or explanations. His movements were as natural and smooth as if they had been rehearsed countless times. He took the not-so-light bag from my shoulder with great ease.
"The luggage manager will arrange for someone to pick it up, so you don't have to wait." He spoke briefly and to the point, his voice was that familiar low and gorgeous, with a certainty that left no room for questioning. He turned around and motioned for me to follow.
"Wait," I finally found my voice and jogged to keep up with his long strides, full of confusion, "Why are you here?"
He came all the way to the airport to pick me up? This wasn't like his usual "I'm busy" style.
Without stopping, Atobe glanced sideways at me, a look that seemed to say, "Is there any point in asking such an obvious question?"
He casually gave the excuse, "Xiao Kong missed you. He's been restless since last night, and this morning he couldn't even eat his dog food properly."
He paused, his tone becoming matter-of-fact. "So, go straight to my house. Just in time for lunch so you can feed it and soothe its 'fragile' heart."
"Go to your house?" I was stunned again.
"Yeah." He responded, then seemed to remember something more important. He stopped, turned around, and looked down at me. There was a serious look between his handsome eyebrows, as if to say, "You don't even realize the seriousness of the problem?"
"Kiriguyamagakure, in ten days, it will be the final exam for this semester."
He leaned forward slightly, his all-seeing eyes fixed on me, and every word he spoke was like a verdict:
"You took a whole month off. Don't you have any idea how much you've fallen behind in your studies?"
“…”
Final exam!
Ten days!
A month's missed lessons!
Like three bolts from the blue, they instantly struck me as scorching from the outside and tender from the inside. The initial surprise and inward resentment of our reunion were instantly replaced by a profound sense of academic crisis. I visibly withered, like a frost-bitten cabbage.
Looking at my grief-stricken look, the corners of his mouth curled up slightly, but with a hint of success.
He stood up straight, his tone regaining the composure of someone in control of the situation: "Given the urgency of the situation, and the fact that I happen to be the top student in all subjects at Hyotei."
He deliberately emphasized the words "first in all subjects," "So, for the next period of time, until the exam is over—"
He paused, his eyes sweeping across my instantly widened eyes, and slowly uttered his decision:
"You, live in my house. I will receive closed-door, high-intensity, targeted counseling."
"Stay, stay until the exam is over?" My voice changed.
This guy's reasons are always so convincing! So convincing that no one can refute them!
Atobe raised an eyebrow: "Do you have a better option that can make up all your homework within ten days and guarantee that you will not fail the exam?"
“…No.” I lowered my head resignedly, tears streaming down my face.
Having just emerged from the ocean of Chinese family reports, I plunged headfirst into the abyss of Japanese homework! What kind of suffering is this?
Resignedly, he took out his cell phone and called Aunt Yuko to report that he was safe and to "ask for leave".
"Aunt Yuko, it's me... um, I just got off the plane... Um, I'm not going home today..."
Aunt Yuko's voice on the other end of the phone was filled with concern: "Ah? Not going home? Then Miss, you..."
Before I could explain, a confident voice interrupted me clearly, coming through the microphone: "Not just today, but at least until the final exam is finished."
Aunt Yuko paused noticeably on the other end of the phone, and then, that familiar voice, filled with understanding and a pleased smile, came over: "Oh-oh! I see! You're staying at Master Atobe's house for tutoring, right? Okay, okay! Miss, you must listen carefully to Master Atobe's words and study hard! Don't worry about home! Come on!"
The tone of "I understand, I understand" is so obvious!
I was so embarrassed that I dug my toes into the ground while talking on the phone. I hurriedly said "Okay, goodbye, Auntie" and hung up the phone, glaring at the culprit next to me.
Atobe Keigo, however, seemed not to notice my sharp glare and raised his chin in a good mood: "Let's go."
The car drove into the familiar, castle-like gate of the Atobe family manor.
As soon as I got off the car, before I had time to see the surrounding scenery clearly, a golden lightning flashed out from the main house gate at lightning speed, accompanied by an extremely excited "woof woof" barking!
"Xiaokong!" I exclaimed in surprise.
After not seeing him for a month, he'd grown noticeably bigger, his frame more open, and he ran like a majestic little lion. He completely ignored the nearby Atobe and, with a clear focus and tremendous force, slammed right into my arms like a cannonball!
"Ouch!" I staggered and nearly fell backwards. At the critical moment, a warm and strong hand firmly supported my lower back. It was Atobe.
I didn't have time to thank him, nor did I have time to stand still. I hugged that big furry head, rubbed and kissed it, buried my face in its golden hair that smelled of sunshine, and my voice became distorted with excitement: "Xiao Kong! I miss you so much! Baby~ my big baby~"
Xiaokong was even more passionate. His wet tongue licked my face and hands frantically, his tail wagged like a propeller, and he made a coquettish whining sound in his throat, spinning around in excitement.
Looking at the intimate scene of this man and dog as if no one was around, Atobe Keigo withdrew his hand from my waist, put it back into his coat pocket, and stood by.
There was no expression on his handsome face, but his eyes were fixed on the figure whose embrace and attention were completely occupied by the golden retriever, and his thin lips were pursed almost imperceptibly.
A very subtle feeling of sourness, which even he himself felt was childish, quietly crept into his heart.
Tsk.
He is actually... not as good as a dog?
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