Chapter 13 [Smelling Green Plums] That one is the one worth climbing...
The next day, when Xie Yun woke up, it was already bright outside. He turned his head to look at the place beside him, but it was already empty.
Yan Huinan was a delicate man, but he possessed immense strength. Once restrained by him, it was impossible to escape. Furthermore, he was far more brutal in his sexual intercourse than others, and he deliberately tortured her in various ways, motivated by hatred. Although Xie Yun had never been a delicate woman, she nearly fainted by the end.
Now I just feel sore all over.
Xie Yun was experiencing sex for the first time, and when she lifted the covers and saw that small, dazzling red mark, she was still shocked. She had been stubborn the previous night, and the harder Yan Huinan pushed, the more she gritted her teeth and remained silent. Now, seeing the scarlet mark, a wave of grievance and resentment washed over her.
I couldn't help but bury my head and cry, and the suppressed sobs were all absorbed by the cotton wool in the quilt, and no one outside could hear them at all.
After losing something, people always reminisce about their youth.
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That year, Xie Yun was eight years old, and the whole family came to the capital with his father who had just been promoted.
On the day of the Zhuque Street Lantern Festival, all the women in the mansion went out to visit the festival. That day was her birthday and also the first time she met Yan Huinan.
However, although it was her birthday, she was just a concubine's daughter who was not favored by her father. Except for her biological mother, no one in the Xie family remembered that it was her birthday.
That day, Xie Yun did not want to go out because she had not recovered from the cold, but her two sisters, for some reason, begged the mistress to let her go out with them. She could not refuse, so she followed them out.
Xie Yun had two older sisters: Xie Shaohua, the eldest, born to the principal wife, Madam Zhao, and Xie Yan, the second, born to the favored concubine, Lady Liu. The elder sister was beautiful but dull and domineering. On her first arrival in the capital, her carriage collided with the Crown Prince's.
"Shaohua, why don't you get out of the car and meet the Second Prince?"
The eldest sister was ordered by her mother not to act as presumptuous and domineering as she did in Baixia when she entered the capital. She was impatient in her heart, but on the surface she could not resist her mother, so she had to get off the carriage with Madam Zhao.
It was snowing heavily that day, the velvety snow falling on the eldest sister's feather-like lashes. The corners of her eyes and cheeks, unaccustomed to the northern chill, were flushed a childish red. Two pearl pendants dangled from her slightly red earlobes, swaying slightly as the eldest sister bowed. "Your servant, Xie Shaohua, greets His Highness the Second Prince."
As for the rest, Mrs. Zhao's apology for bumping into the Second Prince because her groom's driving was not appropriate was just passed over. The Second Prince's heart and eyes were filled with only the newly arrived eldest daughter of the Xie family.
Xie Yun's second sister had a gentle, serene appearance, harmless to both humans and animals. Whenever she sat there, the breeze around her was warm, gentle, and peaceful. But she only looked that way. In reality, she was like Xie Shaohua's military advisor. With a simple smile, this sister could crush anyone to death, leaving not even a bone behind.
No matter how they bullied Xie Yun or anyone else, they were fearless and always had excuses. Xie Yun's biological mother, Madam Yu, was a quiet person, and Xie Yun had little sense of presence in the family. Even if she had a thousand mouths, she wouldn't have had the chance to argue.
Their father, Xie Qingyun, paid little attention to his daughters, focusing solely on raising his own sons. All matters in the backyard, big or small, were handled by their stepmother, and Xie Yun and her two sisters' affairs never made it into the small backyard.
With Xie Shaohua and Xie Yan teaming up, Xie Yun was like a fish on a chopping block, desperate to hide. Regardless of whether it was her fault or not, Madam Zhao was extremely protective of her shortcomings.
Xie Yun caught a cold while on her way to the capital. Xie Shaohua deliberately ordered the laundry maid to return Xie Yun's thick clothes, which hadn't been completely dried, as if they were already dry. The person behind this scheme was both cunning and cautious. The thick clothes had been aired inside and out, but the innermost layer was still damp. It wasn't noticeable at first, but only after rubbing them in the hands did you notice something was wrong.
