Xie Shu pursed his lips expressionlessly, not understanding why there were people in this world who were so cute and yet so hateful.
But even so, Xie Shu was reluctant to let go of the person in his arms. The tip of his nose lightly brushed against the side of the man's face, and their breathing intertwined.
Xie Shu had known the other person's breath and temperature for a long time, but at this moment he felt that it was far from enough...
It turns out that one day even if the bodies are pressed tightly together, people will still feel unsatisfied.
Yu Chuxi felt the man approaching inch by inch. He seemed to have foreseen some unspeakable danger, and Yu Chuxi inevitably began to panic.
In the dim room, the more silent it was, the more nervous it made people, as if they were waiting for an unknown verdict. In such a trial, Yu Chuxi thought that he was probably irrefutable. He neither expected the other party's forgiveness nor was he curious about the final result.
When the air is almost stagnant, even a moment seems so long.
Yu Chuxi couldn't help but blinking his eyes. With no way to retreat, his long eyelashes flickered. As if he suddenly made up his mind, he moved forward boldly but a little shyly, and his slightly trembling lips gently pressed against the corner of Xie Shu's mouth.
When that unexpected softness came over him, in the darkness, Xie Shu's deep gaze almost lit up like a ray of fire.
But even so, Xie Shu still did not make any extra movements, just staring at the person in his arms.
Yu Chuxi naturally noticed that Xie Shu was motionless, so he had to open his eyes again, with a look of grievance and innocence.
At this moment, no one knew how much willpower Xie Shu had used to restrain himself. He certainly knew how soft the person in his arms was, but what Xie Shu wanted to know more about now was his heart.
At this moment, Yu Chuxi felt her wrist being pinched tighten again, and the man's voice was close to her earlobe. Although the man's breath was so hot, his tone was visibly distant: "My dear."
This was the first time Yu Chuxi saw Xie Shu's attitude like this. Even though Xie Shu did not change his address, how could Yu Chuxi not notice how angry he was at the moment.
Even though he knew it was his fault, Yu Chuxi couldn't stop feeling aggrieved. If Xie Shu didn't want to touch him, it would be fine if he just rejected him, but why did he speak to him in such a tone? He didn't like it at all.
When Yu Chuxi wanted to struggle, Xie Shu hugged him closer. His jaw was tense, but his voice was emotionless: "I just want to ask you one question. If you continue to kiss me, do you intend to be responsible for me?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Yu Chuxi's previously chaotic brain was filled with shock and confusion. He almost suspected that he had heard something wrong.
However, Xie Shu did not seem to think that this statement was shocking. After he finished speaking, he looked at Yu Chuxi without saying a word, as if he really wanted to get an answer.
Yu Chuxi took a moment to relax, then frowned and said, "Xie Shu, what are you talking about..."
Xie Shu just looked at him deeply, and spoke word by word: "Oh? My dear, do you mean that you don't want to be responsible for me from the beginning to the end? Don't you know my feelings until now? In this case, I will make it clear to you now. I came here..."
At this point, Xie Shu paused before continuing: "I am where I am today because of you, my dear. If you don't want me in the future, then what's the point of all I've done?"
Until the last rhetorical question was asked, Xie Shu's mood became extremely complicated.
In fact, Xie Shu was just thinking about how to talk to her husband.
He was indeed very angry when he heard Lang Jun's words, but Xie Shu did not choose to vent his emotions, because quarreling could not solve the essence of the problem, and it would easily create a gap between the two parties, not to mention that Lang Jun was a somewhat stubborn person.
Hearing that her husband was ready to leave her sooner or later was indeed hard for Xie Shu to accept, but Xie Shu was also thinking about the reasons.
Xie Shu carefully reviewed his memories of the past year and found that he did have many shortcomings.
If it weren't for this conflict, Xie Shu wouldn't have realized that there had always been some problems between him and Yu Chuxi. From the beginning, when he traveled here, he couldn't explain many things his original body did in time due to some reasons, which made Yu Chuxi feel insecure and unable to trust himself.
