Chapter 112 Whom Am I Thinking Of? If it weren't you, I would have gone to find someone else. ...
The cellar was brightly lit by candlelight and quiet; only when you listened closely could you faintly hear the tearing and gnawing sounds of the worms gnawing at the insects.
The gold bracelet on her finger trembled slightly, its crimson light flickering in her dark pupils. Xi Rao pursed her lips, gripped the bracelet tightly, and walked out.
Lingxing was impatient and rarely had the patience to ignore telepathic messages. He had already suffered the pain of betraying his junior sister once, and he absolutely could not suffer a second time. He had to go and see her to put his mind at ease.
The candlelight in the secret cellar went out silently. As soon as he took a step, the communication bracelet, which had been silent for so long, began to flicker with golden light.
She's my junior sister—
Xi Rao paused, then slowed his pace, waiting for her to speak.
For some reason, she was unusually silent, as if waiting for me to speak.
In an instant, the empty chamber was filled only with the sound of breathing emanating from the bracelet, light and rapid, with a slight tinge of unsteadiness.
Xi Rao narrowed his eyes slightly and had no choice but to speak first: "I have refined a new Gu. Would you like to take a look, Junior Sister?"
Her breathing became heavier, and after a long while she said, "...No need, I naturally trust my senior brother."
Before the words had even finished, a sudden, heavy tinkling of copper bells rang out from the bracelet, one after another, like startled birds frantically crashing against the latticed window.
What are you doing?
Xi Rao frowned, wanting to ask aloud but afraid of annoying her, so he tentatively asked without showing any emotion, "The noise was a bit too loud."
She didn't say anything.
He took a deep breath, his lips parted slightly, but before he could utter a sound, the copper bell seemed to be suddenly pushed by the wind, and the sound was sharp and piercing.
As if suddenly awakened by the sound of the copper bell, Lingxing opened her lips and said in a trembling voice, "They are refining... puppets."
Xi Rao's doubts deepened, and he said coldly, "I've come to find you."
"No need."
She deliberately lowered her voice, speaking as if she were short of breath: "It's a forbidden technique, and I suffered some backlash."
Xi Rao's breath hitched, and she gripped the bracelet tightly, her mind racing with panic: "Why are you practicing forbidden techniques again? Those old guys from Gu City are gone. I'll be the one practicing for the rest of my life. Don't hurt yourself again. Are you... are you badly injured? Junior Sister, are you in pain?...
Now that she's out of Gu City, why bother practicing forbidden techniques? No matter what, she has him by her side. If she's still uneasy, she should call him to practice with her.
He desperately wanted to burst into his junior sister's courtyard and stop her from practicing. But since it was a forbidden technique, once started, it couldn't be stopped halfway, and he couldn't allow others to intrude and disturb his mind.
He was at his wit's end.
His voice grew more and more anxious, while the copper bell behind the sound transmission bracelet shook wildly, each sound striking his eardrums.
She gasped for breath, her breathing halting and deep, as if suppressing great pain, and said, "I...I'm fine, I'll listen to my senior brother, I—"
Her voice was cut short, as if shattered, "I'm not practicing anymore..."
Xi Rao's knuckles turned white as he gritted his teeth and said, "I'll guard the backyard for you to prevent any trouble."
"Okay... um."
A soft moan escaped from the bracelet, but before Xi Rao could react, the sound transmission was abruptly cut off.
Xi Rao stopped in place, biting her tongue, a sudden, indescribable heat and itchiness rising in her chest.
Why does my junior sister's voice sound... somewhat seductive?
His Adam's apple bobbed for a moment, he suppressed his pounding chest, and closed the cellar door with a dark look in his eyes.
His junior sister is suffering from the backlash, how could he have such thoughts?
**
Seeing that the communication bracelet had lost its luster, Li Xunhuan buried his face in Nian Nian's neck, his voice a mixture of pleading and longing: "...Ling Xing, will you marry me again?"
He couldn't wait to call out her real name, as if by doing so, he was intruding into her past.
Whether it's Nian Nian or Ling Xing, can't it just be mine? Don't hold someone else's hand.
His lips moved for a long time before he finally said with difficulty, "I am loving you now, and I will love you for the rest of my life."
Upon meeting her, his literary talent and all the glory of the first half of his life turned to dust. He had never felt that everything about Li Xunhuan was so insignificant.
If all glory requires the tempering of time, he would rather not have it. — Ironically, all that sedimentation and tempering takes away everything in the end.
He had never felt such an urgent urge to leave something behind, but he had so little to rely on to keep her. He had no way of knowing the past of that 'Gu City', no right to ask Niannian 'why she practiced forbidden arts', and he couldn't even promise her 'I will practice for the rest of my life' like Xi Rao did.
No matter how impoverished he was, all he could rely on was a reasonably presentable face. He longed to embrace her from the past, to read about her history, and to carry all her old worries on his shoulders.
This is what it feels like to seek a heart that holds nothing back.
Niannian hunched her shoulders and said in a hoarse voice, "Don't push your luck."
She calmly spread her arms, completely oblivious to his bitterness, and smiled sweetly: "If it weren't for you, I would have gone to find someone else."
Li Xunhuan tensed his jaw, and the dark emotions surging in his chest suddenly ignited into a fire. He grabbed her slender waist and turned her over.