When Madam Yu gave birth to Xie Yun, she was still premature, having arrived at only seven months old. Born with a weak constitution, Xie Yun had been ill for as long as she could remember. Having grown up in the south of the Yangtze River, she wasn't used to the cold north. Wearing damp clothes like she was being soaked in an air conditioner, she caught a cold within a few days.
The servants who cared for her were inattentive, and Madam Yu, preoccupied with the three-year-old Xie Run, inevitably neglected her. Xie Yun had always assumed it was the cold weather in the north that caused her to feel cold all day. It wasn't until one day, she overheard her two sisters jokingly discussing this behind their backs, that she realized the cold weather in the south was damp and cold, while the north was dry and cold.
Xie Yun then took out the few remaining clothes she hadn't worn and secretly went to the kitchen of the inn to warm herself by the fire.
It took me half a month to recover from this journey. I still have a slight cough.
-
The lights at the Long Street Lantern Festival are brilliant like fireworks, and lanterns of various styles illuminate the long street as bright as day. The street is bustling with cars and carriages, and the sound of people shouting and laughing is endless. The stalls are full of goods, and the acrobatic performances are lively and bustling. The scene of prosperity is everywhere.
The capital is different from the south of the Yangtze River. The people there are more bold and open-minded, and it is more lively and prosperous.
"Make way! Make way!"
Xie Yun was just surprised by the bustling and lively Zhuque Street when he heard hurried shouts and the clatter of horse hooves behind him.
She looked back hurriedly and saw several young men riding their horses and whipping their horses. They showed no intention of slowing down when they saw someone in front of them.
Xie Yun couldn't tell what kind of horses the young man rode, but they were all strong and powerful, especially the one in the lead, which was the fastest. The horses were full of vigor, their pure black manes were beautifully combed, and their harnesses and whips were inlaid with precious and elegant jade seeds.
Seeing this, the people on both sides dared not say anything but ran to the sides to make way.
But Xie Yun reacted a little too late and had no time to dodge. Fortunately, the person next to her pulled her hard and pulled her to the side.
She nearly fell, but luckily she was saved from being killed by the horse's hooves.
The young man who was in the lead and almost bumped into her, on the contrary, had an impatient expression as if she was really in the way. He looked at her with disgust, then quickly turned his head away and continued riding his horse as if no one was around.
The person who had just helped Xie Yun asked her softly, "Little sister, are you okay?"
Xie Yun's personal maid Lusong hurried forward to support her frightened young lady.
Xie Yun was still feeling scared and said in a trembling voice, "Thank you very much for saving my life, young master."
Lou Cheng smiled slightly, "It's my duty to help people in distress. I'm Lou Cheng."
Xie Yun also introduced herself: "Xie Yun."
As soon as Xie Yun finished speaking, Xie Shaohua, who was not far away from Xie Yun, walked over and looked at Lou Cheng puzzledly and asked: "Lou Cheng? The Third Prince of Liang?"
Lou Cheng didn't seem to know Xie Shaohua.
Xie Shaohua's doubts were resolved after he recognized it, but he still thought for a moment before he simply bowed to Lou Cheng and said, "Greetings, Third Prince."
The attitude is perfunctory, even mixed with a hint of perfunctory.
Lou Cheng had a flash of embarrassment, but he soon became as humble and gentle as before, and turned to Xie Yun and said, "I'm glad that Miss Xie is alright. Lou Cheng has something else to do, so I'll take my leave first."
After that, he left with his entourage. Xie Yun stared blankly at the direction where Lou Cheng left. She hadn't figured out how to return the gift yet. Since her sister knew him, Xie Yun thought maybe she could act nice in front of her sister and find an opportunity to send him a gift in return as a token of gratitude for saving her life.
Xie Shaohua misunderstood Xie Yun, glanced at Xie Yun, and sneered at her: "Sister, don't look at him. He is not a good tall branch."
Xie Yan, who was standing by, couldn't help but laugh out loud: "You saw that your elder sister had the Crown Prince's favor, and since he's also a noble man, you wanted to get close to him?"
What nonsense! She was just looking for an opportunity to repay Lou Cheng for saving her life, but she had to resort to climbing the social ladder.
