Chapter 22 "Young Master Li...do you know the way back?"
In the instant that Li Xiao suddenly pulled me backward—
In my perception, time seemed to be stretched out indefinitely.
A sudden flash of white light appeared before my eyes, and within that white mass that shattered like a snowball and radiated outwards, I vaguely saw many familiar scenes...
There were parents, a courtyard, and scattered pedestrians outside the fence... there were unripe fruits rolling on the cold, hard deck... there was the steward's half-serious, half-joking congratulatory face when he told me to report to Young Master Lan... there was the scene of a black-clad boy riding a black steed gradually disappearing into the snow-covered streets... and there was also the gentle smile that Young Master Lan gave me when I was first ridiculed by Li Xiao...
All the past events came rushing in without any clue, burying my consciousness like snowflakes.
I think this might be the legendary revolving lantern.
Imagine someone on the verge of death rushing back to review their life, reflecting on their gains and losses, praise and criticism, what unfinished business they have, and what unresolved love and hate they have.
This is how it should be—
Unfortunately, my life was too short to have any regrets, and my love and hate did not unfold in time.
So I just stared blankly, watching the memories surge by, yet somehow I felt like an irrelevant bystander.
I have no regrets, nor any obsessions.
It just suddenly occurred to me that if someone actually fell and died like that, it would be a truly utterly ridiculous joke...
In the very end, what I saw were light-colored strands of hair fluttering among the white snowflakes, which, when viewed through the clear sunlight, appeared to be silvery-white and dazzlingly bright.
I closed my eyes.
As expected, the sharp pain at the back of my head did not come.
It felt like I had bumped into a soft cushion; the back of my neck was slightly lifted, and I felt a cool sensation behind my ear.
—It's hair.
More accurately, it was Li Xiao's hair.
I opened my eyes slightly, staring in disbelief at the boy who was pressing down on me. I never expected that he would use his hand as a cushion to protect my head before I fell to the ground.
At this moment, he was resting on my neck, his face and expression obscured, only his warm breath falling distinctly on my skin, which was chilled by the snow and my hair, sending shivers down my spine.
“…Young Master Li?” I didn’t know how to react, but I finally called out to the boy softly.
Hearing me call him, Li Xiao responded sullenly.
Then he slowly propped himself up from the ground, looking somewhat sluggish, quite unlike his usual energetic self.
I was a little confused, but I didn't ask immediately.
Instead, after Li Xiao had fully stood up, he slowly got up from the ground. Then he stood still and looked at the boy who was frowning and deep in thought.
At this moment, his body was covered with a lot of snow, especially his hair near his head and his arms.
The snow on my hand must have touched it when he put his arm around the back of my head.
As for the snow on my hair... I looked up at the branches above, and now there wasn't a single snowflake left on them.
Therefore, the snow I just saw was not entirely a hallucination that occurred in the nick of time.
The snow avalanche occurred just as Li Xiao pulled me down with him.
The snow that had been raining down on me earlier also landed squarely on Li Xiao's head.
It could be considered fair treatment in a certain sense. It's just a pity that after the first collapse, when it came to Li Xiao, all that was left was a handful of insignificant scraps.
"Young Master Li, are you alright?" I couldn't help but ask.
Li Xiao glanced at me, then said, "It was just a light fall, what serious problem could possibly happen to me?"
His words and tone made it sound like he was implying I underestimated him. Hearing him say that, I couldn't help but realize I'd asked a completely unnecessary question.
Judging from the strong and energetic way Li Xiao spoke, there really didn't seem to be anything wrong.
After thinking for a moment, I said sincerely, "Thank you so much, Young Master Li, for stepping in just in time to shield Pipa from the blow, which prevented me from hitting my head directly."
—Although the reason I fell just now could be said to be entirely thanks to the boy in front of me.
But one thing is one thing, if Li Xiao hadn't suddenly reached out and blocked it, whether out of a change of heart or something else, he might have had his head smashed open on the spot, or at least swelled up with a big bump on his head.
