Chapter 54 She thought, sooner or later he would return to her...
Exhausted, Qian Yingyi staggered towards the two of them, embracing them tightly, repeatedly murmuring, "She survived...she survived..."
Chuntang sobbed softly, initially only suppressing her sobs, but later her hoarse cries grew more intense, and she buried her face in Qian Yingyi's shoulder, wailing uncontrollably.
The cries brought Xia Ling back to her senses. She stared blankly at her trembling, bloodstained hands, then glanced at the two corpses on the ground. After sitting quietly for a moment, she also burst into tears.
Qian Yingyi hugged the two of them tightly, her eyes closed. She appeared even calmer at this moment, gently comforting them, "Don't cry, you're still alive. Their deaths are nothing to regret. We are heroines, not murderers. Don't cry, don't cry..."
At that moment, the sound of hurried hoofbeats came from outside the temple. Immediately, Xiao Daimao rushed into the temple. He first searched around for Chuntang's figure. When he saw that her usually pretty face was splattered with blood, his hand trembled and the sword fell to the ground with a "bang". He almost rolled and crawled to pick up Chuntang and looked her up and down to see if she had any wounds.
The next moment, Chuntang hugged him tightly around the waist, and he stopped, only then hearing her painful, muffled voice in front of his chest. He then looked in astonishment at the two corpses in the temple.
Little Tortoiseshell slowly peered at the wounds on the two corpses, especially the butler's unrecognizable face. A wave of fear and lingering dread washed over him. He knew that the difference in strength between men and women was immense; they must have…
He closed his eyes, and after a long pause, he managed to squeeze out a hoarse sentence, "It's my fault."
He dared not think about what had happened, nor dared to think about it in detail, what he would do if they were the ones lying on the ground.
Qian Yingyi gasped for breath, pointed at Pei Ji with all her might, then prostrated herself on the ground and whispered, "It's him, he's Chuntang's brother. He tried to kill Chuntang, he tried to kill me. He deserves to die. Even if he's dead now, you mustn't let him go..."
Upon hearing the words "kill Chuntang," Xiao Daimao's anger surged, and she suddenly changed her expression. She carefully settled Chuntang, then helped Qian Yingyi and Xia Ling up and settled them behind the Earth God.
With a chilling expression, he bent down to pick up the sword that had just fallen to the ground, and dragged Pei Ji's corpse out with one hand, saying, "You beast, I'll make sure you die a horrible death."
No one knows what he did to Pei Ji's corpse outside, but when he returned to the temple, his hands were stained with bright red blood. He dragged the steward's body out again, and soon after, thick black smoke billowed outside the temple, carrying a strong stench.
The moon was bright and the stars were few. The firelight illuminated Xiao Daimao's face, which still showed lingering fear and resentment. The crackling sparks flew around in his mind. He still dared not think about it. If Chuntang really died, and what he had just seen was her cold corpse, how would he live the rest of his life?
Smoke billowed into the air until the two corpses were burned to ashes. Only then did Little Tortoise turn and step into the Earth God Temple. As soon as it looked up, it saw Chuntang's vulnerability.
She sat there quietly with her legs bent, her arms wrapped tightly around herself, covering half of her face. Her eyes, filled with pain and struggle, stared blankly at the embroidered hydrangeas on her shoes, her pupils shrouded in a layer of gray mist.
His heart was instantly gripped by her misty face, causing him to carefully walk up to her, kneel down, and reach out to wipe the blood from her face with his thumb. However, he suddenly realized that his hands were also stained with blood, so he could only wipe them haphazardly.
He kept wiping and wiping, but it was never clean. He paused, and his eyes reddened. He punched the ground hard, kicking up the dust. A string of tears fell to the ground, washing away the dust and condensing into grayish water droplets.
He took a deep breath and berated himself for not noticing something was wrong sooner and for letting her go outside alone. After cursing himself, he took the still-clean corner of his robe and carefully wiped her clean.
After sitting for half a day, the strength that Qian Yingyi had lost gradually returned to her body through her wounds. She raised her head, resting it on the hard altar, and said in a soft voice, "Go find a carriage. We'll wait for you here. The three of us are covered in blood, so it's not appropriate for us to ride back to the city openly."
