Let different people enjoy the game of chess.
The driverless carriage stopped in front of the gate. Lu Yan stood behind her father and looked at the dozens of young men in brocade robes who had come with the carriage. The leader was obviously the eldest son of the Xue family.
The carriage door was pushed open, and her long-lost "brother" emerged from inside, wearing an indigo cloak. He then turned to greet a girl dressed in a sheer, veiled garment.
Behind the girl's slender back, a red silk ribbon fluttered in the wind, gently brushing against the front of her "younger brother's" clothes.
Lu Yan watched as Pei Xuanzhi followed the girl off the carriage and stood in the wind talking to the eldest son of the Xue family.
She still often can't tell whether he's a human or a ghost, and she can't remember how he grew to be so big.
Over the years, she still seemed to have some vague memories of many things about Pei Xuanzhi.
The most authentic memories are still those from his childhood.
She only remembered that many years ago, when she was only six or seven years old, her grandfather, who was still in office, had passed away not long before her father failed the imperial examination.
Her parents moved with her, her eldest sister, and her two younger brothers to their maternal grandparents' abandoned house in the countryside.
With all the servants gone, and to support her father's continued preparations for the imperial examinations, her mother had pawned almost everything in the house.
It was a stormy midsummer night. She was awakened by the thunder and wanted to go to her mother's house to sleep. As she walked across the dilapidated covered bridge, she saw a woman holding a baby sitting in the main room.
The woman's face was covered by a white veil, and she sat there casually wearing only a moon-white gauze cloak.
Her skin was as white as snow, and her eyes were bright and beautiful. She was like a pearl emerging from the water, making the old and dim main room shine with her brilliance.
Even after moving to Chang'an, Lu Yan never met anyone more stunning than that woman in her life.
The baby in the woman's arms was fair and pink, sleeping peacefully in its swaddling clothes, breathing lightly, occasionally wrinkling its little nose and yawning, before quickly falling asleep again.
The woman waved her sleeve, and four large chests on the ground opened, filled with gold and silver jewels. She rose, placed the swaddled baby on the table, gently pinched and played with the infant's soft face, and said in a soft tone:
"Since you two are so sincere and willing to exchange with me, then these four boxes of valuables are for you two. I, this child, will be entrusted to you to raise. You can call him Pei Xuanzhi."
Ah-Hsuan was in poor health, but he was very handsome since childhood. However, his older sister and younger brothers did not like him, but they always tried to take off his gold necklace, which was so big that it could encircle him.
The events of that night made her swear not to tell anyone, so the eldest sister and her brothers didn't know that the new clothes, food, tuition fees, servants, and carriages were actually Ah Xuan's food.
His mother didn't like Ah-Xuan either, and often scolded and got angry at him, who was just a baby.
Sometimes, for no apparent reason, she would pull out her hairpin and prick him a few times, making the little baby, who was already struggling to even sob, cry loudly, and only then would the mother laugh in a daze.
At first, she didn't understand why her mother was like this, until she saw a portrait hidden in her father's study.
The painting depicts Ah Xuan's mother, who was sitting in the hall with her child that night, except that Ah Xuan in her arms has been replaced by a bunch of lotus flowers.
The mother continued to serve the father with gentleness and dignity every day while he studied, but she vented her resentment on a woman she had only met once and a child.
When she was ten, Ah-Xuan was four.
He was the most ragged child in the family, even lower in status than the family's watchdog.
If there isn't enough leftover food for the dog at home, he won't have any to eat either.
That New Year's Eve, she gave Ah Xuan a few copper coins and asked him to buy five skewers of candied hawthorn. One skewer was for her, her two younger brothers, and Ah Xuan, who was running the errand, was given one skewer each.
Ah Xuan was very happy. His second brother had finished eating all the candied hawthorns, but he was still just looking at them, smelling them, like a kitten.
After a long while, he coughed and then, with great interest and reverence, stuck out the tip of his tongue to lick the sugar coating.
But before he could even lick it, his mother snatched the candied hawthorn skewer from him and gave it to his second brother, pointing a finger at Ah Xuan's forehead and knocking him to the ground in the snow.
"You filthy seed, how dare you covet what belongs to the young master?"
She could only watch, as always, as he climbed out of the snow with red eyes, because...
Everything in this house already belongs to them. Although she pities him, she doesn't really want to give him anything.
Some say he is a vile and despicable creature, the kind of creature that can best arouse the desires in people's hearts and make them happy.