In this case, Xie Shu made up his mind to tell everything. He was willing to be honest and tell his lover the truth.
However, just now Xie Shu suddenly found that he could not tell his true origins no matter what. It was as if he was suppressed by an inexplicable force. The world that he was once so familiar with could not even be expressed in a complete sentence.
This strange power made Xie Shu realize very clearly that he might really belong to this era now, and he could never go back.
Xie Shu didn't know how to describe the feeling in his heart at this moment. He could stay here peacefully, but his lover was planning to leave him.
If so, then why did he come to this world?
Yu Chuxi listened in a daze, and was shocked for a moment. He had never thought that Xie Shu would say such a thing. He has always been rational and methodical in doing everything. Even if he acted on impulse at this moment, it was still very surprising.
But in such darkness, when Yu Chuxi looked into Xie Shu's eyes, he felt as if his lungs were burning.
Yu Chuxi suddenly had a million words to say, but she couldn't utter a single word. She lowered her head, avoided his eyes and whispered, "Xie Shu, you shouldn't stay here."
Without waiting for Xie Shu's response, Yu Chuxi said: "Xie Shu, I have always believed that you are a hero who will accomplish great things in the future..."
Yu Chuxi didn't dare to look up, he just gritted his teeth and continued: "I didn't expect that I was wrong about you!"
Hearing this, Xie Shu's heart beat fast. He had not known before that this was how he was seen in the eyes of his lover.
But what does it matter if he is a hero or not? All he wants to do is stay by his lover's side.
But how could Xie Shu say this? Now that he still had a bit of rationality, he knew clearly in his heart that if he really didn't care and just lived in peace, could he and his lover stay together safely in this world and not be swept away by this torrent?
What's more... an idea that had been vaguely in Xie Shu's mind became extremely clear. He wanted to change this era for his lover. His lover should not be subject to those limitations and grievances.
Xie Shu was silent for a moment, then spoke in a hoarse voice: "Since you want me to go, I will go. But I want you to know that I regard you as my only partner for the rest of my life. Even if you leave me in the future, I will not leave."
Yu Chuxi knew that what he said sounded so ridiculous, but tears rolled down her cheeks unconsciously.
It turned out that he had never convinced his own heart, and he had never been willing to give up Xie Shu. If that was the case, why couldn't he be brave for once?
After Xie Shu said that, he no longer tried to keep her and slowly loosened his hand from hers. But when he felt a tear on the back of his hand, he couldn't help but want to wipe the tears from her face.
This time, Yu Chuxi did not dodge: "Xie Shu, are you willing to make a promise with me..."
Luoyang was the capital of the Great Prosperity. It was the foot of the emperor, with outstanding people and beautiful scenery. Even the city walls were more magnificent than those in Jinling. The moat outside the city was about ten feet wide, with willow trees planted on both sides. The white walls and red doors looked majestic.
A four-wheeled carriage slowly drove into the city. When the carriage stopped, a man in a green shirt lifted the curtain and walked down.
His hat and belt were simple, and apart from a wooden hairpin in his hair, he had no other accessories. However, the carving on the hairpin was inconspicuous, but it contained a hidden brilliance, adding a bit of indescribable elegance.
Seeing the soldiers coming forward to check the identity discs and check the luggage, a young servant boy came forward neatly and swiftly. It seemed that he handled the matter quite smoothly, but he turned back soon after, as if he had something to report.
At this time, another carriage stopped behind them, and a young man in brocade clothes got off the carriage surrounded by many servants. The young man was handsome and straightforward. He first looked around, then walked quickly to the man in green and said, "Rongzhan, we have finally arrived in the capital."
But before the smile faded, the young man frowned and said, "This capital is so big. Today, Rongzhan and I will say goodbye. I don't know when we will meet again tomorrow. Besides, the journey is not peaceful. Rongzhan, don't you really consider living with me in the east of the city?"