Little Tortoiseshell suddenly came to its senses, nodded hurriedly, glanced at Chuntang several times, and immediately got up and walked out.
In half an hour, they found an ordinary-looking carriage, probably borrowed from a nearby house outside the city. The group climbed shakily into the carriage, and Xiao Daimao drove it, heading towards the city under the clear moonlight.
Before leaving, Qian Yingyi lifted the curtain and glanced at a ginkgo tree in front of the temple. The ground beneath the tree was pitch black, with wisps of smoke rising upwards. She stared at the tree, then looked back at the dark earth temple, thinking that it was the protection of the gods and Buddhas, and that the tree, despite its evil spirits, would perhaps grow even more lush next year.
When they returned home, the Qian family was shocked by the blood-soaked appearance of the group. Qian Yuxing was so anxious that she paced back and forth, holding Qian Yingyi's hand and crying with heartache. She hurriedly shouted outside, "Hurry up and call a doctor!"
Qian Yingyi slumped in her chair, her voice trembling with exhaustion. Fearing that Qian Lanting might worry and overthink if he knew she had killed someone, she first recounted Chuntang's background in detail, and then said, "Pei Ji wanted to use Chuntang's name to lure me there, but Chuntang refused. The few of us searched for her all the way there, and he was about to kill Chuntang when, in a scuffle, he and his steward accidentally fell off a cliff and died."
Qian Lanting pursed his lips, then slammed his fist on the table, cursing, "What a treacherous and shameless scoundrel!"
Another wave of fear washed over him. He cupped Qian Yingyi's face in his hands and looked her over. "Luckily you're alright. If anything had happened to you, what would I have done!"
Xu Jun, trembling with fear, wrung out her handkerchief and looked at the remaining three for a long time before saying, "Go and wash up first, don't come here covered in dirt. After you've washed up, come back and have some hot soup. I'll have the kitchen make it right away."
So Little Tortoiseshell, holding Chuntang's hand, left the flower hall with Xia Ling.
The doctor who was summoned quickly entered the Qian residence, applied medicine to the wounds on Qian Yingyi's hands, carefully bandaged them, and instructed her not to get them wet. He then waited quietly for the other three to arrive.
After the time it takes for two incense sticks to burn, the three of them entered the hall, examined Chuntang and Xialing carefully, and said that there was nothing seriously wrong. They prescribed two calming remedies and then left the Qian residence with the maid from the house.
After waiting for the group to drink the soup and warm themselves up, Qian Yuxing finally spoke up and asked, "What exactly is the story behind Chuntang's background? I've been listening for a while but I still don't understand. I'm a bit confused. Could any of you tell me about it?"
In fact, Qian Yingyi had only heard Pei Ji say that Chuntang was his sister. At this moment, she was also curious and looked at Chuntang. Perhaps thinking of her mother who was no longer alive, Chuntang covered her face and wept again. She held her handkerchief and wiped away her tears for a long time before getting up and bowing properly to Qian Lanting. Knowing that he did not understand sign language, he then gestured to Qian Yingyi for a while.
Qian Yingyi was stunned for a long time after reading it, and murmured, "Heavens above, Grandpa, Chuntang is the youngest daughter of the Pei family in Huai'an. She was born to the wife that Master Pei married later. She and Pei Ji are half-siblings. When she was six years old, she was sold to a kidnapper by a servant. She suffered a lot on her journey before she met us and we brought her home..."
Qian Lanting knew what Chuntang looked like back then, and couldn't help but be moved, his old eyes welling up with tears, "Such a good child, she suffered so much..."
When Chuntang spoke of her mother searching for her but having already passed away, she couldn't help but cry. Qian Lanting was also momentarily surprised, "This child can make sounds?"
Qian Yingyi nodded slightly. "I think it's because those past events were too torturous that she consciously shut down that memory. It was probably Pei Ji who approached her and forced her to remember, which made her able to speak."
Qian Lanting squinted and pondered for a moment, then got up and paced back and forth in the hall. Xu Jun noticed his expression and, after a moment's thought, tentatively asked, "Father, do you think Pei Ji was lying to Chuntang? Chuntang's mother isn't dead at all, is she?!"