Although it sounds romantic, a demon is still a demon, and it can be quite frightening when it gets angry. If he knew the truth, would he really steal his brother's things?
Did he have anything to do with his mother's madness and his third brother's disappearance?
.
"Senior Sister Yan, this is Second Miss Lu."
"Second Miss, this is my wife, surnamed Yan, given name Huanyue."
In the spacious and brightly lit hall, Lu Yan suddenly came back to her senses.
The girl before him performed a ritualistic greeting common in the spiritual cultivation world and said softly, "Greetings, Second Miss."
Lu Yan subconsciously tried to return the greeting, but she wasn't very good at it. Then she realized what she was doing, gave a curtsy, and said, "Greetings, Miss Yan... Madam Yan."
When Yan Huanyue saw Lu Ke, the patriarch of the Lu family, Lu E, the eldest daughter, Lu Yan, the second daughter, and Lu Chen, the young master, she tried to be more enthusiastic, but in the end, she could only be polite.
Just as Pei Xuanzhi had said that day, this family didn't treat him very well, but it probably wasn't too bad either, otherwise he probably wouldn't even want to come back here.
Master Lu, Lu Kelue, leaned closer to Pei Xuanzhi and asked, "Xuanzhi, where do you think the food should be placed?"
Pei Xuanzhi asked, "Where is Madam Sun?"
Lu E said, "Mother has fallen ill again... Didn't Headmaster Pei come back with you?"
Lu Yan glanced at her and said with a smile, "Ah Xuan, Shuiyun Courtyard is all ready. You and your wife must be tired from your journey. Why don't you go and rest for a while? How about we hold the welcome banquet in the East Pavilion?"
Pei Xuanzhi nodded and said, "Whatever the Second Miss says is fine."
Yan Huanyue followed him around the Lu family home. The Lu family home was not large, but everything was small and elegant.
Shuiyun Courtyard is a small, compact courtyard built by carving out a small area in the southeast.
When they arrived, the attendants in the courtyard were picking up a few bamboo leaves that had been blown down by the wind under the rustling bamboo grove.
Upon seeing them, they all silently bowed and then retreated to a small hut under the eaves.
Yan Huanyue walked to the eaves inside the gate, looked up at the courtyard with its overlapping eaves and tiles, and gazed at the leisurely bamboo branches under the square blue sky.
She smiled and asked, "Did you used to live here?"
Pei Xuanzhi said, "I stayed for some time."
Yan Huanyue walked along the eaves to the east wing, gently pushed open the door, and saw orchids placed inside, with a charcoal brazier keeping them warm.
On a wooden horizontal bed, there was a small table with a chessboard on it.
She picked up a snow-white chess piece, examined it closely, and said, "Hibiscus Jade Piece, where did you get such a fine thing?"
Pei Xuanzhi slowly stood behind her, his gaze sweeping over the jade beads by her ear, and said casually, "If you like them, take them back and put them in your room this time. We're free right now, would you like me to play a game with my senior sister?"
Yan Huanyue put the chess pieces back in the chess box, put her hands behind her back, and said frankly, "I'm not very good at chess, so I won't embarrass myself. Where can I take a bath? I'll go wash up."
Pei Xuanzhi led her to a small pavilion behind the main house, where a hot spring bath was steaming.
He had just returned to the east wing and sat on the horizontal bed covered with brocade cushions when a commotion arose outside the courtyard.
Someone ran up quickly and knocked on the courtyard gate, saying, "Quickly inform Young Master Pei that Young Master Xue has come to visit."
He pushed open the window next to the transverse bed that faced the inner courtyard.
As soon as the person inside the courtyard opened the door of the small house, Xue Jingnian, dressed in a red brocade robe, followed by Lu Chen, stood at the bottom of the steps outside the door. The moment the door opened, their eyes met.
Xue Jingnian made a hand seal and said, "Junior Brother Pei, it's a rare sight. I heard you had arrived, so I came to see you."
Pei Xuanzhi sat cross-legged on the bed, his eyes cold and his lips curved into a faint smile. "It's cold outside, so I can't greet you. Senior Brother Xue, please come in and sit down."
Lu Chen, standing behind Xue Jingnian, hurriedly bowed and raised his hand, saying, "Young Master Xue, please."
Xue Jingnian said to Lu Chen, "Don't put on airs. I'm not from the same sect as you, and I'm not here to see you. You don't need to rush to welcome me."
Lu Chen was somewhat bewildered.
