Chapter 53 You jinx, you'll definitely stay by my side for the rest of your life...
Jiang Yu was awakened by the chirping of birds outside. He subconsciously reached out to touch the person beside the bed, but only found a few lonely flower buds.
Where are they?
"Baby, you're awake!"
"Jiang Yu, you're awake."
Jiang Yu was still shaken by the sight of the buds swarming forward, chattering incessantly. He couldn't quite accept it. He took a deep breath and asked, "Where's Shen Jiuxu?"
"He went out."
"I'm going to avenge you!"
"What revenge?" Jiang Yu was completely confused. He had barely slept last night. Was Shen Jiuxu so energetic that he wasn't tired at all and was even able to go out to "take revenge"?
"Yes, yes."
"I don't know either, the tree won't let me say."
The flower buds that had been talking so eloquently just moments before have now fallen silent, their petals tightly closed, trembling as if they were covering their mouths, afraid of revealing even the slightest secret.
It was already bright outside. At this time in the past, Zhou Yongyin would have cooked breakfast early and gone to wake them up, but now he was nowhere to be seen.
Jiang Yu remembered that when the rooster crowed, he heard footsteps outside. His grandfather must have already gotten up to feed the chickens and ducks.
Now, one or two of them have disappeared.
A neat and tidy set of rouge-colored clothes was placed beside the bed. It was Jiang Yu's size. It was unclear when, but Shen Jiuxu's collection bag contained many of Jiang Yu's clothes.
Some of the clothes were brought out by Shen Wuke, and many others were ones Jiang Yu had never seen before, but each one was neatly tailored, with smooth fabric, and clearly expensive. Perhaps even Jiang Yu himself didn't notice, but the corners of his mouth naturally turned up when he saw the clothes.
A silver belt was tied around his waist, and the young man was tall and slender, like a handsome pine tree.
He pushed open the door, and sunlight streamed across the ground. The courtyard was empty, and Jiang Yu was about to go look for someone.
"Cough cough—"
A few soft coughs came from behind. Jiang Yu turned around and saw Lu Buwen pushing his wheelchair out by himself. He had changed into white clothes, looked haggard, and had dark circles under his eyes, as if he hadn't slept all night.
"Uncle Lu."
Jiang Yu walked behind him and pushed his wheelchair. The two of them sat and stood. Looking at Lu Buwen's back, he always felt that he was filled with a lot of sadness.
"Jiang Yu".
Lu Buwen called out the name slowly, "You really look like your mother."
"Uncle Lu has met my mother." Jiang Yu had guessed this a few days ago, but he didn't expect him to bring it up directly. "What did Grandfather and Uncle Lu talk about?"
“Your mother was a very good woman, a heroine who was just as capable as any man. Neither I nor Quesheng’s mother could beat her. She was skilled with a knife, and your swordsmanship bears some resemblance to hers, swift and elegant.”
Lu Buwen recalled the people from back then, looking at the similar yet ultimately different faces in front of him. Even after a night, he still couldn't accept Ye Jianqing's death.
He took out a box from his pocket and placed it in Jiang Yu's hand. "This is your mother's stuff. Asu guessed that you were her child, so she specially packed this thing to give to you. Now it's been delivered."
“A-Su still has her portrait. Next time we go to Egret Island, I’ll ask her to take it out for you to see.”
"Thank you very much, Uncle Lu. Please also thank Sect Leader Lian for me. You still remember my mother. I thought that apart from my grandfather and me, no one in this world remembered her."
Jiang Yu hesitated for a moment before speaking, then fell silent. This was the first time in his life he had encountered a communication problem; he didn't know how to speak to such an elder.
In the past, Zhou Yongyin was the person he spent the most time with. After going to Shenwuke, he met some older people, but he had only a casual relationship with them. Apart from daily pleasantries, they didn't have much interaction.
