Glimpse into a Hundred Faces (12)
Ye Yingying's consciousness seemed to sink into an abyss. The closer she got to Yanqing Sect, the stronger the invisible resistance became, as if someone had deliberately veiled her memories.
Wasn't the Ghost Calculator from the Yanqing Sect before? She needs to know...
...What do I need to know?
Ye Yingying suddenly realized that her mind was blank, and she couldn't remember some very important things no matter how hard she tried.
She groped desperately in the chaos, but only grasped at nothingness.
"Yingying, Yingying!"
The clear, crisp call pierced through the mist, shining into her consciousness like moonlight. The voice persistently repeated itself, over and over, finally pulling her out of her daze.
"He's awake! He's awake!" Qi Rongting exclaimed with surprise and pride. "I told you the medicinal bath would work!"
Ye Yingying blinked blankly and found herself soaking in a jade basin filled with the fragrance of herbs, her feathers clinging wetly to her body, making her look like a wet ball of fluff.
"Yingying!" Yun Yanqiu suddenly brought his face close, his nose almost touching her beak. The young man frowned, his eyes filled with worry. "Are you alright? Is anything bothering you?!"
"Brother Yun, it can't answer even if you ask it." Zhao Huai Ren awkwardly twitched the corner of his mouth.
"Yeah, Brother Yanqiu, it's scared." Qi Rongting laughed as he pulled Yun Yanqiu away, then scooped up Ye Yingying, wrapped her in a soft cloth, and gave her a good rub. "Quickly dry her off, don't let her catch a cold!"
Qi Rongting had been wanting to rub this little chubby bird for a long time. Yun Yanqiu had kept it tightly closed and wouldn't let anyone touch it before, but now that he finally had the chance, he was going to give it a good rub.
Ye Yingying was so dizzy from being rubbed that she finally managed to break free from the clutches and immediately flapped her wings and flew towards Yunyan Hill.
The boy reached out and caught her steadily. The moment he touched her, his fingertips unconsciously pinched her round body—good, she hadn't lost any weight, so she must be alright.
He pulled Ye Yingying into his collar, solemnly took out the gleaming gold coin from his pocket, and handed it to Qi Rongting: "Here you go, consider this my payment."
"No, no, no!" Qi Rongting refused without hesitation. "This is nothing. I only helped you because I truly consider you friends. Using this money would be an insult to me!"
"But……"
"No buts!" Qi Rongting pressed his hand down. "Brother Yanqiu, I really enjoy playing with you guys. Just be willing to play with me in the future!"
His bright, sparkling eyes were irresistible, and Yun Yanqiu agreed. Then he mentioned that he had to rush to Ganzhou and was preparing to say goodbye.
Upon hearing that he was leaving, Zhao Huai-ren quickly interjected, "Take me with you!"
"Where are you going?" Yun Yanqiu asked, puzzled.
"Come to your place for a drink, your Wuquan wine is famous far and wide." Zhao Huai-ren raised an eyebrow with a grin and put his arm around his shoulder. "If you come with me, you'll have to give me a discount."
Whether it's cheap or not isn't up to me to decide.
"It's alright! It's worth it just to have a sip!" Zhao Huai-ren laughed heartily.
Qi Rongting, standing to the side, was extremely envious, but he was neither old enough to drink nor able to go to Ganzhou with them. He could only pitifully wave goodbye to the two of them, earnestly asking them to save a jar for him so they could drink together when he came of age.
"Okay." Yun Yanqiu smiled and unconsciously reached out to rub the boy's head. "We'll get together when you come of age."
Yun Yanqiu and Duan Yougan boarded the carriage arranged by the Qi family. Ganzhou borders Jinzhou, and the terrain is flat, so the carriage traveled very smoothly. Before long, they arrived at Yun's Winery.
The winery is nestled at the northwest foot of Ganzhou Mountain, shrouded in a hazy mist from afar. Strings of red lanterns hang from the dark green eaves, and a babbling brook flows behind it, its banks covered with unidentified wildflowers.
After many years, Yun Yanqiu once again set foot on his homeland. The wind was still gentle, carrying the fragrance and warmth of his memories as it caressed his cheeks. He looked around; although the faces on the street were somewhat unfamiliar, the layout of the houses was almost exactly the same as when he left.
"How magnificent!" Zhao Huai-ren exclaimed, gazing at the four gilded characters above the door. Although this place couldn't compare to the opulent splendor of Qi Rongting's house, it still possessed its own unique charm.
Yun Yanqiu looked up at the lanterns swaying gently in the wind, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly. The rich, mellow aroma of wine wafted over him; he took a deep breath and stepped over the threshold.
What comes into view are rows of wine cabinets, displaying porcelain bottles of all sizes, and a row of wine jars neatly stacked on the ground. Even though they are sealed with mud, they cannot hide the enticing aroma of the wine inside.
"What kind of wine would you two gentlemen like to try?" The waiter greeted them with a smile. "We have sweet and spicy wines here, whatever flavor you want."
"Is your boss here?" Zhao Huai-ren interrupted.
"Boss?" The shop assistant was taken aback. "You mean Manager Yun?"
“Exactly.” Zhao Huai-ren raised his arm and put it on Yun Yanqiu’s shoulder. “This is your boss’s son. You can ask your manager to come and take a look and you’ll know.”