Pei Xuanzhi held a chess piece in his hand and said calmly, "This is the Lu family. If the Lu family doesn't welcome us, then who does Senior Brother Xue want to welcome us?"
Xue Jingnian remained standing at the foot of the steps, his gaze sweeping across the courtyard, and asked:
"Where's Yan Huanyue? Didn't you say she came to Chang'an too? We grew up together since childhood. Although we're married, we're not completely isolated anymore. We might even go on missions together in the future. This is her first time in Chang'an, so I'll show her around. You won't have any objections, will you?"
Pei Xuanzhi lowered his eyes to look at the chessboard and said casually, "If Senior Sister Yan is willing to go, why would I have any objections?"
Upon hearing this, Xue Jingnian was about to step onto the steps when someone suddenly grabbed him by the back of his neck and pulled him down the steps.
Accompanied by Lu Chen, Xue Yuannian stood below the steps, cupped his hands and said, "Young Master Pei, my younger brother and I have come to disturb you today. We are truly sorry for our rudeness."
Pei Xuanzhi bowed respectfully by the window and said, "Fellow Daoist Xue, please have a cup of hot tea."
Upon Xue Yuannian's arrival, Xue Jingnian immediately became somewhat subdued and obediently followed his elder brother into the east wing.
The Lu family father and son had tea and snacks served before leaving the courtyard.
Xue Jingnian stood in front of a pot of orchids, not saying much to Pei Xuanzhi.
Seeing that Pei Xuan had just begun to set up the chessboard, Xue Yuannian sat down directly opposite him, smoothed his clothes, and said, "Young man, how about we have a friendly match?"
Pei Xuanzhi reached out and sorted the chess pieces, saying, "Fellow Daoist, please go first."
Xue Yuannian laughed and said, "Oh, Pei Xiaolang is so kind, letting me go first from the very beginning..."
Without any intention of being polite, he picked up a white piece and placed it seemingly casually.
Pei Xuanzhi avoided the opponent's sharp edge and placed a black piece far away.
Xue Yuannian was somewhat surprised to see that Pei Xuanzhi had started with an extremely conservative move.
He had seen the game record of a game between Pei Xuanzhi and Su Henghua in Chang'an, and it was clear that from the very beginning, Pei Xuanzhi was decisive and ruthless, leaving no way out.
Xue Yuannian continued to make moves to probe, but Pei Xuanzhi only defended and did not attack until a situation of encirclement and exhaustion was formed.
Pei Xuanzhi casually placed the black piece down and said calmly, "Thank you for the concession."
Xue Yuannian laughed and said, "Young man, you really played too softly this game. I also saw the game record of the game when you defeated Su Henghua when you left Chang'an. I thought you were a ruthless person."
Pei Xuanzhi raised his eyes and smiled, "Senior Sister Su's chess moves are slow and deliberate, and her plans are long-term, which makes my chess moves seem ruthless. I have learned some of her chess moves, but today, Fellow Daoist Xue's chess moves are ruthless, which makes my chess moves seem slow."
Xue Yuannian laughed and said, "It seems that you can handle both aggressive and slow-paced chess moves. You are not a rigid person. Once you are on the chessboard, it is hard to guess your moves."
Pei Xuanzhi glanced at the two people outside the window, got up and got off the horizontal bed, and looked at them from a distance. "It's hard to say whether I'm a rigid person or not, but I've always preferred playing and watching chess, and I don't really like going to the chessboard."
Xue Yuannian occasionally glanced out the window following his gaze.
Seeing that Xue Jingnian had quietly left the east wing at some point, he was now blocking Yan Huanyue as they spoke under the eaves.
Yan Huanyue's face was flushed with powder, her long hair was half-tied up, and she was still covered in moisture, clearly indicating that she had just taken a bath.
Yan Huanyue ignored him and turned to walk towards the main room. Xue Jingnian then habitually tried to pull her away.
Xue Yuannian's face darkened instantly. He jumped off the bed, casually slipped on his silk slippers, and strode to the door. He called out in a deep voice, "Xue Jingnian, it's time for you to come home for dinner."
.
On the snow-covered road in Chang'an, Xue Yuannian kept a gloomy face.
Xue Jingnian followed behind him and whispered, "Brother, they didn't sleep together when they were in the sect, I..."
Xue Yuannian raised his leg and kicked him hard, sending Xue Jingnian flying into the snow piled up by the roadside.
