Chapter 28 Regarding matters of the heart, if one can restrain oneself…
"Why are you wearing a curtain?"
Yu Tan is beautiful and loves to look good. If she dresses up nicely, she will definitely flaunt herself in front of him, wishing she could spin around a few times. When will she ever have such a low-key demeanor?
Suddenly, he realized that perhaps the incident with Ji Yushang had left a shadow on her.
She believed that her beauty brought her misfortune, which made her hide and avoid it.
Those who break the rules by picking flowers should never be blamed on the flowers being too bright and beautiful.
If this incident left Yu Tan with a lingering trauma, he would somewhat regret letting Ji Yushang die so easily.
Her wrist was grasped by slender fingers. Yu He'an looked down at her, his gaze piercing through the curtain to see into her heart.
She tugged at Yu He'an, making him lower himself further, and then mysteriously moved closer. Their heads touched, and amidst the surging crowd, they resembled fledglings nestled together.
"I'm here to deposit money; I want to keep a low profile."
"ah?"
A look of surprise flashed across his indifferent face, and he gave her a suspicious look.
Whether it was her imagination or not, she felt that Yu He was more relaxed and the cold atmosphere had dissipated.
He was just a worried older brother.
"Besides, this moon-white curtain goes very well with my smoky blue ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress)." She fiddled with the gauze curtain, turned around, and showed it off to Yu He'an confidently. "Doesn't it look good?"
Yu He'an responded softly, released her wrist, took a few steps forward, and gestured for her to follow.
She followed half a step behind Yu He'an. There were an unusually large number of people on the street today. Yu He'an stepped back from half a step ahead to stand shoulder to shoulder with her, inadvertently blocking the bustling crowd.
In the bustling marketplace, she unexpectedly heard the sounds of the story unfolding again.
[Hold his hand]
Yu Tan froze; this time was different from before.
Whom should she hold hands with on this street?
The plot is accelerating once again.
[Hold his hand]
Noticing that she had stopped, Yu He'an also stopped, looking at her expressionlessly.
Just as the scene was about to repeat itself, she jogged a few steps forward and, using the wide sleeves as cover, slipped her hand into her dry, warm palm.
From the moment she touched Yu He'an, she felt her hand stiffen for a moment, and her whole body stiffened as well. She then relaxed and looked at her with concern. "Are you cold?"
She nodded reluctantly.
She clearly remembered that he had warmed her hands last time, so why was he reacting so strongly this time? What was wrong with him?
Yu He'an held her fingertips, his sleeves concealing their intertwined hands, protecting her as they moved through the crowd. Only when they reached their destination did he release her hand.
Yu Tan then realized where she was: Ban Ri Xian Tea House.
Before she woke up, she was quite happy to come to this place to listen to stories from all over the world. Even though she couldn't go there, listening to the stories was as good as going there.
No wonder there are so many people today; it turns out that dancers from the Western Regions have come to Bianjing and set up a stage to dance during their half-day break.
They arrived too late and could only get a private room on the second floor, but luckily the location was good, allowing them to see the entire performance on stage.
"Brother, why are you out here?" The imperial examination is in a few days, and Yuhe'an should be focusing on preparing for it.
"A string stretched too tight is easy to break. Come out and relax your mind." Yu He'an washed the tea set, poured two cups of tea, and pushed one cup in front of her.
She glanced at the time; there were still three hours before Zhao Qingwu left. Although she also wanted to see the Western Region dancers perform, she didn't want to miss seeing them off because of her own enjoyment.
Yu Tan took the curtain and placed it on the small table beside him, took a sip of tea and said, "Brother, I have an appointment with Madam Zhao to discuss business."
Yu He'an raised his eyes: "What time are we going?"
Yu Tan blinked and held up two fingers: "Two more hours."
Yu He'an said, "This dance only lasts for one hour. If you miss it, there won't be another chance. After you've finished watching, I'll take you there."
Wait a minute, when did Yu He'an become so free? It's one thing to come out and watch dancing, but to even escort her there, how is she supposed to sneak off to see Zhao Qingwu?
Yu Tan's eyes widened, and she said with a bitter face, "Brother, after the dance, you can go about your business. I can go by myself."
Yu He'an must have had other business to attend to when she left the manor; she couldn't have come all this way just to see a performance.
His gaze swept over her, "Why?"
"Why? Brother, it's very close to the Zhao residence. We only need to go through two alleys to get there."
However, it was in the opposite direction from sending Zhao Qingwu. If Yu He'an really sent her to the Zhao residence, it would take her another half an hour to find Zhao Qingwu.
Yu He'an touched his lips with the teacup, turned his gaze to the stage, and said casually, "Why haven't you come to the study much lately? Aren't you reading anymore?"
She kept her head down. She didn't go to the study to read books; she was clearly going to take a nap.
She could still distinguish between what was important and what was urgent. The scientific expedition was a major event and could not be delayed because of her.