She was unhappy but couldn't show it, so she could only shake her head and say, "No."
She has never left the house since she came to the capital, so how could she know who Lou Cheng is.
"The Second Prince hosted a banquet earlier, and I met the Third Prince at the banquet. He's a hostage sent from Daliang. On the surface, everyone calls him the Third Prince, but in reality, no one takes him seriously. If nothing unexpected happens, he'll probably be a prisoner here for the rest of his life." Xie Shaohua looked with pity at the direction Lou Cheng had just left. "What's the point of being so precious?"
No wonder she looked like that just now.
Lou Cheng must have seen through her disdainful attitude at a glance, so he left.
Xie Yun: "Big sister, you are very knowledgeable and I admire you. But none of this has anything to do with me."
Xie Shaohua snorted coldly, "Of course. You are not worthy of it."
After saying this, she seemed to be mercifully telling Xie Yun something extremely important, "Did you see the person who just rode up?"
Xie Yun naturally saw it clearly, and that man almost killed her.
Xie Shaohua didn't care whether Xie Yun saw it clearly or not. She just focused on her own words. When she spoke, she seemed to have an attitude that she was determined to get this man: "That's the high branch worth climbing. He is the legitimate son of the current eldest princess. The emperor favors him more than his own son."
Xie Yun murmured, "Oh, that's how it is."
But in her heart she hated him: Really? But he almost killed her just now.
The man, like his horse, was dressed in gorgeous clothes, like a colorful peacock. He looked noble at first glance, and had a handsome face, but he was too rude and arrogant, and seemed to have no regard for human life at all.
He was nothing more than a piece of gold waste born in this nest of wealth. In Xie Yun's opinion, he was not even as good as the gentle and humble Lou Cheng.
Xie Yun chuckled and said something perfunctory to please her, "If he sees Big Sister, he will definitely fall at your feet."
The elder sister was indeed quite pleased: "You are good at talking."
Xie Yan was also a concubine's daughter, but she was the daughter of a favorite concubine, so naturally she lived a better life than Xie Yun. But at the same time, Xie Yan also had a heart that was as smart as Xie Yun's.
"She is mocking you, can't you see it? Idiot." Xie Yan cursed with a sneer, and then went to the stall next to him to pick lanterns as if no one was around.
The stall owner asked with a smile, "Miss, are there any lanterns you'd like?"
Xie Yan pointed at the flower basket lamp with a delicate finger. The wall of the lamp was painted with delicate peonies, and the top of the lamp was decorated with clusters of handmade peonies. "Here, take two."
A flower basket lantern was handed to Xie Shaohua.
Xie Shaohua was furious at Xie Yan's words. She grabbed the lantern and was about to throw it at Xie Yun, but was stopped by Xie Yan in time. "There are so many people on the street. It would be bad if someone we know saw us."
"Have you forgotten that Madam Yu helped you get out of this situation last time, and my mother punished her by making her embroider a birthday picture for my father, and she's still embroidering it now? Xie Yun, how dare you mock me?"
Speaking of Madam Yu, Xie Yun's heart tightened. It was clearly Xie Shaohua's fault, but it was framed on Xie Yun.
Not only did Xie Yun get punished by her father to copy "Rules for Women", but Madam Yu was also punished because of her.
Xie Shaohua actually used this matter to threaten her!
Xie Yun could only shake her head repeatedly: "I didn't, I really think that sister is naturally beautiful. Any normal man would like sister, really."
Xie Yan, who was standing by, said indifferently, "In that case, go find that young Marquis Yan and come with us to the Lantern Festival."
The author has something to say:
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I looked up the ancient name for it, and found that Bidianzi is turquoise.
My writing is just for fun, so please bear with me. If you don't like it, please move on to other excellent works. Please don't scold me.
The chapters marked with [] are flashbacks. Since this is a childhood sweetheart story, there are some fond memories of their childhood together. When I first conceived this story, it was the innocent, heartwarming moments of their childhood that inspired me to write about it. I hope you enjoy it. Yan Huinan and Xie Yun were both so radiant in their childhood! Brother Yanzi was so kind to little Yun!
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