The waiter's eyes widened as his gaze swept over Yun Yanqiu, noticing a resemblance between his features and those of Manager Yun. But so many people had impersonated the young master over the years; he hadn't expected that even after so many years of this, someone would still be using this as a pretext to show up.
The man couldn't make up his mind, so he politely arranged for the two to sit down and rest, and then quickly ran to the backyard to call for help.
The backyard drying ground was covered with yeast, gleaming golden in the sunlight. A woman with braided pigtails was bending over, sorting through the yeast, the ends of her braids swaying gently at her waist with each movement. The woman had thick eyebrows and large eyes, her face carrying a touch of heroism. Her sleeves were rolled up to her elbows, and a damp cloth was draped around her neck to wipe away sweat; she looked incredibly capable.
The waiter jogged over to the woman and whispered, "Manager, there are two out-of-towners. One of them says he's the young master, back to visit relatives. You see..."
The woman's eyes flickered, and a hint of impatience flashed across her tanned face: "Which clueless bastard is trying to scam drinks again? Throw him out!"
"But those two are carrying swords, and they seem to know some magic. I'm afraid they'll be difficult to deal with..."
"Celestial arts?" Yun Yuxi paused, shook off the yeast residue from her hands, and strode towards the front hall.
As soon as she lifted the curtain, Yun Yuxi saw two figures. One of them, a young man, was stroking a small bird in his arms. Hearing the noise, he immediately looked up. The moment their eyes met, the young man's eyes lit up: "Sister!"
Yun Yuxi stared at him blankly, saying nothing.
Yun Yanqiu didn't take it seriously, and walked forward briskly, calling out again, "Sister, I'm back!"
The waiter behind Yun Yuxi was dumbfounded. It wasn't obvious before, but now that the two of them stood together and compared, they looked exactly like they were cut from the same mold! Could it be that he really is Manager Yun's brother who has been missing for many years?
Yun Yuxi was clearly shocked by her brother's arrival, her eyes flashing with a myriad of emotions. Suddenly enraged, she grabbed Yun Yanqiu's wrist and forcefully dragged him into the room, slamming the door shut before anyone could catch up.
Ye Yingying, Zhao Huai Ren, and the waiter who made the announcement were all blocked outside the door, and could only look at each other in bewilderment.
"What are you doing back here?!" Inside the house, Yun Yuxi roared at Yun Yanqiu, "Do you know how much effort I put into getting Father and Mother to accept the fact that you're not coming back?"
"What did you say to them?" Yun Yanqiu could hardly believe what he was hearing. He had been somewhat confused by Yun Yuxi's reaction, but after hearing his elder sister's words, he finally understood. "You're the one who spread the news of my death?"
"What's wrong with me?" Yun Yuxi stood tall with her hands on her hips, showing no remorse whatsoever.
"What makes you think I'm dead?!"
"Why should I?" Yun Yuxi couldn't help but sneer. "Because you haven't been home once in over twenty years, and you haven't even sent a single letter!"
Yun Yanqiu froze on the spot, his face turning deathly pale in an instant.
"Yun Yanqiu, how dare you ask me what gives you the right?" Yun Yuxi became increasingly angry as she spoke. She put one hand on her hip, raised the other, and pointed at Yun Yanqiu, scolding him, "I thought you left with that immortal to learn skills so you could come back and protect our parents. But you, on the contrary, went off to live a carefree life with him, completely forgetting about your family!"
She pointed outside the door and said, "Look at you! Even after all these years, what have you brought home? Not only did you bring nothing, but you've also started raising birds like those spoiled brats!"
"Cultivating immortality is such a good life, why did you come back?!"
Do you know how heartbroken your parents are, waiting at home every day for you to come home?!
"If I hadn't told them you were dead, they would still be waiting for you to come back every day at the entrance of the distillery!"
Every word Yun Yuxi spoke was like a sharp thorn, piercing Yun Yanqiu's heart and causing him excruciating pain.
She angrily vented her years of pent-up resentment towards her younger brother, and after a long while, she took a deep breath: "Our parents are getting old, and their bodies can't take any more strain. Let's just do something good and stop giving them unnecessary expectations."
After Yun Yuxi finished speaking, she looked at her younger brother, whom she hadn't seen for many years. He was hanging his head, his eyes seemingly filled with tears. Yun Yuxi knew her words had been harsh, but for her parents' sake, she had to make the best choice.
Yun Yanqiu's body trembled slightly. The family he had missed for many years had immediately launched into a tirade against him upon their first meeting. He had never suffered such humiliation before. Unable to contain his anger, he roared, "Fine, I won't see you! I don't care to see you!"
He stormed out the door, shoved Zhao Huai-ren aside, and ran away without looking back. Ye Ying-ying, seeing this, chased after him without a second thought, leaving Zhao Huai-ren standing there, completely bewildered.
Yun Yuxi also came out of the house. She stared coldly at Yun Yanqiu's retreating figure without saying a word.
The waiter whispered, "Manager, this..."
“Ignore him,” Yun Yuxi said, when she suddenly felt a burning gaze.
She turned her head inexplicably and met Zhao Huai'ren's blank face. This guy came with Yun Yanqiu, why is he still here?
"Aren't you leaving yet?" Yun Yuxi asked, frowning.
"Ah, I..." Zhao Huai-ren shuddered, his face turning bright red. He scratched his head awkwardly. "I want to buy a pot of wine."
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