Xue Yuannian flicked his robes and sneered:
"What does it have to do with you if we don't sleep together? It's because you're incapable of winning Yan Huanyue's heart, and you're being with you behind his back. You can't even steal properly, you just make your stupidity crystal clear."
Xue Jingnian got up, brushed the snow off his body, and sneered:
“All you know is greed and greed. What theft? Aren’t you disgusting? She’s just bound by gratitude. I love her. She’s always been pure and innocent. I want her to break away from Pei Xuanzhi and be with me. I don’t care if she has a heart contract to exchange with me.”
Xue Yuannian sneered, "You don't care? Do you think people care about your indifference? Are the things you've done clean? Let me tell you, what you think is not important, but if you continue to disgrace the Xue family like this, I don't think you need to go back to the Tianyan Sect."
Xue Jingnian said disdainfully, "What makes you better than me? When you were being beaten to a pulp by Senior Sister Han, you didn't even think about the Xue family's reputation."
Suddenly, the atmosphere turned cold. Xue Yuannian said coldly, "Victory and defeat are common occurrences. Is it shameful to be defeated by Han Shuangying? I can still fight her. As for you? Stay at home and carry my shoes. You might even get a bite to eat."
"The Xue family doesn't belong to you alone!"
"That belongs to me and your second sister. What does it have to do with a piece of trash like you?"
"Xue Yuannian, you suppressed your own brother, and my reprimand of you is not considered insubordination!"
As he spoke, he flew directly onto Xue Yuannian's shoulder and punched him on the head a few times.
Xue Yuannian walked along, hands hanging down, indulging his younger brother without blinking or changing his expression.
Over the years, Xue Yuannian always felt that he hadn't grown as tall as Su Er because he had carried his younger siblings around everywhere when they were little.
Seeing that she was not even as tall as Pei Xuanzhi, that sickly fellow, she already felt resentful towards her parents.
Xue Jingnian sat on his brother's shoulders and threw a tantrum. After a long while, he rested his head on his brother's head and murmured, "Big brother, I like her."
Xue Yuannian carried him forward with his hands in his sleeves, a smile playing on his lips, and said, "Brother, what's the rush? Isn't it enough to wait until Pei Xuanzhi is dead?"
“Although Junior Brother Pei has half demon blood, he already has a heart contract. I didn’t want him to die, so…”
Xue Yuannian walked slowly through the snow, comforting him, "No matter what, he won't outlive you. If you can truly love her until Pei Xuanzhi dies, I will help you get her no matter what."
"But if you don't have a stable mind and insist on seducing married women, and they give in to you, what's the point of hurting them if you find someone else you like a couple of days later?"
"Big brother! She and I should be the best of friends. When we were little, I secretly took Mom's jewelry and gave it to her... even though she didn't want it."
Xue Yuannian said, "Calling me 'Grandpa' won't help. Didn't you send a letter to Linjiang before mentioning a girl surnamed Tan from Shendumen? Since you praised her so highly, why don't you come to my house for a visit when you have time after the New Year?"
"I... I only admire Fellow Daoist Tan's open-mindedness, clarity, generosity, and sincerity, but I still prefer Yan Huanyue. Once she's more mature, her personality will improve, and I'll..."
Xue Yuannian said with a wry smile, "Brother, that's a person. There's no such thing as wanting something just because you want it. You caused trouble and then came back to ride on your brother's head and act all high and mighty. Which couple is doing better than you?"
"You bully Pei Xuanzhi, a sickly man who has just found a home, and try to steal his wife. You bully Yan Huanyue, an orphan girl, and try to lead her astray. How can you be so shameless? Find someone else to like."
-----------------------
Author's Note: Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 2023-11-23 22:55:54 and 2023-11-24 23:54:04!
Thank you to the little angel who threw the landmine: Is it wrong for me to have small breasts like my dad? 1;
Thank you to the little angels who irrigated the nutrient solution: Qiongtan 40 bottles; Yuming 38 bottles; 57644086 20 bottles; Chouchang Muyanchui 19 bottles; Give a seat to Shahanhan, Dulalalala, Chuyi, Dulululu, Xuyuan, 70005093 10 bottles; Su Nianqiao, Neptune_ 7 bottles; Xiaowanzi, Waououou 6 bottles; Feixianxing Tongrennv, Xiaotuzaizhi Xinxiangshicheng, Xichen, 2.10, Kuaiwo Wochi Tianbing!, Mi, Suiyueran, Xin 1 bottle;
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