After all, although Li Xiao was thin, his head was quite large, and I had also gained a lot of weight recently. The combined impact force from both sides was definitely not something that could be described as a light fall.
Thinking of this, I couldn't help but glance at Li Xiao again.
—His hand must still be hurting quite a bit.
When Li Xiao heard me say that, he scoffed dismissively: "You're overthinking it. Who said I was deliberately shielding you from that blockhead?"
I'm used to the boy's way of speaking, so it wasn't entirely unexpected.
I noticed he emphasized the word "deliberately," as if he wanted to distance himself from me, so I immediately nodded in agreement and earnestly echoed his words.
“Young Master Li is right. You just accidentally raised your hand when you fell, and unfortunately, the loquat pinned your arm under your head. It was pure luck that you weren't hurt. It has absolutely nothing to do with you, Young Master Li.”
"..."
I wonder if I acted too obsequiously and offended Young Master Li's eyes.
He stared at me with a look of utter disbelief, his face, which had been pale and flushed from the cold, suddenly becoming a kaleidoscope of colors. His expression turned particularly ugly when he heard me use the words "lucky break."
I think this is probably because my vulgar language offended the young master's ears.
I felt a little guilty, but then I felt relieved.
After all, in Li Xiao's mind, I seemed to have long been convinced that I was a blockhead. Given that, how could I possibly expect to hear any wise advice from someone with such a dense head?
Sure enough, Li Xiao took a deep breath and slowly said, "You... don't have to think that way."
I blinked, indicating my confusion.
Li Xiao paused, then resumed his previous disdainful demeanor: "This young master simply didn't want blood to stain his eyes. That's why... he extended his hand slightly."
Upon hearing this, I wholeheartedly agreed and couldn't help but nod earnestly in my agreement.
“Yes, Young Master Li. In my opinion, you not only faint at the sight of blood, but you’ve reached the point where you faint at the sight of blood.”
"..."
"However, it's fortunate that you reacted in time. Otherwise, if you had fainted in the snow like last time, I wouldn't have been able to bring you back with my meager strength. You are truly... too wise."
Hearing these heartfelt compliments, Li Xiao didn't show any joy. Instead, she gave me a deep look.
“If you can’t speak, you really don’t have to,” he said.
My response was to nod while silently pursing my lips, which I had hidden behind my sleeve.
For some reason, Li Xiao looked somewhat listless, as if he were tired.
His face appeared somewhat pale after the rich colors faded.
“Let’s go,” he said.
I nodded and followed Li Xiao cautiously, taking small steps behind him.
The snow here isn't as thick as it was in the courtyard before. With my long legs, I can walk quite steadily if I'm careful and walk slowly.
However, perhaps I was walking too slowly.
Every few steps Li Xiao took, he would look back and the gap between us would widen.
Finally, on the third time I turned around, Li Xiao frowned as he looked at me, who was also standing still in the distance.
"Are you playing some kind of 'Red Light, Green Light' game?" the boy asked, displeased.
I shook my head. I knew this game; I had seen other children in the village play it before.
However, I'm not so bored as to choose this time to play some kind of "statue" game.
I'm practically frozen solid right now.
Seeing me shake my head in denial, Li Xiao's dissatisfaction seemed to deepen: "Then hurry up and come over. Are you dragging your feet and expecting me to personally come and invite you?"
Since he's already said that, I naturally can't make any more excuses to refuse.
He strode off and headed straight there.
However, as I approached, Li Xiao's furrowed brows not only failed to relax, but instead deepened, almost forming a knot.
Just as they were about to arrive, Li Xiao suddenly called for a stop.
Caught off guard, I couldn't stop in time, stumbled a few steps and almost fell face-first into the dirt.
Fortunately, my knees reacted quickly enough, bending sharply and making intimate contact with the snow before my face did. My arms followed closely behind, landing almost simultaneously beside my knees.
My hands and knees are a little sore, but not much... mainly because they're numb from the cold.
That was close...
With lingering fear, I slowly exhaled a puff of white mist, and when I looked up, I saw the very familiar tips of a pair of boots.