Although she still had nightmares at night, she was finally able to distinguish between dreams and reality. She kept telling herself not to be afraid, that she could eventually get some sleep, and that it was no longer as unbearable as before.
"I was worried about disturbing you while you were reading, so I read in my own yard."
That's true. Anyway, she couldn't sleep in her own courtyard and spent the whole afternoon looking at account books and storybooks.
With her money steadily increasing, she knew her future would be better, and she could enjoy herself for a while. Life wouldn't be too hard to endure.
Yu He'an lowered his eyelashes and said in a low voice, "I won't disturb you."
"ah?"
Yu He'an raised his voice and emphasized, word by word, "I said I wouldn't disturb you."
Yu Tan tilted her head to look at Yu He'an, but his indifferent expression remained unchanged. She blinked in confusion and smiled, "Then I'll come tomorrow?"
"Mm," Yu He'an responded, a slight upturn of her lips.
The private rooms on the second floor were not as spacious as those on the third floor, and the people next to her were talking loudly, which she could even hear clearly; it was very noisy.
Yu He'an was quiet, and she subconsciously looked up at Yu He'an, whose handsome face showed no sign of impatience.
"I've heard a secret that concerns Lady Yu Tan of the Marquis's mansion." A strong male voice rang out. She hadn't expected to hear people talking about her behind her back while she was out listening to a storyteller. She immediately straightened her back and leaned in to listen.
"I still remember the fire at the Ji residence before the New Year. It burned for two whole days. When the cleanup crew pulled a charred corpse out of the ashes, it was said that the arms and body were separated."
Rumor has it that Ji Yushang has repeatedly tried to seduce Yu Tan, which has made Yu Tan want to secretly pledge her life to him.
Even after Ji Yushang was beaten with ten strokes of the cane, Yu Tan stayed with him in the alley for nearly a quarter of an hour, comforting and sobbing him.
Due to the vast difference in social status, the elder brother, Yu He'an, was naturally dissatisfied with his brother-in-law and took action against Ji Yushang, destroying the Ji family's century-old foundation. However, Yu Tan was still willing to be with Ji Yushang and even wanted to elope with him.
That day, Yu He'an brought his entourage to personally capture Yu Tan, who had eloped. The entire courtyard of the Ji residence was filled with portraits of Yu Tan, and Ji Yushang and Yu Tan were getting intimate.
Ji Yushang stopped Yu He'an, letting Yu Tan escape first. Enraged, Yu He'an dislocated Ji Yushang's arms and killed him, then burned down the Ji residence to vent his anger.
Another male voice rang out: "I've heard that this Yu Tan is not the wife of the Marquis."
Yu Tan straightened her back, afraid that Yu He'an would hear the last sentence, and raised her voice to drown out the conversation next door: "Rumors in the streets are not to be believed."
I was clearly going to kill Ji Yushang that day, how did it turn into an elopement?
And my brother, how could he possibly kill someone, and in such a cruel way? It must be that Ji Yushang has other enemies, and now they've all pinned their blame on the two of us.
"I will deal with the rumors spread by others; there's no need to take them to heart." After saying this, Yu He'an left the house and went to the next room.
All that could be heard was the sound of the door opening next door, but there was no exclamation, "Young Master Yu, what are you doing here?"
The next private room was quiet for several breaths. She breathed a sigh of relief, thinking that Yu He'an probably hadn't heard the last sentence about her identity.
The volume decreased, and she couldn't hear it even when she was pressed against the wall. After a while, the sound faded.
The young man opposite stammered for a long time: "Young Master Yu did the right thing. If someone were to abduct my sister, even cutting him into eight pieces would be too lenient for him."
It was our fault; we said the wrong thing. Please don't blame us, sir. We've told you everything we know. If anyone spreads rumors in the future, we will definitely stop them. We have other matters to attend to at home, so we'll be leaving now..."
No sooner had the words left his mouth than the sound of a door opening was heard, followed by hurried footsteps, as if afraid that Yu He'an would chase after them and settle scores again.
Yu He'an entered the room with a cold face and closed the cell door. "However, the rumors aren't entirely wrong."
Thinking back carefully to what had just happened, it seemed that only Yu He'an was truly dissatisfied with Ji Yushang. She nodded to indicate that she understood.
A platform half a meter high was covered with red silk, and several large drums, each a meter wide, were placed on it and lined up in a row.
Five dancers, dressed in lilac-purple Western Region dance dresses, revealing their supple waists and slender limbs, with small silver bells hanging from their waists, armlets, and anklets, walked barefoot on red silk. With each step, the bells jingled, and the dancers composed a charming melody.
The dancers leaped lightly, their toes touching the drum, and performed a few graceful dance steps.
The drums sounded in unison, and the onlookers were stunned, with only the powerful drumbeats and the clear sound of bells remaining.