As soon as she finished speaking, Qian Yingyi immediately stood up, her fingertips throbbing with pain. She hissed softly, her brows furrowing slightly in pain. She then looked at Qian Lanting, her eyes filled with a hesitant light, waiting for his reply.
After a long pause, Qian Lanting turned to look at Chuntang, her gaze softening, and her voice also softening as she said to Qian Yingyi, "This is what I guessed. He must have been eyeing Chuntang for a long time. Knowing that ordinary reasons wouldn't be enough to sway her into tricking you out, he set his sights on her mother. Thinking about it carefully, it makes sense. What child would be forced to leave home for so many years and then refuse to see their mother after learning of her 'death'?"
He immediately summoned his steward and ordered, "Send two men with my invitation to set off for Huai'an early tomorrow morning. Find a merchant family surnamed Pei. Since Pei Ji embezzled with those corrupt officials, and the punishment from above has not yet been announced, the Pei family must also be detained by the Military Command. Just mention my name and inquire whether his wife is still alive. If she is, try to get close to the people in the Military Command and bring Mrs. Pei to Jinling."
The butler hurriedly responded and then left.
At this point, Qian Yingyi breathed a sigh of relief. She stepped forward and gently hugged Chuntang. Knowing how terribly lonely Chuntang had suffered all these years, she couldn't help but burst into tears again. While gently stroking Chuntang's back, she repeatedly murmured, "Your mother is definitely still alive... You will definitely see her... Heaven only takes away the wicked... It won't be so cruel to you..."
Qian Yuxing and Xu Jun wiped their eyes. Qian Yuxing was worried about her sister, so she stepped forward and said, "Alright, alright, it's a happy occasion to know that Chuntang is not an orphan. Let's all be happy and not cry. We should smile and wait for Mrs. Pei to come to our house to see our daughter. You're still all dirty. Come back with me to wash up. I'll sleep with you tonight."
Little Tortoiseshell stared intently at Chuntang, nodded slightly, stepped forward and took her hand. All the rules about not seeing each other before marriage were overturned. He vowed that Chuntang would never disappear from his sight again.
After a night of commotion, Qian Yingyi followed Qian Yuxing back to her courtyard. After washing away the filth, she nestled in Qian Yuxing's arms, feeling secure as her sister held her. Before falling asleep, however, she kept thinking about Chuntang and couldn't help but ask softly, "Sister, Chuntang's mother must still be alive, right?"
Qian Yuxing knew she was worried and wanted to cheer her up, so she shook her hand and said in an extremely relaxed tone, "Knowing that Mrs. Pei is still alive, you should go to sleep early. Look, it's all dark now, how can you have the energy to look forward to her coming every day?"
Seeing her furrowed brows relax slightly, he then said, "Your dear Zheng must have arrived in the capital by now. If you hurry, you'll be able to see him in half a month. Do you really want to meet him with an ugly face?"
Mentioning Qin Lizheng, Qian Yingyi felt the wound on her finger bone ache even more, and buried her face in Qian Yuxing's arms, saying, "I know, who wants to see him? He's been gone for so long, I don't want to see him at all."
Qian Yuxing chuckled to herself, thinking that her younger sister was finally no longer bothered by Chuntang's matter. She then hugged her tightly and snuggled up to sleep, just like when they were children.
In late autumn, Nanjing is always damp and cold at night. The city is covered with fallen leaves, and the rustling wind blows up an endless expanse of fallen leaves. These leaves are swept along by the swirling wind, drifting across the Qinhuai River, turning orange and red, and then drifting uncertainly to all corners of the world. Gradually, even the maple trees far away in the capital tremble, and a flurry of fallen leaves sweeps up.
Qin Lizheng's escort of the convicted officials from Jinling back to the capital shocked the court and caused an uproar. The emperor's swift and decisive action resulted in the execution of a group of officials, led by Lin Bianhong. From then on, the emperor's authority could no longer be challenged, and a sense of unease spread throughout the court and the country.
After the matter of embezzlement was properly handled, the Emperor learned that Prince Rui had also been escorted to the capital. He personally went to the Zhaoyu prison and listened carefully to Liang Tu's testimony. He then fulfilled his promise and entrusted Prince Rui's family to Qin Lizheng for disposal.
