A Glimpse into the Hundred Faces (14)
Zhao Huai-ren noticed that Yunmu's reaction was a bit off, so he softened his tone and tentatively asked, "Auntie, you don't believe those rumors outside, do you?"
Yunmu shook her head, looking melancholy: "You don't know, those words were spread by my daughter."
Zhao Huai-ren paused, "Miss A-Yu? Why would she..."
“It’s all my fault as a mother…” Yunmu stopped, her cloudy eyes glistening with tears. “When Ayan left with Immortal Li, she was only waist-high to me. Who would have thought that she would be gone for more than twenty years?”
“Back then, my husband and I were young and ambitious, our business was booming, and our child showed signs of spiritual talent, so we thought of sending him to cultivate so that he could eventually achieve great things and come back to protect our descendants.” She couldn’t help but sigh, her silver hair trembling slightly. “Looking back now, it was all so foolish…”
Yunmu said with self-reproach, "I didn't feel it in the first few years, but the longer the days went by, the deeper my longing became. We mortals didn't understand back then that ten years in the eyes of immortals is just a snap of the fingers."
"Please excuse our foolishness. We are all short-sighted and vulgar people who always think we are right, but in the end we do a lot of stupid things that harm our children."
Zhao Huai-ren's throat tightened, but then the woman suddenly grabbed his wrist. Her calloused hands were icy cold, yet incredibly hot: "Little Zhao, could you help your aunt find A-yan? Your aunt has no other wish in this life, just to have one last family meal together..."
“Ayan must have been dragged into the house by his sister and said some nasty things before he ran away, but Ayu did all that because of us…” Yunmu’s gaze became more and more earnest, making it hard to refuse.
"Don't worry, Auntie!" Zhao Huai-ren grasped the old woman's trembling hands in return, his voice louder than ever before, "I will definitely bring him back for dinner!"
He leaped onto the rooftop, guessing that Yun Yanqiu must dislike crowded places, so without a word, he ran up the mountain. Sure enough, Zhao Huai Ren followed the stream upstream and saw Yun Yanqiu's lonely figure on the bank.
"Brother Yan! Are you still angry with your sister?" Zhao Huai Ren approached with a grin and sat down next to him.
Seeing that he arrived late, Yun Yanqiu was quite annoyed: "Whose side are you on anyway?"
“Uh…” Zhao Huai-ren was speechless, awkwardly licking his palate. “I saw your mother, she misses you a lot.”
"What's the use of thinking about me? I'm just an unfilial son. It's better for me to be dead than alive." Yun Yanqiu clenched his fingers tightly, his knuckles turning white.
“Oh dear, you can’t say that! Your mother told me secretly that she knew you weren’t dead all along, but she pretended to accept the rumor so your sister wouldn’t worry too much.” As Zhao Huai-ren spoke, he subtly observed Yun Yanqiu’s expression. Seeing that he was wavering, he quickly added, “I really envy you. You have family who care about you and are so considerate of each other. Unlike me, I’m all alone, with no one to rely on. If I suddenly died on the roadside one day, no one would care.”
"Who says nobody cares!" Yun Yanqiu suddenly became excited. "You're my brother. Even if I die in the sea, I'll rush to collect your body!"
"No way, you're already thinking about collecting the body?" Ye Yingying was speechless as she listened to their conversation.
But Zhao Huai-ren was deeply moved by these words and immediately put his arm around Yun Yanqiu's shoulder and laughed loudly: "Good, good, good! It wasn't a wasted trip with you!"
"Good brother, since that's the case, calm down. Listen to me, it's not easy to come home, the whole family can have a meal together, and we can even have a few drinks. There's nothing to feel bad about, right?"
Yun Yanqiu hesitated, but then she smelled the stench of alcohol emanating from his breath. Her brows furrowed immediately, and she shoved his arm away: "Zhao Huai Ren, you actually accepted bribes to drink my family's wine?!"
Oh no, I forgot about that. Zhao Huai-ren said guiltily, "I didn't drink much, just tasted a little, really just a tiny bit..."
"roll!"
Yun Yanqiu angrily drew his sword, refusing to go back with Zhao Huai Ren no matter how much he begged for mercy.
Ye Yingying couldn't bear to watch any longer. With a sigh, she suddenly flew out of Yun Yanqiu's arms. She spread her wings and skimmed over the treetops, her figure drawing an emerald arc in the setting sun, flying straight towards the lights that had just been lit at the foot of the mountain.
"Yingying!" Yun Yanqiu hurriedly caught up, with Zhao Huai Ren close behind. The two chased after the blue and white sparrow all the way back to the entrance of Yun's Winery.
A little bird landed on the eaves, and the lanterns on the corners of the eaves swayed gently, illuminating the way home.