After Shen Jiuxu's "death," Lianfeng and Liangu's attitude was not good, but Jiang Yu didn't care at all. He just wanted to vent his anger and draw his sword.
But Lu Buwen was different.
Jiang Yu had almost no elders of his stature, and given his close relationship with Ye Jianqing, he felt even more awkward when speaking to him.
No one had ever mentioned Ye Jianqing to him.
Zhou Yongyin only spoke briefly each time. In his words, Ye Jianqing was gentle and kind, disregarding her own health for the sake of her infant son. She seemed like a calm pool, but she possessed an indestructible and powerful inner strength.
But Lu Buwen described it differently. He seemed to see a bright and flamboyant young woman with profound cultivation and unparalleled swordsmanship, who was still remembered by her friends even after many years.
Jiang Yu's mental image of Ye Jianqing was gradually being completed, and the colors of the figure became richer and clearer.
The woman who gave birth to him in some mysterious way, and with whom he shared an inseparable blood relationship, was the mother he had longed for day and night and called out to countless times in his heart since childhood.
Seeing the strange look on Jiang Yu's face, Lu Buwen felt a pang of sadness and sighed, "Jiang Yu, I have something urgent to deal with and can't bother you any longer. Asu probably wants to know this news as soon as possible, so I'm thinking of going back first and telling her in person that there is a child named Jianqing in this world."
Lu Buwen said slowly and deliberately. He looked much calmer, and a very faint smile appeared on his lips. "Quesheng hasn't gotten up yet. He'll probably sleep until the sun is high in the sky. When he wakes up, tell him that I'm going back to Bailuzhou first, and that he should come back as soon as he's had enough fun outside."
"Dad, are you talking bad about me behind my back again? I'm right here, you don't need to sneak around." Lian Quesheng's loud voice came from a distance. He ran a few steps and got in front of Lu Buwen. "Are you going back to Bailuzhou? Is it okay for you to go alone? I'll go with you. I'll take you back and then come out again."
"Are you willing to do that?"
Lian Quesheng jumped three feet high, a thin layer of sweat appearing on his forehead from the violent movement. "Dad, what kind of person do you take me for? I am very filial. How could I let you go back alone?"
Jiang Yu watched them chatting and laughing, then lowered his eyes and stared at the stones on the ground. Their words and laughter occasionally reached his ears, though a few curses were quickly drowned out by Lian Quesheng's pleas for mercy.
He waited for a while, then suddenly felt a tap on his shoulder. Lian Quesheng leaned closer to him and asked, "Where's Jiuxu? Where did he go so early in the morning?"
"I'm going to find him."
Jiang Yu snapped out of his daze, turned around and walked down the mountain. Lian Quesheng, standing behind him, was completely bewildered. He and Xichuang exchanged glances. "What's wrong with these two? They're both so distracted. My father is, and so is Jiang Yu?"
"Maybe you didn't sleep well last night!"
Xi Chuang's expression remained unchanged, as calm and reserved as ever. Even Que Sheng didn't think much of it, feeling that what he said made sense. After all, he hadn't slept well last night either, listening to the noises outside the window all night with his big eyes wide open.
"Go back to sleep for a while."
Seeing that there was no one left in the courtyard, Lu Buwen pushed the wheelchair back to pack his luggage, and Jiang Yu also went down the mountain. Lian Quesheng then opened the west window and went back to his room to sleep.
Jiang Yu followed the mountain path down and, sure enough, saw a figure halfway down. Shen Jiuxu was standing by the water, splashing water everywhere. Jiang Yu looked closely and saw a person struggling in the lake, shouting something.
He took a few more steps and recognized it.
Childhood memories resurfaced in his mind. Several children stood together, with Tang Ling at the very front. He was the oldest among them, much taller than the younger Jiang Yu.
"A wild child without parents."
"A jinx."
Most of the words that lingered in his ears during his childhood came from that person's mouth. As a child, Jiang Yu tried to plug his ears with cotton, but found that no matter how hard he tried, it was to no avail. Countless voices could not be eliminated or forgotten, tormenting him day and night.