The injustice that had burdened the Qin family for so many years was finally cleared, and Qin Liran's name became an instant sensation in the capital. Some scholars and literati, filled with indignation, even declared in the streets, "These treacherous officials have slandered innocent children; now that they have been exonerated, Heaven has opened its eyes..."
That's how people are. When they're successful, they'd love to curry favor with you; when they're down on their luck, they avoid you like the plague. But when things take a turn for the better and there's no turning back, they suddenly step forward to preach their meager morality.
None of this mattered to Qin Lizheng. He stood quietly in front of the Qin residence, took a deep breath, and was finally able to step into the house openly and honestly, traversing the long years to return home.
The house was still the same. The winding path led through the hanging flower gate to two tall holly trees. I couldn't recall how many distant memories it was, but I remembered climbing up the tree and swinging my legs while my older brother called out anxiously from below, "Ah Zheng, Young Master Zheng, come down quickly, or Dad will beat you if he finds out!"
Then came a long corridor, which led across a large garden and through a moon gate. Behind the artificial hill stood a square pavilion. Back then, my parents loved to play chess in the pavilion. My father wore a gray robe, and my mother wore a brightly colored dress…
Qin Lizheng walked silently inside, ignoring the servants who were astonished to see him. He quietly walked to the outside of the pavilion, gazing at the figure from his memory across several years. It was still a grayish-blue figure, slightly hunched, nestled against another gentle figure, dozing in the pavilion.
His voice choked with bitterness, and after a moment, he softly called out, "Father, Mother."
The two figures seemed to be dreaming, startled awake by the sound, and stared blankly at him outside the courtyard. Qin Lizheng called out twice more, "Father, Mother."
He couldn't help but take a step forward, stomping heavily on each brick and stone, only then did he feel truly home, "My child is back."
Qin Qingshan's eyes and eyebrows resembled his own. He stared at him blankly for a long time, then his mouth slightly agape, "Zheng'er..."
Lin Wanqiu was so startled that she didn't know where to look at him, as if she were still in a dream. The clattering sound of the loose bricks jolted her awake, and she understood what he meant by "You're back." She suddenly burst into tears, sat up abruptly, and hugged him tightly, "You're back... Mother's Zheng'er is finally back..."
Qin Qingshan wiped away her tears, unable to hold back any longer. She stepped forward and patted his shoulder heavily, wanting to say something but not knowing where to begin. Over and over, she could only repeat, "It's good you're back...it's good you're back..."
Qin Lizheng gazed at his parents, a hint of moisture lingering in his eyes. He cleared his dry throat and then forced a smile, "Father, Mother, your son has come to take you to see my brother."
So the three of them crossed half of the capital, left the city, and arrived at Chengen Temple at the foot of Cuiwei Mountain. Qin Liran had died because of his involvement in treason. The Qin family dared not give him a grand funeral and could only bury him outside the temple in order to bring peace to his soul.
Today, Qin Lizheng, accompanied by his parents, coldly watched as Prince Rui and his wife, along with the somewhat deranged Yu Minsen, kowtowed one after another before Qin Liran's grave.
They kowtowed until their heads bled and they were on the verge of death.
As if the heavens were also taking pity on Qin Liran, a chilling wind swept through the air, blowing Qin Lizheng's robes, causing him to stomp hard on Yu Chenghe's back, pressing his face against the grave, and coldly saying, "Not enough, keep kowtowing."
In the end, Yu Chenghe lay on the ground, barely clinging to life. A hint of remorse finally appeared in his eyes. As soon as he spoke, the shackles on his hands clanked twice, "Qin... Liran... I'm so sorry..."
Qin Qingshan closed his eyes, unable to linger any longer, and pulled Lin Wanqiu into the carriage. Qin Lizheng stared indifferently at Yu Chenghe, drew his embroidered spring knife with a backhand motion, and said with a hint of ice in his eyes, "I told you, I would kill you with my own hands."
A few flashes of cold light appeared, and several bodies slumped in front of the grave. Qin Lizheng lowered his head, repeatedly wiping the blade, and said coldly, "Throw their corpses into the mountains and let wild beasts devour them."
The accompanying Imperial Guards quickly responded.