“Look, Yingying wants you to come back.” Zhao Huai Ren patted Yun Yanqiu on the back. “Since you’re here, let’s go in and have a meal.”
The little bird chirped twice, as if in agreement. Its round eyes darted around, looking expectantly at Yun Yanqiu. Under Ye Yingying's gaze, Yun Yanqiu finally sighed softly and stepped over the threshold.
As soon as they entered, the two bumped into Yun Yuxi, who was taking inventory. The siblings paused, the air instantly freezing. Yun Yanqiu, his jaw clenched, walked silently to the backyard with a cold expression.
Zhao Huai-ren, who was behind him, stepped forward with a smile and offered his help: "Miss A-Yu, do you need a hand?"
"Who told you to bring him back?" Yun Yuxi's expression suddenly turned cold.
"Oh, it's your aunt's idea, she said we should have a meal together."
Yun Yuxi snorted coldly, her brows furrowed in displeasure.
Seeing her like this, Zhao Huai-ren simply said seriously, "Miss A-Yu, I know you mean well, and your aunt knows it very well too, so she has pretended to believe those rumors all these years so that you won't worry."
"But now that Brother Yan is back, there's no need to keep it a secret any longer, is there?"
"What do you know? How many days can he stay when he comes back? He'll just pack up and leave again. Won't it be your parents who are heartbroken?" Yun Yuxi crossed her arms, clearly displeased that an outsider was lecturing her. "You're also your parents' flesh and blood. Haven't you ever thought about how cruel it is to make them wait day after day for a vague and unrealistic expectation?"
“I’m an orphan, I have no parents. But I think that if we care about each other, it’s always better to have a chance to get together than to never see each other in our lives.” Zhao Huai-ren looked at her with a firm and sincere gaze.
Yun Yuxi paused slightly upon hearing this. Her silence made Zhao Huai Ren mistakenly think that his words had angered her, so he immediately explained, "Of course, I'm not saying that your concerns are wrong, but think about it, people grow up. Perhaps your parents couldn't handle it before, but so many years have passed, and their mindset has changed, hasn't it?"
Yun Yuxi's long eyelashes trembled slightly. She was silent for a moment, then said softly, "You're right." She then looked away awkwardly, her expression guilty, "I'm sorry, I didn't know you..."
She looked so beautiful when she apologized... Zhao Huai-ren stared at Yun Yu-xi in a daze, completely unaware of what she said afterward.
"You are a distinguished guest, I will have Xiao Qiu take you to the dining hall."
Zhao Huai-ren then realized what was happening and quickly waved his hand, "No need, no need, I can wait for you..."
Unfortunately, Yunyuxi didn't give him that chance, and instead told a passing shopkeeper to lead Zhao Huai Ren over.
Zhao Huai Ren turned around and saw that this "Xiao Qiu" was the same waiter who had been serving him and Yun Yan Qiu. He glanced reluctantly at Yun Yu Xi, who had already turned away and continued to work on his tasks.
"Immortal Master, please follow me?" Xiao Qiu gestured for him to go first, her face beaming with a bright smile. Zhao Huai Ren had no choice but to suppress his resentment and head towards the dining hall.
"Your young lady, doesn't she take a break after a whole day? I've seen her working the whole time..."
"Oh dear, didn't I tell you before? The Iron Lady isn't called that for nothing," Xiao Qiu teased. "Immortal Master, if you really marry Miss, you'll have to work alongside her every day."
They spent every day together... Zhao Huai-ren's ears automatically filtered out what he wanted to hear. Just thinking about that scene made him feel incredibly happy, and he couldn't help but grin foolishly.
He entered the dining hall and saw Yunmu holding Yun Yanqiu's hand tightly, showering him with concern and care. Over twenty years had calloused her palms, yet now they were as soft as if she were cradling fragile glass. Beside them sat a white-bearded man, his posture dignified, yet a hint of tenderness shone in his eyes; even his white beard trembled slightly with his breath. His gaze was fixed on Yun Yanqiu, quietly observing the mother and son.
"Uncle, Aunt." Zhao Huai-ren greeted the two elders with a fist and palm salute. When Yunmu saw him, she smiled and waved to him, "Little Zhao, come and sit down."
Zhao Huai Ren readily agreed and sat down next to Yun Yan Qiu. He heard Yun Yan Qiu ask in a low voice, "Why are you so slow again?"
"No, you left without a word, so I have to explain to your sister for you." Zhao Huai Ren calmly picked up the glass on the table, took a sip, and found that it was wine. He couldn't help but smack his lips in lingering relish.
"What's the point of explaining to her?" Yun Yanqiu said with a disdainful look.