Jiang Yu stepped forward, and the person in the lake struggled to see him, flailing his arms as if pleading for help, shouting loudly, "Help me—help me!"
Shen Jiuxu didn't hear his footsteps. Jiang Yu walked up behind him. Hua Bao recognized him and wanted to speak, but Jiang Yu stopped her. He put his index finger to his lips and gently shushed her.
He hugged Shen Jiuxu's waist, rested his head on his shoulder, and whispered, "Do you want your master to teach you?"
Why are you here?
Shen Jiuxu looked at the hands entwined around his waist, a smile playing on his lips. Jiang Yu's smooth long hair slid down to his neck. "Why didn't you sleep a little longer? You didn't sleep well last night."
"It's all your fault. Let's sleep together when we get back."
"And who are you?" Tang Ling thought that someone had finally come to save him, but when the person got closer and hugged the guy, he realized that something was wrong. The two seemed to be in cahoots.
Jiang Yu noticed his confusion and smiled, saying, "Young Master Tang, don't you remember me? We're the only family living on the mountain. When we were kids, Young Master Tang and I used to laugh and talk together all the time!"
Tang Ling stared at him repeatedly for a while before realizing that this was the person he had just mentioned. His gaze lingered between Jiang Yu and Shen Jiuxu. "Jiang—you are Jiang Yu."
“Young Master Tang, you’re a man of high status and have a bad memory. You’ve finally remembered.”
"Don't talk to him too much." Shen Jiuxu didn't want to talk to anyone, afraid that this person would affect Jiang Yu's mood. He just wanted to finish the matter quickly. He originally came out alone to avenge Jiang Yu and didn't want anyone to know. Who would have thought that Jiang Yu would actually come looking for him himself?
Jiang Yu patted his hand, took the stone from the flower bud, placed it in Shen Jiuxu's palm, and then held his wrist. "Okay, then go back to sleep early after you're done."
Ripples spread across the water's surface. Stones thrown into the water vanished without a trace in the blink of an eye. Shen Jiuxu watched as Tang Ling tumbled several times in the lake, his body a mess. It took a long time for him to calm down and roll to the water's edge.
Why not—
Shen Jiuxu was surprised that Jiang Yu would show mercy, and a hint of doubt flashed in his eyes. The other party smiled and looked at him, "The Jiang Yu who was young now has Shen Jiuxu by his side and the love of his parents. There is no need for him to bother with this person."
The tall trees almost blocked out the sky, with a few rays of sunlight occasionally filtering through the gaps in the branches and leaves. Jiang Yu pulled Shen Jiuxu's hand to touch it, saying, "Trees need more sun. When we get back to Shen Wuke, you'll become a tree, and I'll move a chaise lounge under its shade so we can sunbathe together, okay?"
Hearing his clumsy attempt to change the subject, Shen Jiuxu's heart almost melted. Just then, a noise came from behind him. He wanted to turn around to look, but Jiang Yu gave Shen Jiuxu a quick kiss on the cheek, preventing him from turning around. "Let's go. Didn't you say you were going back to sleep?"
He seemed to be talking about Shen Jiuxu, but it was more like he was advising his younger self. Shen Jiuxu stared at Jiang Yu for a while, and seeing that he really seemed to have let go, he had no choice but to follow the man up the mountain again.
"I will always be by your side."
"As the saying goes, a tree dies when it's moved, but a person thrives." Jiang Yu understood his words of comfort and kissed him again, his tone teasing. "You'll definitely stay by my side for the rest of your life. You can't run away, and you can't die, otherwise I'll make another trip to the Nine Netherworld and fish you out."
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Author's Note: The Swaying Flower Bud:
Whom should we listen to?
The tree won't let us speak! The flower is in a dilemma, and the flower doesn't know either. [Chin resting on hand][Chin resting on hand]
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