The group returned to the Qin residence. Lin Wanqiu was very happy and prepared many of Qin Lizheng's favorite dishes. During dinner, she kept piling food on his plate, and soon his bowl was piled high. Qin Lizheng ate them one by one. Only when Lin Wanqiu sent someone to make his bed did he put down his chopsticks and say slowly, "Mother, don't rush, I still have to go to Jinling."
Qin Qingshan was taken aback and hurriedly asked, "Why do we still have to go to Jinling? What task has the Emperor assigned you?"
Qin Lizheng smiled as he thought of the figure he had been longing for day and night. He took out the clay figure from his pocket and placed it on the table for the couple to see. "It's not that the Emperor ordered me to do this; it's my own business. My... my beloved is still in Jinling. She is Qian Jinnian's second daughter. I can't go into too many details right now, but I promised her that I would go to Jinling to bring her back."
Lin Wanqiu looked at her son in surprise, and after a while, she managed a smile. She couldn't help but tease him, "Everyone outside says you're ruthless and heartless, but it turns out you have a soft side too. Are you and this Miss Qian mutually in love?"
Qin Lizheng wasn't quite used to talking about his love life with his parents. He pursed his thin lips and his ears turned red. "Of course, it was mutual affection."
“Then let’s go tomorrow. We’ll set off for Jinling first thing tomorrow morning,” Lin Wanqiu said. “We’ll sleep at home tonight.”
Qin Lizheng, however, was a little impatient. He tucked the clay figure back into his arms and couldn't help but stand up abruptly. "I can't wait any longer. I have to leave now."
The couple were slightly taken aback, not expecting him to be so eager. They could only force a knowing smile, wave their hands, and Qin Qingshan said, "Alright, go, go. Bring her back for us to see. I had dealings with Qian Jinnian quite a bit in the past, but I've never actually met his youngest daughter before."
Qin Lizheng smacked his chin twice, then spun around and left the flower hall. With his surging longing, he rushed out of the Qin residence, mounted his horse, and from then on, this swift steed would shatter countless suns and moons, galloping wildly and arrogantly towards the Qinhuai River.
In November, Nanjing was quite cold and frosty. The night sky was like water, and several girls were strolling in the large garden. The frosty moonlight cascaded down on their shoulders, making their pretty faces look like those of Chang'e in the moon palace.
Qian Yingyi looked up at the vast sky, smiled and murmured, "Speaking of which, Huai'an Prefecture is not far from Jinling. Ten days will have passed by the time we go back and forth. We should have received a letter by now."
As soon as she finished speaking, she glanced at Chuntang out of the corner of her eye and caught the expectation hidden on her face.
Xia Ling frowned slightly, her heart pounding, and she said in a low voice, "May the Bodhisattva protect us."
She silently prayed to the Bodhisattva, praying that the Bodhisattva would protect Chuntang and give her a complete family again. This prayer seemed to transform into the wind beneath her skirt, circling around the group before heading to the front hall, amplifying the butler's excited voice, "They're here! They're here! They're back!"
The figure following behind the steward stumbled along. The woman wore a pale yellow dress, her disheveled hair was mixed with frost-white hair, the curve of her chin was desolate and forlorn, and her dim eyes held a hint of tension that extended into several fine lines, making her whole body tense, her fingertips firmly dug into the tiger's mouth of the maid beside her.
As soon as they turned into the long corridor outside the front hall, they bumped into Xu Jun and Qian Yuxing. Xu Jun glanced at the woman and was extremely surprised. She quickly turned to the maid and said, "Go, Miss is taking a walk in the garden with Chuntang and Xialing. Go and call them over!"
The woman's eyes trembled. Her demeanor revealed that she had once been dignified and polite, but now she walked past the maid in a daze, her dark eyes growing brighter and brighter. She practically charged headlong into the house.
She ran straight to the garden, and in the distance, she saw three figures silhouetted against the moonlight. The woman stopped abruptly, her burning eyes filled with longing, and she softly called out, "Pearl..."
Qian Yingyi seemed to sense something and turned around with Xia Ling. When they saw the woman running towards them, their eyes widened.
The woman ran up breathlessly. The long years had made her look quite old. She looked back and forth between Qian Yingyi and Xia Ling, panting. Gradually, her gaze shifted to the back of the figure that never turned around, and even her jaw trembled uncontrollably.