The man in blue shirt called Rong Zhan was Xie Shu. Two months ago, Xie Shu set out from Jinling for the capital. He and other candidates from Jiangnan originally planned to take the water route to the capital, but an accident occurred on the way, so he had to change to the land route to the capital.
The person traveling with him was named Tao Yun, who was also a candidate going to the capital to take the imperial examination. Tao Yun was from Huzhou. His ancestors were a prominent family in Huzhou and had served as officials for generations, enjoying great reputation in the local area.
After meeting Xie Shu by chance at an inn half a month ago, Tao Yun and Xie Shu hit it off immediately. Tao Yun had also heard of Xie Shu's reputation before, so he urged Xie Shu to travel with him.
The two had a very pleasant conversation along the way, and Tao Yun even regarded Xie Shu as his close friend. A few days ago, he even proposed to live with Xie Shu in the house that the Tao family had purchased in Beijing earlier.
You should know that it is often very difficult for candidates from other places who go to take the imperial examinations to live in the capital. The capital is a place where every inch of land is valuable. Not only are the prices of the better inns in the city extremely expensive, but they are also inevitably affected by the prosperity and bustle of the capital. Therefore, most candidates choose to rent remote inns or places like temples and Taoist temples outside the city.
If there is a house in the capital that can provide a candidate with a safe place to prepare for the exam, it is really rare. Moreover, Tao Yun said that the journey was not peaceful, which was not an empty statement. Although this prosperous era is peaceful, there are always chaos, and scoundrels take advantage of the situation. Xie Shu changed the water route because he encountered pirates on the road.
However, Xie Shu declined that day, saying it was inconvenient to bother him. This time, he just smiled and said, "To be honest, Brother Tao, my wife knew that I was going to the capital, and she had sent someone to buy a house in the capital in advance. But I didn't mention it because the matter was not yet finalized. I heard that the person who was supposed to pick me up had arrived when I entered the city just now, and then I was sure that everything was fine."
As he was speaking, there appeared to be several well-trained servants waiting at the city gate.
Seeing this scene, Tao Yun's eyes showed a strange look. He already knew Xie Shu's identity and background before, and he also knew that he was the son-in-law of Yu family, one of the leading merchants in Jiangnan. However, when he met Xie Shu a month ago, the other party traveled with a small entourage and was not at all ostentatious, so he did not pay much attention to this.
As a result, Tao Yun could only part with Xie Shu with regret, but before leaving, the two exchanged addresses so that it would be convenient for them to visit each other in the future.
Seeing the shadow of the other party's carriage going away, Tao Yun did not leave immediately, but stood there thoughtfully.
The butler beside him couldn't help but say, "Master, it was such a coincidence that Mr. Xie showed up earlier. The master asked you to be careful to find out his intentions when you are with him, and then find an opportunity to win him over. Are you just going to let him go like this?"
Tao Yun showed some displeasure on his face when he heard this, but he couldn't get angry. He knew very well that the butler represented his father's intentions.
Tao Yun did not come to Beijing for the exam. Although the Tao family was far away in Huzhou, they had marriage relations with several other aristocratic families for generations. When Tao Yun was still young, his sister had made an engagement with Cui, one of the four major surnames. Now there are three children of Cui serving as officials in the court. Cui Yuan, the head of the Cui family, is the Minister of the Chancellery, and his sons Cui Yang and Cui Lu are the Junior Minister of the Ministry of Rites and the Chief Censor respectively.
The one who married into the Tao family was Cui Lu, the second son of the Cui family. The Cui family was originally one of the four noble families, and the Cui family father and son were in high positions. Tao Yun went to the capital this time to meet the Cui family father and son according to his father's order. Because of his family background, Tao Yun did not need to take the imperial examination to be appointed as a Tongzhi and enter the officialdom. With the Cui family's support, promotion was a piece of cake.
Before coming to Beijing, Tao Yun had no other thoughts about this. Although he had studied for many years, his original purpose was to enter the officialdom. Moreover, the aristocratic families were intertwined and it was common for their children to support each other.