The dancers moved gracefully, their lower faces veiled by light gauze, making their upper faces even more alluring. The dancers were passionate and bold, determined to give every spectator a seductive look.
Yu Tan was also served a portion, and the enthusiasm made her face turn red. She rubbed her face shyly.
"Brother, it's so beautiful! They dance so beautifully."
Yu He'an remained unmoved, slowly finishing his tea.
He suddenly remembered the words of the chivalrous knight: "If you have seen a truly stunning beauty, no one else can catch your eye."
The dancers, barefoot, tapped the drum repeatedly, producing a series of booming sounds. Only then did Yu Tan realize that they weren't just starting randomly, but were playing a tune.
She could actually hear both strength and tenderness in the sounds of drums and bells.
She tilted her head and leaned closer to Yu He'an: "Brother, what kind of music is this? I've never heard it before?"
Yuhe placed the teacup down, and the teacup clinked softly on the table. "Western Region tunes and ballads, sung of longing for one's lover."
As soon as Yu He'an finished speaking, a woman from the Western Regions dressed in red quickly stepped onto the stage, holding a bell in her hand and clapping her hands as she sang a folk song from the Western Regions.
Yu Tan didn't understand a word, but she sensed the alluring bitterness and the poignant sorrow that followed the pleasure.
The dancers had finished playing the drums and darted into the crowd of onlookers, muttering a phrase in a Western Regions language, then giving a charming smile before asking for tips.
Yu Tan craned her neck, focusing all her energy, but still couldn't hear what the dancer said.
The teahouse owner made a special exception, saying that the second and third floors were reserved for distinguished guests and that she couldn't go upstairs, so she couldn't hear him.
Yu Tan asked anxiously, "Brother, what did they say?"
Yu He'an's Adam's apple bobbed as she made an unfamiliar, strange yet gentle sound, which Yu He'an then imitated.
It doesn't seem like it.
Yu He'an stood up and leaned over, pinching Yu Tan's chin with two fingers and prying open a crack in her skin.
With a firm press of her fingers, her lips parted even wider, revealing a bright red tongue between her pearly white teeth.
It's like correcting a child's pronunciation.
This time, Yu He'an was extremely patient, speaking in that strange tone face to face again, his breath almost hitting her face.
The atmosphere was ambiguous and sticky.
She practiced twice and finally got it somewhat right.
The hand that was gripping her chin loosened, and she was finally able to breathe.
Curious, he asked, "Brother, is this what the Western Regions dialect means in 'asking for a reward'?"
Yu He'an shook his head, his Adam's apple bobbing, his voice hoarse from suppressed emotion: "Qinglang, what does Qinglang mean?"
"Who knows?" Yu He'an turned his head and looked into the distance.
Yu Tan didn't take it to heart. Anyway, she had made a lot of fools in front of Yu He'an since she was a child, so one more wouldn't make a difference.
She was engrossed in the song, her delicate eyebrows furrowing slightly, unable to understand it.
“Brother, this song sounds sweet and cheerful at first, but afterwards all that’s left is a lingering, poignant pain, a heart-wrenching bitterness…” The more she thought about it, the more confused she became, as if she had truly fallen into sorrow. “If it’s really a painful relationship, shouldn’t it never have started?”
"I don't know." Yu He'an chuckled lightly, but she could detect a hint of mockery in his voice. She even saw confusion on Yu He'an's face.
From childhood to adulthood, she had always asked Yu He'an about things she didn't understand, and he always gave her the correct answer. This was the first time she had heard him say "I don't know," and she found it intriguing and smiled.
Yu He'an shifted his gaze, his glassy eyes fixed on her with an emotion she couldn't understand. Yu Tan quickly suppressed her smile and blinked, "Brother, what's wrong?"
"If one can control one's feelings, who would want to drag her into a sea of suffering?" These words were spoken slowly and deeply, and Yu He'an's voice was tinged with the bitterness of a folk song.
She didn't understand. After thinking about it, she figured Yu He'an probably didn't understand either, so he just made up some lines from a storybook to trick her.
She nodded understandingly, indicating that she agreed with his point of view.
*
After watching the dancer perform, Yu He'an didn't insist on taking her to the Zhao residence, saving her the trouble of finding an excuse.
She watched Yu He'an's back as he left, his slender figure disappearing into the crowd.
She could actually sense a hint of desolation in Yu He'an's expression; he seemed genuinely troubled, and left with a bewildered look on his face.
She didn't take it to heart, and she didn't understand. She would tell Yu He'an the answer once she figured it out.
She immediately turned to look for Zhao Qingwu; after this parting, she didn't know how long it would be before they met again.
Author's Note: Thank you XiaohuangjiyuanyuanzhimengmimaouksophieYinan [shy] for the nutrient solution.
Yu Tan: I'll obediently wait for my academic genius brother to give me the answers, then I'll copy them.
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