Remembering everything the Qian family butler had mentioned to him on the way, he trembled as he gently pulled Chuntang towards him, and little by little, he embraced her and turned her around.
Upon seeing that instantly recognizable face, the woman could no longer hold back her anguish and tightly embraced Chuntang. Her back hunched over as a result, resembling a small yet resilient mountain. "Pearl...it's Mother's pearl...it's Mother's pearl!"
Chuntang was momentarily bewildered, but the embrace, though frosty, brought her warmth. Was it her mother? Chuntang glanced around. Her young lady and madam were both wiping away tears with handkerchiefs. She then looked down at the person so close to her. Her hair was loosely tied up, and even in the moonlight, the silvery white strands could be seen.
Chuntang opened her lips, her dry voice carrying a strange tone from years of silence, "Mother..."
The woman trembled, raised her face, and her trembling fingertips touched Chuntang's face. Then, tears welled up in her eyes like a spring, and she suddenly hugged Chuntang tightly, crying, "It's Mother! It's Mother! Pearl, it's Mother!"
The maid who followed also burst into tears, clasped her hands together and knelt on the ground, saying, "Thank God, after more than ten years, the lady has finally found the young lady."
Over the course of time, her little daughter had grown taller than her in the blink of an eye. The sadness and joy of seeing her again were mixed in her heart. Thinking of the suffering her daughter had endured, Mrs. Pei wanted to say something more but couldn't find the right words. In the end, she could only hug her daughter repeatedly and look up at her for a while.
The soul of Chuntang, who had been adrift for half her life, finally landed in her warm and resilient embrace, just as it had in her childhood.
Xu Jun's nose tingled, and she forced a smile while waving her handkerchief. "Oh my, what a joyous occasion! This is truly a joyous occasion. It's so cold in the garden. No matter how much we have to say, let's go inside first."
Mrs. Pei nodded repeatedly, holding Chuntang's hand tightly, and bowed formally to the Qian family members, saying, "I was rude just now, barging into the house so rashly. Please forgive me."
Xu Jun laughed and said it was alright, so the group immediately headed to the flower hall.
After Mrs. Pei sat down, Qian Lanting also came after hearing the news. Mrs. Pei knew that it was through the connections of the Vice Minister of Works in Southern Zhili that she was able to get out of prison. She was extremely grateful and thanked the Qian family members repeatedly.
Then he kept gazing at Chuntang, and before long, everyone was moved to tears again.
Qian Yingyi also felt a pang of sorrow. Wanting to leave the mother and daughter alone, she casually changed the subject, saying she had to return to Yunteng Pavilion for some business. The others did the same, quietly leaving and gently closing the door to the flower hall, concealing the two figures embracing and weeping.
After leaving the flower hall, Qian Yingyi felt a tightness in her chest that was hard to describe. She asked Xia Ling to return to Yunteng Pavilion first, and then she carried a yellow gauze lantern and walked step by step through the corridor. In half a day, she arrived at the secluded pavilion that she often went to.
A fierce wind swirled, and outside the railing, besides the rustling of the wind, only the soft patter of falling leaves echoed on the ground. The withered flowers swayed in the wind, exuding a touch of melancholy under the moonlight.
A hint of melancholy flickered in Qian Yingyi's eyes. Perhaps the scenery was drawing her thoughts to it. She sat alone on a stone stool, spreading out her hands to look at the scabbed wounds on her finger bones.
It didn't hurt, but a faint ache emanated from between her finger bones, as if the new flesh beneath the scab was screaming and shouting out the vast longing in her heart.
Day after day, Chuntang's mother had finally arrived home from Huai'an. Soon, it would be Chuntang's wedding day again, and everything was moving towards perfection. Only Qian Yingyi gently raised her face, glancing at the withered branches swaying in the wind outside the pavilion, and couldn't help but murmur, "Ah Zheng, does the capital also have such a strong wind..."
Just then, her murmur was caught by someone.
"Qian Yingyi".
She froze, her slender back motionless, only a hair ribbon swaying in the wind behind her head. The wind rustled, and she slowly turned around to look. The young man stood in the corridor behind her, travel-worn, his figure carrying an air of unreal etherealness.