Until that day when he made friends with Xie Shu, Tao Yun felt it was difficult to reveal it. Firstly, Tao Yun heard that Xie Shu was devoted to the imperial examination and even refused the appointment of the current emperor, which showed that he was extraordinary. Secondly, when Tao Yun got along with Xie Shu, he felt that he was an extraordinary person with noble character.
However, after his father learned about Xie Shu's identity and background, he sent a letter to warn him to be careful because this man was pretending to be a pirate and was traveling with him in order to get close to the Cui family. He also wanted Tao Yun to win him over.
Tao Yun just thought what his father said was ridiculous.
Although he had never seen the pirate's face in person, when he met Xie Shu, the master and servant were in a hurry and dressed simply. If it weren't for Xie Shu's extraordinary temperament, he would have never guessed his true identity.
When exchanging addresses with Xie Shu just now, Tao Yun discovered that Xie Shu's new house was in the east of the city. The east of the capital is extremely expensive, and even if it is the foundation of the Tao family for generations, it is very difficult to come up with such a huge sum of money... Therefore, Tao Yun did have some intention of winning him over at the beginning, but after getting along with Xie Shu, Tao Yun no longer had this intention.
Thinking of this, Tao Yun said to the housekeeper with a fake smile: "Father has never met him, so I am afraid he doesn't know much. Please report to father and tell him that the Tao family has no place to win him over."
The capital and Nanjing are completely different scenes.
If Jinling is prosperous, then the capital is grand.
All the way in the carriage, Xie Shu looked up and saw towers and pavilions arranged in a chessboard pattern, as well as luxurious carriages, gold, jade, silk and brocade, and so on.
But even though he was in this most lively and prosperous place, Xie Shu did not feel very happy at all. Instead, he sighed unconsciously.
At this time, Xi Mo was looking around excitedly. After hearing Xie Shu's sigh, the expression on his face became much more restrained. Then he turned his eyes and said, "Master, this Mr. Tao is generous and straightforward. He is really different from other children of noble families."
Xie Shu smiled and said, "That's true, but it's a pity..."
Xie Shu stopped talking, his thoughts drifting far away. Before he set off for Beijing, his teacher had given him a rough map of his family's lineage, the complexity of which was truly unimaginable.
Since the previous dynasty, aristocratic family surnames have always been the basis for selecting official positions. Even though a new dynasty has been established and the imperial examination system has been used as the standard for selecting talents, aristocratic family connections are still the mainstream.
The influence of the noble families on the entire court was too huge and far-reaching, especially the four noble families, which had been the representatives for a long time. Therefore, everyone considered it a great honor to be related to the four families. Local officials would marry into the noble families for generations to ensure that their power would not fall. When the poor became powerful, they would be eager to marry the women of the noble families in order to make the leap to the dragon gate.
How can we shake the foundation? If the foundation is not shaken, the imperial examination will not progress.
As the carriage stopped, Xie Shu came back to his senses and found that he had arrived at the new house.
The families in the capital are of much higher status. Their doors are decorated with gold nails and red lacquer, and their walls are made of bricks and stones with porcelain tiles. They look square and heavy, making it difficult to get close to them. They are far inferior to the mountains and rivers of the south of the Yangtze River.
Seeing Xie Shu standing at the door, reluctant to come in, the servants who had been waiting for a long time looked at each other, and a steward suddenly remembered something and said, "Sir, this place was chosen by the young master, and it is decorated according to your previous preferences. If you are not satisfied with anything, just tell us directly. From now on, we are your people, and you can do whatever you want."
Xie Shu coughed lightly and asked Ximo to distribute the reward money. When he walked in again, he felt that Langjun's shadow was everywhere.
Xie Shu suddenly felt at peace in his heart, and he looked gently towards the distant horizon.
That day, Yu Chuxi asked him if he was willing to make a two-year agreement. By that time, if the two of them still had a mutual understanding and did not let each other down, Yu Chuxi would arrange the affairs in Jiangnan and come to the capital to find him.
Xie Shu will not let Yu Chuxi down in this life, and only hopes that her lover will come as promised.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