Above that was Li Xiao's face, which had a complex expression.
"I……"
I tried to explain something, but as soon as I opened my mouth, I realized that my hands were still supporting me on the ground.
So he silently shut his mouth again, pretending to be mute.
The main problem is that the cold air is pouring into my mouth like it's free, and without two front teeth to protect me, it's really hard to bear the cold.
Li Xiao didn't notice my hesitation.
He reached out and pinched my ankles on both sides. Then he asked me if I felt anything.
I shook my head indifferently, then noticed that Li Xiao's face had suddenly turned serious.
It was the first time I had ever seen a boy with that expression. I didn't know what it meant, and I was momentarily stunned. My heart skipped a beat for no reason.
After a pause, I hesitated for a moment and then nodded.
This wasn't the first time Li Xiao had seen me shake my head and nod like this, but it made him angrier than ever before.
"Explain clearly whether you felt anything or not."
"It seems... a little painful, but not... too much." I managed to speak fairly clearly, then suddenly realized with a belated sense of worry, "Am I—"
...Is something wrong?
But before I could finish speaking, I was interrupted by a soft mutter from Li Xiao.
"It's okay if it hurts."
After saying that, without waiting for me to say anything more, and without asking a single question, he reached out and picked me up from the ground.
My body was suddenly lifted into the air, and the instant feeling of weightlessness made me close my eyes tightly. I shrank my neck and cowered in the boy's arms like a mute quail.
Then a click of the tongue was heard, followed by Li Xiao's dissatisfied voice: "Are your legs crab claws reincarnated? They're clamped so tightly."
This was the first time I had ever heard such a novel metaphor. My tension eased slightly, and I opened one eye to take a curious look.
It turns out that the arm Li Xiao had placed underneath me when he picked me up was trapped between my curled-up legs and knees, preventing it from moving, hence the question.
After I tried to relax my body, Li Xiao's arm felt less awkward, and his expression finally improved somewhat. Although he still looked preoccupied and impatient.
At first, I didn't understand why Li Xiao suddenly hugged me like that, but later I realized that it was indeed much faster than coming here.
only--
"Young Master Li...do you know the way back?" I asked with some concern.
"Tch, just follow the footprints from before." Li Xiao scoffed at my worries, saying that instead of wasting my energy talking, I should hurry up so I don't slip and fall on my backside.
I am clearly the kind of person who listens to advice very much, and I also have a deep-seated aversion to falling from a height.
Almost as soon as Li Xiao finished speaking, I immediately reached out and grabbed something in my hand.
Then I heard Li Xiao grit his teeth and tell me to let go.
I peered through the crack in my eyelids and realized that what I was holding onto were actually two ropes on the cloak the boy was wearing.
They tied a tight knot around his neck, one on the left and one on the right.
Having finally caught her breath, Li Xiao thought, "I must be God's nemesis sent to torment me. Otherwise, why do I always bring bad luck whenever we meet?"
I thought to myself, if that's really the case, then Young Master Li isn't much better, otherwise what's the scar on my forehead?
Moreover, if Li Xiao hadn't taken the initiative to suggest burying teeth in the snow today, and hadn't insisted on choosing a so-called auspicious spot, we wouldn't have appeared in front of the manager and his group in such a suspicious manner.
Watching the steward's expression shift from surprise to astonishment, then to doubt, and finally to a calm and composed demeanor, before finally stroking a strand of his beard and smiling as he approached.
I think he must have imagined something extraordinary.
—And I probably wouldn't want to know.
Just as I was about to hunch over and play dead like a quail, a familiar figure in the crowd suddenly caught my eye.
He was a tall, handsome young man dressed in black, with fair skin, jet-black eyes and hair, and a deep, unfathomable depth in his quiet gaze. His face was so exquisitely beautiful that it was breathtaking at first glance.
I saw the red ribbon the boy used to tie his ponytail at the back of his head, and I also saw the long sword he wore at his side.
The sword sheath was jet black, with a red knotted tassel hanging from it.
—It is a plum blossom.
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