"...You're back..." The chill deepened, but Qian Yingyi's breath grew increasingly hot. She blinked, then sat up abruptly, staring intently at him. "Am I dreaming?"
Qin Lizheng smiled and opened his arms to her, "Whether it's a dream or not, you'll know once you come and hug me."
As soon as she finished speaking, Qian Yingyi rushed forward against the wind, jumping into Qin Lizheng's arms with a sob in her voice, "Why did you take so long! Why did you take so long!"
Qin Lizheng held her legs tightly, not expecting her to cry so hard. He quickly turned his face to kiss away her rolling tears, his voice tinged with laughter, "Don't cry, don't cry. I rushed as fast as I could and arrived in Jinling in ten days. Isn't that fast enough?"
Qian Yingyi sobbed on his shoulder for a long time with her face buried in her hands. When she felt his warm embrace and that familiar minty scent again, she smiled again, wiped away her tears, and cupped his face in her hands. "I missed you so much."
Qin Lizheng was about to express his longing when he suddenly freed one hand and moved her hand in front of his eyes. When he saw the scars between her fingers, his expression changed instantly. "What happened to your hand?"
Qian Yingyi clung to him tightly, her delicate voice tinged with a heavy nasal tone, and whispered, "I killed Pei Ji."
"...What?" Qin Lizheng put her down in surprise, put his arm around her shoulder, and looked her up and down seriously, asking with a hint of astonishment, "What exactly happened?"
"Hold me! Hold me!" Qian Yingyi pouted, swayed on his arm, pulled him to sit on the stone stool, and then sat down on his lap.
Then, in a slightly mysterious tone, she leaned down and whispered the whole story in his ear.
Upon hearing that Pei Ji was actually Chun Tang's half-brother, Qin Lizheng was startled for a moment. Then, when he heard Pei Ji raise his dagger, the murderous aura in his eyes immediately emanated from him, making Qian Yingyi look at him and wonder if he would have dug up Pei Ji's grave and whipped his corpse if he still had a complete corpse.
She giggled twice and rubbed her face against him. "Oh, I'm so amazing, aren't I? Don't even think about it, he's dead, he can't stop me anymore. I even strangled him with the hairpin you gave me!"
The more easily she spoke, the more Qin Lizheng felt a pang of pain in his heart. He lowered his eyes and stared at the two delicate hands held in his palm. Just thinking about the scene made him furious. He clenched his teeth, and even his jaw formed a straight and sharp line.
Thinking that she had actually managed to kill Pei Ji all by herself, Qin Lizheng remained silent for a long time before finally letting out a sigh of admiration mixed with a bit of lingering fear, "You're really amazing."
Qian Yingyi smiled gently, no longer feeling any pain even from the scabbed wounds. Her raised chin carried pride. "Who am I? I was a little scared at the time, but thinking back on it after those two days, it was incredibly satisfying!"
"Let's not talk about that. I miss you so much," Qian Yingyi leaned closer to him, her eyes sparkling, her tone lighter than it had been in the past two weeks. "Commander Qin, do you miss me?"
Qin Lizheng wrapped his arms around her tightly, "Of course I want to." Then, filled with the love he had been longing for day and night, he eagerly leaned down to find her lips. The cool kiss was instantly ignited, carrying with it the surging longing between them.
After a while, Qian Yingyi was out of breath and pushed him away. He grabbed her wrist and stared at the scabs on her palms for a moment before asking again, "Does it still hurt?"
Qian Yingyi pouted her lips and raised them high, pressing her face close to his chest, and whispered, "It's strange, I was just feeling a slight pain, but as soon as you appeared, the pain disappeared."
She lifted his chin, her fingertips tracing the stubble around his jawline. "You're my cure, aren't you?"
Qin Lizheng couldn't help but sigh again, having witnessed a completely new side of her. He took her wrist and gently kissed the scabs, saying, "Then please get better soon."
After spending half a day together, Qian Yingyi suddenly jumped up from Qin Lizheng's arms, leaving Qin Lizheng bewildered. "Hmm?"
Qian Yingyi looked at him for a moment and asked, "You arrived in Jinling in ten days, didn't you take a bath?"
Qin Lizheng was slightly taken aback, then suddenly laughed out loud, deliberately pulling her close to him so that her face was pressed tightly against his body. "Then smell me, do I smell bad?"