She always has this ability.
Just one sentence.
Nian Nian struggled haphazardly for a moment, her tone slightly impatient: "What are you doing?"
He added in a hoarse voice for her, "—until you can't find anyone else."
The copper bell rang again suddenly, and drenched sweat fell like spring rain onto her back, scalding her so much that her whole body convulsed. The bedding was crumpled from her gripping, and her white knuckles and damp fabric were stretched to their limit.
Amid the increasingly urgent ringing of the copper bell, she couldn't help but bury her burning face in the quilt, swinging her feet and giggling quietly: Uncle, didn't you say that I'm too young and immature, and that you're not interested in me at all?
She smiled and squinted her eyes: "If I don't come out, how long are you planning to stay outside coughing?"
Those upturned cat eyes started darting around again. Even though she still loved him very much, she was naturally petty and would never let him off easily.
She had long ago decided to bully him.
Uncle, are you going to shed water droplets again tomorrow?
With a clang, as if punishing her for her inattentiveness, the bell rang, forcing her to gasp softly.
That cold little foot was clenched into his palm, tightening as if to lock it in shackles. His voice was heavy and hoarse: "Who are you thinking about?"
**
The next morning.
A few rays of sunlight pierced through the holes in the stained-glass window and fell into the blue gauze curtains.
Li Xunhuan gently moved aside, blocking the scorching sun. His gaze was so tender it seemed to overflow with water, filled with the image of Nian Nian curled up in his arms.
He couldn't understand why she was so small. She nestled softly against his chest like a kitten, making him want to give her everything in the world.
The burning desire in his heart was mixed with a bit of anxiety. He stared at the swollen red lips in front of him, subconsciously rubbed his thumb, and tried to tighten his embrace little by little.
The smaller the gap, the fuller his heart seemed to be.
The chasm between love and desire is never bridged; he always wants to be closer to her, even closer, and even closer...
He lowered his head, his warm, thin lips brushing against hers little by little, and held his breath, afraid of waking her.
Niannian suddenly opened her eyes, her gaze shifting downwards, staring intently at the two lips that were almost touching, showing no sign of drowsiness. Without revealing any emotion, she abruptly uttered, "You're...."
Remembering where he had used a certain word yesterday, she paused, then added the second half of her sentence expressionlessly: "What are you doing?"
Li Xunhuan gazed into those cat-like eyes and smiled, "I'm thinking of you. I want to hug you, I want to kiss you, like I'm going crazy."
He sighed inwardly: it turns out that whether it's a young lad or a middle-aged man, they're all the same when they encounter something precious that they can't bear to part with.
Niannian pouted, unsure whether she believed him or not, and kicked him without hesitation: "Go get your clothes."
Layers of thick clothes were laid on the quilt, and Nian Nian propped herself up on her knees, suspecting that he had taken all the clothes in the wardrobe except for the blue ones.
She looked at him with a displeased expression, but before she could speak, he stammered, "It's freezing outside, you absolutely can't wear those clothes from last night."
She really wanted to question him: "Didn't you like Qingyi the most? Why don't you like her anymore?"
She was fickle and easily bored. Feeling annoyed, she threw off the blanket, grabbed a pair of underwear, and put them on.
Li Xunhuan stood there silently for a few moments, his gaze sweeping over the ripe crimson, and subconsciously took two steps forward, turning to completely shield her from his presence.
His willpower seemed to have failed him while practicing his swordplay. He had intended to be a gentleman, but he couldn't help glancing at her again and again, from her slightly trembling shoulder blades, to her blushing waist, and then...
Seeing that she had put on her underpants, he awkwardly looked away.
Niannian, unaware of his thoughts, stood up and immediately frowned. She gritted her teeth, shrank back into the covers, and angrily threw her underwear at his face.
She was angry, and Li Xunhuan certainly didn't dare to dodge. He raised his hand and grabbed the underpants that were sliding down her neck.
His fingertips were instantly dampened, and the question in his throat vanished in an instant. He suddenly felt a dryness in his mouth, and a burning sensation on the back of his neck—something he'd never experienced before: "My fault, I'll wash your pants. I would never ask anyone else to do it..."
Li Xunhuan didn't continue speaking. He coughed loudly again, his face turning pale.
Niannian clenched her knuckles, looked at his old clothes that were still soaked with water, frowned and said haphazardly, "You're so annoying, get lost. The sword appreciation competition is in the afternoon, don't let your senior brother find a flaw."
Li Xunhuan remained silent.
Fortunately, he also wanted to go back to his residence, so he clenched the underpants in his hand and said in a hoarse voice, "I'll come find you again tonight."
Nian Nian glared at him: "Did I give you permission to come? I told you to get lost."
Li Xunhuan followed her as she stepped back to open the door, not taking a single word to heart.
Just before closing the door, he hesitated before speaking: "Don't go looking for your senior brother during the day. If you want to..."
"roll!"
With a loud bang, the vase slammed against the door and shattered on the floor.
Niannian's chest heaved as she gritted her teeth and thought to herself: Who else has the life to come back?
Behind the door, Li Xunhuan touched the tip of his nose and chuckled softly. He exhaled a breath of stale air, then turned and walked into the vast snow.
-----------------------
Author's note: Little Li went to wash his pants!
Did any of you guess that Nian Nian didn't actually have amnesia?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com