Yunmu, who was standing nearby, quickly coaxed, "Ayan, it's also our parents' responsibility that your sister did those things. Please, for our sake, don't hold it against her, okay?"
Yun Yanqiu pursed her lips, but ultimately couldn't refuse them, so she turned her head away, propped her chin on her hand, and stubbornly said, "As long as she stops spreading rumors about me..."
As they were talking, he suddenly saw Yun Yuxi lift the curtain and enter. The two looked at each other, and the candlelight in the room suddenly crackled and popped, startling Ye Yingying, who was sleeping lightly beside him, so much so that she shook her feathers.
The anger that Yun Yanqiu had just suppressed was beginning to rekindle. Yun Yuxi said nothing and went straight to sit down opposite him.
As sparks flew, Mica clapped her hands and called out to serve the food. The maids filed in, bringing out several delicious dishes, including a special dish of millet soaked in fresh flower dew for the little bird. Ye Yingying happily shook her head, pecking at the millet with relish.
"Here, Ayan." Yunmu picked up a piece of braised fish with her chopsticks and put it into Yunyanqiu's bowl. "I remember you loved eating this when you were little. Even before you had all your teeth, you could spit out all the bones by yourself."
When Yunmu said this, there was a hint of pride in her tone: "Look, does it still taste the same now?"
Yun Yanqiu picked up a piece of fish and chewed it a couple of times, but couldn't recall the taste from her childhood. She only found the dish too salty. Perhaps it was because she had gotten used to bland food in Xuanming Mountain for so many years, that eating such heavily seasoned food was now difficult for her to swallow.
But Yunmu's expectant gaze was too intense, and Yun Yanqiu couldn't bear to hurt her feelings, so he forced himself to swallow the fish and then nodded emphatically: "Delicious."
Seeing Yunmu's beaming face, Yun Yanqiu picked up the cup beside him and drank it all in one gulp, forgetting that the cup was full of wine. The strong taste made him dizzy and lightheaded.
"Oh dear, don't rush, don't rush. We have plenty of wine at home, just drink slowly." Yunmu patted his back and then ordered the servants to bring a pot of tea.
Yun Yanqiu accepted the tea and, after finally regaining his composure, felt a pang of unease.
After a few rounds of drinks, the atmosphere at the table warmed up considerably. Yunmu, in particular, became more talkative after getting drunk, and even stood up to clink glasses with everyone, saying, "Our family is finally all together today! It's a joyous occasion, let's drink to our hearts' content!"
She laughed drunkenly, still remembering to pick up the wine pot and fill everyone's cups. Yun Yuxi couldn't bear it any longer and put down her chopsticks to stop her: "Mother, that's enough, you can't drink anymore."
"What are you saying? My little darling is back, of course we have to drink!" Yunmu staggered and hugged Yun Yanqiu tightly, her cheek affectionately pressed against the top of his head. "Our Ayan has grown so much, he could still hold you in his arms when he left..."
Yun Yanqiu's Adam's apple bobbed slightly. Suddenly, he felt a few hot tears fall from the top of his head. He froze on the spot, letting his mother's arms tighten around him.
"Mother..." he called softly, his hands hanging by his sides rising and falling several times, until Yunmu suddenly lost all strength and her entire weight leaned on him. He immediately supported Yunmu's body, shouting in panic, "Mother!"
"It's nothing, she's just drunk." Yun's father stepped forward with a helpless look on his face. He took Yun's mother, who was completely drunk, and turned to walk outside. "You guys keep eating, especially Ayan. If you're not full, tell your sister to add a few more dishes. Don't be shy."
After the two elders left, an eerie silence fell over the room. Yun Yuxi glanced at Yun Yanqiu, but said nothing, and returned to her seat to continue eating. She chewed her food mechanically, the tips of her chopsticks scraping the blue-and-white porcelain at the bottom of her bowl with a soft sound.
Yun Yanqiu didn't bother wasting his time on her. He glanced at Zhao Huai Ren beside him and found that the guy was staring straight ahead without moving, a gentle smile curving his lips. He couldn't help but stare at Zhao Huai Ren closely. Seeing that Zhao Huai Ren's eyes were fixed on him, he followed his gaze and finally looked at Yun Yuxi's face.
He frowned, suspiciously glancing back and forth between the two, and noticed that Zhao Huai-ren's gaze was fixed on the other person without moving an inch. Yun Yu-xi, on the other hand, kept her head down and ate her meal the entire time, not glancing in their direction even once.
Recalling Zhao Huai Ren's previous tardiness, Yun Yanqiu suddenly realized something. His pupils contracted, his brows furrowed into a deep frown, and his expression instantly became complex. His gaze towards Zhao Huai Ren shifted from confusion to shock—this guy actually had a crush on his sister?!
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