Qian Yingyi sniffed carefully, then looked at him suspiciously. Qin Lizheng lowered his head, his breath brushing against her face. "It hasn't been that long, and you've already forgotten? Don't you know how clean I am?"
"Even though we have to travel, I still need to take a bath. Don't you like to be clean, Miss? I wouldn't dare to come to see you without tidying myself up carefully."
Qian Yingyi chuckled, pulled him up, and hurried outside, muttering, "Have you had dinner yet? I didn't eat much tonight either, let's go get something to eat together!"
Immediately afterwards, the whole family knew that Qin Lizheng had returned. Qian Yuxing, arm in arm with Xu Jun, leaned against the wall and laughed, "Look how happy she is."
Upon hearing his granddaughter's laughter, Qian Lanting, though disdainful that the younger generation had abducted his granddaughter, also chuckled twice.
They went straight to the kitchen, and after finishing their dinner, Qian Yingyi remembered something else. She glanced around furtively, and seeing that no one was watching her, she leaned closer to him and whispered in Qin Lizheng's ear, "You gave up that house, and everyone knows about your relationship with me. You're not the same guard you used to be. Where will you live next?"
Qin Lizheng raised an eyebrow, precisely catching the subtle metaphor flowing in her eyes. He smiled and asked, "What do you think?"
Qian Yingyi bit her chopsticks as if she had clenched his throat. She saw his Adam's apple move up and down, paused for a moment, and then quietly moved closer to him, saying in a half-understanding tone, "It's inconvenient to stay at home, and there's no need to stay in a house outside for too short a time. How about... staying at an inn?"
Her eyes darted back and forth in Qin Lizheng's pupils, like a nightingale in spring, until they finally landed at the inn on the banks of the Qinhuai River.
Their lips and teeth stuck together the moment the door closed, their wet lips and tongues expressing their longing. Qian Yingyi retreated and slumped onto the table.
Qin Lizheng pulled her forcefully into his arms, moved his lips away to kiss her earlobe, but his words were very serious: "Is it hot in the room with charcoal burning?"
Qian Yingyi chuckled and dodged, "A little."
Suddenly, her entire body was suspended in mid-air as he lifted her up, peeling away the thin straps along the way, followed by a soft, pattering sound of water.
The steaming water in the bathtub gushed out with a "whoosh," and Qin Lizheng raised her wrists above his head with one hand, leaned down and kissed her face, "Then let's cool down."
Only a silver lamp was lit in the room, its flame as small as a bean, the tiny sparks making the bed curtains and gauze curtains scorching hot. Qian Yingyi breathed heavily, her fingernails involuntarily digging into the quilt.
She was like a drifting petal, briefly floating in Jinling before being pulled down heavily, as if a gentle yet urgent rain had fallen on her, leaving her already vibrant body drenched.
Overwhelmed by pleasure, she was momentarily stunned. In her daze, the kisses traveled upwards from her lower body, until finally, those two wet lips slipped out from under the covers and landed on her face. "Are you still hot?"
Qian Yingyi frowned slightly, pulled her legs together, and turned her face to one side. "Don't keep running around, it's cold..."
"Cold?" Qin Lizheng lazily propped himself up on his arms and looked at her, his dark eyes filled with a restrained desire. Then he lifted her legs with one hand and gently massaged them. "You won't be cold anymore soon."
He traveled thousands of miles to her, filled with longing, and rushed to Jinling without delay, his mind filled with only one thought—to marry her and bring her home.
Therefore, at the last moment, he paused slightly and then gently kissed her.
If she were a floating petal, resting on this quilt embroidered with grape patterns, with wet, dripping water droplets clinging to it, he would be a knife whose sharpness has been dulled.
Suppressing the sharp edge of coercion, with gentleness and slowness, it slowly grinds away the water droplets, grinding away some new joy without the slightest sting.
Qian Yingyi stared blankly as he kissed her face repeatedly. She couldn't help but grip his arm tightly, her nails digging deep into his skin. In that instant, she vaguely remembered what she had thought when he left that day—she thought that he would grow back into her sooner or later.
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Author's Note: Chuntang and her mother are reunited!
The young couple got together too!
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